Which is Scarier? Grimm or Guyver?
Ozpin's office
Agito stood next to the door as he silently watched as Specialist Schnee and the assistant Headmistress of Beacon argued over what happened. While it was clear to him that the drunken Huntsman had caused the issue that was being discussed, Agito was disgusted with how the blonde woman downplayed this reckless behavior.
"He was drunk," Winter argued with Glynda, annoyed with how she was be reprimanded by the blonde Huntress.
"He's always drunk," Glynda told Winter before the two women turned their attention to Qrow hiccupping.
Agito maintained his neutral appearance at the sight of Qrow drinking from a flask, which he was certain contained an alcoholic drink.
"What?" Qrow asked before returning to his drinking.
"If you were one of my men, I would…" James started to berate Qrow, but the drunkard interrupted the General.
"If I was one your men, I would have put a bullet in my head, and be done with it," Qrow cut Ironwood off.
"Then do it right now," Agito told the drunk, tired of this pointlessness. "That way we can move on to more important matters," he added.
Qrow quickly turned his attention to Agito.
"I don't remember you being a part of all this kid," Qrow said, still angry with this guy and his friend for making him look like a chump.
The two dark haired men stared each other down while everyone else stood in silence. James remembering that Winter was still in the office, turned his attention to his soldier.
"Schnee, you are dismissed," James told the white-haired woman.
"But sir…" Winter was quite surprised with how her commander was dismissing her while the issue had not been resolved.
"You heard the General," Qrow interrupted. "Now be a good little soldier and follow orders," he told Winter with a smirk on his face.
Winter glared at the man, wanting to drive her saber into his chest.
"Specialist Schnee," Agito said, drawing the young woman's attention away from Qrow. "I think you should take this time as a chance to spend time with your sister," he suggested to Winter. "I'm sure the two of you have a lot to catch up on," he added with a far gentler tone.
Winter remained silent for a moment before nodding to the dark Guyver, accepting his suggestion. She turned her attention to James, saluting to her commander, who returned the salute, before leaving the office.
Once Winter left the office, Qrow's attention was now directed at Agito.
"Shouldn't you be leaving too," Qrow told Agito, making his intentions clear to him.
"No Qrow, Olympus will remain here," James told the Huntsman. "He has proven to be very helpful," he added.
"Oh, I'm sure he is," Qrow retorted.
"I believe my talents are far more useful than yours have ever been," Agito returned the favor.
"Now, now gentlemen…" Ozpin decided to intervene. "Qrow, your last report was far later than normal," he told his best agent, mostly to change the topic to more pressing matters.
"Yeah, well the reception was shit out in the field," Qrow told Ozpin.
"I see," Ozpin said, taking a sip from his cup.
"Do you actually have anything useful then?" Agito joined in, not interested in this little song and dance between the headmaster and drunk.
"How about our enemy is here?" Qrow retorted, glaring at Agito.
"I wouldn't call that useful since I'm sure everyone inside this office already knows," Agito replied.
"Oh, well that's good," Qrow snarked before taking a swig of his flask. "It's good to know that I'm out there busting my ass keeping everyone informed," he continued before turning to Ironwood. "Communication is a two-way street Jimmy; you do know these scrolls can send messages to each other, right?" he showed his scroll to empathize his point.
"I thought you said that the reception was bad," Agito said in defense of the Atlas general. "There is also the possibility we have to assume you were compromised," he added.
"Olympus is right Qrow," James said.
"Well then, does wonder boy here know that your little infiltrator is not only a pawn, but the one who put Autumn in the condition she's in?" Qrow rhetorically asked.
"What?" Glynda said, shocked to find out about this piece of information.
"Despite what the world thinks, we're not just teachers, generals, or headmasters," Qrow started talking, his expression becoming grimmer. "The people of this room, the headmasters of the other two academies, we're the ones keeping the world safe from the evil it doesn't know about!" he shouts as he gets up in Ironwoods face. "It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So, tell me James, when you brought your army here, were you being discreet, or did you just didn't give a damn!" he yelled at the General.
Agito watched as the General stared down the drunk while placing his scroll on Ozpin's desk. Holographic projections of Vale, the school, the colosseum, as well as the Atlesian air fleet.
"Discreet wasn't working," James said. "I am here because this is what is necessary," he told Qrow.
"No, you're only here because Ozpin wanted you here," Qrow told James. "He let you in his inner circle, and opened your eyes to the real fight in front of us!" his voice raising once again.
"And I am grateful," James said, agreeing to what Qrow said.
"Well, you have a funny way of showing it," Qrow retorted before returning his attention to Agito. "And how about you, are you grateful to Jimmy for bringing you in to all of this?" he asked. "Or are you wishing you weren't here now?" he added, waiting for a reply.
"I am grateful to the General for helping me when we met," Agito said. "and in turn, I agreed to help him in his time of need," he continued. "However, I fail to see how your condescending attitude is helping anyone," he added.
"Olympus…" James tried to stop Agito, but Qrow wouldn't let the General finish.
"Is that so?" Qrow replied as he started laughing. "And what can you do to help because let me tell you something. Jimmy's little ships don't scare our enemy, I've been out in the field and I've seen what she's made, and let me tell you," he added. "They are fear," he finished.
Agito was silent for a moment before he started chuckling at Qrow's attempt to intimidate him. This threw Qrow off for a moment before he came to this conclusion that the young man before him is just being arrogant. He's dealt with students like that back in Signal, so he didn't think much, but decided to let the kid dig himself into his hole.
However, the rest in the office knew that Agito's laughter was not due to arrogance. Ozpin and Glynda had seen what their mysterious student, Sho Fukamachi, was capable of with his armor and Agito's armor was no different. Once Agito finished laughing he looked Qrow straight in the eye before replying.
"You don't know anything about fear," Agito told Qrow before moving past him and placing his own scroll on Ozpin's desk.
The holograms of James' scroll were replaced with projections of Sho in his Guyver armor, displaying its abilities. Qrow watched as footage of Sho ripping off the arms of a Deathstalker with such ease before punching its skull with enough force to break through its armor-like exoskeleton. Another piece of footage showed Guyver 1 firing his Mega Smasher, wiping out a massive pack of Beowolves, another showed the battle between Guyver 1 and Guyver 2. Qrow's heart was racing when he saw how this bronze colored Guyver had the same powers and weapons as Sho. His blood ran cold when he saw Guyver 2 cut off Guyver 1's leg with his elbow blade. However, the one that nearly made his heart stop was when he saw the Gigantic Guyver effortlessly wipe out the Grimm that entered Vale during the Breach incident.
Agito turned his attention to Qrow, the neutral expression on his face contrasting nicely against Qrow's shocked expression.
"There are three of us in this world and our powers are equal," Agito told Qrow. "The three of us are stronger than anyone on this planet, with built-in weapons that can kill a person with one attack regardless of how much Aura they have," he elaborated. "And right now, the one designated as Guyver 2 is aligned with the White Fang, which I suspect is working with this enemy you fear so much," he added. "Right now, this is why you need the General's army," he told Qrow.
"Why would you say that Mr. Olympus?" Ozpin asked, curious as to where this man was going.
"Do you honestly expect these children to fight once a terrorist attack occurs?" Agito replied with his own question. "Regardless of how much training you put them under, the majority of them will panic and choose to run from danger. There may be a few that will stay and fight, but that is only a small number, and nearly all veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses will most likely be out dealing with the Grimm that are outside of the Kingdoms," he pointed out. "Meaning that the only line of defense would be a handful of teachers and inexperienced children who you are expecting to risk their lives against a group of terrorists who will no doubt be using all the nearby Grimm and Guyver 2 during their attack," he added. "Which will aid your enemy in achieving their goal unhindered," he finished.
Ozpin's inner circle was silent after hearing Agito's explanation. While Glynda and Qrow had faith that the students will fight to protect the civilians, there was a tiny voice in the back of their heads that was telling them that young man before them was right about how most of the students would indeed run rather than fight.
"I also have neglected to mention," Agito spoke once again, gaining everyone's attention. "It is possible for Guyver 2 to use the Gigantic unit as well," he told them.
Ozpin's eyes widened as he turned his attention to the footage of Guyver 1 in his Gigantic form. When he saw this footage the first time, he practically prayed to the God Brothers that Sho was the only one that could use that form as it was his own creation. However, the realization that this rogue Guyver could potentially use it as well terrified the man.
"And you think Jimmy's army will do better?" Qrow asked, trying to hide the apprehension that was building up within him as he looked at the Gigantic Guyver destroying the Grimm effortlessly. The very idea that this armored giant was just an alternate form that can be used by any of these three Guyver things was a terrifying revelation.
"No," Agito answered, his voice betraying no deception. "Against a Guyver, no huntsman stands a chance, and an army is nothing but a plaything," he continued. "However, the Atlesian army would be enough to help keep the Grimm and White Fang at bay while Fukamachi deals with Guyver 2," he explained.
"You will not be assisting us Mr. Olympus?" Ozpin noticed how Agito didn't mention himself during this discussion.
"I'm afraid I am needed back at Atlas," Agito told the headmaster. "A new project is being commissioned and I am needed in supervising it," he explained.
"I see," Ozpin said, turning his attention to James. "And what project would this be James?" he asked the General.
James maintained his composure as his comrades waited for his answer. Qrow's eyes bore into him, waiting for the General to say something so that he could tell how much of a dumb idea it was. Glynda simply stared, wondering what James was doing behind Ozpin's back that he would claim to be 'classified' like he usually would when he didn't want anyone knowing about something.
"We are attempting to replicate Mr. Thrush's battle form," the General finally said, shocking Glynda with how casually he said it. This kind of response was not how James usually gave.
While he didn't show it, Ozpin was close to having a nervous breakdown when he heard that sentence. The image of Russel's Zoanoid form raced into the front of his mind. That primal, yet other worldly shriek ringing in his ears. Those long claws that rendered one student's Aura useless, that bladed tail that could cut through a human with ease, and the way the Zoanoid towered over even the tallest of huntsmen. The thought of more of these Aura destroying creatures in James' army was horrifying thought.
"James, I do not think that would be a good idea," Ozpin said.
"Ozpin, during times of war, we need every possible advantage in order to win," James said. "Project Libertus has been approved and Olympus will be leading the project," he ended this discussion before dismissing Agito.
As Agito left the office, he could hear Qrow ask Ozpin what the General meant by battle form. With his back facing everyone, Agito had a smug smile on his face.
'Looks like I'll end up being the one who will continue Chronos's work in this new world,' Agito thought about the irony of the situation. 'However, it may take a while in creating the necessary chemicals to jump start the Zoanoid optimization process,' he made a note of getting the best chemists of Remnant hired for the project.
Emerald Forest
Lisker stood as he was being encircled by a King Taijitu. The second Guyver had spent the past two days getting used to the Gigantic form he acquired, and he was clearly impressed with its power. The black head of the massive snake lunged at the green Gigantic's back, but the large power amps on his shoulder started glowing yellow, causing an energy barrier to form around the giant Guyver. The black head collided with the barrier, stunning the beast for a moment before it pulled away from its prey. This was something the two-headed snake was not prepared for, nor was it ready for what came next.
Lisker chuckled as the vibration blades on his left arm stretched out and moved around before one blade headed for the white head and the other one went for the black head. The white head didn't have time to react as the vibration blade impaled it from its lower jaw, traveling toward the top of its skull, piercing its brain in the processes before the tip stuck out like the dorsal fin of a shark. The black head managed to evade the other blade's first strike but it was not aware of the blade snaking around its neck. The remaining head of the two-headed snake barely felt the blade touch its scales before the coiling vibration blade severed the head from its body, killing the King Taijitu.
As the snake Grimm dissolved, Lisker looked over his Gigantic form, marveling at the power this form had within it.
"The power of this form never ceases to amaze me," Lisker said as he levitated upwards. "And to think it is all thanks to that boy creating the first one," he added as he turned his attention toward the floating coliseum. "I wonder what the look on that boy's face will be when I show him that I too can wield this power as well," he said before he started laughing.
Cinder's dorm room
"And you're certain it's him?" Cinder asked Mercury.
"Same hair style, sword, and smells like my old man on the weekends," Mercury listed. "Yeah, it's him," he clarified.
"And it was Sho and this dark Guyver that interfered with his fight with the Atlesian Specialist?" Cinder wanted more information about this development.
"Yeah," Mercury said. "It looked like the dark one and the Atlesian know each other, she stopped herself as soon as he landed between them," he explained.
"And what of Sho?" Cinder asked, wanting to know how he fit into all of this.
Off to the side, Emerald's grip on her pistol tightened.
"I say it's safe to say, he's won't on that huntsman's good side for quite a while," Mercury told Cinder. "Not only did he cut up his sword, he grabbed the old man by the throat, looked like he was threatening him too before throwing him at Ozpin's feet," he elaborated.
Hearing what Sho did to Qrow Branwen, one of the most skilled Hunstmen in Remnant, was enough for Cinder to smile briefly. Everything she was just told, meant that Sho's loyalty to Ozpin was indeed wavering, or might not even exist. Both were acceptable in Cinder's eyes as it meant that she had a better chance at swaying him to join her.
"Perhaps I should talk to Sho tomorrow and see how he is doing," Cinder said before picking up her scroll, looking over an interesting little file she found about another boy from Beacon Academy. "On to other matters, this little piece of information sounds promising," she said as she showed her lackies what she was talking about.
Mercury, Emerald, and Neo looked at the scroll and saw that it was the leader of team JNPR along with Sho in the hallway. The audio wasn't that great, but they were able to make out what was being said.
"Oh, why not, I might as well tell you too," Jaune said bitterly. "I'm sure Cardin will just tell everyone anyway when he's had his fill of having me do his crap," he added. "I faked my transcripts to get into Beacon," he finally said.
"So, you got into this school illegally?" Sho asked evenly.
Cinder watched as the faces of the three before her started to look up from the scroll.
"So, this blonde dork cheated the system and was being blackmailed by someone else in this school," Mercury said with a shrug. "What's the big deal, I mean we're doing the same thing," he pointed out.
"Yes, but Lionheart is working with us, making it easy for us to fake our transcripts. This guy got by with a forged transcript and has no talent to back up the claims on it," Emerald said. "This school is supposed to only except the best, but this kid managed to lie his way in," she added. "And there is a good chance Ozpin knows his transcript were fake but kept him in," she pointed out.
"Meaning, that this school has been negligent in performing a thorough background check, and Ozpin has made a reckless decision, both of these acts can be of use to us," Cinder said. "Just like everything else we have found out, such as footage of Xiao Long causing a large amount of property damage in that bar that Roman went to before one of his Dust robberies," she explained.
"And how this school is harboring a member of the White Fang," Emerald brought up.
"Yes," Cinder nodded her head. "I wonder what other secrets are being hidden within this school," she said before putting down her scroll. "Which is something you'll have to find out," she turned her attention toward Neo.
Neo pointed to herself as if she was confused, but the smile on her face told Cinder that the diminutive woman knew what she needed to do.
"While Me and Em make it past the doubles matches," Mercury said, remembering that he got the fun part of the job.
"Yes, and make it a good match for the audience," Cinder told Mercury. "The members of team CFVY are apparently fan favorites, so we don't want to disappoint the audience," she added.
"We won't fail," Emerald assured Cinder while Mercury gave a half-hearted agreement, knowing that all they have to do was put on a show before beating their opponents.
Early morning: Combat Classroom
Sho dodged a claw strike from Russel by tilting his head to his right before countering with a weak front kick to the bird-like Zoanoid's stomach. Russel stumbled back for a moment before spinning around to swipe at the Guyver with his tail blade, only for Sho to jump away from the attack. As soon as hit feet touched the ground, Sho saw Russel rushing toward him, pressing on with his attack.
After finding out that his team wouldn't be matched up against team SSSN, Russel needed something to do to vent his rage against Neptune. So, the young Zoanoid asked Sho if he was willing to train with him to blow off steam. Sho was reluctant since his armor boosted his abilities one hundred times normal, which meant that he would have to pull his punches dramatically, or risk accidently killing Russel. Despite being able to hold back whenever he faced off against any of the other students, doing the same for Russel was tougher thanks to the time Sho had spent fighting against the Zoanoids that Chronos had sent out to kill him and retrieve his Control Metal, that quickly killing Zoanoids fighting against him was practically second nature to him. Holding back was possible, but Sho had to constantly remind himself that Russel was his friend, not a Zoanoid sent by Chronos.
Russel tried a double claw attack, both claws coming for the sides, but Sho ducked just in time before grabbing his right arm and flipped him over his shoulder, why trying his hardest to avoid breaking the Zoanoid's arm in the process. Russel hit the ground, cracking the small arena floor. Once Sho let go of Russel, the Zoanoid spun his body around, attempting to sweep Sho's feet, but Sho jumped away from Russel. Not deterred in the slightest, Russel got back on his feet and was ready to continue his attack.
However, he was surprised to see Sho leapt at him. The Guyver spun his body to his left, extending his left leg out as he continued spinning. Russel ducked his head to avoid the kick, but he didn't expect Sho's right leg, which was tucked in, to strike out and hit him in the face with at least one tenth of his strength behind that kick, knocking him back onto the floor. As for Sho, after he finished the kick, he landed on his back before springing himself back onto his feet while Russel rolled away from Sho.
"What kind of a kick was that?" Russel asked, shaking his head before looking at Sho.
"I'm not sure," Sho answered. "But it worked," he added.
"Pretty good move," Russel admitted, impressed with how it worked. "Maybe we should call it the Guyver Kick," he suggested in a joking manner.
Sho shook his head, finding the idea of naming a combination of two kicks after his armor silly, but he had to admit that Guyver Kick had a nice ring to it.
'Maybe I should shout out the name of it after I jump into the air like in those old Kamen Rider shows Tetsuro and I used to watch as kids,' Sho thought to himself as he imagined him in his Guyver armor doing one of the Kamen Rider poses. "Want to give it a shot?" he asked Russel.
If it wasn't for his beak, Russel would have had a smirk on his face but Sho was certain that the CRDL member's eyes flashed a little brighter than normal.
"Let's get started," Russel eagerly watched as Sho got himself into position to perform this new technique.
While Sho and Russel practiced the "Guyver Kick," back in the first-year dorms of the Beacon students two other members of team CRDL were walking down the hallway. Dove and Sky were heading to the cafeteria to meet up with Cardin for breakfast, however Dove noticed that Sky has been very quiet and that he had bags under his eyes.
"You got to stop thinking about what happened back in that village," Dove said out of the blue.
Sky's eyes widened as he looked around frantically to see if anyone was around to hear what Dove said. Once he was certain that the two of them were alone, Sky turned his attention back to Dove.
"Don't talk about it like that when we're out of our dorm room," Sky whispered to Dove, angered by his teammate's bluntness.
"We're the only ones in this hallway," Dove told his friend. "No one is listening in on us," he assured the fourth member of their team.
"How can you be sure?" Sky asked. "Besides, how can I stop thinking about what happened?" he added, depressed over the ordeal they dealt with not too long ago. "Most nights I can barely get any sleep because of the nightmares," he admitted.
"I told you, you should just use those sleep aids," Dove told Sky. "They've been working for Cardin and me," he added.
"I can't stand those things," Sky replied. "I just feel like I need to talk to someone about it," he added.
"Like who?" Dove asked. "Professor Port, Oobleck, Goodwitch?" he listed three of the teachers in the school that they know. "Or how about Ozpin, I'm sure he'll be able to make you forget all about that shithole village and all those fucking Faunus that tortured, raped, and killed all those innocent people," he retorted.
"Well, what should I do then huh?" Sky asked, his frustration growing. "Should I just continue to pretend that everything is alright, that nothing happened in that village of sadistic Faunus, and forget about how that one Faunus tossed a crying toddler into that cauldron and boiling that little girl alive while the mother cried and begged for her baby's life?" he ranted as the screams of the mother and child rang inside his head.
Dove was silent throughout Sky's rant. He knew that Sky was hit hard by what happened back in Leuod River, he can still remember Sky placing the broiled remains of the child on top of her dead mother's body before they buried them along with all the other victims of that village. It sickens him to this day that there were Faunus that were actually worse than the White Fang. At least with the White Fang, Dove can kind of understand why they committed their crimes, but the Faunus of that village, there was no reason. They just tormented those humans because they could and wanted to.
Which made killing them so easy during that moment, but once the adrenaline was gone, Dove also felt lost and confused like the rest of his team. The only thing that kept Dove from going insane was what he was going to tell Sky, a sentence he told himself once they got back to the school.
"We did the right thing when we killed those bastards," Dove told Sky while putting a hand on Sky's shoulder. "Now, no one else will have to go through the same thing there ever again," he added.
Sky understood what Dove was trying to do, but he still couldn't help but feel like it wasn't enough. In a way, Dove was right about how no one would suffer like that again in that part of Vale, but the horrifying thought that there were other villages that performed those sickening acts made the halberd wielding member shudder. The worst part about that thought was that if those acts were being done regardless of what they did in Leuod River, then they barely did anything.
"If only I had more power," Sky muttered as he thought about Sho in his Guyver armor and Russel in his Zoanoid form.
Dove didn't ask what Sky meant by that; he had a good idea of what Sky was thinking about because he had thought about it too every time when he saw Russel transform. It was thanks to Russel's Zoanoid form that their team made it to the doubles match, and he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Russel had been able to change into that form much earlier and if Sho had turned into the Guyver before those people had died.
Those people might have lived, or they might have died regardless. In the end, none of that mattered anymore.
The past is in the past.
"I know man, I know," Dove finally said to Sky before the two of them made their way to the cafeteria.
Once they were gone, a section the hallway shattered like glass revealing Neo as she looked at her scroll. She pressed the play button on it to hear what she recorded.
"Should I just continue to pretend that everything is alright, that nothing happened in that village of sadistic Faunus, and forget about how that one Faunus tossed a crying toddler into that cauldron and boiling that little girl alive while the mother cried and begged for her baby's life?" Neo smiled after hearing the recording of Sky's voice played back perfectly.
Satisfied with what she got, Neo made her way toward the cafeteria, with plans to sneak into the kitchen and snag some ice cream as a reward for herself for a job well done.
Team RWBY's dorm
Midday
After playing a couple of rounds of his nieces' favorite fighting game, Qrow continued to sit on the floor watching Ruby and Yang face off against each other in the game. However, the huntsman's mind was focused on another matter that happened last night.
Flashback
Qrow's eyes widened when he watched the footage of Russel transforming into his Zoaform. His mind tried to process what he was looking at, but it was difficult when he heard the Zoanoid's shriek as it was very familiar to him. It was a sound that he had heard many years ago during a mission he was on with a huntress he trusted. It was the same kind of shriek he had heard within the jungles of the southern region of Sanus.
The shriek also brought back the memory of his comrade's mangled remains placed in front of the gate of the village the two of them were protecting. Qrow tried to suppress the memory, but the most haunting moment of that mission was when he found the huntress's head mounted on a wooden pike, her face forever stuck in a horror filled expression, all the while the jungle was filled with this shriek coming from all directions within the jungle.
"Uncle Qrow, Uncle Qrow," Ruby called out to her uncle.
Qrow snapped out of his thoughts to see Ruby and Yang looking at him, worried about him because he had zoned out.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.
"You, kind of just zoned out," Yang said, placing her Scroll on the floor.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Qrow assured his nieces. "Just strollin' down memory lane," he added, thinking that was a good cover.
"Did she let you have a free drink or two?" Yang teased her uncle.
"Free drinks, a meal, and a little extra after hours," Qrow smiled when he saw Ruby and Yang's faces quickly changed from worried to disgusted by what he was implying.
"You perv!" Yang cried out, but smiled regardless because she knew her uncle was just teasing them.
Ruby on the other hand continued looking disgusted, which amused both Qrow and Yang. However, Qrow's joyful expression changed into one of seriousness.
"Do you two think you can tell me more about this Sho kid?" Qrow asked his nieces.
Ruby and Yang quickly recollected themselves before looking at each other. The sisters were not sure what they should tell their uncle in regards to Sho. It wasn't easy trying to keep the fact that a sort of friend of theirs was actually an alien from another world populated by humans. What Sho told them was still something that they had a hard time grasping and to be honest with themselves, most of team RWBY wasn't sure if they truly believed it. Ruby believed it due to how she wants to believe that Sho was completely honest with them.
"What do you want to know about him?" Ruby asked her uncle.
"How about for starters, what is that weird armor he can summon?" Qrow asked, wanting to get to the main issue. "Is it his Semblance, or some crazy advance armor that he was call forth or whatever?" he added a couple of possible answers, waiting to see if the girls will agree to them or tell him something else.
"Well…we're not really sure," Ruby tried to evade the question, hoping Yang would have a better answer.
"Maybe it's a magical armor," Yang suggested, making it sound like an answer.
"Yeah right," Qrow replied. "As if magic actually exists," he continued.
"Well, why not?" Ruby asked. "A lot of Semblances look like magic," she pointed out. "Weiss's Semblance lets her do all kinds of stuff, which looks like magic," she decided to use her partner's Glyphs as an example.
"Semblances are tied to a person soul kid," Qrow told Ruby. "What that Sho kid used wasn't a Semblance," he came to that conclusion a while ago.
"Okay, so it's not a Semblance or magic armor," Yang conceded, but she wasn't about to tell her uncle Sho's story. "He never really told us what his armor is," she lied. "He likes to keep it a secret," she added.
"Okay, but what about that other guy?" Qrow decided to ask a different question. "He seems to know him," he added.
"The two of them are friends," Yang replied, figuring that wasn't a big issue.
"Kid's got weird taste in friends," Qrow remarked, still pissed with Zeus and how he used his fight with Winter to paint Atlas's military in a positive light when it should be Huntsmen and Huntresses the people should be feeling safe around, not a bunch of uniformed nobodies following Jimmy's orders.
"Tell me about it," Yang agreed. "He constantly hangs around team CRDL, and when he's not around them or us, he talks to that one guy with the scar," she tried to remember who that one was.
"Whose team CRDL?" Qrow asked.
"They're a team of bullies that picked on others," Ruby answered, remembering how Cardin had used to pull on Velvet's ears. "But they haven't been doing that anymore, but they never apologized for any of the bullying they did," she added.
"Is that so?" Qrow asked, not liking what he was suddenly hearing about bullies in Beacon, but knew that there wasn't much he could do about it.
"Yeah, but that other guy is worse," Yang said as she remembered Aptom. "He treats all of us like garbage and when he did a sparring match against us, he didn't bother to hold back on some of us," she complained.
"Really now?" Qrow remarked, raising an eyebrow over how his firecracker of a niece would complain about someone not holding back on her.
"If it was just me, that be fine," Yang continued on. "But he didn't let up when Ruby was trapped in ice or fried two of us when he turned into that eel monster thing," she added.
"His Semblance allows him to change into a monster," Qrow said, wanting to let his nieces think he doesn't know about Zoanoids.
"Well, I guess you can call it that," Ruby said as she considered telling her uncle the truth about Aptom. "But he was also very harsh when he told us that we were pathetic," she added, sadly.
"What?" Qrow was starting to get mad over how this Aptom guy called his nieces pathetic; they're still learning about what it meant to be huntresses. It was natural for them to make mistakes because they were still learning.
Sho's dorm room
Sho was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind slowly drifting to sleep. After his little training session with Russel, the two of them went their separate ways so they could enjoy the rest of the day. Sho didn't really want to do anything after training with Russel aside from grabbing something to eat and heading back to his dorm room to rest. Once he got into his room, Sho took a quick shower and afterwards found himself lying on the bed once he was dressed.
He shifted his head to his left to scan the room, it was very Spartan. Sho shouldn't be so surprised since he only had his normal clothes with him when he arrived on Remnant.
'Maybe I should buy a few things to make this place feel more lively,' Sho thought to himself.
While he considered this idea, Sho's scroll started ringing causing him to look at who was calling him. It was a number he didn't recognize, which meant that it was a call from anyone from team RWBY, JNPR, or CRDL since those three teams were the only ones who know his number and he knew theirs.
"Who could that be?" Sho wondered as he answered the call. "Moshi moshi," he said.
"What…?" a female voice replied.
Sho's eyes widened, recognizing the voice belonging to the woman he met yesterday.
"Cinder?" Sho said, surprised that Cinder got his scroll number.
"Yes Sho," Cinder replied. "I was wondering if you wanted to watch my teammates match with me?" she offered.
Sho looked up at the clock on his nightstand, it was a quarter after one and a few of the double matches were already done. Originally, Sho had no interest in watching these matches since none of teams RWBY, JNPR, CRDL, or SSSN were competing today. Still, the young Guyver didn't have any plans for the rest of the day, and he wouldn't mind getting to know Cinder a bit more.
"I don't mind at all," Sho said. "What time is your team's match?" he asked, wondering if he would have to rush or not.
"Their match should be starting in a little under an hour," Cinder told him.
"Hmmm…that's a little close and the air buses might take a while," Sho said more to himself than to Cinder.
"I suppose you're right," Cinder replied.
"But I think we can still make it in time," Sho added. "Where should we meet?" he asked.
"I'll meet you over at the entrance of your dorm," Cinder answered. "It's along my way to the air buses anyway, so I should be there in about five minutes," she told Sho.
"I'll be down by then," Sho told Cinder.
"I'll be waiting," Cinder said before hanging up.
Five minutes passed and Sho spotted Cinder waiting patiently for him as he exited the dormitory. Once the two of them made eye contact, Sho made his way toward her, feeling a bit nervous despite this being their second time meeting each other. Cinder on the other hand, had a small smile as she watched Sho approach her.
"Sorry about the wait," Sho apologized.
"It's alright," Cinder said, not at all upset about waiting for Sho. "I wasn't waiting too long anyway," she assured him. "But I don't believe we'll be able to make it to the air bus," she told him.
"Did we miss the next bus to the coliseum?" Sho asked, suspecting that was the case.
"Yes, and the next one won't arrive for another fifteen minutes," Cinder said, feigning disappointment.
Sho looked up to see the floating coliseum and weighted their options on either waiting for the next bus or find alternate means.
'Why not," Sho thought to himself. 'It's not like nobody else has seen me use my armor before," he decided as he turned to face Cinder. "Cinder, can you please take a few steps back?" he requested.
"What for?" Cinder asked, wondering what the Guyver was up to.
"Trust me, it's safer that you step back right now," Sho told Cinder.
Curious of what Sho was planning, Cinder agreed as she took four steps back.
"GUYVER!" Sho shouted as an invisible barrier surrounded him.
Cinder's eyes widened as she watched pieces of the ground beneath Sho evaporated as his armor appeared and covered his body.
'So that's what it looks like in real life,' Cinder thought as she marveled at the teal colored Guyver standing before her. 'Such a slender form, yet it holds so much power,' she mentally commented.
"Climb onto my back," Sho said as he turned around so that his back was facing Cinder.
"Excuse me?" Cinder replied, surprised by Sho's statement.
"I'm sorry," Sho apologized, sounding quite embarrassed. "But this was the only way I can think of that wouldn't…look suggestive," he tried to explain. "So that we can fly up to the coliseum," he added.
"You can fly?" Cinder said, once again surprised by what Sho was telling her that his armor was capable of.
"Yes, the orb on my waist allows me to control gravitational forces," Sho started to explain. "It gives me the energy needed to fly or to use my Pressure Cannon," he added.
"Pressure Cannon?" Cinder repeated, wondering what that was.
"It's a small black hole that can suck up all kinds of matter and light in an instant," Sho explained as he started feeling less embarrassed around the young woman before him. "So, should we try this or do you prefer that we just wait for the next bus?" he asked.
Cinder smiled at the bio-boosted human as she approached him.
"Does it have to be a piggyback?" Cinder purred as she got closer to Sho. "Because I think that would just look silly," she told Sho.
"W-w-well…it's probably the most secure way that I could think of," Sho stuttered, which sounded so odd coming from an armored being with no visible mouth.
"I suppose so," Cinder said, smiling at how nervous Sho was getting, easily figuring out what his mind was thinking. "But exactly how fast can you fly?" she asked.
"You know, I'm not sure," Sho admitted, since he never really thought about how fast he could fly in his normal Guyver form. "But I know that I'm a lot faster than the air buses," he added, remembering how slow it felt riding one of them.
"Is that so?" Cinder asked as she approached Sho's back. "That sounds like an interesting experience," she said.
Sho lowered his body so that Cinder could wrap her arms around his neck. Cinder took a moment to feel the Guyver armor and was surprised that it didn't feel like metal, but more like leather, which bewildered the half maiden.
"Something wrong?" Sho asked, snapping Cinder out of her bewilderment.
"No, it's just that I wasn't expecting your armor to feel like this," Cinder said.
"Trust me, that's not the weirdest part about this armor," Sho told Cinder as he moved his arms around Cinder's legs so that he could get a better hold of her before standing up. "You ready?" he asked.
"Yes," Cinder said, feeling a little embarrassed with the way she was being held.
"Alright then," Sho said as he activated his gravity controller. "Hold on tight," he told Cinder before the two of them took to the air.
Cinder gasped as she felt air rushing past her causing her to close her eyes while Sho ascended to the sky with her. Once he was well above the dormitory, Sho moved his body to the direction of the floating coliseum and sped toward it.
As for Cinder, she slowly opened her eyes to see that she and Sho were indeed flying. This was a completely different experience when compared to flying an airship, it was more exciting and liberating.
'Once I've obtained the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers, this will be an experience I won't get bored of,' Cinder thought to herself before turning her attention back to Sho. "Do you do this often?" she asked the bio-boosted human.
"Not really," Sho answered. "Only when necessary," he added, keeping his focus on the floating artificial island. "But it's still a pretty amazing feeling," he admitted.
"You can feel the air through your armor?" Cinder asked, intrigued by this little piece of information.
"Yeah, this armor does more than just protects me," Sho answered as they approached their destination. "Just about every part of my body is enhanced to its physical peak or replaced with more efficient versions," he explained.
"Every part?" Cinder wondered in a teasing manner.
"Well…a couple of parts are removed every time I equipped the armor," Sho admitted. "Since a few parts of my body aren't used for combat, the Guyver armor discards them and replaced them with organs that improve combat effectiveness," he explained, remembering what Makashima told him during their second time infiltration Relics Point.
"I see," Cinder said while looking over Sho's shoulder to see they were nearing the Amity Coliseum. 'Soon all of this will crumble,' she thought to herself as Sho reached the floating island.
Once they reached their destination, Sho lowered himself, letting Cinder get off of his back. After stepping away from the Guyver's back, Cinder noticed how several of the people who had just exited the air buses were looking at her and Sho. From what she could tell, the people that were looking were mostly civilians, or some of the students that had never seen Sho's armor before. Sho on the other hand, didn't give these people much thought as he disengaged his armor, wowing Cinder as she watched the armor float off of its host, reforming behind him before vanishing from this dimension in a manner similar to a ghost.
Sho noticed Cinder's awed expression and turned to her.
"It's kind of overwhelming the first few times, but afterwards the transformations do lose their impact," Sho tells Cinder, ignoring the stares that he was getting.
"I don't think I would ever get tired of it if I had that kind of power," Cinder said, still feeling the rush she had not too long ago.
Sho was about to say something but was interrupted by the PA announcement.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the next match of the Vytal Festival's tournament will be starting in five minutes.
May the participates make their way to arena at this time.
Sho and Cinder looked up to see a monitor displaying Mercury and Emerald's headshots along with Coco and Yatsuhashi.
"Looks like this will be an interesting match," Cinder said smoothly, which Sho barely caught onto.
"I guess…" Sho replied, wondering why Cinder's tone sounded less excited for her friends. 'Maybe she is confident that her friends will win the match,' he thought.
"We should get going if we want to get a good pair of seats," Cinder said as she was about to turn around.
"SHO!" a younger female voice shouted, grabbing both Sho and Cinder's attention.
Sho turned to the direction of the voice to see Ruby heading her way to him with Velvet and Fox tailing behind her.
"Oh, hey Ruby," Sho said as he waved at the girl. "So, you're here to see the match too?" he asked.
"Yep," Ruby answered before turning to Velvet and Fox as they caught up to her. "Velvet invited me since Weiss was spending the day with her sister and Yang wanted to get in a bit of practice before our team's match," she explained.
"And Blake?" Sho asked, wondering what the token Faunus of team RWBY was up to.
"She said she was going to catch up on her reading," Ruby answered, remembering how Blake was sitting on the dorm lounge reading the latest volume of Ninjas of Love. "I wonder if Ninjas of Loves is really that good," she added, curious about the book series.
Sho looked over Ruby's head to see Velvet blushing, he took a look at Cinder to see her reaction, only to see her rolling her eyes after she heard the title of the book.
"Sho, we really should be going," Cinder told the young man. "It would be a shame if we all didn't get any good seats to see the match," she pointed out.
"I suppose you're right," Sho agreed as he made his way to Cinder before stopping to look at Ruby, Velvet, and Fox. "You three are welcome to join us if you want," he offered.
Ruby's eyes brightened up when she heard Sho's offer, wasting no time to join him and Cinder. Velvet nodded her head before she nudged Fox toward the direction of the stadium.
Cinder on the other hand, narrowed her eyes after she heard Sho offering these three the chance to join them.
'Well, that's going to make things needlessly difficult,' Cinder thought to herself. 'But it's nothing more than a minor hurdle, he will be mine soon enough,' she added as she led the small group.