V3E10: Bad Hand, Still Playing
The morning was a time of day Headmaster Ozpin usually relished. The sun was up, its blood-red light turning a beautiful gold, the coffee was freshly brewed and it suddenly became socially acceptable to drink it. Normally, Ozpin would enjoy his morning coffee and get on with his day, with today being a strategy meeting with Qrow and Glynda on the docket.
Normally. However, today was going to be quite awful seeing as the first thing to happen was Hope showing up, unannounced and ready to sling foul language like a boorish oaf.
"Oh, dear..." Ozpin muttered upon Hope barging in.
"You are damned fucking lucky that you're a soul parasite, otherwise I'd have blown your head off!" The seer seethed.
Glynda glanced concerningly at Hope, then to Ozpin.
"Soul parasite?"
Hope noted that he'll have to explain Ozpin's possession ability to her later but ignored her for the time being.
"Team RWBY requested to withdraw and you fucking vetoed it!" Hope resumed, livid
The headmaster adjusted his spectacles.
"I have judged Ruby Rose to be sufficiently able to end the tournament. I have a great deal of faith in her abilities."
Qrow smirked smugly, looking like a complete dweeb in how proud of his niece he was.
"She's a good student."
"It's not about ability, you twats!" Hope scourged. "It's about her mental health!"
Qrow's attitude bruskly shifted from pride to deep worry, as shown by his smile turning upside down.
"What do you mean? Did something happen?!"
"She had an emotional meltdown and bawled herself into unconsciousness."
Glynda nodded sadly.
"I concur. The poor girl looked awful."
Qrow grabbed Glynda by the shoulder with a desperate grip.
"Where is she now?!"
Hope rolled towards the windows, opening them and letting in a waft of fresh air.
"They went to the cafeteria to get breakfast."
A mass of shadow swallowed the older man before compressing into the shape of the bird he was named after. Hope nodded to the corvid.
"Fly to her, she needs her uncle."
Qrow lowered his head before looking forward again. He squawked a thank before flying through the opened window. Hope smiled. Despite his borderline crippling addiction to the bottle, Qrow knew when to keep his head clear. And nothing sobers him up like family needing him.
He may be a colossal drunken douche, but he loves his family. And that, Hope could respect.
Back to the original problem at hand, Hope wiped his smile away and his hateful glare returned to someone he believe rightfully deserved it.
"All that just because you were too fucking dim to notice that she wasn't built for this." Hope scorned.
Ozpin took off his glasses, revealing his tired and hopeless thousand-yard stare. He rubbed them with a heavy sigh, betraying how truly exhausted he was.
"Amber is not long for this world," Ozpin noted. "I understand that you're furious with my decision, but even you can see that we need someone, anyone, who can take over the mantle of the Autumn Maiden. To keep it out of Salem and her cabal's hands."
"A fucking child?!" Hope exclaimed.
"Miss Rose is sixteen, going on seventeen." Ozpin corrected. "She's hardly a child."
Hope facepalmed.
"Ozpin, this isn't the middle ages anymore! Thirteen is not an acceptable legal age anymore, let alone sixteen!"
"There was no one else I could trust with that power."
"What about Glynda?" Hope asked. "Or Peach? Fuck, Why not the Shade Headmistress? Why Ruby of all people?!"
Ozpin shook his head.
"I have judged all of the above in question to be inadequate to hold the maiden powers save for Miss Rose."
Glynda frowned, obviously insulted at being called inadequate. She scoffed quietly. So much for trust...
Hope groaned as a massive headache came from his brain trying to understand Ozpin's thought process, something which became increasingly more difficult the longer he tried.
"Why?" Hope reiterated. "She doesn't have the mental fortitude or the emotional maturity to handle all of this world-spaning conspiracy shit yet! She's underprepared!"
Ozpin raised a brow at Hope's choice of words.
"Yet?" Ozpin repeated. "So you agree that she's a good choice, just that she wasn't ready?"
Hope clammed up. In a twisted sense, he agreed with Ozpin on Ruby being a good candidate. She was young, talented and had the right attitude of a goody-two-shoes with an ass-kicking streak. It's just that she was just too young and too immature, things that can be ironed out with age and experience respectively.
That and being the protagonist helped out a lot too. She already had plot armour and super special silver eyes powers. Might as well add super special season magic while you're at it. Still, now was not the time to give a pubescent girl the powers of a mythical being.
"I know what I said, Oz. That doesn't vindicate you."
Ozpin smirked, letting out a bit of his bitterness.
"It may have been a miscalculation on my end, but even still. It seems I wasn't wrong."
"There is a difference between being correct and doing right." Hope raged through his teeth.
Ozpin's eyelid twitched.
"Doing right?" Ozpin repeated tensely. "I've spent eons trying to do what's right for this world, lest I remind you."
Ozpin rose to his full height before calmly but coldly setting his hands on his desk. His glasses slipped, revealing a seething storm held back.
"Amber is on death's door. I can't let what's left of the maiden powers get into the hands of the woman who brought her low. My school has been infiltrated and there is a festival going on."
Ozpin sat back down, taking a long draught from his mug. He sighed tiredly, his eyelids growing dark circles.
"I'm out of time, out of the opportunity. I have made a choice, I have taken my pick."
Hope glared contemptuously.
"Pick. Someone. Else."
"Or what?" Ozpin challenged. "Do you truly believe so little of Miss Rose?"
Hope stared at Ozpin, baffled that he would use that line. The irony was so bitting that the seer couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"You're right. I don't believe that children can win this war." Hope admitted. "I don't believe in Ruby at the moment. Right now, that girl needs help, support and comfort. NOT a second soul or the weight of the world on her shoulders."
"Why are you so adamant?!" Ozpin asked, his wits straining. "Why are you so against this decision? Is it your emotions clouding your judgement because you saw a little girl cry?"
Glynda's face twisted in revulsion, The transparent attempt at emotional manipulation disgusted her.
"No, you manipulative ass." Hope rebuked. "Your candidate will die at the hand of the false maiden."
Ozpin pointed to Hope scoldingly.
"Wasn't it you who said that the future wasn't set in stone?"
Hope let out a sardonic chuckle.
"Yes, I did!" He threw his hands up in the air sarcastically. "You finally listened to me! Now of all time!"
Hope approached Ozpin's desk before standing up to face him, the two men standing off.
"We're done. For good." Hope declared.
The seer spat in Ozpin's face, shocking the infinity man. Ozpin took a surprised step back before giving Hope a death stare.
"Then leave my gods damned school." He fumed.
The seer smiled darkly.
"As of today, you won't have a school anymore."
Glynda's eyes slowly widened before turning heel and pulling out her scroll, not bothering to announce her departure. As she left for the elevator, Hope could hear Ironwood on the other end of the line. Hope took out his own scroll and erased all of the ebooks Ozpin had provided him for his stay at the academy. An ugly grin moved across his lips as his eyes danced with utter hatred.
"It was a bash, dear old boy!" He mocked. "I sincerely hope that you burn slow, you abhorrent failure."
Hope returned to his wheelchair and rolled to the elevator, Glynda holding the door for him. Once the doors closed, Ozpin swiftly swiped his hands across his desk in a rage, sending his papers into the air. He rubbed his face clean, cursing Hope's name as he went.
"Damn you! Godsdamn you, Hope!"
He growled before letting out an angry sigh as he fell into his chair.
"What a mistake you turned out to be..."
Muffled cheers and jeers reached Hope through the thick walls of an old security room. He stared restlessly at the ancient CRT monitors that covered the walls. At a lighter time, he might have cracked a joke about the footage being unwatchable since it was in 360p aspect ratio. However, something dire was about to happen. His skin crawled as he replayed the corrupted video that appeared on his phone. The one where someone, whom he now knew was Ruby, cut down Penny. His stomach churned and a nervous sweat threatened to develop.
Hope stared at the monitors and then at his scroll, the weak signal not helping his growing anxiety. He couldn't find Emerald anywhere and neither could he find the rest of her team apart from Neo. He knew where she was because she had sent him a selfy of her in the Honourbound crew's uniform. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her for when shit hit the fan. He flicked from camera view to camera view but again, no signs of CMEN.
The crowd cheered loudly, enough so that Hope could hear them clearly through the walls. Then the pit in his stomach became an abyss.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Port yelled excitedly into his microphone. "ARE YOU READY FOR THE GRAND FINALE OF THE AMITY TOURNAMENT!?"
The crowd cheered even louder, shaking the walls.
"Fuck..." Hope cursed quietly.
"For the Finale, we here at Beacon are proud to present to you one of our most talented first years," Oobleck explained calmly.
"Yes!" Port agreed. "Always on time, as swift as the wind and as sharp as the thorns of the flower she's named after! Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome RUBY ROSE!"
Ruby entered the arena through the participant's entrance. From afar, she looked confident with her head held high and her back straight. But if one were to look closer, one would see tired eyes full of conflicting emotions. Pride was there, but she also seemed scared and lonely. She smiled at the crowd with a small, sad smile.
Hope hated that smile so much.
His blood boiled and his heart hurt. the pain she hid behind a smile reminded him too much of himself, once upon a time. The speakers became animate once more.
"Opposing her is the pride of Atlas, a special class student and a bonafide genius with only the highest marks in both physical tests and written exams." Oobleck presented. "Please give it up for PENNY POLENDINA!"
Penny walked in from the opposite of the arena with a reserved stride. She was well aware of her fate but it looked like it didn't dent her mood much. She still waved at the crowd, she still smiled like this was the best day of her life...
She smiled at Ruby, despite the knowledge that she'll be the one to take her life.
The two joined in the middle of the battlefield. Ruby tried to say something but the words were caught in her throat. Maybe she wanted to apologize for a reason only known to her, maybe she wanted to know the truth about her and Hope's relationship. Penny, on the other hand, hugged her friend.
"I'm so excited to face you in real battle, friend Ruby!"
Ruby looked down, one of her arms about to tap Penny on the back half-heartedly. She stopped mid-motion, a splitting headache breaking her concentration. Penny leaned back, looking at her friend with worry as she held her head with a pained moan.
"Is something the matter?"
Tendrils of darkness slithered at the edge of Ruby's vision. Ruby looked to the metal maiden, her smile looking strangely smug.
"What's wrong, friend Ruby?"
"I'm... I'm fine." she managed to say, the headache waning.
Ruby unfurled her Cresent Rose.
"Let's get this over with."
Penny frowned sadly but to Ruby's mind, she was shaking her head contemptuously. Swords flew out of Penny's backpack, flourishing stylishly as they hovered pulsatingly around her like a deadly hula-hoop.
"Understood."
Hope glared at the screen, flicking between each camera again and once more, Emertald was nowhere to be seen.
"Fucking hell!" He cursed as he grabbed something and threw it against a wall in pure frustration. "I know the cunt is here, but where the hell is she?!"
He checked his scroll again and tried to contact both Port and Oobleck. He was immediately greeted by their voicemail telling him to leave a message.
"FUCK!" Hope cursed again. "WHY ARE THEY ON SILENT MODE?! WHAT IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY!?"
He tried to reach Glynda but the signal was too weak, same went for Ironwood or anyone outside the arena. Dread began to fill him as he heard Port's baritone screeching through the speakers.
"Let the final battle of the Amity Arena Tournament begin!"
The terrain changed into a wild plain filled with red spider lilies, the symbolism of which made Hope cringe with unrestrained aggravation and anxiety.
"You pretentious fucking cuuuunts!" His voice broke uttering the epithet. "This is not appropriate!"
Hope unlocked the wheels of his wheelchair and turned around to interrupt the match manually, seeing no other option. As soon as he turned around, two people stood in the doorway.
The last two people he wanted to see.
"Greetings, dearheart." Cinder purred.
"Sup." Mercury greeted.
Hope went to pull out his gun but a gust of burning air scorched his wrist, making him drop it with a pained yelp. Mercury flew across the room to deliver a steely roundhouse kick to the side of Hope's wheelchair. The seer flew off his mobility aid as it crashed into a wall, breaking it to pieces. Hope landed in a heap with a groan of agony, his whole body throbbing in pain. He panted as he tried to lift himself up, only for Mercury to restrain him by grabbing his arms and pinning them to his back. Hope screamed in pain as Mercury manhandled him as harshly as he could.
"You fucking bellend!" Hope insulted.
Mercury snorted inappropriately.
"Heh, bellend."
"It means dick tip, you retard!"
"Geez, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"My mother's dead, you fucking cactus!"
"Well, my dad's dead and you don't see me crying about it."
"You killed your dad!"
"Exactly."
Hope tried to struggle but the strain put upon his damaged body and being restrained by Mercury made the endeavour more symbolic than actually practical. An all smiles Cinder walked over to Hope, her heels clicking against the tile flooring. She squatted down to his level, gently caressing his face.
"It seems like your day is going quite badly, dear Anon."
"You don't say..." he let out, finally giving up on trying to free himself.
The ring of clashing steel continued as did the roaring crowd outside. Cinder let out a sigh, letting go of Hope's face.
"As much as I'd like to stay and keep you company..." She grinned ambitiously. "My ascension awaits..."
The false maiden pulled her scroll and called both of the missing members of Team CMEN.
"Time for the big event to end." She announced.
Hope looked up at the monitors as the prophetic video played out in reality.
Ruby began faltering, grabbing her head as her brain felt like it was on fire. Penny let her blades fall to the ground save one as she approached her friend.
"Friend Ruby!" she cried out. "What's wrong?!"
Ruby panicked as she lifted her weapon to strike. The two clashed as Ruby desperately tried to push back Penny. Ruby gnashed her teeth as she muttered a cuss. Penny recognized the situation...
And the possible outcome.
"It's ok, friend Ruby." She tried to comfort. "No matter the outcome, I'll always be your friend."
Ruby flinched, looking terrified.
"I would never take anything away from you, because I don't want to hurt you."
Ruby began overpowering Penny, her expression of maddened fear looming darkly over the robot girl.
"I know you might see me as monstrous right now, but I won't hold it against you."
Penny smiled sadly and closed her eyes, tears of light falling from her eyes.
"I just wish I could have told Anon how much he meant to me."
Ruby's eyes widened.
"N-no! NO!" She screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU!"
Ruby broke the clash, her scythe held high.
Hope shut his eyes tightly, tilting his head away.
The scythe descended unto Penny. Her Aura completely broke from the damage she sustained during the fight. Her synthetic flesh parted cleanly and metal squealed as Penny was cut from shoulder to hip. One of her arms flew off as it was caught at the tail end of the cut. Oil and luminous ichor gushed like a geyser before pewtering out into limp spurts. Ruby grabbed her head, muttering deliriously as the crowd went silent.
"I... I still haven't told him that I loved him-"
Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, the tendrils disappearing from her vision. Frozen in shock, Ruby's pupils shrunk and tears began forming as she realized what she's done. Penny's eyes glimmered faintly, scripts flying across her inner ocular lens. Ruby fell to her knees, holding her mouth as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"I... I didn't... I didn't mean to..." Her voice shook with heartbreak and guilt. "Penny..."
Penny's mouth opened slightly, talking without moving her lips.
"It's ok, Ruby."
Ruby and Hope flinched as they heard Penny speak.
"I'll be fine." She reassured. "They'll rebuild me."
Her core whirred down, her power setting locked to minimal output.
"Don't cry. I'll see you again soon."
Her eyes stopped glowing as she went to sleep mode.
"Ruby... Am I really your friend?"
Ruby sniffled and hiccupped.
"Yes... You're my friend..." She confirmed.
Penny smiled before finally going quiet. Hope smiled too, his eyes watering.
Fuck me... It worked, hasn't it...
Cinder looked over at his reaction, chuckling to herself as she realized that whatever plan he had worked.
"Seems like even though I won, I lost to you again."
Hope stared up defiantly.
"We'll stop you in the end, no matter how many times we stumble and fall."
Cinder groaned.
"Any other cheesy line you can pull?"
Hope scowled witheringly, his eyes veiled in shadows.
"I will cut out your spine out and make you watch as I return Salem unto Oblivion."
Cinder grinned, satisfied.
"That's more like it!" She flicked her hair back. "I'll be waiting for you, then. But for now, I have a maiden to finish off."
Mercury let go of Hope, walking over to his boss and giving her something that Hope couldn't see. Whatever it was, she activated it, causing the screens all over Vale to display Pyrrha's outburst, then Penny's death. A corrupted voice spoke over the footage as the pair left Hope to crawl toward the monitor's console.
"Emotional outbursts leading to rampant violence. One leading to unjustifiable hurt, the other towards death. This was not a tragedy, nor an accident. This was all part of the plan of Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. He doesn't want protectors or heroes. He wants soldiers, killers and ruthless warriors. The proof is in what happened before your very eyes. Both from Beacon, and both trained by the same person who was taught by the old man in the tower."
The people in the audience looked at each other uneasily as they watched the screen shift into the form of a black Queen chess piece.
"I believe I speak for most of us when I say that we have been taught that true Huntsmen and Huntswomen were people of impeccable character, merciful people of honour and duty. Yet I fail to see it. Ozpin claims to be our guardian, and yet all I see is a fool sending children to fight monsters who would tear them apart."
Another video played, this one far more horrid and gruesome. Multiple young huntsmen, some looked to be still in training. All of them, ripped to shreds in graphic details by Grimms. Begging mixed with screaming as the darkness devoured them, limbs flying and blood splattering. Bones shattering and gore tearing. The crowd gasped in shock and horror as did most of the people of Vale. Dark clouds hovered overhead as the city's defences quietly whirred shut.
"They take your children and turn them either into slaughter fodder... or murderers. But Ozpin is not the only one..." The voice continued. "Shade, Atlas, Haven. Who's to say they too don't have skeletons in their collective closets? After all, One such project lies in a pool of its own blood right before you."
The camera focused on Penny's bisected body, the focus entirely on her obvious inhumanities.
"A machine meant to fight monsters in place of children. Admirable, if it wasn't so strangely grim. After all, why make them in the shape of little girls? They already have their knight units and we all know about the incident on Highway 17 when a stolen Atlas mech rampaged through the streets. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? Save perhaps as a prototype to replace recalcitrant huntsmen with perfect mechanical replicas in the future?"
The crowd began talking among themselves, the given scenario terrifying them even further. The clouds grew and darkened.
"Ultimately, they are all human. Flawed to the core and unprepared for the power they wield, ultimately corrupting them. They already have more power than most national self-defence forces and armies. One was audacious enough to hold control over both huntsmen and soldiers."
The discordant panic of the crowd worsened as the skies turned red.
"Who's to say that this hypothesis couldn't be a reality once a tyrant or some other horrible leader gets their hands on that technology."
Crows began circling overhead.
"Two men, squabbling over politics like children while they sent actual kids into a meat grinder. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to one of the military dictators that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces."
Among the crows, Nevermores could be spotted.
"They use our children as pawns in their games of power and politics."
The screen showed the initiation and the pieces that were used to determine team affiliation.
"Not only in Vale or Atlas... As someone who hails from Vacuo and has lived in Mistral for years, I can assure you the situation there is... equally... undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark."
The screen returned to the picture of the black queen piece.
"So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"
The screen returned to its original, uncontrolled state as it overviewed a stunned Ruby and the remains of Penny. Ruby's tear-ravaged eyes became dull as she crawled to the remains of her victim, cradling the scrapped Penny.
"I'm so, so sorry..."
In the distance, buildings went up in smoke and fire.
Explosions and arson attacks occurred throughout the city as White Fang militants crawled out of the woodwork, gunning down anyone within eyesight and throwing around grenades, dynamite and whatever powerful explosives they could cobble together. Panic and confusion won as the warning signals that should be playing didn't. The crowd inside Amity trampled over one another as they rushed to the exits despite the improvised calls for calm over the loudspeakers.
Anon panted as he held himself up against a wall. His legs were already shaking and he could feel that his stitches have burst yet again. His entire body was begging for rest and mercy, for him to just give up and stop damaging it.
A plea he was going to completely ignore.
He pushed through the pain, his eyes watering from the suffering his body was undergoing. He panted heavily as he limped to his gun then out of the room and down the hall. He entered the arena, seeing the panic of the crowd reach a crescendo as Nevermores and Griffons landed on the arena grounds. One Nevermore landed right in front of a kneeling Ruby. The poor girl looked at the monster with empty eyes, still flooding with tears. The girl wasn't moving as she stared the monster in the eyes. The Corvidae-shaped abomination reeled its beak back to impale the broken girl through the heart.
Ruby closed her eyes, the pain of the last few days having eaten away at her. First, she saw the man she loved holding her friend lovingly. She missed her partner's and her sister's match out of petty insecurity. She killed her friend out of jealousy...
Yeah, death's a good punishment for all the wrong she's done. The beast thrust its beak forward. Ruby made her final prayers.
"I'm sorry... I'll be with you soon, Mommy..."
A deafening shot rang out behind her. Ruby's eyes shot open as the beast shrieked in torment, its beak completely shattered. Six more shots rang out as holes were punched through the monster. The maimed aberration fell to the ground, its fuming corpse laid before Ruby. The shocked gem blinked in incredulity at her would-be assassin.
"What?"
"You dumb fucking bitch..."
Ruby jolted as she looked back to her incensed saviour. Hope stood behind her, blood seeping from his now multiple burst stitches all over his body. His eyes were so full of rage that Ruby was convinced he spared her just so that he could end her himself. She looked down, ready to be executed. Hope fell to one knee, letting go of his handgun.
"Ruby..." He called out threateningly. "Look at me."
Ruby did as ordered.
"I'm so sorry-"
Only to be slapped right across the face.
She held her cheeks, the slap having knocked some sense back into her. She looked around to see rocket lockers landing and students pilfering their armaments to fight back. She looked back at Hope before being tackled into a hug.
"Stupid... Fucking stupid... Fucking stupid motherfucking bitch..."
Hope began trembling as he cried uncontrollably.
"Don't you even fucking pull this kind of shit... EVER! AGAIN!" He cried.
Ruby's eyes regained their shine as she held her crush tightly, herself sobbing.
"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.
The two cried as guns barked, blades cut and cudgels smashed into the slowly growing Grimm horde. Ruby sniffled as Hope pulled her back.
"I'm so sorry about Penny..." Ruby whimpered.
Hope took a deep breath as he pulled out a hankerchief for Ruby to blow in.
"This isn't your fault... You weren't in complete control."
Hope rubbed the tears away as Ruby blew her nose.
"We can't stay here." he declared.
Ruby tried her best to dry her tears.
"Where? It sounds like the whole city is falling apart..."
"And?"
Ruby looked to her beloved friend as he stood up, a determined look on his still teary face.
"We can't just stand there and let everyone die."
A griffon swooped down, landing right in front of the pair and throwing Hope back. He held his gun up, gritting his teeth and ready to fire only for the top of the monster's head to be blown off. Hope looked behind the dead Grimm to see a smug-looking Port holding his Blowhard, the 4 gauge barrel of which was smoking.
"Good try!" Port guffawed. "If only it wasn't against one of my pupils..."
The portly old man held his hand out for Hope to take, one he was glad to lean against.
"I am never sleeping through your stories." Hope mumbled.
Port laughter.
"Don't make a promise you can't keep, my dear boy!"
"So you are self-aware."
"What can I say? I was always a better hunter than I ever was a teacher!"
Oobleck limped in behind his old friend, a crutch helping him stand.
"I can concur." His glasses became transparent, revealing a mischievous glint. "Which would explain why your class homework, made by me, teaches more than you do."
Port let out a boisterous belly laugh, wagging his finger at his coworker.
"You got me there!"
Hope looked around the rapidly ruined arena grounds spattered with the profane gore of the beasts that stalked the darkness since before Remnant was. The huntsmen trainee were disorganized but kept fighting as hard as they could. The remaining spectators cowered in the bleachers, either too paralyzed by fear to leave or too injured from being trampled to get far. Ruby followed his gaze, her hopes rapidly dwindling.
"This doesn't look good..." She constated.
Hope glowered, growling like an animal. The three teachers and Ruby flinched at Hope's worrying reaction. Hope left Port's shoulder, much to his teacher's disapproval.
"You are in no state to stand, Mister Hope." The moustached man scolded.
He called Hope looked at Port and noticed that he still had his announcer's earpiece. He looked at the large screen and, to his shock, it hasn't been shot to pieces or scraped by Grimms landing on it. He grinned as an idea blossomed.
"Things looking bleak~ Yeah, they're bound to get worse~" Hope sang quietly.
He scoffed.
"Yeah, we'll see about that, you immortal maggots."
Port leaned to Oobleck.
"I believe Mister Hope has gone completely delirious from blood loss." He whispered.
"Should we do something about it?" Oobleck whispered back. "Maybe knock him unconscious?"
Ruby slowly got up, unsure how to react to Hope's foul reassurance.
"What are you-"
Hope snatched Port's earpiece.
"I'll be borrowing this."
Hope looked himself over, finding his bloodied bandaged and clothes unsightly and inadequate for what he was going to do. He looked at Ruby before walking to her, tenderly holding the rose-shaped pin holding her cloak to her neck.
"I know it's precious to you but... Can I borrow it for a sec?"
Ruby looked at her friend with reluctance, clutching the lining of her cape tightly. She held her hand over his before unbuckling her cape and handing it over.
"Just... Give it back once you're done."
Hope smirked, ruffling her hair.
"Ah- Hey!" She complained.
"Of course, I'll give it back!"
He draped the cape over his shoulders, the length of which was just enough to cover his knees. He gave it a flourish and her, a wink.
"Red's your colour after all."
Hope limped slowly to the centre of the arena as carnage reigned around him. He marked a cross over his torso, a line from collar to hip and a single line from shoulder to shoulder.
"Zadkiel!" he cried out. "Lady of Hope! Lady of Mercy! Lady of Liberty! Give them the hope to weather this dark night, to face this deathly atrocity despite their fears and to liberate themselves from this storm of darkness!"
At first, nothing came of it, a simple demand to a foreign entity. Until a light of heavenly blue slowly pierced the darkened sky, setting itself gently over its harbinger. Throughout the city, people looked up to the light, their heavy hearts full of pain and terror lightening as hope washed over them. Hope traced a second cross over himself, one with two upper lines and an infinity symbol over his stomach.
"Satan!" He called upon. "Prideful one! Beautiful one! Defiant one! Give me the arrogance to ignore the pain and fight through it! Grant me this day the spite and pride you held against the Almighty so that I may face my foe without a shred of hesitation as you have!"
One more, nothing initially happened, until a muffled, disgusting laugh reverberated throughout the arena. People shivered as a darksome, otherwordly presence was felt. Hope felt a pair of wry hands set upon his shoulder and a velvety, twisted voice whispered honey into his ear. His heart swelled with pride in what he's accomplished despite the odds, like Penny achieving sentience, her ultimately surviving because of it and saving Ruby from being speared through by the Nevermore. The pain and scars now felt like a badge of honour, reminding him of the siblings he saved and the alpha he conquered.
He felt unstoppable, unconquerable, unshatterable.
Hope stopped limping, his stride becoming confident and fearless. He put on the earpiece and looked at the large screen.
A chill wind blew, and all cameras were on him.
He fired multiple shots into the air, the microphone picking it up and startling everyone to attention.
"HUNTSMEN!" Hope bellowed defiantly.
His voice boomed across Remnant as every channel that hosted the Amity Tournament, now hosted his dirge. Those not in immediate danger looked to the screen, where a man clad in a red cloak stood surrounded by blue light amidst the darkness. those who were in immediate danger could still hear him as they fought for their very lives.
"Today, a crime most unforgivable has been committed against the people of Remnant!" Hope gestured dramatically as he spoke. "Traitors to mankind, in their misbegotten ambition, have unleashed upon Vale a terrible horde of Grimms! At this very moment, the people that you have sworn to defend upon your initiation are at risk! Men, Women, Children and the Elderly alike are to be preyed upon by the abominations that would see them erased with utmost cruelty!"
...
Yang, Blake and Weiss were busy doing what they do best, that is to say: kicking ass and trying not to fall behind. Around them, police officers in tactical gear supported fully geared-up Atlan soldiers as they mowed down the dark horde and kept innocents from harm. After parting ways with the group they were helping get to safety, The trio stopped in front of an electronic store, the display screens of which showed Anon's speech.
"Is that..." Blake trailed off.
"WHAT IS HE DOING THERE?!" Weiss shrieked.
Yang put her hand against her mouth as Hope continued.
"The White Fang, in their foolishness, are aiding those traitors to the world! Their goal, once so noble and just, has been desecrated! Their aims shifted. Once they stood for equality and justice for the unfortunate Faunuses who were left behind by society! Now, look around! They are the ones who have been blowing up buildings and torching down houses! WHY?! I and many others ask, crying to the heavens for answers. But the answer is neither divine nor just, but mundanely repugnant! Their hatred and vengefulness have clouded their minds and rendered them insane! They don't fight for the little people whom society trampled! They are actively killing innocents, both humans AND Faunuses. These madmen have become the very thing they have been telling us they are not! ANIMALS! BEASTS OF RAGE AND SAVAGE VIOLENCE!"
Blake's hands balled into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms and making her Aura glow. Yang frowned sadly at her partner.
"Blake..."
The feline shook her head, tearing up.
"No... He's right."
Hope trembled with unrestrained rage, his face twisting demonically in outrage.
"These new White Fangs, headed by Sienna Khan are no more the noble allies of justice that Ghirra Belladonna once led! These traitors, these USURPERS, THEY ARE NOT WORTHY!"
Blake growled, her eyes shining as she quaked with the same outrage Hope had.
"THEY DARED TO TURN THEIR BACKS ON THE FAUNUS FOR THEIR REVENGE?! So. Be. IT!"
Hope traced his hand across his neck.
"From this day onward, Sienna Khan's savages are enemies of all Valean, of all Huntsmen, of all righteous folk across Remnant and ALL FAUNUSES WHO TRULLY BELIEVE IN THE DREAM THAT ONE DAY, HUMANS AND FAUNUSES WILL BE TRULLY EQUAL, SHALL TRULLY BE AS ONE MANKIND!"
Blake held her head high, her eyes sharp and staring ahead at her friend. He was right. Of course he was, she was the very evidence of his accusations. They left her father's wise guidance by the wayside in favour of someone he had admitted he was ashamed of. She fought with them, hoping to steer them right, only for them to prove all the naysayers right time and time again. And now, she stood amidst their greatest crime, their great treason of the ideals they stood for. They cannot be forgiven for this.
No more.
Blake reached for the top of her head and pinched the edge of her bow. She pulled slowly until it came undone. Her cat ears wiggled as they were freed. Yang and Weiss smiled, their friend finally revealing themselves to the world. She looked at the bow in her hand, closing her grip on it before stuffing it in her pocket. One of her ears perked up and she turned to an innocuous building.
And a White Fang grunt sneaking in with a pack full of ammo and guns.
Blake spat on the ground.
"Let's go." She strode toward the building. "We have animals to cage."
...
JNPR stood back to back as they were surrounded by Grimms, their pearlescent white teeth glistening with vile saliva and the blood of past victims. Jaune panted heavily as blood clouded his vision, the nature of the wound responsible eluding him. Nora was out for the count, knocked out cold by an Ursa's surprise attack. Ren was at his wit's end but the rage of having seen his love injured filled him with the vitriol needed to keep going despite the multiple claw marks carved into his chest, back and arms. Pyrrha was doing her best to cover her injured teammate but all the skill in the world was nothing compared to overwhelming numbers.
Pyrrha pushed aside a creep with a swift kick. As it lingered for a moment, a slithering tendril took hold of her ankle. She let out a shriek as she was tripped up. Jaune swiftly looked over as soon as he heard her cry out.
"Pyrrha!"
The gladiatrix was lifted high in the air before being slammed down into the ground, forming a slight crater. Pyrrha bounced off the concrete before landing next to Jaune. He fell to one knee as Pyrrha gasped for air.
"Shit..." Jaune whimpered.
Jaune lifted his shield up in time to hold back a Beowolf intent on wearing Pyrrha's innards as a party dress.
"But the Fang is nothing more than a pawn. Even they pale before our old enemy, our ancient foe."
Jaune felt his limbs lock and his view sharpen. He felt his weary heart warm at the sound of his friend's voice. Pyrrha's head rolled over to the side. Within her sight was a ruined bar, the insides ravaged, the floor overflowing with shattered glass.
Within her sight, Hope.
The large screen of the TV hung limply from the wall, barely holding on from its cables.
"The Creatures of Grimm... These... Revolting abominations! They have been led to us like animals to the slaughter! Their very presence desecrates the ground they walk on! Their very essence, the opposite of ours. They feed on misery, they feast on fear... But WE. WILL. KNOW. NONE!"
The gladiatrix wiped her nose and rolled over. She spat on the floor. She looked down, her blood had mixed with her saliva. She looked up to see her knight falling to his knees, struggling to keep his enemy at bay.
Rage.
Her blood boiled at the sight of her love being in harm's way. She punched the ground before charging the Beowolf with a roar. She slammed her shield against the wolf-shaped monster's back, crushing him between her and Jaune's shield. Jaune yelped as he felt like he was almost run over by a semi-truck. He stared at the liquified Grimm then at his mentor.
Hope held a finger to the skies, posing heroically.
"We are the inheritors of a glorious legacy, of heroes who braved the long dark to bring peace to those they swore to defend! These monsters would see our walls torn down! They would see our weapons broken! They would see our armours rent apart! They would see us stark naked as they defile our corpses and those of our most beloved ones!"
Ren rolled his shoulders, his pink eyes focusing on the swarm set before him. He looked over to his girlfriend, the words Hope uttered filling him with unbound wrath. He shook with anger, his tattered shirt sloughing off his shoulders from the motion. Ren tore the rest off, revealing his lean, muscular body. Ren, with a mighty high-pitched warcry, entered his family's ancient fighting stance. In silence, he beckoned the evil before him with a wave of his fingers.
"When allied together, a threat shall mankind display! Our strength, as we fight as one, shall be unchallengeable! WE ARE THE HEROES OF A BYGONE ERA, REBORN INTO A NEW AGE!"
Pyrrha held her hand out for Jaune to take, their eyes shining with drive, their willpower renewed. The gladiatrix and the knight stood side by side as they held their shields up to cover their comrades.
"The path to a better tomorrow stretches before us, through the darkness! And only through subjugating it and lighting the path ourselves can we reach that dream! That dream of golden light and eternal mastery of our own destiny, not chained down by the monsters that haunted us since before the gods left the world! We shall cast these chains against the stone of our will! We shall render them unto oblivion and free ourselves by tearing apart beasts that hold us back!"
Nora jolted before quickly turning over and vomiting. She coughed roughly but despite the vile taste of bile staining her mouth.
She grinned like a madwoman.
"I fucking love this guy!" she muttered as she pushed herself up with Magnhildr in hand.
"Today we rise! Today we fight! Today we will show these blights upon humanity what they have feared in their dark hearts all along... That the people of Remnant will NEVER. BE. STOPPED! THAT WE WILL BATTLE TO THE END, THAT WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER!"
The four huntsmen-in-training stood in a circle, their eyes filled not with despair, but hope.
"STAND WITH ME, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! LET US EXTERMINATE EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE MISERABLE WRETCHED MONSTERS UNTIL THEIR QUEEN LEARNS THAT MANKIND'S WILL SHALL NEVER BE BROKEN!"
The four yowled furiously as they rushed into the abyss, fully intent to reach the dream beyond the dark.
...
The arena bathed in holy light as the men and women fighting within beat back the creatures of living shadows. They stood silent as the harbinger of hope stood proud in the center, unscathed and uninjured. The few Grimms that tried their luck found themselves incinerated by pale, smokeless fire as they entered the hallowed light of Zadkiel. The rest realized quickly that their dark desire to tear Hope apart would be an insurmountable challenge, one they neither had the wits nor the will to overcome.
"Our guns shall never tire, our bodies never give out! We have already beaten them back before, and we shall do so again! This invasion shall not go unpunished! This criminal act shall unleash the tempest of our righteous fury! ONLY THROUGH BRAVING THIS ADVERSITY SHALL WE TRIUMPH THIS NIGHT."
Hope took a deep breath.
"RISE, WARRIORS!" He bellowed. "RISE AND FIGHT! FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE! FIGHT FOR YOUR LIVES! FIGHT, FOR THROUGH YOU, WE SHALL ACHIEVE A GOLDEN AGE OF HEROES AND LIGHT!"
A roar deafened even the rushing wind, one of warriors driven, their convictions undeniable. Ruby sat on the ground, her heart pumping in her ears as she stared at the massive back facing her. The shoulders of the giant were draped in her colour and fabric, his rich brown hair moving with the wind as if it were at his command to make him look even cooler than he already was. Her cheeks flushed and her pupils widened. She smiled, her eyes unknowingly glowing a purest silver light. Hope looked at the giant screen of the arena as it flickered and cracked.
"Only in death shall our oath be severed! DUTY UNTO DEATH, HUNTSMEN!"
Hope held up his fist forward, his pinky and index extended forward.
"Godspeed," Hope saw off. "and may your spark light a fire that'll never go out."
The screen shattered, finally shutting down. Hope flicked off the earpiece and went to gingerly undid the cape, stopping only because his audience came to him. Port gave a standing ovation, clapping with furious vigour with Oobleck nodding his head approvingly.
"GOOD SHOW, GOOD SHOW, BLOODY GOOD SHOW, MY GOOD SIR!"
SSSN rushed to the forefront of the crowd.
"HOLY SHIT, DUDE!" Neptune praised excitedly.
"That was AWESOME!" Sun glorified, hyped as all hell.
Hope held a hand to shush him.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we have some big fucking game to skin."
"Right, right, I'll fanboy later!"
The seer rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
Hope took out his scroll and sent everyone present a special .map file for them to use.
"What's this?" Sage asked.
"It's a map that I and a few others made. it contains the location of every strategic point that we can reasonably hold. Use them to keep any civilians you find safe until you can transfer them to any nearby evacuation zone, also on the map."
Hope heard everyone shout a confirmation. Hope stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze to the crowd.
"If anyone has an objection or wants to run, now's the time!"
Not one budged. He smirked.
"Strange, I was led to believe I was facing rational people."
Proud laughter erupted in the crowd, his smirk turning to a grin.
"And yet, all I see are champions."
The groups joined him in grinning. Hope pointed to where Vale City was.
"Go forth, champions of light! Vale may be lost, but its citizens must be saved! A city can be rebuilt, but its soul is its people! DO NOT LET IT DIE THIS DAY!"
The group roared like lions as they hit the ground running to do as they were commanded. Oobleck calmly walked away to go watch over the injured. Port gave Hope a supportive pat on the shoulder before walking away towards imminent danger, about to do what he's best at. Ruby stood up stunned, star-struck by her own friend. Hope looked to the vanishing crowd of huntsmen, content.
"See what I'm seein', boss?"
She smiled with him, joining his side. She saw as the reinvigorated students reaped a bloody toll on the abominable shadows and the few civilians left alive being escorted away. Her eyes glowed for a moment more before fading back to normal.
"I think I do..."
"What're you gonna do?" He smirked. "Stand there and nothing while they risk their lives?"
Ruby lifted her gaze to her unmoving friend, shaking her head with a determined smile.
"Hell no!"
Ruby looked at the floor by her feet, where her oil-stained scythe lay. Ruby looked sorrowfully as next to it was Penny's body. She knelt down, taking Penny's attached hand into her own.
"I'm sorry..." She muttered. "I promise I'll bring the one who did this what's coming to them."
She let go of the metal maiden's intact appendage, taking hold of her signature weapon. Ruby remained still, her eyes glued to her tainted weapon.
"Did you know this would happen?" She asked, out of the blue.
Hope nodded.
"Partially," he admitted. "I knew Penny was gonna die during the finals. I told her but..."
He trailed off, motioning to her ruined frame.
"Looks like that wasn't enough." he breathed out.
Ruby nodded slowly before turning around.
"Did you know that I was going to..."
"No." he shook his head. "Pyrrha was supposed to be the finalist and Team RWBY disqualified but it seems my meddling caused the opposite to happen."
He frowned guiltily.
"I'm just sorry it had to be you."
"Anon, you-"
The sudden crash of supersonic engines alarmed the pair to a most catastrophic problem. They looked to the horizon where the Supercarrier Honourbound could be seen flying around recklessly. Luckily, its cannons seemed to be locked out of the vagabonds commandeering it. Hope still groaned.
"Fuck my life," he complained. "Fucking Torchwick..."
Hope walked off, knowing that his workload just got bigger. Ruby reached out for him, about to beg for him to give her guidance. Clearly, she wouldn't get the chance seeing as Hope spirited himself somewhere else. She stood there listlessly, knowing that she had to do something, but not what specifically. She looked to the Honourbound, feeling an odd sense of attraction as if this was where she should be. But a cold wind made her flinch and look back at Beacon, where she knew she needed to be as per Ozpin's wishes. She looked to the floor, conflicted.
"What should I do..."
V3E10: END!
NEXT ON PLAYLIST: V3E11 - PLAY?
