Got woken up early so I thought I'd upload the next chapter while I was up. I'm thinking of uploading a chapter every Tuesday and Friday. I'll keep that same upload schedule for the last part as well then. Depending on how many chapters it ends up being, I might even upload every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If that happens, I'll be sure to say so on the first upload. Until then, have a good one and stay safe.
Umbra Hart
"What do you mean you won't accept my lien?" With his hands on the counter, Umbra leaned towards the person behind the register. Not falling for his intimidation, the employee returned Umbra's glare.
"You heard me. I refuse to do business with someone like you. Now take your lien and get out of my shop!" Knowing there was nothing he could say or do, Umbra was forced to comply. After barely taking a few steps into the Dust shop, Umbra was already leaving. To make matters worse, waiting outside for him with a smile on her face was Ruby.
"That was fast. Did you get what you needed?" Seeing as his default expression was angry, Umbra figured he'd clue Ruby in just this once.
"No, I got kicked out. The guy running things recognized my face from some news report…" According to the man behind the register, security footage of Umbra leaving his mothers room before her death was released. That meant people wouldn't even have to find out his name to hate Umbra. They would just have to get a good look at his face now. Looking into the store, and then back at Umbra, Ruby crossed her arms.
"What type of Dust did you say you needed again?" Not understanding why the type of Dust he needed was important, Umbra sighed.
"Fire Dust. While I don't have my sword anymore, it would be nice to have some ready for when I make a new one." Nodding her head, Ruby turned towards the store.
"Alright. Well, so long as we're here, I might as well grab some stuff myself. I'll only be a minute." Sighing, Umbra waved Ruby off. Leaning up against the building he waited for Ruby to finish her shopping. If the other members of Team RWBY weren't nearby, Umbra might have tried to slip away. Since there weren't many crowds for him to slip into or any alleys to use his Semblance in, Umbra was forced to play by the rules. Thankfully he wasn't forced to wait long, as Ruby was true to her word.
"Good, you're done. Let's move. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to get back to Beacon." Before Umbra could start walking, Ruby held something out for him.
"Here, I bought a little more than I need." Umbra now realized the point of Ruby's question. It was so that she could buy his Dust for him. Taking the vial of Dust, Umbra took out the lien he tried to use earlier. "Oh, you don't have to worry about paying me. Like I said, I bought too much." Not buying it, but not wanting to argue, Umbra accepted Ruby's not so subtle gift.
"Whatever. Let's just get back to everyone else already." As they walked, Umbra took out his lighter and refilled it. That's at least one thing taken care of. Before he put his lighter away, Umbra decided to test it to make sure that it still worked. When he was able to light its flame and keep it burning, Umbra knew it wasn't broken. Happy with the results, he put the Dust and lighter away.
While they walked, Umbra was thankful that Ruby kept quiet. He thought that maybe she was finally learning, but quickly threw that theory out the window. The only other reason for her quietness that Umbra could come up with is that she was nervous without the rest of her team. It was possible she was more scared of him than she let on.
As Umbra and Ruby got closer to the others, they quickly realized that something was wrong. Yang was standing next to some creepy looking girl while Weiss and Blake argued. Walking up to Yang, Ruby wanted to know what was going on with her team.
"Yang? What's going on?" Putting her hands on her hips, Yang sighed.
"Well you see, we kinda went to the dock without you guys. Apparently there was a Dust shop that was broken into around there. The two detectives checking things out were pretty dead set on blaming the White Fang, which is how we got to this." Holding her hands out, Yang gestured towards Weiss and Blake. "Oh! And somewhere in there we met this girl named Penny." Yang pointed over to the creepy girl standing next to her. Smiling, Penny waved at them. Scoffing, Umbra crossed his arms.
"Considering the encounters I've had with the White Fang, I wouldn't put it past them." Showing those present his hands, Umbra considered telling them more about his stay with the White Fang, but decided to keep it on the shorter side. "They made sure to keep me entertained with plenty of games while they kept me as a guest at Mt. Glenn…" Ruby gave Umbra a sad look. He expected her to pry him for more information, but was pleasantly surprised when she didn't.
Looking over at Weiss and Blake fighting, Umbra frowned at how stupid they were. Blake was stupid for thinking that the White Fang could do no wrong, and Weiss was stupid for assuming that everyone that joined the White Fang did so out of malice. Umbra had known all about the White Fang long before his encounter with them at Mt. Glenn. In a way he understood their pain, so he could understand why they were lashing out in the way they were. However, that didn't mean he agreed with how they went about things. If they were just targeting Humans that abused and oppressed them, then Umbra wouldn't have a single complaint about the White Fang. Feeling someone grab his shoulder, Umbra's thoughts were interrupted.
"Umbra? Are you…" Looking over, Umbra saw that it was none other than the thorn in his side called Ruby. "Are you worried about them?" Having to contain himself, Umbra almost laughed.
"Me? Worried about them? Not in a million years. Being reminded of the White Fang made me think back to my time at Mt. Glenn. That's all there is to it." Before she could respond, Umbra stuck his hands in his pockets and started walking away. "I'm going to head back. If you decide to stay here and watch your team fight, I'll just take it as a sign that you all want me to run off." Panicking, Ruby used her Semblance to speed over to Weiss and Blake.
"Hey, you guys! Enough of that! We've gotta go! If we don't, Umbra's gonna run away! Are you guys even listening to me!? Come onnnn!" Running a hand down her face, Yang sighed. It looked like it would be up to her to babysit Umbra. As she started following him, Penny decided to tag along.
"Friend Yang, where are we going now?" Feeling a smile begin to creep up on her face, Yang knew exactly how to respond to Penny's question.
"Umbra here hates being alone. He hates it so much, he'll cry if he's alone for too long. Since I'm such a nice person, I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen." Understanding what her new friend was saying, Penny smiled.
"Don't worry friend Umbra! We won't leave you alone!" Growing more annoyed by the second, Umbra did his best to hold his anger back.
"Both of you shut up." Looking over at Yang, he decided to start with her. "You should know better Yang. Isn't lying reserved for bad people like me?" Turning his attention to Penny next, Umbra faltered for only the briefest of moments. Something about her felt off… For some reason, she gave Umbra the chills. "As for you, we aren't friends. The only thing we know about each other is our names. Don't go calling people you don't know your friend." Seeing that she was about to most likely start listing things off about herself, Umbra put a stop to her before she could begin. "I don't care. Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself." What he said worked, and unlike with Ruby, Penny actually kept quiet.
Walking the rest of the way in silence, neither Umbra or Yang noticed when Penny had slipped away. It wasn't until they had reached the Bullhead transport that would take them up to Beacon did they notice that Penny was missing. Shrugging it off, the two rode a Bullhead back up to Beacon.
On the way up, Umbra thought about what the store clerk had told him. If what the man said was true, then Umbra would need to have a talk with Ozpin. Ozpin told Umbra that he could get the police to drop the case, forever leaving the three murders that were committed that night as cold cases. Seeing as how security footage of him leaving his mothers hospital room was sent to the press, that obviously wasn't true. Either way, Ozpin had some explaining to do.
Spending the next two days straight working on a new sword, Umbra practically lived in the forge. It was worth it though, as he was able to create a new sword for himself in that time. For the most part it worked and looked exactly like his previous sword. If he wanted it to be able to transform into a ranged weapon, it would've taken even longer. Picking up his brand new sword, Umbra looked it over. It was a simple looking weapon, nothing that would make it stand out in a crowd. Overall, it was exactly what he needed.
Leaving the forge, Umbra headed for somewhere more secluded. Finding a grassy, empty area behind Beacon near the edge, Umbra began swinging his sword around. It was important that he got used to his new weapon. When you get used to using a certain weapon, even the slightest weight difference would be enough to throw you off. Once again happy with the results, Umbra closed his eyes and imagined a shadow copy of himself. In his mind, the clone copied everything Umbra did, so neither truly held the advantage.
In the middle of his spar with himself, Umbra heard a sound that he knew all too well. Opening his eyes, he could see that his sword had ignited. However, when he tried to shut off the flames, the weapon wouldn't do as he wanted. Quickly hitting the flat side of the blade with his fist a few times, Umbra tried to get his weapon to respond. While it did respond, it wasn't the one that Umbra wanted as the noise only grew louder. Knowing what was about to happen, Umbra sighed and tossed the weapon as far as he could over the cliff. He watched as the sword blew up with a bored expression.
"Dammit, not again." Seeing as it had been a few years since he last had to make a weapon, Umbra didn't quite know how to do so. Instead of getting angry, Umbra decided he would just have to put the work in to get his weapon back. If it meant he had to study for a month or so, then he'd do just that. Before the sun could fully set, Umbra wanted to get some studying in. Turning to leave, he was surprised to see someone walking his way. Yang for some odd reason had decided to track Umbra down and pay him a visit. From the look on her face, he could tell it wasn't for anything good. Once she had reached him, Yang crossed her arms and avoided eye contact.
"Listen, I know that we don't really like each other… I keep quiet about it, but I do actually agree with Weiss when it comes to you. For my sisters sake, I just don't say anything." Failing to see what Yang was getting at, Umbra grew impatient. The longer they stood there, the less time to study he had.
"I appreciate the honesty, but I know that's not why you went out of your way to find me. Whatever you want, just spit it out." Regaining herself, Yang returned to the confidant version of herself that Umbra had known and didn't care for. Looking him in the eyes, Yang got to the point.
"My team needs your help. Do you remember the fight that Weiss and Blake got into two days ago? Well, they kept arguing. All day actually. Eventually Blake took off and we haven't seen her since. Can you please help us look for her?" Not having to think about it, Umbra already had his answer.
"Why should I help you? I'm not any of your friends. In fact, I've made it very clear that we're enemies. What could I possibly get out of helping you?" Sensing an opportunity to escape, Umbra was going to say yes regardless. He just wanted to see what state Yang was in currently. The more desperate she was, the less she would be thinking, which led to an easier escape for Umbra. Taking awhile to think on what Umbra said, Yang was silent. Just as he was about to coax an answer out of her, Yang spoke up.
"I saw you throw something earlier. It was the sword you said you were going to start working on, wasn't it? Well, if you help us, Ruby can make you a new one. Then you don't have to worry about owing her anything since you already helped us. Everyone would be even." Now it was Umbra's turn to think on what he was told. While he had Lunar & Solar Eclipse, Umbra wasn't all that keen on actually using those weapons. After all, they didn't belong to him. Feeling conflicted, he didn't know whether to take the easy escape or the free weapon. After thinking on it, Umbra made a decision and held his hand out.
"Fine. You have a deal." Smiling, Yang shook Umbra's hand. "She better not make some cheep knock off though. If it breaks, I'm not going to be happy."
By the time Umbra and Yang had reached Vale, the city was covered in shadows. It wasn't quite night yet, but the sun was beginning to set. Rolling his shoulders, Umbra prepared himself. It had been awhile since he had last used his Semblance, so he was getting ready for the pain that came with it. Looking over at Yang, Umbra nodded.
"If I find her, I'll call you. I know you said Weiss and Ruby are still out looking, but I refuse to call either of them. They don't know that I'm out here looking for Blake as well, and I'd like to keep it that way for the time being." Nodding, Yang made sure that she had her scroll and that it was on. "If you don't pick up, consider our deal broken." Without saying anymore, Umbra vanished.
Using his Semblance, Umbra traveled through Vale at a faster pace then any normal person would be able to. Every once in awhile he would stop to take a break and scout the area more closely. If he just ran everywhere, not only could he potentially kill himself, but he might accidentally run right by Blake.
By the time night had fully fallen, Umbra had run out of landmarks to check. Without knowing where else to check, Umbra figured it wouldn't hurt to check along the docks. Working his way along the waterfront, Umbra eventually reached the place that Mark used to work at, before… Not wanting to remember what happened, Umbra slapped himself. Focusing back on what was important, he prepared to leave. Before he could do so, some Bullheads landed at the port. Finding it odd that Bullheads would land at a port, Umbra decided to check out what was going on. Using his Semblance to wall jump his way up to the rooftop, Umbra watched.
When their doors to one of the Bullheads opened, members of the White Fang came pouring out. Interestingly, a Human in a white suit was with them. Something about the Human seemed familiar to Umbra, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. The man in the suit yelled something and the White Fang that were present got to work stealing Dust from the crates. Out of curiosity Umbra wondered if it was the same group that had held him hostage at Mt. Glenn, and if it was, what did they want with so much Dust? The only logical thing Umbra could come up with was war. Crossing his arms, Umbra continued to watch from up high.
"An all out war could be good for me, but then again…" Catching everyone present off guard, someone took the man in the suit hostage. It took Umbra a moment to realize that the person who did was Blake. Taking out his scroll, Umbra called Yang. When she picked up Umbra didn't wait for a hello. "Blake's at the docks. She's holding someone hostage." Having to move his scroll away from his ear, Yang yelled.
"She's doing what!?" Thankfully Yang's question was a rhetorical one as she kept talking. "I'm nowhere near the docks. Is she safe at least?" As Umbra was about to answer, more Bullheads arrived. This distracted Blake and freed her hostage. Hanging his head, Umbra already knew what Yang was going to ask of him.
"Not anymore. Her hostage just got free." Taking out Solar Eclipse, Umbra was ready to fight. "Before you say anything more, yeah, I'll help out as best I can." Remembering one last thing, Umbra stopped himself from jumping down. "Oh, I'll also do my best not to kill anyone. No promises though." Hanging up, Umbra put his scroll away and jumped down.
Once his feet touched the ground, a wave of nausea and a killer headache hit Umbra. Collapsing the rest of the way to the ground, Lunar Eclipse went flying out of his grasp. Any attempts Umbra made to get up were met with failure. From his spot on the ground, Umbra watched as someone walked up to him. Once they reached Umbra, they crouched down and began to talk.
"So, we meet again… Human." Kicking Umbra over so that he could see his face, the man was unsurprisingly a member of the White Fang. Not only that, but apparently they remembered Umbra. "Tell me, how did you escape Mt. Glenn? And more importantly…" Standing back up, the man kicked Umbra. "What did you do to my brother and his friends!? Huh!?" Rolling back over, Umbra thought he was going to vomit. Getting on his hands and knees, Umbra told the man the truth.
"You all wear those stupid masks. If I killed your brother, I'd have no way of even knowing dumb ass." Not liking Umbra's answer, the man kicked Umbra again. Losing what little progress he made on standing back up, Umbra collapsed to the floor. Stepping on Umbra's hand, the man slowly put more and more pressure down.
"Then allow me to refresh your memory…" Pulling out a gun, the man crouched down to show it to Umbra. "Does this look familiar? I gave it to my brother so that he could snuff out your pathetic life." Realizing that the person he was talking about was Damian, Umbra's eyes widened. "Knowing how strong my brother is, I know for a fact that he can't be killed by a mere Human. So… where is he?" Laughing, Umbra caused his head to pound even harder.
"Your brother, isn't as loyal to your cause as you might think. He hel-" Before Umbra could finish speaking, the person interrogating him kicked Umbra in the face. Due to the kick, Umbra wasn't able to fight his nausea back any longer. Vomiting all over the ground, Umbra's headache got worse. Backing up to avoid stepping in it, the White Fang member drew his melee weapon.
"Liar! Damian would never betray me! The things we suffered through at the hands of Humans… They gave us an unbreakable bond!" Wiping the vomit away from his mouth, Umbra could do nothing but laugh. "Seeing as how you won't tell me the truth, then I may as well dispose of you." Looking up, Umbra watched as the man brought down his double sided ax. Before it could take Umbra's head off, someone wearing a cloak intervened.
"It looks like I made it just in time, wouldn't you say?" Recognizing the voice as Damian's, Umbra wondered what he was doing here. Using his Nodachi sword, Damian shoved the other man away. "Sorry, I know his Semblance is rather rough, but it should subside soon." As the man stumbled backwards, it was as Damian said. Feeling his nausea and headache fade, Umbra was able to stand back up. Turning his attention towards Damian, the man seemed to let his guard down.
"Brother! What's the meaning of this!?" Shifting his stance, Damian kept his weapon at the ready.
"That's enough Stephon. I won't allow you to continue on your downward spiral." After retrieving Solar Eclipse, Umbra got into his own stance. Keeping his eyes on Stephon, Damian shook his head. "This is my fight Umbra. I ask that you stay out of our way." Not lowering his guard, but understanding the situation, Umbra backed off.
"Yeah, I get it. If that was my family, I'd be asking you the same thing." Hearing this, Damian laughed.
"Although Stephon and I share the same blood, that doesn't mean we share the same parents." Standing and staring at each other, Damian and Stephon looked ready to fight. On the outside, Damian looked calm. However, Umbra was willing to bet that it was a different story on the inside. Taking the initiative, Damian made the first move. As much as he wanted to stay and watch the fight, Umbra remembered what he came down to do.
Leaving the two Faunus to fight, Umbra sprinted off in the direction of Blake. With any luck, she'd still be alive. If not, Umbra was better off just skipping town.
As he was making his way towards Blake, an explosion caught his attention. Up above, two Bullheads were sliced in half and fell into the harbor. Not letting that stop him, Umbra kept moving. Arriving to the scene a little late, Umbra saw that most of the White Fang were already dealt with. The only person left standing on their side was the man in the white suit.
Hearing another explosion, Umbra saw that another Bullhead crashed to the ground. Realizing that he just showed himself to Blake and whoever was backing her up for nothing, Umbra wasn't happy.
"Umbra? Is that you?" Recognizing the voice as Ruby's, Umbra's irritation grew even more. Turning to face her, Umbra had his signature scowl on his face.
"Yes Ruby, it's me." Already knowing what the girl was going to ask next, Umbra beat her to the punch. "I'm here because your sister promised me a weapon in exchange for my help in finding Blake. Originally I was only going to call with her location, but Blake decided to make a mess of things…" Umbra was expecting Ruby to burst into a rant about how he really was a good person and other stupid nonsense, but was once again surprised when she didn't.
"Umbra… Thank you, really." Waving Ruby off, Umbra scoffed.
"You can keep your thanks. If you really want to thank me, you'll make me a sword better than the one I had." With a smile on her face, Ruby nodded.
"Don't you worry! I'll have a new sword ready for you in no time!" Giving Umbra a thumbs up, Ruby's smile only seemed to widen. Scoffing once more, Umbra turned away from the girl. In the distance sirens could be heard.
Knowing that he'd have to deal with yet another group of people he couldn't stand, Umbra sighed. Since most cops were either ex-Hunters or those that didn't make the cut, they were essentially the same thing to Umbra.
Looking up at the night sky, Umbra decided to watch the stars while he waited for the cops to question him. Tempted to just cut and run now, Umbra wondered if he'd be able to slip away and call for his locker. Deciding against it, Umbra figured that Ozpin would somehow get wind of what he was doing and send his attack dog to bring him back. With how out of practice he was with his Semblance, Umbra knew he wouldn't actually be able to escape a veteran Huntsman. Setting a new goal for himself, Umbra now knew how he would be spending his free time. Every night, he would train until he collapsed. Maybe as a bonus he would finally be able to get some sleep…