Arise, Silent Fury
And here we are, the second to last chapter already. Seems like only a little while ago volume 7 started. And to DCDGojira: You'll find out this chapter. Now onto the story!
A Few Minutes Earlier: Office of James Ironwood
'How could this be happening,' thought Weiss as she watched Ironwood leaving the room with the Ace Ops standing ready to arrest them. After they'd been called back to the academy, Ironwood had revealed that someone had placed a black queen chess piece made of glass in his office. It more or less confirmed Cinder Fall was still alive somehow. But in a strange twist of fate, that had not been the worst news team RWBY had heard all day.
No, the next bit of news had come from Salem herself as one of her Seer Grimm projected her towering likeness into the room. She'd revealed that despite their best efforts in defeating Watts, Tyrian, and Exo while also greatly reducing the negativity in Mantle to quell the Grimm, the stage had still been set. Salem herself was on the way with an army, having already destroyed all of the kingdom's long range sensors. Taking in the situation had proven too much for Ironwood to handle judging by the decision he made next.
The once good General planned to use the staff of creation to lift Atlas into the atmosphere where no Grimm could go, forever out of Salem's reach while the environmental controls kept the people and food supplies safe. It might have been a good plan, if not for the fact that he was abandoning Mantle and pretty much all of Remnant to accomplish his goal. For obvious reasons, Weiss and her team couldn't allow that and Ironwood knew it. Which was why he planned to set up warrants for all of their arrests. All except for one as it would turn out. "What is it?" Asked Ironwood as he stopped at the door to take a call from his scroll, "he's doing what, rampaging?"
"What's going on?" Asked Weiss, a terrible sense of foreboding suddenly gripping her heart.
"It seems that all the training he went through to control the aura shadow didn't pay off," replied Ironwood as he typed in a few commands on his scroll, "currently, Wayne Ursario is tearing around the Android Command Center. And I haven't even sent out the arrest warrants yet."
"He wouldn't," said Weiss, "he's always been in control of it, even if just barely. The only thing that could make him lose control would be-." The ex-heiress stopped herself, but it was too late. She'd already said too much.
"Go on," said Ironwood as he half-turned towards team RWBY, "tell me what other secret you've decided to hide from me."
"Wayne told me," said Weiss, "the one who unlocked the power of the first users of the aura shadow was also the same person who engineered the rage mode into the Faunus. It was Salem. She originally developed both of them to fight her own wars to unite the world and now, she must've found a way to set Wayne off."
"And all while we're unable to properly detain him," said Ironwood with a sigh as he sent the message on his scroll, "If he can't be captured, he'll be dealt with."
"You don't mean, that's our friend, 'your' friend you're talking about!" Said Yang, "You can't just write him off like that!"
"A huntsman is ready to sacrifice even their life for the greater good," said Ironwood, "I'd imagine your friend would rather die than be responsible for the deaths of innocent people."
"He'd also rather save as many people as he could," said Weiss as she and the rest of team RWBY took their fighting stances, "You know we won't just stand by and let you do this."
"I know," said Ironwood as he walked out the door. Shortly after that, the battle between the Ace Ops and Team RWBY began.
Present: Atlas Android Command Center
"Snap out of it Wayne!" Exclaimed Aegis as he went into rage mode to block a blow from his brother's blade staff, "I don't know what that witch did to you but you've got to fight back!" His only answer was his brother's animalistic growls, which he rarely let come to the surface, as he broke the weapon lock and swung a few more times with his weapon before Aegis was able to push him back. "Our family, our friends and all of Mantle is in trouble right now, I know you don't want to do this!" The response to this statement was much the same as before, Wayne simply growled as he broke his staff apart into his sickles then peppered his brother with a bout of SMG fire.
Aegis held it off easily enough with a glass wall, but that was when another problem presented itself. "Huntsman Ursario, stand down," said an Atlas captain as he and several other soldiers entered the room.
"No, you need to stay back!" Exclaimed Aegis as he formed a layer of glass over his pole to use as a blunt weapon. But his pleas were too late as Wayne shot forward with his blades bared, easily deflecting the bullets fired his way before cutting through the line of soldiers like a blade through grass. "Crap!" Aegis leapt in and managed to shove him aside before he could deliver a death blow to one of the soldiers, but that made him a target as Wayne turned and slashed at him.
"C-call it in," said the wounded captain to the only remaining soldier still on his feet. He complied immediately, not really needing to be told what he needed to call for as Aegis continued to trade blows with his brother back and forth.
"Damn it Wayne the girls, Jaune, Oscar and Qrow are all in trouble right now," said Aegis as he managed to maneuver around his sibling and trap him in a hold with his weapon, "at least try to save the rampage for when we need it." But his older brother was unaffected by the pressure he was putting on him as he blasted some of his semblance out of his back, forcing Aegis to let go as he was flung into a nearby desk. But before their fight could continue, the sound of heavy mechanical footsteps caused their ears to perk up. Turning to the main entrance, the two were confronted with a pair of smaller but still dangerous looking Atlesian paladins, both sporting oval-shaped heads like one they'd fought at Beacon.
Wayne simply growled at this as Aegis reformed the glass on his weapon to that of an ice pick hammer. He didn't know why, but for some reason the robots seemed to be targeting both of them as they fired a volley of missiles in their direction. The aura shadow user quickly retaliated by unleashing a spiraling wave of energy which destroyed all of the missiles heading his way in a second while Aegis dodged and knocked away the ones directed at him. The first paladin then attempted to fire its guns at Wayne, who managed to cross the room in just a few heart beats and knock them aside with a few swings of his sickles.
Aegis, meanwhile, created a glass shield which was chipped away by the second paladin's gunfire as he charged forward and rammed it off its feet. "Will you guys chill out, we just need to get him restrained, not kill him," said Aegis.
"Target conditions, if capture impossible move to exterminate," responded the Paladin in a robotic voice.
"Oh great they talk now," groaned Aegis as he knocked the paladin down again. But it was still doing better than the other one as Wayne dodged and slid around his slower opponent, cutting at any exposed circuitry and joints that he could find while also charging up his semblance. The first Paladin attempted to change things up by switching out its guns for a pair of fists, but the results were just as disastrous as Wayne let his semblance loose. The mech's arms were sliced off at the shoulder as the arrow-shaped blasts punched through them and into the ceiling before he followed up with a sweeping kick that unleashed a line of energy, cutting its legs off.
The finisher came with Wayne actually slamming his fist into the main body and firing off a powerful blast that sent the remains flying through the ceiling, through the next floor and out the roof. But even after leaving a smoking hole in the room, he wasn't anywhere near done as he turned to Aegis and his opponent. It too had switched to fisticuffs, unsuccessfully trading blows as the half-bear Faunus scored hit after hit against it. But how close it was to defeat was irrelevant to the aura shadow user as he charged up another blast.
Aegis, catching sight of this, jumped to where the paladin was in between them and formed a stone shield with his semblance and earth dust. And he was none too soon as a claw-like blast tore into the paladin and sent it flying into him, knocking them both through the wall and into open air. The younger Ursario managed to correct himself and land on the roof below as he looked back up at the second smoking hole created by his elder sibling. Said sibling appeared a moment later, his eyes scanning the horizon before something seemed to catch his attention, an airship.
"SON!" Exclaimed the familiar voices of their parents as Jen and Tobias leapt out of the aircraft and towards the hole created by Wayne. But the aura shadow user was quick and dodged backwards as the two pursued him back into the building. 'I guess now's as good a time as any for some family bonding,' thought Aegis as he jumped and ran back up the side of the building towards the breach in the wall.
Upon reentering, he found his parents both engaged against his elder brother, managing to push him back into a corner with their own uses of the rage mode and aura shadow. At one point, Wayne went for an opening against his father as he dove underneath his guard and aimed a cut at his midsection. But it turned out to be an opening he left on purpose as Jen rushed in and tackled Wayne, managing to push him back several feet before he regained his footing and stopped the sliding maneuver. "Honey now!" Exclaimed Jen as she felt the burn from Wayne flaring his semblance in an attempt to make her let go.
Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds as Tobias came in and undid his son's helmet, tossing it off before putting a hand to his head and focusing his aura. Wayne's semblance ceased as his body seemed to lock, a blue aura trapping him on the spot. "I got him," said Tobias, "but you're gonna have to watch the door, I don't know how long this is gonna take."
"If anyone can get through to him, you can," said Jen as her ears picked up the sound of more arriving airships, "just please hurry. If Wayne isn't under control soon they'll-."
"He'll get it under control," said Aegis, "Right now I kind of need an explanation of what's going on." Jen gave him the short version about the declaration of martial law, the warrants out for their arrests and Wayne's possible termination should arrest prove impossible, and Ironwood losing his mind to the point that he thought it was a good idea to raise Atlas and abandon Mantle with the staff of creation. "There's paranoid and then there's giving into fear completely, and that guy has gone full on fear monger."
"One problem at a time," grunted Tobias, "It's been a while since I've had to use this aura binding technique so I won't be able to just keep my hand on him while we move somewhere else. I guess that's what I get for falling out of practice with it." Truthfully, it wouldn't have mattered if he was still in good form with it. The De Wolfe family had specialized in the more unusual aura techniques once upon a time, such as imbuing weapons or armor with pieces of their aura or expanding one's senses with aura to better locate an enemy. In the case of the aura binding technique, it required a user with a strong mastery over their own aura, nerves of steel and a partner.
The reason for the partner: even the masters of this technique had to keep firm contact with their target, greatly reducing their mobility. Which is why it was normally used as a capturing or restraining method. In essence, it was now up to Aegis and Jen to take out the large number of Atlesian soldiers and androids currently ascending via stairs and elevators. "This long day just keeps getting longer," said Aegis as he and his mother barreled forward into the first wave of now enemy soldiers.
Wayne's Mindscape
"Haha! Is that really all you've got?!" Laughed his now Grimm-looking double as he managed to parry another few blows before retaliating with a powerful kick that sent Wayne sliding back despite him blocking it with his forearm. "I must say, it seems we were both wrong about one thing. Perhaps the witch is benevolent in her own way."
"Mercy killing's about as benevolent as she gets!" Wayne shot back as he clashed with his distorted image again, trading one swipe after another before attempting to hit him with a close range blast of his semblance. But given that he was basically fighting himself, his tactic was expected as the double countered with the same move, only stronger, blasting the huntsman onto the ground of the imagined cave that was their battleground.
"I think you misunderstand my meaning," said Shadow Wayne, "I once stated that becoming stronger than the witch would allow us to reign over her even if she can't be killed. But look at what power she can bestow, look how her very presence causes the world to bend and twist to her will. Atlas is considered the greatest kingdom on all of Remnant, more advanced in almost every way and now it's tearing itself apart from the inside out."
"Not yet," said Wayne as he fired a few shots from his SMGs before charging forward again. His double quickly formed his blade staff and deflected the initial shots before swinging at him. Wayne clashed with the blow and allowed his momentum to carry him by his opponent before turning and slashing a few more times. Shadow Wayne parried each strike before countering with an upward slash, knocking the blow away as he dropped down and fired diagonally towards his double's chest.
It was just a bit too slow as Shadow Wayne leapt back and unleashed two boomerang blades, one of which managed to clip Wayne as he dodged out of the way. "You didn't let me finish," said his Shadowed Self, "yes I know you're going to point out that Ironwood finally acknowledged he still had a heart and actually moved to help Mantle, but come on. He prioritized Atlas from the very beginning, making use of all the resources supplied by Mantle and hardly gave anything back in return, justifying it more to himself than anyone that the circumstances were temporary and that there was no time to waste on pleasantries."
"He admitted what he was doing was wrong before that, at least to a degree," Wayne pointed out, "uniting the entire world is no easy feat."
"Oh of course not," replied Shadow Wayne with a shrug, "but how can one expect to unite the world when they can't even keep their own kingdom together? We were always taught that actions have to follow words, and almost every action Ironwood took before and during our time here was one of favoritism for Atlas. I mean was it not clear enough how much the so-called great kingdom needs Mantle when the entire Amity project was stalled because the suppliers didn't feel like giving any more?"
"But he has realized it," said Wayne, "We still have a chance to stand together against Salem as we always should have."
"Which is kind of the problem now isn't it," said Shadow Wayne, "Look at how easily Salem manipulated the one thing Atlas has that's less advanced than most of the rest of the world, their social practices. This kingdom was so egotistical that not only did they think they could stand against the world, they were utterly convinced that they could save it. All while ignoring the very suffering they were causing right beneath them. I mean come on, if Atlas was really as amazing as they believed themselves to be then they'd be able to repair a few blocks in a city and keep the Amity project going."
"And perhaps they still can," said Wayne as he resumed his battle stance, "as long as we keep fighting to give them the opportunity."
"Even I have to admire that type of optimism," said Shadow Wayne, "I guess Ruby really has rubbed off on us, and admitting your feelings for dear Weiss probably helped."
"My feelings are part of why I'm in this mess now," replied Wayne, "but I won't let them consume me, I can't afford it right now. So go back where you belong!" The two resumed their engagement then as the cave was lit up with the sparks of clashing weapons and blasts of semblance energy.
Atlas Android Command Center
"How's it going back there?" Asked Jen as she punched through another few androids while Aegis tossed a soldier into several more, knocking them over like bowling pins.
"He's still fighting," replied Tobias as he ducked a stray bullet, "his aura would've disappeared completely and only the aura shadow would be left right now otherwise."
"Can he hurry it up though?" Questioned Aegis as he dove out of the way of a few rockets fired by one of the soldiers before barreling through another half dozen, "I think the next group is gonna be military huntsmen!"
"Worse," said Jen as she noticed movement outside of the hole in the building, "They're bringing more paladins."
"Well that's just great," said Tobias, "alright Wayne I don't know how much you can hear me saying but listen up if you can. The aura shadow can be mastered by letting go of all the negative feelings you have, they're meant to flow and be felt but not to overwhelm. You need to figure out right now what feeling you've been holding onto, consciously or not, that's allowing the aura shadow to maintain a presence in your mind. If you don't then we're all in trouble." He may have imagined it, but Tobias thought he saw a slight glimmer of recognition in his son's eyes.
Wayne's Mindscape
'I have to keep fighting,' thought the Elder Ursario as he continued to trade blows against his double. But it felt like hours that he'd been fighting him and unlike Wayne, his dark doppelganger was showing no signs of fatigue. And the weight of his blows was nothing to sneeze at either as he managed to break Wayne's guard and get a cut in on his side, one of almost a dozen now. "Seems like we'll be reaching the end soon enough," said Shadow Wayne suddenly as he sidestepped a blow and fired a small semblance blast that sent Wayne rolling away before he got back on his feet, "under ordinary circumstances you would've been pulled out of this by now. But thanks to Salem you're trapped here as long as she needs you to be, which is long enough for me to overwhelm you and take over."
"You think I'll let you?!" Exclaimed Wayne as he rushed in for another attack, swiping from high and low as his literal shadow matched him hit for hit. The older Ursario brother then changed tactics and used a number of feints, bobbing and weaving from side to side before locking weapons with his foe. But that too was a feint as he unleashed his semblance from his feet in an attack aimed at his opponent's leg.
If it had been any other opponent the attack would've connected, but once again he was quite literally fighting himself here, meaning Shadow Wayne managed to read the true intentions of the attack and leap away. He also had his own counter ready as he tossed two energy javelins at Wayne, who managed to block the first two but took a cut on his right leg from a third, smaller javelin. "Yes good, very good," said Shadow Wayne, "you won't win this fight without resolve."
"You want resolve," said Wayne as he formed his blade staff and began charging his semblance, "I'll show you resolve by putting it all on the line!"
"And that's just what I've been hoping for!" Exclaimed his Doppelganger as he too formed his blade staff and charged the red version of his semblance. "LUNAR WAVE!" Exclaimed the two at the same time as they let loose two large crescent-shaped blasts that impacted and released a powerful explosion, strong enough that it blew Wayne off his feet and sent him rolling a short distance way.
'Did I do it?' Thought Wayne tiredly as he looked at the clearing smoke. The sound of amused laughter was his answer as the receding cover revealed his relatively unharmed darker self. "Wayne Ursario," he said, "you and I both know that answering power with power is not the solution to everything. Ironic for me to say, I know, given that I'm always talking about you accepting my power. But as I mentioned, Salem has shown me a number of things since that bug of hers became attached to our neck."
"And what reason have you to believe that any of the 'good' things she's shown you are even the truth," Wayne retorted as he struggled back up to his feet, "lying is her native tongue if you recall."
"But that's just it," Said Shadow Wayne, "she doesn't need to lie, or even say much of anything to be honest. As they say the proverbial writing is on the wall. She is on her way and Atlas is nowhere near prepared enough for what is to come. Don't feel bad, though, you managed to save one academy and one city so maybe now's the time to remember that you can't save everyone and cut your losses. After all, I doubt the guilt of Atlas is gonna weigh on your conscience quite like Beacon has."
"What did you say?" Questioned Wayne as he listened more intently.
"I was just pointing out how you don't have as much of a connection to Atlas," Replied his Shadowed Self, "Unlike Beacon you know this kingdom has brought much of their initial destruction on themselves. It can even be said that Atlas was partly responsible for the downfall of your old school because they couldn't imagine any other kind of fight than the one which requires an army." If he was expecting an answer to that statement, he wasn't going to get one. Currently, Wayne's own thoughts were racing.
'Beacon, guilt, a different kind of fight,' thought Wayne as his Father's words rang in his ears. "You have to figure out what you're holding onto," he said aloud, "And here I'd been telling myself that I was more or less over it."
"What was that now," said his Dark Clone as he cocked his head to hear better, "I hope that's the sound of you getting motivated to fight again. The only reason I'm being patient right now is because I like watching you wallow in despair."
"Despair isn't the problem," Said Wayne as he refocused his attention on Shadow Wayne, "even after learning about Salem's immortality my friends and I managed to find a reason to keep hoping. No, the problem is guilt. I berated and kicked myself over and over again for weeks about how I might've stopped Beacon's fall if I'd only realized Emerald wasn't genuine sooner. I've let that guilt guide my judgment from time to time, not trusting my own feelings when it came to Weiss or letting you convince me to charge after two maidens alone."
"You make it sound so simple," remarked his Doppelganger, "are you sure that guilt is only about Beacon? Are you really sure it's even guilt that you're holding onto?"
"It is," said Wayne confidently, "I've felt guilty because I didn't see the signs of Beacon's downfall sooner, that my own senses weren't enough to find Cinder and her faction before they struck. But most of all, I feel guilty about the fact that despite everything Emerald helped destroy, I'd be willing to forgive her. Call it my better nature or call it lingering feelings but those thoughts are the ones that haunted my nightmares even before I let you out."
"Heh, very good," said Shadow Wayne with what he assumed was a smirk under his helmet, "Yes indeed guilt is also something negative that one feels and gives the aura shadow power. It is negativity directed inward as opposed to outward negativity like anger, frustration or hatred. Of course, simply realizing that fact isn't enough to rid yourself of ME!" The clone charged forth and readied to bring his weapon down when he noticed something strange, Wayne had dropped his Crescent Fangs.
The Elder Ursario made no move to avoid the strike as it landed where his shoulder met his neck, a usually lethal blow. But the blade didn't cut, in fact the force didn't even seem to bother him. "You're right," said Wayne, "realizing it is just another step. The true final stage of the Aura Shadow is achieved when one lets go of that negativity."
"Don't get cocky," said Shadow Wayne as he readied another strike, "pick up your weapons and fight!" He slashed his weapon against his opponent's body again and again, all with the same result. His strikes weren't cutting, nor were they seeming to do much of anything but ruffle his foe's outfit as he backed up in surprise.
"Your attacks have no weight now," stated Wayne, "I'm done letting what happened back then drag me down. Whether or not I could've saved Beacon by realizing Cinder's faction was up to something is a question I'll never get an answer to and berating myself for it won't change the past. All I can do now is learn from it and keep moving forward. And should I meet Emerald again, I just might forgive her. But that won't stop me from doing what needs to be done."
"You think you can just cast me aside like that?!" Shouted Shadow Wayne, "I am a part of you and I will always be a part of you! So give in and accept the pain of it all!" The apparition rushed forward, snarling like a beast as its body glowed red with the power of its semblance.
"I know, and that's fine," said Wayne as he focused his semblance into his right hand. "But you will not hold me back any longer." As Shadow Wayne approached, the huntsman gave a powerful vertical chop downwards, shattering both his opponent's weapon and helmet. His Doppelganger's surprised face was revealed then, a pale version of his own with sickly black veins and red eyes, as he collapsed to his knees.
"I guess that's game then, well played," said Shadow Wayne with a smile of all things. "Congratulations Wayne Ursario, the aura shadow is now fully yours to command. And you're going to need it for what's to come."
"One problem at a time," said Wayne as his darker self dispersed like a cloud of ash, "first things first. It's time to pull my weight with the rest of the family."
Atlas Android Command Center
"They just keep coming!" growled Aegis as he knocked down another Atlesian paladin, "I didn't even know they had this many to spare."
"That's not even the worst part," said Jen as she slammed her fist on the ground and blasted a hole beneath the feet of a few other soldiers, "I think we've got another problem." Said other problem happening to be a full-sized Atlesian Paladin being dropped just outside of the command center.
"Do you really think they'll blast this place to bits just to get to us?" Questioned Aegis as he reformed his glass ax.
"I don't think we'll need to worry about it either way," said Tobias as he appeared next to his wife and youngest son.
"What, dear, where's Wayne?!" Asked Jen as she looked around the room frantically.
"No need to worry," said Tobias as he pointed outside where a figure still wrapped in the aura shadow stood. But it was different now, clinging to its user like a rolling flame instead of merely smoke. "I felt his aura change just a moment ago. The shadows don't feel like smog anymore but more like a pure mist."
"Then did he really," asked Jen as she watched her son walk forward towards the advancing threat which responded by firing its missiles.
"He did," assured Tobias as Wayne swung his left arm, unleashing spinning crescent blades in multiple angles, cutting through the missiles in a heartbeat. "Do you remember what they called one who mastered the aura shadow?"
"A wielder of quiet rage," said Aegis, having heard of it himself as he watched Wayne charge forward and slide beneath the mech's feet before letting out another wave of crescent blades right behind him. The attacks seemed to pass through the automaton, almost as if nothing was happening at first. But then, in another moment, Wayne tapped the handle of his weapon against his wrist. As if on cue, the machine fell apart into several neatly sliced up pieces. "Wayne Ursario, is now a Silent Fury."
"And none too soon," said Tobias as he watched his son dispatch the remaining soldiers with pride, "now comes the next difficult part. Finding our friends before Atlas does."
At long last our newly named huntsman has mastered the storm that is his mind, but that's only one problem of many they must still confront. And one thing we're confronting right now is this volume's finale is next chapter! So I hope you've all enjoyed the ride so far and feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters.
