A/N: Greetings and salutations everyone here we have a small start on our newest story, the sequel to A Neverending Dream and I must say this one, this will be an interesting one and it will shake up quite a lot with something quite interesting happening. So I hope you will tune into the fourth installment of the Collective Chronicles.
It had been a week since the academy was attacked, a week since Jaune, Weiss, Blake and the mystery girl Serena had disappeared.
Ruby Rose sat on the steps in the main hall in the academy. The entire week had been nothing but a barrage of her sitting in solitude mulling and blaming herself for everything that had occurred, despite her uncle and sister keeping insisting that it wasn't her fault.
But in her eyes it was. Everything from hiding the Mind Stone from everyone, to trusting and freeing Malthazard and finally to her using the prison realm cube as a weapon against the Collective and subsequently getting Jaune and Serena captured in said prison realm.
Ever since then Gojo, the leader of the Initiative (which was a name everyone still hated) had locked the prison realm away and had refused to tell anyone where it was out of safety concerns. And while he was challenged on that decision verbally, nobody would dare take him on physically and as such any hope of rescuing Jaune from that realm was lost for now.
And as for the matter of where Weiss and Blake where send off too. Gojo hadn't made much effort to locate them despite Yang's insistence. According to the man himself more important things where going on at the moment and he was certain they would do fine on their own.
And speaking of the devil she saw Gojo walk down the stairs. Normally he'd be casually whispering or smiling without a care in the world but right now he seemed brooding and serious.
"Sitting around here moping isn't going to make things better you know?" he said shortly and dismissively. He barely spoke to her, barely spoke to anyone actually but right now Ruby was in a bad mood and she let it show.
"Could you knock it off with the attitude! You've been treating me like a pariah and I know I messed up you've made that abundantly clear but Jaune and that girl shouldn't have to suffer for that. You need to get them out of that prison realm!"
Gojo sighed in annoyance "I have told you multiple times now, opening that thing is way too dangerous. I'm sorry that this happened to your friends but right now it's too much of a risk to open that thing, hence why I locked it away" he responded.
"What risk!?" Ruby wondered "if you are as powerful as you claim to be then what is stopping you from simply opening that thing up and obliterating whatever comes out of there. What are you so afraid off?"
That seemed to hit a sore spot as Gojo immediately and aggressively responded with "I'm not afraid of anyone or anything! I have a lot more important things going on right now!
"Like what?" Ruby yelled indignantly.
"Like finding and killing Henry Creel!" Gojo yelled out, now intensely frustrated.
Ruby took a step backwards, almost falling into the stairs behind her. Gojo seemed to be glowing with anger but kept his rage contained as he simply turned around and walked away.
His outburst had said enough and she should've known. Yuta Okkotsu's death at the hands of the Collective's telepathic enforcer Henry Creel, also known as Vecna had been the thing that had set Gojo off the most. From the moment he found out what had happened to his pupil, which has been almost like a son to him, he had been off trying to find every available avenue to try and find him and seek retribution.
Ruby was left behind on the stairs again, contemplating, what, if anything she could do to make the situation better.
On Atlas: three days earlier…
Gojo sat impatiently tapping his foot in Ironwood's office as he waited for the doors to open. An annoyed and grumbling Ironwood sitting at his office said "could you please stop that it's annoying. And just because I allow you to be here doesn't mean you can barge in unannounced."
Gojo stood up and replied "forgive me general but this was a matter that has to be handled quickly and personally. Qrow doesn't need to know."
Ironwood felt the air turn almost ominous and threatening as Gojo spoke. He could sense the rage boiling beneath the man who before had shown a carefree and almost childlike exterior.
The doors to the office burst open and two ACE-Ops operatives appeared, holding a restrained Helmut Zemo.
"Thank you now please leave if you will. I'll handle this matter personally" Gojo said, instantly dismissing the ACE-Ops who left the prisoner behind and exited out the way they came.
Zemo looked up at Gojo, seeing him for the first time in years, the limp he had been walking with for the past five year being a consistent reminder of the time he had barely escaped with his life. Right now he wasn't so sure he would be so lucky.
"Ah the great Satoru Gojo," Zemo said politely "to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit."
"Creel killed my student. You're going to tell me where he is" Gojo said with barely restrained anger. Zemo raised his eyebrow and simply said "I am very sorry for your loss. But do you really think I know where Henry hangs out."
"I know he has that special realm of his. I can't access it so you're going to tell me!"
"Again I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree here. I know nothing" Zemo said.
Gojo removed his sunglasses, showing his clear pure eyes and then turned his head to Ironwood "general could you please open the skylight above?" he asked politely yet forcefully. Ironwood complied and pushed a button on his desk, opening the window above them to allow the cool night air in.
Without another word Gojo grabbed Zemo by the collar and levitated them through the skylight much to Ironwood's surprise and chagrin.
Zemo didn't try to struggle, it was in vain and he knew it. All he could do was watch as they where lifted high up in the air, almost reaching the clouds. Gojo forced him to look at him, staring directly into his clear eyes.
"This is your last chance Zemo. Tell me where the Collective's headquarters are or they will scrap you off the pavement" Gojo threatened.
In spite of his situation, Zemo merely flinched a smile at him "again I am sorry for your loss. But I won't be telling you anything."
"Are you willing to die for them that easily?" Gojo wondered.
"I have nothing left to live for. I haven't since my wife and son died. Thanos gave me a second chance, a new opportunity. I was even allowed to be a father again for a bit. I've done enough, your threat means nothing to me."
Holding him with one hand as they levitated, Gojo simply looked at the man. His expression, his gestures. He knew he wasn't going to get more out of this so he simply asked.
"Any last words Zemo?"
Zemo asked a simple question in return "is little Kara safe?"
Gojo nodded "that she is. As safe as can be with her dad."
Zemo nodded "wish him the best from me. I hope he lives long to see his daughter grow" he said solemnly.
With a final nod of confirmation, Gojo let go.
And he watched as the nobleman fell out of the sky like a ton of bricks. Closing his eyes as he made a freefall right down to the streets of Atlas below. It wasn't long before he disappeared out of sight but Gojo could sense it, he could feel the baron's life slowly but surely fading away.
Until he was no more.
A/N: pfft that was a good opening chapter. I already love it and think this is the start of something great. Stick by because I'm gonna upload and update as much as possible.