As Evan stared down the two Paladins, the one closest to him ran up toward the teen at rapid speeds. With each step that the Paladin made, concrete and stone were launched in every direction as it approached him. Pulling back its massive arm, the robot sent the punch careening toward the young student, who continued to remain stationary with his arms at his sides. When the fist collided with him, the sound of metal crunching filled the night air. The remnants of the machine's hand fizzled as sparks shot out. His angry expression darkening even further, Evan slowly brought his left arm up toward the smashed fist. Grabbing ahold of the broken fist, Evan pulled his left arm back as the wires and metal of the Paladin groaned and creaked for a moment before the entire arm of the robot was ripped off. Bringing his right arm up to help hold onto the huge appendage, the robot began to step away from the golden warrior.
In an instant, Evan rushed forward, now practically standing underneath the massive machine, and whipped the arm in the Paladin's face, sending it skybound. Tossing the metal limb aside, Evan, while staring at the other Paladin, held his right arm up to the sky. In his palm, yellow ki began to gather as his right gauntlet began to bellow out smoke while the inner circuits and machinery began to whirl about wildly. As his ki shifted to a bright red color, the gauntlet split apart into pieces, no longer able to function anymore. Firing off a massive red laser, Evan utterly destroyed the machine. The General simply looked on in shock and awe at the display Evan was creating.
Leaning forward and bending his knees, Evan launched himself toward the other Paladin. The robot swung its right arm at the teen, trying to grab the teen inside its massive fist. However, as its hand seemingly reached the teen, the robot looked on in confusion as Evan had vanished into thin air. Looking around, the Paladin turned its body and was soon faced with the teen, currently hovering at eye level with the machine, as Evan had clasped his hands together to form a larger fist before immediately slamming them down on the Paladin. As he did so, the other gauntlet broke apart upon contact with the robot. The Paladin quickly crumbled into unrecognizable bits of metal and circuitry as it collided with the floor, the ground itself briefly shaking in response to this feat of strength.
Dropping back down to the floor, Evan turned toward Ironwood. His hate filled eyes changed slightly to a more compassionate expression. As soon as the General blinked, Evan was standing right in front of him.
"Stay still." Evan ordered out.
Holding his right hand out, James felt a surge of energy flow through his body as he was momentarily covered in a yellow aura before it quickly faded away.
As it did so, the General felt immensely energized and was able to easily get to his feet.
"What? How did you-" Ironwood began to ask.
"I gave you some of my energy. I'll take care of the Grimm, you go and find the other Huntsmen." The young teen stated as he turned and started walking away from him.
"Evan, what-" James questioned him, but before he knew it, Evan had disappeared as he zoomed off deeper into the city with a loud BOOM as the ground where the Saiyan had stood cracked and splintered.
"If the Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, then I'm going to be a smorgasbord to them…GOOD. Let them come, I'll take them all on!" Evan declared in his mind.
Turning down a long road he saw a collection of Beowolves and Ursas creeping their way through the street.
Rushing ahead, Evan pulled his fist back and, one by one, eliminated them before they even had a chance to see him. As he continued down the city streets, he could feel the ground shake wildly, but the Saiyan carried on.
Turning down the next street, he saw multiple robotic Atlesian knights, whose visors glowed an eerie red, turned their guns on him and fired. As the dust rounds bounced harmlessly off his skin, Evan grabbed some of the dust rounds midair before flicking them back at the robotic menaces, the bullets cutting through the robots with ease.
"This power…I've never experienced anything like this before. Could it be that this is the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan?! I never thought that the stories were actually true, but I can't deny the newfound strength that I now wield!" Evan thought to himself as he continued onward.
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As Ironwood rushed down the city streets, he could feel his destroyed robotic prosthetic dangle in the wind. Removing his military coat, the General leaned against a nearby wall as he pulled at and ultimately removed the useless, metallic limb.
"Looks like I'll need my team to work on a replacement once I return to Atlas." Ironwood contemplated as he pulled out his pistol and wielded it in his remaining, human arm. As the ground shook, Ironwood briefly stumbled before looking to the skies and seeing a massive Grimm Dragon approaching Beacon Academy, forcing him to pick up the pace.
Taking down the Grimm that he came across, he ran into another open courtyard. Inside the large space, James saw a brown haired student get surrounded by multiple Atlesian knights. Expertly aiming his pistol, the General blasted the robots apart. Walking forward, he turns to see Glynda and Qrow standing close by, with their weapons in hand.
"This area's secure! We need to-" Ironwood began to speak as Qrow angrily rushed toward Ironwood, transforming his sword into a scythe as he did so.
"Qrow! This isn't my doing!" The General shouted out, but Qrow advanced ever closer. Reading himself, Ironwood got into a stance as Qrow approached. However, leaping into the air, Qrow charged past James and sliced through a Griffon that was lunging at Ironwood from behind. As the Grimm vanished into dust, Qrow landed back on the ground and turned toward back the General.
"You idiot. I know you didn't do this." Qrow replied back.
Placing a hand to his forehead, James let out a sigh while Glynda placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Jeez…what happened to you?" Qrow inquired as he looked toward the General's missing arm.
"Evan and I were cornered by a large number of Grimm and multiple Paladins, and my arm was badly damaged in the fight. Thankfully, we both were able to make it out alive." Ironwood elaborated.
"So what now, General?" Qrow asked as he put his weapon away.
"Someone's done the impossible and gained control of my machines. And that enormous Grimm seems to be fixated on the school. Glynda, form up the local Huntsmen and establish a safe zone here in Vale. Last I saw Evan, he was planning on eliminating any other Grimm still lurking in the surrounding area. He should be able to assist you in those efforts. We also need to evacuate Beacon. Qrow, I'm leaving that to you and my men. I still need to get to my ship." Ironwood stated.
As the sound of explosions came into earshot, the trio gazed up at the sky as one of Ironwood's ships began to nosedive toward the ground, out in the distance.
All around them, the various Atlesian knights still functioning on the ground turned off and collapsed.
"Well, it won't be much of a walk." Qrow stated.
Turning his head, Qrow looked at the other end of the courtyard and saw a mysterious figure.
"Hey Jimmy, not to worsen the situation, but…what is that?" Qrow added as he pointed across the courtyard, toward a teen with blonde hair and a massive glowing golden aura.
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Looking to the skies, Evan saw a gigantic Grimm dragon flying high in the sky. As the Grimm soared past the city, black puddles of goo slipped off its massive body. Falling in front of him, one of the small puddles of goo began to grow and morph into a Beowolf.
"I'll take care of the rest of the small fry in the city, make sure everyone's safe here. Then, I'll head for that thing." Evan contemplated.
Rushing forward, Evan obliterated the Grimm with a single punch. But when he did so, he could feel his whole body shudder for a moment. It wasn't from the Grimm, he could determine that much at least. It felt as if every muscle was straining and fighting just to keep moving. His golden aura wavered for a brief instant before returning to its original intensity. Gazing at his hand for a moment, Evan ignored the weird sensation and moved on ahead.
As Evan entered a large courtyard, he could see three figures standing in the distance. Much further away, he could see one of Ironwood's ships fall toward the ground. Speeding ahead, Evan crossed the distance and was practically in front of the group, causing the trio to jolt back slightly. Staring at the General's arm, Evan's angry expression briefly changed to a more dejected one.
"General, it's good to see you. I'm…sorry I wasn't able to help you earlier." Evan said.
"Ok, hold on, who the hell are you?" Qrow questioned, causing Evan to scowl slightly at the huntsman.
"That's Evan." Ironwood stated.
"Since when did the kid have a semblance like that? Reminds me a lot of Yang's now that I think about it…" Qrow said aloud.
In the far distance, Evan could see an Ursa turning down the street and charging toward Qrow from behind.
Raising his hand, Evan began to charge up a ki blast in front of Qrow, much to the huntsman's displeasure.
"Woah, woah, woah! Relax kid, I'm with Ironwood. Put that thing away!" Qrow exclaimed as he held his hands out and began backing away from the Saiyan. The teen merely listened on with an irritated look.
"Evan! Stand down! That's an order!" The General yelled out.
Launching the ki blast, Evan sent the attack flying past Qrow's shoulder as it obliterated the oncoming Grimm. As the trio realized what was happening, Evan turned around and started to walk away.
"You missed one." Evan said in a flat tone.
"Evan! Wait!" James yelled out, causing the teen to look back toward the General.
"Glynda is going to be setting up a safe zone here in Vale. Alert any huntsman and citizens that you find to return back here. Do you understand?" Ironwood questioned.
The group was filled with silence for a brief moment as Evan looked at the trio with anger in his eyes. As his expression changed to a more neutral one, he stared back at Ironwood.
"Yes, sir." Evan replied before vanishing in front of their eyes.
Slouching his shoulders back down, Qrow let out a huge sigh.
"Geez, I never thought the kid could be so intense. What happened to him?" Qrow questioned hesitantly.
"Some of the events today have hurt us more than others. Penny was a very close friend to Evan. Her death has caused some kind of…change within him." James explained.
"Well…at least he's on our side." Qrow added.
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As Evan navigated through the city streets, the Saiyan continued his onslaught on the Grimm forces. Up ahead, he saw an exhausted huntress fighting against a small horde of Grimm. As the Grimm prepared to attack her, Evan shot forward and took them down with ease.
"There's a courtyard two blocks down. People are grouping over there and creating a safe zone. Head there and meet up with your fellow huntsmen." Evan quickly stated before zooming off deeper into the city.
As the Grimm decreased in number, Evan stopped in his tracks, in the middle of the street.
"It's getting harder to eliminate the last few stranglers. Maybe an aerial point of view will help me find them…" Evan thought to himself.
Flying up high above the rooftops, Evan could see so much. The huntsmen and huntresses banding together over in the courtyard, a couple small pockets of Grimm sprinting down the streets, and two figures standing on a city rooftop. Squirting his eyes, he saw…two familiar faces.
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Holding his scroll out, Mercury smiled at the carnage unfolding in the city streets.
"We got enough footage. Let's just get out of here before things get even worse." Emerald stated as she shifted about.
"No way! Things are finally getting interesting!" Mercury replied back.
Suddenly, a small energy blast from the sky came down and obliterated Mercury's scroll, its remains clattering to the ground.
"What the-" Mercury began to say as Evan slammed down on the rooftop, causing the other two teens to stumble for a moment. Looking at the remaining pieces of the scroll, Evan turned his gaze back toward Mercury.
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that important? You know some things in life are just so very fragile…A scroll, a leg, a life…" Evan said with anger in his voice as he stepped forward.
"I can't believe that you're not just responsible for all this violence, but you're recording it too?! You both are the worst scum imaginable. You two just do whatever you want. And you didn't think that there would be CONSEQUENCES for your actions!" Evan yelled out his golden aura rising in size and intensity.
Mercury, rushing forward, kicked the golden Saiyan in the side. However, Mercury was shocked as his robotic leg split apart upon contact with Evan's skin. Quickly grabbing hold of whatever was left of the limb, Evan pulled back as he ripped the leg off. Sparks and wires flying, Mercury fell to the ground, causing Emerald to step away from Evan out of fear.
Gripping Mercury by his hair, Evan pulled the teen off the ground, with one hand, and stared into his eyes.
"I'm curious…are both legs prosthetics? Let's find out!" Evan roared with fury.
Chucking him past Emerald, Mercury soared through the air like a bullet before colliding with a nearby chimney, his aura shattering in the process. As Mercury tried to pick himself back up, he looked on in horror as Evan walked toward him.
"I'm going to enjoy taking you two apart! And trust me, when I'm through with you, you'll wish that I stopped at removing your legs!" Evan yelled out as he pointed toward Mercury before proceeding to crack his knuckles.
"Emerald! Use your damn semblance!" Mercury shouted out.
In an instant, Mercury vanished from the pile of bricks and stone. Turning around, Evan saw that Emerald had disappeared as well.
"Where the hell did they go!?" Evan thought to himself as he frantically looked around. Turning his head down toward the city street, he could see Emerald wrapping her arm around Mercury's shoulders as the two limped away from him.
Blasting forward from the rooftop, Evan closed the distance and launched a punch at Emerald. However, Evan was shocked as the attack passed right through her. Launching a kick at Mercury, Evan watched as the attack passed through him as well. As the phantom duo carried on down the street, Evan saw them vanish into thin air.
"You can't hide forever! I will find you! Do you hear me?! You and the rest of you monsters will pay in BLOOD for what you did to Penny!" Evan exclaimed as he yelled out into the night air, his golden aura growing even larger than before in response to his rage.
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In a nearby alley, Emerald held onto Mercury's shoulder as the two watched the enraged teen sprint off down the street.
"I think we should be safe. My illusions will keep him from spotting us." Emerald whispered out.
"What the hell is this guy!? He cut through my aura like it was nothing!" Mercury questioned.
"Whatever he is, we need to warn Cinder." Emerald stated.
"Yeah, warn…Wait, warn Cind-Forget Cinder! I'm just trying to focus on staying alive!" Mercury whispered back angrily.
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Charging through the city streets Evan took his anger out on any Grimm that he could find. However, with every Grimm he took down his anger only grew.
"I can't believe that I let them slip through my fingers! They were RIGHT there!" Evan thought to himself as he clenched his fist and killed another Beowolf.
However, despite his rage rising even further, Evan felt his power begin to decrease. As his golden aura began to diminish in size, Evan could feel the strain on his body increase.
"My body must not be able to handle all of this power! But I have to keep going!" Evan thought to himself.
As his golden aura was reduced to practically nothing, Evan carried on regardless. With every step he took, he could feel his body get heavier and heavier. Continuing down the road, he found another collection of Grimm. It soon became a struggle to even raise his fists against them. As an Ursa leaped onto him, pinning him to the ground, Evan channeled as much ki as he could into his hands and blasted the Grimm apart. While on the ground, Evan shakily raised his hand up and blasted the last Beowolf away.
Struggling to get back on his feet, Evan watched as his power returned back to its original levels, back when he was facing the Grimm horde with Ironwood. As it did so, his eyes changed back to their original brown color while his golden hair returned to its original shape and black coloration.
"Crap! No!" Evan yelled out as he almost fell back to the ground upon detransforming.
"Gotta keep going!" Evan said aloud as he trudged down the road.
It felt like every fiber in his body was fighting against him, wishing to rest, as the teen continued walking. Forcing himself forward, Evan saw a Griffon try to swoop down and grab him. As its talons opened up, Evan fired out one last ki blast, killing the monster, before his legs gave out on him, and he fell to the ground in a heap.
His face laying against hard asphalt, Evan tried in vain to get back up, only for his body to refuse his commands.
"I can still fight! I have to get back up. I have…I have to…" Evan began to think while his thoughts began to slow down and exhaustion started to lull him into a state of unconsciousness. The last thing Evan saw was the sky briefly filling with a bright white light, although he was unsure what its exact origins were.
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As Evan's body remained unmoving on the ground, a Beowolf approached the teen. Just as it prepared to bring its claw down on the student, a series of dust rounds eviscerated the beast. Rushing forward, a huntress kneeled down and reached for Evan.
"I got you. Come on, let's get you over to the safe zone." Coco says as she puts her weapon away and lifts Evan into her arms.
"Do you think he'll be ok?" Velvet questioned with a look of concern.
"Well, all three of us won't be unless we start moving. Let's go." Coco replied back.
As the duo navigated the city streets, they returned to the large courtyard, which was now filled with smaller aircrafts, citizens, students, soldiers, huntsmen, and huntresses.
"Hey! We got another injured student here." Coco called out toward some medical personnel.
Quickly, two doctors rushed forward, bringing out a gurney. Gently placing the body of Evan on it, the two students looked toward the doctors.
"Do you know what happened to him?" One of the doctors asked.
"He was unconscious when we found him. He didn't have any major injuries, but if he's suffering from any internal problems, I can't tell." Coco explained.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure everything is sorted out." The other doctor stated.
As the two doctors loaded him onto one of the aircraft, one of the doctors left the airship and approached a collection of Atlesian soldiers and started talking with them. With an affirmative nod, one of the soldiers entered the cockpit as the doctor re-entered the back of the vehicle. As the aircraft shook to life, the vehicle began to take off into the air.
"Are you sure he's the one?" A doctor asked as they looked down at Evan's body.
"I'm sure. He certainly matches the description that was given to us. General Ironwood ordered all personnel to make sure that Evan Anderson was returned to Atlas as soon and as safely as possible." The other doctor replied back as the two sat in silence, while the airship soared into the night sky.
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Another chapter done and dusted! I was a little worried about how you all would feel about the last chapter, but I'm glad that a lot of you enjoyed it! I should have the next chapter completed either this Friday or Saturday. I can't wait to get into Volume 4 material! Until we meet again!