Author's Note: Again, this chapter was late due to other priorities I have. Downside of adulthood: less time for your hobbies. Plus, this chapter was a bit difficult to write in regard to finding good counterparts to the characters and locations, especially the story of the Lost Ark.
Review Responses
Akashic Records: Oobleck would have been a good choice, but I figured he was too old for the part. Plus, if he played Indy, I figured he would need a love interest amongst the older cast of RWBY like Glynda.
linx007: I'm sorry if I worried you. I have no intention of abandoning this story after it's been going so well. But I can't promise all of the updates will be on time. As I said, I have other priorities to attend to before I even think of working on this story.
Komod0-Sensei: Well, Taiyang would have been a good choice. But I already cast him as Robocop in the past. I wanted to give as many RWBY characters a chance to play primary characters as possible. And yes, Cinder is the perfect choice to play Rene Belloq: both are greedy and power-hungry villains. I'm looking forward to writing the ending scene when she opens the Ark.
LucasVAMP: I whole-heartedly agree. Don't get me wrong, Jaune is a good character and has come a long way. But having entire multiverse fanfictions dedicated to him is just ridiculous. He already had his starring role in the "Die Hard" adaptation, so he won't be the main character again. At least not for a while. Anyway, I hope you like how I integrated the Ark into the RWBY universe.
Vanitus Omnipotent: Good point. I forgot that Coco was a lesbian, and I could edit the chapter and add that line. Thanks for your input.
Inspiration: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit story for entertainment purposes only. "RWBY" is the property of director and animator Monty Oum (RIP) and production company Rooster Teeth, and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is the property of director Steven Spielberg, production company Lucasfilm Ltd., and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
In the vast auditorium of Haven University, Sun and Neptune led the two Atlesian military personnel, Winter Schnee and Ciel Soleil to the stage.
"Yes, Dr. Wukong, we've heard a great deal about you," Winter said.
"Have you?" Sun asked.
"Uh, professor of archeology, expert on the occult, and... uh, how does one say it? Obtainer of rare antiquities," Ciel
"That's one way of saying it," Sun admitted.
Weiss smiled warmly, always happy to see her older sister in person or on the big screen.
"Hopefully they're not going to arrest him for stealing a certain artifact," Oscar said.
"I don't believe so. They likely would have done it already," Ozpin reasoned.
"Why don't you sit down? You'll be more comfortable," Sun offered, gesturing to a few chairs at the table.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you," Winter said gratefully.
"Yes, you're a man of many talents," Ciel complimented.
Nora nodded in agreement. "So far we've seen treasure hunting, fighting, detecting traps, and teaching" she listed on her fingers the number of reasons Sun was so badass.
"Then he must come highly recommended," Ren added as he sipped a cup of herbal tea.
Winter and Ciel both took a seat sitting atop the auditorium stage.
Winter started off. "Now, you studied under Professor Belladonna at Haven?" she asked.
"Yes, I did," Sun confirmed.
Ghira blinked. "I was a professor at Haven?" he asked, not expecting such a role.
"And Sun was a student of his?" Kali added questioningly.
"Yes. You were something of a mentor to Sun during days as a student," Gold-Sith answered.
"You have no idea of his present whereabouts?" Winter inquired.
Sun paused before answering. "Uh... well, just rumors, really. Somewhere in Argus, I think. I haven't really spoken to him for ten years. We were friends, but, uh...had a bit of a falling out, I'm afraid," he informed with a downward glance.
Maria scratched her chin. "Hmmm, I wonder what for?" she wondered aloud.
"Dr. Wukong, now, you must understand that this is all strictly confidential, eh?" Ciel informed.
"I understand," Sun replied.
Ciel cautiously glanced to the side. "Yesterday afternoon, our sections intercepted a White Fang communique that was sent from Vacuo to Mistral," she said.
Ciel's mention of the White Fang caught the interest of everyone, especially the Belladonna family.
"Hmm? The White Fang?" Sun said curiously.
"See, over the last two years, the White Fang have had teams of archeologists running around the world looking for all kinds of religious artifact. Salem's (1) a nut on the subject. She's obsessed with the occult," Winter explained while Ciel removed a folder from her briefcase.
A collection of gasps filled the theater at the mention of the Grimm Queen being in charge of the White Fang. A few even shivered briefly at the mere mention of her name.
"Salem's running the White Fang here?!" Blake asked incredulously, expecting Adam to play such a role.
"Indeed. In this universe, the White Fang is more powerful, organized, and widespread. Salem herself is a Faunus determined to rule the world," Gold-Sith informed the audience.
Eyes widened throughout the theater. It was bad enough that Adam Taurus was in charge of the White Fang. But the thought of someone like Salem running it was much worse.
"Wow. I didn't see that coming," Sun said as he slowly sipped a soda.
"And, right now, apparently, there's some kind of White Fang archeological dig going on in the desert outside Vacuo," Winter finished her report.
Ciel opened the folder she took out. "Now, we've got some information here, but we can't make anything out of it, and maybe you can," she requested before reading off Ghira's message: "Tanis development proceeding. Acquire headpiece, Staff of Light. Ghira Belladonna, Mistral."
Sun and Neptune exchanged mute looks, the latter looking jubilant.
"What's he so happy about?" Ilia wondered aloud, referring to Neptune.
"He probably recognizes the artifacts Ciel mentioned and is excited to acquire them," Saphron assumed.
"The White Fang has discovered Tanis," Sun said in an alarmed tone.
"Just what does that mean to you, uh, Tanis?" Winter asked, unfamiliar with the subject.
"Well, it..." Neptune began, but Sun cut him off.
"The city of Tanis is one of the possible resting places of the Lost Ark."
Those words piqued everyone's interest as they were curious about what the Lost Ark was in the first place.
"We're about to get some answers," Ruby said excitedly.
Ciel arched her brow. "The Lost Ark?" she muttered in puzzlement.
"Yeah, the Ark of the Seasons," Sun said. "The chest the Vacuans used to carry around the seasons."
"What do you mean, "seasons"?" Ciel asked tentatively.
"You talking about the Four Seasons? Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall?" Winter questioned dubiously.
"Yes, the actual Four Seasons," Sun confirmed. "The original stone tablets that Ozma brought down from Mount Glenn and smashed, if you believe in that sort of thing."
Winter and Ciel both stared at Sun in awe and disbelief of his claims.
The audience was captivated but puzzled by Sun's tale of the Lost Ark. Ozpin in particular listened intently as his past self was mentioned as being some sort of important historical or religious figure.
"What does that mean?" Nora asked curiously.
"Basically, I think he's saying the Maiden powers are magical stone tablets," Maria presumed as she stared in wonderment at the screen.
"Any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?" Sun asked in surprise.
"Well, I..." Ciel stuttered.
Sun decided to explain the story behind the Ark. "Okay, look. The Vacuans took the broken pieces and put them in the Ark. When they settled in Gossan, they put the Ark in a place called the Temple of Solomon."
"In the city of Vacuo," Neptune weighed in.
"Where it stayed for many years," Sun continued. "Until all of a sudden, whoosh, it's gone."
"Where?" Winter asked as she listened intently.
"Well, nobody knows where or when," Neptune answered. "However, a Valean king..."
"Samuel," Sun filled in the blank for Neptune.
"Yes...invaded the Kingdom of Vacuo many centuries ago, and he may have taken the Ark back to the conquered city of Tanis and hidden it in a secret chamber called the Well of Souls," Neptune continued his historical account.
"This is so interesting," Weiss commented as she listened intently.
"Yeah. The story really catches your interest," Jaune agreed with a nod.
Neptune smiled with pride as he listened to his counterpart's monologue, being quite the history buff in real life.
"Good thing Dr. Oobleck isn't explaining it, or we wouldn't catch of word of it," Coco giggled, remembering Dr. Oobleck's' motor mouth during his lectures at Beacon.
"Secret chamber?" Winter inquired.
"However, about a year after the king would return to Vale, the city of Tanis was consumed by the desert in a sandstorm which lasted a whole year. Wiped clean by the wrath of the God of Light," Neptune finished his monologue on the subject.
"Damn... King Samuel really pissed off the God of Light to invoke a sandstorm like that," Taiyang commented as he sipped a glass of beer while Zwei barked in agreement.
"Or perhaps it was to seal the Ark away to prevent the seasons from falling into the wrong hands," Maria countered, knowing evil people from all over the world would pursue such power.
"Uh-huh," Winter said as she and Ciel exchanged glances.
"Obviously, we've come to the right men," Ciel commented, impressed by the knowledge of Sun and Neptune.
"Now you seem to know, uh, all about this Tanis, then," Ciel presumed.
Sun shook his head. "No, no, not really. Belladonna is the real expert," he said. "Ghira did the first serious work on Tanis. Collected some of its relics. It was his obsession, really. But he never found the city.
Winter examined a document from Ciel's folder. "Frankly, we're somewhat suspicious of Mr. Belladonna," she said skeptically. "A Mistralian being mentioned so prominently in a secret White Fang cable.
"Oh, rubbish. Belladonna's not White Fang," Neptune dismissed, knowing Ghira wouldn't associate with such a group.
"So, I never associated with the White Fang in this universe," Ghira realized, wishing he never did so given it's current status.
"Looking back at it, it would have been the wise thing to do," Kali commented.
"Tell me about it," Blake muttered under her breath.
"Well, what do the White Fang want him for, then?" Ciel asked.
"Well, obviously, the White Fang are looking for the headpiece to the Staff of Light and they think Ghira's got it," Sun answered.
"What exactly is a headpiece to the Staff of Light?"
"Well, the staff is just a stick..." Sun said, making size estimates with his hands. "I don't know...about this big, nobody really knows for sure how high..."
Yang and Taiyang both snickered, toying with the idea of making a pun based on the innuendo of "staff".
"Don't. Say. A. Word," Weiss growled, quickly realizing what they were thinking.
"Awww, you're no fun, ice queen," Yang pouted at the heiress.
Sun approached a chalkboard and flipped it over to a blank side. "And it's... it's, uh...it's capped with an elaborate headpiece... in the shape of the sun, with a crystal in the center," he explained as he drew a chalk drawing of
"And what you did was you take the staff to a special room in Tanis..."
"A map room with a miniature of the city all laid out on the floor, and if you put the staff in a certain place, at a certain time of day, the sun shone through here and made a beam that came down on the floor here... and gave you the exact location of the Well of the Souls,"
Winter and Ciel watched and listened while Neptune smiled with pride towards his friend.
Neptune affectionately clapped Sun on the shoulder, who smiled and nodded at his partner.
"Where the Ark of the Seasons was kept, right?" Ciel asked
"Which is exactly what the White Fang is looking for," Sun confirmed.
"I see the Vacuans took great precautions to hide the Ark," Maria remarked.
"But will it be enough to keep it out of the White Fangs hands," Oscar questioned with worry.
"Knowing Salem's resolve, I doubt it," Ozpin sighed, knowing the Grimm Queen better than anyone.
"What does this Ark look like?" Winter asked.
Sun approached a large book sat on the table and flipped through the pages. "There's a picture of it right here," he said stopping at a large color illustration of the Ark in action. "That's it."
Tense music played as the men observed an illustration showing the Ark held aloft on a hill by the Vacuans and laying waste to a huge enemy force in a desert. Beams of bright yellow light shined forth, piercing the bodies of the enemy soldiers like lasers.
Everyone was horrified by the Ark's ability to defeat entire armies in a manner of seconds.
"All they have to do is carry it around, and they can defeat entire armies," Qrow noted softly.
"Good Gods," Ciel whispered in horror.
"Yes, that's just what the Vacuans thought," Neptune agreed.
"Uh...now, what's that supposed to be coming out of there?" Ciel asked as she pointed at a beam of light emerging from the Ark.
"Lightning... fire... power of the Brother Gods or something," Sun answered with uncertainty.
"I'm beginning to understand Salem's interest in this," Winter said as she.
"Oh, yes. The Book of Oum speaks of the Ark leveling mountains and laying waste to entire regions. An army which carries the Ark before it...is invincible," Neptune said in awe and fear.
A wave of cold dread washed over the audience as the scope of the situation dawned on them. The thought of all four Maiden powers in Salem's possession was unthinkable.
"It's like Cinder's dream come true," Yang whispered, knowing how hell-bent Cinder would be to find the Ark if it ever existed.
"Then Sun has to act fast if the legend is true," Blake said, knowing it was too risky to pass up in the event the Ark truly existed.
Later that night, a black, two-door sedan pulled up in front of a house in the Mistral suburbs. Neptune climbed out and started for the house.
Inside the house, Sun, now dressed in a red bathrobe, opened the front door to allow Neptune inside.
"You did it, didn't you?" Sun asked excitedly, pointing at Neptune.
"They want you to go for it," Neptune confirmed happily.
Sun clapped Neptune on the back. "Oh, Neptune!" he laughed as the two men entered the lavish living room decorated with historical antiques and bookshelves.
"Nice place, you've got, partner," Neptune complimented his partner's house.
"Yeah. Not too shabby," Qrow added in agreement.
"Well, he is a professor. Plus, he gets paid for every artifact he brings back to Haven," Saphron reminded.
"It reminds me of Dr. Oobleck's own living room," Ozpin said internally, remembering visits to his colleagues house.
"They want you to get a hold of the Ark before the White Fang does and they're prepared to pay handsomely for it," Neptune notified.
"And the museum?" Sun inquired. "The museum gets the Ark when we're finished?"
"Oh, yes," Neptune confirmed as the two friends shook hands.
"Oh..." Sun hummed excitedly as he grabbed a wine bottle and a couple of glasses. "The Ark of the Maidens…"
"Nothing else has come close," Neptune said as Sun poured a glass for each of them.
"That thing represents everything we got into archeology for in the first place," Sun said as he and Neptune clinked their wine glasses together and drank to the opportunity they were given.
"Looks like they've stumbled onto the biggest archeological opportunity in their careers," Weiss said, happy for the onscreen duo.
"But will I be going with him?" Neptune wondered aloud.
"You know, five years ago, I would've gone after it myself," Neptune remarked. "I'm really rather envious.
Sun grabbed a battered suitcase from his closet and set it down on a table. "I've got to locate Ghira. I think I know where to start," he said.
Neptune sighed and deflated. "So I won't be going with him," he said in disappointment.
"To Agus, I presume," Ghira guessed, wondering if his counterpart would join Sun on an adventure instead of Neptune.
Sun began to pack his belongings for his trip to Argus. "Suppose she'll still be with him?" he asked Neptune.
"Possibly, but... Blake's the least of your worries right now, believe me, Sunny," Neptune
Blake's ears perked up at the mention of her name, as did Ghira's and Kali's. The Belladonna's all wondered what role Blake would play if she appeared.
Sun looked at Neptune. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, I mean that for nearly 1,000 years, people have been searching for the Lost Ark," Neptune explained. "Not something to be taken lightly. No one knows its secrets. It's like nothing you've ever gone after before."
"He's right. Such an ancient and allegedly powerful artifact shouldn't be underestimated," Maria warned against such a notion, speaking from experience.
Sun laughed and clapped Neptune on the arm. "Oh, Neptune. What are you trying to do, scare me? You sound like my mother," he asked incredulously.
Sun grabbed something wrapped in a cloth from his desk as he continued speaking. "We've known each other for a long time. I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus-pocus. I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance. You're talking about the bogeyman."
Sun unwrapped the cloth, revealing a revolver. "Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am," he said as he tossed the gun into the suitcase.
"And yet he recklessly throws a loaded gun into a suitcase," Weiss sighed while shaking her head.
"But why is he even bringing a gun?" Oscar asked.
"Probably a precaution in case the White Fang gets involved," Blake reasoned, hoping that Sun at least had a head start on them.
Cut to an airship sitting at Mistral Central Station. Sun and a handful of other passengers began to board.
"Nice to see you again, Dr. Wukong," the ships steward greeted.
"Thank you," Sun replied as he entered.
"It looks like this takes place quite some time ago like the previous universe," Maria noted, recognizing the older airship model
"Yeah. Those airships are way more old-school than the ones we have today," Yang agreed.
Sun found an empty seat and sat down.
However, unbeknownst to Sun, a bespectacled passenger seated behind him peered at him suspiciously over a magazine (2).
"Uh-oh. It looks like someone's spying on him," Ruby pointed at the screen.
"What does that mean? The White Fang is already onto him?" Blake questioned in surprise at how fast the White Fang picked up Sun's trail.
"Then he'd better hurry and find Ghira before they do," Kali fretted for her husband's counterpart.
Sun placed his fedora over his eyes and leaned back in his chair to get some sleep. It was going to be a long flight to Argus.
The airship took off. Its journey was traced in bridging shots by a moving red line on a map with the super-imposed airplane in flight within the clouds. It took a stop on Matsu Lake's largest island to refuel before proceeding to its destination in Argus on the northern coast of Mistral.
Cut to a tavern in the city of Argus. Outside, a fierce snowstorm was raging with heavy winds and snowfall.
Inside the tavern, Blake Belladonna (3) was engaged in a drinking competition with a hefty Faunus. Around the table was a cheering crowd. A pile of lien was in the center of the table.
"There's you, Blake. In your first role," Ruby chirped.
"Not quite. She had that small role in the last flick," Yang reminded, referring to Blake's toon counterpart.
"Ugh. Don't remind me," Blake said with embarrassment.
The crowd chattered as they held wads of lien in their hands while a bar host refilled Blake's glass and her challenger's glass.
One of the patrons shushed the crowd as the challenger slowly raised his shot glass and gulped down its contents. The patrons betting on him cheered.
"Look at all the empty glasses," Velvet said, amazed that neither competitor had passed out yet.
"Pah! They're both lightweights," Qrow said dismissively, having drank twice the amount as either contender onscreen.
It was Blake's turn. She drank the shot and looked ready to black out from all the liquor. The crowd murmured nervously.
"Quiet. Quiet!" Blake ordered the crowd as she fought the urge to pass out with a smile and set down the glass, prompting cheers.
The room went silent again as the rival drinker picked up his last shot of whiskey. He slowly gulped it down. Initially, he seemed to be holding his liquor. Then he slowly tipped over and collapsed to the floor. The crowd cheered loudly, and Blake scooped up her winnings from the table.
Ghira, Kali, Ilia, Sun and Yang all clapped for Blake winning the drinking contest
"All right. The show's over folks. It's closing time," Blake announced.
The crowd chattered as they dispersed and headed for the bars exit while Blake counted her winnings.
Blake held two ice cubes against her temples to ease the effects of all the liquor she'd just drank from the contest.
Ghira and Kali smirked at their daughter in mild scolding while Blake sighed and shook her head at her counterpart.
"You're already feeling the effects of the booze," Yang giggled, having been in the same boat before.
"Man, you're going to have a hell of a hangover the next morning," Qrow added, knowing only too well how it felt after a bender.
Against the stone wall Blake was facing, a familiar looking silhouette appeared.
"Hello, Blake," Sun said from behind Blake, who spun around quickly.
Blake tossed the ice cubes aside and smiled. "Sun Wukong," she said with her hands on her hips. "Always knew, someday, you'd come walking back through my door. I never doubted that."
Sun, now back in his adventurer's outfit, smiled back at his old flame.
"Something made it inevitable," Blake continued. "So, what are you doing here in Argus?"
"I need one of the pieces your father collected," Sun answered as he glanced aside.
Suddenly, Blake cocked her fist back and punched Sun. "I learned to hate you in the last ten years!" she declared.
Everyone recoiled at Blake's unexpected action. Blake's ears drooped in sorrow at her counterpart's action.
Sun rubbed the back of his head. "Well...I didn't expect that," he muttered in surprise.
"I guess Ghira wasn't the only one he had a fallout with," Saphron commented sadly.
Sun rubbed his sore chin. "I never meant to hurt you," he assured.
"I was only 18. I was in love!" Blake shouted indignantly. "It was wrong, and you knew it!"
"You knew what you were doing!" Sun shot back defensively.
"Now I do!" Blake shouted.
Sun and Blake both blushed at the confirmation their counterparts had both been in a relationship.
Ghira furiously rose to his feet as he stared daggers at Sun. "You did what with my daughter?!" he shouted.
Sun jumped in his seat and rose his hands. "It's not me! It's not me!" he babbled in panic.
Kali stood up and put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Ghira, sweetheart! Please, calm down!" she pleaded.
"Dad! Stop it!" Blake added, also standing up.
Ghira took a few deep breaths as his face returned to its normal color and he slowly sat back in his seat. But his eyes stayed glued to the nervous Sun.
"This is my place! Get out!" Blake demanded.
"I did what I did," Sun said simply. "You don't have to be happy about it, but maybe we could help each other out now."
Blake rolled her eyes and approached a table to clean up the empty shot-glasses from her drinking contest.
"I need one of the pieces your father collected. Bronze piece, about this size, with a hole in it, off-center, with a crystal," Sun explained, making gestures with his hands. "You know the one I mean?"
"Seriously?! You abandon her for ten years and that's all you care about?" Yang said with outrage, while Blake looked ashamed of the reminder of her past action towards Yang.
"You heard him. He's trying to help her out," Sun defended himself. "And it's to stop the White Fang from getting their hands on the Ark."
"Yeah. I know it," Blake confirmed as she carried the tray of glasses to the bar.
Sun stood next to Blake at the bar. "Where's Ghira?"
Blake closed her eyes in sadness. "Ghira's dead."
Blake and Kali both gasped while Ghira looked disheartened. Everyone else bowed their heads in respect for Ghira's deceased counterpart.
Sun looked down in sorrow at the mention of Ghira's death. "Blake, I'm sorry."
"Do you know what you did to me, to my life?" Blake said sadly.
"I can only say I'm sorry so many times," Sun replied remorsefully.
Sun looked down in shame while Blake could only rub her arm in discomfort as she was reminded of her abandonment of Yang. The blonde brawler noticed but decided not to bring it up in front of everybody else.
Blake threw the tray of glasses over the bar. "Well, say it again, anyway!" she demanded.
"Sorry," Sun said simply.
"Yeah, everybody's sorry," Blake said as she collect more glasses from a table. "Ghira was sorry for dragging me all over Remnant looking for his little bits of junk. I'm sorry to still be stuck in this dive. Everybody's sorry for something."
Sun poured himself a glass of whiskey. "It's a worthless bronze medallion, Blake. You going to give it to me?" he asked.
"Maybe. I don't know where it is," Blake replied.
"Or she does and simply doesn't want to give it up," Maria theorized while sipping a glass of water.
"You really can't blame her for that," Ilia reasoned in Blake's defense.
"Then how will Sun beat the White Fang to the Ark?" Ruby said nervously, knowing the fate of Remnant may very well rest in Sun's hands.
"Well, maybe you could find it. 3,000 lien," Sun offered as he pulled a wad of money out of his pocket.
"Well, that will get me back, but not in style," Blake said begrudgingly.
"I can get you another two when we get to Mistral. It's important, Blake. Trust me," Sun emphasized with a half-smile.
"Really? Bribery?" Blake scoffed as she glared at Sun.
"It's for a good cause," Sun reasoned in defense of his counterpart.
Blake angrily tried to hit Sun again, but he caught her wrist and thrusts the lien into her hand.
"You know the piece I mean?" Sun asked. "Do you know where it is?"
Blake chuckled. "Come back tomorrow," she instructed.
"Why?" Sun asked.
Blake jerked her hand free. "Because I said so, that's why," she said with a smile.
"Damn. She means business," Coco complimented, impressed by Blake calling the shots.
"Well, she should after Sun up and left her for ten years," Ghira said while glaring at Sun, who swallowed nervously.
"Ghira," Kali scolded as she tried to keep her husband from losing his temper again.
With their business finished, Blake sat down on a table while Sun walked to the front door and left the bar.
"See you tomorrow, Sun Wukong," Blake bid farewell.
Now alone, Blake sat down at a table. She reached under her shirt collar and pulled out a medallion from her collar. She gazed at it in consideration. She then looked at the money she won earlier in her left hand and smirked.
Blake looped the medallion around a wooden centerpiece as she got up and placed her winnings in a cigar box on the bar counter.
Just then, the heavy wooden door opened. A group of four Faunus stood in the doorframe. One of them was an all too familiar scorpion Faunus dressed in a black leather overcoat over a white shirt and red necktie, a black fedora, and wire-frame glasses.
"Good evening, ma'am," Tyrian Callows greeted.
Everyone familiar with Tyrian's terrifying counterpart in the previous viewing instantly became apprehensive. Ruby, Oscar, and Nora even whimpered a little while Zwei whined in Taiyang's lap. The fact the White Fang had been trailing Sun all along only worsened their fear.
"Oh no! Not him again!" Nora whispered in terror as she hugged Ren for comfort.
Velvet blinked in puzzlement. "What's got her so scared?" she asked curiously.
"Don't ask!" everyone else said immediately, not wanting Judge Tyrion to traumatize anybody else.
"The bar's closed," Blake informed the apparent patrons.
"We are not thirsty," Tyrian said flatly as he and his goons, Trifa, Deery, and Perry, all stepped inside.
"You know, he doesn't look much different from his last counterpart," Jaune noted, referring to Tyrian's outfit (4).
"I'll bet his personality isn't very different either," Saprhon added in agreement with her little brother.
"What do you want?" Blake asked.
"The same thing your friend Dr. Wukong wanted," Tyrian replied as he and his cohorts approached Blake. "Surely he told you there would be other interested parties."
"Must've slipped his mind," Blake said as she lit a cigarette.
"The man is... nefarious. I hope, for your sake, he has not yet acquired it," Tyrian warned.
Ghira and Kali glared at Tyrian for threatening their daughter while Sun looked concerned, hoping his counterpart could intervene if worse came to worse.
"Why, are you willing to offer more?" Blake asked.
"Oh, almost certainly," Tyrian said eagerly. "Do you still have it?"
Blake took a drag from her cigarette and blew smoke into Tyrian's face, causing him to cough lightly.
"Feisty. I like," Coco said in a sultry tone while Blake blushed slightly at the remark.
"No. But I know where it is," Blake said as she walked behind the bar.
"Hey, how about a drink for you and your men?" Blake offered.
Tyrian approached a fireplace. "Your fire is dying here. Why don't you tell me where the piece is right now?" he demanded impatiently.
"Listen, buster. I don't know what kind of people you're used to dealing with, but nobody tells me what to do in my place," Blake snapped, refusing to be ordered around.
Ghira smiled. "That's my girl," he said with paternal pride.
"Yeah. You tell him, kitty," Yang added with a smile.
"Miss Belladonna, let me show you what I am used to," Tyrian said menacingly.
Suddenly, Yuma seized Blake from behind, holding her arms behind her back.
"Take your hands off me! Take your lousy hands off!" she demanded, struggling against Yuma's grip.
Tyrian removed a fire poker from the fireplace, it's blazing hot tip glowing bright orange.
Ghira's eyes widened. "Oh no…" as he realized what Tyrian intended to do.
"Don't even think about it, you son of a bitch!" Kali hissed defensively for her little kitten.
Noticing this, Blake swiftly changed her tone. "Wait a minute. Wait, I... I can be reasonable," she insisted feebly.
"That time is passed," Tyrian replied mercilessly as he advanced towards Blake.
"You don't need that," Blake pleaded, now realizing she was in over her head.
"Wait...I'll tell you everything," Blake pleaded again.
"Yes, I know you will," Tyrian whispered with a sadistic grin as he held the sizzling tip of the poker mere inches from Blake's terrified face.
Everybody tensed up. A few even broke into a sweat, as if they could feel the heat of the fire poker. Zwei, who was oddly fond of Blake, whimpered with worry while Taiyang patted his head in comfort.
"Sun...where are you?" Blake whispered urgently.
Suddenly, with a loud crack, a bullwhip wrapped around the fire poker and wrenched it from Tyrian's hand. It sailed through the air and landed near some wool curtains, the hot tip touching the fabric.
Thinking fast, Tyrian spun around while placing Blake in front of him. He spotted Sun with his bullwhip in one hand and a pistol in the other.
"Let her go!" Sun commanded.
"All right! Sun to the rescue!" Ruby cheered with her fist raised.
"But the curtains," Jaune pointed out, expecting a fire to break out.
Everyone's relief returned to worry when they realized Jaune was right.
There was a tense pause between Sun and the White Fang. Trifa began to move into position to ambush Sun, sub-machine gun in hand.
Luckily, Sun spotted Trifa's shadow creeping across the bar wall and fired off a shot, throwing her off her aim. By now, the curtains caught fire.
Just like that, all hell broke loose. Blake wrenched herself from Tyrian's grip and ran for cover while the White Fang engaged Sun.
"Time for a bar fight," Qrow said excitedly while Yang nodded in anticipation.
"You must have plenty of experience with that," Weiss said with a grin, prompting Qrow to huff defensively.
Sun fired his pistol as he fled with Trifa in pursuit, sub-machine gun blazing. Sun was forced to take cover in a doorway.
Deery knocked over the table holding the medallion for cover, soaking it with alcohol. Luckily, she didn't notice the medallion.
Blake stayed hidden behind the bar while Perry tossed a sub-machine gun to Deery, who opened fire in Sun's direction. Sun himself stayed behind cover as he reloaded his pistol.
"He's pinned down," Neptune observed with worry.
"And outnumbered," Blake added, hoping her counterpart would join in the fight if Sun couldn't win on his own.
Deery's sub-machine gun ran dry, and she stopped to reload. Seizing this chance, Sun fired again and knocked a few burning logs out of the fireplace, which ignited the alcohol soaking the table Deery was hiding behind. The resulting flames set her aflame. Sun fired again, scoring a headshot and splattering the screaming Deery's face with blood. Blake gasped in shock as Deery fell dead in front of her.
"Oooh, that was messy," Jaune commented with a wince.
"Yeah. That was pretty brutal, bro," Neptune agreed, even though he knew it was self-defense.
Blake discreetly grabbed one of the burning logs while Sun exchanged fire with Trifa and Perry, one of the rounds hit a keg of ale on the bar. Blake paused to take a swig from the leaking barrel.
"Come on, Blake! Less drinking, more fighting!" Ruby scolded.
"It helps calm the nerves. That's why I always keep my flask on hand," Qrow reasoned as he took a swig, never minding some liquid courage when he needed it.
From outside, a fourth Faunus, Yuma, barged in through a door behind Sun, grabbed him, and slammed him into a wall.
Blake snuck up on Perry and struck him hard on the head with the log in her hand, knocking him out.
Ghira and Kali smiled with pride at Blake handling herself rather than being a stereotypical damsel in distress.
Yuma picked up Sun, carried him over the bar, and threw him atop it while Blake grabbed Perry's dropped handgun.
Tyrian then set the bar, now coated with flammable alcohol, alight. The trail of fire snaked across the bar towards Sun as Yuma kept him pinned.
"Whiskey," Sun requested urgently from Blake.
Blake obliged quickly as she handed a thick whiskey bottle to Sun, who promptly swung it backwards into Yuma's face just before the flames reached him.
"Thanks for the save," Sun said gratefully to Blake, who nodded in return.
Sun and Yuma continued struggling on a table.
"Shoot them. Shoot them both," Tyrian ordered mercilessly.
Sun and Perry were bewildered while Trifa obeyed and cocked her sub-machine gun.
Sun pulled on Yuma's arm and turned, firing the pistol at Trifa, killing her.
As Sun and Yuma continued struggling, Tyrian retreated behind a collapsed bar table. He then noticed the medallion on the floor. Without thinking, he reached to pick it up, only to shriek in agony as the red-hot metal burned his hand with a sharp searing noise.
"Yeah. Hot metal burns, you moron," Taiyang deadpanned, eliciting chuckles from the rest of the audience.
"Reminds me of when I burnt my hand on a stove," Saphron reminisced with a grimace.
Dropping the medallion, Tyrian screamed as he leaped out of the burning bar through a window.
Sun finally got Yuma to drop his handgun before the latter shoved him off and got his feet, his right arm ablaze from the fire. He engaged Sun in a fist fight, but the monkey Faunus had the upper hand as he pummeled Yuma.
Outside, Tyrian whimpered pitiably as he clutched his singed hand before plunging it into a snowbank to soothe the pain.
A few audience members couldn't help but laugh at the darkly humorous scene.
"That's probably gonna leave a mark," Qrow chuckled while shaking his head.
Sun soundly won his fight with Yuma, knocking him out cold by slamming a wooden chair on his head.
Regaining consciousness, Perry got up and aimed his pistol at Sun just as he turned around.
"Oh no…" Neptune whispered.
There was a gunshot. Sun flinched but looked down at his chest. He wasn't hit. Perry paused for a second, then blood trickled from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.
Behind him stood Blake, who had shot him with her own pistol. Sun chuckled with relief.
"Nice save, Kitty," Yang complimented her partner.
"That's two I owe you," Sun added, noting how well he and Blake worked together in this universe.
"My medallion!" Blake shouted as she scooped up the red-hot medallion with a cloth to avoid burning herself.
With the intruders dispatched, Sun pulled Blake out of the burning bar by the arm.
"Well, Wukong, at least you haven't forgotten how to show a lady a good time!" Blake shouted, her voice barely audible over the howling, icy wind.
Weiss cocked her brow. "A gunfight inside a burning bar is a good time for her?" she asked skeptically.
"I wouldn't have complained," Yang said, preferring to live on the dangerous side herself.
"Boy, you're something!" Sun shouted back.
"Yeah, I'll tell you what. Until I get back my 5,000 lien, you're going to get more than you bargained for. I'm your goddamn partner!" Blake announced as she held up the medallion.
"So now they're stuck with each other," Saphron said with a grin, anticipating a wild adventure for the couple.
Author's Notes
(1)- Initially, I planned to cast Adam Taurus as Adolf Hitler himself, but I have another role for him to fill. Besides, if anyone is suited to play one of the most evil men who ever lived, it's Salem.
(2)- Contrary to what some of you may think, this character is not Toht, but a different character entirely spying on Indy.
(3)- I figured Blake would be the best choice to play Marion Ravenwood. There's been so much ship-tease between her and Sun, I couldn't think of any better choice to play Marion.
(4)- Aside from a different coat, glasses, and a necktie, Toht's outfit isn't that different from Judge Doom's in my opinion. But the primary reason I chose Tyrian was because they're both sadistic creeps.