Disclaimer: I do not own the blazblue franchise or the RWBY franchise they belong to their respective owners
(A/N)
I am glad that I received a lot of good responses for my take on Adam in this story. Thank you everyone and I will give him the best treatment as I can.
Chapter 76 Scars from the past
(The Mistral Bar)
It was business as usual for Lil Miss Malachite as she was going over the reports of her recent operation. Though even she had to admit that it took a long time for things to reach some level of stability. Ever since the Fall of Beacon that occurred several months ago. With the kingdom of Mistral initially in chaos due to the fear of Ragna the Bloodedge. It gave the Spiders, a criminal organization that Miss Malachite is in charge of. A surprising hard time in terms of maintaining control. Though this gave her several opportunities that could be essential for both the short and long term. One of the biggest priorities is to make sure her twin daughters are safe in Vale. Once Melanie and Miltia Malachite's safety was confirmed. Miss Malachite proceeded to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to her due to the chaos within the Kingdom.
"Another day, another smooth operation, if for some reason I find myself meeting this Ragna the Bloodedge. Remind me to thank him for giving many businesses an extra incentive to pay their protection money." Miss Malachite told her nearby guard as she was going over the reports
"Ma'am, I've been meaning to ask this for a while. Why is it that we've never taken this opportunity to increase the fee on the protection money?" One of the bodyguards asked her boss
"Because even though it will be pleasant in the short term. In the long run it will only bring me a whole mess of problems. The Mistral Council is already on edge thanks to the fear that Ragna the Bloodedge will show up to this Kingdom. As a result, many businesses are holding on to the hope that the Spiders will protect them as long as they pay their protection. But if we end up bleeding them dry, then they could bring attention to us and the Council will do anything to assure the people that they are safe. So the extra attention is something we do not need. Besides, thanks to the common fear of Ragna. Many businesses that were late on payments have paid up with interest. As an added bonus, the chaos within the Kingdom gave us the chance to deal with some competition." Lil Miss Malachite explained to her bodyguard
"Thank you for explaining, I completely understand." The Bodyguard responded in a grateful tone before they noticed the bar doors open up. When everyone looked to see who it was. They see a slender man with green hair in a black suit who is casually entering the establishment in a calm and controlled pace.
"You know, I don't usually come to these places. But given the homey and rustic charm this place gives off. I just had to make an exception and I am glad I did." Hazama stated in a loud and casual tone
"It's not often someone as finely dressed as you would come here. But I must recommend that you come here with a bit more composure." Lil Miss Malachite told Hazama
"My apologies, I was just amazed by the atmosphere. It feels so relaxed but at the same time guarded. As if everyone here knows who is in charge. While prepared to deal with anyone who's crazy enough to start trouble." Hazama commented to calm woman
"Well I'll be, someone who knows how to read the room. Since its obvious that you're not from around here. How about you tell me what brings you here." Lil Miss Malachite told Hazama
"There are two things that brings me here, the main reason is business while the secondary reason is personal. My name is Hazama and I am captain of the intelligence department of Atlus. Though I commend your friendly approach, we both know that you know who I am. Just as I know who you are, Lil Miss Malachite, the leader of the Spiders of Mistral. By the way, I have to say that I really like your name." Hazama briefly explained Lil Miss Malachite
"Flattery will only get you so far, I do hope that you're not here on official business from Atlus." Lil Miss Malachite told Hazama
"Not exactly, even though it doesn't look like it. Not only am I good at my job, but I also happen to take my work very seriously. Now, part of me being good at my job is for me to not only be good at gathering intelligence. But also make sure I cover my tracks, because gathering information is the sort of thing I have to do covertly. Now so far, I've done a pretty good job of covering my tracks. Though I have recently been contacted by an individual who I thought was long gone." Hazama told Lil Miss Malachite
"Well I do admit that it is strange, though from one professional to another. Maybe you're not as good as you thought." Lil Miss Malachite commented which caused her bodyguards to chuckle at the statement
"I do admit nobody's perfect, but here is where things start to get really interesting. You see, from everything I know. I am confident in the fact that your business have helped this individual find a way to contact me. First I must give you full marks for that, that specific line of communication is strictly for emergencies. So for your people get that type of information is quite an impressive feat." Hazama explained to the leader
"Why thank you for your praise." Lil Miss responded causing Hazama to slowly approach the woman
"However, this also means that you have been put on my radar. Which is quite unfortunate for you." Hazama said as he started to get even closer to the woman causing the patrons and her guards to arm themselves
"You see, I'm the kind of person who don't like to have problems. So if you end up becoming a problem. That means your someone I'm going to have to deal with. Something you should know Lil Miss, I tend to deal with my problems through extreme methods." Hazama said in a sinister tone before everyone in the bar started to suffocate except for Lil Miss Malachite. When the leader of the Spiders looked around, she maintained a calm expression but knew that whatever was happening to everyone. The main cause of the suffering was the man before her
"Because the person I'm meeting with had a boss that's more preferable company than my other coworkers. I'm going to do you the professional courtesy of a message. Do not look into me or my affairs ever again. If I have to come back and remind you. Then it will be the end of the Spiders. Or if I'm in a really bad mood, I will have to make an example of your twin daughters. It won't be hard and the suffering of you and your family will be slow and painful. Do I make myself clear Lil Miss?" Hazama asked in a much more sinister tone to the woman. While taking silent glee in the intense fear in Lil Miss Malachite's eyes behind her calm composure
"Crystal." Lil Miss Malachite said with a hidden bitter tone
"Glad you understand." Hazama said with a creepy smile before everyone in the bar felt a wave of relief through their bodies. As if a snake that's been suffocating them have finally released their grip on them.
"Now that this little issued has been settled. I will take my leave." Hazama calmly said before he started to leave. Before he fully left the establishment, on of the bar patrons grabbed a gun and aimed it towards the slender man
"Go ahead, give me a chance to have some fun." Hazama said as he looked at the patron through the corner of his eye. Before anyone realized it, the patron was paralyzed with fear from Hazama's glance before he collapsed to the ground.
"I thought so." Hazama said before he left. Seconds after Hazama left the Bar, the majority of everyone in the building felt as if an intense presence has left them alone. Though some of the patrons made an attempt to go after the mysterious man. Lil Miss Malachite spoke up
"Don't go after him, I won't be held responsible if you do." Lil Miss Malachite yelled out causing the patron to sit back down
"I want this inquiry made, all requests regarding Hazama is to be denied." Lil Miss told one of her bodyguards
"Why, all we have to do is catch him alone with a few people and then . . ." The male bodyguard said before Lil Miss Malachite interrupted him
"I have a knack for being able to read people. If you want to survive in this business, its an essential skill to have. None of us here are saints, but when I looked into that man's eyes. There was only one thing I caught a glimpse of. What I saw behind his eyes, is nothing short of pure evil. So it will do us a lot of good to steer clear of that man as much as possible." Lil Miss Malachite told everyone
(Moments Later)
Despite being the Captain of the Intelligence Department, Hazama is not above doing field work to get the job done. He is also not above getting his hands dirty and establishing his authority and power. Seeing the Crime Boss shake in her dress gave Hazama a sadistic pleasure that always makes him smile. Since Hazama received the message on his Scroll. It didn't take him long to figure out who the sender is.
He was confident in I-No's abilities to run things while he was gone. Though he already planned for everything that will happen in the short and long term. The information I-No provided him will help make sure he doesn't overlook anything. There is a part of him that is curious about why I-No will disappear after a certain point. But as far as he's concerned, as long as she doesn't get in the way. Then it doesn't really matter at all what I-No does. As Hazama was walking, he felt a familiar presence continue to follow him. Once Hazama realized that nobody was going to come by. He started to speak up to the person following him.
"Something you should know about me. Whenever I would get a message like the one you sent me. I would kill the messenger as soon as possible since nobody threatens me. However, since I see that your currently in the second stage of grief which is anger. I will cut you some slack, Neo." Hazama said before he avoided an attack from the bladed umbrella
Once Hazama saw who attacked him, he sees Neo wielding her umbrella weapon Hush and greeted her with a sinister smile. Reacting angrily, Neo tried to continuously attack him with a series of swipes and stabs. Unfortunately for the mute girl, Hazama continued to avoid Neo's attacks with relative ease while not moving from his spot. After avoiding a stab attack from Neo. Hazama kicked Neo's hand and launched Hush upward and before Neo could catch it. Hazama was able to catch it and kicked Neo away after doing so. Once the mute girl was down on the ground, Hazama stabbed Hush to the ground inches away from Neo's face.
"Like I said, I would have killed you on sight. So, we can discuss this like reasonable people. Or I can kill you with little effort, if I were you. I'd take the option to talk." Hazama said before he let go of Hush and stepped away from Neo. After a brief moment. Neo stood up and proceeded to grab her Umbrella. After doing so, she pointed Hush at Hazama and used her free hand to point at her ear.
"You're using your brain, good that means there's hope for you." Hazama said before he continued to talk
"I know that you're seething with rage, and I understand why since your boss has died during the attack. It is amazing how you've grown attached to the man. Especially since he stuck by you after rescuing you from your awful parents. In terms of role models, Roman is a step up from a father who cares more about his image and a mother who is manipulative." Hazama said told Neo which surprised her
"It's within my abilities to learn such details about you Neo. Or should I say your real name, Trivia Vanille." Hazama said which upset Neo even further
"Don't give me that look, all I said is that Roman is a better role model by comparison. I mean he wouldn't send you off to a Prep Academy just to get rid of you. While that very same Academy train spies just for the purposes of another Crime Boss. You could say that Roman rescued you from a life of lies and manipulation. Only for him to die in such a way that was unfitting for the man." Hazama said causing Neo to be more visibly angry
"I know your thinking that I knew he was going to die. But the truth is, I had nothing to do with it. Unlike Cinder, he wasn't full of himself and I actually enjoyed working with him. In fact, my orders to the Crime Boss is that he was to stay on the airship until things calmed down. I admit that I may have set things up, but there are two people who deserve the responsibility." Hazama explained before he spoke further
"For starters, Roman wouldn't have been wrapped up in this entire mess if Cinder hadn't brought him along. I do admit that he did get involved of his own free will into something he didn't fully understand. However, Cinder is the kind of person who would go far to get what she wants. To Cinder, Roman was just a pawn who she would toss aside the second she was done with them. If you want an example, look at the two imbeciles she has with her. Cinder doesn't really care about those two and will toss them aside when they stop being useful to her. That was the fate that awarded Roman if he'd have lived through the Grimm attack." Hazama explained further to Neo causing her to think for a moment
"As for the other cause of Roman's death. Well it's safe to say that you're not a fan of roses at this point." Hazama told Neo causing her to remember Ruby
"I know that Ruby fought both you and Roman. Even though Cinder planned to toss Roman aside. It doesn't change the fact that Ruby had a role in his death. That naïve little girl didn't plan on making sure you two lived when she boarded that airship. Even though it was a life and death situation. Ruby was fully prepared to kill him if it came down to it. I mean Lady Browning's Academy special classes trains you to kill people through stealth and espionage. So what makes you think Beacon will teach their students anything different. Why if you knew Ozpin's secret's and the things he's done, then you will see that it was only a matter of time before a killer is made." Hazama explained further to Neo causing the mute girl to think for a few moments
"Now, when you think about everything I've told you and everything you know. Who are the ones who bare most of the responsibility for the death of Roman?" Hazama asked before Neo brought out her Scroll and started typing into it before showing it to Hazama
"Cinder and Ruby." Neo's message said that Hazama read
"Good girl, now I can't really tell you who is more responsible between the two. But what I can do, is offer you a chance to get even. Seeing as though I've recently gotten a new hire back in Atlus. I'm willing to have another recruit." Hazama said which intrigued Neo, causing her to type in another message for the Scroll
"What about your loyalty to Cinder?" Neo's message asked
"The truth is Neo, I do not like Cinder one bit. She is arrogant, full of herself, and worst of all self-entitled. She's not as smart or capable as she thinks she is and refuses to listen to other people. I only put up with her because of a professional obligation. Which means I will shed no tears and give no damn whether she lives or die. I might take pity on her and help Cinder once in a while. But aside from that, she shouldn't expect anything else." Hazama told Neo which surprised the young girl before he continued
"I'm working on something big that will shake Remnant to its core. I have everything covered for the most part. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared for everything. If all goes well, you will have a chance at revenge under very favorable terms. As an added bonus, I will give you the full details on why Cinder did the things he did. So tell me, do you accept my offer to work for me. Or are you going to try and fail to kill me." Hazama said as he extended his hand to Neo. The short girl spent a few seconds thinking before she accepted Hazama's hand with caution.
"Excellent choice Trivia." Hazama said in a mocking tone before Neo gave him an intense glare
"I'm sorry, Trivia Vanille died in that house explosion along with her parents. I meant to say Neo and welcome to the team." Hazama said causing Neo's glare to lighten
"First order of business is for us to go someplace a bit more comfortable. We have a lot to catch up on and I would prefer a place where my suit won't get ruined by mold. Fortunately, I know a hotel nearby so let's be on our way." Hazama said as he led Neo to a different location
"Hahahaha, that was so much easier than I thought. Oh, I forgot to mention one little detail Neo. Even if Roman lived through that Grimm attack. He would have ended up dead anyway when I implement my plans. Still I didn't lie to you Neo." Hazama thought to himself
(The House)
Worry and concern are the thoughts that are occupying Jaune's mind at the moment. The main reason for these thoughts comes from Lambda. After meeting the mean pink-haired Cat Faunus name Kokonoe. Jaune quickly and unexpectedly (as well as reluctantly) found himself under her thumb. Fortunately, it is a new day and he got himself some sleep. Unfortunately, Kokonoe made it clear that Jaune is to perform the task when she says so and he has no choice in the matter.
"Good morning our wonderful leader. So are you looking forward to the intense training we'll go through so we can make the world a better place?" Nora energetically said to Jaune with a lot of enthusiasm
"Um Nora, the thing is that. . . ." Jaune started to say before a voice spoke up
"Me and Jaune are going to the mission boards to register for a mission." Lambda spoke up which surprised everyone in the room
"Lambda, its not often that you would voluntarily speak up." Bang said in a surprised tone
"Yeah, we um wanted to do some work for the community. So me and Lambda decided to go out into the City and see what we can do." Jaune said in a slightly nervous tone while trying to think of a way to deal with this situation
"Are you sure you two need to go out there? With everything we know, we need to focus on training." Ruby told Jaune
"It'll be fine, from all the training we did Jaune has gotten much stronger than he was at Beacon. Lambda didn't train as much, but from what we've seen. She doesn't really need the training as much as most of us do." Bullet said speaking up about the situation
"I do believe Jaune has gotten stronger, but without him here. It'll be hard to accurately assess Jaune's full strength. Which is something we need to do if we are to train and be prepared." Ren said to everyone
"It shouldn't be a problem." Qrow said as he casually walked into the room with Oscar
"We'll still need time to figure out how to train everyone. Since I'm not the organized type, Oz has his work cut out for him along with Jin." Qrow said before Ozpin took over Oscar's body
"Going out to do a mission for the community is a noble endeavor. Leonardo did say that doing missions that helps the community can sway the Council to our needs." Ozpin told everyone
"What about your suspicions about the Headmaster?" Jin asked which got everyone's attention
"I said that there are certain possibilities I can't rule out. Though if it turns out that Leonardo's words are true. Then we'll need as much support as we can gather. So that the council can be convinced to assist us." Ozpin told the group
"But if Jaune and Lambda are going on a mission. Don't they need to be accompanied by a Huntsman?" Ruby asked even further
"As long as they send me the mission details through their scroll and I approve it. They can participate in the mission. It's not often that its done, but there are rare occasions when it is. Just as long as its not anything to dicey or high ranking. I can't just approve you all to participate in any mission." Qrow told the group
"Sounds like everything is settled, do you want me to come along and help?" Ruby asked causing Jaune to mentally jump for joy at a chance for someone to hep him with the mess he got himself in
"That won't be necessary, Jaune and myself will take part in a low priority mission which will grant the lowest risk." Lambda quickly responded
"I agree, I was told of the significant improvements Jaune has made in terms of skill. I'm also aware of the quality of skill that Lambda has. So you two being gone shouldn't affect anything in the short-term. Besides, I would like to spend today gauging which specific improvement Ms. Rose's group need to make. It will also give Jin a chance to start training others as well. Don't forget, we still need to be prepared for fighting against the Nox Nyctores and Mr. Kisaragi is our best opportunity." Ozpin explained to the group
"Who will Jin be training while me and Lambda are gone?" Jaune asked
"Since Bullet trained in Ronin-Gai with your group and Bang already has a Nox Nyctores. Those two will be trained by Jin, Mr. Shishigami has a basic use of his Nox Nyctores but improvements are needed." Ozpin answered
"We must get going, time is of the essence." Lambda said while dragging Jaune away
"I should get going too, I got my list together and the sooner I get these people the better." Qrow said before he left as well
(City Plaza)
It took almost an hour for Jaune and Lambda to reach the plaza where the mission board is located. Once they saw the list of missions, Jaune was curious as to which one Lambda and by extension Kokonoe would participate in. During the trip, Jaune hasn't heard a word from either Lambda or Kokonoe. There is a part of Jaune that is nervous from the silence between the two. However, he also sees this as an opportunity for him to learn more about his mysterious ally. Though meeting the pink-haired Faunus was a big surprise along with her attitude. However, if this presents a chance for him to be on better terms with Lambda, then this is a blessing in disguise.
"So Lambda, is there anything you can tell me about that woman you were talking to. If I remember correctly, her name is Kokonoe isn't it?" Jaune asked trying to make conversation with her
"You do not need to know about Kokonoe, the only thing you should concern yourself with is that you should focus on the upcoming task." Lambda told Jaune
"Are you sure, I mean I am focused. But I think that if we're going to work together. We should learn more about the woman you're working for. I don't know anything about her and I need to know if I can trust her. How are you able to talk with her with global communication being down? Is she here in Mistral watching over us?" Jaune asked Lambda while she watched the Mission board
"Kokonoe is the head Scientist of Sector 7 and also holds a council position of the Sector. As you have surmised she was the one who sent me to Ronin-Gai for my mission." Lambda told Jaune
"OK, now I know that Kokonoe is a big deal. But how is she able to communicate with you?" Jaune asked before his scroll ringed, and he answered it
"Before you start asking more questions and start drawing attention to yourself like an idiot. I'm going to save you some time." Kokonoe said which caught Jaune off guard at the sound of her voice.
"Wait how did you . . ." Jaune tried to ask before Kokonoe cut him off
"First of all, I am nowhere near Mistral. I'm communicating with you and Lambda through a private signal. I made sure to set up dozens of specialized comm towers throughout Remnant. Comm towers that only I can use, oh and don't try looking for them. I made sure that they were hidden very well. Even Ironwood and his army will have trouble finding one. Now pay attention, the mission board is about to be updated. Lambda will choose the mission and send Qrow the mission notice so he can approve it." Kokonoe instructed to Jaune before the mission board updated and Lambda did everything the Scientist said she would do
"Is there anything you can tell us about this mission? Since it seems like you happen to know more about it." Jaune told Kokonoe
"You wanted to be a Huntsman, badly enough to cheat your way into Beacon. This is a chance to prove yourself. Here's a tip though, everything is in the mission details." Kokonoe said before she hung up
"Well that went well." Jaune muttered before Lambda spoke up
"I've received the approval to participate in this mission from Qrow. The details have stated that the victims have been staying in the clinic for the past few days. I recommend we start there." Lambda told Jaune
"Oh right, the mission details." Jaune said before he looked at the details of the mission
"Several people have been attacked for the past two months. Huntsmen and Huntresses have also fallen victim and some are still staying in the clinic." The mission board said which Jaune have read
"The person who posted this mission request is probably at the Clinic. I'm sure we'll get more information if we go there." Jaune told Lambda before the both went to the clinic
(? ? ?)
"Help me, please make the pain stop." A young female thought to herself while looking at a group of people in lab coats
"The subject has shown some good readings with her aura. I believe a few more test runs can help us get a good read on what her semblance is." One of the Scientists have told the other
"This hurts, do you take pleasure in causing me such pain?" The young female thought further before the pain intensified
"The subject's aura has responded further to the treatments. This confirms it, her body is weak but her aura is strong and plentiful. I believe we can implement the liquid form of the Grimm to the experiments." Another one of the Scientists have said
"I agree, as long as the amount is minimum and heavily controlled. We can experiment with the liquid." The other Scientist said before they went further with the experiment
(Mistral Clinic)
Once Jaune and Lambda made it to the clinic. Lambda had gotten out of her train of thought and focused on their destination. The images within her mind are clear and vivid which is also haunting her in several ways. Though at the moment, the images in her mind holds no significance to the present moment. Because at this very moment, the only thing that matters is the mission that is for the sake of the greater good.
"Lambda, are you OK? I noticed that you spaced out for a bit." Jaune asked in a concerned tone
"I am fine, let us proceed." Lambda responded before she entered the Clinic first with Jaune following. Once they entered, they see a lone receptionist
"Hello, is there anything I can help either of you with for today?" The receptionist asked Jaune and Lambda
"We're here for the mission notice that we've accepted. We have a few questions about the attacks." Jaune told the receptionist.
"I remember that notice, Doctor Oak made that post and we had just about given up hope that it would get answered. Though you two look awfully young to be Huntsman or Huntress." The Receptionist told Jaune
"We have special permission from a Huntsman to participate in this mission. It may not look like it, but we are more than capable of a mission like this." Jaune said as he showed the receptionist his scroll and showed the approval from Qrow
"I see, well it's very reassuring to see young people take an interest in helping our Kingdom. Everyone's been on edge since the rampage of the Beast of Remnant. Let me take you to the Doctor." The receptionist said as she led the two to the other room where an old man with short spiky gray hair is treating a Huntsman with a depressed look
"How have you been doing since your last visit?" Doctor Oak asked
"I can feel some of my aura come back to my legs. But I still can't feel anything with my right arm." The Huntsman told the doctor
"Doctor Oak, I'm sorry for the interruption. But these two have come regarding the mission request you posted." The Receptionist told the Doctor
"It's fine, if anything this is perfect timing." Doctor Oak said before he spoke to Jaune and Lambda
"My name is Roland Oak and I'm the local Doctor here in the City of Mistral." Doctor Oak told the two
"My name is Jaune Arc and this is my friend Lambda. We saw the mission notice and we have a few questions for you." Jaune told the Doctor
"Thank you for coming and answering the post. I'm actually treating one of the Huntsman who were attacked by the monster." Doctor Oak told Jaune
"Wait, the notice mentioned attacks but there was no mention of a monster." Jaune told the Doctor
"The reason I didn't mention the monster in the notice is because everyone would assume it's a Grimm. But from what some of my patients have told me. It seems like to me that this is something different." Doctor Oak said before the Huntsman spoke up
"A few months ago, there were some Grimm that were spotted in the sewer system. Me and a team went inside system to deal with the Grimm. Though once the Grimm were dealt with, that's when things started to fall apart." The Huntsman said before he started to explain things further
"When we were making our way out of the sewer system. We were suddenly attacked by a strange creature. The creature took out my team one by one like from one of those horror movies." The Huntsman told Jaune
"Can you remember what the creature look like?" Jaune asked in a concerned tone
"The creature's appearance didn't stand out too much. All I remember is that it was a giant black blob with a white face. When it tried to talk, it sounded like a jumbled mess and it was hard to understand what it was saying." The Huntsman said before he showed his arm
"After it took out my team, the creature took my arm and leg and started to absorb my aura. I was barely able to escape the creatures capture and I had to escape. After I escaped, I quickly realized that I couldn't use my aura with the body parts the creature absorbed my aura through. I made my report and several groups went after the creature. Unfortunately, there weren't many survivors that were able to come back." The Huntsman finished explaining to the Jaune and Lambda
"For the past few months, I've been treating Huntsmen and Huntresses who managed to survive the attack with the creature. The creature can absorb its aura and leave its victims unable to use their aura for an extended period of time. I initially thought it was permanent, but today I've learned that its only temporary." Dr. Oak explained further
"Do you believe the creature is still there?" Lambda asked the Huntsman
"I think so, several teams were sent after the creature and so far none of them can confirm its been dealt with. It hasn't attacked the people yet, but I don't know how long that's going to last." The Huntsman said
"Thank you for telling us what you know, we'll go and see what we can do about it." Jaune told the Huntsman which surprised the Doctor
"Are you sure you can do it. No offense but you don't look like Huntsman." The Huntsman told Jaune
"Trust me, we're more capable than we look. Besides, we've fought against all kinds of Grimm on our way here. We can handle ourselves and if it looks too dicey. We'll get the Huntsman we're travelling with." Jaune told the Huntsman
"I don't like sending inexperienced kids into a threat that's giving several Huntsman and Huntresses so much trouble. Still, it sounds like you know what your doing and you both do have the details of the problem. Just be careful, we still don't know what its capable of." The Huntsman told Jaune
"Thank you, me and Lambda have things covered." Jaune said before he and Lambda left the clinic. Not too long after the both of them made a good distance from the clinic. Lambda received a call from Kokonoe
"The sewer system in Mistral and a black blob. After checking everything I know, I am 85% certain of what it is and where its located. Guess one of my old headaches started to resurface." Kokonoe told Lambda with Jaune overhearing
"Do you know where we're supposed to go?" Jaune asked
"Yep, the good news is that I'm about to save you two a lot of legwork. The bad news is that the location is a bit unpleasant. Once you see it, you'll know what I mean. I've sent the map with the waypoint to both of your scrolls. Follow it and you'll certainly find the creature." Kokonoe said before she hung up
"I've received the notification, let us proceed to the destination." Lambda told Jaune before he kept walking
"I've received it too, but I don't see your scroll. Come to think of it, the entire time we've travelled. I don't think I've ever seen you with a scroll." Jaune said as he briefly observed Lambda
"You do not need to concern yourself with the details." Lambda quickly said before another moment flashed into her head
(? ? ?)
There was nothing but pure darkness in the individuals vision. Along with that dark vision, the air is both unbearable and suffocation. The individual was crushed under a lot of rocks and it was hard for her to breath and move. Even if the air was clean and she wasn't crushed. She didn't have the strength in her body to do anything. Even before everything went wrong, her body was weak. As the young girl was contemplating her life, she felt a strong presence. The presence was getting closer and she didn't know whether or not it was a scientist or something else. But due to everything she experience, she no longer cared. A few seconds later, the debris that blocked her vision as quickly and effortlessly moved away and a large red man was standing above her.
"Kokonoe, I've found someone beneath the debris. It looks like a little girl." The large red man said
"What's her condition Tager?" Kokonoe said through the comm unit
"She's alive, but barely. It looks like the Murakumo Scientists were quite thorough in their experiments. The injuries are extensive, more than most of the subjects we've seen from the previous labs." Taber answered and explained to Kokonoe
"Hmm, if she's still alive that could mean something. Take her to the medical capsule, it'll stabilize her condition long enough for her to be brought here." Kokonoe instructed Tager
"Roger." Tager responded
(Moments Later Within the Sector 7 Lab)
"I see, so her name is Lambda-11." Tager said
"Yep, I've learned a lot thanks to the files you've recovered. She was the eleventh Murakumo subject that survived the test runs. Unfortunately, her body has been severely damaged because of those experiments. I guess the Grimm attacking the lab when they did could be considered Karma. That's what happens when you experiment with the liquid Grimm with no idea of what your doing." Kokonoe told Tager
"Do you think there is a connection between the liquid Grimm experiments done in the lab and what Roy has done?" Tager asked in a curious tone
"I doubt it, the idiots at the lab just drew in the Grimm when they experimented with the liquid substance. Roy on the other hand just became something else entirely. Because he's good at covering his tracks, I don't know the specifics of what he's done. Which makes it a lot harder to give him proper treatment. Don't even get me started on how Litchi will react." Kokonoe explained to Tager
"I understand, how will this affect things regarding Lambda?" Tager asked
"The Medical pod will keep her stable. I'll run several tests to see the full extent of her condition. Though from what I'm seeing so far, her body has been severely weakened thanks to those scientists. Not to mention the scanners noticed that there's some brain damage. I'm going to have to implement a lot of cyberware tech to her body. Since it's the only thing she can safely handle. Implementing it is no problem, but the time it will require is going to be a pain. It'll take either a few months or a few years. Don't even get me started with the test runs I'm going to have to do. Along with my other responsibilities to Sector 7 and their traditional strings of bullshit." Kokonoe explained
"It sounds like quite the undertaking, is there anything I need to do to make things easier?" Tager asked the Scientist
"No need, this is more of a personal project. Besides, I know for certain you'll have your hands full with everything I have in the pipeline for you. Along with whatever mess Roy or Litchi my bring in." Kokonoe responded
"I understand, I will take my leave then." Tager said before he left leaving Kokonoe alone with Lambda in the medical tank. Once Kokonoe realized she was alone, she locked the doors and walked towards the tank where Lambda is resting
"Listen, I don't know if you can hear me or understand me, but there is something you should know. First I want to say that I'm sorry for everything you went through in the Murakumo Labs. I want to say that your pain is finished, but the reality is that your going to be a tool again. Only this time, it will be for my sake. There is something in the world that I absolutely despise. Something I want dead more than anything. Which means I'm going to have to use everything I possibly can to make sure the thing I despise is dead. Which unfortunately includes you, despite the hell you've endured." Kokonoe explained to an unconscious Lambda before speaking further
"It's going to be a while before the tech I'm going to implement you with is fully integrated with your body. I don't know the exact timeframe. But I'm certain that it will be at least 1 year. In the long run the things I will make you do will do a lot of good for the world. But the reality is that this is for my revenge so don't think I'm doing it for a good cause. If there is any part of you that will remember this. Then you can hate me all if it will help. For what its worth, I'm sorry, but my revenge is too important to me. I hate that bastard and everything he is and represents." Kokonoe told Lambda before she got to work
"Please . . . .help me." Lambda struggled to say as Kokonoe was typing before the machines started to hum
"Goodbye Lambda, and I'm sorry." Kokonoe said before the machines started to intensify
(The Sewer System)
"Why am I remembering something from so long ago?" Kokonoe thought to herself before Lambda spoke up through the comm
"Kokonoe, we have arrived into the sewer system. Yet the target hasn't made an appearance." Lambda told Kokonoe getting her out of her thoughts on her memories
"It won't be too long until the target shows up. If its what I think it is, then be on guard at all times. The thing is stronger than most Grimm and the data I have is still incomplete." Kokonoe told Lambda
"I know I haven't been in a sewage system before. But I can't help but notice that this is a bit too well constructed." Jaune said as he was looking around and noticed that the pipes are steadily becoming more intricate in design which is steadily becoming more noticeable.
"Good eye kid, that's because this particular sewer system has a special design and function. The creature your looking for isn't a Grimm but is something very different." Kokonoe told Jaune
"Then why is the sewer system designed like this? Surely the council must have noticed something like this." Jaune asked
"With how big the Kingdom of Mistral is, the council can't keep track of everything that goes on. As long as the toilets can flush and the Grimm stay away. Then the council won't notice stuff like this." Kokonoe told Jaune
"Then since I'm pretty much in deep with this mission. I don't suppose you can tell me anything about Lambda? For all these months that I've worked with her, I don't really know anything bout her. So it would be really nice if I had an idea of where she came from." Jaune asked in a nervous tone
"The only thing you need to know is that she has no past that's worth remembering. As for specific detail, that is quite frankly nothing for you to worry about." Kokonoe told Jaune
"Well what about what Hakumen said about her being from the Murakumo Labs? From everything Qrow told us about those labs. It sounds like the experiences in those labs are inhumane." Jaune told Kokonoe
"I'll say it again, her past is quite frankly none of your business. The only thing you need to know is that she can fight and pull her weight. Anything regarding why she's doing my special errands. Is something that's for me to know you to not know. Do you finally understand me Jaune?" Kokonoe stated to Jaune
"I understand." Jaune said in a slightly defeated tone
"Good, now you can focus on things that's actually relevant. Lambda, are you able to sense anything nearby?" Kokonoe asked
"I can sense the target deeper in the system. Though its exact location is still unknown. There is a good possibility that the target is deeper in the sewer system." Lambda told Kokonoe
"Damn, I know exactly what lies deep in the sewer system. From the schematics and with the information I have. I now know exactly why its in this specific location. Stay on guard, its more dangerous than you think." Kokonoe warned the two
"I do have another question." Jaune said to Kokonoe
"Ugh, what is it with you and these questions? If this were a game or movie, then I'll bet a pretty lien that you'll be the audience surrogate that brings up the reason for the exposition. I already told you that you don't need to know anything about Lambda." Kokonoe stated in an annoyed tone
"It's not about Lambda, it's about two people. Since you seem to know a lot about what's going on. Do you know anything about Terumi Yuuki? Me and a group of people fought him and we lost. He also killed my friend and made another friend of mine watch." Jaune told Kokonoe
"If the subject of your question is Terumi, then don't even bother. I don't want to talk about that son of a bitch for any reason. Press the topic further and I will see to it personally that I ruin your life." Kokonoe stated to Jaune in an intense and angry tone that Jaune felt despite not being in her presence (which is a saving grace for him)
"Then what about another man name Relius Clover? My friends fought him and he hurt someone very important to me. Ruby said that he has a scientific vibe to him and was wondering you might know anything about him." Jaune spoke further
"Relius Clover huh, well seeing as though we don't have anything better to do. Not to mention your using your microscopic brain to stay informed and your now Ozpin's soldier. I supposed there's no harm in telling you a few things about him." Kokonoe said to Jaune's relief before she started to talk
"The first thing you should know about him is that he's a lot stronger and more dangerous than you can imagine. Just to give you an idea on how strong he is. Relius is able to go toe to toe against Valkenhayn." Kokonoe told Jaune which surprised him
"One of the Six Heroes?" Jaune said in a surprised tone
"Yep, the very same, as you currently are right now. You and your merry group don't stand a ghost of a chance against him. Relius has both brains and brawns, so avoiding a fight with him is probably the best option." Kokonoe told Jaune
"Hold on, my friends fought Relius and they held their own just fine. If they hadn't, they Ruby would have been captured." Jaune said defending his group
"I've had a few unpleasant experiences with that masked prick. Whether or not you believe me is something I don't really give a damn about. But understand this much, your friends didn't drive him away because of skill, power, or luck. If you guys got away from him, its because he allowed you all to get away." Kokonoe briefly explained to Jaune
"So that means . . . ." Jaune muttered before he started to deeply think about how his current strength compares to Relius. While Jaune was thinking, Kokonoe spoke further
"Another thing you should know is that he has no morals in any part of his body. I know Qrow told you guys about the Murakumo Labs. So tell me what you know about the labs." Kokonoe told Jaune
"The Labs get people who have no homes, or families and perform a lot of experiments on them. Most of the lab experiments from those labs are done on kids." Jaune told Kokonoe
"You got the gist of it, do you know how the labs started?" Kokonoe asked
"Back then, the corrupt members of the Kingdoms found one of Nine's workshops. With what they discovered, they had enough to start the labs." Jaune answered
"Looks like you actually did learn a few things. Well let me add a few interesting details to the history of the labs. You see, the corrupt members of the Kingdoms did try to create and establish the Murakumo Labs. The problem is that like a dog that catches up to a car after chasing it. They didn't know what do with it, to simplify it, they didn't know what they were doing." Kokonoe told Jaune before she explained further
"This went on for a while, until a mysterious man showed up and worked in the labs. This man single-handily jump started the Murakumo Labs and in a surprisingly short time. This man laid the main foundation for what the labs would become and in time. The Murakumo Labs became the morally and ethically bankrupt foundation that it is. After the Murakumo Labs made a lot of strides, the man disappeared without any warning. Yet the foundation he left behind is still being used to this day. The man's name is Relius Clover." Kokonoe explained further to a shocked Jaune
"I don't know what to say." Jaune responded in a shocked tone
"It's the truth, Relius Clover is the progenitor of the Murakumo Labs. You could say that if it wasn't for Relius, the Murakumo Labs wouldn't have existed." Kokonoe stated to Jaune which shocked him further
"I can't believe it." Jaune said in a shocked tone before he realized that their in front of a large gate
"Now there's a reason that I brought up the labs and it relates to what I said about this sewer system's special design and function. You can clearly see the large door in front of us. The reason is because of what's on the other side. Lambda, open up the door, I've already sent you the instructions to unlock it." Kokonoe instructed to Lambda as she started to tamper with the doors. After a few seconds, the doors opened up and Jaune took a good look inside the large room. What Jaune saw were skeletons of various sizes and dried up blood at various places. It didn't take him long to realize what he's seeing and when he did. He threw-up at the unpleasant sight.
"To spell it out for you, this is a Murakumo Lab. This lab was practically under the Council's nose for years. The reason this lab was shut down was because the people that ran this particular lab decided to experiment with both the people and Grimm. The Grimm came and destroyed this place. The Grimm emerged from the ooze and killed everyone here. Both the guilty and the innocent victims." Kokonoe explained to Jaune
"How can someone do something like this?" Jaune asked in a shocked and panicked tone
"You'll be surprised at how. But for now, the both of you need to be on guard. My hunch was right, something is coming." Kokonoe said while both Lambda and Jaune armed themselves and watched for movements
The both of them stayed silent and were armed and prepared. Despite not knowing what could appear in front of them. Jaune already felt sick to his stomach at what Qrow and his friends him what they knew about the Murakumo Labs. But there was a part of him that hoped the reality of the labs were either exaggerated or just a rumor. But to be within the lab in person, the reality is worse than anything he could have possibly imagine.
As the two were looking around, they heard light movement near the busted pipes and walked towards there in a slow pace. When Jaune looked further, he noticed some squiggling movement with the sound of the movement matching. Before the two could do anything further. A large black blob dropped down from the ceiling which surprised Jaune and seconds later. A face was formed that looked like a white mask with a neutral expression.
"What is that?!" Jaune asked while armed
"The creature before us is the target. It's name is Arakune." Lambda responded
"I se—e t- po-er of the au-a. an—her food fo- con-um—on un-il gr—ter substance." Arakune stated
"Struggling with speech but is still able to maintain its form. Guess he hasn't fully integrated and degraded. Stand down the both of you." Kokonoe commanded to Jaune and Lambda
"That vo-e is fam—ar, I know it i- yo- Ko—noe." Arakune said after hearing Kokonoe's voice
"How's it going idiot, its been a long while since we last saw each other. The fact that you've made a home here for the past few months. Gives me a good idea of the types of experiments you've done on yourself." Kokonoe said to Arakune
"You h-ve the au-ity to call m- an idi-." Arakune responded
"Yeah, given our history, I think I've earned the right to call you an idiot. Especially with the monstrosity that I'm seeing." Kokonoe told Arakune
"I am n- fo-l wh- ca— me som- tha- ben- me?" Arakune sked
"Because you were either stupid or desperate enough to utilize research that should have been abandoned. I'm impressed that you were able to make something of it. Despite all of the damn safeguards I put to prevent stuff like this." Kokonoe stated to Arakune
"The po—r of mag-, the Boundary, and t—Gri— ar- too gre—of a pri—to ignore. Th—k of th- gre— stri—tha- wi—b- ma-." Arakune stated to Kokonoe
"You still don't get it do you, goddamn. I told you it was useless and not worth pursuing. The arrogance you displayed when you tried to use the Boundary. Is the same arrogance that led to the creation of the Murakumo Labs." Kokonoe stated which confused Jaune who was listening.
"Yo- call it arro- ye- you- gu- of th- sam- thing. I'm just foll- i- th- pat- you- walked on. Th- chi—you- cont- is pro—of your hy-." Arakune told Kokonoe
"You mean my role in the labs before Sector Seven. That was the biggest mistake of my life. It was a hassle to destroy all traces of my existence and research. But it had to be done, yet it got Relius's attention and we both know what happened next." Kokonoe told Arakune
"Th—is the diff-nce be—een us. I ha-e the res- to pu-ue go-ls and ref—se to le- it be f-r not-ng." Arakune said
"No idiot, the difference between us is that I know when to stop. I never claimed to be a saint but I do have enough common sense to say enough is enough. Research magic and the Grimm is one thing. But the Boundary is a whole different mess. What was initially done with the power of the Boundary was an absolute last resort. Nobody who dabbles into the boundary comes out pretty. That form you have is proof that it's not worth it." Kokonoe stated to Arakune
"Yo— s—se of sup-ty will come to an e-. No lo—ger wi-l you lo-k d-wn on me. I ha- achi—ved a gr-ess that is bey-nd an—ng you c—uld h—ve imagined." Arakune stated to Kokonoe
"Look down on you, don't give me that crap. You just allowed your insecurities to convince yourself of something that never happened. As for what you've achieved, hate to break it to you but you've lost everything." Kokonoe stated
"Sh-t up, my kno-dge ha-e surp-ssed yo-rs. I a- t—sup-or one." Arakune stated
"I see, now I have an idea on why you went as far as you did. Well it doesn't matter now, our conversation went on for a bit too long. Deal with this thing and put him out of his misery." Kokonoe stated to Lambda and Jaune
"Understood." Lambda said before she wielded her dual swords and proceeded to attack Arakune
When the blade got close to Arakune, the oozing blob swiftly dodged the attack and moved to Lambda's side and a bone-like claw came out of its body and tried to attack Lambda. Before the claw attack could reach Lambda, Jaune ran in front of the attack and used his shield to protect her. After she was protected, Lambda was able to land several attacks against Arakune. After being hit with several sword attacks, Arakune quickly moved back a good distance and released a large swarm of insects from its body and they went for Lambda and Jaune.
"Oh no, not again." Jaune said before he started to slash away at the insects.
Unfortunately, the insects were able to get the Jaune and he quickly noticed that the insects created by Arakune are absorbing his aura. Once Jaune realized what the insects are doing. He proceeded to quickly get the insects off of him. As Jaune was getting the insects off of him, Arakune leaped towards Jaune with a bone-like claw out prepared to attack him. Before Arakune got too close, Lambda leaped towards Arakune and managed to land a strong slash attack against its face.
The attack was strong enough to cause Arakune to be knocked back. Jaune and realized that Arakune's face mask is the most likely weak point. Similar to the weakness of the Geiss Grimm that his friends fought against. Once Jaune noticed this, he dashed towards Arakune with the plan to attack the mask. Unfortunately, before Jaune got too close to the black blob. Th large swarm of insects that were released earlier returned to Arakune and protected him by blocking Jaune's sword attack. Once the sword attack was blocked, Arakune took this opportunity to fire a large purple laser blast at Jaune. Reacting quickly, Jaune was able to bring up his shield and block the laser blast.
Fortunately, Jaune was able to hold his own against the blast and withstand it. Unfortunately, this didn't last long as more insects started to swarm him and his aura started to get drained. Before too long, Jaune lost a lot of strength due to the aura absorption and the laser blast was able to knock away his shield. After his shield was knocked away, Jaune quickly went after his shied. Because he knew that Arakune's offensive options was amazingly overwhelming. Once he regained the shield, Arakune started to aggressively attack him with its bone-like arms and Jaune stayed on the defensive but was unable to do anything else.
While Arakune was attacking Jaune, Lambda used her impressive speed to attack Arakune's mask. This time Arakune was prepared and managed to grab Lambda's wrist and gave her a direct hit with its energy blast.
"Lambda!" Jaune yelled out before he decided to knock Arakune's bone-like claws to the side with his shield and charged towards Arakune.
The moment he got close, Jaune used his sword to attack its face and was able to land a good hit. As a result, Arakune had let go of Lambda and Jaune was able catch her before she hit the ground. Shortly after that, Arakune charged towards the two with the intent to deal a crucial blow. Before it got close, Jaune did some quick thinking after looking at both his sword and shield and decided to combine the two to form a large greatsword. Once the large sword was formed, it started to light up and Jaune quickly swung the sword and dealt a major blow against Arakune.
"A-A-A-A-A-AA-A-AGGGGGHHHHH!" Arakune shrieked in pain before it tried to attack again. Though before it got the chance, Jaune used a great deal of his remaining strength to swing the newly formed Greatsword at Arakune repeatedly. Arakune tried to block and deflect the attack with its claws, but Jaune proved to be much stranger than Arakune was prepared for and was getting overwhelmed. Before anyone realized it, Jaune's greatsword glowed brighter and he delivered an explosive sword ttack against the black blob and it pushed him away.
"Th-t sw-d ha- been enh-ced with a Nox Nyctores. Be— to wit-aw unt- -er day." Arakune said before it slipped away into the pipes and escaped
"I must pursue the target." Lambda said as she was struggling to get up
"There's no need Lambda, Arakune doesn't have the strength to keep fighting. Besides, after this encounter, I'm confident that he'll leave the Kingdom. Where he'll go, is quite frankly anyone's guess. Let's get out of here." Kokonoe told Lambda.
"Wait." Jaune said which got Lambda's and Kokonoe's attention. When Jaune took a closer at Lambda, he noticed that there are a lot of cybernetic parts over her body. He also paid attention to the conversation Kokonoe had with Arakune and was able to put a few pieces together from everything he heard. Despite not being able to understand what Arakune is saying. What Jaune figured out made him worry about Arakune and furious at the Scientist
"What is it?" Kokonoe asked in an impatient tone
"After everything that happened, you owe me some answers." Jaune stated in a bold tone
"I already told you everything you needed to know." Kokonoe told Jaune
"You told me what I needed to know. Now your going to tell me wht I want to know. I heard your whole conversation with that thing. I couldn't understand what that thing was saying, but I heard everything you said. It gave me a chance to figure out a few things." Jaune told Kokonoe
"This ought a be good." Kokonoe responded in a sarcastic tone
"There is no doubt that Lambda is from the Murakumo Labs. I figured that much out about her. You knew about that, didn't you?" Jaune asked in a bold tone that's more of a statement
"I did, so what's your point? Do you want me to give you some brownie points for using your brain for piecing together details?" Kokonoe asked which angered Jaune
"How can you do that to a little girl? Instead of helping her heal and get her life together. Or better yet, give her a home. Your just using her for whatever you want, your inhumane." Jaune told Kokonoe
"Oh really, and how is this any different from a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses that is willing to destroy the identity of a young woman to transfer the powers of a Maiden to her? One of whom you are willing to serve for a war that he quite frankly is a large part of?" Kokonoe asked to a shocked Jaune
"You knew what they were going to do to Pyrrha?" Jaune asked in a shocked tone
"Yeah, I happen to know a lot more than you think. I also know that Lambda was in terrible condition before I worked on her. But since you think I'm a monster for having Lambda fight. Than what does that say about Ozpin and those schools." Kokonoe stated to Jaune
"That's different, the Academies are designed to . . ." Jaune said before Kokonoe interrupted him
"Let me guess, train the next generation of warriors to protect the world. Did it ever cross your mind that at the end of the day they are doing the same thing your chastising me for which is training kids to fight monsters. Or better yet, how many young kids died in those Academies for various reasons. So tell me boy, how is that any different from this." Kokonoe stated to Jaune
"I . . . ." Jaune struggled to say before Kokonoe spoke further
"No response huh, then allow me to speak further. Do you know how many people stop being Huntsman and Huntresses when they realize the true reality of those careers? Yet your Headmaster is willing to put a bunch of people in the frontlines for something they don't know or understand. So tell me, how can you trust someone who is willing to keep you in the dark like that. Yet is willing to do something monstrous to your own teammate?" Kokonoe told Jaune causing him to have a despondent look before she spoke further
"Since your willing to judge me, allow me to sum up everything I know about you. You went into Beacon with fake transcripts thinking that you can become a hero like your family. Only to quickly realize that everything is much harder than you thought. Then you find yourself getting by with the help of various people. Who are either kind to a severe fault, sees something in you that's either not there are is very minimal. Or the most likely case, decided to take great pity on you since your success could go either way. Then when an intense situation occurred you managed to succeed by sheer dumb luck. Fast forward to the future, a few more intense situations occurred and this time, you couldn't prevent or help a thing. How did I do about my summation of you?" Kokonoe finished explaining causing Jaune to look down in guilt. Before the two left, Kokonoe spoke further
Hearing Kokonoe say everything she said. Feels like an intense reminder of Jaune's mistakes and his failings. After enrolling into Beacon, he knew that using fake transcripts does feel like a slap in the face to the people that worked hard for a chance at Beacon. Though Jin and Pyrrha were more than willing to give him a chance. In the back of his mind, he knew that he had to work much harder to prove that he has what it takes to be in Beacon.
Yet the intense situations that Kokonoe brought up. Was something that Jaune knew he couldn't argue against. When Ruby and her team investigated, it did slightly hurt Jaune that Ruby didn't include him and his team. Though she explained why and apologized for it. It still bothered him at not only her recklessness, but also the fact that his strength wasn't fully trusted. Then for him to not notice that Pyrrha was bothered by a request by Ozpin to bare a heavy burden. And the fact that it happened under his nose. Had hurt him further and realized how monstrous the pressure Pyrhha was under and suspected how pressured she was to accept such a task. Making things worse is that he was unable to help Noel from the masked man. Even though Kokonoe clarified how much stronger Relius is, it didn't make Jaune feel better about is own shortcoming.
"This world is full of people willing to do monstrous things for what they believe in. I'm just one of the few people that won't lie to myself or others about the things I've done. If you want me to coddle you, then keep wanting. If you want to prove me wrong or wallow in self-pity. Do it on your own time, I don't give a damn about what you do either way. If your going to judge or criticize, don't do it from a glass house. So are we done here?" Kokonoe asked
"Yeah, we're done." Jaune responded
"Good, oh and one more thing. Don't forget about what I told you about Relius. Also, don't fully trust Ozpin, he's hiding a few more secrets and they will affect your mission." Kokonoe said before she logged off
"Kokonoe is no longer within the signal. However, the police will be notified of this location approximately 30 minutes after we leave here." Lambda said before she started to walk away before Jaune stopped her
"Lambda, I understand why you didn't want to talk about your past. But if you ever want to talk about it. Just let me know and I'm all ears. What you went through in the labs, and what your doing for Kokonoe, doesn't bother me. I still trust you with my life." Jaune told Lambda
"Thank you Jaune." Lambda lightly said before they both left
(The Branwen Tribe Camp)
Once Raven returned, she started to think about the many ways she can convince Ragna to stay with the tribe. Thanks to Vernal's input after their sparring match. Raven has a general idea as to how strong he is. She fully believes that with proper guidance from her. Ragna will prove to be a very essential member of the tribe and will ensure both its future and its survival. However, there are a few obstacles in place that Raven hadn't properly anticipated. The first one is Ragna's stubbornness. She knew that he would have a bad impression on the group because of the things the tribe has done for the sake of their survival. Those who are part of the tribe will understand why the raids are necessary, but from the perspective of an outsider. It will look like a group of people preying on the innocent.
Another roadblock is the fact that Ragna knows that Raven left Yang when she was a baby. Raven's reason for leaving Yang are her own. From what Raven sees of Ragna, she suspected that he has a strong affinity for family. So for him to know that detail about Raven gives Ragna a bad impression on her. Which reinforces Raven's drive to improve Ragna's impression on her. As Raven was planning for the long-run, she heard a commotion outside and decided to put her mask on and proceeded go outside. When she did so, she saw someone that she never expected to see.
"Yang." Raven said after she removed her mask to see her daughter
(A different area of the Camp)
"Ragna, I know that you want to do something about the people that ruined your life. But you need to think bout both how you're going to do it and the end goal." Weiss told Ragna
"Your right, but there is too much I don't know and I am not letting them get away with this." Ragna stated to Weiss
"Do you really think the tribe will keep their word. I'm still surprised that the leader is Yang's mom of all people." Weiss told Ragna
"I hate to say it, but their word is all I have. If they don't keep it, then I will have to move on. Knowing full well I wasted my time. The only silver lining is that I was able to stay away from that masked freak." Ragna told Weiss
"I still can't believe Hakumen tried to kill you. Though from what you've told me, it seems very likely that he knows a lot about that power." Weiss briefly explained to Ragna
"Yeah, the power of the Black Beast. A power that almost destroyed the world. Something I have and a lot of people either want or re afraid of." Ragna said before him and Weiss heard a commotion and looked past the tent to see what's going on
"You know that I searched for you, I spent years looking for you." Yang stated while looking at her mother
"And you found me, you were determined, patient, and strong enough to make your dream a reality. Well done Yang, but I wish you weren't so rough with my men." Raven said with a smirk
"Yang, she's alive and is here with Makoto." Weiss said to Ragna while looking at the commotion
"Yeah, I also see she got a prosthetic arm." Ragna said in a tone with traces of guilt. The guilt didn't go unnoticed by Weiss and after spending time with him. She is convinced that she should help try to mend things between the two.
"Ragna, I know that you feel guilty for what happened. If you want to fix things you also have to do your part. I'll help you as best as I can, but you have to understand that its not going to be easy for any of us." Weis briefly explained to Ragna
"I know, trust me I know." Ragna responded while listening in on Yang and Raven
"Dad told me how your semblance works. You can bond to certain people, and when you do. You can create a portal that takes you straight to them. You have one for Dad, one for me, and one for Qrow." Yang stated with a smirk to Raven
"Hold on, you mean to tell me that your mother could have come to you at any time?" Makoto stated surprised at the statement
"Yep." Yang plainly said causing Makoto to look at Raven
"You know, I've only met you for a few minutes and truthfully, I'm not impressed. For someone who's acting high and mighty, you're not exactly being Mother of the Year material." Makoto stated to Raven
"Yang, a bit of motherly advice for you. You should tell your friend to stay out of conversations that doesn't involve her. Otherwise, she will have a very bleak future." Raven stated to the two
"What about capturing her teammate!" Weiss stated to Raven which got Yang and Makoto's attention
"Weiss!" Yang yelled out in a happy tone before Weiss ran up to her and gave a hug
"I missed you so much." Weiss said as he was hugging Yang
"I missed you too Weiss." Yang responded before Weiss let go of her and saw that Makoto is with her
"Thank you for looking out for my friend Makoto." Weiss said before she gave Makoto a hug as well
"Aw shucks, what are friends for." Makoto responded before Weiss let go of her
"Well, isn't this a touching reunion." Raven said in a sarcastic tone
"You actually abducted her?" Yang asked her mother
"Yeah and they planned to ransom me off to my father." Weiss explained further
"Come to think of it, I noticed that you weren't surprised that Raven is Yang's Mother. If I didn't know any better, it's like you knew who she was." Makoto stated after observing certain details
"Well that's because . . . ." Weiss struggled to say before a voice spoke up
"That's because she wasn't the only one who was captured. I told Weiss who Raven is, including the fact that she's Yang's Mom." Ragna said as he appeared from a nearby tent
"Yeah, I forgot to mention that Ragna is here and he's telling the truth." Weiss nervously said
"Yeah, I know he's here." Yang angrily said while glaring at Ragna with her red eyes
"Hey Ragna, it's great to see you again." Makoto said casually greeting her old team leader while trying to ease the tension
"Hey Makoto, I'm glad to see your alive and well. Yang, you look good and I see that you have a nice and new prosthetic arm." Ragna said which caused Yang to walk towards him
As Yang was quickly approaching Ragna, she remembered everything that happened between the two during the fall of Beacon. Which includes the intense fight that occurred between the two of them. As she got closer, Yang's mind and body started to be filled with more and more rage. Then before too long, she was close to Ragna. The moment Yang got close enough to Ragna. She used a great deal of her strength and used her left arm to deliver a strong punch to Ragna's face. Yang was prepared for a fight against him but instead, Ragna just turned his head to face her.
"Alright, I admit I deserved that." Ragna calmy said to Yang after getting punch which infuriated Yang further
"YOU DESERVE A LOT MORE THAN THAT RAGNA! OR DID YOU FORGET THAT THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Yang yelled as she took off her prosthetic arm emphasize her point before putting it back on
"That's not how I wanted it to go down. I never wanted . . . ." Ragna said before Yang angrily interrupted him
"Yet it happened, you lied to me about Cinder. I gave you a chance to make things right and instead you protected that girl and she cut my arm off!" Yang stated to Ragna
"Sounds like they have some deep issues between them." Shay commented on the two
"You should just shut up." Makoto told Shay before she looked at both Yang and Ragna
"Yang, don't forget why we're here!" Makoto yelled out getting Yang's attention for a moment
"Your right." Yang said before she looked at Ragna
"This isn't over." Yang said to Ragna before she went back to Makoto and Weiss and faced Raven
"As I was saying, Qrow promised me he'd look after Ruby. I trust him and I also know that they're heading towards Mistral. The problem is that I have no guarantee that they'll make it. It will also take ages for me to find her if I look for her the traditional way. However, your semblance will help me save a lot of time. Make aa portal to my uncle and sister and we'll be on our way." Yang explained to Raven
"You're sending me too." Ragna said which got everyone's attention before he spoke further
"Don't forget that the only reason I agreed to stick around is that you promised me a shortcut to Mistral. I need to get those bastards and since you're going to do this for Yang, I might as well go along." Ragna stated to Raven
"NO! You're not coming with us." Yang yelled out getting Ragna's attention
"You were able to lie to me and fight me. What makes you think I'm going to bring you along and put my sister in danger because of you. My mother abandoned me, something you two have in common. So why don't you stay here and away from my family." Yang demanded
"Who's going to make me stay, you?" Ragna responded before both Yang and Ragna started to quickly and aggressively approach each other. Realizing what's likely to happen. Makoto ran in front of Yang and Weiss ran in front of Ragna to try to calm the both of them down
"Remember Yang, you can be mad at him but you need to keep a level head. We don't need an aggressive confrontation now of all times." Makoto told Yang
"I am not going to let him endanger my sister. If he can fight me, then there's no telling what else he'll do." Yang angrily said before she walked past Makoto with her red eyes
"Ragna, don't you want to fix things with her. You need to calm down." Weiss told Ragna
"Asides from ruining my life, the bastards that orchestrated Beacon's fall did something I can never forgive. I'm not letting anyone get in the way of my revenge." Ragna said as he moved past Weiss and stood close to Yang
"Even if its you Yang." Ragna stated to Yang
"I know you saved Ruby at the tower. That is the only reason I'm giving you a fair warning. Stay here where you belong and away far away from Ruby." Yang boldly stated to Ragna
"If I don't, what are you going to do?" Ragna boldly responded
"Whatever I need to do." Yang told Ragna as she balled her fist up with her red eyes
"I don't want to fight you Yang. But we both know I'm prepared for it." Ragna stated as he grabbed his sword
"You made that clear last time." Yang said to Ragna
"Now here is your chance, make your move and be smart about it." Ragna told Yang
"Alright." Yang said before she threw a strong punch
Once Yang threw her punch, Ragna acted quickly and blocked it with his sword. The block was successful, but Yang kept up the rapid punch assault against Ragna and prevented him from doing anything else. This didn't last long, as Ragna mustered up his strength to push Yang back with his sword and sent her back a far distance. Once Yang was pushed back, Ragna tried to attack her with his sword. Reacting quickly, she focused on avoiding each of his sword attack.
This kept up for a few seconds, until Ragna until Ragna increased his swing speed and forced her to block the sword attacks. After the sword attack was blocked, Ragna transformed Bloodedge into its scythe form and managed to attack Yang's legs which tripped her up. While Yang was in midair, Ragna was able to kick her away and sent her back a small distance before she recovered. After recovering, Yang dashed towards Ragna. Seeing her coming, Ragna threw his scythe at her, which she proceeded to dodge and after a brief second, Yang avoided the returning scythe by strafing to the side.
Once Ragna regained his scythe. He tried to attack Yang again. Only this time, Yang used her gauntlet to blast herself into the air and leaped overhead Ragna. The moment she landed, Ragna turned Bloodedge into its sword form and tried to attack Yang. The brawler was prepared and used a precise blast punch to parry the sword attack. Once the attack was parried, Yang saw an opening to rapidly punch Ragna and before long, Ragna was launched back. He quickly recovered and the two charged towards each other and they clashed with their respective weapons. The clash didn't last long and the both of them landed a direct punch against each other and sent each other back.
"You've gotten stronger Yang, I'm glad to see your getting better." Ragna commented
"I don't like saying the same thing constantly Ragna. You're not coming with us, so stay away from her damn it!" Yang stated to Ragna
"Your also forgetting something else. Back at Beacon, if I really wanted it." Ragna said before he raised his arm and his symbol glowed. A brief second after this, Ragna was radiating with a great deal of power and the ground trembled in the camp. Most of the people were afraid but Yang stood her ground. Motivated by the rage directed towards her friend.
"You would be dead already, now stand down." Ragna stated as he released his seal
"Try it." Yang stated as she was strengthened by her aura and semblance
After the two displayed their power, they started to charge towards each other. Though before they got too close. Several thunderbolts struck the ground between the two and it caused the both of them to calm down and stop their aura. When they looked around to see who caused it. The both of them saw Vernal with her hand raised towards the two.
"Thank you Vernal." Raven said before she started to speak to the two
"Did you two forget where you are? If the both of you fight like this, then it won't be long before the Grimm start coming in droves. Which will put all of us in danger, because of your personal problems." Raven stated causing Yang and Ragna to look around and see the numerous people who are on guard. After the two looked around, Raven spoke further
"Alright, since you're all determined to go to Mistral. Then come to my tent, so I can properly inform all of you of what your up against. Give you truths that Ozpin has neglected to tell you. Meet me inside my tent." Raven said to the small group before going inside. Once Raven was inside, Ragna, Yang, Makoto, and Weiss started to make their way to Raven's tent. Before they entered, Ragna and Yang angrily glared at each other before Makoto spoke up.
"I know that there is a lot going on between you two. But if we all want a chance to get what we came for. We need to play nice and keep a level head. Or do you both want to create problems for us and make things worse for us?" Makoto said to both Ragna and Yang
"That depends on her." Ragna responded to Makoto
"Same for him." Yang responded to Makoto as well
"We're going to have to keep the peace between the two of them, won't we?" Weiss asked Makoto in a tired tone
"Yep." Makoto bluntly said before they all went inside the tent
(A/N)
I am fully aware of the fact that Hazama/Terumi is the embodiment of evil. However, he legitimately did like working with Roman and because of that. It was a motivator for him to let Neo work with him. Make no mistake, Hazama will have no problem tossing Neo and Roman aside when there is no use for them. However, since everything is still being planned for the long run. Gathering recruits won't really hurt Hazama in any way that will cause him problems.
For Arakune's speech, I debated on either translating it for the chapter or keep things authentic like canon. I ultimately decided to keep things consistent, however if you all want me to translate it, please let me know.
The conversation between Kokonoe and Arakune does mention the Boundary. But I m not going to give the full details of what it is. The reason is that it will spoil a few things. But it will be revealed in the future.
Jaune does not understand what Arkune is saying, but he did hear everything Kokonoe said and realized that Kokonoe basically took Lambda from the labs and made her into a soldier. He disagrees with this, but Kokonoe raised several good points bout Ozpin, the schools, and about Jaune. Seeing as though Kokonoe is blunt and direct, she didn't pull any punches and affected Jaune deeply. One of the main reasons that Kokonoe's words affected Jaune is that he is being given a blunt reminder of his mistakes and failings. Which enforces his own sense of guilt.
Both Makoto and Weiss do want to help restore the friendship between Yang and Ragna. The problem is that Ragna and Yang are very stubborn and headstrong. Also the issues between the two runs deep and its not going to be easy to reconcile the two.
So read and review
Thank you