div id="djs-foo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"In the grand probability of endless potential and opportunity, there exists a timeline where everything goes right, rather than wrong. A timeline where events play out as close to the current one, yet key subtle differences alter and change the fates of those touched. Within the endless reaches of time, space and opportunity, we find ourselves at the Chieftain's house in Kuo Kuana, where an attempted assassination progresses quite differently from what was planned. While Ruby asks fandom questions at Ozpin, Qrow and Oz deducing that Leonardo's a two faced spy, Raven commends Leo's 'bravery' for betraying Oz. Kali, out of options whacking Yuma on the head with a serving plate. Sun and Ghira teaming up to drive the deranged twins on the back foot. Blake's fight proceeds as it does in the show proper with changes only occurring after she pins down Ilia. While Blake is slowly breaking through to Ilia in her cultwashed mind, Ghira bodily throws Fennec while kicking off Corsaic. Spying his daughter holding Ilia down, which revitalizes her urge to fight as the twins are there now egging her on, Ghira avoids a stab in the shoulder and keeps abusing his physical strength over the two floundering whelps. Yes he was a pacifist in terms of his beliefs with humanity. But he was also a father. And you don't stand between a father and the family he made. Disarming one of the brothers, breaking their dagger as he does so, he manages to blast another with the redirected strike. Seeing how Fennec caused his brother damage, he throws his dagger back at Ghira, who dodges the blow as it explodes against the supporting pillar of this part of the mansion. Momentarily, Ghira is stunned as he watches part of the roof begin crumbling, right where Ilia and Blake are. Instinctively he screams her name, which becomes a roar in pain as he finds a dagger sinking into his shoulder, Fennec having grabbed his unconscious brother's weapon, continuing the fight./div
div id="djs-aj124" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Having appeared with a smile, Sun retaliates and gunchucks Fennec in the face, allowing Ghira to act as he sees his daughter and Ilia about to be crushed. Looking up as the roof collapses on them both, Blake begs Ilia not to fight. To stand with her. Yet as they're so into this, they both suddenly feel a looming shadow over them as Ghira holds up the roof, Sun quickly acting to pull them both out from under the structure. Unable to move from the weight, Sun is once again quick to send out Via Sun and support Ghira, who's slowly crumpling beneath the heavy debris. As this happens, Fennec charges, with speed that blindsides Blake. Yet in a twist of irony, Ilia grabs Gambol and throws it, both locking eyes as they both pull with all their might and pull Ghira to safety as the structure descends and claims a deranged fox' life. As they stagger to see what happened, Ilia confused as to why Ghira would save her life, he merely smiles. "You are a friend of my daughter. And I couldn't have either of you be hurt now could I?"/div
div id="djs-c9jup" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You ruined everything! The Belladonnas had to be contained! And Ilia would have been the scapegoat! Adam would have hunted you! And we would be his most trusted advisors! DIE", before Blake, Ghira, Ilia and Sun could register and recover from the intense rescue, as well as the death of Fennec, Corsair springs up from his position only to land face first into a dinner serving tray as the most dangerous force in all of nature descends upon him, having dragged Yuma as a cat would to show off their skills. Kali Belladonna was giving Corsair every reason to wish he would have died instead of his brother. "NOW LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"/div
div id="djs-9fnq1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-87rvt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Finding a hogtied and bound Sienna in the office of the Albains, a quick sharing of information reveals that both twins went ahead and were about to publicly execute the Belladonnas and High Leader Khan. Setting aside their differences, the Menagerie forces and Sienna's White Fang, join forces, now understanding the dangers of infighting, how delusional some Faunus can be. From there the timeline corrects itself once more. Blake gives a rousing speech to rally the Faunus of Menagerie, forgiving Ilia. Gaining support from the crowd as they begin making plans to rally before the Red Fang's attack. Yet on the evening of the full moon, as the Ship captain has ferried over hundreds of Menagerie Militia forces, as the plan to strike and kill at those who humiliated Cinder, as the plan to doublecross everyone at the school is set in motion by all parties, a prelude to the fight has occurred. While Migel and the shark girl, along with the kids, stayed behind in the Mistral Sanctuary, the Red Fang made their way towards the school. As Hazel said he'd go on ahead, heading into the school grounds and marching towards the place where the trap was about to be sprung, Adam faltered, just enough so Hazel wouldn't hear or notice what would happen. As the Red Fang wondered what happened, Adam drew his sword and severed the bridge that led into the school as he dashed over the collapsing bridge. Now all the Red Fang were stuck outside the school, where he stood to address them. All looking in shock. "Brothers and Sisters, go back to the Sanctuary. No Faunus will die today", with those words he walks in after Hazel. As Hazel closes the door, wondering where the Fang is, he spies the red shade of Adam on approach and assumes the rest follow after him. While Adam doesn't put any charges, the blast radius would harm the forces he was trying to save, which meant a curious reunion as now Red and White Fang members are locked outside of the structure, while Blake wonders how she could get in, as well as why Adam was doing what he did./div
div id="djs-3n33k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-95q9v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""If you're going to shoot me, then shoot me. That was ins-", Raven drew her sword and deflected another shot from her brother. Harbinger smoking at the barrel. "Well, can't say I didn't ask for that"/div
div id="djs-3u163" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So I see Leo really did rat us out", Qrow glares at Leonardo who shrinks at the look, terrified of Qrow's unstoppable anger./div
div id="djs-14cf7" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Don't be angry at him. He's the smart one. He looked at the information before him, unlike you my idiot brother, saw that there was no chance of beating Salem and chose self preservation over a foolish and pointless struggle that would end up in death. Wake up brother, there IS NO beating Salem!", Raven said, landing over the railing of the statue upholding Leo's speaker platform. "You're wrong. We've done things that most people would call impossible. And I know the only reason we pulled it off is cause we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, to help us! We had eachother! Work with us! At least I know we'll have a better chance of succeeding if we work together!"/div
div id="djs-321e" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Raven glared at the silver eyed mini version of Summer, standing there, adorably holding up her hand. Raven rolled her eyes: "you sound just like your mother!"/div
div id="djs-57j1a" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-fjkp5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"in a flash she opened the portal as a fireball of Maiden magic blasted through. Unable to react, Ruby's eyes widened in shock, before she was pulled out of the way as Jaune pivoted, spinning Ruby out of the way and deflecting the fireball off of his shield and sending it upwards, away from the group. Stepping through the portal, with a deep scowl cause she was foiled already, Cinder and her cronies appeared on the battlefield, Jaune raising his shield in acidic rage as he glared at Cinder, muttering her name alongside Ruby as they both ready in poses. Yang's own eyes fill with hatred as she spies the other members walking through, Mercury and Emerald but also her half sister Vernal. All with gleeful smirks on their faces. "Come on don't give old friends that lo-"/div
div id="djs-2t575" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'll break your legs!", was the first line uttered by Yang and Nora. With Vernal rolling her eyes. "Ugh, so 'civilized' sister"/div
div id="djs-1srpt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I see the runt of the litter is also here to grace us with her presence?", Weiss shot back, earning a glare from Vernal. "Everybody stay calm…", Qrow tried to ease the tension as the door behind him opened and closed as a literal wall of muscle marched through the front door. Hazel had arrived. "the Red Fang is planting explosive charges all over the school grounds, no one in…or out"/div
div id="djs-7mt3m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It appears this was merely a trap set for us", Ren said, hitting the nail right where it needs to. Qrow was unamused: "So tell me sister, how long have you been in their pocket?"/div
div id="djs-n4li" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Aww don't take it out on Raven, she's a recent edition. The lion on the other hand…let's say entrance in the Vytal Festival was a real treat", Cinder said, before a laugh bubbled from Yang: "the festival where your team was eliminated in the doubles round?"/div
div id="djs-apemp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And yet we still managed to bring Beacon to it's knees", Cinder growled. Merc and Em had both received an inhumanely cruel punishment for that particular failure even if they did manage to pull off the rest. "Never mind that trivial thing, old Leo here has been sending us information for a very VERY long time. Isn't that right, professor?"/div
div id="djs-6dhnr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Stop it!"/div
div id="djs-vs5p" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It was you...", Qrow said in disbelief. He knew something was wrong about the missing huntsmen, but the broken families, the girl asking for her mother, it was too similar to Summer. Had someone ratted her out as well?! His anger clenched fist rose up with Harbinger as Qrow glared killer eyes at Leo, "You sit on the Mistral council. You had information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the kingdom. And you gave it all to her! I couldn't find any of them because YOU let her kill them all!"/div
div id="djs-5tc5o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Oh now don't beat yourself up about it Lionheart. I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would have found them on their own eventually", Cinder said, her voice salt in an open wound. One that pushed Jaune over the edge./div
div id="djs-3v2gq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is wrong with you?! How can you be so broken inside?! Cowardly attacking from the shadows, taking so many lives and rubbing it in our face like it's something to be proud off, all with that grimm eating smile on your face!", crying tears Jaune raised his shield and prepared to strike, his friends calling his name to try and snap him out of his angered mindset. But Jaune wasn't reckless or stupid. He was a tactical and cunning warrior. He knew what she would say and how she would react. As Qrow tried desperately to blow out the fuse of this mindless violence about to be set off, Cinder smirked at Jaune: "and who are you again?"/div
div id="djs-64b34" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Jaune smiles. He knows that she's arrogant, that she wants to break others. Basing his insult on the cowardly strike from before, he lets loose a taunt so bitchy, thanks to growing up with seven sisters: "Forgettable, but at least I'm not some coward who runs like a scared girl behind the skirts of those stronger than her because a 'mean girl almost killed me', worthless -"/div
div id="djs-c528t" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"He raises his shield once more and rolls out of the way of a blast of pure anger. He smiles. Got you now. Forgetting every semblance of a plan, seeing bright red as the girl she wanted dead and this..pretending knight stood there, Cinder lost her self control and lashed out. But as she took as step, the world seemed to spin as a heavy impact struck her glass heel as Ruby had popped a shot off at the Fall maiden's foot, falling to her knees like she had been so long ago in that despicable Atlas hotel! As she looked up Cinder didn't see Ruby and Jaune look at her, no she saw the Madame and her flaring anger forced her to spring to her feet once more! Yet before she was fully standing up, Jaune's shield was pressed into her face as she was forced back down. Forced to kneel again as his sword swung for her other ankle./div
div id="djs-15v37" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-8ejo4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Reacting instinctively, Emerald shot forwards with her chain sickles, which were caught on the barrel of Crescent Rose, tangling the blade around Ruby's weapon who gave a courteous smile before she pulled the trigger and catapulted herself and Emerald over the floor. That's how the fight progressed. Rather than get dominated because he recklessly gives into the mind games, Jaune keeps a level mind. His shield was his greatest tool against her. She had offensive capabilities he'd never even remotely have a chance of matching. Yet like that Grimm in Forever Fall, if he kept a tight defense and struck at exposed weaknesses, he could bring her to her knees. For a split second he looked up and saw the bullet duel between Emerald and Ruby, talking about why they're fighting and something about owing Cinder everything. As they both share a single glance, the many months spending together fighting on the road, they synced up perfectly. Jaune let the shield go, a mighty roar of Cinder propelling it upwards, except Ruby had used Petal Burst to dash after it, using it as a bounce pad and shot straight at Cinder, landing a solid slash from above with her scythe, while the attempts of Emerald to help and protect Cinder was shattered as her sickle blades snagged on Jaune's sword. With a grin he held up his arm and the humming of something could be heard. With a swish, Emerald felt a heavy ringing pain in the back of her head as his shield returned to his arm, a small mechanism filled with fine tuned gravity dust. Thanks to that blacksmith in that very first village they had rested at, as thanks for killing the Geist, they had installed a new tool. As Jaune had no ranged tool, he took a lesson from Pyrrha with a neat little trick from Gravity dust. Now sure he wasn't as stacked as say someone like Weiss, but he had been very sparing to use this only in emergencies. And this qualified as one!/div
div id="djs-6o18t" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Before Emerald could retaliate, she felt another painful sensation in her stomach as Jaune sliced her with Crocea Mors pivoted on the spot and shield charged at the back of Cinder. Who was having difficulty using her swords to hit Ruby who danced and weaved around the attack range and patterns. With the training at the house, Ruby had learned that while she was indeed reliant on her beautiful baby Crescent Rose, she was also a fast and nimble target. Abusing this aspect, she dipped out of the slashes and through thrusts. But what she mainly was doing, was goading Cinder. By making her tunnel vision, Ruby drew her into an opening for Jaune. A loud roar of pain once more as Jaune shield bashed into Cinder's back. With a turtling stance, he used the shield to limit the Fall Maiden's reach and cut at her limbs with quick and practiced stabs. Mirroring the spear strikes of Pyrrha but with his longsword. And Emerald? Before she could strike at Jaune's back, she felt two boots land on her stomach again, kick off as Ruby dropkicked her away, using the high caliber recoil of her fifty cal rifle and scythe slashed at Cinder's arms. This is how the strategy was. The one she and Jaune had secretly been working on during their travels: dance around her like a wild dangerous Grimm, protect one another when they recover from an attack and most importantly, stay in perfect sync! And the name of this attack? Lancaster/div
div id="djs-2b94l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-7ba0u" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-4tbak" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-9taid" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Worthless-"/div
div id="djs-af210" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"With his taunt cut off and Emerald and Cinder trying desperately to kill her sister, Yang acted on instinct and sprinted towards her sister, yet a clack of gunfire made her slide on her knee to evade the blow, as Mercury came in with a flying jump kick before blocking her way. "Ya know Blondie…I really wish we had a fight at Vytal. But I doubt I should have to fear you"/div
div id="djs-80g18" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You couldn't beat a skilled bunny girl, and you won't beat me either", with that taunt, rubbing into Mercury's face his embarrassingly one sided beatdown by Velvet, Yang engaged him in battle. At first it was difficult, why do so many people fight with their legs dammit! But once she used a few of her old tricks, starting to recognise his pattern, she began her counter offensive which was brutal. However she did severely underestimate just how formidable Mercury was. Sure she had seen him fight with Pyrrha for a few seconds before giving up, and he did seem to switch to a higher gear when he was getting his ass handed to him by Scarlatina, but this was different. His kicks were more precise, aimed at disrupting her guard and attack vectors, his speed was high but not surmountable but the real shock was the strength behind his kicks. As he somersaulted and landed a skyhigh down to earth ax kick, Yang had a realization literally kicked into her. She recalled Velvet mentioning how his legs gave off Dust glow and how he kicked harder than anyone should. And in a flash, having taken a few blows thanks to the testing moment of their duel, she gave a massive haymaker and struck Mercury full on the shin. Earning a yelp as she tore through his pants and exposed a cybernetic leg. "That's why.."/div
div id="djs-flqgp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well I guess it's only fair seeing your new mechanical arm", Mercury taunted before the fight became even more heated. They threw insults (bimbo, stilts, hothead, ugly, loser, toothpaste,...) landed heavy blows and attacks, and roared. Even a few well placed dirty shots as he struck her thigh before she landed a solid blow that would have dislocated his ankles had they not been made of sturdy steel. And while it wasn't obvious at first, Yang could feel it as this fight mirrored her tussle with Neopolitan in the train during Mountain Glenn: he was strong, but by a strange miracle, somehow that tiny monster of a woman was stronger. It wasn't easy, like averaging nine and a half against a ten. But slowly, ever so gently, Yang was driving back Mercury who began realizing that, despite being trained by Marcus, this Dragon was relentless and unstoppable./div
div id="djs-7lupg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-eeloq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-a9ia0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-3g3ei" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You won't beat me either!", After Yang and Mercury started their fight, Raven nodded at Vernal before she blocked the sword attack of her brother. "Take out the heiress, don't waste your power. She's not worth it"/div
div id="djs-ggqh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Running away is one thing. But this? You crossed a line", Qrow said with seething hatred as Harbinger and Omen both bit heavily into one another from the sword bind: "sorry brother, sometimes family-"/div
div id="djs-8ee3b" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're not my family", Qrow hissed. Raven got fed up with that. Why must everyone interrupt me!? She pushed her sword further into his, driving him back for a split second; "were we ever?"/div
div id="djs-p5nr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Qrow overpowered Raven after she asked that, pushing her a single step back. "Not since you chose those cowardly losers over your friends and me. But don't worry, my eyes are awake to your treachery, coward!"/div
div id="djs-6tdmj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Raven rolled her eyes as she used the thing that he had not learned about her. She recalled her sensei, Vergil's powerful swordplay. Raven altered her attacks. Instead of using what Qrow would know, she varied it to the style of her master. She drew Omen, time and again, striking and sheathing. Mirroring the Iaijutsu style. With Qrow's superior physical strength, Raven had to leverage what she was better at: speed! But what she didn't expect as strong, was that bad luck charm of his. Each time she drew her sword, which she had practiced with so many times, the resheating always made her have to glare at the sheath because somehow she kept messing it up. And as she kicked him backwards, he hit a rock that caused his head to evade her followup attack! With increasing aggression, Raven attempted to kill her brother with more and more motivation, yet he seemed to 'dumb luck' his way out of harm's way. Or rather she 'bad lucked' her way out of a kill. Matter of truth and perspective perhaps./div
div id="djs-22r5i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Disgrace! The tribe raised us!", Raven said as she and her brother worked their way around the assembly hall. Gunshots from Harbinger were quickly evaded, slashes blocked and blades evaded. Raven could feel that while she was indeed faster, she didn't have the options to kill him./div
div id="djs-95cin" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeah, lotta fat good that did you! You're slower than before 'sister', grown complacent as leader. I'm not just your 'average' out in a village Huntsman. I am your superior, I've fought more and seen more than you!", Qrow said. He had heard of this 'Vergil' in rumors. Yet one thing he did know was the fighting style. Rumors of a legendary swordmaster roaming Remnant. And he had long been working on a way to take on his sister. Truth is, the strongest of team STRQ had never been Raven as she claimed she was. No, that was Summer. Followed by Qrow. As the alcohol was burned out of his system by adrenaline, he began ramping up his semblance, further causing bad luck to his 'kin', related by blood,not by choice. Something however didn't add up as he further drove Raven back and even nicked her a good once on her ankle, she was sloppy. He could see that even without his Misfortune distracting and ruining her focus, there was a missing puzzle about this riddle. He had always been able to beat her, sure, but this was way easier than it should be. She even had to resort to evading the attack with her birdform or he'd nick her again. Yet Shion Village had been decimated. He looked at the corner of his eyes and then recalled the words of Raven. As if fearing his clever insight into her Thoughts, Raven disengaged right as a heavy blow opened the door of the assembly hall. A new competitor entered the halls while Qrow realized, too late, that his sister was the Spring Maiden. "No more leach!"/div
div id="djs-6qd1h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-cvldk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-1pdv5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-bgtji" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Lets see what the Schnee name is worth", Vernal said as her weapons collapsed open and made the 'come at me' finger sign./div
div id="djs-3n109" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'm more than a name and I've beaten you before, I can do it again", Weiss boasted. Earning a taunting 'i don't think so', as Vernal jumped in and slashed at Weiss. She quickly swung her blade and managed to parry and riposte as she had been drilled by Winter, for a few attacks at least before she felt the powerful pain of a slash at her gut. Staggering back she looked up at the glare Vernal had, now not so off balanced as back in camp. Weiss realized something with a terrible mental slap in her face: she was rusty! As she danced her way, elegantly slashing bullets aside and evading what she could, using Ice dust to boost her momentum and try to get some distance between her and Vernal, she raised a wall of ice, which was quickly shot to smithereens as Vernal chuckled: "Oh come now, I won't fall for that trick again. I see the Schnee name is just as cowardly as you think we bandits are. Letting others do your dirty work"/div
div id="djs-ae91q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Weiss staggered in her dance motions which allowed Vernal to trip her up and attack. As she tried to, Weiss quickly used a Gravity Glyph to launch herself over the floor as she got to her feet and leveled her rapier at Vernal. She closed her eyes and centered herself. Her finger tracing across Myrtenaster. As she opened her eyes, a row of five ice Glyphs appeared and shot a barrage of sharp ice shards at Vernal, who easily blasted or swiped them aside. Yet in that opening, Weiss had powered up another Glyph beneath her feet and shot forwards in a blur of motions, ping ponging between Vernal and several others. Yet before Vernal could counter, Weiss smirked and somersaulted, landing on a different Glyph. She recalled her tussle with Roman in the train. He had called her predictable. Weiss decided to do something less 'dancing' as she had practiced over and over and would 'spice it up' a little. Before long, Myrtenaster graced off of a flickering brownish Aura as Weiss managed to break through the defenses. With Vernal's eyes opening in shocked fear of the skill this 'pampered' princess had, Weiss felt her confidence skyrocket. She went for a thrust and over-extended. In her haste to strike a decisive blow, Weiss felt her sword be caught in the claw like weapons and Vernal disarmed her, throwing her treasured weapon aside like a toothpick. Disarmed, Weiss' eyes opened in shock./div
div id="djs-26k9l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Perhaps you would have been a good bandit but you really ought to not lose your weapon as oft-", a loud gunshot rang out as Weiss in her desperation had reached for the heavy duty revolver that she still had in her possession. She was determined to bring this back home to Atlas and Coal, he deserved to know, yet in an automated haze, seeing that arrogant face and taunting, Schnee acted on instinct. Much like Winter, Weiss had reached for a backup weapon and fired it without thinking. She quickly began thinking as the heavy impact sent her tumbling backwards, which gave her just the clarity of mind to summon her Knight, not to fight for her, given that Vernal had made this personal, but to throw her Myrtenaster. The still smoking barrel of the revolver in hand, Weiss glared at Vernal and stood up: "just shut up and let your fighting speak for you!"/div
div id="djs-cbvj2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-3nff9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-fjbpe" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-afu1k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I do not wish to fight you", Hazel said, seeing these teens stand up to him. It was hardly a fair match up. He'd destroy these poor kids, all because Ozpin and his stupid desire to make kids their sacrificial lamb. If he wasn't such a coward he'd be here himself! Yet before these two could engage him, the door kicked open and the sound of a twelve gauge went off. Hazel turned to find the ringing headache of a hilt blasted into his face before the coldest of steel bit deep into his flesh. Through this Ren and Nora quickly backed off and triple teamed Leonardo, who staggered and yelped like a cowardly chicken running for cover. Standing next to Hazel was Adam Taurus as he backed off and sheathed his sword. "NO MORE LEASH"/div
div id="djs-199ma" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"His outraged cry broke the engagements currently happening as a silence crawled over the battlefield. Leo, who also noticed this, slinked away a little and hid, shivering like a twig. "So many humans are here to slaughter. And no threat to the faunus…"/div
div id="djs-e9ude" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is this…why aren't you standing perimeter guard?!", Hazel roared in aggression as he pulled off some of his clothing and reached for Dust Crystals./div
div id="djs-8mksk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No Red Fang here. Only me…and the bombs aren't here either. Thought you'd like to know that I'm here to kill those who hold the reins. Or rather, they think they do", in a flash, he shoots his sword again, flowing through the air as it catches Cinder's hand in the air trying to summon her Maiden powers. While Jaune was distracted she had attempted to get the upper hand and blast Ruby. However the only thing she'd feel was pain! In a flash, Adam was upon Cinder. Slicing and dicing in a blinding flash of swords, after images and bloodlust. Staggering back, Jaune and Ruby rotated, dogpiling on Mercury who was taking advantage of the fact that Yang had frozen up. Seeing Adam rush in and attack like that made her body tremble and her mind and resolve shattered. Playing defense in perfect sync, Mercury was driven back from Yang. While Emerald tried desperately to protect Cinder, only to lose her weapons in the process as Adam sliced her chains clean through, rotated in place and slammed her with Blush so hard it would leave a bruise through the greenish Aura that desperately tried to block that blow. Ironically, Raven now had a different priority. As she kicked off of her brother, who crumbled to his knees, wanting to recover some energy and Aura as amping his Misfortune like this was killer on his soul, Adam was standing outnumbered and alone. Just as life had always been./div
div id="djs-efb0l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""A psychopath who threatens the lives of children, my senior in teaching and a big hunk of muscle with no brains…almost a fair fight", Adam taunted, before he engaged again. His speed was blinding. While Raven knew what to look for and how to escape and evade, Hazel was far too slow for that, taking lick upon lick of punishment. While Cinder's mental state was gone. She had been blocked and stalled by a useless nobody and that blasted silver eyed bitch. Now to have this animal resist and attack her?! She blasted a fireball at him which he promptly absorbed./div
div id="djs-dm5ed" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Watch it! He absorbs damage and stores it in a battery", Raven spilled the beans on Moonslice before earning a gunshot at her hips as Qrow circled the fight. He was a clever bird and knew the Thoughts of Adam by the way he spoke and attacked: he was out for revenge and Qrow wasn't getting in the way. For one knowing his 'luck', that would only break Adam's momentum and turn this around. Adam was ferocious. A true beast anger unleashed. Their fight was something Qrow had meant when he was in the Crowbar back in Vale watching the Vytal Festival. Another gunshot got Raven off balanced as slashes and slices were fired off. There would be no respite until either Cinder and Hazel were dead, or Adam was dead. There was no inbetween. The fight was so intense that the only ones still fighting were Vernal and Weiss, too absorbed with their rivalry. That a single shadow could sneak into the room./div
div id="djs-6fk2o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Cinder couldn't match the attacks. Within seconds her good arm was sliced and bruised. Her nylons were shredded and the occasional red droplet of blood leaked into her clothing as she staggered back, clutching her arm. Raven likewise had to be careful as she dodged attacks, parried and refused to attack Adam, given that each blow upon that blade would further bolster him. Meaning that eventually it was just Adam, tanking blow upon blow of Hazel's dust punches, storing and releasing the energy as Hazel's lightning fast Aura recovery was keeping him up. Every now and then some actual damage got through, especially once Retribution Slice was bumped up to five after images of damage and speed. Yet Adam's own Aura wasn't finite. He had taken a few good lumps himself and after a particularly intense punch from Hazel, Cinder saw her chance. Adam had off balanced Hazel and sheathed Wilt. With so many none Faunus nearby, he didn't care about collateral damage as he began releasing the fireball and punches into his sword. His silhouette became a deep endless ocean of blood red while the black markings of a rose on his back turned to a pitch black oil stain. Time slowed. Adam's weapon was as bright as red hot steel. It drew with a prolonged 'shing' sound. It touched Vernal, Weiss having just enough luck to dodge the blow, her Aura shattering instantly as she coughed up blood from the blow. Wounded but alive. Catching that, Cinder's furious sneak attack struck just as Wilt bit heavily into Hazel's form, shattering and damaging his Aura significantly. Causing trauma to the gut and arm, rivers of blood gushing from the lacerations. Until a sharp pain broke Adam's concentration and he rolled over his back. "Disobedient beast!"/div
div id="djs-9432c" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-b0b9m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"An intense pain, something that makes no sense. His Aura hadn't broken. How…How was this possible. Adam shivered as he sat in his kneeling position. Something was terribly wrong. He could see…red..that's all he saw. His Sword and sheath had been discarded like useless weapons on the battlefield would have been. He could…see…them…and yet he couldn't. He remembered where they had clashed to the floor, remembered the sound of steel hitting stone. Something warm and wet dripped over his cheeks and across his lips as he turned his face. He heard a voice. A familiar voice. A voice that once spoke to him in admiration. Why was she here?! Also, as his hands reached for his face, he could sense a…lion in here? There was a Faunus in these halls? A lion, two panthers, a kitten and a tigress? His hand ran across his cheek and over his face towards his hair, sticky red blood clung to his hair like gel while sullying his fingers. A burning pain in his eye socket. His mask was gone, crumbled in tens of pieces. A scream rang the halls of the school. A voice he didn't recognise. Something is absolutely wrong. He was blind. Cinder in that one moment had struck an obsidian sword at his face. It's razorsharp glass fragments break upon contact with the Grimm mask he was wearing, shredding through his Aura and destroying his final good eye. There he sad, a figure drenched in blood, his left eye destroyed from a Branding Iron as he could still feel it's searing pain, three letters that had forever destroyed his eye socket and turned his vision dark. Schnee Dust Company. And now the other was also gone. The world that had sometimes been of colour, but most times was just a red world of blood and blood to be spilled, now became an endless void of black./div
div id="djs-4pkf8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"And yet a single shade of Purple stood behind him somewhere. He recognised the silhouette. It was Blake. Why? Why was she here?! And behind her, a similar silhouette in purple. And a massive one, dwarfing even Hazel's dark brown shape. His own hands, as he 'looked' at them were a crimson dark blood colour. Is my soul really this depraved? He turned his eyes around, seeing all manner of colours and shapes. Yet it's the orange one near him that he suddenly focuses on, drawing an orange sword from her hand and approaching him. He growls in anger and staggers to his feet, he has no weapon to defend himself, but Adam always vowed to die standing up. "No more leash"/div
div id="djs-ctto8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Beast, you almost ruined everything! No bombs? No soldiers?! How dare you defy me!", a soft gasp of realization hits as Blake reaches for her sword, Adam still staggering to his feet, barely able to stand up. "You're not my master, slave of your master. I die a free Faunus"/div
div id="djs-5vbgd" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"There was a flash of orange as the blade came down. Yet a tug around his navel made Adam stagger backwards. Falling into a backwards roll, he sensed the purple shadow move around near him. Had..had Blake saved his life?! "Wretched animal! If you want I can kill you instead!"/div
div id="djs-4u5sh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Again everything seemed to slow down. Adam could see the orange form of Cinder, vile and dark in tone and nature, generating a sun orange spear. Slowly the spear shot out towards himself, with the purple shadow of Blake standing in the way. He tried to jump up but his legs refused to move. The spear would penetrate her heart and kill her! No! NO! He had sworn no Faunus would die here! No more deaths of his kind! There was a flash of white-icy blue before the sound of skin being skewered filled the room. It was a sickening sound that broke the silence along with a scream: "NO!", the white flash was a girl shape. One he knew. He had cursed this colour since his life began. It was a Schnee. And while he realized that no Schnee would try to save him, Weiss had lunged forwards and pushed Blake out of the way, the spear of Cinder impaling her lower abdomen. In a slow nature, the shape of Weiss' Aura began to slowly crumble. Like white leaves on a dark tree, being blown off the branches in fall. The silence dragged on. A shocked scream followed by the clinging of boots. "WEISS! WEISS! No! We can't lose another!", Jaune Ark screamed as he rushed over and pulled Weiss into his hands, pressuring the wound./div
div id="djs-44es4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Get away from her!", A flash of silver brought Cinder to her knees as Ruby unleashed her silver eyed ability, before a slash at her head caused her to stagger but not fall unconscious, her Aura protecting her, while two strong arms pulled Adam and Blake away from the fight. Surrounded by Sienna Khan, the Belladonnas and Sun, Adam merely sat on his knees, broken and wounded, heart broken that Blake almost had died, he had been too weak to protect her. A Schnee had saved her. Yang sprang to her sister's aid./div
div id="djs-dj2sp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""OZPIN!", Hazel's fighting spirit had been renewed as Leo tattle tailed that Oscar was Ozpin's reincarnation. Qrow instantly mobilizes to protect him as Hazel attacked Ozpin. Jaune was surrounded by Blake playing defense, Nora and Ren and Ghira, while Sienna began tending to Adam's wounds. "You are a reckless idiot you know that?"/div
div id="djs-54ohu" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Weiss, why did you do that!", Blake begged the dying Weiss. And in the confusion of this entire exchange Raven, Cinder and a limping Vernal had descended down into the vault./div
div id="djs-aj124" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Having appeared with a smile, Sun retaliates and gunchucks Fennec in the face, allowing Ghira to act as he sees his daughter and Ilia about to be crushed. Looking up as the roof collapses on them both, Blake begs Ilia not to fight. To stand with her. Yet as they're so into this, they both suddenly feel a looming shadow over them as Ghira holds up the roof, Sun quickly acting to pull them both out from under the structure. Unable to move from the weight, Sun is once again quick to send out Via Sun and support Ghira, who's slowly crumpling beneath the heavy debris. As this happens, Fennec charges, with speed that blindsides Blake. Yet in a twist of irony, Ilia grabs Gambol and throws it, both locking eyes as they both pull with all their might and pull Ghira to safety as the structure descends and claims a deranged fox' life. As they stagger to see what happened, Ilia confused as to why Ghira would save her life, he merely smiles. "You are a friend of my daughter. And I couldn't have either of you be hurt now could I?"/div
div id="djs-c9jup" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You ruined everything! The Belladonnas had to be contained! And Ilia would have been the scapegoat! Adam would have hunted you! And we would be his most trusted advisors! DIE", before Blake, Ghira, Ilia and Sun could register and recover from the intense rescue, as well as the death of Fennec, Corsair springs up from his position only to land face first into a dinner serving tray as the most dangerous force in all of nature descends upon him, having dragged Yuma as a cat would to show off their skills. Kali Belladonna was giving Corsair every reason to wish he would have died instead of his brother. "NOW LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"/div
div id="djs-9fnq1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-87rvt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Finding a hogtied and bound Sienna in the office of the Albains, a quick sharing of information reveals that both twins went ahead and were about to publicly execute the Belladonnas and High Leader Khan. Setting aside their differences, the Menagerie forces and Sienna's White Fang, join forces, now understanding the dangers of infighting, how delusional some Faunus can be. From there the timeline corrects itself once more. Blake gives a rousing speech to rally the Faunus of Menagerie, forgiving Ilia. Gaining support from the crowd as they begin making plans to rally before the Red Fang's attack. Yet on the evening of the full moon, as the Ship captain has ferried over hundreds of Menagerie Militia forces, as the plan to strike and kill at those who humiliated Cinder, as the plan to doublecross everyone at the school is set in motion by all parties, a prelude to the fight has occurred. While Migel and the shark girl, along with the kids, stayed behind in the Mistral Sanctuary, the Red Fang made their way towards the school. As Hazel said he'd go on ahead, heading into the school grounds and marching towards the place where the trap was about to be sprung, Adam faltered, just enough so Hazel wouldn't hear or notice what would happen. As the Red Fang wondered what happened, Adam drew his sword and severed the bridge that led into the school as he dashed over the collapsing bridge. Now all the Red Fang were stuck outside the school, where he stood to address them. All looking in shock. "Brothers and Sisters, go back to the Sanctuary. No Faunus will die today", with those words he walks in after Hazel. As Hazel closes the door, wondering where the Fang is, he spies the red shade of Adam on approach and assumes the rest follow after him. While Adam doesn't put any charges, the blast radius would harm the forces he was trying to save, which meant a curious reunion as now Red and White Fang members are locked outside of the structure, while Blake wonders how she could get in, as well as why Adam was doing what he did./div
div id="djs-3n33k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-95q9v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""If you're going to shoot me, then shoot me. That was ins-", Raven drew her sword and deflected another shot from her brother. Harbinger smoking at the barrel. "Well, can't say I didn't ask for that"/div
div id="djs-3u163" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So I see Leo really did rat us out", Qrow glares at Leonardo who shrinks at the look, terrified of Qrow's unstoppable anger./div
div id="djs-14cf7" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Don't be angry at him. He's the smart one. He looked at the information before him, unlike you my idiot brother, saw that there was no chance of beating Salem and chose self preservation over a foolish and pointless struggle that would end up in death. Wake up brother, there IS NO beating Salem!", Raven said, landing over the railing of the statue upholding Leo's speaker platform. "You're wrong. We've done things that most people would call impossible. And I know the only reason we pulled it off is cause we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, to help us! We had eachother! Work with us! At least I know we'll have a better chance of succeeding if we work together!"/div
div id="djs-321e" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Raven glared at the silver eyed mini version of Summer, standing there, adorably holding up her hand. Raven rolled her eyes: "you sound just like your mother!"/div
div id="djs-57j1a" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-fjkp5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"in a flash she opened the portal as a fireball of Maiden magic blasted through. Unable to react, Ruby's eyes widened in shock, before she was pulled out of the way as Jaune pivoted, spinning Ruby out of the way and deflecting the fireball off of his shield and sending it upwards, away from the group. Stepping through the portal, with a deep scowl cause she was foiled already, Cinder and her cronies appeared on the battlefield, Jaune raising his shield in acidic rage as he glared at Cinder, muttering her name alongside Ruby as they both ready in poses. Yang's own eyes fill with hatred as she spies the other members walking through, Mercury and Emerald but also her half sister Vernal. All with gleeful smirks on their faces. "Come on don't give old friends that lo-"/div
div id="djs-2t575" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'll break your legs!", was the first line uttered by Yang and Nora. With Vernal rolling her eyes. "Ugh, so 'civilized' sister"/div
div id="djs-1srpt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I see the runt of the litter is also here to grace us with her presence?", Weiss shot back, earning a glare from Vernal. "Everybody stay calm…", Qrow tried to ease the tension as the door behind him opened and closed as a literal wall of muscle marched through the front door. Hazel had arrived. "the Red Fang is planting explosive charges all over the school grounds, no one in…or out"/div
div id="djs-7mt3m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It appears this was merely a trap set for us", Ren said, hitting the nail right where it needs to. Qrow was unamused: "So tell me sister, how long have you been in their pocket?"/div
div id="djs-n4li" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Aww don't take it out on Raven, she's a recent edition. The lion on the other hand…let's say entrance in the Vytal Festival was a real treat", Cinder said, before a laugh bubbled from Yang: "the festival where your team was eliminated in the doubles round?"/div
div id="djs-apemp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And yet we still managed to bring Beacon to it's knees", Cinder growled. Merc and Em had both received an inhumanely cruel punishment for that particular failure even if they did manage to pull off the rest. "Never mind that trivial thing, old Leo here has been sending us information for a very VERY long time. Isn't that right, professor?"/div
div id="djs-6dhnr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Stop it!"/div
div id="djs-vs5p" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It was you...", Qrow said in disbelief. He knew something was wrong about the missing huntsmen, but the broken families, the girl asking for her mother, it was too similar to Summer. Had someone ratted her out as well?! His anger clenched fist rose up with Harbinger as Qrow glared killer eyes at Leo, "You sit on the Mistral council. You had information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the kingdom. And you gave it all to her! I couldn't find any of them because YOU let her kill them all!"/div
div id="djs-5tc5o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Oh now don't beat yourself up about it Lionheart. I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would have found them on their own eventually", Cinder said, her voice salt in an open wound. One that pushed Jaune over the edge./div
div id="djs-3v2gq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is wrong with you?! How can you be so broken inside?! Cowardly attacking from the shadows, taking so many lives and rubbing it in our face like it's something to be proud off, all with that grimm eating smile on your face!", crying tears Jaune raised his shield and prepared to strike, his friends calling his name to try and snap him out of his angered mindset. But Jaune wasn't reckless or stupid. He was a tactical and cunning warrior. He knew what she would say and how she would react. As Qrow tried desperately to blow out the fuse of this mindless violence about to be set off, Cinder smirked at Jaune: "and who are you again?"/div
div id="djs-64b34" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Jaune smiles. He knows that she's arrogant, that she wants to break others. Basing his insult on the cowardly strike from before, he lets loose a taunt so bitchy, thanks to growing up with seven sisters: "Forgettable, but at least I'm not some coward who runs like a scared girl behind the skirts of those stronger than her because a 'mean girl almost killed me', worthless -"/div
div id="djs-c528t" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"He raises his shield once more and rolls out of the way of a blast of pure anger. He smiles. Got you now. Forgetting every semblance of a plan, seeing bright red as the girl she wanted dead and this..pretending knight stood there, Cinder lost her self control and lashed out. But as she took as step, the world seemed to spin as a heavy impact struck her glass heel as Ruby had popped a shot off at the Fall maiden's foot, falling to her knees like she had been so long ago in that despicable Atlas hotel! As she looked up Cinder didn't see Ruby and Jaune look at her, no she saw the Madame and her flaring anger forced her to spring to her feet once more! Yet before she was fully standing up, Jaune's shield was pressed into her face as she was forced back down. Forced to kneel again as his sword swung for her other ankle./div
div id="djs-15v37" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-8ejo4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Reacting instinctively, Emerald shot forwards with her chain sickles, which were caught on the barrel of Crescent Rose, tangling the blade around Ruby's weapon who gave a courteous smile before she pulled the trigger and catapulted herself and Emerald over the floor. That's how the fight progressed. Rather than get dominated because he recklessly gives into the mind games, Jaune keeps a level mind. His shield was his greatest tool against her. She had offensive capabilities he'd never even remotely have a chance of matching. Yet like that Grimm in Forever Fall, if he kept a tight defense and struck at exposed weaknesses, he could bring her to her knees. For a split second he looked up and saw the bullet duel between Emerald and Ruby, talking about why they're fighting and something about owing Cinder everything. As they both share a single glance, the many months spending together fighting on the road, they synced up perfectly. Jaune let the shield go, a mighty roar of Cinder propelling it upwards, except Ruby had used Petal Burst to dash after it, using it as a bounce pad and shot straight at Cinder, landing a solid slash from above with her scythe, while the attempts of Emerald to help and protect Cinder was shattered as her sickle blades snagged on Jaune's sword. With a grin he held up his arm and the humming of something could be heard. With a swish, Emerald felt a heavy ringing pain in the back of her head as his shield returned to his arm, a small mechanism filled with fine tuned gravity dust. Thanks to that blacksmith in that very first village they had rested at, as thanks for killing the Geist, they had installed a new tool. As Jaune had no ranged tool, he took a lesson from Pyrrha with a neat little trick from Gravity dust. Now sure he wasn't as stacked as say someone like Weiss, but he had been very sparing to use this only in emergencies. And this qualified as one!/div
div id="djs-6o18t" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Before Emerald could retaliate, she felt another painful sensation in her stomach as Jaune sliced her with Crocea Mors pivoted on the spot and shield charged at the back of Cinder. Who was having difficulty using her swords to hit Ruby who danced and weaved around the attack range and patterns. With the training at the house, Ruby had learned that while she was indeed reliant on her beautiful baby Crescent Rose, she was also a fast and nimble target. Abusing this aspect, she dipped out of the slashes and through thrusts. But what she mainly was doing, was goading Cinder. By making her tunnel vision, Ruby drew her into an opening for Jaune. A loud roar of pain once more as Jaune shield bashed into Cinder's back. With a turtling stance, he used the shield to limit the Fall Maiden's reach and cut at her limbs with quick and practiced stabs. Mirroring the spear strikes of Pyrrha but with his longsword. And Emerald? Before she could strike at Jaune's back, she felt two boots land on her stomach again, kick off as Ruby dropkicked her away, using the high caliber recoil of her fifty cal rifle and scythe slashed at Cinder's arms. This is how the strategy was. The one she and Jaune had secretly been working on during their travels: dance around her like a wild dangerous Grimm, protect one another when they recover from an attack and most importantly, stay in perfect sync! And the name of this attack? Lancaster/div
div id="djs-2b94l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-7ba0u" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-4tbak" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-9taid" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Worthless-"/div
div id="djs-af210" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"With his taunt cut off and Emerald and Cinder trying desperately to kill her sister, Yang acted on instinct and sprinted towards her sister, yet a clack of gunfire made her slide on her knee to evade the blow, as Mercury came in with a flying jump kick before blocking her way. "Ya know Blondie…I really wish we had a fight at Vytal. But I doubt I should have to fear you"/div
div id="djs-80g18" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You couldn't beat a skilled bunny girl, and you won't beat me either", with that taunt, rubbing into Mercury's face his embarrassingly one sided beatdown by Velvet, Yang engaged him in battle. At first it was difficult, why do so many people fight with their legs dammit! But once she used a few of her old tricks, starting to recognise his pattern, she began her counter offensive which was brutal. However she did severely underestimate just how formidable Mercury was. Sure she had seen him fight with Pyrrha for a few seconds before giving up, and he did seem to switch to a higher gear when he was getting his ass handed to him by Scarlatina, but this was different. His kicks were more precise, aimed at disrupting her guard and attack vectors, his speed was high but not surmountable but the real shock was the strength behind his kicks. As he somersaulted and landed a skyhigh down to earth ax kick, Yang had a realization literally kicked into her. She recalled Velvet mentioning how his legs gave off Dust glow and how he kicked harder than anyone should. And in a flash, having taken a few blows thanks to the testing moment of their duel, she gave a massive haymaker and struck Mercury full on the shin. Earning a yelp as she tore through his pants and exposed a cybernetic leg. "That's why.."/div
div id="djs-flqgp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well I guess it's only fair seeing your new mechanical arm", Mercury taunted before the fight became even more heated. They threw insults (bimbo, stilts, hothead, ugly, loser, toothpaste,...) landed heavy blows and attacks, and roared. Even a few well placed dirty shots as he struck her thigh before she landed a solid blow that would have dislocated his ankles had they not been made of sturdy steel. And while it wasn't obvious at first, Yang could feel it as this fight mirrored her tussle with Neopolitan in the train during Mountain Glenn: he was strong, but by a strange miracle, somehow that tiny monster of a woman was stronger. It wasn't easy, like averaging nine and a half against a ten. But slowly, ever so gently, Yang was driving back Mercury who began realizing that, despite being trained by Marcus, this Dragon was relentless and unstoppable./div
div id="djs-7lupg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-eeloq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-a9ia0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-3g3ei" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You won't beat me either!", After Yang and Mercury started their fight, Raven nodded at Vernal before she blocked the sword attack of her brother. "Take out the heiress, don't waste your power. She's not worth it"/div
div id="djs-ggqh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Running away is one thing. But this? You crossed a line", Qrow said with seething hatred as Harbinger and Omen both bit heavily into one another from the sword bind: "sorry brother, sometimes family-"/div
div id="djs-8ee3b" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're not my family", Qrow hissed. Raven got fed up with that. Why must everyone interrupt me!? She pushed her sword further into his, driving him back for a split second; "were we ever?"/div
div id="djs-p5nr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Qrow overpowered Raven after she asked that, pushing her a single step back. "Not since you chose those cowardly losers over your friends and me. But don't worry, my eyes are awake to your treachery, coward!"/div
div id="djs-6tdmj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Raven rolled her eyes as she used the thing that he had not learned about her. She recalled her sensei, Vergil's powerful swordplay. Raven altered her attacks. Instead of using what Qrow would know, she varied it to the style of her master. She drew Omen, time and again, striking and sheathing. Mirroring the Iaijutsu style. With Qrow's superior physical strength, Raven had to leverage what she was better at: speed! But what she didn't expect as strong, was that bad luck charm of his. Each time she drew her sword, which she had practiced with so many times, the resheating always made her have to glare at the sheath because somehow she kept messing it up. And as she kicked him backwards, he hit a rock that caused his head to evade her followup attack! With increasing aggression, Raven attempted to kill her brother with more and more motivation, yet he seemed to 'dumb luck' his way out of harm's way. Or rather she 'bad lucked' her way out of a kill. Matter of truth and perspective perhaps./div
div id="djs-22r5i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Disgrace! The tribe raised us!", Raven said as she and her brother worked their way around the assembly hall. Gunshots from Harbinger were quickly evaded, slashes blocked and blades evaded. Raven could feel that while she was indeed faster, she didn't have the options to kill him./div
div id="djs-95cin" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeah, lotta fat good that did you! You're slower than before 'sister', grown complacent as leader. I'm not just your 'average' out in a village Huntsman. I am your superior, I've fought more and seen more than you!", Qrow said. He had heard of this 'Vergil' in rumors. Yet one thing he did know was the fighting style. Rumors of a legendary swordmaster roaming Remnant. And he had long been working on a way to take on his sister. Truth is, the strongest of team STRQ had never been Raven as she claimed she was. No, that was Summer. Followed by Qrow. As the alcohol was burned out of his system by adrenaline, he began ramping up his semblance, further causing bad luck to his 'kin', related by blood,not by choice. Something however didn't add up as he further drove Raven back and even nicked her a good once on her ankle, she was sloppy. He could see that even without his Misfortune distracting and ruining her focus, there was a missing puzzle about this riddle. He had always been able to beat her, sure, but this was way easier than it should be. She even had to resort to evading the attack with her birdform or he'd nick her again. Yet Shion Village had been decimated. He looked at the corner of his eyes and then recalled the words of Raven. As if fearing his clever insight into her Thoughts, Raven disengaged right as a heavy blow opened the door of the assembly hall. A new competitor entered the halls while Qrow realized, too late, that his sister was the Spring Maiden. "No more leach!"/div
div id="djs-6qd1h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-cvldk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-1pdv5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-bgtji" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Lets see what the Schnee name is worth", Vernal said as her weapons collapsed open and made the 'come at me' finger sign./div
div id="djs-3n109" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'm more than a name and I've beaten you before, I can do it again", Weiss boasted. Earning a taunting 'i don't think so', as Vernal jumped in and slashed at Weiss. She quickly swung her blade and managed to parry and riposte as she had been drilled by Winter, for a few attacks at least before she felt the powerful pain of a slash at her gut. Staggering back she looked up at the glare Vernal had, now not so off balanced as back in camp. Weiss realized something with a terrible mental slap in her face: she was rusty! As she danced her way, elegantly slashing bullets aside and evading what she could, using Ice dust to boost her momentum and try to get some distance between her and Vernal, she raised a wall of ice, which was quickly shot to smithereens as Vernal chuckled: "Oh come now, I won't fall for that trick again. I see the Schnee name is just as cowardly as you think we bandits are. Letting others do your dirty work"/div
div id="djs-ae91q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Weiss staggered in her dance motions which allowed Vernal to trip her up and attack. As she tried to, Weiss quickly used a Gravity Glyph to launch herself over the floor as she got to her feet and leveled her rapier at Vernal. She closed her eyes and centered herself. Her finger tracing across Myrtenaster. As she opened her eyes, a row of five ice Glyphs appeared and shot a barrage of sharp ice shards at Vernal, who easily blasted or swiped them aside. Yet in that opening, Weiss had powered up another Glyph beneath her feet and shot forwards in a blur of motions, ping ponging between Vernal and several others. Yet before Vernal could counter, Weiss smirked and somersaulted, landing on a different Glyph. She recalled her tussle with Roman in the train. He had called her predictable. Weiss decided to do something less 'dancing' as she had practiced over and over and would 'spice it up' a little. Before long, Myrtenaster graced off of a flickering brownish Aura as Weiss managed to break through the defenses. With Vernal's eyes opening in shocked fear of the skill this 'pampered' princess had, Weiss felt her confidence skyrocket. She went for a thrust and over-extended. In her haste to strike a decisive blow, Weiss felt her sword be caught in the claw like weapons and Vernal disarmed her, throwing her treasured weapon aside like a toothpick. Disarmed, Weiss' eyes opened in shock./div
div id="djs-26k9l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Perhaps you would have been a good bandit but you really ought to not lose your weapon as oft-", a loud gunshot rang out as Weiss in her desperation had reached for the heavy duty revolver that she still had in her possession. She was determined to bring this back home to Atlas and Coal, he deserved to know, yet in an automated haze, seeing that arrogant face and taunting, Schnee acted on instinct. Much like Winter, Weiss had reached for a backup weapon and fired it without thinking. She quickly began thinking as the heavy impact sent her tumbling backwards, which gave her just the clarity of mind to summon her Knight, not to fight for her, given that Vernal had made this personal, but to throw her Myrtenaster. The still smoking barrel of the revolver in hand, Weiss glared at Vernal and stood up: "just shut up and let your fighting speak for you!"/div
div id="djs-cbvj2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-3nff9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-fjbpe" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-afu1k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I do not wish to fight you", Hazel said, seeing these teens stand up to him. It was hardly a fair match up. He'd destroy these poor kids, all because Ozpin and his stupid desire to make kids their sacrificial lamb. If he wasn't such a coward he'd be here himself! Yet before these two could engage him, the door kicked open and the sound of a twelve gauge went off. Hazel turned to find the ringing headache of a hilt blasted into his face before the coldest of steel bit deep into his flesh. Through this Ren and Nora quickly backed off and triple teamed Leonardo, who staggered and yelped like a cowardly chicken running for cover. Standing next to Hazel was Adam Taurus as he backed off and sheathed his sword. "NO MORE LEASH"/div
div id="djs-199ma" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"His outraged cry broke the engagements currently happening as a silence crawled over the battlefield. Leo, who also noticed this, slinked away a little and hid, shivering like a twig. "So many humans are here to slaughter. And no threat to the faunus…"/div
div id="djs-e9ude" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is this…why aren't you standing perimeter guard?!", Hazel roared in aggression as he pulled off some of his clothing and reached for Dust Crystals./div
div id="djs-8mksk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No Red Fang here. Only me…and the bombs aren't here either. Thought you'd like to know that I'm here to kill those who hold the reins. Or rather, they think they do", in a flash, he shoots his sword again, flowing through the air as it catches Cinder's hand in the air trying to summon her Maiden powers. While Jaune was distracted she had attempted to get the upper hand and blast Ruby. However the only thing she'd feel was pain! In a flash, Adam was upon Cinder. Slicing and dicing in a blinding flash of swords, after images and bloodlust. Staggering back, Jaune and Ruby rotated, dogpiling on Mercury who was taking advantage of the fact that Yang had frozen up. Seeing Adam rush in and attack like that made her body tremble and her mind and resolve shattered. Playing defense in perfect sync, Mercury was driven back from Yang. While Emerald tried desperately to protect Cinder, only to lose her weapons in the process as Adam sliced her chains clean through, rotated in place and slammed her with Blush so hard it would leave a bruise through the greenish Aura that desperately tried to block that blow. Ironically, Raven now had a different priority. As she kicked off of her brother, who crumbled to his knees, wanting to recover some energy and Aura as amping his Misfortune like this was killer on his soul, Adam was standing outnumbered and alone. Just as life had always been./div
div id="djs-efb0l" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""A psychopath who threatens the lives of children, my senior in teaching and a big hunk of muscle with no brains…almost a fair fight", Adam taunted, before he engaged again. His speed was blinding. While Raven knew what to look for and how to escape and evade, Hazel was far too slow for that, taking lick upon lick of punishment. While Cinder's mental state was gone. She had been blocked and stalled by a useless nobody and that blasted silver eyed bitch. Now to have this animal resist and attack her?! She blasted a fireball at him which he promptly absorbed./div
div id="djs-dm5ed" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Watch it! He absorbs damage and stores it in a battery", Raven spilled the beans on Moonslice before earning a gunshot at her hips as Qrow circled the fight. He was a clever bird and knew the Thoughts of Adam by the way he spoke and attacked: he was out for revenge and Qrow wasn't getting in the way. For one knowing his 'luck', that would only break Adam's momentum and turn this around. Adam was ferocious. A true beast anger unleashed. Their fight was something Qrow had meant when he was in the Crowbar back in Vale watching the Vytal Festival. Another gunshot got Raven off balanced as slashes and slices were fired off. There would be no respite until either Cinder and Hazel were dead, or Adam was dead. There was no inbetween. The fight was so intense that the only ones still fighting were Vernal and Weiss, too absorbed with their rivalry. That a single shadow could sneak into the room./div
div id="djs-6fk2o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Cinder couldn't match the attacks. Within seconds her good arm was sliced and bruised. Her nylons were shredded and the occasional red droplet of blood leaked into her clothing as she staggered back, clutching her arm. Raven likewise had to be careful as she dodged attacks, parried and refused to attack Adam, given that each blow upon that blade would further bolster him. Meaning that eventually it was just Adam, tanking blow upon blow of Hazel's dust punches, storing and releasing the energy as Hazel's lightning fast Aura recovery was keeping him up. Every now and then some actual damage got through, especially once Retribution Slice was bumped up to five after images of damage and speed. Yet Adam's own Aura wasn't finite. He had taken a few good lumps himself and after a particularly intense punch from Hazel, Cinder saw her chance. Adam had off balanced Hazel and sheathed Wilt. With so many none Faunus nearby, he didn't care about collateral damage as he began releasing the fireball and punches into his sword. His silhouette became a deep endless ocean of blood red while the black markings of a rose on his back turned to a pitch black oil stain. Time slowed. Adam's weapon was as bright as red hot steel. It drew with a prolonged 'shing' sound. It touched Vernal, Weiss having just enough luck to dodge the blow, her Aura shattering instantly as she coughed up blood from the blow. Wounded but alive. Catching that, Cinder's furious sneak attack struck just as Wilt bit heavily into Hazel's form, shattering and damaging his Aura significantly. Causing trauma to the gut and arm, rivers of blood gushing from the lacerations. Until a sharp pain broke Adam's concentration and he rolled over his back. "Disobedient beast!"/div
div id="djs-9432c" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-b0b9m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"An intense pain, something that makes no sense. His Aura hadn't broken. How…How was this possible. Adam shivered as he sat in his kneeling position. Something was terribly wrong. He could see…red..that's all he saw. His Sword and sheath had been discarded like useless weapons on the battlefield would have been. He could…see…them…and yet he couldn't. He remembered where they had clashed to the floor, remembered the sound of steel hitting stone. Something warm and wet dripped over his cheeks and across his lips as he turned his face. He heard a voice. A familiar voice. A voice that once spoke to him in admiration. Why was she here?! Also, as his hands reached for his face, he could sense a…lion in here? There was a Faunus in these halls? A lion, two panthers, a kitten and a tigress? His hand ran across his cheek and over his face towards his hair, sticky red blood clung to his hair like gel while sullying his fingers. A burning pain in his eye socket. His mask was gone, crumbled in tens of pieces. A scream rang the halls of the school. A voice he didn't recognise. Something is absolutely wrong. He was blind. Cinder in that one moment had struck an obsidian sword at his face. It's razorsharp glass fragments break upon contact with the Grimm mask he was wearing, shredding through his Aura and destroying his final good eye. There he sad, a figure drenched in blood, his left eye destroyed from a Branding Iron as he could still feel it's searing pain, three letters that had forever destroyed his eye socket and turned his vision dark. Schnee Dust Company. And now the other was also gone. The world that had sometimes been of colour, but most times was just a red world of blood and blood to be spilled, now became an endless void of black./div
div id="djs-4pkf8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"And yet a single shade of Purple stood behind him somewhere. He recognised the silhouette. It was Blake. Why? Why was she here?! And behind her, a similar silhouette in purple. And a massive one, dwarfing even Hazel's dark brown shape. His own hands, as he 'looked' at them were a crimson dark blood colour. Is my soul really this depraved? He turned his eyes around, seeing all manner of colours and shapes. Yet it's the orange one near him that he suddenly focuses on, drawing an orange sword from her hand and approaching him. He growls in anger and staggers to his feet, he has no weapon to defend himself, but Adam always vowed to die standing up. "No more leash"/div
div id="djs-ctto8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Beast, you almost ruined everything! No bombs? No soldiers?! How dare you defy me!", a soft gasp of realization hits as Blake reaches for her sword, Adam still staggering to his feet, barely able to stand up. "You're not my master, slave of your master. I die a free Faunus"/div
div id="djs-5vbgd" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"There was a flash of orange as the blade came down. Yet a tug around his navel made Adam stagger backwards. Falling into a backwards roll, he sensed the purple shadow move around near him. Had..had Blake saved his life?! "Wretched animal! If you want I can kill you instead!"/div
div id="djs-4u5sh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Again everything seemed to slow down. Adam could see the orange form of Cinder, vile and dark in tone and nature, generating a sun orange spear. Slowly the spear shot out towards himself, with the purple shadow of Blake standing in the way. He tried to jump up but his legs refused to move. The spear would penetrate her heart and kill her! No! NO! He had sworn no Faunus would die here! No more deaths of his kind! There was a flash of white-icy blue before the sound of skin being skewered filled the room. It was a sickening sound that broke the silence along with a scream: "NO!", the white flash was a girl shape. One he knew. He had cursed this colour since his life began. It was a Schnee. And while he realized that no Schnee would try to save him, Weiss had lunged forwards and pushed Blake out of the way, the spear of Cinder impaling her lower abdomen. In a slow nature, the shape of Weiss' Aura began to slowly crumble. Like white leaves on a dark tree, being blown off the branches in fall. The silence dragged on. A shocked scream followed by the clinging of boots. "WEISS! WEISS! No! We can't lose another!", Jaune Ark screamed as he rushed over and pulled Weiss into his hands, pressuring the wound./div
div id="djs-44es4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Get away from her!", A flash of silver brought Cinder to her knees as Ruby unleashed her silver eyed ability, before a slash at her head caused her to stagger but not fall unconscious, her Aura protecting her, while two strong arms pulled Adam and Blake away from the fight. Surrounded by Sienna Khan, the Belladonnas and Sun, Adam merely sat on his knees, broken and wounded, heart broken that Blake almost had died, he had been too weak to protect her. A Schnee had saved her. Yang sprang to her sister's aid./div
div id="djs-dj2sp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""OZPIN!", Hazel's fighting spirit had been renewed as Leo tattle tailed that Oscar was Ozpin's reincarnation. Qrow instantly mobilizes to protect him as Hazel attacked Ozpin. Jaune was surrounded by Blake playing defense, Nora and Ren and Ghira, while Sienna began tending to Adam's wounds. "You are a reckless idiot you know that?"/div
div id="djs-54ohu" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Weiss, why did you do that!", Blake begged the dying Weiss. And in the confusion of this entire exchange Raven, Cinder and a limping Vernal had descended down into the vault./div
