Previously, on The Defenders of Remnant...

"What was this place called again?" Emerald asked.

"Tuksen's Book Trade," Tuksen answered.

"And you're Tuksen?"

"That's right," he nodded.

"I hear you're planning on leaving; moving all the way to Vacuo. Your brothers in the White Fang wouldn't be happy to hear that." Mercury formed a devilish smirk on his face as he darkened the last window. "And neither are we."

Sharp claws sprouted from his fingertips and he leapt up onto the counter, before leaping forward and taking a swipe at Emerald, who ducked out of the way, only to look forward and see Mercury raise his foot and fire a dust round from his boot.

"S-So… you're Spider-Man…"

Peter slowly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I am… I'm sure you were expecting someone better. I'm kind of a disappointment, huh?"

Ruby shook her head and smiled. "Not even a little." She then hugged Peter tightly

"Nobody move!" Blake exclaimed. All the White Fang members around them pulled their weapons on her, ready to bring her down at a moment's notice. Blake eyed them up, then forcefully removed her bow to reveal her cat ears. "Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" The White Fang slightly lowered their weapons and traded glances in momentary confusion.

"Blake Belladonna. It's a pleasure to see you again," Taskmaster said.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I haven't been since I was younger-"

"Ah bup bup!" Weiss cut her off again. "I don't want to hear it. All I want is that next time something this big comes up, you come to your teammates, and not some…" Weiss glared at Sun, before turning back to her teammate. "Someone else."

"Hello, Anthony Masters," the woman said. "My name is Salem. And I am so glad you could join us."

The Defenders of Remnant

Chapter 16: Faith

Anthony Masters looked himself in the mirror, his own piercing gaze staring daggers back at him. Sometimes he made himself uncomfortable with that look, reminding him exactly how much he'd changed over the years, all from the day he found out about his mutant power to predict and copy abilities. Sometimes he wondered where he would be without it. Probably dead, maybe prison. Definitely not a universe away, though. And certainly not helping a radicalized political group of animal people, a mob boss with barely half the ferocity of Wilson Fisk, whom he'd also led the Punisher to kill, and an amber eyed witch who seemed hell bent on keeping him around. Where have we ended up, Anthony? He thought to himself.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the Tinkerer's voice echoed in his room through the intercom. "Taskmaster. Cinder is here to see you."

He sighed. "Tell her I'll be right out." He then turned off his light and retrieved his new helmet from the edge of his bed, slipping it on and going out into the main part of the new White Fang facility. It was woven into a series of abandoned train tunnels outside of Vale, and was safe from the Grimm above ground. Taskmaster's only concern was why it wasn't done before, instead of sneaking from warehouse to warehouse within the walls of the kingdom. As Taskmaster entered the main staging ground, he saw Cinder there waiting for him. Cinder smirked a bit when she saw him.

"Hello, Anthony," She greeted. "I like the new look. It suits you a bit more."

Taskmaster had been given a new outfit courtesy of Tinkerer. His mask was now changed, and while it still had skeletal teeth, the top half was replaced with an orange visor that had a holographic HUD only he could see. His cape was replaced with a simple white hood with orange highlights, and now on his back was a metal pack, which held his collapsible bow and collapsible arrows. His earlier outfit was replaced by a black bodysuit under a set of padded metal armor, with the shoulderpads and gauntlets painted silver, and the torso painted blue with orange highlights. At his waist was a loaded utility belt with several pouches and two handguns holstered at his sides. Armor that was simply silver also protected his legs, with metal boots of the same color. In his left gauntlet was a collapsable version of his shield from before, and his right gauntlet housed a grappling hook and a taser. Finally, at the back his belt hung a sword hilt, with a collapsible blade inside.

"You can thank Mason for this. Once that Dr. Watts freak gave him a crash course on your world's tech, Mason had a field day giving me some much needed upgrades. He doesn't disappoint. Speaking of Which," Taskmaster said, "I hear the two are making progress with that Gene Enhancer of theirs."

"Indeed they have. And just in time, too. I don't think the White Fang were too happy about how many of their own died during trial periods, only for a few to survive."

"How many of them died again?" Taskmaster asked.

"Eighteen. With only Lizard surviving. I believe Mason is experimenting on another now, a man named Tuksen who betrayed his own."

"Here's hoping he doesn't turn to a red paint job for Tinkerer's lab like the rest," Taskmaster remarked.

"Would you like to take a stroll and see for ourselves?" Cinder asked.

"No thanks. I don't plan on sitting around any longer. We do want to get rid of the competition, right?"

"Not so quick, Anthony. We do have our long term plan to bring Beacon and Vale to their knees, so there's no reason to stray from it."

"I don't mean them," Taskmaster replied. "I mean the superheroes."

"And we will figure them out in due time. We know who Spider-Man is, we know where he rests his head. We can kill him at any time."

"Y'know, if only you had the brains to match your beauty," Taskmaster remarked.

"Excuse me?" Cinder remarked, anger quickly rising up in her.

"You want to break the kingdom and Ozpin. You think I don't want to break them? For so many years, I've fought against the Avengers, X-Men, SHIELD, all of it. But the one who seems to always find a way to bring me down was Spider-Man. And believe me, sweetheart, when I say I'd like nothing more than to kill the little bastard. But seeing the life leave him at the end of a blade? That's so dull now, worthless. But what Norman Osborne did to him over a year ago? It made the little bug snap. Snap hard enough to hunt down and kill Norman Osborne, the Green Goblin."

"And is that supposed to mean something to me?" Cinder asked.

"To put it this way, Cinder, most of my world's heroes don't kill. Period. The Spider especially. But then Osborne took away everything, stripped him down until he had nothing left but rage. After that, Osborne didn't make it a week. Hell, he didn't make it two days."

"And if you repeat this process? What then stops him from doing the same to us, the same to you? You would put our whole operation in jeopardy for a grudge."

"You mean the operation that's already a grudge?" Taskmaster replied. This gave Cinder pause momentarily.

"That doesn't change the fact that that plan will ruin everything here, the only thing you have to work for here if you truly want to attain your goal."

"The sooner we get them out of the way-!"

"The sooner we'll have more attention on us!" Cinder snapped. "Listen, Anthony, I understand revenge very thoroughly, which is why I understand how hard it is for you to sit this out for now." Cinder's expression somewhat softened, and her left hand found its way up to the side of Taskmaster's neck. "But trust me when I say you will get everything you desire oh so very soon." Cinder then leaned in close and whispered into Taskmaster's ear, placing her other hand on his armor's bicep. "And that is a promise~."

"Y'know, I'd almost believe you if it weren't for one thing," Taskmaster replied. Cinder looked at him in confusion, then he pushed her off of him. "You called me Anthony." He then started to walk away.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You only use men's first names when you want them to believe you, and follow you like starry-eyed schoolboys. Well newsflash, princess: I'm not Roman Torchwick. I don't fall for the same thing twice." He then left Cinder behind in the open area of the secret base.

Ozpin and Goodwitch watched as several large airships from Atlas began to land just outside Beacon Academy, their enormous masses emptying out students and personnel upon arrival. "Ironwood sure likes to bring his work wherever he travels," Goodwitch remarked.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man," Ozpin replied. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." A beeping came from the headmaster's desk. He turned around to see a holographic message in white text against sky-blue reading Access Requested. "Come in!" He called to the elevator, with Goodwitch also turning around and taking his side. The elevator doors opened to reveal a middle-aged man with graying black hair and solid blue eyes. He wore a white overcoat and dress pants, gray undercoat, black sweater and a red necktie with a white glove on his right hand, and silver boots. He also had a small strip of silver metal above his right eyebrow. General Ironwood of the kingdom of Atlas.

"Ozpin!" Ironwood said with a smile.

"Hello, general," The headmaster greeted.

"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood chuckled before shaking Ozpin's hand. "It's been too long." As Goodwitch joined them, Ironwood's gaze shifted to her. "And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met!"

"Oh, James!" Goodwitch mocked flattery and waved him off before turning back to Ozpin. "I'll be waiting outside," she said, sounding unamused before leaving the office to the two of them.

"Well she hasn't changed a bit," Ironwood noted.

"So," Ozpin said as he turned around and poured Ironwood a cup of tea, "What brings you all the way down from Atlas? Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival." He turned back around and handed Ironwood the cup, which he gratefully took before pulling a flask from his overcoat and dripping some of the substance inside into the tea.

"Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year," the general responded. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought this might be a good opportunity to… catch up."

"I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends, however, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned," Ozpin replied as he returned to his seat in his chair and poured his own cup of tea.

"Well, concern is what brought me here."

"I understand travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult-"

"Oz," Ironwood interrupted, "You and I both know why I brought those men."

Ozpin sighed and set his tea aside. "We're in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."

"But if what Qrow said is true, then-"

"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully," Ozpin said. The headmaster rested his head on his hands. "It's the Vytal Festival, a time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious, especially with those masked vigilantes of yours running around," Ironwood replied.

"As am I, hence the existence of those so-called 'vigilantes'. They are the face of justice and peace while we continue to train the best huntsman and huntresses we can."

"Believe me, I am," Ironwood assured Ozpin as he turned around and started for the door, before pausing and glancing back at his fellow headmaster. "But ask yourself this, do you honestly believe your children and your vigilantes can win a war?" he asked grimmly before making for the elevator.

Ozpin looked down at his desk, the grinding of the clock tower's gears echoing off the walls of his office. "I hope they never have to."

Blake sat at the table, deep in thought, everything about her surroundings like white noise. The White Fang, Torchwick, Taskmaster; all of it was at the forefront of her mind. At least it was until Yang broke her from her thoughts. "Alright, Blake you're up!"

"Huh?" Blake said as she came to, remembering now the cards in her hand and the board game in front of her and her team, with JNPR the next table over. Her team had set up in the library to play a board game Ruby bought, one Blake didn't remember the name or goal of. "Oh, um… sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang answered. All three of her teammates were staring at her now.

"Right…" Blake muttered.

"Hey, can I play?" Jaune asked as he approached the table.

"Sorry, Jaune," Ruby said. "We've already got four people."

"Besides, this game requires an amount of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt you possess," Weiss commented.

"Uh, you attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Yang added, earning an annoyed growl from the heiress.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know I've been told I'm a natural born leader!" Jaune boasted.

"By who, your mother?" Weiss smirked.

"A-And Pyrrha!" Jaune stuttered.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha waved from JNPR's table.

"C'mon, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune begged.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss denied.

"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before! I mean, you told us how Peter is secretly Sp-" Jaune is interrupted when Pyrrha rushed over and covered his mouth.

"Special to each and every one of us, and a guy we all admire and respect!" She covered. Blake glared daggers at Jaune for cutting it that close, while her teammates tried to recover from the near heart attacks Jaune gave them.

"R-Right! That… Ladies, enjoy your battle," Jaune said.

"'Sup, losers!" Sun said as he, Peter and a third boy approached. The third boy had tan skin, messy and undercut sky-blue hair and eyes matching that color. He wore a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket adorned with a wide, upturned black collar and a silver reticle across the back. He also had gray jeans with black padding strapped to the sides as well as black shoes with straps instead of laces. He also had black fingerless gloves and yellow tinted goggles pushed up onto his forehead.

"Hey Sun! Hey Peter!" Ruby greeted with a wave. Peter smiled and waved back.

"Ruby, Yang, Blake. Ice Queen," Sun remarked. Peter snorted at this.

"Why does everybody keep calling me that?!" Weiss questioned. Sun elbowed Peter as the latter tried to stifle another laugh before turning back to the table.

"I never got a chance to introduce you to my old friend," Sun said as he gestured to the third boy with him and Peter. The boy took a glance at the game before them.

"Uh, aren't libraries for reading?" he asked.

"Thank you!" Ren exclaimed from the other table, stirring Nora from her sleep.

"Pancakes!' She uttered before immediately falling back asleep.

"Shut up, dude, don't be a nerd," Sun muttered.

"Guh guh guh! Intellectual, thank you," The boy corrected. "I'm Neptune."

"So Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked.

"Haven," Neptune answered before moving to Weiss's side of the table. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow Angel."

"U-Um, I'm Weiss," the heiress answered.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jaune cried behind them, causing Peter and Yang to snort a bit louder. They turned away to try and keep their laughter in.

"Pleasure to meet you," Neptune said.

"I never took you as the board game playing type," Sun said to Blake as he stood next to her.

"Right," Blake said. "Well, I think I'm done playing actually." Blake then sat up from the table. "I'll see you guys later." Blake then walked away, leaving them all silent. Sun gave them a shrug, showing he didn't know either.

"Women," Nora simply said, suddenly awake again.

"Cinder?" The Tinkerer said.

Cinder turned around to face him. "Yes, Phineas?"

"I thought you would like to see the newest addition to your enforcers," Tinkerer said. "Come on in!" Then, a bulky figure of a man entered the room with them. It was Tuksen, but even more built and standing at attention. Fresh scars covered his face and torso, but it was still him. His eyes were now yellow, and he wore an unzipped fur leather jacket with a black tank top under, black pants and steel-tipped boots.

Cinder smirked. "It seems you gave dear Tuksen a makeover."

"Tuksen is no more, Miss Fall. All that he knows now… is Sabretooth," Tinkerer smiled with his hands behind his back. "With Dr. Watts' input, we were able to create a version of the formula that only slightly altered the animal part of his DNA. Most Faunus's animal parts only take up a third of their DNA, otherwise they would look far less human. However, Tuksen's Faunus heritage has been amped up to forty-six percent with no physical degradation. Now he is stronger, his senses more keen, his claws and teeth more sharp and durable, and his personal strength more powerful than ever."

"And what is the solution for his loyalty problems?" Cinder asked.

"A chip implanted in his skull and attached to his brain stem sends signals to his neural hub that ensure he won't step out of line by eliminating his old personality. That is what I mean when I say only Sabretooth remains."

"Color me impressed, Phineas. You've done good work. That will be all for the gene enhancer for now. Get some rest, and we'll have another job for you soon enough. I must be off to meet Emerald and Mercury."

"Yes, ma'am," Tinkerer replied before walking away. "Sabretooth, return." The man formerly known as Tuksen did as asked, and left Cinder behind as well.

Blake sat in her bed, resting her back against the wall behind her, her mind once again spinning through recent events.

Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?!

You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?

Well, I'm surprised old Spider-Man didn't tell you. Or, should I say… Peter Parker?

Peter! What happened?!

Blake sighed and rubbed her eyes, feeling sleep try to drag her down. No, no sleep. Not yet. She jumped when the door slammed open.

"Ugh, we should have never let them play!" Yang exclaimed.

Her younger sister chuckled. "You're just mad that the new guy and Peter beat you! See, if you would've attacked when I told you, none of this would've happened."

"Fair," Yang agreed. "Besides, at least Pete lost too." Blake quietly brushed past them and went for the door.

"Stop," Weiss commanded. Blake stutter stepped with her hand reaching for the door knob. She curled her fingers back up, but didn't turn to face her team. "Lately, you've been quiet, antisocial and moody."

"Uh, have you met Blake?" Yang remarked.

"Which I get, is kinda your 'thing'," Weiss used air quotes on the latter word, "But you've been doing it more than usual. Which, quite frankly, is unacceptable. You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong." She then climbed up on top of a chair and pointed her finger forward accusingly. "So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong?!" The room was quiet for a moment as Weiss balanced on the chair, only for one of the legs to snap under her weight. Peter then appeared in the window sill and caught her before her head hit the bookshelf in front of it.

"Is there a prize if I catch you a third time?" He quipped.

"U-Umm, thanks, Peter," Weiss slightly blushed as Peter and Ruby helped her back to her feet. "Why did that chair break…?"

"So is there a reason you're outside our window?" Yang asked. Peter responded by showing a board game box in his other hand.

Ruby gasped. "My game!" Ruby quickly grabbed it from him.

"You guys went off in such a fit, you left it behind. Figured I'd save you guys the trip back to the library," Peter said.

"Thanks, Pete!" Ruby thanked him.

"So, am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, right…" Weiss said before turning back to Blake. "So?"

"I just…" Blake sighed. "I just don't understand how everyone can be so calm."

"You're still thinking about Taskmaster?" Peter asked.

"Taskmaster, Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it!" Blake exclaimed. "Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!"

"Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police, the Huntsman, Pete and the others, I'm sure they can handle it," Yang said.

"Well I'm not!"

"Hey!" Peter replied, taking offense.

"You don't know the White Fang like I do! No one does!"

The three other huntresses traded glances, while Peter looked at Blake's desperation. Every day, he realized how alike they were. Once upon a time, he was in the same position she was. When he was chasing… him.

Weiss broke the silence. "Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells…"

"Uh… who?" Ruby said.

"But once again let me be the voice of reason," Weiss finished.

"Excuse me?" Peter remarked with a smirk.

"Shut it," Weiss told him. "We're students. We're not ready to handle this sort of situation."

"Uh, yeah, but-" Ruby started to say.

"We're not ready," Weiss stopped her.

"We may never be ready!" Blake exclaimed. "Our enemies aren't going to just sit around and wait for graduation day! They're out there somewhere planning their next move, and we have no idea what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not."

"Blake's right," Peter agreed as he stepped into the room. They all turned to him. "It doesn't matter whether you're ready or not. Because the ones facing you down are counting on you not to be. Taskmaster, Torchwick, the White Fang; whatever their goal is, it puts everyone's lives in danger, and that is something that we can't allow." Peter looked at Weiss. "It doesn't matter if you're students, it doesn't matter that you're kids. I wasn't any older than Ruby the first time I put on that mask, because I realized it doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, how ready you are; the responsibility falls to you. You can wait it out, hope it blows over; or you can show them why you're meant to be huntresses. It's your call." The team looked between one another as Peter's words started to sink in, as well as the weight and experience they carried.

"Okay," Ruby said, "All in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to single handedly take down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale, say aye!"

"Yes! I love it when you're feisty, Pete!" Yang said enthusiastically.

"I suppose it could be fun," Weiss shrugged with a smirk.

"None of you said aye…" Ruby whimpered.

"Alright then… we're in this together," Blake said with a smile.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Yang agreed.

Peter stepped further into the room, a smile on his face as he saw them together like this. "Thank you for agreeing with me, Peter," Blake said.

"I've been in your place before. All of yours. Ozpin wanted me to watch over you all, sure. But you're all my friends." He paused a bit and shook his head. "You guys are all I've got left. And I can't let you guys make the same mistakes I made. I won't lose anyone else. I can't." He slightly looked away when he uttered those last two words, trying not to remember those things and look them in the eyes at the same time. "So I understand the caution and the need to try and stop things before it gets too far. But if you guys aren't careful, who knows what could happen?"

"We understand," Ruby said with a nod. "We'll follow your lead."

"Nuh uh. That's not how this works," Peter said with a smirk.

"Huh?' Ruby questioned.

"We talked about this before. You're the leader, Ruby, not me. So, what's the plan?"

"Umm… sleep on it and reconvene tomorrow?" Ruby suggested with a nervous chuckle.

"Now that's a plan I can get behind, sis," Yang agreed.

"Yes. Let clearer, and more importantly awake minds, prevail," Weiss added.

Blake groaned a bit. "Hey, don't stretch yourself too thin," Peter said. "You're tired. Just sleep, and tomorrow we can all put something together. Okay?"

"R-Right," Blake relented before taking a seat back on her bed.

"Now, I should be going. I think I'll take the door this time, though," Peter said. "Sleep tight, guys."

"G'night Peter!" Ruby said.

"Good night, Peter," Weiss said as she started to untie her hair for bed.

Blake just gave a small nod, her energy somewhat spent. Peter smiled and opened the door, stepping halfway through the frame before Yang stopped him. "Hey, Pete?" Peter turned back around to face her, and was surprised when she pulled him close and hugged him. He slightly blushed, and was caught off guard, but after a moment returned her embrace. She held him there for a few more seconds before letting go and backing up a bit. "You alright? You started to space out back there."

"Um… yeah, yeah, I'm good, just… this is my second chance to do right by those by me. I can't mess this up, or I don't know if I'll be able to keep myself together."

"Hey, we got your back, just like you have ours. That's what friends are for. Besides, I can't let you go and disappoint Ruby now," Yang said. Peter glanced at her younger sister behind her as she hung up her cloak for the night, then turned back to Yang. "She idolizes you, y'know. Even without the mask."

"I couldn't tell you why," Peter replied.

"I can. You represent everything she wants to be. She wants to be a huntress to be everyone's hero, just like the stories. You became the kingdom's favorite superhero, and she had someone new to look up to. Then we met you, the real you, and you helped us with the smaller things, like with Weiss, well, being Weiss. Even after she found out who you were, that didn't change."

"I guess she really wasn't disappointed after all," Peter muttered.

"You're like an older brother to her. And take it from her actual sibling, that means something," Yang said. Peter nodded.

"Right. Yeah. Thanks, Yang."

Yang smiled and patted his arm. "We'll help make your second chance count."

"And help make sure you guys won't ever need one," Peter added. Yang gave him a warm smile.

"G'night, Pete. See you tomorrow." Yang then closed the door, and Peter took a breath before rubbing his eyes and yawning a bit.

I should get to bed, he thought.

"Um, excuse me? Any chance you could help us?" A girl said. Peter turned to see three students in a uniform he didn't recognize; one was a girl with green hair and red eyes, the second was boy with silver hair and pale skin, and the third was an older girl with dark hair and amber eyes.

"Um, hi. I don't recognize the uniforms. Here for the festival?"

"Yes, visiting from Haven, actually," The older girl said. As soon as he locked eyes with her, his spider sense hit him like a truck, to the point of feeling worse than a migraine.

"Agh!" He stumbled a bit and used one hand to support himself on the wall while pressing the other against his skull.

"Hey, you okay?" The green haired girl asked.

"Y-Yeah, just… just a headache… if you're looking for dorms, the exchange student building is just East of here," Peter groaned. What's going on?

"I guess we just got turned around," The silver haired boy said, then the trio started to walk on. Peter looked back up as the first two passed, and the amber-eyed girl passed last.

"Thanks," She said. "Maybe we'll see you around." Peter tried to figure out why his Spider-Sense blew up like that, but wasn't coming up with anything. He watched as they all continued down the hall, leaving him behind.

"Yeah," Peter mumbled. "We just might."

New Cast Members!

James Ironwood

Neptune Vasilias

Tuksen/Sabretooth (Remnant)