Previously, on The Defenders of Remnant...
"Um, hey, Velvet?" Cardin slightly tripped over his words, unsure of how the interaction would turn out. The entire team stopped and turned to face Cardin, and once they recognized him, not a single happy face was found. "Yeah yeah, hit the hate brakes, I'm not here to start anything."
"Doesn't mean we have to let you talk," Yatsuhashi said.
"I-It's fine, Yatsu," Velvet said, trying to calm her teammate. She then looked at Cardin. "What do you want, Cardin?"
"L-Look…" Cardin rubbed his neck, struggling to string words together. "I know we have a, uh… not so great history…"
"You can say that again," Coco remarked.
Cardin gave a slight scowl, but let it pass over. "But… I'm… not the same as I was before.
So I wanted to apologize, for everything. For hurting you, for talking down to you, and for just being an all around asshole. You didn't deserve any of what I did to you, and I deserve it back tenfold."
"On that, we agree," Yatsuhashi said.
"Hey, I'm trying to apologize for the crap I pulled, and you aren't exactly making it easy!" Cardin furrowed his brow in anger.
"Like you made it easy for her?" Fox added.
Ironwood chuckled in an exasperated way. "I refuse to believe that a man I've trusted for so long would act so… passively.."
"You're a good person, James," Goodwitch assured him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "You've always done what you think is right for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stop talking about trust, and started showing it."
"Let him go!" Blake exclaimed.
"Blake Belladonna. Good to see you yet again. This is, what, the third time now?"
"I said," Blake changed Gambol Shroud to its gun form, aiming right at Taskmaster's head, "Let. Him. Go."
"Seems like kitty's got her claws. Unfortunately," Taskmaster pressed his fingertips more on Peter's throat, "So do I."
"I'd shut your mouth if I were you, scoundrel," Weiss threatened.
"Or what, princess? You'll cry to dear old Dad?" Taskmaster replied.
"I can handle myself just fine," Weiss sneered.
"Is that why Jacque Schnee was able to abuse you and your mother your entire life? Because you can 'handle yourself'?" Taskmaster replied. This caught Weiss off guard.
"And you. You want to take me on to free the boy. But you're too afraid. You always are."
"You don't know me!" Blake snapped.
"Blake Belladonna, age eighteen, born as a faunus in Menagerie as the daughter of Ghira and Kali, the very founders of the White Fang. When your father stepped down as leader, you stayed with the Fang against his wishes and left Menagerie, abandoning your family and your home to further the agenda of those who would soon become terrorists, including one Adam Taurus."
"Take him. In the end, nothing will matter." He then turned around and headed for a door at the back of the room.
"Where are you going?!" Blake exclaimed.
"You can stop me, or you can stop the train from setting the kingdom ablaze. Either way, you lose." Taskmaster then left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Roman Torchwick, you'll be coming with us for several charges, including armed robbery, attempted murder, and on account of aiding the White Fang, treason," Matt said.
"Oh, spare me the lawbook, your honor. Chances are I've broken a lot more than that.
"H-Huh?" Yang stammered. "How did you get here?"
"Long story," Marc answered as Yang took his hand. He pulled her back up to her feet. "We need to stop this train."
"It's being worked on," Yang replied.
"Clearly not fast enough. Let's go." Marc and Yang then both entered the next car, where the Lizard was holding an unconscious Weiss by her neck, with its gaping maw widening to take in her skull. "Hey, creature!" The Lizard stopped and looked at the two before snarling. "Leave that kid alone!" The Lizard hissed and tossed the heiress aside before lunging towards the other two.
"I think that's all of them," Ruby said. A blast then came out from one of the cars further back, tearing a whole in the side of the train, and shooting out of it was none other than the Lizard, who hit the tunnel wall and was left behind by the train, eventually fading away into the darkness that was the ever growing Grimm horde.
"Remember when I said not far enough?" Matt said. "Well, now we're really not far enough." The entire group looked forward and saw the tunnel was barricaded ahead by a metal door.
"Everyone, get close!" Weiss exclaimed. Everybody quickly grouped themselves together. Weiss twirled around, pointed Myrtenaster down, and stabbed it downwards, creating a glyph that formed a thick barrier of ice around all of them, protecting them as the train collided with the barrier and burst through up to the surface.
"So… we good?"
Cinder gave a small nod. "I suppose so. I think we both understand each other now."
Cinder smirked a bit; not a devious, flirtatious, or confident smirk, but a genuine show of emotion. And for some reason, that didn't bother her. She filled her own glass again and held it out. "To partners, Taskmaster?"
Taskmaster clinked his glass against hers. "To partners." The two then sipped their drinks comfortably. "Also… just call me Anthony."
The Defenders of Remnant
Chapter 25: Breach
Cardin sat alone at the usual diner, a glass to his left now empty, besides the cubes of ice. In front of him was a half-eaten tray of fries that he absent-mindedly continued to munch on as he looked through his scroll, not really focusing on anything in particular.
Cardin.
Cardin ignored Venom and put another fry in his mouth as he stopped on another VNN article about the other superheroes: the network's favorite topic of the past four months. He audibly sighed and put his scroll aside before rubbing his eyes.
Cardin!
"I swear to god, if you say I want chocolate one more time, I am going to scream. I will order dessert in a minute," Cardin threatened.
No, it's not that. Your anxiety, your negativity, it's like a constant ringing in my ears here, Venom said.
"Sorry, pal, just… I'm just thinking."
About Velvet?
"Yes and no. I get why she can't forgive me yet, I didn't expect it at the flip of a coin. It's her team that caught me off guard."
Why? Because they treated us like you treated them?
"Don't say 'us'. It was all on me," Cardin tried to correct the symbiote.
"We are an us now, Cardin," Venom replied firmly. "Your problems are mine, and mine are yours."
Cardin just sighs again and looks over at his scroll, where the article still sat. "Do you think we're doing things wrong?"
How wrong could you be with apologizing up front? Venom questioned.
"No, not about that. About the whole, y'know, superhero thing. Everyone else gets front page news because they save people in the open. But we're stopping bad guys in dark alleys in the middle of the night. All they know about us are the rumors of a monster in the streets."
You want us to be in the spotlight for the kingdom to see?
"Yeah, I do. I'm tired of having to hide even when I'm trying to do good. Just… what would they think when they saw me? Saw us? Would we even look like a hero to them, or just another monster roaming this world?" Cardin questioned, looking down as he did. He could almost feel the symbiote stir as it pondered the question he presented to it. Cardin let out a breath and put another fry in his mouth when loud, ear-piercing alarms began wailing across the city. Everyone in the diner looked around as soon as the sound started, but Cardin looked directly out the window towards the center of the city, somehow having a feeling that's exactly where the danger was.
You wonder what they'll think of us? Venom said. Let's find out.
The ten of them had all recovered from the train crash, their heads ringing from more than just the screaming alarms around them. Peter was in the worst shape, with Ruby pulling him away from the hole in the street the train was just peeking out of now. It didn't take them long after to realize their situation: they were surrounded by a horde of Grimm ready to tear them to pieces in Vale's town square.
"These things look hungry," Jessica remarked.
"We're not gonna be able to slip past them," Marc added.
"We can't slip past them," Yang said, "We have to keep them here and away from the rest of the city."
"She's right," Matt agreed. "If we let them escape, they'll spread throughout the city, cause panic, and draw more. But as long as we keep them in the square, they're focused on us. Peter, how are you feeling?"
"Could be better…" Peter groaned in response.
"Alright, Danny, you're still on him, get him in enough of a shape to move. RWBY, you're our front guard. Hold off as many Grimm as you can, and if any make it past you, the rest of us will be their second line of defense."
"And if they still make it past you?" Danny asked.
"Let's not let it come to that," Marc said as he cracked his neck and shoulders before taking a handful of moon blades from his belt and putting one between each of his fingers and balling his hands into fists, the sharp blades protruding between his fingers. A moment of silence went by, with some of the Grimm quietly growling at their soon-to-be prey. Then a large snake Grimm, a King Taijitu, rose above the rest and let out a shrill shriek. Quickly, the rest of the Grimm rushed towards the heroes and huntresses, closing them in even further. RWBY readied all their weapons and leapt forward to meet them.
Ruby landed and dug the blade of Crescent Rose into the ground before sprinting around in a circle close to her trademark speed, lifting herself off the background with her momentum. As the Grimm closed in on her, she began kicking quickly, hitting away every monster that got in her way, eventually clearing all of them near her.
Yang leapt upwards from the square and landed firmly on the face of an Ursa before sending herself flying backwards and upwards away from the square, and fired from her gauntlets back down at the Grimm, clearing a large section of the crowd of them quickly. She then heard cawing and looked behind her just before her trajectory sent her colliding with a small group of bird Grimm, who sent her back down to the ground. She fell in free fall momentarily before cratering in the street.
As the Grimm swarmed through the opening Yang left, Jessica swung in a wide arc and hit three away in a single strike, and sent another head-first into the concrete by grabbing it with a single hand and smashing it down face-first, but another leapt at her and pinned her to the ground, snapping its jaw at her head. Jessica pushed back against the creature long enough to pull back her second hand and punch right through the Grimm's throat. The creature let out a guttural scream before turning to dust. Jessica sighed in relief at the loss of the weight pinning her down, but then a Beowolf leapt over her towards Danny and Peter in the center. "Guys, look out!" She called. Danny looked back and saw the Beowolf quickly close the distance. Danny shot up and spun in an instant before connecting the heel of his foot to the Grimm's neck, snapping it and killing the creature instantly.
Blake dodged out of the way as an Ursa Major swiped at her, then counter-attacked by stunning it with her sheath followed by stabbing it right through the skull by going through its neck. Before the Grimm even fell, Blake pulled Gambol shroud away and transformed it to its firearm form and dropped to one knee. She spun around and fired at approaching Grimm, one shot each, killing each and every one swiftly.
Yang pulled herself out of her crater and saw Matt atop an Ursa, his two billy clubs connected by a metal wire wrapped around the Grimm's neck, steering it away from the center square and onto the street. Once it was clear of the square, Matt pulled hard and the metal wire tightened. The Ursa clawed at Matt to no avail, and the devil hero gave one last yank before the wire tore clean through the monster's neck, decapitating it in an instant. He rolled off as it collapsed and swiftly returned to his feet, only to hear five more Grimm come up behind.
"Daredevil, move!" Yang cried. Matt dove out of the way just before Yang sent a car flying into the group of Grimm, either flattening them into the streets or plowing through them directly.
"Could've used a quicker warning," Matt said.
"Eh, it's fine. Maybe they don't like red meat," Yang joked.
"Har har," Matt shook his head but smirked a bit.
Ruby took a few swipes at the King Taijitu to ward it away from Peter and Danny, and the creature stayed just out of her reach before rising above the height of the buildings and hissing at her, baring its large pair of fangs. Ruby nervously took a step back, then heard a loud boom in the distance. Both her and the Taijitu looked the opposite direction to see Nora flying in from above, riding her weapon, Magnhild, in its hammer form. As she approached, she grinned widely then brought her hammer above her head, winding up, then smashed it down onto the Grimm's head, flattening it into the ground and breaking the concrete below. As Nora landed, the rest of team JNPR took her side.
Jaune smirked and readied his sword and shield, only for Pyrrha to take charge. "Let's move!" She cried, and the team (minus Jaune) quickly got to work tearing the horde of Grimm, taking some of the weight off of RWBY's and the Defender's shoulders.
"Can't believe we have to get support from teenagers," Marc complained as he tore a Grimm's throat open with his moon blades and watched it collapse. "I'd rather have Stark chiming in my ear." A Beowolf then hit Marc into the ground and smashed its paw into his chest, taking all the air from his lungs. Even as Marc coughed for breath, the Beowolf's claws wrapped around him and lifted him up. Marc started to struggle as the Grimm pulled him closer and opened its mouth to consume the Moon Knight. Marc growled and punched it in its snout, stunning it and making it drop him. He quickly smashed its left leg in, snapping its joint and making it drop down, then gripped its jaw tightly. He pulled hard, yanking the Grimm's jaw right off. The Beowolf felt in vain for a piece of itself that was no longer there and dropped to its other knee. Marc gripped the Beowolf by its snout, reeled his fist back, then drove it right through the Grimm's eye socket so far it came out the other side.
Marc felt the Grimm go limp and ripped his arm out of its skull, letting it drop to the ground and fade away. "And here I thought I was done with werewolves…" He said to himself. He then heard growling and looked to his right to see three more snarling, ready to pounce at him. "Me and my fucking mouth…"
One of the Grimm started to leap forward when a burst of Dust rounds connected with its skull, killing it instantly. The two remaining Grimm looked at the direction the gunfire came from to see Frank Castle, dressed in his Atlas uniform and its painted black skull, rifle in hand. Without hesitation, Castle gunned down the other two Beowolves before they had a chance to move, then lowered his weapon and faced Marc. "Spector."
"Castle," Marc replied.
"You still crazy?" Castle asked.
"Little bit. You still murdering people?"
"Not as much, honestly," Castle answered, somewhat to Marc's surprise. "How's your imaginary god doin'?"
"He's good," Marc replied. "How's your dead family?"
Castle scoffs and looks at the other heroes and huntresses fending off the army of Grimm.
"I recall you throwing me out a window," Marc said.
"Ah, don't be a pussy," Castle waved him off.
"It was three stories, I'd say I have a right to bitch about it!" Marc replied.
"Hey, don't we have more important shit to do?" Castle said, gesturing back to the Grimm.
"I'll remember that 'pussy' comment," Marc pointed at Castle as they approached the square.
"Yeah, yeah," Castle rolled his eyes.
"And I'll pay you back for that window thing, too," Marc kept going.
"Just shut up and fight, Marc."
"Y'know, I would've hoped you'd come with backup. We can handle ourselves, but this is a ridiculous amount of monsters," Marc remarked.
"See, that's the fun part about being a soldier again…" Castle said as he looked up. Marc, as well as everyone else in the square, also looked to the sky as Ironwood's main flagship filled the sky , and several smaller ships descended from the massive hulk of metal. With their attention taken, Castle saw an Ursa sneak up to Ruby. He quickly aimed and fired a burst of Dust rounds that quickly killed the Grimm. Ruby turned in time to watch it dissolve, then looked at Castle. Castle nodded, and Ruby gave him a smile and a salute in return.
The smaller ships descended just a few dozen feet above the buildings and hovered there, lowering their ramps and allowing squads at a time of Atlesian Knights to drop to the ground and quickly behind dispatching Grimm, keeping them from getting too far from the town square.
"That's a hell of a cavalry, Frank," Matt said as he put his billy clubs away. Most of the Grimm were being attracted to the Knights anyway, and any left in the square itself were being dealt with by the others. The devil-suited hero then approached Marc and Castle, a scowl coming to his face. "But why the hell are you calling it in?"
"Because, Red, I'm a soldier again. Atlas personnel, one of Ironwood's high ranking specialists," Castle answered with a smug smirk.
"And how are you an Atlesian specialist?"
"Because he asked. And now, you can't touch me. So you can forget trying to bring me in, or stop my killing. Because now I'm the authority," Castle remarked, stepping close to Matt. The edge of Matt's lip twitched. "And that hurts you, doesn't it? That I get to do as I please?"
"As I recall, this isn't Ironwood's kingdom," Matt said. "His restrictions are your restrictions."
"Yeah, but that's still a whole lotta freedom, ain't it?" Castle smirked. Matt scowled, and Castle just chuckled.
"It's been fun catchin' up, Red, but I gotta job to do." Castle then pushed right past Matt and went to join the Atlesian Knights in clearing out the Grimm.
"Y'know, it's like he's more of an asshole every time you talk to him," Marc said.
"Hey, I think the Grimm are regrouping!" Danny called out to the others. Sure enough, the Grimm who had been separated and spread out had begun to regroup back at the square again, regaining their numbers quickly. Then a single bullhead pulled in just above the plaza containing team CFVY, Doctor Oobleck and Professor Port. The Huntsmen team dropped first, and immediately started to split up to deal with the Grimm. Yatsuhashi was surrounded just as his teammates left him, but he showed no sign of fear on his face. He simply drew his sword off his back, and smashed the blade into the ground, sending out a shockwave that blew back all of the Grimm surrounding him and obliterated the ground below him.
Meanwhile, Fox and Velvet together were swiftly taking care of a few lone Grimm who had broken away from the crowd. Once they were taken care of, Fox glanced forward, feeling that there were many more Grimm before them, and he focused on the Ursa Major in the center of the group. He rushed towards that particular Grimm, stopped short, and kicked it upwards into the air. Just as it came down, Fox unleashed a series of slashes with his orange bladed tonfa before reeling back and double punching the Ursa Major square in the skull, sending a shockwave through it that sent it flying into the other Grimm and exploded, sending the spikes from it's back into most of the other Grimm around it, killing every single one besides a lone Beowolf.
The spray of spikes was sent at everyone else, who either dove for cover or dodged the spikes. Velvet took cover behind Yatsuhashi, who protected her with his bulky build and large sword, Fox easily evaded the spray, and Coco swatted the spikes away with a suitcase in her hand. She continued with a strut in her step and slapped Fox's back end as she passed him by. "Nice hustle, Fox. Good Job," She smiled, then Fox leapt back to rejoin Velvet and Yatsu. Coco, meanwhile, didn't stop until she was feet away from the one Beowolf, which towered over her at three times her size. It roared violently at her, but she was unphased and lowered her sunglasses to gaze at it directly with her brown eyes.
"You just destroyed my favorite clothing store," She said directly to the Grimm before moving her glasses back up and spitting to the side. Her smile then faded away and was replaced by a scowl. "Prepare to die." The Beowolf howled again and took a swipe at Coco, but she parried the attack with her case and kicked its leg out from under it, finally bringing it down to her level. She leaned forward on one leg as the monster looked back up at her, then smashed it's skull into the pavement with the case, shattering the stone below it. She looked up past the now dead Beowolf to see three more and a Deathstalker rushing towards her.
"Shouldn't you guys help her?" Jessica asked the rest of team CFVY.
"Just wait," Yatsu said.
Coco dealt with the three other Beowolves with her case, but once the Deathstalker closed in, it thrust its scorpion-like tail forward, and Coco stepped out the way just before it connected with the pavement. "She's right, we should go help her," Velvet said before rushing to Coco's side and taking hold of a brown box with golden highlights strapped to the back of her waist. She was ready to activate it when her leader waved her off.
"Hey, c'mon, you spent all semester building that up," Coco said. Velvet nodded and backed off, watching her leader. "Don't waste it here." Coco continued forward and held her suitcase out to the side, hitting a switch on the handle. Quickly, the case expanded and transformed into a large, yellow minigun, which she took hold of tightly and unleashed a storm of bullets that tore through the Deathstalker instantly. She let loose hell upon any other Grimm behind it too, clearing that half of the square entirely in seconds, and also used that storm of bullets to tear through the Nevermore that were in the sky, tearing them in half, and only let up when their corpses fell from the sky and collided with the streets and building below.
The others were all left in awe at not just Coco, but team CFVY as a whole. "I take it back," Marc said, "These kids are fuckin' crazy."
"I know, right? They're so cool!" Ruby squealed.
"Not that kinda crazy, kid," Marc said.
They let their guard down as there were significantly less Grimm around, and none in the immediate vicinity at first. But a Beowolf had climbed atop one of the nearby buildings, staring at velvet and Yatsu. Velvet spaced herself from Yatsu a bit, not seeing an immediate threat, and that's when it leapt off the building, lunging for Velvet. The huntsmen all realized too late to rush to her.
"Velvet, look out!" Coco cried out. Velvet started to reach for the box attached to her waist, but had a feeling she wouldn't get to it in time.
Just as the Grimm's claws were about to reach the faunus girl, another black figure collided with the Beowolf, sending them skidding across the ground. Hunched atop the Beowolf was Venom, snarling at the Grimm. It roared at him, but the symbiote roared back before digging his claws deep into the Beowolf's chest. Cardin/Venom lifted the creature high above his head and tore it in half, dropping the two pieces to the street before they faded away. Venom snarled before turning to face Velvet, who seemed a little afraid. Cardin felt a bit of pain at the look, and then the symbiote pulled back to reveal his face. "You okay?" He asked.
"C-Cardin…?" Velvet stammered.
"Yeah, I probably should have led with this, huh?" He rubbed the back of his head.
"Dude, what is that stuff on you?" Coco asked.
"Long story, one I might tell you later. You still didn't answer my question yet, though," Cardin said.
"What? O-Oh! I'm sorry! Y-Yeah, I-I'm alright. Thank you for the save, Cardin…" Velvet thanked him.
"Like I said, I'm not the same. Trying to do better." Cardin looked at the rest of Velvet's team. "I get not wanting to forgive me. I was no better than the White Fang or the other criminals these guys put behind bars."
"There's one thing that makes you better than them," Yatsu said.
"And that is?"
"You're not a complete tool," Coco smirked. Cardin couldn't help but laugh a little, the tension between him and the team quickly fading away. "So, what, you're a superhero now too?"
"Figuring that out," Cardin replied with a smile. He and CFVY turned to see everyone else approaching them, and the symbiote once again covered Cardin's face. "How many Grimm are left?"
"Hard to tell," Matt answered. "A lot are being attracted to Atlas's machines, but they keep making their way back here if they survive."
As if on cue, another group of Grimm re-entered the plaza, chasing Sun and Neptune. "Guys, a little help here!" Sun exclaimed.
"I got this," Peter groaned as he got to his feet, also making sure Blake's scarf was still covering his face so CFVY couldn't see his full face.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked him.
"Sure. I could use some backup, though," Peter said. Ruby smiled and gripped Crescent Rose. "Scarlet Spider?"
"Haven't tried that out yet," Ruby smiled wider.
"Then let's go," Peter said. Both he and Ruby rushed for the group of Grimm, and Peter swung himself ahead of the Grimm, putting himself between the Grimm and Sun and Neptune. Ruby sped over with him and stopped next to him. "You ready?"
"Yep!" Ruby smirked. Peter webbed Ruby's back and started spinning her around in a circle, with Ruby putting the blade of her weapon outwards. The Grimm started to rush them, but once Peter gained enough momentum, he sent the fast-spinning Ruby towards the Grimm. Ruby spun insanely quick like a lethal top, cutting through the Grimm with Crescent Rose as she kept spinning and spinning. At the end, she slowed down and stopped herself as all the Grimm dropped down and faded away. "Ugh, I feel dizzy…"
"Maybe we should revisit 'Scarlet Spider' another day," Peter said as he nervously rubbed his neck.
"You… you're Spider-Man!" Velvet smiled. "Can I get your picture?"
"O-Oh, uh…" Peter clears his throat and deepens his voice a little so Velvet wouldn't recognize him. "M-Maybe another time, miss."
"Nice save," Blake whispered to him as CFVY turned back to the other heroes.
"Hey, you're the one who said to hide my voice," Peter whispered back. "I sound ridiculous."
"You look ridiculous."
"It's your scarf."
As they talked, Glynda Goodwitch stomped around the corner, her riding crop in hand. As Grimm tried to jump at her, a simple wave of her riding crop sent them flying away. When she got to the hole in the ground the train had broken through the street to create, she waved her riding crop around and the pieces of the road began to float over and piece back together, and quickly it was as if the road was untouched, not a sign left that moments before it was completely destroyed. And soon, the battle came to an end.
Once the chaos was over, Matt took Peter on the first bullhead back to Beacon for any medical attention Danny hadn't already taken care of, and Venom went back into hiding inside of Cardin, lest they be mistaken for a Grimm. Danny, Luke and Jessica remained for damage control, and helped on any remaining repairs needed to be done. The Huntsmen all stayed together and recuperated with one another after the thrill of the battle. Marc disappeared as soon as the fighting was done, and Torchwick was escorted on a bullhead heading for Ironwood's flagship by none other than the Punisher himself, though Sabretooth had escaped, and the Lizard was presumed dead, lost to the Grimm hordes in the tunnels. Once the cleaning was done, everyone went their separate ways, where eventually, RWBY (plus Zwei) found themselves back at Beacon's landing platforms, sitting on the edge and looking out at the bay.
"Well… we did it," Yang said.
"We did it," Blake repeated.
"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm going to be seriously disappointed," Weiss said.
"Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery. I wouldn't count on it," Yang said.
"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything," Ruby added. "A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this or who that mystery girl was."
"Well, not every story has a neat and tidy ending," Weiss said.
"We might not have all the answers," Blake added, "But we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And I think that's something we can be proud of."
"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them!"
"That's the spirit," Peter said as he approached them from behind. The huntresses all turned to look at him, and Zwei tilted his head at the newcomer.
"Hey, Peter. How do you feel?" Ruby asked.
"Could feel better, could feel worse," Peter answered before taking his seat between Yang and Blake. Zwei yipped and hopped over to Peter, taking a seat in his lap. Peter laughed a little and petted the little fuzzball. "Who's this little guy?"
"His name's Zwei," Ruby giggled.
"Our Dad sent him in for us to watch for a couple weeks while he's out on a mission," Yang said.
"Really? I thought cats and dogs didn't mix," Peter smirked and looked at Blake. He received her signature scowl in return. "Okay, not funny."
"How are your injuries?" Weiss asked with a concerned tone.
"Not as bad as they could be. Danny's chi kept me together until I got to the medical ward. Got some stitches and some very painful treatment along with a doctor's note that pretty much said 'take it easy' for about a month. Of course, I don't exactly have that option," Peter answered.
"You should still rest for a while. You've been through a lot," Weiss added.
"I'll live. It's been a couple days since I saw you four. I-I missed you guys." Peter said while rubbing his neck.
"We missed you too, Pete," Yang said before putting her arm around him and hugging him from the side. He nervously chuckled and hugged back.
"Try not to worry us like that again, okay?" Weiss said.
"It's not his fault," Blake said. "It was us who made him go out the other night. He just wanted to be Peter for a night. If anyone should apologize, it's us." The mood quickly started to change, and Yang pulled away from Peter and averted his gaze. They all did. Peter looked at the others, then looked at Blake, who stared at her own lap with a frown on her face. Peter could tell she really blamed herself, and based on the looks of the others, they did now too. He looked back at Blake.
"None of this is your fault. Yeah, I tried to stay at the dance, and you all convinced me to go. But if that danger had been real, if someone else was hurt and I actively ignored it… I wouldn't know what to think. I would blame myself just like you guys are now. I put the mask back on to honor the memories of my friends and family. If I had ignored that responsibility even once, I would desecrate their memory forever. And I can't ever do that again," Peter told the huntresses. "So don't blame yourselves. It's the job."
Weiss was the first to perk her head back up after that last line, and she quietly took a deep breath before returning to her full stature. "He's right. It's no different than us Huntresses and Huntsmen. It's our duty to protect the people of our kingdom, our world. It's no different for Peter."
"And that's exactly what you all did, Blake," Peter said to the faunus, who glanced back up at him. "Y'know, you can blame yourself all you want, but in the end, you still did exactly what Huntresses do: you saved my life, you stopped the White Fang, you helped fight an army of Grimm, and you did it all without me. I don't make this team, you four do. And you showed the world that today. I know it, they know it, and you can be sure the bad guys know it. I had to do my job, then you did yours, and in the end we won. At the end of the day, isn't that all you can ask for?"
Blake pondered this for a moment, then let out a sigh. "And you said I knew what to say…"
Peter smiled and let out a sound of relief. "Well, with all that behind us, what's the plan now?"
"I'd suggest training for the tournament, but I think we have that covered at this point," Weiss said.
"So then…?" Blake started to say.
"Uh, time for bed?" Ruby suggested. The four others let out sounds of agreement and they all got to their feet before heading back towards the main Beacon campus, with Zwei trotting along behind them.
Ozpin sat in his chair with his back to a holographic screen of the Vale Council, and Ironwood in the corner of the screen, his mug in hand and his cane propped up against the table. "Ozpin! Ozpin!"
Ozpin turned around in his chair to face the councilman. "Yes, councilman?"
"You've left us with no choice; The Vytal Festival Tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we cannot ensure the safety of our citizens!" The Councilman exclaimed. Ozpin barely paid him mind and sipped from his mug, unconcerned with the lecture he was receiving. Then the Councilman cleared his throat. "Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas council, and together have decided that the best option is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event."
"Thank you, Councilman," Ironwood nodded before his screen grew and theirs shrank. "Our kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that this event runs as smoothly and safely as possible."
"And we thank you, General," The Councilman replied.
"Will that be all?" Ozpin asked evenly.
"For now," The councilman replied. "But after this festival comes to a close, we're going to have a serious discussion regarding your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports of these last few weeks have left us somewhat… concerned. I'm sure you understand." The council's screen then faded away, and Ironwood's filled the screen.
"This is the right move, Ozpin," The general assured the headmaster. "I promise I will keep our people safe. You have to trust me." Ironwood's screen then faded away and the hologram receded into the projector. Ozpin turned his chair back around and let out an annoyed breath. Everything was inching away at him and his reputation. And he didn't know if he could stop it.
"Long day, Professor?" Ozpin heard Matt Murdock say. The headmaster turned back around to see all four Defenders and Marc Spector before him exiting the elevator. Matt was in his teacher attire, his suit and tie with his tinted glasses and walking stick, which was just his billy club in disguise. Danny was also in his civilian attire, but Marc was in his Mister Knight outfit, mask and all.
"Yes. This incident with the train has caused quite a stir. The council is being difficult, as always. That being said, I should thank you all. Alongside some of my students, you managed to save many lives today. I am grateful for all the help you've given me these past few months," Ozpin thanked the heroes. "So, to what do I owe this visit?"
"We need to have a talk, teach," Luke said.
"About what, may I ask?" Ozpin questioned.
"The truth," Danny answered. "The one that you've been hiding from us from day one."
"I'm not sure what you mean," Ozpin replied, though an uneven feeling began filling stomach.
"You know exactly what we mean," Jessica said with a furrowed brow. "So are we gonna keep playing cat and mouse or do we have to do this the hard way?"
"Again, I'm not sure-" Ozpin started, but Marc interrupted him.
"Salem, the two Brothers, the Maidens, reincarnation, is any of this ringing a bell, Ozma?!" Marc moved to stand before the headmaster and placed his gloved hands on Ozpin's desk. The headmaster, meanwhile, knew lying further was futile, and his stomach felt a thousand pounds heavier.
"Where did you learn this information from?" Ozpin asked, his polite facade all but gone.
"Raven Branwen. The one person you gave the information to and let get away," Marc answered. "I went to her to find out what you were hiding from us. And god damn, was I surprised." Marc backed away from the desk and stared at Ozpin with a death glare.
"We went along with you, Professor, because you seemed to have genuine interest in helping us, helping your people," Matt said. "And while I'm sure that's partially true, the main purpose of your citizens and your students is to be defensive meat shields for a godly relic hidden underneath these grounds. The same is said for the other three academies. Four maidens for four relics, four academies, four kingdoms. When you have the other pieces, it all starts to add up, doesn't it, Professor?"
"I don't think you understand the full picture-" Ozpin started to say, but Luke interrupted him this time.
"No, we get the picture. Keep the relics away from Salem, keep her from wiping away humanity, right?" Luke said. "Each relic is hidden beneath a school, and only a particular maiden can open the vault a particular relic is held in."
"You built these schools to have an active fighting force protecting the relics at all times. They're your barricades," Jessica added.
"How else would I protect the relics?" Ozpin questioned. "Salem commands the infinite amount of creatures of Grimm on Remnant, which has kept most humanity on the run for centuries."
"Which is why she doesn't just use Grimm, does she?" Danny said. "Torchwick, the mystery woman from the night we were here, the White Fang, maybe even Taskmaster; She's using them to break down your kingdoms."
Ozpin sighed and folded his hands in front of himself. "Most likely."
"Just like you wanted to use us," Marc suggested.
Ozpin looked at the five heroes staring him down. "If I were to tell the world about Salem, every human on the planet would go into a panic, lighting the fires of fear for the Grimm to follow. Humanity would be gone within days. The Huntsman academies were symbols of peace and stability. It made people feel calm. And then you all land on my doorstep. Believe me when I say, I still fully intend to send you all home when we have the ability, but ever since you've started protecting the kingdom of Vale, the entire world has watched. You give people hope in a way Huntsmen never could. You are symbols more powerful than I could ever hope to create. And if the entire world has hope and positivity, then that is a large victory over Salem and the Grimm."
"A fair point," Matt said, "But we aren't your huntsmen, nor are we tools for you to use as you please. Here's a question for you, Professor: what do you intend to do once we're gone?"
"I won't have to think of anything," Ozpin said. "From what I understand, Mister Parker won't be going anywhere anytime soon."
"What are you talking about?" Marc asked.
"Peter has made his wishes clear to stay on Remnant with his new friends and station his career as a masked hero in Vale. And I don't think either of us want to make his choices for him, now do we?" Ozpin clarified, locking eyes with Matt. A painfully silent moment went by as the blind hero and the cryptic headmaster glared at one another. "So… what will you do with this information, Mister Murdock? Because what happens next is in your hands."
Matt scowled. "Peter will be left in the dark for his own good. He has enough going on in his head as it is. Nothing we have said will leave this room, so long as we come to this understanding: we are the posterchildren for your kingdom's safety now. All it takes is a phone call to VNN and your already tarnished reputation will disappear in an instant. We will continue to protect your people, and I will continue to teach your students. But the days of you directly commanding us otherwise are over, as is keeping us in the dark. We will operate as we see fit, and you will hide nothing else from us, or else what we do know goes public. Do we have an understanding, Professor?"
If looks could kill, Ozpin's eyes would have razed all of them by now. "Crystal, Professor."
Ironwood approached Torchwick's cell aboard his flagship, the door guarded by two Atlas soldiers who saluted the general as he approached. "Leave us," He commanded as the door to the cell opened. Torchwick just smirked as he looked at the Atlesian General. "I've been informed that so far you've refused to cooperate with the authorities."
"I know this might be hard to believe, General, but I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement," Torchwick replied.
"How about the world's strongest military power?" Ironwood suggested while raising an eyebrow.
"Hm, first impressions…? Not great," Torchwick shook his head.
"I'm going to give you one chance," Ironwood threatened, "Who's really behind all this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Torchwick chuckled. "You're looking at him!"
Ironwood chuckled and put his hands behind his back. "Very well then." Ironwood turned on his heel and continued down the hall.
"What's the matter, General? I thought you wanted to talk!"
"The council has given me custody over you for as long as I see fit. So you can make yourself comfortable. I can assure you we'll have plenty of time to… talk."
"Oh, wonderful," Torchwick laughed before the cell door closed on him.
Cinder and Taskmaster clinked wine glasses before taking their respective drinks. They were sitting in Cinder's penthouse over another dinner and drinks. "All things considered, I would take today as a complete success," Cinder said.
"It could've gone better, but yeah, an overall win," Taskmaster said. He wasn't wearing a single piece of his uniform though. He was in civilian attire, his face open for Cinder to see, which wasn't strange for the two of them anymore. Anytime it was just them, Anthony had stopped minding taking his helmet off. Of course, no one outside the two of them know that. Everyone else will only ever see the metal skull mask and orange visor. But Cinder and Cinder alone gets to see what lay underneath.
"That brings us one step closer to the defeat of Ozpin and the Fall of Beacon," She smiled before setting her glass aside.
"I don't know how you convinced me to let the spider-brat go. We could've crippled the kingdom right there," Anthony said as he slammed the rest of his drink.
"I know your frustration, but bear with me. Follow our orders just a little longer, and you will stand alongside me as we watch Vale burn," Cinder assured him.
"I hope you're right. I don't know how much more of this waiting game I can take," Anthony sighed as he laid his head against the back of the couch.
"Your patience will pay off, and we will be two of an elite few that will rule this world. I can promise you that, dear Anthony."
"So… what's the next step?" Anthony asked, looking over at his ally.
"For now? Enjoy the time off. The Vytal Festival starts in a few weeks, and the whole world will be watching when our final move is made."
"Then what's the plan for the night?"
"Well, we still have to finish dinner," Cinder said before sipping her drink again.
"Yeah, right," Anthony said before picking his plate back up.
The two ate and drank until it was all gone. By the time it was time for Anthony to leave for the night, Cinder offered to walk him to the door. Anthony opened the door and stepped through the frame, and Cinder stood in the frame after him. "An excellent job tonight, Anthony. With only a little more time, we will all stand on top of the world."
"I'll give you one thing, Cinder: You have my back. So long as we work together under Salem like this, you and I will keep getting along just fine."
"Aren't you underplaying it a little bit?" Cinder asked.
"What do you mean?"
"If you recall, our previous relationship was I attempt to manipulate you, fail, and you become aggressive. But ever since we had our 'talk', things have been different."
"If we're about to get emotional, I walk away quicker," Anthony said.
"Just listen," Cinder frowned. Anthony sighed and stood in front of her. "You have become a major part in our operation, and have proved invaluable. That is the objective analysis of us. But neither of us truly trust anyone, even our closest allies. Which is why I need to ask, given our new dynamic: Can I trust you?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just answer the question," Cinder said.
"If you mean can you count on me to do my job? Then yeah, you can trust me."
"You know what I mean."
Anthony sighed and hesitated before elaborating. "All it takes is a few looks, and I understand everything about someone. First their fighting style, then their mannerisms. Then their personalities. I go up that ladder until I understand the person better than they understand themselves. Before, I nearly had you down to a T. But since then? I can't get a full read on you. You're almost back to being a mystery to me, at least when it's just us."
"And is that a good or a bad thing?" Cinder asked as she stepped closer.
"Honestly? I can't tell. We're not exactly at each other's throats at a constant anymore, but I'm constantly on edge because the heroes, Salem, all of the god damned morons we have to work with to get this done. I'm falling out of my element…" Anthony sighed.
"Well," Cinder said as she stepped closer and hesitantly, but gently, placed her left hand on his right shoulder, "That's why I ask the question. Because if there's one thing you need during this confusion, it's someone to trust."
"And are you confused?" Anthony asked.
"Honestly? Yes. I've been raised as a weapon, a tool, a killer. My purpose is to serve Salem. In that purpose, I have used others as she uses me. But you have made yourself an outlier in that path."
"And… is that a good or a bad thing?" Anthony asked, posing to Cinder the same question she asked him.
"I think it's time we found out," Cinder said. She then brought her other hand up to his neck and gently pulled him downwards, and while one instinct told Anthony to pull away from Cinder at that moment, another told him to tempt fate with her. In the moment, he chose the latter. His hands came to her waist just as their lips met. After a few moments of holding it, Cinder pulled Anthony by his neck and led him back inside the penthouse, closing the door behind them.
Act II of III complete!
New Cast Members!
Coco Adel
Fox Alistair
Yatsuhashi Daichi
The Tinkerer stared at a large glass cylinder in front of him, and inside was a young figure floating in liquid with a clear mask over the lower part of their face, giving them oxygen. He was smirking in fascination when Emerald and Mercury entered the room.
"Cinder was wanting a report on your current research, Mason," Mercury said.
"Well, you can tell her that my further endeavors into genetic tinkering have proven fruitful. Take a look," Mason gestured to the cylinder. The two looked up into the cylinder to see the body had the face of Peter Parker.
"I-Is that…?" Emerald started to ask.
"No, my dear, it's not. Peter Parker himself is behind the walls of Beacon Academy now. But Taskmaster was kind enough to give me some of the boy's DNA while he tortured him. This, Emerald… this will be our newest enforcer. We lost the Lizard, but who better to replace him, than an exact clone of Spider-Man?" The three of them kept staring at the face that wasn't Peter Parker, and the clone remained unconscious, floating there as it was fed oxygen.