Finally got this chapter finished. I don't always do heavy fight scenes, but that's the only way to do Tyrian justice. He doesn't just kill people. He plays with his toys, breaks them, then kills them. A lot of stuff going on and kids refusing to listen cause so many problems. Because of this early interaction, a lot of stuff in the storyline is about to change. We can give into things the series never really did.
Special thanks to ancientdragonduelist for Betaing and Healthcare . gov for assisting with fight scenes.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"PENNY!"
Jaune and Ruby cried out in unison as the mysterious man stabbed their friend. No cry escaped the girl's lips as she looked down at the blades impaled inside her. She wasn't scared, but understandably looked confused. The man also seemed confused, and a little disappointed.
"Huh, this isn't satisfying at all," the man asked, tapping at her chest. "What's wrong with you?" Penny swung her fist down to punch the man in the face, but he raised his right arm and blocked it. "Oh, still got some fight in you?" He spun around and kicked Penny, sending her flying behind Jaune and Ruby.
"Who are you?!" Jaune demanded, standing in front of his friends, his shield raised.
"Tyrian Callows, at your service!" The weird man bowed mockingly. "Though it really shouldn't matter to you. I'm here to talk a bit, break you, skin you alive, and then kill you all for daring to annoy the Queen." He paused. "You do interest me though." His eyes seemed to bulge out as he said this when staring at Jaune.
A shiver ran down the boy's spine as he glanced back at Ruby.
"How's Penny?" The boy asked, focused on the serious wound Penny received.
"J-Jaune…" Ruby stammered as she looked at the wound on Penny's chest. "I don't know what to say but…"
"I am fine, Jaune!" Penny pushed herself to her feet.
"How?!" Jaune gasped.
"Yes, how?" Tyrian parroted.
"Her body… It's metal." Ruby whispered, still in shock.
"I am not human," Penny seemed apologetic and unusually down. "I am an android developed by Atlas. My entire body is made of metal, so a simple stab wound will not take me down."
"Ah, hah!" Tyrian pointed at her. "No wonder it wasn't satisfying. There was no flesh to squish and squelch, along with the chorus of screams to accompany them!"
"I am sorry for lying to you two," Penny continued, stepping forward. "If you two do not wish to be my friends, I would understand. But we should save this conversation until the threat has been neutralized. "
"Who said we wouldn't want to be your friend?!" Ruby demanded, jumping to her feet and raising her beloved scythe. "I don't care that you're a robot."
"If anything, that makes you cooler." Jaune agreed.
Penny looked between those two in surprise and the man, Tyrian, put his hands together.
"Awwwww, the kiddos are so close, it would be a shame to separate them. So… I GUESS I'LL KILL YOU ALL! BAHAHAHA!"
Tyrian charged, running at them with insane speed. His eyes were wide open with a maniacal glee. Penny and Ruby dashed to the side as Jaune charged forward to take the blow. He shoved himself into Tyrian's wild hook, the clawed fist slamming into the shield with an impact that rattled his teeth. Tyrian raised an eyebrow when the blonde responded with an unexpected ferocity, but he read his movements like a picture book as Jaune opened his guard for a retaliating slash.
Tyrian jumped over the attack, and reached down, latching one of his claws onto the top of the shield. His feet then pressed against the front of the metal and the man leaned forward. His bulging eyes were staring deep into Jaune, like he was looking into his soul. A twisted, vile smile adorned his lips.
"Ooooo!" Almost like a child playing a game, Tyrian didn't do anything but giggle maniacally and make some weird noises. "Helloooooooooo in there!"
In a flutter of rose petals, Ruby appeared behind him and swung her scythe. Tyrian kicked off Jaune's shield, sending the boy stumbling backwards. The force of the kick let the man fly into the air, above Ruby's strike, which whistled through the air harmlessly below him. Ruby started to turn her head, but Tyrian's reactions were honed over what could easily have been her entire lifetime. By the time she caught sight of him, it was too late. He gave an animalistic screech as he got in her face, bounding up and off the ground before slamming his foot into her gut. Ruby cried out as her Aura shuddered and she was hurled back into Jaune's recovering form, sending them both to the ground in a heap.
The man snickered as he landed, then somersaulted backwards as a floating blade sliced at him. He used his tail to brace his back while rolling, pushing him back onto his feet in time to side-step another flying sword. The tip of the possessed weapon jabbed into the dirt between his feet. He raised an eyebrow over the new development, only mildly impressed as another blade swept in for a jab that was deflected without thought.
"Leave my friends alone!"
"Woah…" Jaune stared wide-eyed at the sight before him.
"Penny's so cool!" Ruby squealed before getting a hold of herself and focused on Tyrian.
Ten blades were floating behind Penny, dancing around in patterns on both sides. This was the first time any of them had seen her weapon. Tyrian took a moment to eye the sight, but sighed in… disappointment? Ruby couldn't tell as his demeanor seemed to flip flop constantly.
"Wind-up toy, I have far more… entertaining prey to deal with ." The man rolled his eyes. "Just wait there, I'll disassemble you after fileting those two."
"You will not," Penny stated. "For I am combat ready!"
Penny ran forward with the blades following her like magnets. Spinning around, the swords moved with her, swinging in a line horizontally, almost like she was a bladed top. Tyrian raised his bladed bracers and blocked the strikes, causing sparks to fly from the collision. The blows came one after the other, all of them crashing against his guard in sequence, but he wasn't even pushed back a little. He was forced to move, however, when one of the blades split itself into two smaller weapons, stabbing at the sides of his abdomen. He had to admit, all-range fighters were fun, but he'd killed better.
"He he he. You'll have to do better than that, little tin can."
Bending his knees slightly was the only warning the girl got as Tyrian pushed off the ground and charged at her, his body low to the ground. Moving at speeds that would make some onlookers think he had a speed Semblance, normal people wouldn't have been able to react. Luckily, Penny was not normal. Enhanced robotic reflex and data processing already had her swords returning to her. The ten blades spun in a circle in front of her, acting as a makeshift shield. Tyrian's blades sparked against the metal.
Intricate swords flying around didn't faze the murderer at all. If anything, the crazed smile grew on his face as he pushed the blades aside with pure force. Penny's eyes widened as she tried to quick-adjust, but Tyrian delivered another kick into her stomach. She was lifted into the air like a ragdoll, her Aura flaring aggressively as she slammed into the ground. Ruby took this opportunity to attempt to land a blow, but Tyrian ripped about just as fast. His crazed grin told her all she needed to know as he blocked her strike with ease.
"You're going to have to do better than that too, KEHAHAHA!" He shrieked.
"Rrrrr!" Ruby growled as she tried to push down,
A mistake on her part, as Tyrian used his free hand to slash her. Ruby adjusted Crescent Rose so the hilt took most of the hit. However, part of the gauntlet skipped up and over the scythe's handle, cutting deep into her shoulder. She winced as pain shot up and down her arm, Aura flashing and surging to absorb the damage as best as it could. Before Tyrian could deliver another attack, his other arm was forced to block the sword strike at his back. He pulled his head back to see Jaune straining to push his blade down. The young knight was surprised to see his blow captured so easily, with Tyrian sneering and readjusting himself to shoot Jaune a taunting smirk.
At least Tyrian's arm was trembling slightly.
"Ahaha, You're stronger than you look!"
"Fuck you!" Jaune told him.
"Awww, you like me." Tyrian spun around, sending both kids back as his gauntlets hit Jaune in the side of the head and Ruby's side. Both kids were knocked away as red and white Aura flashed. "But it's not going to save you… oops!"
Penny had returned and the man was forced to knock away flying blade after flying blade as the girl gestured with her hands to direct the swords. Tyrian seemed to be enjoying himself as he dodged the swords slashing and stabbing at him from all directions. Almost like he was doing some weird breakdance, he bounced around erratically, reveling in the experience. After kicking one sword away, Tyrian rushed forward, ducking under two more, to close the distance to Penny. Three swords spun in front of her as a shield, but he batted them aside with a vicious backhand.
"Kekekeke!"
Slash after slash, the man clawed and stabbed at Penny. At least this time, the girl was ready to a degree and her Aura flashed as it absorbed the blow. She wasn't getting speared like the first surprised attack. Still, a cry of pain escaped her as the powerful criminal continued his barrage. With a flick of her wrist, four swords flew at Tyrian's back, but the man kicked off the ground and escaped to the left as the weapons whistled harmlessly through the air. They circled around Penny and floated by her sides.
"So you can feel pain!" Tyrian cried out gleefully. "Maybe this won't be so boring after all! I wonder how much pain you can feel? Hehehe, silly me. That's a stupid question. We'll find out soon enough." He stretched his hands above his head and his scorpion tail flicked back and forth.
"I do not believe we can defeat him," Penny reported to Ruby and Jaune, her hands moving to direct her swords in front of her. "I advise you two to retreat and let Qrow and Winter know of the situation."
"We can't leave you!" Ruby protested, scrambling to her feet. "This guy's nuts. He'll kill you."
"I will not die easily, Ruby." Penny assured her friend. Hopefully, she was still one after she processed what Penny really was. "And I can always be repaired and replaced."
"Nonsense," Jaune admonished her, moving up so he was next to the robot girl. "People aren't replaced that easily."
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, shifting her scythe in her grasp. "You either come with us, or we stay here."
"I… thank you…" Penny looked like she was tearing up, even if no tears came out. "This isn't wise though and I don't want you two hurt."
"AWWWWWW!" Tyrian clasped his hand together next to his face. "The kids want to die together. That's adorable. Not all at once though. When I kill one of you, I want the others to cry." He bent his knees. "Let's see who the lucky one is! Hahahaha!"
The man charged forward once more at superhuman speeds.
Ruby and Penny were skilled enough to react before Tyrian reached them. Moving just as quickly, they flanked him as Jaune was only fast enough to take one step forward, shield raised to meet the crazed individual. A normal person wouldn't have let the three Huntsmen in training flank them so easily, but Tyrian was anything but normal. In fact, being attacked only seemed to excite him. Jaune swung his blade just like Qrow taught him, using his entire body. There was no way he could hold back or Tyrian would just knock it away like a fly.
Clang!
Tyrian blocked the sword with his own blade. It looked almost effortless, but Tyrian's arm did shake a little. It actually confused him a bit, as the boy didn't look that strong. If his muscles weren't that powerful, the only other option was he could manipulate his Aura to increase his power. But the blond didn't look that smart or skilled to do so. Just another reason Tyrian found himself interested in the boy.
"Oops!"
Tyrian ducked as Ruby swiped at his head and spun around the attack with his other bladed wrist guard. Ruby vanished in a flurry of petals as two flying swords zipped past her, meeting Tyrian's strike. The man swiveled, kicking off Jaune's shield for a burst of speed, landing on his hands as three more swords slashed him in a chain. Pushing up with observed strength from his position, he leaped over the blades, and kicked Jaune in the head, sending the boy tumbling.
Gunfire rang out as Ruby swapped to her gunform, pelting Tyrian with bullets. Arms moving in a blur, the bullets were mostly blocked by his blades, though a few were dodged by his quick movements and one did hit his Aura, but didn't do any noticeable damage. Penny then came at him from the side, multiple swords dancing in front of her as they slashed at him from both sides. Instead of trying to back away, Tyrian charged forward and pushed through the defensive blades, to deliver a couple slashes against the girl, making her green Aura glow once more in response.
Ruby zipped over to assist, spinning her scythe blade in a circle to acquire some centripetal force in order to break Tyrian's guard. As the blade spun, she kept attack after attack going, forcing the man off Penny. He met each strike with his own, causing sparks to fly as they exchanged of their blades were moving faster than Jaune's eyes could follow, even if he wasn't grogging with a possible concussion from the last hit. He was currently pushing himself off the ground as Penny stood there, her arms out, holding her floating swords at hand.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked, without turning around.
"Barely," Jaune mumbled, standing up. "We need a plan. Something big he can't block."
"I can fire an energy beam if that would help." Penny informed him.
Jaune stared at her as the gears in his brain processed this bit of information.
He actually forgot she was a robot there.
"Do you need to charge it, or…"
"I can fire when ready." Penny's swords formed an almost cylindrical shape in the air as they spun around in a circle, all blades pointing at Tyrian, who seemed to be taunting Ruby by blocking all her strikes without breaking a sweat. "Do you have a plan?"
"Yeah, when Ruby backs up, fire." Jaune took a deep breath. Hopefully his best friend would remember the jokes they made during the night. If he yelled at her to just get away, Tyrian would be warned. Pulling out his sword, he stepped up and a couple steps away from Penny to keep any attention off her. "Ruby, Cheat Code 2!"
Ruby brought her scythe down in a direct horizontal slash like a guillotine. Tyrian smirked as he raised both hands to catch the attack and stop the speedy little girl from escaping. Only to have the weapon disappear at the last second. The man blinked in surprise as he tried to understand what happened. The code phase Jaune used also slowed his reaction. He turned his head to see Ruby standing by Jaune, then a green ball of light forming in the cylindrical shape made by Penny's weapons.
Ruby was waving at him.
"Go to hell!" Jaune called out cheerfully as Penny fired.
A giant green laser flew out and collided where Tyrian had been standing. Ruby and Jaune gaped at her as the beam continued, sending a huge explosion of dirt, dust and heat everywhere. Turns out, having a robot friend was pretty beneficial. Jaune raised his arm to cover his face as Ruby used her cloak to avoid getting anything in their eyes. Penny finally stopped firing and the heat vanished, as clouds of dust obscured everything.
"How did you know to retreat?" Penny asked curiously. "Jaune never said to."
"Uncle Qrow likes to spar us two on one and we have trouble beating him," Ruby giggled. "So for fun, we created some Cheat Codes to use against him. Cheat Code 2 is, back up, I'm about to hit him hard. I didn't realize it was going to be THAT hard." Her face sombered up.
"Do you think he survived?" Jaune asked, also concerned.
"I do not think he did," Penny stated. "Which would be a good thing, as I am unable to fire another beam with my current battery life. We should notify our supervisors about a mass murderer-..."
"That was a one time thing? Shame…"
All three kids froze as the smoke began to clear, revealing a shadow of a man.
"Nooooo…." Ruby whimpered.
"I believe we might be in trouble." Penny warned.
Slowly, the demon stepped out from the smoke. His clothes burnt and torn, but other than that, he looked relatively unharmed. Though his eyes were bulging, the sinister grin stretched out even more from ear to ear. They didn't think it was possible for him to look even more insane. As he continued, his words were like poisoned honey.
"... you… missed!"
"I suggest you two retreat now," Penny whispered. "I'll hold him off for as long as I can." Her swords circled around her in preparation.
"Oh, none of you are escaping." Tyrian began to giggle. "I'm going to skin you slowly as your friends watch. It will be glorious! Imagine your faces as each of you watches the others scream!"
"He's insane!" Jaune gasped. "And is he immortal?!"
"Only the goddess can claim immortality, heathen!" Tyrian accused. "I'm going to drag you to her directly and make you beg for forgiveness after you see those two die!"
"I'd rather not." Jaune didn't want to imagine what strange thing that man considered to be a goddess. "You can go back to her without me."
"Hehehehe!" Tyrian couldn't stop giggling. "Your compliance isn't a factor! Your big attack failed and look, I'm unharmed!" He held out his hands like he would hug them. "A bunch of brats can't hurt me."
"Oh, yeah!" Ruby yelled back in a mixture of anger and fear. "Well…. Your ponytail is stupid!"
Tyrian leaned back in shock with a hand on his chest.
"Wow, that's the most damage you've done since I've gotten here." The man gasped. "There we were having a nice discussion about me killing you and then you insult me? How rude!" His teeth flashed as he grinned. "I guess you can die first!"
His foot kicked off the ground hard. Covering the distance between the kids and himself, Tyrian reached them before they had a chance to react. He extended his arm and the blade was going straight for Ruby's throat.
Even Penny couldn't react in time, trying to recover from her energy expenditure.
CLANG!
Ruby had instinctively closed her eyes, but when she heard metal clang against metal, she opened the magain. Standing in front of her was a man, his arm over his shoulder as he used the flat of his sword to block Tyrian's attack.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried out in relief.
Qrow gave her a small reassuring smile then his expression hardened. He raised his sword from his back, pushing Tyrian away, while simultaneously spinning around and moving into a slash. This was what he had started to teach them. Moving from one attack to another and not remaining helpless between strikes. Tyrian's expression turned from surprise to sick glee as he stabbed back, but Qrow just knocked the blade away and then made a horizontal slash. Tyrian ducked under it and then rolled away, before springing to his feet.
"As I live and breathe, if it isn't Qrow Branwen!" Tyrian held his hands up. "A true Huntsman has entered the fray."
Qrow raised an eyebrow and looked back at Ruby.
"I don't know?" The girl replied. "This guy's weird."
"Listen, I don't know who you are," Qrow told Tyrian. "But you need to leave these brats alone and surrender before someone gets hurt."
"His name is Tyrian." Penny added helpfully.
"Oh, I'm afraid that's impossible," Tyrian held out a hand as he bowed. "You see, my grace ordered me to hunt down all loose ends and it appears, you all are the last one. That is what I must do because one does not just upset the Queen. I finished up the others a couple days ago when I set a house on fire."
"So it was you…" Qrow's expression hardened. "You killed Manny."
"What?!" Ruby and Jaune gasped.
"I think we've had enough talking for now." Tyrian had his hands on his hips as he paced back and forth. "Let's continue."
"I couldn't agree more!" Qrow wore a smug expression as he held out his sword. "But I don't have time to play around with you. Sorry about that."
"Huuuuh?"
Before Tyrian could ask what he meant, several small flying objects pelted at him from the side. His arms raised instinctively as dozens of glowing white birds slammed into him, shattering against his Aura and body. The force was enough to make him leave grooves in the ground as he was forced back. Once the birds were gone, he lowered his arms and saw a white glyph floating above Winter Schnee. The woman was wielding a thin sword and as the glyph vanished, the blade lowered to point to him.
"Ooo, now it's a party!"
Tyrian raised his scorpion-clawed gauntlet to block the large sword from Qrow as the man dashed over. Pushing it up, he struck with the other under Qrow's arm, attempting to stab him in the side. Qrow spun on the spot, causing the attack to spear harmlessly through the air, before bringing his blade down at Tyrian's neck. Tyrian responded by jumping up and spinning like a top in midair. Much like Ruby, he was building centripetal force before straightening out his leg and bringing it down like an ax kick.
Qrow dashed to the side and then swung his sword, causing Tyrian to somersault backwards, delivering a kick toward Qrow's jaw that the man just managed to avoid by leaning. Tyrian landed on his feet and then bolted forward, swinging one hand in an attempt to slice Qrow open. Metal met metal as Qrow knocked the blade away and then switched to the other. Several blows at breakneck speed were exchanged and sparks flew before Qrow pushed him away and made some room between them.
Winter then struck, using a glyph behind her to boost her speed. Her blade passed inches from Tyrian's shoulder as the criminal bent away and swung his blade in an uppercut toward the head. Winter kicked off another white glyph that appeared in front of her, letting her leap over Tyrian while striking downwards. A clawed hand was swung against it, knocking both attacks back. As Winter landed on Tyrian's other side, Qrow had already closed the distance, slashing back and forth, up and down, wildly and with fierce intensity. His blade even stretched out as gears turned and each segment of his sword split into a curved half scythe to increase his range in the middle of the assault.
For the first time, Tyrian actually seemed to be on guard.
Though the gleeful expression he wore told them all he was enjoying himself.
"I'll get my hands dirty, Princess. You just keep him busy." Qrow cracked his neck, lowering his body to the ground as he tightened his stance. Harbinger rattled in affirmation as his weapon's mechanism cycled and hardened itself again in the form of a brutal claymore.
Winter scoffed at his remark, but to her credit, she seemed to take it in stride. A black rune appeared beneath Qrow's feet, with one attaching itself to his back.
"Don't let me slow you down then."
With her reply, the runes activated in unison, propelling Qrow forwards and up at a slight enough arc that it positioned him a couple feet above Tyrian. His blade lashed with the force of a cannonball, crashing into Tyrian's guard. The scorpion Faunus gritted his teeth as he shrugged it to the side, merely deflecting the blow as he dashed to his left. The seasoned killer bounded back with great leaps, peppering the Huntsman with machine gunfire. Not one to let up on his momentum, Qrow happily obliged to the chase.
Qrow knew it was a trap, of course. A man like Tyrian would never willingly give up space, not when his forte was up close and in your face. He was egging Qrow on, daring him to get closer. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have taken the bait. He had Winter on his side and all the time in the world, Tyrian would be wrecking his own standing. But sometimes, closing a door can open a window, and the madman across from him had his eyes set on a new opening right now.
Qrow's offensive dash brought him in front of Tyrian once again, bringing his blade up in a devastating uppercut that carved the earth beneath their feet like a spoon through mousse. Propped up on one arm, Tyrian pushed himself away while supporting himself with his tail, moving in a loping, almost slurred motion that aggravated Qrow. Tyrian Callows wore many hats, it appeared, including that of a would-be acrobat. The savage man smiled, but his glance flickered above Qrow's shoulder for a brief moment, and he followed his gaze as well. He grimaced, knowing exactly what his opponent was looking for.
Ruby thumbed the mechanism on Crescent Rose and collapsed it into its ranged form. If there was no opening for her at the moment, she could at least give her uncle some cover. Jaune was shaking the cloudiness from his eyes, while also giving Penny a worried look as well. The gaping wound in her mechanical torso was still off-putting, despite her repeated assurances that it was fine. Nevertheless, he kept his weapon drawn as he eyed Tyrian carefully.
His instincts told him to be prepared.
The killer was wild in his movements, but to Qrow's eye, it was as if Tyrian was leading him on like he was on a leash. If he wavered in his offense, then Tyrian would have a clear shot at the kids. Experience told him there would be consequences if he left an opening for that. Qrow may have had the momentum, but Tyrian still held all the cards.
"Jaune, Ruby!" He barked, ripping Harbinger around in a horizontal cut. The wide arc of the strike allowed him to swap the weapon's form again. The blade shifted up and slid back into a recurved shape. Its handle extended by a factor of five. The curve was nowhere near as drastic as its full form, but the war scythe provided reach that Tyrian couldn't. It could buy him time. "Get back to town and warn Teal!"
"Penny, go with them!" Winter was responsible, Qrow would always give her that. She understood what he was doing and sent her ward along with the others. The man lashed out again, swinging the polearm around in wicked arcs that forced the scorpion Faunus back a tad. Tyrian snarled, but his lips still curved into a nasty grin.
"Trying to keep the tykes safe, yeah?" He chuckled darkly. "Aww, you're such a doting dad!"
The pincer-like weapons elongated themselves as well, catching the blade and upper half of the war scythe in a twisting grasp. Qrow forced himself forward, but Tyrian had a better position closer to the point of contact. Stepping into Qrow's guard, he planted a nasty punch to his gut, one that buckled his Aura and sent him staggering. He coughed from the pain but had forced the sensation down fast enough to whip the weapon's handle around to attempt to smack Tyrian across the head, which he took by bringing his forearm up to stop.
"Nah, kids like them don't need to listen while the adults have a little chat." Tyrian narrowed his eyes as Qrow leveled the war scythe again. "But I'll discipline you like your old man should have."
"Oh he tried… hehehe… so I pushed him off a cliff!"
Tyrian caught movement to his right and tried to dodge the speedy strikes of Winter's consecutive jabs, but being tangled with Qrow, he wasn't able to move properly. Her sword stabbed him multiple times, causing a sick purple aura to flash as each blow collided with the crazed man's body. Tyrian was actually forced away by the relentless assault and then raised his shoulder to block the hilt of Qrow's war scythe as the old man spun around. The pain he should have felt didn't seem to disturb him. If anything, it turned the sick individual on more.
Ruby yelped as Jaune grabbed her shoulder and pulled her after him. Penny followed dutifully close behind, while Jaune shot a concerned glance over his shoulder. He had been given an order and he instinctively began to carry it out. Qrow, Winter, and Tyrian clashed again, bouncing back and forth with such control in their movements that he swore that they could be dancing. Each step was placed with as much intent as each strike, not even pausing to breathe out of time.
"We can't leave him! Let me go back and help!" Ruby protested, struggling against Jaune's grasp as he pulled her away from the fighting. They had gotten some distance before Qrow's order really sunk into the girl's brain. The boy was almost tripped when Ruby's leg shot out.
"I understand, but he gave us an order!" Jaune told her, anger in his voice, yet it wasn't directed at her. It was directed at him. The boy was too weak to fight someone like Tyrian. Their short exchange showed just how outmatched they were. "The guys isn't like Grimm. He's insane and a monster. We'll just get in the way."
"I must concur with Jaune about that." Penny agreed. "Qrow and Winter sent us away for that reas-..."
"We're supposed to be stopping people like that!" Ruby protested, digging her feet into the ground. "If we run away, what was all the training we did for!?"
"We're training so we can stop people like that!" Jaune countered. Clangs of metal and gunfire could still be heard from their position. Qrow's warnings rang in his mind, about trying to fight impossible odds. "We'll only get in the way!"
"That's my uncle!" Ruby pulled herself out his grip. "I can't leave him. I won't lose someone I care about!"
"S-Stop!" Jaune reached out to grab her again, but she vanished in a flutter of petals. "Damn it, Ruby!" He made a fist. "I'm going after her. Penny, you go warn the town about Tyrian."
"We were given orders to all go." Penny pointed out, frowning.
"Yes, but you were given it by Winter," Jaune countered, already turning around and beginning to dash off. "Atlas protocol and stuff. Ruby and I are from Vale and have some leeway!"
The boy left the confused robot girl behind as he went back to retrieve Ruby.
Blades moving at inhuman speeds struck each other as Qrow, Winter, and Tyrian exchanged blows. Tyrian ducked under Qrow's sword to deliver a jab, only to be forced into defense by Winter's precise strikes. Qrow's war scythe could deliver powerful blows, while Winter's was more accurate. The two of them together left no openings for Tyrian to exploit. Slowly, they were pushing him back. Qrow jumped over Tyrian, swinging his sword downwards, only to be blocked. Tyrian's tail then stuck out, preparing to stab the man when he landed, only for Qrow to never touch the ground behind him.
A white glyph floated in the air and Qrow kicked off of it.
Swinging his leg back, Qrow delivered a powerful kick into the back of the man's head. Tyrian was sent flying forward, his face scraping the ground. If his weapons hadn't been attached to his wristguards, there's no doubt he would have dropped them. Winter approached from one side, pointing her sword at him as Qrow landed and did the same with his scythe.
"Take that, asshole." Qrow spat out.
"Tyrian Callows, you are under arrest." Winter told him, no amusement in her eyes.. "Atlas has been looking for you for a long time."
"The Queen will be furious!" Tyrian cried. "I can't fail."
"You can tell us all about your Queen." Qrow told him, when a rustle alerted them. Raising his blade, he prepared for a possibility of an accomplice when a blur of rose petals appeared.
"Did you get him?!" Ruby yelled.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Qrow demanded, his face red. "I gave you a direct order!"
"B-But… we couldn't leave you behind…" Ruby stammered, disarmed at her uncle's anger. "I was just…"
"Watch out-...oof!"
Winter tried to warn them, but to no avail. Ruby had distracted both adults for only a second, and a second was all it took. Tyrian spun around on the ground like he was break dancing, slashing at Winter and swiping Qrow's legs out from under him. Then he bolted directly at Ruby.
"Thanks for that!" Tyrian cackled maniacally. "Let me reward you!"
Ruby's eyes widened but she quickly swung her scythe at the oncoming man. Tyrian ducked under the blow and lifted his clawed wristblade. The blade pushed into Ruby's side as her Aura flashed. The metal then sunk through the clothes and into her skin.
Dark red blood soaked into her clothes.
"Oops." Tyrian pulled his claw out with a sickening squelch. "I broke my toy."
"RUBY!" Qrow scrambled to his feet and moved like a man possessed. A blur that would have resembled his niece. Winter conjured a glyph between the girl and Tyrian, propelling the man away from the girl. Ruby's face was growing pale as her hand clutched her side. Falling on her knees, she only avoided complete collapse due to Qrow catching her. "Hold on, kiddo. You're going to be fine."
"I'm… sorry…" Ruby gasped. "I should have listened… to you… and Jaune…"
"Worry about that later, we need to get you back to town." Qrow soothed. He turned around and gripped his sword, but Winter was standing between them and Tyrian. When he heard footsteps, he was actually relieved another of his brats ignored his warning. Jaune came into view and skidded to a stop, seeing Ruby's state. "Jaune, get her medical attention, NOW!"
Jaune didn't argue, didn't even ask questions, he rushed over and scooped up Ruby in his arms, turned, and made his way away to try to staunch the bleeding. He didn't even check the wound, but the amount of blood being soaked into her clothes told him all he needed to know. She wouldn't make it to town, so he would have to perform basic first aid first. All he was doing was moving her far enough away from the fighting they won't get in the way.
"Awwww, she won't make it." Tyrian made a stabbing gesture in the air. "I got a vital spot. Just to make sure though." He held out his hand, pointing it at Jaune.
A bang ran out as he fired a bullet at the back of the boy. Qrow and Winter were too far away to intercept and Jaune was distracted.
"Oh no you don't!" Penny appeared and deflected the bullet with her sword. "You will not hurt my friends any more!" The swords began to circle as a shield, preventing any more surprise attacks like that.
"Penny!" Winter admonished. "Are you disobeying orders?"
"No, Specialist Schnee!" Penny shook her head. "You told me to go with them. When both of them returned, I followed as ordered."
Winter was shocked and a little amused at the fact Penny was able to twist her words around to return. It had been obvious her order was for them to go back to town. The situation didn't let her think about it too hard, as she and Qrow had to stop this man. From what they saw, he would keep fighting until he died. There didn't seem to be another way.
And the anger on Qrow's face as he charged showed mercy was off the table.
"Hang on, Ruby." Jaune started putting cloth and pressure on the wound, anything to stop the bleeding, but it was too deep and wide. "Don't you die on me!"
"Her pulse is fading." Penny told him, kneeling down and examining Ruby closely. "I can provide an electric shock if needed, but it won't replenish her blood."
"I'm… sorry…" RUby muttered. "You were right."
"I don't care about that," Jaune told her. He was trying to remain calm for her, but his eyes were watering. "You're going to be fine. We'll heal you up, return to Beacon, and see our friends again. Remember them?"
"Yang's going to be mad at me…" Ruby's voice was weak.
"Yeah, but she'll be happy you came back." Jaune pushed more cloth into the wound, causing the girl to flinch. His first aid kit was running out. "Weiss will too, after she yells at us."
"Hehe… yeah." Ruby's breathing was labored. The sound of metal banging in the background was muffled to her. The faces of her sister, Weiss, and Blake swam to her mind. She wanted to see them again, but she knew what was happening. "It's all my fault… tell them… I'm sorry."
"Ruby…" Penny held Ruby's hand tightly as Jaune kept the pressure. The bleeding had slowed down, but not enough. "Please do not die. You were my first friend with Jaune."
"You can't die!" Jaune told her. "You just… can't… Please… fight, Ruby. I know how strong you are. A little blood loss can't take you down."
Teardrops fell on her as he tried everything to stop the blood. All the first aid Qrow taught them wasn't working. Ruby's Aura was too low after the fight. It couldn't heal something like this. Jaune was mentally cursing himself, Tyrian, and whatever gods exist that would allow someone like Ruby to die. A pure girl who only wanted to help others. Someone who uprooted their entire life to come help him on a problem he caused just because she was his friend.
His best friend was dying because she wanted to help him be the best Huntsman he could be. All because Jaune decided to forge his way into Beacon. If he had never done that, Ruby wouldn't be in this position. She would be back at Beacon, with her team, becoming the best fighter in the world. Her journey could not end here. Jaune refused to give up. There was no way he would let her story end. He closed his eyes for a moment as he gathered his resolve.
'I WILL NOT LET HER DIE!'
"J-Jaune?" Penny stammered. "W-what are you doing?"
Jaune's eyes snapped open as he looked down. His hands were glowing white with Aura and waves of it were flowing into Ruby. At contact, the white ripples darkened to red as it spread out across her body. The blood was ceasing, the wound was closing, and Ruby's breathing was becoming more steady. The color was even returning to her cheeks.
"I… I d-don't know…" Jaune didn't stop. Whatever he was doing was working. Calming down, he tried to understand what was happening with his body. "It feels like… my Aura is flowing out of me and amplifying hers."
"I see." Penny's pupils in her green eyes seemed to retract for a moment as they examined Ruby closely. "You are not healing her, but strengthening her own Aura to heal herself." The ginger suddenly looked concerned. "Are you not afraid of running out of Aura? This is very dangerous."
A memory swam to the surface of Jaune's mind. Back when he met Pyrrha during the initiation and she discovered he had not unlocked his Aura. After she unlocked it, she mentioned something about his quantity. Something he had forgotten until now.
"I was told… I have a lot of Aura." Jaune assured Penny. "And if it's to save my best friend, I'll give it all and more."
"That would kill you." Penny pointed out worriedly.
"For a friend, sometimes, it's worth it. I would do everything in my power to save you too."
The words in Penny's throat seemed to have been caught and she couldn't respond to this. Something inside her felt weird. A mixture of happiness and worry. Two conflicting emotions. She didn't have organs so stuff like heart skipping a beat or breath caught in her lungs wouldn't register. Right now, she was beginning to understand what having friends meant and it made her feel different.
"J-Jaune…?"
Penny and Jaune looked down at Ruby, who's eyes flickered open.
"Ruby!" Jaune gasped. "Stay still. You aren't healed yet."
"Is that what feels so warm?" Ruby wanted to see, but she simply laid there on the grass. "Penny? Why are you here?"
"I was told to follow you and I want to protect my friends." Penny replied, holding Ruby's hand. Ruby gave it a weak squeeze. "Jaune is healing you with his Semblance."
"His… Semblance?" The girl asked , her eyes opening wide in wonder. "You… discovered your Semblance, Jaune? Wait… is Tyrian beaten?"
"Qrow and Winter are still fighting and I'll explain everything after you're healed." Jaune assured her. "For now, you need to stay still."
"I feel good," Ruby's voice was getting stronger. "My side hurts a little, but the pain is going away." The hand that was holding Penny's squeeze became stronger. "I feel like I just had a great night's sleep."
"I believe it seems that Jaune is pushing your Aura past the normal limits," Penny hypothesized. "It allows accelerated healing and is returning you to full strength faster."
"Wow, Jaune." Ruby smiled fondly at him. "You're Semblance is so cool."
"Please don't distract me." Jaune felt his ears burn. "I have no idea what I'm doing and if I stop, I'm not sure if I can start again."
Qrow and Winter meanwhile were still trying to take down Tyrian.
"Ahahahah! You'll have to do better than that!"
Qrow swung his blade wildly, giving Tyrian plenty of time to block it. Anger was evident in the man's face as he tried to strike down the killer who stabbed his niece. It was making him slightly sloppy. Not enough that a normal person could tell, but seasoned fighters like Winter and Tyrian noticed the rushed attacks and slight openings. Winter was trying to cover for him. Using her glyphs to block, impede, and enhance her own attacks.
"Are you mad that little girl is dead!" Tyrian taunted joyously. "Was she important to you?!"
"Fuck off!"
Qrow sliced diagonally, before twisting his wrist and swapping effortlessly to a jab. Tyrian was forced to pivot to the left to avoid being skewered, only to be on the receiving end of a smaller sword. Winter had conjured a white glyph behind her, propelling her forward so fast, she was a blur. Unless Tyrian saw her ahead of time, it was almost impossible to react. The blow collided into arm, sending him reeling.
"He's trying to get you upset!" Winter scolded. "Fight like you normally do!"
"Easier said than done!" Qrow shot back and shook his head. "But I needed that. Jaune's lacking some street smarts, but he's reliable. He'll get her to town."
"Penny's the same way." Winter held out her sword. "Now, let's focus on this criminal and then head back."
"Thanks for the pep talk, Ice Queen."
"After he's down, I'll stab you next."
Tyrian seemed upset the two of them weren't conversing with him. His eyes narrowed as he charged forward to get back into the fray. Spinning on his hands, he kicked Winter, forcing her to block with her shoulder. Then as Qrow tried to stab him, the killer pushed off the ground into the air, before twisting in midair to land on Qrow's blade. He then kicked Qrow in the head. Or at least tried to. Qrow flipped his blade up and caused Tyrian's foot to fly just above his head. Tyrian didn't seem to mind and just stabbed with his arm. Steel clanged as Qrow's blade met the strike.
Winter zipped over and started unleashing a barrage of stabs and slices. Tyrian used one arm to block two strikes, took one against his aura in his side, and then pushed off Qrow's blade to free both arms. He sliced back and the two exchanged blow after blow. Qrow sliced downwards, but all Tyrian did was parry the attack from the side. No matter how strong the swing was, force at the side of the blade would push it off course.
Growling, Qrow brought up a knee, but Tyrian simply copied the blow and their legs collided. A jolt of pain ran through Qrow's kneecap, but he did nothing more than grit his teeth harder. Tyrian may still be a threat, but he was slowing down too. Keeping up with him was already an ordeal, but Winter was also pressuring the killer. He was tiring and had taken some heavy blows to his Aura. It was only a matter of time.
Tyrian was insane, but he couldn't be stupid. The guy had to realize he was fighting a hopeless battle. Was it a suicide or something? Or was his devotion to his 'Queen' that important. Who was his Queen anyways?. He never actually said. Qrow had a lot of questions but had no opportunity to ponder as his sword met metal with exchanges happening everything second. Yet those eyes of his, full of glee and sinister malice, gave nothing away.
Until he found his opening.
Qrow's large sword was knocked away, giving Winter a chance to strike. She conjured a glyph behind her and used it to jettison herself forward. This combination had been used one to many times. Tyrian was a master fighter and had a lot of experience. After seeing it a couple times, he could predict the trajectory. The downside to this technique is once Winter committed to an attack, the force of the propulsion did not allow her to change directions. So she was flying forward with her blade pointing straight out, planning to spear Tyrian through.
The madman flipped backwards at the last moment and his scorpion tail jettisoned forward, aiming for Winter's shoulder. Her Aura should have blocked it, but the tip of the tail was glowing a sickly purple. When it made contact, her Aura just seemed to dissolve. Sensing the danger at the last minute, Winter twisted her torso to the side slightly, but the stinger tore through her clothes and sliced into her flesh. Not a deep wound, but enough to draw blood. Winter skidded to a stop on the other side of Tyrian and held a hand up to the wound. A tiny bit of red blood stained her hand, but she saw something else.
The wound was turning purple and felt like it was on fire.
"His tail is poisonous!" The specialist yelled, warning Qrow.
"Hehe, and you're going to enjoy the painful sensation it will give you, hehehehe!" Tyrian couldn't stop the creepy giggles from escaping.
"Shit." Qrow cursed. Things were just getting worse by the moment. They had no idea how deadly that poison was. "Stay back then. I'll handle it."
"Oh, think you can?" Tyrian taunted menacingly, his hand outstretched in a come hither gesture. "Let's see if you… huh?"
Qrow heard it too. A whistling sound of some kind. Like air being blown around due to a small storm. His first thought was Tyrian may have had backup, but the insane criminal seemed to be confused too. Winter was looking around, one hand on her wounded shoulder. None of them could pinpoint where the sound was coming from.
Until a blur exploded from behind a hill. Faster than any of them could react, it blew right past Qrow and went straight for Tyrian. Tyrian couldn't even raise a hand as something collided into his face, sending the bastard crashing onto the ground. Finally, Qrow was hit by the familiar scent of rose petals and he knew who it was instantly. The blur turned and he made out the color red.
"It can't be…"
Ruby was moving at speeds far greater than what he was used to. This wasn't a speed you could defend against. Just trying to block was a futile effort, let alone counter attacking. Not only that, she didn't seem to have to stop. Ruby, or at least what he presumed to be as he couldn't get a clear picture, was spinning around Tyrian like a tornado.
"What the hell is this?!" Tyrian demanded. "Hold still and let me stab you…AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The blur slipped behind Tyrian and the next moment, his scorpion tail had been severed. Blood rained out from the stump, splattering on the ground. Qrow grimaced at the cry of pain. Tyrian may have been an enemy, but the man knew how sensitive Faunus traits were. The tail hit the ground with a soft thump and the blur finally stopped about 20 feet away.
Qrow's suspicions had been correct.
"Don't you even think about it!" Ruby yelled, holding out her scythe. "You won't poison anyone else!"
Though, Ruby looked different. The tear in her outfit was there on her side, but the skin bore no sign of damage. Instead, a soft red glow pulsed on her skin, like her Aura was flaring up on its own. Along with crackles of electricity that flickered into existence and then vanished a moment later. Even her eyes looked like they were glowing softly. Her expression didn'[t have any of the young innocent girl Qrow knew. The seriousness in her eyes was that of a true Huntress.
"How are you still alive?!" Tyrian screeched, no longer the happy go lucky psycho murderer.
Ruby didn't answer this question, instead, Jaune entered the clearing and did it for her.
"It's because I'm the White Mage, asshole!" The boy yelled, as Penny ran up behind him. "And no one… ah… messes with the White Mage!" The boy was panting as he had to rush to catch up after a fully healed Ruby shot off. "No one's dying on my watch… ha…"
Qrow had so many questions racing through his mind. He wanted to know what happened, but one question stood out over all the others.
"WHY DID YOU BRATS RETURN AGAIN!?"
Jaune, Penny, and Ruby jumped at the anger in his voice. Before they could answer or try to give an excuse, Tyrian replied instead.
"So I can kill that guy!"
Tyrian charged forward at Jaune, anger clouding his judgment this time. But he had forgotten Winter, thinking she was paralyzed from the poison. Because it was just a small scratch, she didn't get much of the toxin in her system. What did enter would take some time to fully affect her. When he turned his back to her, she conjured a glyph and threw herself forward, sword outstretched. Tyrian never saw her coming but he felt the sword sink through his Aura and deep into his flesh in the back of his shoulder.
"This is payback!" Winter told him as he howled in pain.
"Get off, bitch!"
Tyrian swung his arm around to stab the Ice Queen, when Qrow appeared at his side, grabbing his wrist with one hand. The criminal looked up in time to see Qrow raised his other arm and then slammed his elbow down.
There was a sickening crack as Tyrian's arm snapped.
A howl from the man made them all flinch. THere was obviously pain in the sound, but it was also mixed with anger and sorrow at the same time. Qrow and Winter put some space between them and Tyrian with weapons raised as the man broke into sobbing.
"I failed her! I failed her! No one should fail the Queen. My goddess, I'm so sorry! It's not my fault. It's theirs!" The man looked up, tears streaming down his face. "I won't forget this. Any of you. Watch your back for I will make sure each of you die a slow and painful death!"
Without warning, and with speed and agility far beyond someone who had their tail cut off, stabbed in the back, and a broken arm should have had, the man turned and dashed into the nearby forest.
"Don't let him escape-...woah…" Winter stumbled and Penny rushed over to catch her.
"Specialist Schnee, you appear to be injured." Penny examined her. "What happened?"
"I was… poisoned…" Winter gasped, as she found herself having trouble breathing. "I need to get back to the ship for the antitoxin."
"I'm going after him!" Qrow dashed forward. "You two… GO WITH THEM! DO NOT FOLLOW ME!"
That was his last order before he disappeared. If Tyrian escaped, he would recover and go back to killing more innocent people. He had to be stopped now. This time, Jaune and Ruby didn't argue. The four of them hurried off to the city in the opposite direction of Qrow. Penny carried the poisoned Winter on her back and still managed to keep up with the others.
Once they made it back to the town, they rushed to the Atlas Bullhead. Penny pulled out a vial from the medkit, inserted a needle, and injected the serum into Winter's arm. The specialist took a deep breath and then relaxed on the cot.
"Are you going to be okay?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"The toxin is all purpose, but because of that, it can't get rid of everything completely," Winter answered. "I'll appear sick and be a little weak for a day or two. Other than that, I'll be fine." The woman looked at them. "I want to know everything that happened, but I figured we'll wait for Qrow to return so you don't have to explain it twice. The wound Ruby had, shouldn't have been able to heal so fast from her Aura."
"Not quite…" Jaune corrected her. "Maybe for just her Aura, but not for both of ours…." He got distracted as Penny was fiddling with the hole in her stomach. "Umm… Penny? Are you okay?"
"I had to reroute some sensors around the damaged part of me," Penny replied. "Most of the damage was superficial, though I will need some maintenance to fix my metal covering…" Her words died down as it dawned on her. "I believe you have questions for me."
"Tons," Ruby acknowledged. "But you don't have to tell us now. We're still your friends, Penny. We weren't lying back there. Being a robot doesn't change that."
"I don't know about Ruby, but I've wanted a robot friend when I was younger." Jaune added light-heartedly. With Ruby safe and healed, that Tyrian guy beaten, and Qrow going in to finish capturing him, everything seemed brighter. "Never dreamed I would get to meet a cool robot girl."
"You think I'm cool?" Penny was wide-eyed as she stared at them.
"Hehe, the coolest!" Ruby rushed forward and hugged her. "So make sure you keep in touch. I'll give you my Scroll number." Penny looked stunned at the sentiment but then quickly hugged Ruby back.
Winter looked between them and sighed, her head still fuzzy.
"Since you know this much already, I figure I can tell you about her," Winter paused and gave all of them a serious look. "I trust you can tell this is an important secret of Atlas."Both kids nodded. "Penny is the first being with an artificial Aura. Literally, the first android with one. We were going to take her to Vale with us to compete in the Vytal festival, along with having her learn to interact around students her own perceived age. You two must keep this a secret, as there are individuals who would be willing to cause her harm because they won't consider her a living being."
Jaune suddenly remembered the laboratory joke they made and why Penny reacted so strongly.
"An artificial Aura?" Ruby tilted her head. "Since Aura is a manifestation of our soul, that means Penny has a soul, right?" She looked over at her friend. "So you're alive. Just with a cool metal body."
"Do you really think so?" Penny asked, holding Ruby out and looking her straight in the eyes. "Do you really think I'm alive and a real girl?"
"Yep!" Ruby answered immediately.
"Same here," Jaune patted her on the shoulder. "We don't care if your body is metallic. It's like people who have prosthetics. You're still our friend and we're there for you. We'll even show you around Vale sometime."
Penny seemed to choke for a moment before gripping them both into one arm hugs with her monstrous strength.
"Sensational! I look forward to spending lots of time with my friends!"
"Penny… ack… not so hard!" Ruby cried.
"Heh, you're almost as strong as Nora." Jaune grunted.
"Things may get complicated, but I'm glad you two see it as such," Winter smiled at them. "Penny, we will need to check your Aura levels and get them replenished."
"There is no need!" Penny assured her. "Jaune recharged my Aura up to 83%. The rest will regenerate on its own. I did not take enough serious injuries for my father to be needed."
"He… recharged your Aura?" Winter felt a headache coming on as her brain tried to understand this. "So the same way he healed Ruby?" She leaned back against the cool metal wall. "When Qrow called… I didn't expect any of this. I can't say we didn't learn anything, but using you two as bait pushed-..."
The specialist slammed her mouth shut as Ruby and Jaune gasped. She had not meant to say that as the medicine was making her brain fuzzy.
"Uncle Qrow did what?!"
Maybe this was a little karma for the shit he did.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.