Well, this is it. The final chapter before RTX.

And what a ride it's been. I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to complete my goal in time. Guess my worries were unfounded.

Chapter 25: Heroes on Both Sides

The howling of the engines lowered in pitch as the Bullhead slowed and pitched around, lowering to our destination. The hatch lowered, showing the darkened docks, dotted with piles of shipping containers, and one of the mooks walked out, scouting the area for any signs of threat. After a few moments, he raised his hand, and waved the rest of his troops forwards. Pulling out the rifle holstered on my back, I followed the goons out of the jet.

"Alright. Grab the tow cables!"

One mook, armed with a rifle identical to mine, gestured to us. The crowd of goons nodded, and walked to the sides of the Bullhead, sheathing scimitars and SMGs. I decided to do the same, lest I rouse suspicion. Walking to the left side of the Bullhead, one of the mooks opened a panel on the side of the jet, revealing a coil of thick, black rope, much like the kind used by builders. He gripped it, and handed a massive coil to me. It was heavy, but I understood why: if the shipping containers weren't secured properly, then they'd just become impromptu bombs.

"Hey! What's the holdup? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous group of thieves around here, so why don't you mutts pick up the pace?"

Roman had strutted down the hatch, cane in hand, and a smug look on his face. I narrowed my eyes angrily: this criminal was almost asking to become a human pincushion of explosive arrows. But I resisted the urge to do so, remembering Kimba's orders, and strode to him, as he inspected the containers.

"Sir? We've got the tow cables. Should we start tying them on?" I asked, deepening my voice so that I wouldn't sound like a teenager. Roman looked at me like I was insane.

"No, we just came to sightsee. So I guess we'll just pack up and go. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD START TYING THEM ON, YOU USELESS MUTT!" He yelled angrily. One of the Faunus bumped into me, also carrying a coil of rope, and gave me a leer.

"What kind of dumb question is that, Smith? Just get knotting!" He sneered, dropping the cable at my feet. I looked at it, and fought the urge to begin strangling Roman with it.

'Don't. Blow. Your. Cover.'

I picked up the coil, and began to unknot it, wishing that karma existed so that Roman would suffer horribly. He tapped his foot impatiently.

"So what do we do? Tie this on the corners of the box?" I asked, venom lined in my voice. Roman whacked me on the head with his cane, hard.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" He responded, clearly hating to have to deal with the fact that out of all the goons he was saddled with, he had the most idiotic one right in front of him.

A hiss of slicing air quietly sounded, and before I could blink, a streak of shadow had grabbed Torchwick's shoulder, and held a dark blade up to his throat.

"What the-? Oh, for f-"

"Nobody move!"

Blake had finally reappeared. But if I revealed myself, things could go south very quickly. So, like the other masked men, I raised my weapon at the new arrival, praying that my finger wouldn't slip.

"Whoa, hey. Take it easy there, little lady…" Roman was remaining calm, despite the fact that Blake could easily rip his throat out with Gambol Shroud. All it would really need would be one quick tug, and it would all be over. But Blake just used her free hand to tug at the bow on her head, revealing her cat ears to all present. With a hint of purple in the canal, and black fur on the outside, the ears were slightly ragged and scarred, but no major damage had been done.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" Her voice rang loud, and everyone began to lower their weapons, clearly not wanting to hurt a fellow Faunus. I did the same, to ensure that my disguise stayed intact. Roman just smiled.

"Oh, kid. Didn't ya get the memo?"

Blake looked to her hostage, pressing the blade deeper against his neck.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, the White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together." Roman's grinning glare was a little too sinister for my liking. Was he… looking at me? Did he know one of his goons was a spy?

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to you and your little operation." Blake snarled. But before Blake could move, the wind suddenly picked up, and the sound of jet turbines flooded the area, nearly deafening me.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation, little kitty…" Roman taunted, looking up. I did the same, and was met with the sight of two more Bullheads hovering above. As Blake looked at the new arrivals, her black hair flapping in the wind, and a look of horror on her face, Roman grinned.

Should I stop him? Or should I wait for a better opportunity?

As Roman raised his cane slightly, I fought the urge to charge forward, and tackle him to the ground. But Roman was stronger, faster, and had a firearm ready. I'd have to throw down my rifle to rush towards him. In the end, I decided to wait for now. But if things got ugly, then I'd step in.

He pulled the trigger.

Whiteness filled my vision, as I felt the hard ground beneath me. I hoisted myself on my right elbow, looking at Roman firing round after round at Blake, who ducked and rolled behind a container. As he strode forwards, I saw that most of the other White Fang thugs had either been knocked out, or blasted away.

Getting on one foot, I was about to charge forwards and nail him in the back, when I heard a familiar grunt. Looking up, Sun Wukong was hovering above the gangster, falling directly towards him. I blinked, and in that instant, he was flipping over the ground, Roman lying behind him. He looked back, a look of rage on his face.

"Leave. Her. Alone."

I got to my feet, clutching my side as it burned slightly. Then without thinking, I grabbed a forgotten scimitar, and charged forwards to surround Sun. I didn't want to fight him, but if they saw me actively avoiding combat, then everything would fall apart.

More White Fang hoodlums dropped in from above, all wielding a myriad of scimitars, SMGs and rifles. Sun glanced us over, while Roman got to his feet unsteadily, giving Sun an evil eye.

"You are not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you, kid?" he chided, signaling for us to attack. The two by Roman's sides were downed with a flurry of punches, kicks, and tail whips. I wouldn't last two seconds against him in my current state.

'Ah, what's a little pain?' I thought to myself, and charged in, swinging my scimitar in an overhead swipe so that he could easily dodge and counter. As I expected, a gauntlet smacked into my mask, and I was sent reeling, feeling the pain in my nose burn crazily. Shaking it off, I charged again, this time going for another obvious strike: one for his legs. He jumped over my attack, and pulled out his collapsible staff. I decided to try and fall back, lest he knock me out along with everyone else. But I was too late: Sun's staff slammed into the small of my back, knocking me to the ground. If it weren't for my weapons, which I had hidden in the back of my pants, he probably would have broken my spine. But either way, I fell to the ground, pretending to be unconscious.

I quietly watch Sun breakdance around his foe's attacks, moving around with incredible agility as he ploughed his foot into the back of another guard, knocking him to the ground. While Roman watched him, I sprang to my feet, intent on stopping Roman. As I charged to him, he hadn't seen me yet, so when a limp body of a White Fang goon flew towards him, causing him to duck, I took the chance.

He raised his cane at Sun, and curled his finger around the trigger. But before he could pull it, I reached out, and gripped the barrel, throwing off his aim, and causing it to discharge, aimed nowhere. He wrestled me for it, quickly forcing me on my knees.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you stupid mutt?!" He yelled, saliva spraying onto the area not covered by my mask.

"Stopping this madness." I snarled, swiping my leg at his feet, sending him sprawling. Before I could strike again, though, he spun around, giving me a good kick to the chin. I rubbed it, trying to abate the pain quickly. Roman swiped at me with his cane like a cudgel, but I leapt back, reaching down to my back, and feeling my weapons snap onto my wrists through my white tunic, shredding the back of it in the process. Unveiling my swords, I held them up, ready for Roman to attack. He just raised his cane, and fired another round.

I was about to defend myself, when Sun leapt in front of me, twirling his staff to block Roman's explosive round. Blake leapt in front of him, Gambol Shroud drawn and ready to spill blood.

"He's mine!" She yelled, charging towards him with both her blade, and her sheath ready for action. It was difficult to see the action, mainly because both combatants were moving so fast, Roman swinging his cane to block everything that came at him, while Blake became a flurry of images moving from left to right around Roman, yelling all the while. Sun turned to me, anger in his eyes. He gave me a quick punch, causing me to fall to the ground.

"Stay here! We'll deal with you later!" He spat. Then he turned, slapping me with his tail in the process, leapt over Blake, who had been smacked to the ground, and split his staff into their legendary shotgun nunchaku, letting loose an unstoppable onslaught of fiery blasts and strikes. I ran over to Blake, and tried to help her up. But she just smacked me away.

"Don't touch me! How can you live with yourself, helping a vagrant like Torchwick?!" She yelled in my face. Rubbing my cheek, I just attempted to help her to her knees. But I was met with a punch to my stinging cheek, knocking me to the ground, finally loosening my mask, sending it clattering away. As I shook my head, trying to shake of the dazedness that had come with the punch, a gun barrel was jammed against my head.

"Why do you think killing will earn us any respect? And why are the White Fang stealing all the Dust they can get their hands on?" Blake asked. I just let Kimba's power dissipate, removing the scar on my face.

"Blake, if you're gonna do an interrogation, then next time, wait till you've kicked the bad guys to the curb." I stated dryly, pulling my hood down and looking up at her. Her face turned from anger to shock, as she seemingly pieced together everything.

"Darrel? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed as one of them?" She asked, stupefied. I just shook my head.

"A very long story. I'll explain later!" I responded. She extended her hand, and I clasped it. Hoisting me up to my feet, I readied my weapons once again. She nodded, and we both charged in. Sun was just unloading a storm of rounds from his guns at Torchwick, who blocked them all with lightning agility. As he paused for a brief moment, in a shorter time that it would take to blink, Blake slashed at his torso, causing him to stumble to avoid having his innards become his outards. I took a chance, and quickly barrel my fist into his chin, sending him flying away.

"Hey, I thought I told you to stay back!" Sun yelled at me, aiming one of his flintlock shotguns at my face. I raised my arms, meaning no harm.

"I'm on your side, you idiot!" I yelled back. Sun sneered, and gripped his shotgun tighter, refusing to move it from my head.

"Sun, it's okay. He's a friend. Trust me." Blake said, stepping between me and him. Sun looked at her confusedly.

"Wait, how do you know him? I thought you cut ties." He shrugged confusedly, the anger refusing to leave his face. But before any of us could speak, I heard a loud explosion above us. Looking up, a shipping container suspended by a crane was beginning to plummet towards us, a perfect trajectory to crush us.

"Uh-oh."

Sun dived out of the way, but I was rooted to the spot, eyes anchored on my approaching doom. I don't know why my body refused to move out of the way, but my feet wouldn't budge.

But it wasn't my feet that moved. Rather, something firm slammed into my spine, causing me to stumble forwards out of the way. The container crashed to the ground with the sound of a thunderbolt, followed by an audible shriek of pain. I sprinted around the container, to see Blake trapped under the container, her leg pinned underneath the heavy metal, her weapons lying at her sides. She must have smacked me using her sheath, sacrificing herself to save me.

"BLAKE!"

Sun was beside her in an instant, trying to lift the container off of her. He strained and groaned as he struggled to lift it, but it refused to budge. I cursed: beyond super strength or Pyrrha's magnetism, the container would remain there.

"Come on, dammit, MOVE!" Sun yelled, still trying to lift the container, without success. Blake groaned in pain.

"How pathetic. You'd sacrifice yourself for a human? You really are a stupid kitty. You and Banana-brain here really are dumb animals."

Roman, who had walked around the fallen container to see what the commotion was, was now watching the scene unfold with a sadistic smile on her face. I turned to him, rage filling within me, causing my vision to turn red. I growled, and he turned to me.

"As for you, kid... you got balls to infiltrate my operation. It almost makes me want to spare you and offer you a job. Almost." He grinned, leveling his cane at my head.

"Hey!"

A voice resounded from a nearby rooftop. As both of us looked up, we were met with the visage of Ruby planting her scythe into the roof, aiming it at Torchwick. Quick as a flash, he grabbed me, and held me in front of him. A human shield. How predictable.

"Oh, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" He asked mockingly. As expected, Penny strode up beside Ruby. As she was on the roof some ways away, I couldn't hear their conversation. As Ruby looked to Penny, Torchwick snarled, and leveled his cane at Ruby. Before I could stop him, he pulled the trigger, sending a round rocketing to Ruby. It hit true, and she was catapulted out of sight. When the smoke cleared, Roman let out a corny evil laugh, clearly relishing his victory.

That did it.

Taking a page out of Roman's book, I flicked my right sword to it's crossbow mode, and fired an explosive arrow near his foot.

"Now, where were we? Hmm… oh yes. Time we ended this little farce. Don't you think?" He asked his voice laden with so much sweet sarcasm, I couldn't decide whether to vomit or punch his face. But I elbowed him in the gut, freeing myself from his grasp. He growled, and raised his cane, training it on me. The arrow exploded in a flash of light, causing him to spin around and rub his head, dazed.

Taking the chance, and grabbing the cane, I twisted it out of his hands, moving like the wind. Roman was caught off guard, clearly not expecting my surprise attack, looking at me uncertainly. Stabbing the cane into the ground, I rushed forwards, wanting vengeance.

He'd shot Ruby.

He'd hurt Blake.

He'd derided Sun.

He'd used me as a human shield.

"No killing" be damned. Nothing mattered anymore, except for one single goal.

The disembowelment of Torchwick.

Screaming vile insults and barely coherent words, I body checked Roman, sending him flying through a container, puncturing holes in it's steel walls as if they were made of paper. Not content, I leapt through the perforated container, to see Roman struggling to get up, with Penny thrashing the newly arrived White Fang reinforcements nearby. Were I not overcome with rage, I'd be grateful to have had my cover blown earlier, lest I suffer at the blades of her many swords.

But Torchwick mattered more. I rushed forwards, pincers ready to crush him like a bug. As he got up, I gripped his upper torso, and lower right leg, hoisting him into the air with a primal roar. He struggled, but it wouldn't deter me, and with my muscles straining, I threw him into a second container, this one refusing to allow him to puncture it's sides, as he collapsed to the ground. Roman lay there, moaning in pain, while I strode up, ready to end this.

But before I could strike the killing blow, he pulled out a vial of green liquid, smashing it to the ground and creating a thick green cloud of foul-smelling smoke. Covering my mouth and nose, trying not to inhale the vile stench, I was helpless. So when Roman's cane smashed into the back of my skull, I couldn't prepare myself for a counterattack. Lights swarmed my vision, and I dropped like a sack of potatoes. Before I passed out, I heard him gloat one final time.

"Better luck next time, brat!"

"Sir? He's waking up."

Suddenly aware of someone kneeling over my limp body, I awoke to see the face of a bearded man, dressed in a paramedic's uniform, checking me over with some sort of scanner. I sat up, my head throbbing dully in pain. The paramedic looked at me.

"Easy, kid. You've got a little concussion, but you should be fine, save some cuts and bruises. Though it's your friend I'm worried about. The black-haired girl." He explained. I got to my feet, a little unsteady as my head swam. But as my sense of balance righted itself, so too did my vision.

Blake was lying on a stretcher, her left leg swathed in bandages, while Sun and Ruby walked by her sides, Sun's fingers gently intertwined with Blake's limp hand. I felt a pang of guilt tear through my heart: she had put her safety above mine, and and I had to deal with the fact that all of it could have been prevented.

I trudged over to the stretcher, ready to apologize for my foolhardiness at dressing like the enemy, and almost getting all three of us killed. But before I reached her, Weiss and Yang appeared from the crowd, their faces firm with angry worry. I shivered, remembering that I was still in a stolen White Fang uniform. This wouldn't go well, for me, Blake, or Weiss. But it was my responsibility to shoulder the burden of my actions. Sighing heavily, I was about to alert them to my presence, but Weiss was in the midst of talking to Blake. Knowing that it was a private matter, I hung back in the crowd, listening in.

"Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that time, I've decided… I don't care."

"You… don't?"

"You said so before. You're not one of them now, right?"

"No, I haven't been since I—"

Weiss silenced her with a wave of her hand.

"Ah-bup-bup-bup-bup-bup. I don't want to hear it. Just promise me that the next time something this big comes up, you'll come to us, before you go to someone you met two days ago. Okay?"

Blake weakly wiped a tear from her eye, and smiled gratefully.

"Of course." She whispered, before laying her head back, and quietly drifting into unconsciousness. The paramedics wheeled her into the back of a nearby ambulance, shutting the doors in the process. As it sped away, the crowd began to clear, now seeing no purpose in being there. I tried to slip away with them, feeling guilty about eavesdropping, when a delicate hand gripped my shoulder. Turning, I saw Weiss boring a hole straight through my eyes angrily.

"As for you… would you care to explain why your wearing the uniform of the White Fang?" She asked icily, her words shaking me to my core.

"Weiss…" I started, but stopped and closed my mouth. No matter the lies I could weave, there was no way she would believe me. I had disappeared a few hours ago, and had reappeared wearing the uniform of her family's hated foe. To her, I had just betrayed all that I stood for as a Huntsman.

"I can't explain. I want to, but it's difficult, you kn—"

"No, difficult is you knowing that Blake was a Faunus in disguise, and not telling us. Difficult is our argument on the first day of class. This seems pretty easy to explain." She spat. At that point, I'd had enough. I snapped.

"What do you want to hear, Weiss? That I joined them? That I had somehow fallen to them? It's not that simple! Nothing is ever that simple!" I yelled. Clenching my fists, fingernails digging into my palm, I resisted the urge to let a guilty tear emerge.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Because of me, Roman got away, Blake's hurt, and it's because of me." I sighed sadly. Sun walked up, using his tail to softy brush Weiss away. He looked at me, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"It ain't your fault, kid. It was her choice to make." Sun soothed. I just clenched my fist. Her injuries were completely preventable, and it was because of me she had been crippled. No matter how much anybody would protest, everything, from Blake's injuries, to Cardin blackmailing Yang, to fighting with Weiss… all of it was my fault. I smacked the hand on my shoulder away.

"I still could have stopped it! I could have stopped it all!" I protested angrily. Ruby just gripped my shoulder, giving me a furtive squeeze.

"Darrel, you don't know that. It was you against a small armada. What could you have done?" She asked soothingly. I just shrugged her off.

"You don't get it, Ruby! I've known about the heist since I arrived at the goddamn academy!"

The words spilled out before I could control myself. Oh damn it. Now they know. Now they all know.

"Wait… how could you have known about these events since we first met?" Weiss asked curiously. I didn't respond. I didn't want to.

God dammit. God damn it all to hell. I should never have listened to Kimba. I never should have taken that stupid crystal back on the beach back home. All of it was just too complicated.

Kimba never cared for me. The crimson woman never cared for me. To them, I was a slave. A mindless soldier, being promised a way home, and only being repaid with more job offers. And because of them… I'd never see my family again.

My dad… he cared for me, even if he could be an asshole. When Mom died, he'd done so much for me, gave me a bond I'd never have with anyone else.

And my brother… when he didn't have headphones on, he was my only friend, a joker, and a nice guy. The man was probably trying to figure out where I had gone.

But they were gone from me. Gone forever. And Kimba was to blame.

This whole goddamn world was to blame.

I turned, and began to storm away from the quay, leaving RWY and Sun behind.

"Darrel? Where are you going?" Weiss asked. I didn't respond, just kept angrily walking away. Hearing footsteps, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey! I said, where're you goi–" Weiss didn't get any further, as I violently spun around, shrugging her off, and sending her to the ground.

"Don't try and make me feel better, princess. You with your sheltered lifestyle, and your stupid mega corporation… you wouldn't understand where my problems come from, Schnee." I spat, my voice filled with venom. She looked appalled, but she didn't say anything else.

"Darrel, what are you talking about? Where is this coming from?" Ruby asked. I glared at her.

"You wouldn't understand."

"You don't know that! We've been by your side since day one! Just tell us! We'll understand." Yang was pleading. But I'd never explain my origins. Not even to her.

"You wouldn't understand. Goodwitch, Kor, even Ozpin wouldn't understand. No one would understand, least of all you!" I roared angrily. And before anybody could respond, I turned around, and began to run. I didn't look back. I would never look back ever again.

How very disappointing, Roman.

Whoa, hey! Didn't expect to see you guys so soon!

We expected… more from you.

Hey, you were the one who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang! And your little errand boy somehow managed to disguise himself as one of those worthless dogs, and ruin everything!

…Kimba… of course. That treacherous little Faunus. I should have known she'd survive our last encounter. Well, this will make things… interesting.

Hey, Cinder? You gonna fill me in, or what?

In time, Roman. In time. Mercury, Emerald, you are to identify Mr. Conway's strengths and weaknesses. Associate yourselves with him, and learn what lies Kimba has told him. But be swift, or else she will corrupt Mr. Conway beyond repair.

Yes, m'lady.

Yes, m'lady.

Um, m'lady, what… what am I to do?

It is quite simple. You are to continue training Mr. Conway. For if his skills grow dull, we shall lose our chance at reclaiming our rightful glory.

Bu–but m'lady, what if he learns the tru—

You remember my promise, don't you? I will not hesitate to kill you should you fail me again. Do you understand, Professor Kor?

Y-yes, m'lady.

Good. May our Founders safeguard us on the path to enlightenment.

May our Founders safeguard us on the path to enlightenment.

Well, the ending may have been a bit of a downer, but I'm planning a reconciliation scene for Chapter 26. Besides, not every story has a happy ending. Though if you want one, it depends on where you stop the story.

And to the guest reviewer who asked about if I would continue this… it was always my intention of doing so. So long as the great Monty Oum provides, I will write.