As the battle raged on, Ruby spun her scythe, knocking some wooden swords out of the hands of unskilled trainees. To her right, Jaune swung his sword, working to knock down the reinforcement soldiers. On her left, Ren blasted weapons out of their hands as Nora punched them down. Within a matter of moments, the reinforcements were down.
"Orville was right. War is good for nothing at all." Jaune lamented.
Nora looked down ruefully.
He's right. But then why do we have to fight them? Why can't they leave us alone?
In the thick of the forest, Wyatt and Pyrrha continued their duel. Wyatt came forward towards her with a punch, but Pyrrha jumped up to dodge, causing him to hit a tree. He drew his fist back, revealing a hole in the tree as Pyrrha retaliated with a punch to the shoulder. The rogue huntsman groaned in pain before Pyrrha followed up with a series of jabs; one to the center of his chest, one to the gut, and another to his head. Stunned and temporarily out of breath, he was sent flying into the same tree he punched earlier.
War isn't good. Pyrrha thought. So why do they insist on waging it?
The spartan warrior advanced, but Wyatt conjured the will to continue, and attempted to punch Pyrrha in the arm, only for her to move slightly so that he punched her shoulder armor instead. He screamed in pain as the mistake was made. Switching to his non-dominant left hand, he tried to punch her in the head, but she predicted the move and counteracted by ducking her head down and spun her leg around to strike his left knee. He took a few steps back.
"Damn they're right. You really are insufferable! No wonder you tore Penny apart."
Pyrrha scowled.
That's it!
She gave him a swift kick to the balls, followed by a kick to the chest. His aura broke in a flash of forest green as he crashed into a tree nearby a rose bush.
"Ow! Curse my weak aura!"
Without hesitation, she marched up to him and grabbed him by the collar.
"Alright, Mr. Forest, start talking. What do you know about the Trojan Alliance leaders?"
"I... I don't know anything."
Pyrrha glared at him. "You said you were one of the commanders. You should know something about them! So tell me the truth!"
"No, I mean..." He slowed down, breathing to pace himself, "Okay, I don't know their names, but I know their initials! That's all they gave me!"
"What are they?"
"K.B and A.P!" he exclaimed.
"Good to know. Thank you."
She tossed Wyatt aside, knocking him into a tree and out cold immediately. She took some rope from his pocket and tied him up.
Hopefully some proper authorities will find and arrest him.
She ran back to the battle site to find that the reinforcements had already been beaten.
The Arc Knight soon saw her return. "Pyrrha, you're okay!"
Jaune hugged his girlfriend tight and she returned his embrace. "Of course I am. Even with both of us going weaponless, I still bested him in combat."
After they stopped hugging, he asked, "So, what did he say?"
"He said he did not know their names and only gave me their initials; K.B and A.P."
Jaune frowned. "Well, that's helpful. Any ideas, guys?"
"I got nothing." Ruby said.
Nora shrugged as Ren tried to think.
"K.B. A.P." Pyrrha thought aloud. "K.B.. A..." A soft gasp was heard. "No! It can't be... Kiaran Barrow and Alva Parker?!"
Jaune looked at her, asking, "You know them?"
"I don't." the Mistralian champion began answering. "But... my mother did."
Ruby blinked sorrowfully. "Your... mother?"
"Phoenix Nikos. A talented and skilled huntress. Second-generation huntress after her own mother, Hera Nikos. My mother was arguably one of the most skilled huntresses in Mistral, but..." She started to tear up. "She was unfortunately killed... along with my father. My mom... was the one who caught them and turned them in."
"Turned them in? What happened? How did they fall from grace?" Jaune asked.
"Kiaran and Alva, sometimes called K.A. or KA, are a duo of criminals who ransacked Mistral for years. They're also a case of malicious yet tormented souls. They both come from a place called Kuroyuri, a small village just thirty miles south of the Mistralian kingdom border. Ten years ago, the village was attacked by a decades old monstrous Grimm called the Nucklavee. The entire place was destroyed, but the two escaped in the midst of the chaos. They had their auras unlocked by stress and oddly enough no semblances, but they ran and ran until they were out of danger. They were eighteen years old at the time they fled. The duo were supposedly childhood friends well before the attack, but after that, they became the only survivors of the Nucklavee's wrath. At least, that the media knows about anyway.
Ren and Nora gave each other silent, sorrowful looks.
"One might think that this would be the start of their days as criminals. However, this is not the case. They wanted to be good model citizens and have a life of decency. They traveled northward, eventually finding the city of Kuchinashi. The duo applied to be janitors at Aegis Academy, the city's primary combat school. However, because they were on the run for so long, showed up in tattered clothes, and supposedly smelled awful, they were not trusted and turned away. Many other places they applied also rejected them for one reason or another, such as not having a permanent home, not having any references, or even just dislike or hate for the duo. They had been treated like outcasts and renegades for months, and soon realized that they were out of money. Their respective savings were all but gone. Fearing that luck would continue failing them, Kiaran and Alva went to Mistral. Within the city they found someone who appeared to be a kind and rich man, named Dugald Abate.
"Mr. Abate was the original CEO of Grand Industries, an automobile company based in Mistral with a few stores in other locations. He found them, took them in, and gave them food and shelter. However, many journalists were highly surprised when he asked Alva to marry him the next day. They had known that Abate was seeking a wife and just thought him to be desperate. Nonetheless, she agreed to marry him, but everyone was trying to figure out the reason why. In an interview, she stated, 'He [Duglad Abate] is a respectable, considerate and compassionate man. I don't believe that I will find anyone else better than him. I want to spend my life with him.'
"However, many journalists thought that she was lying and that she actually wanted nothing to do with him at all. Nonetheless, she married him and took his surname, the wedding occurring only a day later. Some would later theorize that she was desperate for money and/or was blackmailed into marrying the CEO. Less than a month later, it was discovered that Mr. Abate had been murdered. From forensic evidence, it was believed that he was murdered on the night of the wedding, a few hours after the ceremony, or the following day. No one knew it at first because Kiaran had been impersonating him. The reason the police found out? One of the employees, who still remains anonymous, realized the signature on a major business deal with the Schnee Dust Company had been forged. Some believed that it was their plan all along. Alva would offer herself up, and then she and Kiaran would kill him for their cash, and with Mr. Abate dead, they'd be set for life. Others believed that it was a crime of passion, because some journalists noticed a sulking figure in the back of the church, wearing a black suit and tie with what appeared to be a bottle of whiskey. Many believed that Kiaran was in love with Alva, and that the feelings were returned. Judging by the evidence found during their eventual arrest, they would appear to be right. But I fear I'm getting ahead of myself.
"Once the police discovered that Mr. Abate was dead and that Kiaran was responsible, the two took as much wealth as they could and ran from the authorities. The deal with the SDC was null and void, as Mr. Abate didn't make the decision, and a new CEO was chosen to run the company. Merle Nikos, my father, took over the company, and actually refused to do business with the SDC due to questionable practices. You can imagine that Jacques Schnee was quite furious that day. As for K.A. however, they started a massive crime spree, stealing from the rich, or whoever they could target. They robbed banks, hospitals, law firms and many other businesses, taking and hoarding the treasure for themselves. And they were not easy to capture, for they murdered opposition that stood in their way. Or at least, they attempted to. Anyone who wasn't killed was certainly injured. That, or they fled before anyone was hurt. At some point, Alva also legally changed back to her maiden name. The two terrorized settlements in Mistral and Anima for the next five years. Several police officers tried to catch them, but with their auras and weapon expertise, they always escaped.
"Three years into their crime spree, the case became open to huntsmen and huntresses, but it wasn't until two of her friends fell in battle that my mother took up the case. She was not merely seeking vengeance, but had realized that they were growing into a massive threat. Five years ago, on March 1st, 75 AGW, she left and was gone for nearly an entire year. Of course, most of the time she was gone was while I was in my first year at Sanctum, but it still hurt. I was worried that something would happen to her. My brother Ash and my dad were also scared. However, come the beginning of winter, December 23rd to be precise, she had tracked them down to a dusty motel in Wind Path. It was a cold, snowy night and the detectives found them thanks to a camera catching Alva making a withdrawal at a nearby ATM hours beforehand.
"Kiaran and Alva were found sleeping in the bed, reported to be completely naked at the time of arrest. After a brief struggle, she slapped some aura-blocking handcuffs on them and arranged for the police to pick them up. In addition to wads of cash adding in hundreds of Lien, the officers also found a lot of items that basically confirmed the status of their relationship."
"And what were those items?" Ren asked.
"They found condoms, both male and female, emergency contraception pills, some lubrication, two rose scented candles, a lighter wand, and what looked to be a very expensive piece of lingerie." At this, Ruby turned beet red and buried her face in her cloak. "All were confiscated along with the physical cash they had. The criminal duo was defeated at last. Kiaran and Alva were taken to the Catacombs Correctional Facility, which is believed to be the second harshest prison in the kingdom, outranked only by the Argus Harbor Max Security Prison. Unfortunately, the latter was later destroyed about two months ago... But nonetheless, they were sent to the slammer and Mom got to return home to her family just in time for the last of the winter holidays." She smiled. "We were all very happy that year. And one would think that would be the end of it...
The spartan's smile faded. "However, on August 12th of last year, things went wrong. The Catacombs were becoming too crowded, and so, they chose to move two hundred of the nastiest criminals not on death row to the Argus Harbor Prison. Among them were Kiaran and Alva. Unfortunately, the Grimm attacked the transport and many of the criminals escaped, including the crime-committing duo. My mother heard the news only three days later and was debating on whether or not to hunt them down again, but I never learned if she had actually planned on pursuing them again or not. Either way, both of my parents are gone, and Kiaran and Alva are still at large...
Pyrrha turned sorrowful. "My mother was one of the strongest huntresses of her generation, but yet, she fell... Is it... possible that Kiaran and Alva set up one of their minions to kill my parents as revenge? Is that... why they're doing all this?!"
The Gladiator Girl sobbed.
"Pyrrha..." Jaune began.
"I have a bad feeling I'm going to find the answers..." she spoke. "Whether I want to or not."
All the while, Weiss was still in the forests of Mistral. Carried in her arms by her Arma Gigas summon, she pondered to herself as the summoned knight followed the river.
Today is April 25th. I've been here for thirty six days. I've been following the river for most of it. Shouldn't I have found civilization by now? Just how big is Anima? I wish I had a map. And a compass. And an umbrella. My bra is still damp even though it rained two days ago.
She sighed to empty air.
I'm thankful that I have my Arma Gigas summon to help me. Once I find Winter I'll have to thank her for those summoning lessons. That is, if I find her. What if I don't make it to Argus? Or what if she's already gone by the time I get there? No, you can't think like that. No negative thoughts, or the Grimm will find you. And I would very much like to avoid them if at all possible.
Soon she realized that the Arma Gigas had stopped, not seeing the river. She looked ahead and saw what appeared to be a very long wooden bridge and a mountain gorge before her.
What's this?
"Dismount." she commanded.
The Gigas knight set her down. As Weiss stretched her legs and felt the grass on her bare feet, she took a look at the bridge before her. It looked sturdy enough, but she couldn't see where it ended. And it looked like it would be a long way down to the ground if it were to suddenly collapse.
That mountain gorge looks huge. Who knows how many miles it spans? Or what kind of dangers lurk in there? It seems like an easy place to die from a Grimm attack. Or an ambush by criminals. But where the heck am I?
The ex-heiress briefly mused out loud to herself.
"If I remember my geography lessons correctly, there are two major mountain gorges/canyons in Mistral. Scorpion Canyon and Carapace Gorge. This could be one of them. I believe that Carapace Gorge is towards the center of the continent, southeast of Kuchinashi..."
Wait a second. If this is Carapace Gorge then... I've been going in the wrong direction! Damn it! That river led me to nowhere! I should have realized that from the lack of snow! Or is it possible that I tried to justify the lack of snow by knowing that we're currently experiencing springtime in Anima, and thus, it would be warmer compared to Atlesian springs?
She sighed yet again.
"What do I do now?"
What if running away was a bad idea? What I'm terribly lost and don't find civilization out here? Not to mention that Winter... she might not even be in Argus anymore. And if she's gone then... What would I even do? My journey would be... all for nothing.
The former rich girl looked at her Arma Gigas summon.
"If only you could talk and give me advice."
The Arma Gigas did not say a word, but he slowly lifted his arm to point towards the bridge.
"Into the gorge? You think we should go into the gorge?"
The Gigas knight nodded.
Would that bridge even support both of our weights? Also, why would my Gigas summon want me to go into the gorge? Is it possible that like Grimm, he can sense something or someone, that I can not?
She looked at the forest, then back at the mountains ahead. A nervous feeling started to fester in her.
What are the downsides to this? I do have enough food and enough water to keep me going, so that wouldn't cause any problems physically. But what about emotionally? There's probably no one there. Or worse, there could be criminals. It also means I wouldn't be any closer to finding my sister... Yet, I can't shake the feeling that something important might be down there. Or someone in need of help. And if I'm right, then that means I can't just stand here and do nothing.
"We're going in."
And with this, Weiss stepped onto the bridge and started walking, the Arma Gigas following a few steps behind her.
The next day, Wyatt Forest was still shown in the forest. His arms were still bound by rope, but he managed to find a way to stand on his legs and moved throughout the forest.
As he walked around trying to find his way back to civilization, he ranted, "Dang it. I can't believe this. Defeated by Pyrrha Nikos! How embarrassing! I blame my low aura count. Mother always warned me that having an aura base of less than three gallons worth would end in disaster. Or less than 13.6 liters using metrics. Gosh damn it! Why can't I have a higher aura gauge like Cla..."
He soon found himself confronted by a pack of Beowolves. They all snarled at him.
"Oh crap..."
A scream was heard as ripping sounds were heard. Several birds flew away from the area and above the forest.
Salem was shown watching the scene with delight from her meeting room, the vision soon fading from her radar after Wyatt's death.
"And so another huntsman falls. Mistral falls even further into ruin. This is all going very well. And who knows? If the Trojan Alliance succeeds in their goal, perhaps Haven Academy will be all the more likely to fall."
Later that day, Kiaran Barrow and Alva Parker were shown in a village being rebuilt, the workers nailing down wood on an unfinished building. The cloaks were open for all to see as they stood atop a roof of one of the few completed houses. The two were shown eating a picnic lunch with tea and crumpets on a wooden table. The partners in crime sat across from each other, with Kiaran taking a sip of tea.
"I have to say, these efforts to rebuild villages to expand our bases are going quite well." Alva remarked, before sipping on some tea. "Or I guess technically finish building what some Mistralian elites started, but technicalities matter little here."
Kiaran questioned, "But are you sure that these settlements will survive in the long run?"
"I'm sure of it. The Trojan Alliance is gaining more numbers by the day. Even if bandit tribes and/or other criminal organizations try to rob us, we will be able to retaliate and launch a counter-attack. Soon we'll get everything we want; power, riches. Revenge."
He took a crumpet and took a bite. "Oniyuri should be completed in a matter of months. Do you think we should use this city as the capital of our future kingdom?"
"No." She began. "For the crown jewel of our empire, we will go back to where it all began."
Kiaran choked briefly as he realized... "Kuroyuri? But that's where the Nucklavee is!"
The black cloaked murderess glared at him. "Oh come on. You don't seriously believe that? By now someone had to have dispatched it. Worst case scenario, we take the Grimm out ourselves and start the construction."
The white cloaked murderer looked at his partner in crime curiously, blue fearful eyes looking into her red. "You think we could take them down?"
"Between my brains and your brawn, that Grimm wouldn't stand a chance."
She finished her crumpet as Kiaran thought to himself, eating the rest of his crumpet in one bite.
"You may have a point."
"Of course I do. After all, you had doubts about framing Pyrrha Nikos for the death of Penny Polendina to launch an attack against her, and yet, here we are. A massive criminal empire founded on hatred. I mean, really? How easy is it to deceive nearly everyone around you? They're all so gullible."
Kiaran smirked. "Or perhaps you're simply a master orator."
Alva smirked back. "Perhaps it is both. To think, soon the entire Nikos legacy will be gone from this planet. Once we dispatch Pyrrha and Ash that is."
"What about Hera?"
"She has no idea her daughter and her son-in-law have fallen. She retired to Griamore Port long ago, which is unfortunately one of the few settlements we have yet to get under our control. Nonetheless, she's past her prime and couldn't bear another child even if she wanted to. She'll likely pass in a few years. Not to mention her lover Zeus left her long ago. Although... Hmm... Perhaps after we kill her grandchildren, she'll die of a broken heart."
"Or perhaps we could kill her ourselves!"
Alva nodded. "Yes..."
Kiaran nodded back. "I like this plan."
"So it will be done. After we destroy Pyrrha and Ash, we will invade Griamore Port, find Hera if she's not already dead, tell her the news and then dispatch her. And our revenge against Phoenix Nikos and all her family members will be completed."
The two stood up. Kiaran wondered, "Well, we've finished lunch and our snack. What will we do now?"
"We could take a brief respite from our goals and make out. After all, when's the last time we did something romantic?"
He took his fingers and gently cupped her chin. The two leaned in and their lips met in a gentle, slow kiss. She took one arm and wrapped it around his neck, while the other one went towards his collar. She pushed and pulled him towards her, beginning to kiss him more intensely.
"You bad girl." Kiaran told her.
She smirked. "You think you're any better?"
As if to prove her point, he drew her in and gave her a passionate kiss. As he gently caressed her, he took the fingers of his right hand and ran them through her hair. After their lips parted, she took his hand.
"They won't stop us." she said.
"Nothing will." he agreed.
They spoke in unison, their smirks seen as the camera faded to show the constructing city. "They'll never take us alive. Not this time. Not ever again."
Author's Notes:
-Couple name for Kiaran Barrow and Alva Parker; BonnieandClyde. Fitting is it not? They are actually based on the criminal duo that made a career out of robbing banks and other places during the Great Depression, but I'll leave you to read the articles on your own (if you want to.)
-And the plot thickens as their true intentions are finally revealed. Looks like they're shaping up to be major, if not the main antagonists for volume 4. Will team JNPR-Ruby stand a chance against them and their forces? Stay tuned!