A.N. Yo I'm back. It's already ten months since I updated this. I'll be honest with you who still read this fic, I have the exact pictures and scenes I want to put into the story, even I already have the ending, but I am still confused to the how the story should progress so that the scenes I envision would come to fruitition. So... I kinda stopped thinking about it at that time since I'm also having some college projects. I don't know if I will continue this again since this chapter also came to my mind after I had a very bad day at college. So yeah, don't be hoping a lot for me to continue this.
Alright, enough for the rambling. Thank you for you who still read and enjoy this story, please do comments if you want.
P.S. If I do update more tho, it will be action focused from the various factions fighting in the upcoming war.
Skyscrapers were a common sight within the confines of Vale City. There were malls, high profile businesses, vertical farming, but most were of the residential kind. Among all of those skyscrapers, there was one that stood at the very center of the City, the tallest of them all, the Valefar Heights—Symbol of The Valean Council. Fun fact, it was unofficially known as Councilors' Dick by the poorer folks.
'I wonder what kind of interior that building has.' A stray thought crossed Ruby's mind. Well, she couldn't help herself but be curious. Never was there a mission that entails her visit to the place, and she doubt there would be any in the coming future. She could speculate though; a ridiculously clean hallway that somehow surpassed her Boss' platinum hallway was among those speculations.
Why Ruby had these thought you may ask? Well, she was climbing a skyscraper herself together with Senior Ermessia—now an official Third Ring, Big Steel, and her partner Johnathan. This one building in particular belonged to her Boss, one of the many in which he used as a legal company for money laundering. Why was she, and her team, heading for the top? She didn't get the full detail but it was related to the coming war.
Soon, with no small talk in between, they reached the top. Both Ruby and Johnathan were surprised to find The Boss, and The First Ring were already waiting on the flat roof.
"Ah, all actors have gathered upon the stage. Come here, my loyal followers, stand beside me. Let us wait together for the curtain to rise."
The last time Ruby met the Boss was only a few days ago. That time he looked exhausted with all the papers stacked haphazardly on his platinum desk. Today, still only with his overflowing white cloth to cover up his body, he stood with such regality and spoke as if Heaven has blessed him with their boons.
"Permission to ask question, Sir?"
"Granted, my Third Ring."
"Sir. I was briefed that we will engage with unspecified number of hostiles upon the street of Vale. I would like to know how and why such circumstance would happened, and I also would like to know who are privy to the exact circumstances within this city."
As per the Boss' fashion, he laugh after hearing the question, "Surprise is a good thing you know, Ermessia. But, I do understand where your concern is coming from. As such, I will answer your second question before answering the first." He flicked his arm and his cloth moved as if the wind blew over it, "There are, of course, myself, Ramoex over here, Sir Ozpin and his court, The Black Opera and his Harbingers, and The Councilor Guards."
"So, it is a scheme orchestrated by The Council—"
"I purposely left out The Council, Ermessia."
That sentence made Ermessia pause, while the other three members of team Ermessia slowly digested the information. Then Ruby and Johnathan recalled their conversation with Sir Ozpin and The Boss from days prior about a war, the dots began connecting and their blood ran cold.
It was Johnathan who expressed his concern first, "My apologies for interrupting! Sir, are you saying that we let an army of Distortions enter the city so that we can help them conquer this city!?"
Another laugh was uttered, "Haha! Close! But not quite. You see, Johnny, Emmanuel has been planning to remove the current Council and replace them with individuals who actually care for the small people for years now. He cannot do that of course, the aristocratic houses still stand after all. Assassinations won't work too. T'was too messy, too sussy, the news vultures can smell it from continent away.
"However! The head of our enemy, The Relic of Choice, is one of the four Progenitor of Distortions who was born 84 years ago at the Twilight of the Emerald Order. At that time, their body and spirit were separated and the Kingdoms got hold of their bodies. Vale houses the Crown of Choice, and now Choice itself marches with its army to claim its rightful body. With this incident, it would be easy to remove the Council and the aristocrats. If the public ask, we can simply say that the aristocrats who stole from us have finally take up arms and protect their loyal subjects!
"T'was three grimm—nay four—with a single bullet. The Council is replaced, the aristocrats die a noble death, the people won't suspect a thing in such moment of glorious triumph, and a Progenitor dies while Vale keeps her dignity as the Emerald that shone green upon this nightmarish world!
"Hahaha… and our role in this… we kill the invaders, let us be part of the heroes of this grand play."
"But—but Sir," Johnathan stammered out another question, "How are they going to enter the city? The walls still stand strong—"
"Think John, think!" To emphasize his words, both of his index fingers were pointed at his head, "Many of the Beasts and Colors were sent out not just for the Salem watch but for other 'emergencies of high priorities' even with Vytal looming over us. As such, Atlas sent us help with their abundance of soldiers, thus creating a small chaos in the rank of security. It is not surprising that the enemy slip amongst us and planted some bombs on key structures of the wall."
"But… Sir," it was now Ruby who found her courage to ask question, "You seemed so lost a few days ago… why are you so full of confidence now?"
For the fourth time, Damian Super Hikaru Takahashi laughed that day, "I blame that on Emmanuel. The bastard only explained this entire shit in full merely two hours after you delivered that paper to me. As for why I went along with it? Well, our partnership goes a long way… and I believe the path of keeping my bois—that includes all of you—alive lies with Emmanuel. Let us hope that the script of whatever Higher Beings up there favors us."
It was at that moment when Ramoex inserted himself into the dialogue, "Sir, an army consisting of Distortions, White Fang, and Grimm are vastly approaching the East and South Gate."
Ah… and so it begin, not with a whimper, but with a BANG.
"Do you hear that, my loyal friends?"
Of course they heard it. It was so loud that the entire city must have heard it. And then came the rumbling of the earth, as pieces of the once pristine wall became one with the land.
And perhaps, for this grand play, the first opening fireworks were deemed lacking.
BOOM BOOM.
Two more followed from deep within the city and then followed by total blackout… before the emergency siren urged the people to evacuate to the bunker or just fled through the West Sea.
"Sir, multiple areas of prior interest are reported to have large mobs of White Fang suddenly emerging from buildings and Backstreet."
"As expected," he then addressed Team Ermessia, "The four of you go hit the street. And remember to not die."
"Yessir!"
Thus the four heroes who had been the focus from the beginning of this saga marched on towards the final act.
"Ramoex, your E.G.O. please. Oh, and go wild, my Semblance will handle the energy cost."
And the air became still as sound itself died.
"These are mighty foes."
Marble E.G.O.
An E.G.O. that took not the form of a wear, it took the form of the very space, stacking itself into the very reality and bending the laws within its domain.
"Thee who fell by my blade… Thee who earned my respect… I ask of thee…"
Aura, untamed and unbalanced, seeped into reality.
"Rise… and today we fight as one… under my Panorama."
And the sky turned blood.
—One day before the Preamble—
A skeleton and a horned man sat on a box. That sounded like a beginning of an unfunny joke. Alas, in a world where logic died together with the Emerald Order, something that appeared to be logical may perhaps be the very opposite of that. Like, have you ever seen a burning skeleton that was capable of complex thought aside from comic books character? The answer was probably no… It was definitely no. The situation at hand, however, was a reality.
Hidden somewhere near the West dock of lustrous Vale, in a corner of a warehouse rarely visited, Roman Torchwick and Adam Taurus were having the best talk of their life. The topic, their soon to be wife and the upcoming war.
"There's this small plot of land near the Southern Cove. Arable, view's gorgeous, and bountiful fishing spots. Neo and I will move there once the festival settled."
Adam Taurus, with a glass of whiskey in one hand, toasted to the upcoming war, "Same. Blake and I will go to that unclaimed island once this place settles down. Our parents will come to, and of course most of the Fang will too."
"Ho? Not trying to rule together with the Boss man?" More whiskey went down his nonexistent stomach until no more was left in his glass, shrugging, he poured more.
"Tempting, but I declined his offer. You see… after talking it out with my men… becoming a kind of nobility under his reformed world would go against our ideology of wanting equality. We still hate The Council, thus our cooperation will only last until The Council has fallen. After that, we'll sail across the sea and claim a place for our own. A great ending, If I say so myself."
More whiskey was poured, "I see. A shame then. I was hoping I could persuade you into coming with me… I will not lie, you have gain my respect, Adam Taurus. A man of action, a man of change, one of the leader of a revolution about to come. You'll be one fine neighbor to have." Their glass clinked and they downed their whiskey to the last drop, "All bombs have been armed, all except the North power plant. That's your team's job for the opening act. Get in, plant the bomb, get out, lit it up, and we'll come rushing in." The skeleton man seemed to be grinning despite his inability to do so, "Good luck to you mate."
—Day of Preamble, North Power Plant—
Blake Belladonna believed her sense of self-preservation to be one of the best, if not the best, within the ranks of the White Fang. After all it was the one thing carrying her to safety in the Atlesian mining disaster, the one that saved her from the Shallow Sea, it was the one thing she trusted with her life other than Adam. The thing was blaring at her, urging her to get away from the place as far as possible.
The cat faunus vehemently fought back against her instinct. No, she told herself. She trusted Adam more. She would not run away. This mission will be the catalyst that stroke the flames of war against the city full of corruption. For a better world, yes?
"Adam, do you feel that? It's as if we're being watch."
Blake was positioned right behind him, he easily heard her question despite it sounded almost like a whisper. A quick hand motion signaled the entire team of six to a halt and soon a round formation was made centering around the bomb carrier. "Rudolph, scan," a wave of Aura washed over the team and the surrounding area, the activation of a Semblance.
Soon the faunus with the antler, caster of the Semblance and the one on the back of the formation, spoke, "Nothing caught on my radar since fifteen minutes prior, Captain. But I have to agree with Blake here, this place is too empty, a power plant shouldn't be this empty, especially when the generators are still working."
That did not bring closure to Blake at all. And since he brought it up, Blake felt stupid not considering the absence of workers in a power plant to be suspicious at all. It should be suspicious, this place needed maintenance constantly for efficient energy regulation. She knew how an unmanned power plant would spell disaster…too much Dust in one place…she saw it happening back in Atlas.
This must be a trap right? Adam must have considered that right? Why did they keep marching in?
"My friends, this is no time nor place to second guess yourself. A revolution is upon us, beginning with the destruction of the North and South power plants. Just a bit more, and we can retreat back to safety, Blake and I will then support the rearguard in the cleanup."
Spirits reinvigorated, except for Blake, the team prepared to move once more—
CLAP CLAP CLAP
And then their weapons were drawn, pointing at something unseen in front of them.
'It's a trap! It's a fucking trap!'
"What the!" spoke the team radar, "We're surrounded! Twelve life signatures, where the hell did they come from!?"
From behind the machinery on their front, a figure emerged. A man of regal posture with a beard and face full of smile. Many could fill such description, but Blake knew this person when she fully looked at his gears, a three piece suit with twelve different masks hanging on his hips. She knew this person, and Adam knew him as well. "Black Opera…" And if Rudolph was to be believed, his Harbingers were hiding amongst the hissing machinery around.
"Hello there, Monsieur Taurus. Fancy meeting you here on this beautiful night!"
"Cut the crap. You're here under order of The Council aren't you?"
Oddly enough, he laughed at Adam's accusation, "Oho? The Council? No no, oh Monsieur Taurus." His hands went forward and the team focused on them, anticipating an attack to come. Surprisingly none came, he only clapped twice before lowering them back, "Dear Signora, the light please!"
The darkened power plant soon filled up with artificial light, their vision clearer than ever. At first, Blake believed an all out brawl would commenced, yet nothing came still. Suddenly, Adam made a noise of surprise and the team followed his line of sight. They soon joined him in his confusion.
There, on the main generator, was a bomb set and armed, ready to blow with the push of a button.
"You… what is the meaning of this? Aren't you working for The Council?"
He laughed again, it kind of irritated her ears, "Ahaha! Surprised, you are, Monsieur Taurus! Ah, before I explain, I think it's imperative of me to clarify about something." He brought up three fingers, "There are three major factions in this war. One is The Relic of Knowledge. One is The Council. The last one, The Owl… and The Owl would profit greatly with The Council gone."
What?
What did she just heard? Wha—? Run that by her again please?
"I see… so that's how it is."
Blake snapped her attention to her soon to be husband, "Adam, Adam. What is going on!?"
Adam did not gave her a reply, "Then, you must be here to recruit us to your side."
"Bravo, Monsieur Taurus! That is indeed my intention!" His hand came forward, "Come, shake my hand, and we can walk this path togethaa!"
The team of faunus could only watched in silence, too shocked with the turn of event. They deferred to Adam to make the decision for them.
As for Adam… he only took a single glance at the offered hand, and immediately brought Wilt into a battle stance. A smile was on his face, a frown was on the Black Opera, "I have to decline. My brothers and sisters won't like the idea of us fighting under The Owl."
The Black Opera retracted his hand, a deep sigh escaping him after, "Haaaahh… At least I tried… Harbingers! Leave this place at once!"
And the team's confusion grew once more. "Eleven life signatures leaving the area!" Rudolph helpfully clarified.
The Black Opera reached deep into his breast pocket and retrieved something painfully familiar to the faunus team, it was a detonator.
"You—what are you—"
And his thumb went down upon the button.
Thus began the bloodiest Vytal Festival in the long history of Remnant.
A.N. Yes, Marco The Black Opera is a reference to MarcoMeatball, go watch his channel.