A/N: EDIT: Made some adjustments and tweaks, then expanded some scenes. Hope you enjoy them!
Alright. Here we are. As folks requested, here it is.
This is the "Worthy" story from my Fragments of Remnant plot bin, fully realized.
Meanwhile, "Breath," "What Could Have Been," Popular Monster "Lord of Frenzy," and "Whistle of Death" are nearly ready now.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
There are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. Meaning that if folks don't like this, it won't be continued. If the story itself ain't popular/well-received...well, I won't be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs, holidays are here too, meaning I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working all hours of the day keeps me absurdly busy; I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! Really, they're just tributes to legends far greater than me.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
We have a soundtrack for this chapter, too, if you like.
BITE DOWN by Hiroryuki Sawano~!
"Ha! Listen to you, Jacques! Bleating on and on and on like a little dog. Yap. Yap. Yap.
You're no Father of mine! You're even a man-not really.
You're just a...MONGREL."
~An audible manifestation of arrogance.
To be Worthy
Not like this.
Naruto didn't want to die like this.
Not here, not alone, not bleeding out under the stars.
And yet here he was. Here was the price for his foolishness, for his humility. The battle was over. The war won.
And his reward?
A dagger in the back.
Right through the heart.
It was so cold tonight. He couldn't even feel his fingers anymore. Could barely breathe, with the hole in his chest, the blood filling his lungs. Kurama didn't have enough chakra left to heal him. He was exhausted, spent, just the same as he. Was this what humility won them? Blind trust had likewise blinded him to the danger right in front of them; he'd failed to see it, right to the very end. Even now he almost couldn't believe it. Shock had a funny way of dulling your thoughts.
Damnit. Dying hurt. It hurt alot.
No, it was more than that. He didn't want to go...
"I'm sorry, kid." he could heard the bitter regret in his old friend's voice. "There's nothing more I can do."
"Don't be." He coughed a bit of blood and reached toward the sky. "Not your fault." Bloody fingers grasped for the moon, the moon they had made. "I'll come back." he growled up at its pale visage. "So will you. Just you wait. We'll show them. We'll show...'em...all...
...will we, now? I'd like that. I'll see you on the other side, then. Try not to die before we meet again."
Not a chance. A new life. A new name. A new identity. He wouldn't make the same mistakes twice...
Maybe that mindset made him arrogant. So be it. He would not falter again.
Naruto Uzumaki closed his eyes and breathed his last.
High above them, the moon shattered...
(.0.0.0.)
"Its a boy!"
...and his eyes snapped open.
In an instant he became of several things; a white room, an awfully bright light, and several people staring down at him.
Everything was big. Far, far too big. Bigger than it should be.
Just like that, Naruto understood.
...you must be joking.'
He had hoped...well, he thought he might hit the ground running, so to speak. Maybe wake up in a proper body. Not so, evidently.
"Let me see him," someone crooned. "Let me see my son."
Faces loomed over him as the world shifted. Someone was holding him. A weary woman with bright blue eyes and white hair...
"Congratulations, miss Willow!" Someone crooned. "He's the very picture of health!"
This was his new mother, he supposed. At least she was beautiful.
"He's...quiet." even her voice was soft. "Is he alright?"
No! No, he was not! This body was tiny and small and not at all what he wanted. He cast his thoughts inward, hoping Kurama would answer. The fox didn't, of course. Death had cut the two of them apart as surely as a hot knife through so much butter. Had he reincarnated as well? He hoped so. The idea of his one true friend being trapped in someone else's body irked him like nothing else. He wouldn't accept it. He refused to accept it. No one else was allowed to have Kurama. Then again, if he'd been reborn as human somewhere...well, misery loved company. If he had to endure this humiliation, then so should he.
"William?" the woman holding began to plead with him, growing increasingly frantic when he didn't respond. "My darling boy, please...say something!"
Naruto bridled, indignation burning bright in his brain. William?! What kind of name was that?!
Still, she looked so sad...
With a put upon sigh, he deigned to make an annoyed noise. That seemed to soothe the woman holding him.
"You poor dear." she unfastened the front of her gown. "You must be hungry. Here...
Naruto absolutely twitched.
Just like that, the adults began fussing and cooing over him again. Left with no other recourse he resigned himself to his fate...for now.
He was painfully aware of everything around him as he had his fill; the frailness of his new form, his chakra burning in his chest like a raging inferno, and another, stranger power lurking within him. But above all, he felt the great gaping void where Kurama ought to be.
It stung. Stung like nothing else.
They say dying has a way of breaking a man; perhaps it had broken him. He wasn't insane, not by any means or measure. Madness would have been a blessing. That said, he certainly had far less patience for this sort of thing than he would have prior. Willow, he could tolerate. She'd brought him back into the world. But the others kept yapping over him like a band of dogs, no, like a pack of-
"Mongrels...
The word slipped from his lips before he could think to hold it back. Not a baby's voice, but that of a young man, sharp and angry.
A silence fell over the room. One of the doctor's broke it. "Miss Willow?! Did...did he just talk?!
Naruto winced slightly. Had he? "Oops...?"
"He did it again!"
Willow gasped suddenly and held him tighter, her entire body quivering. "I think the other one's coming...!"
The doctors went work quickly. One of them spread her legs again. "Push, miss Schnee!"
Another reedy cry split the air -not his!- and the fax paus was soon forgotten.
"There she is!" the doctor cried. "Its a girl! She's healthy!"
Naruto blinked bleary eyes, brought up short by the sudden revelation. He had a sister? No, a twin! Well, that was certainly unexpected. Unexpected, but not unwanted. He'd always wanted a sibling in his first life. It would have made everything so much better. He couldn't see her at this angle, not properly, but he could sense her all the same. She seemed quite...normal. Not Kurama, then. Pity. He would've enjoyed teasing him had he been reborn a a girl...
"Weiss! Give her to me!" the woman demanded. "Let me see my daughter!"
Naruto sniffed, made somewhat indignant by the simple name.
And then, quite suddenly, there she was.
Just like that he found another small, swaddled pink form tucked against him. A crown of pale white hair adorned the babe's pink head. Her eyes -no doubt the same shade as Willow's- were unfortunately squeezed quite shut while she wailed at the world. Such a pair of lungs she had! Nothing seemed to calm her. No amount of rocking on Willow's part would soother her, and she refused to eat.
'Feisty little thing...
On a whim, Naruto extended a subtle, unseen thread of chakra her way to soothe her cries.
It worked far better than he could have hoped. Weiss jolted in Willow's arms. Her eyes snapped open, terribly startled. They were the brightest shade of blue he'd ever seen. She saw him. He saw her. Something settled in his heart as he stared at her, filling the great gaping void Kurama had left behind.
.
..
...maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Willow made a pleased noise. "Winter, come here, dear. Say hello to your siblings."
A tiny face poked over the bed, bright orbs sparking with curiosity. Belatedly he recognized the white hair, pale visage, and blue eyes. Dazed though he was at the moment, Naruto immediately saw the family resemblance. It was impossible not to, and he nearly recoiled despite himself. He had a big sister?! This "Winter"-he was beginning to sense a trend with the letter W here!-couldn't be more than five years old and she had all the sheer, boundless curiosity of a child her age.
A pale finger stroked the top of his head. "They're so small...
Winter tutted and nudged her hand away. "Of course they are, dear girl...
But here came the doctors again, kicking up a fuss; wanting to check him and Weiss, make certain he was healthy, run a battery of tests-
Naruto's senses might be sharper, but so too was his temper. He'd had quite enough of these people pawing over him...!
He wanted to be left in peace, damnit!
Something shifted deep inside him.
'ENOUGH!'
A white glyph shimmered into existence over his head and swatted the nearest doctor aside. The poor fellow struck a wall and slid down it, insensate.
Winter gasped, looking at him like he'd grown a second head.
That worked alright; it sent the other mongrels scampering away with their tails between their legs. Moreover, no one wanted to touch him or Weiss. Good! Let them fuss and fret over what they'd seen here today. No one would believe them. After all, babies didn't talk. They certainly didn't unlock their semblance only a few minutes after their birth. No, nonsense, of course not...
Willow laughed and held him close. "My darling boy. You're going to be absolutely brilliant...
Naruto didn't cry. On the contrary. He did quite the opposite.
He laughed.
(.0.0.0.)
Ozpin fought down a sudden shudder in his tower.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
How little he knew.
(.0.0.0.)
There was something terribly wrong with the Schnee family.
To be fair, Naruto realized that rather early on; he simply wasn't able to act on it until he was five.
By then he at least had some semblance -ha!- of control over his body, enough to know when it would and wouldn't fail him...
.
..
...unlike this family.
Which was precisely why he felt things needed to change around here.
These days, the Schnee Manor felt cold. Sterile. Hollow and empty. It should be a thriving bastion of life, home to a happy family, not a place of sadness and sorrow. He had few fond memories of this place. The last five years had not been kind.
And he knew why.
He caught sight of himself in a mirror as he walked by and shook his head.
He'd become one of smartest people in Atlas, not arrogance that, but simple undisputed fact, and he saw the signs all around. He'd used these last five years well, learning and training where a child would be playing. He'd been eighteen when he died the first time and his mind was relatively intact, so he put it to good use, learning everything he could.
Death had...not broken him per se, but it had hardened his heart in some ways. In his first life he'd been foolish, and likewise made foolish mistakes. In his haste to save everyone in arms reach, he'd all but rushed to his own demise. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. This time he would save those he deemed worthy. No more, no less.
Jacques was not worthy; not in the least.
That wretched weasel cared precious little for his children, only the family name and the lien it brought him. Nothing more. He was too busy trying to weed out his competitors -and turn a profit!- to care of the enemies he was making, Faunus and otherwise. He'd warned him about that once. Jacques hadn't heeded his words. Why should he? To him, wealth, fame, and power were all that mattered; clinging to his past glories and lording his accomplishments over others like he was some kind of king.
Such a mongrel. A true king did not cling to such things, and Jacques was no king.
Willow was teetering on the edge; she'd begun drinking last year after a nasty argument with "Father" and hadn't been the same since. She was his mother. He wanted to help her, he did, but despite what she'd said to him at his "birth" she'd been such a disappointment lately...
Winter...well. He'd begun to nurse a grudge against his dear "sister". She was going to leave. Take the easy way out. Abandon them for the military, flee to the once place were Jacques couldn't touch her. Unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable. You didn't forsake family. Certainly not when they needed you. Yet she seemed prepared to do just that.
Weiss, at least, was worthy.
She was him, and he was her. They were twins. Two halves of a greater whole. She understood him, just as he did her. She worked for her accomplishments, she earned her skills, practicing dutifully every day, be it her singing or her semblance practice. Soon she'd graduate to using proper steel. Soon, but not yet. No one could trust a five-year-old with live dust.
He was curious to see what she would become; what direction her semblance would take.
Sage only knew his had already diverged down a different path.
Ah, but he digressed.
In the end, everyone else in the manor was wrapped up in themselves, in their own little world, the cowards. They couldn't see what was happening around them. They didn't want to. They didn't care for one another, not for him, and they certainly didn't care for Weiss. They were blind.
No longer.
He would make them see.
Even if he had to drag them to the light himself.
Cowards died so many times on the inside, and each time they lost a piece of themselves. Became lesser. But not him. He would give nothing up. He would be worthy of his new name. And besides, all this conflict pained Weiss, hurting her more and more every day. So he did what any reborn brother would do:
He took charge.
(.0.0.0.)
"You've had enough."
Willow raised her head from her desk, bottle in hand, and squinted through bleary eyes.
Through swimming vision, she spied a crop of white hair. Something ugly curdled in her chest.
Jacques. Of course it was Jacques. Fury burned beneath her breast at the sight of her so-called husband, searing through her pleasant stupor. What more did he want from her? Hadn't he already taken enough? Her duty, her identity, her very pride. He'd broken her. Their marriage was a baited hook, a lie, a sham, one she'd swallowed and summarily choked on. Had he come to demand another child of her? She had nothing left to give. It was too much. Too painful. No more, no more...
Her head kissed the desk again. "Leave me be."
He sniffed. "I will not."
"LEAVE!"
She burst out of her seat, rounded on him with a shriek, and swung her bottle, braining him with it.
.
..
...such was her intent.
Instead, a hand caught her wrist. Gently yet firmly, holding her in place.
"No more drinking, Mother." Wait. That didn't sound like Jacques at all. "You're cut off."
Mother?
With that, her bleary vision finally cleared and she saw him.
It wasn't Jacques at all, but her son. Her son. Her boy. Her brilliant baby boy.
William looked downright regal today, but then again, her son always took great pride in his appearance these days; from his keen blue eyes, to his snow-white hair, swept back and up from his forehead, spiked locks straining for the sky. She rather liked the new look; a far cry from the untidy mess he'd once had. These days he wore the Schnee colors; a white jacket over a blue shirt, a silver tie etched with a hint of red, alongside light blue pants. The shoes, mercifully, were a rich charcoal black.
The latter tapped now on the floor, rapping out an impatient rhythm.
He held out his free hand. "Give me the bottle."
Willow wilted. "I don't want to...
"I wasn't asking."
Reluctantly, she yielded it to him.
The very second she did, William grabbed it and whipped it against the wall with a spectacular crash. Red wine sluiced lazily down the wall to drip upon the carpet. It rather reminded Willow of blood. The thought made her shiver a little.
Unfortunately, her son didn't stop there.
Still gripping her wrist, he dragged her behind him and stalked about the room, destroying every bottle he found. There were many. Some were already emptied. Most...were not. Some he threw against walls. The rest he simply stomped down on, rendering their contents so many stains on the carpet. By the end his once pristine shoes ran red and the floor was a wash of wine and broken glass.
Willow blinked blearily at this feet. "You've ruined your shoes...
William didn't dignify that with a response. In short order, her son frog-marched her out the devastated study and into the living room, uncaring of the crimson footprints he left behind. From there he forced her down onto a lounging couch. She didn't dare struggle. Not with that wrathful look in his eye.
"This stops today." A finger thrust itself in her face. "Weiss needs you. I need you. Winter certainly does."
"But I-
"No buts!" a horde of white glyphs briefly bloomed at his back -and she glimpsed the teeming weapons within- before he mastered himself. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! We need you!"
If only it were that easy. "You don't need me. I'm a wretched mother...I've left you all alone...
A host of indescribable emotions flashed across her son's face. For a moment, she wondered if he would actually attack her. Eventually, he settled on anger again. "I know you have. I'm not blaming you for that. You had your reasons." He laid a hand over hers, stroking her knuckles gently. "But you can't stay like this." his fingers gripped hers. "He wants you to be like this. Broken. Defeated. Miserable."
She goggled at him. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to stop drinking." her son declared sternly. "I want you to be the woman you were when I was born. "I-we!-want our mother back."
"I can't do that."
"Yes," he disagreed, "you can."
"I can't." she babbled back." Your father's ruined me...
"Don't do it for him." her son smacked her hand, causing her to jump. "Do it for us. The best vengeance is in living well, not sinking down into this pit of misery. You're not alone. We're here for you. And who knows?" An eerie gleam flickered through those blue orbs as he smiled at her. "Jacques won't be around forever. Accidents happen all the time."
William wasn't implying what she thought he was implying. Surely? Certainly not!
.
..
...still...
Maybe he was right. Jacques was a wretched, wicked worm, but these were her children. She could at least make an effort for them.
"I...I'll try." she hiccuped.
"I know you will." he stepped in to give her a quick hug, one she found herself returning. "Trust in me. I won't let you drink yourself into an early grave."
His peace said, her kingly son stalked away.
Willow blinked, somewhat taken aback by his abrupt departure. "Where are you going?"
He clicked his tongue. "Don't ask questions you already know the answers to."
Ah. He was going to beat some sense into Winter, then.
She almost pitied her wayward daughter.
Almost.
(.0.0.0.)
"Hello, big sister~!"
Her little brother was a monster.
It pained Winter to think it, much less admit it, but there it was.
However human William Schnee might appear to be on the outside, she knew her little brother was anything but. She'd known it the moment she'd laid eye on him, and he'd only proved her right as the years went by. Little brothers didn't unlock their semblances moments after their birth. Little brothers didn't have a silver tongue capable of swaying anyone to their side. Little brothers certainly didn't ambush her in the middle of the night and...and...
.
..
...pin her down like some wild boarbatusk!
"William." she grunted at the little devil currently sitting on her back, wedging her body between the fractured stones of the courtyard. "Let go of me."
"No," bright blue eyes gleamed with cold dispatch. "I don't think I will, dear sister. Its high time you and I had a little...chat."
Winter growled into the gravel. "Now is not the time-
She felt cold steel clasp her arms.
An ominous click echoed it.
No. He wouldn't!
"I disagree!" he pushed her nose into the broken masonry when she sought to struggle. "Its the perfect time to talk. No one can hear us out here."
"Why you...!"
She bucked upward, to no avail. He'd already handcuffed her hands together and clearly had no intention of moving.
Of course he'd planned for this, the little churl. William possessed all of Father's arrogance but unlike Father, not only did he have power, but he possessed the wisdom and the wit to back it up. Strength in spades. Stamina for days. Speed unsurpassed. He also had a strong sense of righteousness, warped though it might be. If he thought he was right, then he was right, and woe to whomever had the stones to argue with him. Therein lie the problem. He'd taken issue with her wanting to leave for the military. He'd been quite vocal about that.
She hadn't expected him to jump her hours before she caught a bullhead to the academy. Cheeky brat.
Gritting her teeth, she twisted her head around to glare up at her little devil of a brother.
"You do realize you won't get away with this; you can't keep me here forever."
"You're right." he nodded, utterly baffling her. "That would be boring."
...what?"
William unshackled her and hopped off her back, leaving her to scramble uncertainty to her feet.
Rubbing her wrists, she cast him a baleful glare. "What ate you playing at now?"
"No games." the five-year-old spread his arms wide on either side of him and for a moment, seemed far taller than he was. "Think of this as a...friendly wager. If, by some miracle, you manage to get past me, you're free to join the military. However!" his voice rose sharply, piquing in dark delight. "if you lose...
He cocked his head, blue eyes gleaming in the light of the broken moon.
...you stay and be a proper big sister." a finger rose, jabbing her way. "Become a Huntress here in Atlas if that strikes your fancy or what-have-you, I don't care. But you don't join the military."
Winter considered his words for a moment, regarding her sibling's kingly mien as one might a sleeping Goliath. William was, in many ways, broken. Although he possessed the hereditary Schnee semblance much as she did, he couldn't summon the foes he defeated. Yet for all that, he had no problem using it in...other ways. He'd unleashed his imagination and that made him all the more dangerous.
But to think he could best her? Alone? "Such foolish pride...
Countless glyphs burst into existence at his back. "Care to repeat that again, sister?"
She settled into a loose stance, drawing her blade, then palming the hidden dagger withing. "You're arrogant."
"I'm truthful." he countered, crossing both arms before his cehst. "You had no problem leaving us; so why should you have any problem fighting me? You clearly think you'll win."
She did. She was older than him. Stronger. Faster. She didn't even have to beat him in a fight; she just had get past him.
Simple, no?
Yes, she could do this.
Winter raised her dual blades.
William cackled abruptly, without warning.
And her vision swelled with dozens of angry swords.
(.0.0.0.)
Weiss practically pounced on him the next morning.
Quite literally. She liked jumping on beds.
Who knew?
Not him.
"William!" he awoke to her shouting his name, practically shaking him to and fro. "Winter's staying! Did you hear?!
Naruto creaked a blue eye open, trying not to smile. "As a matter of fact, I did...
He'd been tempted to deal with their so-called "Father" as well, but that would take time, more than he could accomplish in a day. A faker like him deserved a long, slow, agonizing end. He couldn't simply kill him outright; that
Ah, but his dear sister was speaking again and he must attend.
"And mother actually made breakfast this morning!"
A yawn. "What're the chances of that...?"
Weiss caught on at once and down on his legs, to pin him in place, clever girl that she was. "What did you do?"
He fought down the surge of vindictive glee. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you mean."
She practically yanked him upright, eyes alight with curiosity. "What. Did you. Do?"
This time, he didn't bother to hide his grin. "Are you angry?"
She huffed. "I am not angry. Just confused. Talk."
No getting out of this it seemed. "...have it your way. It went like this..."
He could take a tongue lashing. So long as Weiss was happy.
She was his greatest treasure.
For she was Worthy.
A/N: There we have it.
Naruto reborn as a Schnee with all the arrogance/righteousness of Gilgamesh from a prior betrayal, coupled with a vicious twist on the Schnee Semblance. Just imagine. Almost any weapon he likes. It takes a bit of aura and chakra for his semblance, a little imagination, aaaaaand BAM! You've got a veritable storm of death.
As ever, we're sticking with the tried and true "Embers" Rule for this story.
If folks don't like it...well, it won't be continued.
So speak up! Make yourself heard! Your voice matters! That's no joke! I have very little time to write these days, so feedback plays a large part in this. Daily updates ensure that I'm constantly busy working on one project or another. I cannot afford to stop and write something that folks don't like; if only because I feel that would a cold disservice to those of who who have stuck with me for so long.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews! Potential ones, I suppose.
Granted, some are far off:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT YOU!
YE BE WARNED!
(Previews)
"Checkmate."
Weiss reared back in surprise, regarding the chess pieces arrayed before her. "How?!
"You're not going to Beacon. Neither of you."
It began with a snicker.
Weiss knew that noise well; just as she knew what was about to happen. Wisely, she took a step back. And well that she did, for her brother's snicker soon enough it became a chuckle, followed by a wry laugh, then an outright cackle. Her brother palmed his face and threw back his head, covering his eyes with one hand, shoulders shaking as he quivered with mirth.
William was her twin. Her older brother, technically, born nine seconds before her. Her other half, both like her and so unalike her.
He favored Grandfather in many ways; from his mild blue eyes to his crisp white hair, right down to his choice of weaponry and armor. He was in every way a knight; no, to call him such was an insult. Remnant hadn't had a king in centuries, but her brother had the bearing of one. It showed now, as he laughed at the top of his lungs.
Father flushed. "Why are you laughing, William?! Stop that! Stop that at once, I say! Stop laughing at me!"
"I can't help myself! You're no Father of mine! You're even a man-not really. You're just a...MONGREL."
William possessed the Schnee semblance, just as she.
One might think he was slow in all that armor. He wasn't. He was fast.
His hand found father's throat, ripped him off the floor, and flung him across the room.
"I'll have you sued for this...!"
"Of course, father." William tittered merrily, eyes dancing with malice. "Because that's just what you do, isn't it?" His head tilted, gaze half-lidded in thinly veiled scorn, teeth flashing in a sneer. "How has that worked out for you? You stormed in here, thinking you could use your wealth and influence to dictate our destiny. But you can't."
"Why you impudent-
A brilliant white glyph opened behind him as he climbed to his feet. William's head twitched just so. An ancient white blade burst forth from its shimmering confines. Blood spattered the wall. Jacques crumpled to his knees with a scream, clutching the bloody, ruined remnants of his right wrist.
Weiss gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "What are you doing?!"
Her twin ignored her.
"And let's not forget your deal with Ironwood." William clicked his tongue, cheeks dimpling in a scowl. "Get all your competitors in one place so you can buy them out. Just like you're trying to do with us now." He crossed both arms before his blue-and-silver armored chest and shook his head. "If only someone could have warned you against such a miserable idea. Oh wait!" A finger rose, then jabbed toward his breastplate. "I did! But you pushed ahead and you lost your temper, when all you had to do was keep your word! You think you're entitled to everything just because you have money, but money isn't enough!
Jacques tried to stand.
No, no, no. That wouldn't do. Mongrels belonged in the dirt.
Another sword burst forth from a glyph and cut off his leg at the knee. He crumpled with a squeal. Much better.
"If you raise a hand to Weiss again, the other hand comes off, and your leg besides." He all but spat the word, the turned to face her. "We're leaving, Weiss. Beacon awaits."
He offered his hand and waited for her to make up her mind. Her gaze flitted to his, then back to Jacques.
Father gurgled weakly where he lay. "Don't you dare...!"
Weiss hesitated, if only for a moment. This man had been their father, once, long ago.
William didn't waver, not once. "Never forsake me, and I'll never forsake you."
She took a deep breath to steel herself...and took her twin's palm.
Hand in hand, they walked out the door.
*Note to self: Potential Team Name notes for initiation, keep this for late. Don't forget. Can't forget.
SVRN?* Considering* JWBY? *No, won't work, Coeur did that.* SYBL? *Might work.* CRDA? *Move some letters around. *CARD? What color would that even be?!
Laughter split the air. "Not so brave now, are you, MONGRELS?!"
Grimm died in droves, fleeing for their lives.
Weiss palmed her face. "There's no stopping him when he's like this...
"Soooo...you can summon weapons?"
Naruto quirked a pale brow. "I can indeed. What of it?"
"And you can basically summon whatever you want? Any kind of weapon? Like, heroic weapons?"
"With time and effort, yes."
"Eeeeeeeee!"
Ruby jumped him with a squeal. "Can you be my partner?! Please, please, pleaaaaassse?!"
...you've brave, I'll give you that." he regarded his dirty armor with a glower. "I've killed people for less."
Guileless silver eyes blinked up at him. "But you wouldn't kill a teammate, right?
"I never said I was going to be your-
"Please, please, please!"
Hrrngh. Too cute...
"Well, you certainly don't lack for confidence."
Cardin gulped. "What the hell are you?"
...the solution. Now, what was that you said behind my back? I believe you laughed at me.
He spread his arms. The Emerald Forest went still.
"But you're not laughing now.
"You managed to hit me. Wonderful. You have my undivided attention.
Countless white portals bloomed behind him, teaming with death.
"I HOPE ITS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED."
Spoiler. It was not.
Not at all.
"Nope! Mercury performed an about face and walked away. "He's dead. Not helping him."
She frowned at him for a long moment. "What are you...?"
"Many things." he sipped at the flute of wine languidly. "A dead man. A brother. A leader. And also...
He raised his gaze. Blue eyes shimmered red.
...an executioner."
"You can't just be strong! You have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have be WORTHY! And you aren't! None of you are!"
He whirled and thrust a finger behind him.
"Only she is."
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well it will remain, but...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.
Holidays are her, and my free time is limited to the extreme now. As such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work!
R&R~!