Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of A Lingering Ember. Enjoy the 5600-word chapter. I do not own RWBY, Monty Oum, and Rooster Teeth do.
(Mistral.)
Ollie was born without sight. He had known this, knowing that the flaky sheen over his eyes was just going to make it easier for people to doubt him. That hurt just as much and he wished to keep growing through the pain and suffering he had on his mind and for good with such things.
It was something to deal with and something it had to be done with for now and for good.
However? He had excellent hearing, knowing that the dozens of guns around him all belonged to members of the Crown, he would not be able to do much, knowing what awaited him.
Trivia, however? She struck like a King Taijitu, sweeping the crux of one soldier off their feet before turning and landing a roundhouse to the chin of another, throwing them to the side… It sounded less like they were being beaten by a girl and more like they were being massacred by a huntress.
Ollie for his part, simply drew Phantom and charged. He sighed, knowing that he could and would need to rename the weapon… Phantom was not the name he would use down the road.
Ollie was quick to elbow one of the thugs back before slashing their throat with his free hand, knocking them to the ground…
He was barely able to turn however as a bullet sped towards his head only for Trivia to intercept it with Hush, the bullet shattering against the canopy of the umbrella as she darted towards the man who had done it, spinning around, and slicing their neck.
The man fell as Ollie hummed and nodded, appreciative of her actions. It would not be something that could be utterly dealt with now? But he had nothing but respect for her level of skill at the end of the day, knowing that she was perhaps the only partner he had.
He did not wish to do anything about it now, utterly unsure of what to see and do… There was always going to be a part of him worried but at the end of the day? He did not worry about her, not when he could easily help.
However? Part of Ollie simply did not understand how a woman like her was so powerful unless she was a huntress herself. It would only make sense if she was in his path.
Trivia for her part was furious at them. He knew what was going on and knew why they had tried to kill them all… Yet? she would make sure they suffer.
Yet? After this? She knew that Ollie would have questions, not just because it was part of what needed to be done, needed to be dealt with in waves and waves.
Still? They first had to kill this entire group; she would see it done herself as she looked downwards at the ground. She could tell Ollie probably had a thousand different results in it for the moment.
Ollie said nothing as he fought, however, not now and not before he cut it all to pieces in its way, he would solve it the way he could relax now, he had cut through them like flicks and flakes of power and control.
They would dance through them like snowdrops upon a window, knowing that they could be dealt with in their way for the moment, she could be able to relax and seemed to be unable to relax before she seemed utterly unable to be dealt with.
There was a lot more to try and deal with for the second, there was a lot more while she seemed to relax more and more.
"Here we go…" Trivia heard before she paused before she seemed to try and relax more and more as she hummed before she relaxed before she seemed so unsure of what to seem for the ideal.
There was a lot more to try and figure out as she paused, blocking a few more bullets which would continue to relax more and more as of now, she had a lot more to try and figure out as of now, something that could be dealt with.
She paused, kicking one of the soldiers to the side before flicking her umbrella across their throat, ending their life before she seemed to turn to see Ollie as she paused to watch as they both backed up to each other.
"You should know for a fact that we're going to be dealt with now," Ollie stated before he paused to himself, utterly thrown off as she sighed once more. "There is a lot of madness here, these guys are all going down… But I am going, to be honest, we are probably going to run." Ollie stated before she sighed to himself.
She seemed to crack her fingers before she cracked her fingers as she turned.
Several gunshots spiraled towards him before Trivia twirled around before pausing, the bullets shattering against the shield of the umbrella, making the two back towards each other.
She sighed, relaxed more, and then slowly seemed to be unable to try something before now, unsure of what to do next. They seemed to be unable to be dealing with this.
She sighed, too thrown off, knowing what would come as they were both thrown off, both tired, unsure of it for now, unsure of their madness that could be dealt with.
He and she hummed while he relaxed more and more.
"Triv? Do not hold back, there are a lot of bad guys to try to take down and the more we can keep fighting for the moment? The more of them I think is going down." Trivia heard before she cracked her fingers and then paused once again.
Perhaps it would be dealt with as she looked to herself.
She seemed to be thrown off before she seemed to keep growing more and more, of a desire to be dealt with.
They had a few seconds of silence, thinking about what came down to it. She hummed before she relaxed now, unsure of what would be dealt with if they did not fight through them all… But he wanted something amusing, unsure, and uncertain of what to try and figure out as of the second.
There was nothing else to deal with, knowing what would be dealt with for now… Not that he could deal with hopefully… He was amused, thrown off by her behavior, and not willing to do more than relax.
She turned, watching the others all trying to open fire on them, Trivia simply turned with the bullets bouncing off the umbrella like raindrops.
She paused to let Ollie hum, taking cover behind her umbrella as he sighed before he relaxed, utterly thrown to the ground, too tired at and for good.
"You want to take care of the gun guys, or am I?" Ollie questioned before he paused to himself.
There were just a few seconds of silence as she pointed towards the gun guys, amused as Ollie hummed.
"I guess your handle them…. Good, I will beat the tar out of the sword guys." Ollie stated before he sighed. "It is something else… It will be fun; I will see you when we are done." Ollie stated before he sighed.
"I mean, not that ripping through people is fun but…" Ollie stated before he sighed. "There's a lot of things that I'll feel better doing," Ollie stated before he rushed forwards.
Ollie spun, Phantom slashing through the air and severing the rifle in one clean motion, throwing them to the ground.
He turned in time to avoid a slash from another of the group and then backflipped away, guessing that more of the camp was on its way.
Trivia, being a former student of a combat school was able to fight through them. She kicked a man with a shotgun, sending the soldier to the ground where another kick cracked their neck.
She rushed through the layers of gunfire, thinking of what needed to be entirely focused upon. She sighed as she cracked her fingers and then hummed to herself as she rubbed at her temples.
What would become of their friends? What would become of the world? She did not know what would become of her enemies. She would begin to think of what to try and figure out something that it would deal with.
She would not be dealing with Maroon if it would relax for now… The idea would keep being dealt with for now as she backed behind a few trees.
There was a lot more to be dealing with as she hummed to herself, relaxing again and again while she cracked a smile. She would not be able to try and figure out something that could be dealt with at the same time.
She would be utterly thrown off for now if she did not know what would be done and over at the end.
The idea of what needed to be pushed aside to try and do something before she seemed to crack a smile, pausing only to look to the side as now.
He had far too much to try and figure out as of now before it came to it. this rush, this burst of energy that could not be contained at all when it was all said and done.
He was going to win this battle no matter what, he would get out of there, even if it killed him… He was not going to lose to anything besides getting put out of his misery somewhere else.
Perhaps it would be sometime soon, not today. Not on the damn cusp of his victory.
"Triv? Cut them all down." Ollie said, finally clicking a switch on Phantom.
The cane split open at the end, revealing the blade he had stashed inside the weapon. He paused and then cut the tree next to him, carving out a small portion of the tree before flinging it, tossing it into the chest of one of the enemies… They collapsed, falling to the ground lifeless.
He could hear more, a lot more of the soldiers he had wished to try and attack him, there was always more. He doubted if he pushed himself? The entire camp would defeat him… But he would grow tired, and so would Trivia. They had overrun the position.
Still? He did not wish to worry, he would fight, and win. Bring them all down if he had to, he could afford to try and battle them at least, he owed Trivia that much for being a friend.
Trivia for her part simply deflected bullets, letting them ping off the trees. She knew how to fight, kill… But he would not allow them to kill her or Ollie, there was not a light in which she would lay down and die like that.
Yet? She could tell that she was going to be pushed to her limit, her idea of a solution was to take him and run, gripping his hand and surging forwards as fast and as quickly as she could go. She wanted out in the worst way and she gripped his hand as she had before, believing if she let go? He would die.
She ran and ran far, wishing to get out of there. To hell with the loot, to hell with Maroon, to hell with this damned camp and all who lay within it, she did not wish to be here, to begin with.
And yet she had come here to pay back Ollie who had come here to help. She would be damned to the coldest hell if she was to refuse or refute it.
No, there was a lot more to this than before, a detail she would be neglected if not for Ollie… She had come here for him, she had come to help because of HIM and she would help because of HIM.
If this was punishment and payback for him? The idea of it meant something, a lot more than it should have been… Yes, it was clear she may as well be dying here and at the end of his rope and all such ropes now and for good.
The idea would have some merit sooner or later… Even if this damn place killed her.
He grabbed her hand and pulled them behind a tree. She heard glass shattering and looked at Ollie as he activated his semblance.
"On my back… And do not let go." Ollie ordered as she nodded.
She leaped onto his back like a turtle clinging to its mother, wrapping her arms and legs around his body as both vanished, wrapped within the light which covered their bodies.
Ollie slowly began to dig his hands into the tree and climb, gripping the branches as softly and quietly as possible. Trivia blinked as the boy who was larger than her but still not massive pulled them up into the crook of the tree. Trivia almost slipped but Ollie turned and gripped her fingers, pulling her to him as more of the Crown passed by.
She paused to look down at the soldiers only for Ollie to cover her face and pull her deeper into the tree, her feet barely hit the ground as she looked at him, both warped by the light so they could not see each other.
"Shh…" Ollie stated to which Trivia nodded and paused, utterly silent and relaxed but unwilling to do much.
She hummed and then looked downwards at the groups of soldiers whom all passed by, unsure of them and he as Ollie simply paused his talks to hum, not interested in it and knowing if they spoke too loudly? They would be given away.
"Shh…" Ollie stated as she nodded before she listened.
Footsteps. Dozens of them all led away from the wreckage and he could honestly not believe it. He listened, waiting for a few moments as most of them slowly yet surely led away, for now, he did not know if he believed they could begin to deal with it properly.
There was a LARGE amount of peace as he waited, pausing, letting them all get away while knowing that they could act more and more unsure of what was to be going on and what was not. She did not know; he did not know and it seemed almost nobody for sure would or could know.
She did not manage it alone and she knew it, she knew that such a thing was without a doubt an idea she had to try and figure out when it all came down to it. There was a lot more to their little duel and it would mean a LOT more when it was all said and done.
Ollie paused to check if she was ok, pressing two fingers to her pulse to check if she still breathed. She did, he did and he relaxed… He wished to relax.
This was a LOT more tiresome before she seemed to look downwards at the ground. She paused and then looked over at Ollie who had been silent, too interested before now.
The two looked at the other, paused for now as she reached up to his damaged eyes. She seemed to keep growing for now and then she seemed to keep growing for now.
"You, ok?" Ollie asked before Trivia paused and then looked to the ground. "Triv? Did one of those jackasses get you?" Ollie asked before raising his eyebrow.
"No." Triv signed as Ollie hummed. "What about you? You do not move as fast as I do." Trivia signed in a way that screamed that Ollie was now just as vulnerable as she thought.
"We all can't be super badass death assassins," Ollie stated before clenching her hand. "We stay here. The longer they look? The more scared they get, the more Grimm that come here." Ollie stated before he sighed.
"There will be time enough to handle." Trivia signed back.
"No, it will not. We are going to need to move when it comes down to it, there is a lot more to try and figure out. There is a lot of work to this than you think, Triv." Ollie stated before he sighed and paused, too fascinated by it.
"I am with you on this mission, not your friend." Trivia signed as Ollie hummed.
"And I would not want any other partner… But I am not letting you die for me." Ollie said before he sighed. "What we are going to do is take down any guys around us, blow up a case of dust to scare them… Then let the Grimm handle the bad guys while we fly away. You can fly a Bullhead, right?" Ollie asked.
'He's too adorable… I can't let them hurt him.' Trivia's mind screamed before she hummed.
"Yes. I can." Trivia signed. "There are a lot of things that I need to deal with. This is not something I regularly get to do. Can you trust me?" Trivia signed and Ollie nodded.
"I've got your back if you've got mine," Ollie stated. "The bad news is we are going to be dealing with more of those jackasses we must cut down and I do not have enough ways to get through them. You do and I do not want you to be the one dealing with all of them." Ollie said.
"I can kill them." Trivia signed as Ollie hummed.
"Fine… But be sneaky, the more of them that hear us? The more their attack and a few of them are easy, all of them are not really… And I want to not have to fight every damn person if we do not have to… Yet." Ollie stated before he sighed and then glanced.
He did not know her, did not know himself. he could not have envisioned this as anything as he had before, yet? Yet at the end of the road? He trusted them, trusted them all. It meant something in his form of life when push came down to damn shove and he managed to relax with it all said and done.
He trusted her for now and that would be enough for him, he was too interested in what to do next. This all seemed to be utterly relaxing for now and then he amused himself for now.
She knew him to a degree, it was clear to some degree that it was something to see and do, it was always going to be a haven.
The gnawing feeling from before, the one she remembered so clearly called to her. It had told her to take Ollie, corrupt him, and break him in ways he would not be able to heal from without her.
The pain that he and she could bring would punish everyone who dared to stand in her way.
Trivia frowned at this. She wanted a friend, someone who could see her as she was and it was ironically Ollie. She did not want to break him as she had been broken before and she had known what to see and do.
"You of all people should be willing to know what it is like to be alone in the world…" She heard as she looked around.
"Triv? You, ok?" Ollie asked as she blinked.
It was all in her brain, in her mind, something that made her angry as she thought of what was to come next.
"Can we stay here…? I want to think." Trivia signed to which Ollie nodded.
"Yes, I think it's better to wait anyway, the longer we do? the more paranoid they're going to be about it all." Ollie stated as Trivia nodded.
She snuggled into Ollie, not for warmth as Mistral was hot enough to warm anyone. No, it was because she knew damn well if she did not get some compassion? She was beyond tired of it, of being denied any idea of what humanity was.
If she had to claw, to nip, to cut through it? she would and she clung to Ollie tightly that her fingers might dice into his flesh if there were no obstructions between her fingers and his skin.
Ollie for his part, simply stayed quiet, wishing to keep her ok. He felt her cling to him and felt worried only for the fact this girl had suffered in a way that did not deserve to be done… He would have none of it… None… Not when he could relax. This would keep being something to cut through.
It was not something to deal with as he pushed himself and her into the crux of the tree. She was scared and he could not blame her for now… This was a lot more to try and deal with for now, this was just too tired and worn down to the bone.
She did not wish to keep going and he could not blame her… He could not blame her for now. He was too exhausted for now and then paused to see it all die out again and again.
This would not be something to figure out… It meant something to try and deal with for the moment as he paused to relax for but a few seconds.
All of it? All of it was going to mean something that could not be dealt with for now. It was chaotic enough to deal with for now… This was a lot harder to deal with for now… It could not be utterly imagined for now.
She tugged him to her and he sighed, slowly welcoming it, wishing only to relax, to feel some exhaustion for now… It would not be utterly imagined for now.
"You, ok?" Trivia heard from Ollie as he sighed. "Because you are acting a lot like… Take as much time as you need to." Ollie stated before he sighed to himself before he relaxed and then looked to the ground, too interested in what was to come next.
All of it seemed to be utterly maddening for now. She leaned on him like a teddy bear, too interested in what was coming.
They had something else to deal with… To conquer, to conquest, to find lacking within such an idea… It felt utter as maddening as anything else now and unwilling to concede the point. It felt more like trying to deal with the plan.
She looked at Ollie who was silent, still as a tree like the one they occupied. It only made him more curious as to what was to come down to it… Yet? Too much more the better now, he was too exhausted to deal with it for now.
"You tired?" Ollie asked as she nodded. "Good, let us rest for now, because sooner or later? We are going to need to relax before we make another move." Ollie stated.
All of it seemed to be something Ollie was not expecting… Dealing with an entire camp? That was one thing, but dealing with an entire army of soldiers to fight through? He would need help, a lot more help to fix it properly. It would not be something easily dealt with, not at all… No.
The idea of it all seemed to be something he could not allow, would not have allowed. He sighed as he realized that even if they escaped? It would be a much harder and harder plan to do something about.
All of it managed to be relaxing, too much than it was used to… They had a LOT more to see and do, something about it all struck him in the wrong way… In a way he could not have allowed, he did not want to try and figure it out for now.
It was just going to be one of its days, for now, an idea that seemed to be utterly chaotic and one which it could be done with it all for now at the end of the moment as it all came down to it all for now.
Ollie hummed as he thought of how to turn the battle of 2 against 100 into their advantage. The Grimm? Yes, part of his plan… But they would attack the duo even still and Ollie did not expect to be able to take an entire army on at the same time and win, nor did he expect them to escape with a Nevermore pecking through their ship.
Setting off the dust reserves? Hmm, possible, but it presented the fact they would get caught up in the explosions and would be just as worse off as the others, exhausted, worn down at it all for now… Wishing only to handle this as best he could and win a battle for himself and his forces.
He felt Trivia yawn and slowly go limp, he suspected her going to sleep so they could fight more and more, he had been it had been too exhausting for now, too tiring for him to entertain.
He did wish to relax for now, too interested for now and tired, too interested in something as he paused to let him understand what was coming on when it came down to it. There were a lot of things he could not handle for now.
He hummed and decided sleep might be better if they did not comb the entire area. He did not want to think of what to try and deal with it for now… There was more to this, something that could have been utterly done.
Trivia would not be over this, he would not either. He wanted to be home, slumbering in his damn bed, tired and withdrawn from it all now, too relaxed, and too uncertain of it all… All of it seemed to be something that he could not fathom.
Trivia yawned and went limp in his arms and he found himself slowly starting to sleep, he had been too amused still.
Trivia had ripped through the entire group like a razor through the tissue paper. She had been exhausted but she had cut through the entire group, interested in cutting through them.
She had been unsure of what for now and then she had fallen silent, too interested in what was coming next. The idea of it all seemed to keep growing for now and cracked his fingers once again, he seemed to be utterly maddening for now.
Yet? Ollie wanted to keep growing at the time being… She could not wish to relax and he would be smiling if he could care much for now.
The idea of what needed to be utterly done for now, something for now and cracked his fingers, and then seemed to keep growing again and again, he seemed to be utterly relaxed for this sort of ideal now.
He was not tired, too tiresome, and then looked to the ground, unsure of what he seemed to be utterly unsure of it for now… There was a lot more to see and do, something that could not be done for now, too relaxed at the end of the day.
"Triv?" Ollie asked before Trivia signed in interest. "Is it… Weird? Being able to live without a voice? I have always found it… Interesting without eyes, it lets you see things you don't get to see… And yes, it is awkward and funny to talk about sight while I can't see." Ollie said.
"How do you mean?" Trivia signed to him.
"I mean in trying to deal with it. people always seem to think I am… Weak, because I cannot see, they pity me, some see me as gutter trash, there's a lot of things I can normally deal with for now." Ollie stated as she traced a smile across his face.
"You mean in dealing with no voice?" Trivia asked as Ollie nodded.
"Yes… It is weird." Ollie heard her sign.
"Yeah, but it lets you see the world differently," Ollie stated before he hummed and fell silent. "Are you going to get some sleep? Because I do not mind, I just want to be able to wake you up the second we must go… A lot of bad guys to kill and so little time to do it in." Ollie stated.
He felt silent, too interested in it, too unwilling to deal with it for now… There was a lot more to this, too interested in what was coming.
She did not know what was to be done and dusted, a chaotic little measure of it all for now. She paused to look over at him, wishing to think for now, wanting to deal with for now… This was all a diversion to what needed to be done.
"There are a LOT of things I want to do… But yes, I want to sleep, I would be happy sleeping." Trivia signed.
"Then sleep, I'll deal with what I can," Ollie stated before he closed his eyes. "I am going to hit the hay as well… But there is going to need to be something for me to do now." Ollie stated as he paused.
He wished to end the charade of courage for now, wishing only to see it done for now. He would allow it to end for now, there was a lot more to this, something about it all at the end of the day, too much removed from it for now.
He wished to be done with it for now. This was a lot more to try and deal with for now as she paused to think and let it all end.
There was an amusement for now, something to deal with for now… He had a lot more to try and deal with for now and for good reason, too interested for now, he had a LOT more to deal with besides this.
He sighed, too unwilling to keep allowing it all to collapse into the ground, wanting to deal with it for now, and paused to keep growing for now.
He sighed and then wished to relax, to see it all end, to end it in waves and droves, too exhausted to see it end, too relaxed to deal with this as of the moment.
He was amused by her, wishing to relax, to deal with it for now. This was a lot more to this and a lot more to him at the moment and then paused to try and figure something out.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him and pulling his coat around them. He fell silent, tired for now, too interested in something for now, too exhausted for now… She paused to look at him, too interested in it all for now.
She seemed to keep thinking, pausing to relax… She had been unwilling to do something, to tire, to fix it for some reason.
"We're probably going to die out here, you know. These guys? They don't take hostages, they don't arrest people, they kill them. There is a lot more that can be done and dusted for now… It was something to deal with, there was a LOT more to deal with." Ollie stated.
Trivia was interested in what he meant for now as she paused to think, to smile, to look at her friend.
She gripped his hands, cut from using his weapon, from slicing through it all… She would not allow it, too interested in what comes down to it, to deal with it, for now, she paused to trace her fingers over his, tracing her fingers over his, too relaxing for now.
She didn't wish to deal with it, too relaxed for now, paused to think of it for now, there was a lot more to deal with. He had a lot more to see and do with.
"You, ok?" Trivia asked as she paused to think of her next move.
"I'm just tired… But yes, I'm going to be ok… I want to be ok." Ollie stated to which there was a few seconds of silence.
"There's a lot to do, isn't there?" Trivia questioned to which Ollie could only nod.
"Yes, a lot more to do and not a lot of time to do it… The more we sit here waiting? The bad guys get more time to report us and we're run out of time… At least then we can deal with them." Ollie stated before he sighed.
There was a LOT more to this, something to deal with for now, he paused as she seemed this was a lot more to try and deal with for now, to relax and to end for now. This would be fun, relaxed within its confines, too interested as he paused as he cracked his fingers, and then looked to the moment.
She seemed to be utterly tiresome as he felt now. He wished to be ready for now and she wished to really, there was more to deal with as she seemed to keep thinking at the end of the day.
Author Note
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will end up showing more and more of both Trivia and Ollie's plan and where they are going to handle the soldiers, until then? Lighting Wolf out