Yang was a woman of confidence, one who took great pride in her raw strength. And it showed, from the way she walked to the way she stood, even to the way she dressed. A strong brown and yellow sleeveless leather long coat she wore over a simple yellow tank top with an orange scarf.
The leather boots she wore were strong and heavy, but what was truly of note were the hulking muscles on her arms she gladly left exposed for all to see. This was the reason why she wore this sleeveless coat. She had never been afraid of much, for she knew she had this power within her.
Even when she was up against the Superman of all people, even when she knew she was severely outclassed – Yang never really felt any fear. Still determined to fight to her last breath, but of course, it was only by Raven's command and the circumstances that forced her elsewhere.
But she was not afraid.
Knives, guns, and swords, she had come face to face against many weapons in the past. Shattering all of them with the sheer force of her muscles alone. Breaking steel was child's play for her. And yet…
When facing this well-built young man standing in front of her, she couldn't help but feel as if she was staring straight into a mirror of herself, and that was concerning. Because even though the man did not bring along any blade or gun, his sheer stature alone signaled to Yang the fact that he may actually be more dangerous than any swordsman or gunslinger.
It was clear she needed to be cautious around this man, not be too cocky. Because he could very well be as good a brawler as she was.
"Yang Xiao Long," he smiled.
Rising from the dirt, Oliver would stare up at the young woman. Still grinning even as she continued crossing her arms, looking down with her glowing red hateful eyes.
"Atlesian scum. Out of my way, lapdog. I have no business with you."
"You shot down our ship. That definitely makes it my business. Or at least it should, but truth be told – I don't think I can even pretend to care now that I'm here."
"What are you saying?"
"I will fight for the Empire, that's still true. But I'm down here now, fighting you. And that's all that really matters. If a hundred ships have to sink then so be it."
"That doesn't sound very… patriotic," Yang let down her arms, "I guess your people's tyrannical brainwashing isn't working properly today. You…"
Without even letting her finish her sentence, Oliver had already dashed forth at a speed faster than the eye could track. Instantly smashing the ground he leaped from into smithereens. Lunging forth, Yang would be able to barely see his fist coming to stop it just in time, gripping it tight as the overwhelming force of Oliver's strength pushed her back, leaving trails in front of her boots as the strength of these two brawlers shook the very earth itself.
Not hesitating anymore, Yang powered up her Aura to its limit. What was bizarre, however, was the fact that she couldn't really see any of Oliver's Aura covering his body. Instead, his muscles simply raged on, sizzling as steam began escaping from the surface of his skin.
Good god, Yang thought to herself, Oliver had not even activated his Aura yet. And his strength was already this overpowering.
"That's the spirit!" Oliver cackled, "You look like you know how to have a good time. Nothing fancy, just fists to fists."
"Where is your weapon, you idiot?" Yang's gauntlets began to unravel themselves.
But before she could fire them off, Oliver immediately gripped tight her fist, and with one decisive overhead motion, he yanked her off her feet and tossed her far into the distance. The throw only managed to slightly disorient her but it was still rather surprising.
"I do have a weapon just so you know," reaching into his pocket, Oliver would pull forth a simple mechanical green glove. One that seemed to fit nicely onto his left forearm, covering his fist.
It was such a simple contraption. Perhaps a little too simple, thus making Yang suspicious. And that vague sense of confusion would only be furthered the moment Oliver began crushing the heavy mechanical glove in the burly palm of his hand. It was such an effortless motion, almost as if it took as much effort as crushing a feeble bug into nothing but powder.
Taking a long forceful breath, his smile would now sharpen into a terrifying crescent:
"Oh, you thought that was my weapon? You are sorely mistaken. It's called the Fujinken, and it's not meant to be a weapon."
Winding up for a punch, his right forearm would now emit more furious steam from his pores. But at the core of his fist came the potent glowing green light of his Aura, now activated at last. The light that glowed was intense, but what was much more violent were the strong streams of wind bursting forth from every inch of his body.
It was at this moment that Yang finally realized – the steam from his body was not a sign of his Semblance. It was a byproduct of his Aura, which was permanently coating his entire body.
"What the hell is that device?"
To which, Oliver smirked:
"My limiter."
A single punch, it was such a simple mechanic. A technique many kids all over Remnant would begin learning before they could even walk, but to master the simple moves was another thing entirely. To have a bare mortal hand rival that of bombs and cannons.
Which was exactly what Oliver had been able to do as he launched forth his fist filled with raging wind and storm in Yang's direction to destroy an entire chunk of Mt. Glenn, as the explosion shot forth from the veins on his forearm, roaring like that of a heavenly animal barking from on high.
Thunder was gathering, and the wind grew and grew with every breath Oliver took. His lungs seemed almost endless, exhaling the moment he leaped from his feet forward to where Yang had landed on the mountain, with her face smashed into the stone.
Within seconds, Oliver would land on his feet, shaking the whole mountain, standing in front of the young woman as she struggled to her feet. Shocked at how she failed to react to that monstrous attack, her eyes now flaring up into a fiery vision of rage and a disoriented blurry view, with her ears ringing in her mind like a distress bell barely able to make a sound beneath the thunderous engines of the warships far above in the sky.
"I call it Violent Wind," Oliver crossed his arms, laughing, "ever since I was a child, I could remember feeling every breath I took was like a feast. So much power in the air, in the brewing storm, and…"
Without letting him finish his sentence, Yang got on her feet dashing forth to deliver a flaming punch, returning the favor and instantly launching Oliver back in the opposite direction. There the sound of the shotgun blast would roar as loud as an airship cannon, which made sense considering mere moments ago when Yang shot down one of Atlas' ships far in the sky. The remains of which were still lying near the shores nearby, under the booming cannons of both the fleets on the sea and in the sky.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Oliver shouted as the two quickly came face to face once more in the middle of the forest down below, in the middle of Valean soldiers and White Fangs.
A foolish Faunus in a White Fang mask decided to approach aiming his rifle at Oliver. Only to then be instantly grabbed by the face and lifted off the ground like a paper bag. Oliver's grip held tight onto his skull as the man struggled, clawing away at his hand.
In a single swift motion, Oliver tossed the man forward into the crowd of soldiers, knocking them all down like a row of cans at a carnival. He stood there laughing, seeing how easily they fell, how fragile they really were in comparison to an elite Huntsman.
It was as if Yang and Oliver were standing in a field of ants, crawling in the dirt.
"Open fire, NOW!" Yang shouted, commanding the troops and pirates.
But all of that effort would ultimately be in vain the moment she witnessed the barrage of bullets bouncing off Oliver's skin as if he were a man of steel. No matter how many bullets they emptied and how strong their machine guns were, Oliver still refused to bleed.
"Where are your Huntsmen?" Oliver asked, laughing, "This is pathetic. Give me a challenge."
Moving at a blinding speed none of the soldiers were trained to detect, he would lift one of them by the neck strangling him. Before another soldier fired her rifle at his face, to only then quickly be stunned by the fact that he had caught the bullet between his teeth, winking at her – Oliver also picked her up and tossed both of them far into the sky before he dashed back into his bout against Yang.
The two consecutive punches he delivered to her face and her abdomen would explode, sounding off like that of a furious thunderstorm. A single strike to her jaw was enough for her to spit out blood, something she thought only the Superman could've accomplished.
Gritting her teeth, she fired off the shotgun from her left arm to gain enough momentum to deliver a devastating elbow shot, retaliating against Oliver's aggression. Following that up with a fierce one-two punch, blasting his face with her Ember Celica. Yang would feel a growing frustration overtaking her mind when she witnessed the shotgun shells ejecting from her gauntlet, and still, not a single scratch on his smooth perfect jaw coated by his green Aura.
"I've been cautious with our troops for the sake of the General," said Oliver, "for the sake of my team leader, Ghost. They thought you rebels might have a surplus of Huntsmen hiding in that mountain there. But if this is all you're going to give me then I'm sorely disappointed."
Delivering a swift uppercut, the wind from his fist would roar once more as he launched Yang far up high, sending her flying into the distance to have her head smashed into the rocks and dirt of the forest. All around her, trees were being devoured by the raging fire and the cruel cold ice, they would fall over her as she pushed them off, struggling to her feet. Trying her best to heal the wounds Oliver had just given her.
"Is this all you Valeans can do? I thought your bloodlines are magical. Where is the magick of the Branwens?"
Without even answering him, Yang spat forth a mouthful of blood so far and so fast it flew right past Oliver's right cheek like a speeding bullet.
"Holy shit."
"Those techniques," Yang panted, popping her dislocated shoulder back in its socket. "I recognize that form. That's the mark of a conqueror, a bastard!"
"You noticed, huh?" Oliver looked down, stroking his forearm.
"You people couldn't live with yourself. All you know is invasion, theft! To steal the secrets of Eden from the Faunus tribes."
Oliver chuckled:
"Not everybody has the mind to even comprehend the style of those ancient peoples. The Fleet Admiral is a genius – he learned it in just under a month. Not only that, he improved on it as well, and that's the difference between Atlas and the others. We may not be the best at any one thing. You people have your magick, the West has their cavalry and scorpion racers, so on. But you can be damn sure we will learn and perfect a concept to its fullest potential."
"Don't act high and mighty. You are all tyrants, and thieves."
"Fleet Admiral Maru taught us this ancient hand-to-hand style," Oliver shook his head, ignoring Yang's comment, "weaponizing our limbs and Aura. But I tell you right now, I have not stopped growing. You will see me rise above you, to a point where, who knows – maybe even your so-called God King will have no choice but to kneel before me."
Inside Yang's heart still burned a rageful soul bursting with a blood-red Aura that was beginning to ignite the very fabric of her long coat. Ripping off the leather and tossing it in the air, Yang would then crawl on all fours as she strained her muscles, with her boiling veins rippling beneath her skin.
A layer of skin that had been bloodied and bruised was now slowly morphing into something bizarre and unexpected. From the pores on her body, steam would start to emanate similarly to that of Oliver's own coat of Aura.
But this red Aura was behaving differently, because it didn't merely coat her body in a protective layer – it was actively transforming her skin into scales, much like that of a reptile. And not only that, but the red Aura would also force out black bony claws from beneath the flesh of her fingers. The transformation was slow, and excruciating.
Every moment was followed by the endless sound of bones crunching from her malformed body. With her muscles also simultaneously getting bigger and bigger, bulging out to an absurd degree, and hardening into something stronger than metal. Eventually, it would be clear that not only her claws and limbs were growing, but the fangs in her mouth as well, baring clearly like a hungry predator for Oliver to see.
Most peculiarly of all, however, were deep from within her long golden locks of hair, just right over the top of her skull – her red Aura would start sprouting forth a pair of horns. But upon closer inspection, Oliver quickly realized that these seemed a lot closer to antlers than they were to actual horns.
"Your Semblance," Oliver said, "I've seen similar Semblances, but not like this. Turning into an animal. A dragon no less, ha!"
Yang looked up from down where she was, her eyes burning with an undying hate as fire started to emerge from within her mouth with every breath she took. Staring onward, ready to pounce even as Oliver clapped his hand together excitedly, steaming with a powerful windy Aura.
"Oh, yeah," he chuckled, "this is what I've been waiting for. Come on, Branwen. Let's go!"
Without another moment to waste, Yang launched herself forth with strength tenfold as before, easily crushing the very ground she stood on to create massive quakes far below. The shockwave between the two fighters rumbled the moment they clashed with one another, shattering the sound barrier upon contact.
Each of them held onto each other's fists pushing against one another in a test of strength. Two monstrous titans of power – one engulfed in an animalistic fire of rage and hatred, the other a specimen of perfect arrogant human commanding the overwhelming force of the wind. The steam of their Aura clashed so violently that every tree within a one-mile radius had either been reduced to barks or disfigured beyond recognition, crushed as if they were nothing but twigs.
"You know they say dragons with antlers like yours are supposed to be divine. Old Mistralian myth I heard," Oliver said. "Ghost wouldn't shut up about it. He's obsessed with old stories."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Yang growled, "Shut the fuck up!"
"What are you gonna do about it? Huh? Let's have some fun, Branwen."
Having had enough, Yang yanked her fist away from Oliver's grip to then deliver a massive fiery punch to his face, one fast enough that Oliver did not manage to block or evade. The shockwave from the blow created sparks like that of fireworks, allowing one to be able to see it from miles away.
Oliver was unharmed from this punch, but it did catch him a little off guard. No matter, he thought to himself. Because this truly was everything Oliver could've asked for. It didn't matter how many of his soldiers got hurt. To him, it didn't even matter how much he himself got hurt. What mattered was the fight, the life, the air of combat getting sucked into his lungs.
Winding up for another powerful punch, the green windy Aura of his Semblance would begin coating his body as Oliver's cackle echoed across the land. There in the distance over by the shores, one of the pirate ships would aim a cannon right toward where Oliver was standing. That all proved to be a futile effort, however, the moment the ship fired its projectile forth, only to have Oliver's violent wind redirect the cannonball – instantly sending it back where it came from, to crash onto the side of the ship, dealing massive damage.
Now finally understanding how much trouble she and her troops were truly in, Yang got on all fours once more in preparation to pounce forth the moment Oliver would decide to throw his punch. The flames from her lungs were roaring with every heartbeat, with her claws still getting sharper digging into the cracking ground beneath.
Even as the two were getting ready for the clash of their lives, Oliver still refused to stop smiling. He knew from here the two of them would pour every last ounce of their strength into this final collision, because deep down, he knew – Yang was secretly losing herself into the thrill of this fight just as Oliver did.
Here in this moment, they both wanted to prove to each other who was truly the stronger fighter.
And yet…
It only took a single strike across the side of both their cheeks to disrupt this cruel face-off between two warriors. Dashing at a blinding speed – Lisa Rhed had now descended from the airship far above to smack both Oliver and Yang, snapping them out of this addiction for combat.
"That's enough!" Lisa shouted, standing on a nearby rock. Having now deployed her 'weapon' for all to see.
Wrapping around both her legs were what seemed like a pair of mechanical boots with crimson plating covering from her toes to her knees. They were meticulously crafted, seemingly made from smooth round molds, shaping the bottom of her heels into what seemed like small wheels with the way the boots were circularly shaped. From the gaps between the metal plates of the boots came smoldering fire bursting out from within, followed by an intense trail of smoke and steam.
Looking up at Lisa, and seeing the boxing tapes around her hands, Yang would be able to deduce that this young woman, much like Oliver, must have also been well versed in a similar type of hand-to-hand combat. They must have been taught by the same mentor, this Fleet Admiral.
"Stand down, Yang Xiao Long!" Lisa shouted. "You have nowhere to run. Turn yourself in now before things get worse."
"What are you talking about?" Yang grunted, only now finally looking up to the sky in horror to see a sea of soldiers descending from the invisible airships far above.
The paratroopers had arrived.
"Aw man, it's over already?" Oliver looked above, "It was only starting to get fun."
"Dude," Lisa cried, "you got carried away again. Show some self-control, please. We need to set an example for the soldiers."
"Okay, mom," Oliver groaned. "You sound just like Ghost."
"Come on," Lisa smiled. "I'll buy you a drink after all this is over."
"Over?" Yang interrupted, "Don't get ahead of yourself now. It ain't over until I say it is!"
Moving forward at a blinding speed, Yang darted straight through the air over to where Lisa was standing at, readying her gauntlet for another devastating blazing punch.
Only, her fist never managed to make contact. For out of the air, Yang would be knocked back down to where she leaped from by an overwhelming force that felt too foreign to have come from a Huntsman.
Lying on the ground, confused, Yang would only be able to see what had happened when she looked up and saw her chest had been scorched by a strange but powerful blast of artillery. The smoldering fire on her body felt like cannon fire, but the trajectory did not feel like it came from the invisible ships above.
She struggled to understand where this projectile came from, and when she stared into the sky in the northern direction, looking to where Atlas would be – Yang would be able to spot far above the clouds, much higher than the Atlesian airships, a whole barrage of cannonballs and missiles traveling toward where they all were standing under the foot of Mt. Glenn.
"Finally, reinforcement," Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is that why you ordered the paratroopers to deploy?" Oliver asked.
"Yup," she winked, "you can thank Diamond for that. Just in the nick of time."
"That girl," Oliver laughed, shaking his head, "saving our asses again. Ay, yo Branwen! You see that there? Above the ships. That's our teammate firing from all the way back in our homeland, trademark of GOLD. How cool is that?"
"Gee, running your mouth again?" Lisa crossed her arms, "That's treason, you know? Just spilling national secrets like that."
"Whoops," he scratched his head, "you know me, ha-ha."
"And I love you for it."
"Besides," Oliver looked down to where Yang was, cracking his knuckles. "It's not like they're gonna be able to do anything about it anyway."
Wiping the dirt off her clothes as she got to her feet, Yang's Semblance began retreating back into her body, with the antlers and claws slowly but surely disappearing as her Aura began to cool. Once she was back to normal, she would point a furious finger forward to where Oliver stood, still annoyed at his smug face.
"This isn't over," she gritted her teeth. "You are going to pay, remember it."
"I'll be here," Oliver smirked, "any time, any place."
Retreating back into the darkness of Mt. Glenn, in the midst of the White Fangs and Valeans scattering into the forest, Yang would soon be able to pick up a sharp sound of something ripping through the clouds far above. Turning around to look in the sky, she thought it looked like a bird, squinting her eyes and it almost looked like the bird was actually a plane.
But the fact was that it was neither of those things. Far beyond where the airships flew was the most powerful being on the planet crashing down onto the Branwen pirate ships, instantly sinking them all into the bottom of the ocean in one swift motion.
The Superman had saved the day once more. Looking back, the one thing that made Yang absolutely mortified was not necessarily the appearance of Weiss Schnee. Rather, it was more the prospect that Atlas may be in the process of gaining a second Superman.
But looking back and forth between Oliver and Lisa, Yang had come to the terrifying realization that the Atlas Empire may already be in possession of not just one, but several superior mortal beings.
And that was something that invoked in Yang a deep inner fear, one so primal, but raw – the end of the world.
"Colonel Forest reporting for duty."
"Colonel Rhed reporting for duty."
The two approached the towering well-built monster of a man that was General Xanadu Stone, saluting him while clicking the heels of their boots, standing up straight and tall.
General Stone was just like any other typical high-ranking officer of the force, in the usual Atlesian uniform. The only notable difference one would be able to see was the fact that he stood nearly seven feet tall, easily towering over both Oliver and Lisa. His massive frame was also something that fit together very nicely with his strong square jawline and his short gray hair, slicked back into a professional manner.
"At ease," Stone saluted back.
"We've set up camp just as you commanded, sir," said Lisa. "Our men are still at work salvaging the sunken pirate ships, but all prisoners have been accounted for, besides those who escaped into the forest of course."
"Good work, be sure to keep the students sharp with training," said Stone. "And what of the Branwen Huntress?"
"Retreated into Mt. Glenn, sir," Lisa pointed her finger. "Into the Western desert, we're guessing."
"Keep me updated then. I want her found and tried. She may have information on the fugitive Raven herself. Maybe even info on the other Valean Generals."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, General."
From behind the three, Weiss would descend from on high.
"Chancellor," Stone saluted, with both Oliver and Lisa following suit.
"Salutations," she saluted back. "General, it is important for us to find all the fugitives currently in hiding, that much is true. But our target should not be a single mid-level Huntress."
"But she's related to Raven, is she not?" Lisa asked, catching Weiss' attention.
"I assume then you only skimmed Xiao Long's profile," said Weiss. "Raven is not close to anyone, not even her own daughter, she trusts absolutely no one. I was there when the Xiao Long girl abandoned her crew, by Raven's order. Right now the right move is to bring the prisoners back for questioning, and keep on analyzing this magical fabric they keep using. Maybe it can give us an advantage, or a clue to their next move."
"As you say, Chancellor," said Stone.
"In the meantime," Weiss continued, "you best get some rest. The night will be over before you know it."
"I don't mean to overstep my boundaries," said Oliver, "but may I ask where you have been during the battle today? We only saw you coming in to sink the ships during the final stretch, when they were already retreating."
"Stand down, soldier," Stone ordered. "That's the Chancellor you're talking to."
"It's quite alright, General," said Weiss, "the troops deserve to know. I was out there evacuating the locals near the edge of Lower Cairn, they're heading back to the heart of the Valley as we speak. These are nomadic tribesmen, they should have no trouble making the trip."
There in the far distant sky came a small airship flying in at a respectable speed. As it was taking its time making its landing, Weiss would be able to look inside through the metal walls of the ship to see the officers inside – there, clear as day, was the newly appointed Rear Admiral Vester.
It was a little peculiar to Weiss that he would arrive by airship instead of traveling the seas alongside his fellow marines. But it did make a little more sense considering the airship's superior speed compared to the larger war vessels of the sea. Coupling that with the fact that Ghost did not fly alone, but instead he was traveling with his teammate – Lieutenant General Diamond Sky, the final member of Team GOLD.
He must have picked her up all the way back from the mainland in Atlas. But the entire fleet of airships following behind the commanding vessel the two of them were flying on led Weiss to believe that it was Ghost who hitched a ride onto Diamond's ship, not the other way around.
What was most curious for Weiss was the fact that despite Diamond's smaller stature and slender frame – being the shortest member of the team – that young woman would turn out to be the highest-ranking member in the entirety of Team GOLD, outranking even their leader Ghost. Walking down from the descending airship, Diamond's pristine Atlesian uniform would be in full view for all to see, the only uniform in GOLD to sport two golden epaulettes on her shoulders.
The thing that was even more baffling, however, was the fact that only now did Weiss finally notice the uncanny resemblance between Lisa and Diamond. Both wearing very similar short hair with very similar facial structures. Their eyes were different, yes, with Lisa's being purple, while Diamond's were blue. But everything else, it wouldn't be unreasonable for a person to mistake the two for twins.
Come to think of it, Weiss thought to herself, now that she had a better look at Ghost and Oliver – the same similarities between these two men also began to surface now that they were all here in one place. Oliver's hair was much messier than Ghost's, but there was no mistake about it. If Oliver were to be given a comb, the only thing that could possibly let people tell them apart would be their eye colors, and Ghost's slightly sharper jawline.
What exactly was going on here?
"Yo! It's our team," Oliver waved at Ghost, sprinting to where he was hoping to get a high-five or a fist-bump.
Instead, Ghost would take a battle stance and in an instant launch forward at a speed Oliver could not track, landing a devastating heel kick right across his face, thus sending him flying far in the sky. Ghost's form was simply immaculate, one that reminded Weiss greatly of the Fleet Admiral himself.
"Insubordination, reckless, brain-dead!" Ghost shouted, "How many times do I have to beat the crap out of you before you finally learn?"
Oliver got down to one knee, bowing his head, fully accepting his punishment. But still obviously shaking from the pain.
"Go easy on the jaw man," he rubbed his chin, "I feel like I'm gonna lose my teeth."
"Good," Ghost snapped. "Maybe it'll finally get through to your thick skull. Don't think you're hot shit just because you have the skills. You train hard, but so do the rest of us. Fall back in line."
"How's it going, Diamond," Oliver diverted his attention. "Long flight? Thanks for saving our asses by the way. You really came in clutch."
Diamond would approach, hand behind her back. She proceeded to glance around the camp before speaking in a soft glaring voice:
"Any Vacuans among the prisoners?"
To which Weiss would respond as she walked toward the young General, her feet hovering firmly a few inches above the ground:
"Only Valeans here. We may run into them soon as we move into the desert."
Diamond looked up at the strong woman, towering over her with that massive flowing cape. Beholding before this great sight, Diamond would stand up tall, saluting:
"By your will, Chancellor. We will level the West if we have to. Bringing King Theodore before the court of Atlas if it is indeed true he has joined the war."
"Very good," Weiss nodded, "Winter's blessings go with you."
"You are kind, but I can't accept," Diamond shook her head. "I do not believe in the Seasons."
"Hmm…"
Diamond continued:
"The only true power of this world – is Atlas. The nation to hold the burden of all on our shoulders."