A/N: Chapter 6 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters of my OC teams: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 6: Players and Pieces
High in the sky...
"Ruby!" Weiss yelled above the howling winds that whistled past her ears. "I told you this was a terrible idea!"
"We're fine!" Ruby yelled back. "Stop worrying!" The two of them were currently riding on a giant Nevermore, the only avian species of Grimm that resided in the forest and its surrounding mountain terrain. Like the other creatures of Grimm, it has a mask-like, white bony structure overlaying the upper front of its head. There were also four glowing red eyes, two on each side of its head and the headpiece also includes a dorsal spine or fin, reminiscent of that on the heads of condors and some prehistoric pterosaurs.
"I am so far beyond worrying!" The princess retorted, gripping the black plumage as the creature decided to fly a bit recklessly. "...stupid bird..."
"In a good way?!" Ruby asked.
"In a bad way! In a very bad way!"
"Well, why don't we just jump?!" The younger of the two suggested with a goofy grin on her face.
"What are you, insane?!" Weiss questioned but when she looked up for an answer the girl was nowhere to be found. "Oh, you insufferable little red-!"
"Blake, did you hear that?" Yang was saying, trying to get her partner to say something by waving her hand in front of Blake's face. "What should we d-" She trailed off when Blake merely looked to the sky and pointed up, prompting the yellow-haired brawler to look in the same direction.
"Heads up!" Ruby was screaming upon her descend after jumping off the bird. Time seemed to be slowing down as out of nowhere, Jaune's body also careened into her and the two of them crashed into the trees. When the dust cleared, Ruby found herself with her back against a tree and swirls in front of her eyes. "What was that?"
"Ahem." Jaune cleared his throat as she shook her head. Looking up she found the boy dangling in front of her with his legs snagged by the branches. "Hey Ruby."
"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" asked Blake as she and Yang just stared in the direction of the crash, unsure of what just happened.
"I—"
"Woah!" The two turned their attention to the trees in front that were shaking violently and toppling over like twigs. Soon an Ursa minor stumbled out before collapsing to the ground dead. "Yeehaw!" Nora exclaimed as she hopped off its back, brushing off any fur that clung to her clothes. "Aww. It's broken." She pouted as she looked at creature in sadness. "Eeeeeww..."
"Nora?" She looked to see Ren emerging from the thicket behind the dead Grimm's back. He seemed to be out of breath like he got in a fight or something. "Please...don't ever do that again." He looked up expecting a reply but realized that the girl disappeared and he looked around in confusion.
"Oooo..." Nora stared at the shiny golden rook piece in curiosity. She swiped it off the pedestal and held it high in the air like a trophy. "I'm queen of the castle~! I'm queen of the castle~! I'm queen of the castle~!" She sang cheerfully as she skipped and pranced about.
"NORA!" Ren shouted angrily, jolting her out of her childish splendor and bringing her back to reality.
"Hehehe, coming Ren!" She replied, giving him a mock salute.
"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake questioned as Nora returned to Ren's side, holding the rook piece out for him to see.
"I—" Once more the sound of trees falling and Grimms growling interrupted Yang from what she was trying to articulate.
"Oh jeez!" Pyrrha spoke when she approached the group from the other side, placing both hands on her knees to catch her breath. "I could have sworn Jaune flew in this direction! Where could he have gone? Jaune!"
"Pyrrha!" Hearing his name being called, Jaune yelled her name from where he was still caught in the tree but he didn't get an immediate response back. He also felt a little light headed since the blood was rushing to his brain.
"Woah!" From her bird's eye view, Ruby could see everything, especially the approaching Grimms. Taking a running leap, she landed in the mist of the fray…leaving Jaune hanging by himself.
"Ruby?"
"Yang!" The two sisters eagerly went for a hug but were denied due to Nora's intervention. Their reunion was short lived when Kairos bounded in with the scorpion from earlier right behind her. A couple of times, she would whirl around and jab at the creature with her sword but most of the time she spent dodging the attacks since she was surrounded by trees and there was little space for big maneuvers.
"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" inquired Blake as she watched the chase with a curious gaze.
"Grrrr! I can't take it anymore!" Enraged, Yang's eyes turned red, her hair produced fire and every time she swung her arms...it looked as though she was flinging fireballs everywhere. "Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?"
"Umm...Yang?" Ruby lightly tapped her sister who just managed to cool off and pointed up.
"How could you leave me?!" Weiss shouted pitifully as she hung off the giant Nevermore's talon like a booger.
"I said 'jump'..." answered Ruby as the small group looked at both the princess and the Grimm.
"She's gonna fall." Blake commented.
"She'll be fine." Ruby assured her.
"She's falling." Ren stated right after Weiss either let go or the giant bird managed to shake her off. At some point, Jaune managed to get himself untangled and looked up to see Weiss plummet through the air. In an attempt to gain her favor, he jumped off the tree and catches her bridal-style.
"Just dropping in?" The blond asked, attempting to flirt with her in mid-air. Then he looked down and realized that he he failed to take the rest of the fall into account. "Oh god...Nooooooo!" This ultimately results in him landing face-first on the ground, and then being used as a landing pad by Weiss right after.
"My hero." the princess commented, checking to make sure none of her nails were broken.
"My back..." He protested weakly.
"If you two are done with your comedy routine..." Kairos growled as she dodged the Deathstalker's pincers in the background. "...come over here and kick some Grimm butt!" Blocking a strike to the head, she didn't see the tail in time until it smashed into her right side and sent her flying.
"Great now the gang is all here!" Yang said sarcastically when the girl crash-landed in a heap right in front of the group. "We can all die together!"
"Well not all of us..." Kairos coughed as she got back on her feet, wincing as she ran her hand over the bruised area. "I lost Reina somewhere in the scuffle with that arachnid. I have no idea where she is."
"Stay back, I got this!" Lunging forward, Ruby decided to attack the Deathstalker head on but noticed that her attacks were ineffective against its thick armor. The Grimm clicked its mandibles together in annoyance as the bullets of Crescent Rose ricocheted harmlessly against its body.
"Ruby!" Yang yelled as she rushed to help her. Seeing potential prey, the Nevermore fires its spear-like feathers at the two, one of which stabs into Ruby's cape and pinned her to the ground. The other feathers embedded themselves in Yang's path, stopping her from advancing any further.
"Oh you got to be kidding me..." Ruby frowned when she noticed that the feather created a small hole in her cape. "This is a very special cape given to me by someone important!"
"Ruby! Get out of there!" Yang yelled at her.
"I'm trying!" The girl replied as she tried to get her cape free without making the tiny hole bigger. A shadow loomed over her and she realized that the Deathstalker had caught up to her and its stinger was reared back, gearing up to strike her through the heart.
"RUBY!" Yang roared with horror. Fortunately the Deathstalker was suddenly pushed aside by a giant flying body that could only belong to an Ursa major. The two Grimms tumbled together in a heap of arms and legs.
"What—where did he come from?" The group wondered.
"Are you guys okay?" I gasped as I appeared. My uniform had some tears from where the bear's claws struck and blood was currently trickling down my arms. "Oh thank goodness I was right on time."
"You are so childish!" Weiss commented as she helped Ruby in her predicament, throwing away the feather with a huff. "And dimwitted, and hyperactive. And don't even get me started on your fighting style. And I suppose, I can be a bit..." She looked off to the side as the next few words were hard for her to admit. "...difficult. But if we're going to do this we're going to have to do this together."
That's something I'd never hear Weiss say. Ruby continued to look at the princess with saucer-sized eyes.
"So if you quit trying to show off I'll be..." She hesitated again to find the correct word. "nicer."
"I'm not trying to show off." Ruby explained. "I want you to know I can do this."
"You're fine." Weiss assured her before walking back to the group.
"Normal knees..." Ruby whispered to herself before walking after Weiss, only to be pulled into a hug by Yang.
"So happy you're okay!" The older of the two exclaimed as she released a sigh of relief. Looking up, they noticed the giant Nevermore still circling overhead, letting out angry screeches.
"Awww...sisterly love like those two are so romantic." I sighed before finding myself grabbed from behind by the Ursa. "Oh c'mon! Not again!"
"Reina!" Kairos called, sheathing her longsword and opted for her dual-wield assault rifles instead. "Stay still, I have him in my sights."
"It's okay! I got this!" I told her, breaking out of the hold and jumped on its back.
"Yahoo! Ride that little doggie!" The group turned to see a male standing off to the side, cheering me on. He had slick back olive green hair with a small amount of facial hair. He had on blue and white surfing shorts and black sandals for shoes. He wore a shark tooth necklace which rested comfortably against his bare chest and he lacked a shirt, leaving his top, well defined musculature half exposed to the elements.
"Um...I'm pretty sure that's not a dog Efram." A timid voice replied and a young man who seems to be in his early 20s stepped out into view. He had silver spiky hair, playful blue eyes and a star-shaped scar underneath his left eye. For accessories he had feathers nestled right behind his ear on the left side of his head. He also sported a brown hoodie which covered up the black tank top he had on underneath. As for bottoms he wore Army Cargo pants with no pockets and brown combat boots.
"I know exactly what that vermin is Timber." Efram replied just as I blew the Ursa to bits with an Aura Sphere to the chest. "Now that's what I call 'overkill'!"
"Guys, that thing's circling back." Jaune said, prompting the group to look up at the giant dark speck in the sky. "What are we gonna do?"
"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Our objective is right in front of us."
"She's right." Ruby agreed, making the princess smile. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."
"Run and live." Jaune commented dryly before giving her a thumbs up. "That's an idea I can get behind." Since there were twelve of us all together, one person per pair needed to grab any remaining artifacts on the pedestals. Yang and Nora already got theirs so that means three more pairs have yet to choose their piece. Ruby grabbed the other golden knight, Jaune himself grabbed the rook, Timber grabbed a bishop and Kairos grabbed the other bishop.
"Time for us to go." Ren said once the artifacts were successfully obtained and stowed away. "I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."
"Tell that to it!" Jaune yelled as the Nevermore did a sharp nosedive, coming straight for us with its talons outstretched. "I don't think it wants us to leave so soon!"
"Well don't stand there Jaune! Hide!" Pyrrha dragged him away as the groups split up and took cover in the surrounding forest.
"Watch out!" I shoved Kairos out of the way as I felt talons clasp around my body, digging into my flesh.
WHOOSH~ "KRAWWW!"
"Did that girl just get kidnapped by a giant Nevermore?" Blake asked.
"You can say that she was 'whisked' away." Yang said while watching the bird turn into a tiny speck in the sky with me nestled between its toes. "Or perhaps 'gone with the wind', either one works."
"Now's not the time for your jokes Yang." Ruby stated worriedly. "C'mon, we have to go after that Grimm! And Blake...stop questioning things."
Outskirts of the forest...
"Oomph!" I grunted as soon as my body hit the rough surface of what I believe was a stone pillar. "Ouch!" The Nevermore screeched, keeping me pinned as it scanned the area for the other prey that alluded it. On the way over I noticed the ruins coming into view and there were a lot of old pillars still standing. Since the weather was foggy, the others found great hiding places to recover and catch their breath as they followed the Grimm.
"Well that's great! What's the plan now?" Yang said just as the Deathstalker burst through the brambles, making a beeline towards Jaune's group. "Persistent little bastard isn't he!"
"Oh man, run!" Jaune ordered with Pyrrha right on his tail. The others, noticing the intruder, scattered across the field in a frenzy.
"Nora, distract it!" Ren said as the bird noticed the commotion, spreading its wings and taking flight.
"Okay!" The orange-hair girl smiled, dodging the barrage of feathers as she wielded her weapon and fired shots at the giant bird. Blake and Ren held off the Deathstalker while Weiss used one of her glyphs to rescue her.
The remaining eleven students ran towards a bridge and Ren and Pyrrha both took a few shots at the Deathstalker, before following the others. However, as they all try to cross, the Nevermore swooped in, destroying a section of the bridge thus separating them into two groups.
As Jaune notices Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren struggling against the Death Stalker on their own, he points out to Nora that they need help. The gap in the bridge, however, is far too wide for him to jump over. To assist him, Nora transforms her weapon Magnhild from grenade launcher to hammer and catapults Jaune over the gap by slamming her hammer on the other end of the broken bridge. She then stands on her hammer's head and creates an explosion to launch herself over the gap.
"Will you guys be okay?" Ruby yelled, taking time to insert a new cartridge of bullets into her weapon.
"We'll be fine!" Jaune replied, ducking as a pincer sailed over his head. "You guys go on ahead and get that bird!"
"Hiyah!" Nora yelled as she lands a hit on the Death Stalker's head and launches herself backward before it can sting her, accidentally bumping into Blake in the process and knocking her off the bridge.
"Whoa!" Looking around for something of use, the raven-haired girl used Grambol Shroud's chainsickle form to latch onto a piece of the ruins, swinging herself into the air near the Nevermore. She then uses her Semblance, jumping off a clone to get on the Nevermore's head, before running down its back and repeatedly slashing at it. She then jumps off the creature, landing on the ruins next to Ruby and then hopping over to her partner Yang.
"It's tougher than it looks!" Blake conveyed to the group as they watched the Grimm make a u-turn and flew back in their direction.
"Then let's hit it with everything we got!" Yang replied, getting Ember Celica ready by loading new bullets into the gauntlets.
"-uuuuuUUUUUUCK YOOOOOOOUUUU!" A loud cry followed by a sudden barrage of blue orbs crossed their line of sight, hitting the bird in the side like miniature bombs. It shrieked with pain and disappeared into the fog with a trail of smoke behind it. I stood on top of the pillar with my right arm held in front of me and sweat rolling down the side of my face. "Left me up here to rot by myself...I have a fear of heights you know!"
"Thank goodness you're safe." Kairos yelled up to me as she made her way to the base of the pillar. "Did that thing hurt you?"
"No! It just left me here!" I shouted down to her. "Now get me down!"
"SKREEEEEEEEKK!"
"Just my luck..." I groaned with displeasure.
"Here comes Round 2!" I heard Yang's voice as the Nevermore burst through the fog, its angry eyes staring at the six of us.
"Take aim Timber!" Efram yelled as he and the boy stood on a separate ledge opposite of the girls. "Here it comes!" Then he braced himself and held up what looked to be a kite shield, protecting them both from the barrage of feathers.
"R-Right!" The boy proclaimed and summoned what looked to be an archer's Longbow. The only difference was that there was no string connecting from one end to the other, it could possibly be mistaken for a boomerang.
"Is that even a bow?" Weiss commented when she eyed the weapon with doubt. "I don't see any string whatsoever...is it broken?"
"Don't worry your head, missy." Efram replied as Timber held his weapon with confidence, keeping his eyes on the Nevermore. "This guy knows what he's doin' so just trust em'!"
Deep breaths...Timber reminded himself as he placed his left foot firmly in front of him and approximately shoulder width apart. Relax...He raised the bow till his arm was parallel to the ground and slightly above nose level. Channel my energy into my weapon...become one with my weapon...be the weapon...With his right hand, he made a motion similar to notching an arrow in the string and slowly drew his arm back.
"That's...the string?" Weiss asked when she noticed what looked like energy fiber-connected to both ends of the bow- being pulled back along with the boy's fingers. "I...I've never seen anything like that..."
That's no ordinary bow...I can feel its strength even from here... I thought as his arm stopped moving, his index finger hovering near the corner of his mouth. His once playful expression was replaced by a focused one as he kept his eyes on the prize, watching and waiting for his opponent to slip up. And it did.
Right there! He saw his chance and in one fluid motion, released his grip by allowing the fiber string to roll off his finger tips. There was a crisp sound, much like a bullet train, as a bolt of light flew across the sky like a beacon.
"Would you look at that!" Yang exclaimed as the energy bolt shot through the air and pierced the bird's right wing as it dodged at the last minute. "It went through!"
"It's not enough though...watch out!" Ruby exclaimed as the Nevermore, teetering in the air after having its wing injured, smashed into my pillar.
"Kairos! Catch me!" I shouted as I felt myself falling through the broken structure. She was there in an instant, her arms wrapping around me as we escaped to higher ground. "Phew! Oh my..." I fell on my butt with a laugh. "I can't feel my legs!"
"You and me both!" Efram exclaimed as he landed beside us, Timber in his arms. "I swear I felt like I was gonna pass out."
"What's wrong with him?" Kairos asked.
"S-S-Sorry...I...I look like...a mess...don't I?" Timber stated breathlessly. "It takes a bit of energy to...fire an energy bolt of that...caliber."
"You can rest easy." I told him and we turned to watch the battle. "They have it under control now." Yang was currently firing Ember Celica at the bird, stopping once in a while to reload. Thanks to Timber's attack, the Grimm had slowed down quite a bit so hitting it was no longer an issue.
"I hope you're hung-ry!" She yelled as the bird flew at her with its beak open wide. Leaping in, she held it open while firing five rounds of bullets down the bird's throat. Looking behind her, she jumps out and watched as it crashes into into the cliff. Shaking its head, it let out an angry screech of defiance and spread its wings out once again in hopes of taking flight.
Weiss quickly rushed in and with her ice Dust, froze its tail feathers to the ruins and locked it in place while Blake threw half of Gambol Shroud to Yang so that the two of them were holding both ends of the ribbon between two stone pillars, creating a crude slingshot.
Perfect! Everything is going according to my plan! Ruby grinned as she hops onto the ribbon with Crescent Rose in her hands, held in place by a large glyph thanks to Weiss.
"Of course you would come up with this idea." muses Weiss, taking the opportunity to talk to Ruby before she let go.
"Think you can make a shot?" Ruby asked.
"Hmph. Can I?" Weiss questioned, almost daring Ruby to tell her she wasn't capable of such a small feat.
"...Ca-"
"Of course I can!" The princess snapped angrily much to Ruby's amusement. Cocking Crescent Rose, she was launched off the ribbon the moment the glyph released her and fired multiple shots to boost her speed. Hooking the bird's neck with her neck, she landed with both feet on the cliff and watched as her teammate created an entire column of glyphs up the cliff side.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Firing even more shots as she ran vertically up the face of the cliff, Ruby eventually rendered the creature's head from its shoulders upon reaching the summit, its body bruised and battered after being dragged at high speeds.
"Wow..." Jaune whispered as everyone watched the decapitated boy falling to the ground with a splat. Ruby stood on top of the cliff triumphantly and she smiled down on us.
"Did you see that?! Did you all see that?!" Yang asked excitably as we all got together at the end, the dead corpse of the Deadstalker laying off to the side with a crushed cranium thanks to Nora's hammer. "My sister was a beast out there!"
"Yes Yang we were all apart of it so you can shut up now." Weiss stated, glancing at Ruby from time to time. I have to admit though...That was some amazing teamwork...
"I guess it's time to head back. I bet the professors are waiting for us." Jaune said as he held the artifact in his hand. Following his lead, the others wearily made their way back to school...tired but filled with spirit.
But that bird...I paused and looked over my shoulder at where the decapitated Grimm laid dead with a grimace on my face. Why is it that I can sense her aura from it? What is going on?
"Hey! Reina, what are you doing looking off in the distance?" Ruby's voice cut through and I sensed her approaching me. The others must have stopped to wait for me as well, sensing that something must be wrong. "Let's go, our mission's already done." She pulled gently on my scarf. "Come on come on!"
"Alright alright, I'm coming." I replied and followed the other first years back to school.
Back at Beacon...
When we got back, Ozpin was already in the process of forming teams. Word about our achievement spread like wildfire as we had other students congratulating and praising us of our outstanding teamwork for such a large group.
"Cardin Winchester. Russel Thrush. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." Ozpin spoke as the four men lined up before him. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as...Team CRDL. Lead by Cardin Winchester."
"Ooo, Jaune's team is coming up next!" Ruby whispered, clapping her hands along with the audience as the previous team stepped off the stage to make room for the next team.
"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces."
"White...?" Kairos whispered to Efram who had his arms crossed. Thank goodness that Glynda Goodwitch ordered him to wear a shirt before it was our turn, stating something along the lines of breaking school policy for lack of decency. "Didn't they look golden to you?"
"They were probably coated golden for various reasons." He whispered back. "Of course none of that matters right now right? We get to form teams together!"
"Shhh!" I frowned at the two of them for their side conversation. "It's hard hearing the professor when it's this noisy."
"From this day forward, you will work together as...Team JNPR." Nora wrapped her arms around Ren's neck much to the amusement of Pyrrha. "Lead by...Jaune Arc!"
"Huh?!" The boy turned his head so fast it might have caused a whiplash. "L-Lead by...?"
"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin praised him.
"Ahaha! You go Jaune!" Pyrrha grinned as she punched him in the arm, causing him to fall over and the audience erupted into laughter. The newly formed team walked off the stage as Ozpin continued with the ceremony.
"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces." The four girls stood proudly in front of him as he announced the name for their team. "From this day forward, you will work together as...Team RWBY."
"Whoo! Way to go!" I heard Kairos and Efram cheer loudly along with Team JNPR who decided to join us.
"Lead by...Ruby Rose."
"I'm so proud of you!" Yang said as she hugged her sister happily.
"And finally..." Ozpin smiled as Team RWBY walked off to join Team JNPR and we shuffled up to the stage in a single file line. "Efram Eknath. Reina Raylan. Kairos Klain and Timber Talon. The four of you retrieved the white bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as...Team REKT. Lead by...Reina Raylan."
"Knew you could do it." Kairos said as she patted me on the back.
"Can't wait to see what adventures are in store for us!" Efram smiled broadly. "I'm so excited!"
"L-Let's do our best!" Timber added as the cheers and applause followed us when we walked off the stage.
"Looks like things are shaping up to be an...interesting year." Ozpin commented as he looked at the newly created teams.
Elsewhere...
In an abandoned warehouse on the far side of town, Roman Torchwick was finishing up a conversation with someone over a phone and it didn't seem to be a very good conversation. He has slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long orange hair; his bangs covered his right eye most of the time. He wore a black bowler hat with a red band and a small feather.
As for his clothing attire he prefers a red-lined white suit and a small gray scarf around his neck. He also has black gloves with rounded sleeves, as well as long black pants and black shoes, giving him a gentleman persona.
Placing the phone down on the table a little more forceful than necessary, he released a sigh of frustration. Before him was a giant map of Vale with markings written in red pen of past plans that have failed or have been derailed. He casually lights a cigar before noticing a masked individual approaching him with a mysterious case. White Fang huh...? He thought as the White Fang member stopped before him. The White Fang was a radical and political terrorist organization that was once peaceful before turning into an anti-Faunus institution. Fishing out a couple of what looked like credit cards he laid them flat on the table in a neat stack and pushed it towards the man.
"Open it." He ordered after the individual pocketed the money. Moving swiftly to the case, the lid opened up to reveal Dust crystals of various size, color and shape. He whistled approvingly, holding up one of the larger pieces with his hand.
"I'm gonna need more men."
