A/N: EDIT: Well, that's hardly any feedback. T_T I even went back and made this chapter longer, improved it, too...
Blasted site notification are still on the fritz; its been more than two weeks of this now...
...its begun to impact my ability to write somewhat, now.
Between this and the health scare I think I am, quite literally, losing my mind. Its a worrying thought. This week alone, I find myself not even wanting to write anymore. That's a scary thought; are the sight glitches to blame, or is this me? I don't know, and it worries me.
That said, I'm still here. Stepped away for awhile after one of my co-writers passed away, had to hash a few things out. I had originally planned this out for July, but with Roosterteeth being liquidated by Warner Bros, well, lets just say I'm feeling motivated, despite my health woes.
That said, fanfiction writers -Coeur, me, and so many others- are doing our best to keep the RWBY fandom alive over here.
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 nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Hope you're ready; because from this point on? Weeell...! Things are gonna get a little wild!
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes, one and all.
So in lieu of a long explanation...away we go~!
Verbatim for Volumes One and Two~!
"Innocence and kindness are such beautiful qualities. And yet they are so very...pointless. Weak.
So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength."
Or perhaps victory is in the simpler things you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul. You say there will be no victory in strength; perhaps you are right. Perhaps you are wrong. Regardless, one cannot cage a boy any more than you can keep a bird in the nest.
They will always fly free...
Let them. They will find freedom does not come without cost.
~Salem and Ozpin.
Bolts and Dolts
In the year that followed, Penny clung to him like glue.
Naruto couldn't bring himself to deny her friendship, even as Victor Ironwood. He had a reputation to maintain...and she smashed right through it. No matter the walls he put up; she always tore them down-no matter the amount of distance he sought to put between them, she always caught right up. No matter his bravado, she always saw through to him. The real him. Not "Victor Ironwood" or "Accelerator" or any other of the nicknames the techies down in R&D gave
It was...kinda nice, if he was being honest; to have someone who understood him.
Penny was so eager to see and to know and to go; and for his part, he was happy to indulge her.
The people of Atlas and Mantle looked to them for hope; to be strong, to be the bulwark between them and the Grimm.
Of course, being the best had its perks; they received the best gear, the best training, the best money could buy. If that dehumanized them a little, then so be it. Weapons they might be in the eyes of Atlas, but they were people, too. They had their needs. They had each other. They had peace.
Alas, those halcyon days could not last forever.
(.0.0.0.)
"Grimm on your left flank!"
Penny whirled in seamless unison at his command, boots digging down in the snow. She drove an open palm backward into the startled face of an angry Ursa...containing a green spiraling sphere within. The technique -his technique!- tore her arm apart, but its also vaporized the beast as she drilled her aura through its visage and tore it to to pieces.
Naruto took some small semblance of pride in that- not the loss of her arm, that happened ever now and again, but rather that she'd managed to mimic one of his techniques. She'd been watching him, it seemed. And to pull that off with aura alone...not bad. Not bad at all. Or so he would've said, if only she didn't keep losing her arm every time!
"Oops?" his partner reeled backward in the drifts, grimacing at her sparking stump. "It seems I still have a long way to go."
He slapped a palm to his face to hide a smile. "I told you to watch you stabilizers; you're not ready to use that."
"Do not worry!" She saluted him with her remaining arm and a happy chirrup "I am combat ready!"
"With one arm?!"
A swarm of wire-bound blades flicked out from the "backpack" between Penny's shoulders and casually eviscerated a nearby Goliath's legs, bringing it low for him to finish off with a flick of the wrist. It massive body came crashing down and kicked up a mighty plume of snow as it fell.
"Alright, point taken."
He hadn't thought much of their first "mission" together; the people of Atlas wanted proof that their pet-project could handle Grimm in a live fire scenario. Watts would've argued against it...if he were still in Atlas. Alas, he was a man of his word; he'd fled the city some time ago after the latest Paladin incident. A shame. He could've used his advice here and now.
No matter; best to focus on the here and now. They wanted proof? He'd give them proof.
He pivoted away from her and pressed his back to hers as he raised his hands into the air without a care. From there, he mimed a grabbing motion with both palms and yanked hard, causing the wind to rise around them in response. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and focused on his calculations; coalescing and compressing the very air around them into a vicious mass of heat. From that heat, he forcibly caused the atoms in the nearby air to split into cations and electrons, resulting in spontaneous ionization, which then became...
...plasma.
Everything has a direction. He simple controlled that direction. Ergo, vectors. The poor Grimm didn't even have a chance to bemoan their mistake of a life; he cut through them in a torrent of light.
"Oooh!" Penny giggled at the sight. "My turn, my turn!"
Naruto laughed despite himself as he casually crushed a Sabyr's throat and cast it aside. "Its not that simple-
A low whirring noise behind him was his only warning; he made the mistake of glancing back over his shoulder and found himself treated to a spectacular sight. As he looked on, Penny's blades retracted into small cannons and whirled into a spiraling ring. An ominous sphere of green light sparked to life within. He had an instant to balk before she fired. A lance -no, not a lance! That was a beam!- of pure viridian light lanced out, obliterating a fresh pack of Goliath then another, and another and good lord it just kept going.
Eventually it finally fizzled out, but not before slicing off the peak of a distant mountain.
His eyes widened. "How did you pull off that beam back there?!"
She blinked innocently. "The same way you did...?"
...Penny, I use Vectors. You don't. Explain."
She flinched a little under his stare. "I can't-its fine. I don't want to talk to anyone about it."
He didn't much like the sound of that. "Just talk to me, them. We've got some time before the next wave-erm, I mean evac." he amended upon realizing that there were no more Grimm to be found. She'd wiped them all out with that last attack. "Its alright, I'm not angry-
Panic flashed across her face. "No, no, no! You wouldn't understand!"
"Let me try." he stepped to her and grabbed her remaining hand before she could bolt. You can trust me."
She paused, dithered, looked to him then back again. You're my friend, right?"
"Despite all attempts otherwise, yes...
Her fingers squeezed his, trembling tightly. "You promise you'e my friend?!"
Something in him softened and he couldn't help himself; he planted a hand atop her head, ruffling her ginger hair. "Promise."
She looked away from him, pressing her chin to her chest. "...I am not normal."
He scoffed despite himself "No, really?"
"Let me finish!" She gave him a rare glare. "I am the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an aura."
"I already know that."
"But what you don't know is that I was made for a purpose."
Just like that, she had his curiosity all over again. "And what purpose is that?
...I was made to kill Maidens!" the words burst out of her in a rush and he couldn't help but notice now she emphasized the last one.
"The heck is a Maiden...?"
"Something above your pay grade," Ironwood -Dad!- sighed in his ear, voice crackling through the earpiece to startle him. "I'll debrief you later. In the meantime, let the poor girl talk; this has clearly been eating at her for some time now."
Huh. Dad wasn't around often, but he could be kinda nice when he was. Who knew?
Penny hiccuped in the face of his silence, mistaking it for anger. "You're upset, aren't you? I'm sorry. I'm not real, not like-"
No, no, no! Not having that! He had enough self-loathing for the both of them and the last thing he wanted was to make her even more upset.
"Of course you are." he stepped to her and drew her into a tight hug, pressing his forehead to hers. "You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts that it makes you less human than me, oi?"
She squinted up at him, but made no move to extricate herself from her embrace. "You are...taking this remarkably well."
Was he? Maybe he'd become a bit desensitized to surprises like this. That...might not be a good thing.
Nevertheless!
"Your'e not some Atlesian mech." he held her tighter, ignoring the sparks spitting from her ruined arm. "You're you. You're Penny, you're my friend, and if anyone says otherwise, I will tear them limb from limb. You've got heart and a soul, just like me. I can feel it. So no more talking like you don't matter?" he butted his head against hers when she tried to protest. Get me?"
She buried her head in his shoulder with another hiccup. "M'sorry...
"You have nothing to be sorry about." reluctantly releasing her, he took a step back, idly aware of the snow crunching underfoot. "Just don't keep anything like this from me again, alright?"
Her head bobbed. "Father's not not sure if I'm ready yet; one day it will be my job to save the world. I still have a lot left to learn before then. But you know things." Her green eyes sought his, earnest and pleading. "Will you teach me?"
Now it was his turn to balk. "Teach you what?"
She crowded closer, eyes shining. "How to be strong!"
"Penny, you literally sliced off the tip of a mountain miles away. I don't think you need-
Quick as a lark the little android latched onto him again with her good arm, hugging for dear life. "Pleasepleaseplease!"
Urk! Ribs! Can't breathe!
"Alright, alright!" A pained laugh burst out of him. "Yeesh! Don't break my ribs!"
No such luck, Penny made happy Penny noises and glomped him all the ore. "Sensational!"
A rush of hot air blew their hair back and heralded the arrival of bullhead, spoiling the otherwise pleasant moment. The craft rushed in with suitable speed and alighted before them, main door cracking open to reveal their escort; a group of well armored soldiers. Pity it wasn't the Ace Ops this time around.
One of the helmeted goods motioned their way.
"Playtime's over for the day, kids. We're headed back to the lab."
One of the soldiers swore under their breath as they saw the countless decomposing grim strewn across the snow. "Damn monsters."
Naurto heard it and his right eye twitched. "Oi, shitbag. You wanna say that again-
"That was not very nice!" Penny beat him to it, bless her simple soul. "If you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it at all!"
...he really didn't deserve this pure angel.
"Bloody freaks...
"Yeah," he stepped up beside her, "we're freaks. But these freaks just wiped out a Grimm incursion and helped you bozos expand your borders. Whatcha gonna do about it? Not a damn thing. Unless you want my old man to drag you up to his office and have you court-martialed...?"
The soldiers dithered.
He scowled at them. "That's what I thought."
They rode back to Atlas in suffocatingly smug silence.
(.0.0.0.)
"Report, soldiers."
Naruto beamed. "Penny destroyed her arm again."
Penny proved that false by smacking his back with the very limb she'd recovered from the battlefield. "I did not! I have it right here!"
"Most students don't use their severed arm as a flail, miss Polendina."
His partner hiccuped once. "I don't know what you mean, general."
Was that the ghost of a smile on Ironwood's face? No, surely he was imagining that. he wasn't surprised that they'd been brought up before the old man; after a successful mission like this it was only natural. Then again, Penny had beamed a mountain back there- something like that was pretty hard to ignore.
And yet the debrief that followed made no mention of it. Unsurprising, he supposed. It made sense that Atlas would want to cover something like that up.
"Was there something you wanted from us, sir?"
"Not at all." This time, James didn't bother to hide his smile. "I'm proud of you, son."
Naruto couldn't quite suppress the fierce flicker of pride in his chest. There it was; the praise he so-craved. Ah, but Dad was still speaking.
"There is one last item on your itinerary, however." he didn't miss the way his sire lifted his chin just so to look him square in the eye. "I wanted to inform you that you'll be fighting a huntress tomorrow, Victor.
His brow rose, even as Penny cooed curiously. "Will I, now? That's a first."
"You will. She's graciously agreed to come all the way from Vale to test your capabilities."
Curious. "Anything to add?"
His father grimaced. "She's...well, her head's not screwed on straight. Please be respectful."
He grinned. "Can I kick her ass, then?"
James snorted. "Please do. I daresay that would get her head screwed on straight."
Consider his curiosity piqued further.
"What's her name?"
(.0.0.0.)
"Summer Rose, reporting for duty!"
Naruto blinked. He blinked hard.
"Ha?"
Summer Rose was a bit of an odd duck all things considered. Not only was bright, bubbly and bursting with energy and positivity-just as one might expect of a huntress-but she boasted stark silver eyes, fair complexion and black-blending-into-red hair. Clad in a one-piece red dress bearing white frills under the skirt and exposed shoulders, black sleeves bearing ed and black bracer and a separate black skirt that covered most of the red one underneath, she wrapped herself in a white cloak also lined with -surprise, surprise!- yet more red. Perhaps most notable of all was the rose pendant hanging from her waist...and the weapon beside it.
His gaze drifted to the weapon hanging at her hip, some strange mechanized black-and gold axe.
Mecashift, undoubtedly. Probably had at least two or three forms. Or maybe four-
And then she surprised him with her smile.
"You like it?" she touched a hand to her treasured tool. "This is Sundered Rose. A good weapon like this will last you a lifetime."
Naruto grunted noncommittally, uncertain of what to say; what he even should say.
He just didn't know what to do with people who were too...nice.
Blast it all, wished Penny were here. Sadly, she was off getting her arm reattached. Evidently that wasn't something Uncle Pietro could do overnight. Who knew? Or maybe he was and they were keeping her back for some reason he didn't know-no, no, no. Don't think that. That way lay paranoia and madness. He was strong, the strongest, really. He couldn't afford to jump at every shadow.
Regardless, and much to his chagrin, Miss Rose wasn't done with him yet.
"You must be Victor." she offered him her hand. "I'm Summer Rose. Ozpin's said good things about you. Its so nice to finally meet you."
Naruto dithered, made wary by her words. Who was this Ozpin and why did he know him?
"Aren't you adorable?" She didn't try to touch him, she knew better than that, but she still crouched down to bringing herself to his level all the same. "You're just a little older than my Yang." she craned her neck back to peer over her shoulder, searching for her. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere with Tai-ah!"
Belatedly, he realized she must've brought her children with her; because she called out to them now.
"Ruby, dear." Summer's face softened. "Don't be shy. Come say hello."
A streak of scarlet petals assaulted his senses; in an instant he found himself nearly face with a mini-Summer; no, that wasn't quite right. She was so small! Ruby Rose was the spitting image of her mother, a veritable mini-me, silver eyes and dark hair all, wrapped up in a little red cloak to match. Her silver eyes met his red and skittered away like a nervous rabbit as she bowed her head.
"Hullo...
His heart kicked against his chest.
Adorable. Must protect the child at at all costs.
"Don't mind her." Summer tucked her daughter into her side. "Now wherever is-
"This place is so big~!
A blonde streak crashed into Summer's back bowled her over; she dragged Ruby with her and would've fallen onto him if he hadn't stepped back at the last second. Ruby Rose might be the spitting image of her mother, but Yang...was not. Huh. Must've gotten it from her father. And were those pigtails? They were! How impractical.
"Hi!" the sunny girl hopped over her startled mother and thrust her hand at him, forcing him to lower his vectors at the last second or accidentally mangle her arm. "I'm Yang! Lets fight!"
"No, sweetie," Summer snatched her up by the back of her brown jacket and steered her aside. "You're not here to do that. Mommy is. And what did I say about running around?"
"To not to?"
She pinched her cheek. "Good girl."
Naruto felt his heart twist for an entirely different reason.
"Booo." Yang squirmed away from her with a scowl. "Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. Mom's gonna kick your butt."
Cocky girl. "I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Father's voice echoed from above. "If you're quite ready...?"
"Alright, then." Summer shooed her daughters away. "Girls, go sit with your father. This won't take long...
(.0.0.0.)
They squared off in the ring.
It was a very nice ring all things considered; at least Naruto thought so. Dad had cordoned off an entire room in the academy for the sole purpose of today's tests; given that he was the current Headmaster, such was well within his power. Better than that having this brawl down in the labs. He didn't like the labs. They were too clean and they stank of ozone and antiseptic.
But here, here he almost felt normal; even with all these prying eyes fixated upon him.
'Damnit, dad. You didn't say there would be this many people from Beacon...!'
That had to be the Headmaster Ozpin over there; but who was that scruffy looking guy with him...?
Ruby waved his way shyly; he sketched an awkward nod at her in return.
The aura meters whirled to life above them; displaying both their faces alongside their respective readings. He barely spared them a passsing glance; his mind had whirred to life as well, already kicking through complex calculations of its own. Today's victory conditions were markedly different than usual; first to ringout or red aura. Usually he beat his opponents half to death or killed Grimm outright.
It would be a refreshing test to try and win while holding back.
Dad's hand slammed down.
"Begin!"
On a whim, he chose not to attack, but beckoned instead, allowing Ruby's mother to take the initiative.
Summer's axe unfolded with an ominous clank...and she vanished in a whirl of white light.
His eyes widened in momentary surprise.
Teleportation semblance!
Instinct compelled him to duck and well that he did; Sundered Rose swept just over his head. He kicked back, seeking distance, and she took the bait to pursue.
'So that's how she wants to play...? Fine. I'll be a good sport about it.'
Rather than attack, he planted both hands in his pockets and swayed away, giving ground as she chambered one swing, then another, another and another still. He could've blunted them on his Semblance but instead he willfully retreated and let each sweep past, heedless of the cries from the crowd. They wanted action, they wanted to see him fight back, and the fact that he hadn't angered a few. He tuned the out and waited for his chance to strike. Anda finally, she made the on mistake a huntress never should.
Summer Rose overcompensated.
Her trusty axe whistled just short of his Vector and embed itself in the ground. He stomped down on the haft to wedge it there and drove a hell palm into her chin driving her head back with an audible crack of aura.
A telltale click filled his ears and too late, he saw her smile.
"Sorry," Summer hummed. "Nothing personal, kiddo."
Then she pulled the trigger.
Let there be light.
(.0.0.0.)
'Maybe I overdid it a little...?
Summer coughed on black smoke, wheezing a little as her eyes stung and squinted into the haze. Explosive dust rounds were no joke she knew; she'd been hit with more than a few back in her Beacon days. They wouldn't kill you even with your aura down, but they always packed one helluva punch. One round would knock out a civilian. Two would daze a huntsmen. She'd fired three; if only because she knew he had his aura up.
He could take it, right?
James said his kid was tough.
Not that though, obviously. Bit of a shame, really.
"Careful now," a pale hand swept the smoke aside, revealing Victor Ironwood in all his grinning glory. "A guy might get the wrong idea."
No way. She'd been aiming to knock him out with that!
No harm.
No damage.
No...nothing.
He wasn't even injured for crying out loud. Surely his aura must have-nope. Her gaze flickered up to the meters above, only to find his very much in the green, not even phased. There wasn't so much a a scratch on him. A stray wisp of smoke flickered past her gaze and she blinked, hastily scrubbing at her eyes.
Mistakes were made.
And they belonged to her.
He crossed the distance in an instant.
"Miss Rose, you're impressive." she felt his hand on her face before she saw it, her eyes bulging in disbelief. "But I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you...
Blue light.
A flash of pain.
Velocity. Momentum. Impact.
...you see, victory was never an option."
She must've blacked out for a second; because when she came to, she found herself wedged in a wall. "Ha...?
"Mommy, get up!"
Her head snapped up in time to see -to feel!- a hand close around her throat.
Demented laughter filled the air. "Up you go!"
Meep!
Metal shrieked as she found herself torn free and flung across the wall. Blinking through blurry vision, she beheld the aura meter above. Orange, flickering just above red. She tried to rise, only to gasp as her body buckled on her; try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to stand. She could hear Qrow and Tai shouting her her -Ruby and Yang, too!- but their voices were distance. Muted, somehow.
'He only hit me twice! Why am I so damaged...?!'
Sundered Rose skidded to a half at her feet.
"Pick it up."
She looked up and found Victor looming over her, grinning ear-to-ear.
"I said...pick. It. Up."
She did so readily, without hesitation, and clamored up on wobbling knees. That seemed to impress him. "You could've finished me while I was recovering...
"Maybe." He shrugged one shoulder. "But that would've made your brats sad, right?
Aha! He wasn't the monster he pretended to be.
Summer knew she should've felt despair in that moment. Regret. Shame. But instead all she experienced then was...joy. Unadulterated glee. She'd thought herself strong. Invincible. Damn near immortal. If someone only a year older than Yang could smack her around like this, busted semblance or no...
'I thought I'd hit my peak, but I still have so much farther to go. I need to train harder. But before that, I need to train those girls more... be a better mother...!'
"Victor, was it? Thanks for this...
His brow furrowed. "Ha? What're you on about?"
Playing dumb, was he? Silly boy. " Don't you worry. I got the message. Lets finish it with this, shall we?"
One hit. Nevermind winning-she couldn't, not here, not now, not with a semblance like that-maybe years from now, but she couldn't as she was in this moment. If she could just land one hit, she could leave this ring with some small smidgen of her pride intact!
It was not to be.
Victor Ironwood lunged with a saddistic grin.
Sundered Rose swept in, seeking the joing of his shoulder.
It never reached him. Her weapon struck something, not aura, but whatever it was deflected her swing. Semblance! It must be! Her weapon warped and skittered off to the side; she'd just enough time to gasp before she felt a palm settle against her stomach and twist.
She heard him mumble something under his breath.
...sorry."
The impact launched her backward, where she struck the ground once with a yelp and bounced out of the ring. She heard her family cry out in disbelief, the shock, the indignant surprise, but where once she would've felt anger or even sorrow...she could only laugh
Ouch. Her poor pride.
Still, she could accept this defeat with grace.
If the new generation was this strong, Salem would be shaking in her boots.
But before that! This poor boy clearly needed some friends. Or barring that, a mother.
She righted herself and rounded on Victor Ironwood with the biggest grin. "Can I adopt you?"
Victor sputtered. "Crazy lady say what now...?
(.0.0.0.)
Qrow whistled from the sidelines. "Damn. We sure he's not a Schnee?"
Ozpin sighed. "Qrow, please."
"I'm just saying. He's a dead ringer for one. Give 'im blue eyes and he could be one of the Schnee brats...
James granted him a glare. "One of those so-called brats will be entering the military soon."
"Really?" he took a long swig from his flask. "My condolences."
"Qrow!"
"Alright, alright...
And then he heard he words he'd never wanted to hear. "Fascinating."
"Ozpin, no." he rounded on him. "I know that look. You're not poaching my son for Signal, let alone Beacon."
"Perish the thought, James." his old friend took a long sip from his mug as the Rose children fussed over a dazed Victor. "Every now and again someone was born with an exceptional semblance; be it the ability to heal, or an unparalleled combat capability. This is clearly the latter...though he does share some small resemblance to the Schnees...
Qrow did a double take.
James saw it and growled. "Qrow, not a word."
Too late. Branwen made the connection. "Wait, wait, wait. You dirty dog. I didn't know you had it in you!"
(.0.0.0.)
"I have a brother."
The words were not a question; Winter almost wished they were, if only to quell the storm raging within her heart.
Today should have been a day of celebration for her; she was finally going to put this wretched manor behind once and for all.
And then...this.
Mother had sprang it on her on at the last second; because of course she had; one foot out the door, and even now she tried to drag her back.
"I don't understand." the words felt hoarse, sticking in her throat. "Why tell me this?!"
"Because that boy has been alone." Mother laughed bitterly, cradling a bottle of wine in his hands. "All these years, with next to no one for any sort of company. He must hate me, no, I know he does. I certainly do." she gazed at her distorted reflection in the glass she clutched, searching for meaning and finding none I gave him away. My boy. My only boy. Your brother." She hiccuped once, faltered, then rallied again to take hold of her shoulders. "You have to be there for him, Winter. Promise me. He may shout and scream at you, but please be there for him. Do what I couldn't. Tell him-
"You can tell him yourself." She paused on the threshold as an awful thought occurred to her. "Does Weiss know? Does...does Father?"
Willow laughed at that; it was a bitter, pained sound, the cry of a woman who'd been starved of hope for far too long and only recently reclaimed it. "Do you think for a single second that your father," she practically spat the word, "would let him live if he did?"
Of course not.
They both knew the answer. Father was a cold man, a callous man, and when needs be, a cruel man.
An awful thought occurred to her. "How long did you intend to keep this from me?"
Willow looked away, ashamed. "For as long as I could."
Winter dropped her luggage.
All this time, she felt like she was missing something, a piece of herself that she'd never known. Now she did. She had a brother. A sibling, left alone, cast adrift, forced to live in hiding. Someone who'd probably grown up hating her and Weiss both. It was too much; the sudden revelation had rattled her already, but the realization that Mother had willingly kept this from her all the time.
Something snapped amidst Winter's thoughts.
It felt like her mind.
She saw red.
Wordlessly, Winter pivoted on one heel, marched past her mother, back the way she'd come, and stalked up the stairs.
"Winter?" Willow shouted after her, to no avail. "Winter, wait! Where are you going?! What are you doing?!"
"Something that should've been done a long time ago!"
(.0.0.0.)
Jacques looked up from his paperwork as the door opened. "Ah, Winter." his mustache twitched in a sneer. "There you are. Finally come to your senses, have you?
Why wasn't she answering him like dutiful daughter she should be?
Why was she closing the door like that?
Why was she locking it behind her?
"What the devil are you doing?"
Winter's saber snapped upward with a hiss to conjure a glyph. It was his one and only warning, too little, too late.
A swarm of furious white nevermore flooded his vision.
Jacques screamed.
A/N: Did she just...?
Did you enjoy this? Would you like weekly updates? By all means, do let me know!
Hope you enjoyed this little tease. Soooo? Should this be a story? Once again! This is an AU. Hope someone, somewhere, enjoyed this. I just don't know anymore these days. Its terribly hard to tell these days with the world going as it is...
Sometimes, when I look to the future, I 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. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. 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.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly? Let me know what you think!
Only a few previews this time.
(Previews)
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
Naruto felt weathered the storm that followed with admirable aplomb.
Said storm being a very excited Ruby Rose
That. Was. Amazing!
You're not mad that I beat your mum?
I mean yeah, but you were so fast! You were all bam, pow, wow!
He looked to Yang in despair. English, please?
It means you impressed her. Ruby's usually pretty shy. You're gonna be a Huntsman, right?
He squinted at her. "...maybe?
With skills like those, why wouldn't you be?
And from that singular suggestion, a seed was planted.
It had never once occurred to him that he might want to be something...more than this.
Winter walked out of the room with the biggest smile.
"I'm not a monster. Am I...?"
"No." James drew his son close with a sigh, ignoring the blood on his coat. "You're not." the bodies at their feet.
The door crashed open behind them as the Ace Ops rushed in.
Only then did they see the bodies at their feet.
Clover swore softly. "Well...shit.
Weiss was curious.
She had a half-brother; a sibling.
Did Father not realize it yet? Because if he did...wait. Where was Father? She'd not seen him all day.
"Gah, Penny! Where did you come from!?
"I can fly now!" she landed with a rush of green light, beaming from ear to ear. "Do you like my new hair?"
"Its certainly longer...
Salem tilted her head. "Curious. Tell me more."
"You have no idea, do you? None at all...
The boy's sanity is literally hanging by a threat.
And now you want to cut that thread? You must have a death wish.
"What say you? We'd be happy to have you in Beacon. I daresay any Kingdom would be chomping at the bit to have you...
R&R~!
I wonder if anyone remembers it?
(Previews)