A few days had passed since Evan last heard from Penny. It wasn't until moments ago that Evan's scroll vibrated as he saw a new message from Penny. "I should be able to meet up with you around 2:00 pm today. I'll be over at the base of the CCT Tower. I can't wait to see you, Evan!"
Texting back, "Same here!" , Evan heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he saw Sun standing outside the door frame with Neptune leaning against the wall outside the door.
"Hey dude! From what I've heard, Team RWBY's meeting up in their room to discuss their game plan for taking down Torchwick. If you come outside with me and Neptune, we'll be able to head in through the window." Sun explained
"Wait. Couldn't we just knock on the door? That sounds a lot easier." Evan inquired.
"Well we could, but Blake and her friends seem to only want to do this mission by themselves. They probably won't give us a chance to help unless we let ourselves in." Sun continued.
"I thought you said that you wanted me "on the team". I figured that meant you were already working with them already." Evan replied
"Well, I was more so referring to the three of us. Look, I get this sounds weird, but you wanted to help bring down the White Fang right? I don't see how there's any other way that you could do that outside of randomly stumbling around Vale and bumping into them. We're all capable enough to help them, and if they complain and yell at us, I'll tell them that I roped you into it, so they won't be mad at you. Now we got to start moving or they'll be gone before we know it. Are you in or not?" Sun elaborated.
"Fine, but you gotta be more clear on stuff like that in the future." Evan said with an irritated tone. Before leaving the room, the young teen grabbed his scroll and goggles.
/-/
"Alright, here we are. Now we just need to climb this tree and we'll be golden. Come on!" Sun declared as he used his tail to help stabilize himself as he moved from branch to branch.
"What are you waiting for?" Sun asked as he flipped himself upside down from one of the branches.
"Yeah no, I've never done stuff like that with my tail. I'll probably break it if I try. I'll do things my way." Evan said as he flew above the ground.
"Wait, what?! You can fly?! Hey wait, can you give me a lift too? Sun's my bro, but I'm not placing my bets on that tree supporting the two of us." Neptune interjected.
"Sure. Just don't let go." Evan stated as he held his hand out.
As Neptune jumped up to grab it with both hands, Evan struggled with the new weight at first until he began to fly upwards. With each floor they ascended past, Neptune's grip began to weaken, his body wiggling back and forth, in Evan's grasp as the young student attempted to continue on.
"Evan, I'm slipping! We gotta find someplace to land." Neptune said with concern in his voice.
Quickly, Evan maneuvered Neptune over to a nearby ledge on the side of the building, allowing the blue-haired teen to finally rest momentarily. Evan continued to float mid-air casually.
"Alright, this is it guys! Just keep quiet and wait until I tell you to come in." Sun whispered to the other two teens.
As Evan listened in on Team RWBY, he overheard their ongoing conversation.
"Ok! Let's go over the plan one more time!" Ruby called out.
"Ruby and I will visit the CCT and look over the Schnee Dust Company's records regarding any Dust robberies and other large scale events. Since I'm a part of the family, we shouldn't have any problems accessing those files." Weiss stated.
"There are nighttime meetings held by the White Fang fairly often in order to recruit new people to their cause along with higher ups giving out important info to the active members of the group. If I'm able to get in, I can sneak around and learn what exactly they're currently up to." Blake added.
"There's a pal of mine who owns a bar in the shadier parts of Vale. He knows practically all the major criminal dealings that happen "under the table" and all that. If Blake or Weiss aren't able to figure out what's going with all those Dust disappearances, then I'm certain that Junior will know a thing or two that'll help steer us in the right direction." Yang said with a smile.
"And once we're all done, we'll meet back up with Yang in order to figure out everything. Let's go team!" Ruby continued.
"Heck yeah!" Sun exclaims as he hangs upside down, entering the window frame for everyone to see.
"Sun! What are-" Blake began to proclaim.
"How did you even get up here?! We're like on the fourth floor!" Yang asked, cutting her off.
"Eh, it wasn't that hard." Sun casually stated as he entered the room.
"So, is time to put the smackdown on Torchwick's operation? I've been itching for a rematch after what happened last time." Sun continued.
"We were planning on keeping things between the four of us. Including anyone else would just make the situation more difficult to keep under wraps." Blake explained.
"I'm sorry, Sun, but you've seen what we're up against. This is the White Fang that we're dealing with!" Ruby maintained.
"All the more reason to have some extra backup! Why do you think I brought these guys with me?" Sun replied as he gestured outside the window. The four girls looked out to see Evan and Neptune outside. While Neptune remained on the building's ledge, Evan continued to hover as he waved at the group of students.
"What's up?" Neptune said casually.
"You brought Sparkler Hands too?" Yang said with a smirk as she pointed toward Evan.
"Sparkler Hands? Why are you calling me that? You know my name!" Evan called out as he rebuked the nickname. But before Yang could continue, she was cut off by a bewildered Weiss.
"Hold on! How are you flying?!" Weiss yelled out in a confused expression.
"What? It's my semblance. I mean, Yang can set her hair on fire, and Blake can create physical shadows. What's so odd about this?" Evan proclaimed as Weiss continued to watch on in disbelief.
"But...but it's just...oh nevermind." Weiss conceded as the air filled with silence.
"Could we maybe continue this inside? I'm not exactly afraid of heights, but I really don't want to test if my aura could protect me from a drop this high up." Neptune pleaded out loud as the girls relented. Grabbing the blue-haired student, Evan brought him inside the room.
"Alright, um...I'll still head out with Weiss. Evan and Sun...can tag along with Blake. The three of you shouldn't have any difficulties slipping into the White Fang meeting if you're pretending to be new recruits. And Neptune goes with Yang because...because I say so. How's that sound?" Ruby explained.
"Actually, could I come with you and Weiss for a bit. I promised that I would be meeting up with Penny today. She says that she'll be over at the CCT Tower this afternoon. I haven't seen her in a while, and I don't want to disappoint her. I can call Sun and reconvene with him and Blake before the White Fang meeting starts tonight. Is that ok?" Evan said aloud.
"Yeah! I haven't seen her in weeks, so it'll be good for both of us to catch up. Sounds like a plan." Ruby replied with an excited look.
"Hey Ruby, would it be alright if Neptune tags along with us too?" Weiss asked hesitantly as she looked at Neptune dreamily.
"Why would we need four people for the CCT mission, that seems like a lot." Ruby said with a confused and oblivious expression.
"Well…I'm certain that Yang can handle her job all by herself. Be-Besides, Neptune could help us get into the CCT a lot easier. I mean, he carries himself with a lot of…charisma." Weiss stuttered out as she gestured towards Neptune, who smiled and nodded along with Weiss's statement.
"Hmmmm...nah!" Ruby decided as she pulled Weiss out of the room, Evan following behind.
/-/
As the trio walked down the sidewalk, Evan turned to face Weiss.
"Hey, Weiss, why do you have your hair like that?" Evan asked.
"Like what?" Weiss questioned.
"I mean why do you have a huge ponytail? It's so long and trails behind you? Like, we're all training to be huntsmen and huntresses, right? Couldn't an opponent get behind you and grab it? It could also swish around and get in your face while evading attacks from enemies. That ponytail would make fighting quite a bit harder in all honesty. Wouldn't it be better if you cut it or something?" Evan explained.
"You think I haven't realized that already?! I've spent years honing my skills and combat style to prevent such things from occurring in the first place! And you're one to talk, Evan!" Weiss fumed as she pointed at him with an accusatory look.
"What?" Evan blurted out.
"Honestly, how much product do you use to get your hair to look like that? You could have your hair styled in so many other ways, yet you choose that, regardless?" Weiss questioned the spiky-haired teen.
"My hair always looks like this. I've tried combing it back, but it always just...springs back into place." Evan stated.
"At this point, why am I not surprised? You are honestly an enigma. Yet despite everything, I have to commend you on that fight yesterday. It's not everyday that someone can last as long as you did against one of Mistral's finest." Weiss continued on.
"Yeah, you were nuts out there! You were blasting out all those lasers and stuff during the fight! You were even able to redirect them as well. What kind of dust do you use?! Is it some cool lightning and gravity dust combination!? How did you make it?" Ruby interjected with a collection of questions as she gazed at his metallic gauntlets.
"Hey, hey, slow down! First off, I wasn't the one that built the weapon. A scientist named Pietro Polendina made it for me. Pietro and I were the ones who thought up and chose the basis of the weapon, but Pietro did most of the work. He knows more about the specifics of it than I do. Sorry to burst your bubble." Evan replied.
"It's alright. Sorry if I came on too strong. It's just…well, weapons are such a fascinating way to express ourselves. The ways that we fight, use our semblances, our weapons, it really shows everyone just what makes you…you." Ruby gushed aloud.
"I can get behind that. Although, while I like using these weapons of mine, I prefer fighting hand-to-hand combat more often than not. There's something satisfying about being in the thick of it and getting up close and personal with your opponent that gets me excited! Two opponents, head to head, using their collective skills to prove who is the best!" Evan said with a growing smile.
"I think self-expression expands even beyond that. The ways that leaders can orchestrate and set up plans, organizers putting events and festivals into place, and how architects create magnificent structures. All of it needs a solid vision and passion behind it in order for everything to work. I mean just look at the CCT Tower!" Weiss added as the trio turned the corner to see the CCT Tower standing proud in the sky.
"Wooow! It's so massive!" Ruby exclaimed.
"It's pretty impressive I suppose." Evan admitted as he squinted his eyes and scanned the area for his friend.
"Wait until you see Atlas's. It's the largest and most technologically advanced out of the four Kingdom's towers!" Weiss stated with a slight smirk.
"Isn't that because it was the first one to be built?" Ruby asked.
"Indeed." Weiss affirmed.
As they continued to approach the tall building, Evan saw that girl with orange locks and green eyes looking around.
"Hey, Penny! We're over here!" Evan called out.
In an instant, Penny spun around to face the three of them. With a smile on her face she quickly walked up towards the three students, giving Evan a big hug.
"Salutations Evan! Oh, it has been too long! I'm so happy to see you again!" Penny exclaimed.
"It's great to see you too, Penny! Ow! Ok, maybe you could loosen up with that bear hug of yours?" Evan replied as Penny let go and stepped back. As Penny turned toward Ruby, her smile was replaced with an awkward look.
"Oh Penny, where have you been?! After that whole fight at the docks with Torchwick, you just vanished!" Ruby questioned.
"I…uh, Evan you didn't mention that you would be coming with anyone else." Penny replied as she attempted to change the subject.
"I didn't think it would be an issue. I thought you and Ruby are friends, right?" Evan said with mild hesitation.
"Of course! But it's just…I think I have to go!" Penny stated as she began to walk away.
"What is going on with her? I'd figured she'd be a lot happier to see you." Weiss questioned.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this. You with me, Evan?" Ruby asked as she faced Evan. As the young teen nodded, the two began to follow after the orange-haired girl.
"Go and make the call! We'll catch up tonight!" Ruby yelled out as the duo rushed to catch up with Penny.
"Are you alright, Penny?" Ruby asked as she grabs the girl's arm, only for Penny to shake her off and continue forward.
"Penny, why are you doing this!?" Ruby yells out, causing her to turn and face Evan and Ruby.
"I don't know why you're acting this way, but please...hear me out. You remember those criminals we took down back at the docks, right? Well, we believe that they're planning something...something horrible, and we're trying to get to the bottle of it. I've been so worried about you. Could you at least tell me where you've been all this time? I'm your friend, aren't I? You can trust me..." Ruby pleaded.
"Follow me and stay close." Penny explained as she looked around at all of the people walking about.
Navigating down the busy streets, the trio continued until they found a barren place to walk and chat.
"I'm sorry Ruby, but I know practically nothing about those men at the docks, I wish I could help you out more..." Penny said.
"But where exactly have you been!? I haven't heard from you in so long! Don't tell me you got kidnapped or something!?" Ruby asked, her voice full of worry.
"What? Of course not! It was nothing like that!" Penny replied as she shook her head.
"So where were you?" Evan questioned, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
"I mean...Please understand, Ruby, I've never traveled to another city before, let alone another kingdom. My father wished for me to be cautious on my first trip away from home. So when he found out I got involved with the fight at the docks…My father cares about me so much. It's just that he...he was very worried." Penny elaborated.
"Heh. You should see my Dad. So why didn't you at least tell us that you were alright?" Ruby continued.
"After the incident at the docks, I was told to focus on my training. They didn't want a repeat of what happened there to ever occur again. As a result, I've been unable to get in contact with anyone until fairly recently. That's why I was planning on meeting up with Evan first since I haven't seen him the longest out of all of you. I was going to meet up with you too, Ruby, I just wasn't expecting it to be so soon. When I saw you with Evan, I was so embarrassed since I kept you in the dark for so long about it." Penny explained.
"Was Pietro that upset?" Evan inquired.
"No, it was someone else…" Penny stated.
Before Penny could continue, loudspeakers of Ironwood began to blare in the open plaza. In the open area was a central platform showing a hologram of the General, soldiers, and several robots, which were being shown off to the public. On the screen, Ironwood showed the Atlesian Paladin-290 and the Atlesian Knight-200 off to a cheering public. As the speech from Ironwood continued on, two soldiers on stage turned toward the group. While the soldiers approached the group, Penny began to turn and go into a full out sprint, much to the surprise of Evan and Ruby.
"Penny! Hold on! Wait up!" Ruby cried out.
As the two watched the soldiers pick up speed to chase after Penny, Evan and Ruby ran ahead of them as the two students followed after the orange-haired girl. Sprinting down the winding alleys and city streets, Ruby pulls out her scythe and cuts down a shelf containing a large assortment of boxes, causing all of them to pile up behind the teen in the alleyway as she runs on. Quickly, Evan fires an energy blast at the ground behind him, creating a smoke cloud, as he flies above the stack of crates before landing in front of it and continues running behind the two girls. The two guards rush forward, past the smoke, before running into the collection of boxes. As Evan ran forward he watched as Penny ran in front of a busy road and, bare handed, managed to stop a speeding truck from barreling into her. As Evan slowly approached Ruby, he turned to see her frightened expression. Evan watched and took in the scene as it unfolded in stunned silence.
"Penny?" Ruby asked with concern.
"Are you alright, sir?" Penny glanced to the driver, who quickly nodded in response, before looking at Evan and Ruby with worry. Looking at her palms for a moment, panic filling her eyes, she turned away from the two students down another alleyway.
"Penny! Wait!" Ruby yelled aloud as she sprinted ahead.
Collecting himself, Evan followed behind the young teen. In the alleyway, the two look on as Penny glances around, continuously shifting her view from her hands, to her friends, to the open street further down the alleyway.
"Please don't run! What's going on?! Who were those guys? How were you able to do that!?" Ruby questioned.
"Yeah, Penny. What the heck was that!? You stopped that truck like it was nothing! Was that your semblance?" Evan added.
"I-I can't tell-! It was nothing! Everything's ok! I...I-I...Just leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it! *Hiccup*" Penny attempted to explain to her friends before quickly turning her back to them in fear.
"Penny, the only way that we can help you is if you explain what's wrong. Just trust us!" Ruby stated.
"No! None of you would be able to understand…" Penny blurted out before turning away once more, holding the palms of her hands close to her chest.
"Just give us a chance! We're your friends! We can't help if you don't let us try!" Ruby pleaded.
"Y-You are my friends, right? You promise that you are my friends!? Friends keep secrets, don't they? Can you please promise that you won't tell anyone about this." Penny cried out.
"I promise." Ruby quietly proclaimed.
"I won't tell a soul." Evan added.
"It…It's just that...*Sigh*...I-I'm not a real girl." Penny admitted as she revealed her palms, showing off the metal under her artificial skin.
"W-What?" Ruby stammered out.
"Most girls are born, but...I was built...by my father. I am the first ever sentient, robotic entity actually able to manifest and maintain an Aura. I'm...I'm not a real person…" Penny explained as she looked away sadly.
"What? Of course you're real. Do you really believe that just because you're made of metal, and have nuts and bolts in place of guts and tissue, makes you automatically any less of a person than Evan or me?" Ruby replied as she placed her hands into Penny's.
"I... How are you...You are taking this news shockingly well." Penny said, baffled at what was happening.
"But what about you Evan, surely you find this to be inconceivable and unfortunate, right?." Penny continued as she glanced over at the young teen.
"I mean nothing's really changed. You're still the same friend that I met all the way back then. If anything, it's pretty cool that you're a robot. You have super speed, a cool set of swords, and can stop a truck with your bare hands! I wouldn't call that unfortunate. That's incredible!" Evan exclaimed as Penny blushed and smiled.
"You're not at like all those robots that we saw back on that stage. You've got a heart, a soul! I can feel it!" Ruby proudly stated as she tapped Penny's chest with her finger.
"Ruby...Evan...You guys…You two are the best friends anyone could ever have!" Penny cried out as she held both teens in a tight hug.
"I think I can see why your Dad would want to keep someone like you safe!" Ruby attempted to say as Penny continued to crush the air out of her lungs.
"Yeah, you're kind of on the money." Evan stated as he began to lose oxygen.
"He's so kind! I'm absolutely sure that you would adore him, Ruby!" Penny replied.
"Pietro did it all by himself. I'm not shocked. Guys a genius after all..." Evan wondered out loud.
"Almost. He did had some assistance from Mr. Ironwood." Penny said.
"Hold on! You mean General Ironwood?! Is that the reason why those guards were chasing after you?" Ruby questioned.
"Yeah...It's part of their job to protect me." Penny replied.
"Do they that you can't defend yourself? You seem pretty capable from what I've seen." Evan pointed out.
"It's just that they're not sure if I'm truly ready to fight yet. One day, it'll be my duty to save Remnant, but there's still a lot that have to learn. And it's not just about learning how to fight...I want to see the world and all of its wonders. For that reason, my father convinced the General to allow me to visit Vytal the Festival, and test my skills in the upcoming tournament." Penny explained.
"What do you mean Penny? Save Remnant from what exactly? There hasn't been a war in decades, and the Grimm aren't that big of a threat. What's going on?" Ruby asked.
"Well Mr. Ironwood told me…" Penny began to elaborate before a voice at the mouth of the alleyway yelled out.
"Let's look over there!" The voice exclaimed.
"You both need to hide! Quick! In here!" Penny whispered as she opened the lid of a nearby dumpster.
"Yeah, no. Don't worry, I got a better idea." Evan replied.
Looking upwards, Evan hovered in the air extending his hand towards Ruby.
"We can head up to the roof for cover. Come on! We gotta go!" Evan said, keeping his voice down.
"But what about those guys?! We're not leaving her behind! Penny, come with us!" Ruby pleaded.
"It's alright, Ruby. They're not bad guys. It's just that I don't want to see you two get in trouble. I'll see you around!" Penny added.
Understanding, Ruby grabbed Evan's hands. Quickly, the two students flew up to the top of one of the roofs adjacent to the alleyway. Peeking over the side, they watched as two soldiers approached Penny.
"There you are!" One of the soldiers stated as they approached Penny.
"Salutations, officers!" Penny called out to the two men.
"Why did you run away? And what happened to those other kids?" The other soldier inquired.
"What other kids? I've been all by myself for the whole day! *Hiccup*" Penny proclaimed.
"Whatever. Are you injured?" The first soldier asked.
"Only on my hands." Penny added as she held up her palms to the guards.
"Ugh...The Doctor isn't gonna like this...Come along." The second soldier replied.
"Yes, sir!" Penny declared.
As the three of them walked away, out of the alley, Evan lifted Ruby back down to the ground. Stepping out of the alley, the two faced each other.
"Well that was something, it's not everyday that you find out that your friend is, y'know." Evan said as he glanced around.
"I guess that does explain why she was a little off, for lack of better words, when my team and I first met her." Ruby agreed.
"Anyway, I'm going to meet up with Blake and Sun. You should probably join back up with Weiss, see what she found out." Evan declared.
"Best of luck, Evan. And please be careful!" Ruby replied.
Giving a quick nod, Evan sprinted off down the street as he gave his scroll a call.
/-/
As the trio of Blake, Sun, and Evan crept around the corridors, Evan turned towards Blake.
"Are you sure this is the place? This spot is pretty miserable. I doubt anyone would want to stick around here." Evan questioned as he looked around, his goggle-covered eyes searching around the space.
"I'm sure of it." Blake calmly stated as she examined three scratch marks on a nearby wall. As the group continued forward, they peeked around a corner to see two faunus walking into a large warehouse. Grabbing some nearby masks from a storage crate, she passed them out to the three of them.
"I just don't understand. If the White Fang think that they're in the right, why do they hide their identities?" Sun asked as he held his mask.
"The masks... they are a symbol. Humanity demonized us...wanted to make us seem like monsters, so we decided to wear the faces of monsters." Blake said with disappointment across her face as she held the mask.
"They chose to don the faces of Grimm? That's pretty messed up." Evan added as he adjusted the mask to allow the goggles to sit behind the mask.
"I could say the same about the man who steered them down this path." Blake insisted as she placed the mask on her face.
"You're certainly a "glass half empty" type of lady…" Sun said as he did the same.
The three students walked inside the large building as they stood in the back of a big crowd. In front of the crowd was a large stage with a huge curtain with the White Fang symbol.
"I wanted to thank all of you returning members for your continued devotion and commitment to the cause! For any who will be initiated tonight, please let me introduce you to one our very important comrades in arms! Believe me, he holds the key that will allow us to finally achieve what we've been seeking for all these years!. " A White Fang member announced to the large audience.
Stepping on stage was a man in a white suit, black pants, orange hair, a black hat, and a cane. As he did so, the audience began to murmur amongst themselves, their voices beginning to rise in protest and anger.
"Is that Torchwick?" Evan questioned as he whispered to Blake, only for her to reply back with a small nod.
"Thank you! Heh...You're too kind." Roman stated. Behind the curtain, a woman with pink, brown, and white hair walked out with an umbrella resting on her shoulder.
"Who's that? I don't remember seeing her at the docks." Sun asked.
"No clue." Blake added.
"Please, hold your applause!" Roman finished.
"What on Remnant is a human doing here?!" A faunus woman with deer antlers exclaimed.
"Oh, I am so glad you asked, "Dasher"! Now, I'll be honest, humans, well...we're the worst." Roman says as he gestured to himself.
"Now, I can see why any of you would absolutely love to see any of us beaten, imprisoned, or even killed! However, I'd like to point out that we both share the exact same enemy: The people that have power, the ones in charge of everything, the filthy humans that run the kingdoms!" Roman continued as the crowd nodded along.
"And I'm talking about all of them. The governments, the police, even the schools and their stuck-up headmasters. These humans in control all the reason for you being trapped in your crummy little lives!" Roman stated as the three students looked at each other.
"These people are nothing but roaches, and we need something that can put them in their place. Fortunately, I happen to have just the tool for the job." Roman proclaimed as the curtain was pulled away. Standing tall behind it was a massive robot. On one of its shoulders was the White Fang symbol.
"Holy..." Sun stated as he gazed at it.
"How did he manage to get his hands on something like that?!" Blake questioned.
"Doesn't matter. I say we smash it and get out of here!" Evan whispered as he prepared to spring forward.
But before he could do anything, Blake grabbed his shoulder and explained, "These new recruits are still innocent! They haven't done anything yet! If we attack now, they might turn on us and they could get injured in the process!"
"But if we don't get rid of these robots now, who knows who they will hurt! Plus, I doubt this mech isn't going to stay here for very long so we have to do it now!" Evan argued back.
"If any of you tuned into that little showcase that the General's been doing, you probably know that this bad boy is one of Atlas's brand new scary death machines designed purely for "public defense" and only to be used against whatever they don't like. However, this one right here is special. Some of the eggheads over in Atlas created some faster, more powerful ones, before they were officially announced to the public. The models you know are the 290's, but these ones are the 300's. Now with some help from a couple friends in high places along with my employer, so to speak, we were to snatch a handful of them before their official release. Currently, lots of your comrades have already moved to our new base over in the southeast. While you won't be judged if you want to stay and help in the city, if you're determined to really stick it to those in control and fight for the cause, well...I can offer you this and so much more!" Roman explained as the crowd roared in glorious applause.
"We need to leave…now!" Blake said to Evan and Sun.
"All recruits, step forward now!" The on stage White Fang member yelled out.
"This is bad!" Sun exclaimed.
As the trio moved forward approaching the stage alongside the other dozen or so recruits, Sun turned towards Blake.
"We gotta do something...like now!?" Sun frantically whispered.
"Give me a minute…" Blake nervously whispered back.
"He's looking right at us." Evan stated as they continued walking ahead. Upon spotting Sun and Blake, Torchwick's previously jovial mood quickly turned into one of suspicion and bitterness.
Seeing a nearby junction box, Blake stated, "Once I fire, follow me."
Pulling out her weapon, she blasts the box, causing the whole room to go dark.
"Stop those damn brats!" Roman yelled out to the guards.
"Evan! Sun! The window! Now!" Blake cried out.
"Don't think you can get away! Neo, ready the Paladin!" Roman ordered.
Running across the room, the three of them leaped out the window, glass flying everywhere in the process. The three teenagers sprinted away as the massive robot from on stage bursted through the warehouse wall and continued to pursue them. Leaping onto the nearby buildings, the group jumps from rooftop to rooftop as the mech follows them down the street.
"What did you guys do to piss him off!? Dude's bloodthirsty!" Evan asked.
"Whatever Torchwick was doing at the docks, it must've been really important!" Sun shouted out as they sprinted ahead.
"Hey...please tell me that you get some backup over here! Ain't no way we can take him on right now!" Sun added as they continued to flee their mechanical assailant.
"I'll see what I can do!" Blake quickly blurts out as she pulls out her scroll.
"Everyone! Listen! We need some serious-" Blake called out to her friends as the mech fired a missile toward the rooftop.
Leaping away from the building, the three of them continued running down the street, the machine not far behind them.
"HEELLPP!" Sun yelled out as the robot began to close the distance.
"There's a massive robot chasing us!" Sun continued as the mech stomped after them, pavement and concrete sent flying from each step it took.
Evan leaping in the air and flying slightly ahead of the trio. Charging up a few energy blasts he said aloud, "I'll try to slow it down until you guys can get over here!"
Firing them at the robot, the metallic opponent was able to dodge the attacks as it continued after them. Charging up an attack he yelled out, "Crimson Cannon!" as he blasted the pavement in front of the mech, melting the road into a sticky substance that forced the robot to fall over.
"You're a lifesaver, Evan! Listen everyone, Torchwick's controlling it! I don't know how he got the thing, but it's-" Sun explained over the scroll.
From behind, the could hear the whirling and shifting of pistons and metal as the robot got back up and continued the chase. The three students turned a corner as they ran down the street.
"Please hurry!" Sun yelled out into the scroll.
Seeing the open highway nearby, Sun and Blake jumped toward it, with Evan close behind. Leaping from car to car the two faunus students ran from the mech as it landed on the road to continue the chase. Hearing a loud VROOM from behind, Evan turned to see Yang and Neptune on a motorcycle.
Flying next to the duo, Evan explained, "Oh, thank goodness! Look, this robot is fast! Any direct attacks from the front, and Torchwick will just evade them before they hit him. Sun, Blake, and I will divert its attention from the front. You two start piling on the damage from the back!"
"On it!" Yang shouted out as they swerved and shifted the motorcycle to be behind the massive mech.
Bursting ahead of them, Evan called out, "Hey, Torchwick! What's the matter? Are you too afraid to fight so you gotta hide in that big old suit of yours?!"
Responding with a flurry of missiles, Evan flew into the sky as they chased after him. Flying higher and higher, Evan held his hands out and lobbed numerous energy blasts at the explosives. As the missiles all explode before they reached their target, Evan looks down to the road below to see Neptune and Sun get knocked off the highway.
"NO!" Evan yelled out.
Pushing himself, he flew as fast as he could to close the distance between them. Extending his arms out he shouted out, "Grab my hands!"
The two falling guys each grabbed one of Evan's hands as the teen struggled to slow down their descent. Seeing some nearby trees, Evan called out, "Brace yourselves!"
As they collided with the trees, Evan, Sun, and Neptune collapsed onto the ground.
"You…You guys ok?" Evan questioned as he regained his breath.
"Yeah. Aura tanked most of it. Thanks again for the save, dude. I owe you, big time!" Sun stated as he laid on the floor.
"Same here. Don't worry about us though, you need to get back up there and stop that robot!" Neptune replied.
"You got it!" Evan said as he gave flew back into the air, toward the highway.
Getting back onto the long road, Evan saw Weiss land onto the busy highway and create a sheet of ice in front of the mech, causing it to slip and tumble off the highway and into a closed off and barren underpass. Spotting Ruby, Weiss Blake, and Yang leap down to face the machine, Evan followed after them.
Descending toward the ground, Evan stood next to Team RWBY.
"Are Sun and-" Blake started to say.
"They're fine. I caught them before they hit the ground." Evan quickly stated as the five teens faced the massive robot.
"If you can buy me some time, I can charge up an attack that'll reduce that mech to nothing but a pile of scrap." Evan whispered to Ruby.
"You got it! We'll go on the offensive and keep him occupied. Keep your distance and tell us when you're ready!" Ruby whispered back.
Leaping back, Evan started charging up a yellow energy blast in each hand.
"Freezer Burn!" Ruby yelled out.
Instantly, Weiss created a large circle of ice on the ground, that Yang leaped upward and smashed. Creating a dense icy fog, Roman turned on a series of laser sensors as he slowly walked around the area. Blake and Yang circled the mech, as Roman readied the guns on the machine. Firing a blast at Blake and Yang, Ruby emerges from the explosion to slash at the robot.
"Checkmate!" Ruby shouted out.
Blake and Weiss proceeded to slash at the feet as Roman raised the foot of the robot. As he brought it down, Weiss created a glyph under Blake's feet, allowing her to avoid being crushed. As the mech launched a couple of missiles, Blake flips backwards to avoid the explosives. However, Weiss gets hit before she can evade. As she falls to the ground, she casts a time glyph under Blake, allowing her to cut down the rest of the missiles. In the distance, the two energy balls shifted from yellow to red.
"Good, good. Everything's going according to plan." Evan thought to himself.
"Ladybug!" Ruby called out as she and Blake slashed their blades against the mech as the duo launched into the air, preparing to strike down. However, Roman is able to dodge the attack and sends a punch flying at the two teens.
Their Auras shimmering and still intact, Blake and Ruby push themselves to get back up.
"Come on! I just need a little more time!" Evan replied as the red energy began to spark and arc across the ground.
Yang sprints up to the robot, enraged as she leaps into the air and attempts to punch the mech with her gauntlets. But Roman turns around and punches Yang in response, sending her flying through a pillar.
"Yang!" Blake cries out.
"It's ok! Remember, her semblance needs her to absorb damage in order for it channel it back out!" Ruby replied.
Roman kicks Yang across the large space as her hair begins to glow. Standing back up, her hair shining a fiery white and her now red eyes filled with fury, Ruby yells out, "Bumblebee!"
Blake throws her weapon to Yang as the blonde student catches it. Holding onto the other end of it, Blake pulls back as Yang fires her shotgun gauntlets to gain momentum. As Yang is sent flying towards the mech, Torchwick jumps out of the way and fires a missile at her.
Bringing the two energy blasts together, Evan calls out, "Ruby! It's ready!"
Turning to see the male teen, she shouts out, "We need to stop it in its tracks!"
"Which technique should we do?" Weiss questions.
"Ice Flower!" Ruby proclaims.
Creating a glyph in front of Ruby, the black-haired teen shifts her scythe into its rifle mode and fires off multiple ice shots. The bullets go off into various directions as Roman attempts to evade them. As they twirl and twist around, two bullets meet their target, freezing the robot in place.
"Go for it!" Ruby shouts.
Inside the mech, Roman sees Evan preparing the massive blast in the distance. Pulling out his scroll he sends out a call.
"Neo! I'll give you unlimited ice cream for a month, if you put a stop to that! Hurry up!" Roman says in a panic.
Preparing to fire, Evan yells out, "Crimson Cann-"
But before Evan can launch it, the same girl with the umbrella appeared out of nowhere. Slamming the tool with force down on Evan's arms, the blast was launched into the floor below him. The blast pushing and exploding into the ground sent Evan flying. Standing back up, he sees the girl mockingly open her umbrella out and casually skipping toward him.
"Where did she come from? It's like she appeared out of nowhere!" Evan thought to himself.
In the distance, Team RWBY watched as Roman began to free himself from the ice. "This is not good! Quick, Yang, use your semblance!" Ruby shouted.
As Weiss created a glyph under Yang, sending her flying into the sky. Using the momentum, she attempted to launch a devastating punch at the robot, only for Roman to break out of the ice and send another punch at Yang. Yang, falling to the ground, struggled to stand back up. Blake rushed over to Yang's side, her weapon aimed at the robot. Firing another missile, Blake pushed Yang out of the way as she took the blast.
"Ruby! Yang and I are really low on Aura! We can't keep this up! We have to flee!" Blake exclaimed.
"I don't believe that he's going to let us do that." Weiss stated as she raised her weapon.
As Evan launched himself at his opponent, he sent blow after blow at the girl, only for each punch to be either evaded, blocked, or countered with an attack of her own. Evan fired off a small energy blast at the girl, only for her to shatter into glass and reappear behind him, continuing her attacks.
"This is really bad! Roman is making his way through each of Team RWBY! I can't do anything so long as this girl keeps wailing on me! What can I…wait. I do have one thing. No! It's too risky. I can't do that here in the city. But…if I don't do it, then they'll all be in danger. And I refuse to let that happen!" Evan proclaimed.
Focusing, he recalled the image of the moon in his mind. How it gave him the unwavering strength to overcome any opponent. In his palm, that familiar white orb shined and appeared once more. As the girl jumped toward Evan, the young teen leaped back as he threw the orb into the sky.
"Ruby! Weiss! Get Blake and Yang out of the way!" Evan yelled out.
"This is it!" Evan declared to himself.
Crushing the orb with his hand he shouted out, "BURST OPEN AND MIX!"
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Hello! I'm back with another chapter! I apologize for not getting this out sooner, I was planning on releasing this last Wednesday/Thursday, but I underestimated the length of this chapter. Currently I've been traveling and hanging out at a convention with my friend, which is why it took so long. Although, I guess it's fitting to have my tenth official chapter be the longest so far. I should have the next chapter released sometime either this Wednesday or Thursday. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and let me know your thoughts in the reviews! Here's to ten chapters and for many more to come!