I do not own RWBY or AdventureQuest Worlds.
The professor showed the young warrior simulations of times past, and the people of the battles fought in them. Lessons to be learned from ages long gone.
The young warrior met the image of the blind seer, who told him to hold on to the people he loved, and held on to hope, for victory to be achieved. The sage brought out the example of Galanoth, who held on to the hope that the world could be restored by finding something that couldn't even be true. He slew the dragon not knowing what would happen to the other timelines.
But it begged a question, why did the Eternal Dragon of Time get killed? Galanoth, gifted at Dragonslaying he may be, but he was no match for one who held the power of a god. More lessons for the young warrior to learn.
]|[
"Hard time out in the field?" The checkpoint officer addressed the woman in the white coat and dress pants. The woman smiled thinly and passed the officer the heavy weapon behind her back. A huge claymore. The officer let out an 'oof!' when they tried to carry it on their arms.
"Never seen a checkpoint this armed in Vale before." She said, seeing the guards of Atlas soldiers and Valean forces side-by-side standing at the gates. "And certainly not Atlas guarding."
The officer shook his head. "Things are a bit hairy right now in Vale. White Fang, the Dust bombing, that darn Dragon Grimm…"
"It's a wyvern, not a dragon." His co-worker corrected him.
"The heck's the difference? They're both flying lizards!"
"Both of you, shut up!" The manager of the checkpoint said. A tall man in a helmet, bearing a VPD badge on his vest. "Sorry about this. They must be holding you up." He apologized for his underlings. The woman smiled and shook her head.
"So, miss…" The manager said. "…Ella Cerulean, was it? Your business in Vale?" The woman in the suit, Ella Cerulean raised an eyebrow. The man raised his hands in a placating manner. "Just standard procedure ma'am. Can't take any chances with the recent happenings in Vale and the festival coming up."
Ella sighed. "Fine. Just returning home from hunting. Been out of Vale for over a year now." She said.
"Right. Thank you for your service ma'am." The man returned her papers, and gave a bow. Ella passed on through the checkpoint, and waved with a smile to the officers.
She wasn't technically lying. She was hunting bounty targets and assassination contracts outside Vale and throughout Anima. She was born in Vale, and now it seemed that home was calling her back for a job. A contract for a so-called 'Dragon Faunus', preferably alive and captured. She looked at her scroll and saw a picture of the man in a black cap, and another one that was blowing up in the internet recently: the man himself flying through Vale's night sky.
A most curious job indeed... Ellasar Vader Caeuruleum smiled. This might turn out to be an interesting job, after all.
]|[
Deep underground, the White Fang fought hard against the robotic soldiers and police officers pushing at them at all sides in the old subways. Rifle shots and bullets rained on both sides, each not wanting a melee confrontation for now. Those of the police that dared to get close from the storm of bullets either got torn to pieces by sniper rounds or by the chainsaw of the lieutenant who stood guard in their HQ.
Adam was still weak and recovering from Johnny. He couldn't believe that Beatrice herself was still walking around, although she couldn't fight yet. Her burns did hurt, but the mad medic forced herself to move around and be useful. She cleaned her own bandages, even using her semblance to force her wounds to heal faster, somehow. Some of her scars were already fading even. It didn't remove the pain though.
Adam turned on his scroll and called their collaborator. Beatrice stood behind him, masked this time, hiding half of her face. "Cinder." Adam started. "We have to accelerate our plans. They're already here."
"And Neo and Torchwick? You didn't get them? They were supposed to arrive there yesterday." Cinder's voice was cold, and she was scowling. Behind her in the video call, a lone jellyfish-like thing floated in view, as if also watching the video call over Cinder's shoulder. "How could the two of you not be able to catch them?" The black haired half-maiden spat out.
"Your man in black cap." Beatrice growled. "You were supposed to have him taken care of already!" Cinder's eyebrow twitched at the White Fang's whining. But she had a point. She had already called a powerful assassin that could take care of their now growing thorn in the neck. This 'man in the black cap' had to be dealt with now. Just finding information on him wouldn't matter if the man was just grinding them into the dirt each time they meet him.
Cinder had to concede at Adam's suggestion. "Fine. Finish quickly. I'm going to prepare for my side of the operation, then immediately pullout until the second phase back to Mountain Glenn. I'm going to call the solution to our 'Dragon Faunus' problem. I'll start on your signal." Cinder said. Adam nodded and cut the call.
The black haired woman sighed as the call finished. She had to prepare, and now without Neo or Emerald, she had to do it on her own and without backup. She looked at her scroll, seeing an image of a black queen chess piece on it. She opened a contact and called someone else.
]|[
Beatrice exited the room after dressing herself in her uniform. She stalked towards the lieutenant and said something to him. The larger man nodded. "Everyone! Focus on the northern tunnels! Leave the rest! Take all the bombs you can and head to the main area! Move!" He shouted and everyone roared out in an affirmative.
"Are you even cleared to fight, Bea?" The lieutenant asked their head medic. "You must still be in a lot of pain."
"I've been eating through our ibuprofen stash, don't worry about it." Beatrice replied. "My aura's back. I can hold all these fools. You go and assist Adam in getting to the main area and organize it fast as you can."
A bullet whizzed near her, which immediately rusted to iron dust. Beatrice grinned. The lieutenant left his friend to be surrounded by the officers that charged her in multiple angles. Soon after that reckless attack, the only thing left of her attackers were dusty, desiccated corpses. Beatrice charged at the squad of robot soldiers from Atlas, immediately rusting them on contact. She pulled off a rifle from one of them, shooting at the other officers nearby. They shot back, but found their bullets not working.
"She's tearing us apart!" One of the men screamed. "Call for more backup!"
"Not like this! WE should pull back for now!" Someone replied.
"No one leaves alive!" Beatrice snarled, launching herself at the officers. She shot one of the officers in the head, and sprayed at the others attempting to leave. One of the officers turned around, and started shooting at his own comrades.
"Wha-?!" It was too late for them. Faced with the sudden betrayal, and the furious charge of their White Fang opponent, the officers and Atlas soldiers in the tunnels quickly got crushed by one woman.
One of them crawled on his belly, shot in the back, legs not listening to his command to move or stand. Desperately, he tried to crawl away to safety. A hand gripped the back of his neck. "Hello there~." A voice purred above him. He was lifted face to face with Beatrice's half-masked face. "Tell me stud, what blood type you got hiding in your pants~?"
"T-type A?" the poor officer replied despite his dread. Beatrice's grin turned bloodthirsty, literally. "Sorry hon. It was a trick question. It doesn't matter." She said, while slowly draining the man of his blood, rising from his wounds, mouth, and eyes as a fine red mist. "I can take anything you donate."
The man slowly choked on the blood invading his throat, while slowly losing fluids, the officer died a horrifying death deep underground, without a chance to call for help.
]|[
Torchwick and Neo had been moving stealthily through the underground, wasting whatever squad that got in their way and stealing their scrolls. They hadn't gotten to see how the White Fang had planted their bombs, but they figured that if they'd stop the group before they did so, it would be much better.
They eventually came across a large group of the White Fang massing near a large drain that lead to the river fork. "What are they doing here…?" Torchwick muttered. The rank-and-file were lining the entire tunnel with bombs. Some were exiting the drain into the outside carrying bags, presumably filled with more explosives, and some strange equipment on their back.
"Why this place? What in the Dust is in here?" Torchwick whispered. Neo shook her head. She signed quickly at him. Torchwick nodded back. "Yep. Time to head back. Call the boss."
Neo sent a message from her scroll to Johnny. They couldn't do much of their job here. Neo signed at her partner. Torchwick's eyes widened. "You want to ambush them before they get into this area? That would be suicide if we get caught. We'd probably only be able to get the last one that comes in. Look," He pointed at the end of the tunnel, where a larger amount of the White Fang were still coming in with more supplies and equipment. "There's no end to them. We can't stop that!"
Neo sighed. This job was really turning out to be more boring than she thought. She was trying to get some more action out of this, but it turned out to be more just wandering about in the filthy sewers. She stared at the White Fang coming in until…
The pink and brown woman pointed at one of the groups coming in with the others and tugged at Torchwick's coat. "What is it?" He turned to look at where Neo was pointing at. "…Oh brothers above."
They were bombs. More specifically, much larger than the canister bombs they had been told to look out for. It was like those bombs they'd see in the movies; complete with the complicated wires and a screen on the side. Larger canisters of explosives were strapped to its side. And more just kept on coming as they were carried in.
"Alright. We really need to get clear of this place now." Torchwick hissed, and this time, Neo had no complaints.
]|[
The White Fang drilled holes into the tunnel. They planted the bombs both above and below, settling each canister and larger payloads into the deep holes below.
It was specifically at this drain, and this tunnel. It was the one nearest the river fork, where two of the main branches of the river spanning the city met into one and drained into the sea. Vale was full of underground caverns; the soil beneath full of old limestone caves beyond the bedrock that the city was built in.
There was a risk of collapse in this area they had built in, the residential area. Those further inland were safe, but how about those that lived just blocks away from the fork? The soil below them had been treated sure, but the drilling for the old subway system and the sewers? Tunnels lined with pipes that was not always checked by the local city utility? And near a river that slowly eroded the stone beneath all of it?
The caves were a land formation that the inhabitants of Mountain Glenn had took advantage of backfired when an explosion had opened up another series of caverns that led the Grimm in. That was the original plan for the Dust Cinder had Torchwick steal from the city: smash the train into the sealed access tunnel leading to the City of Vale, all the while blowing up the caverns that would lead Grimm into the city.
However, they didn't have enough Dust to use to blow up larger areas of the subway that would be enough to open up to the subterranean Grimm. However, they had moved out just enough to be able to bomb a more focused area. Or areas, for that matter. The tunnels along the river coastline, and one area focused on the river fork, where the largest amount of water would be flowing.
Bombs placed carefully along these places, and taking advantage of the natural and artificially made weaknesses of the soil beneath; it was a disaster waiting to happen. One that Cinder was planning to trigger.
Fortunately, Johnny had turned over some of the bomb placements to Ozpin, albeit incomplete. Him and Torchwick and Neo were unable to come up with what the plan of the White Fang was, but the combined brain power of the eggheads Atlas brought with them and the people on Vale's side had guessed the plan. They had sent their forward team to deal with their estimated number of criminals still left in the city.
What they had guessed wrong, was the amount of people the White Fang actually had, and the amount of bombs they were still carrying. Adam Taurus had come with reinforcements from Mountain Glenn, after all.
What they decided was a small, practically negligible sinkhole that would probably disturb the river fork and block shipping for some time, was actually a much bigger seismic cataclysm waiting to happen.
Cinder looked at the map while on the Bullhead on the way to Beacon. She smiled. It was only a matter of time. And the assassin was already on the place for their 'lizard problem'.
]|[
Taking advantage of the break, Team RWBY and JNPR had devoted their time into doing community service. Mainly, cleaning the underground of the White Fang. Ruby had successfully roped their sister team into the plan to explore the underground areas to find out what the group had been doing. As they entered the sewers, they could hear distant clanking of equipment, gunshots, and screams echoing deeper into the tunnels.
"Alright guys, let's move!" Ruby said, heading the student's charge into the tunnels below. "That should be them up ahead!" The rest nodded.
Except Jaune, who did notice something. "Guys? If what I'm hearing is right, then the White Fang is fighting something, or someone. Who is that?"
"Probably Atlas or the police or the Valean soldiers." Mentioned Blake. "They have been pushing in on the White Fang since. But…" She sincerely doubted that they would be able to stop them with Beatrice on their side.
"We can beat her Blake." Yang said, eyes blazing. "There's eight of us this time." She said, trying to cheer up her partner. "Not even she could fight of an entire group against her."
Blaked let out a breath. "Just remember what I told you about her. Keep away and use your Dust ammo. Weiss could cover us and give support from the back line, and Yang could keep pressure at the front. And do NOT stop moving. If she catches you, struggle. If someone gets caught, help them immediately. Understand?"
The rest of the group grunted their affirmatives. Jaune was already sweating nervously. Seriously, this semblance was insane! He'd be useless the entire fight here if he didn't want Crocea Mors to be destroyed.
The group entered a large area where some of the Atlas robot soldiers were blasting at the figure in the middle. The woman stood there taking it, returning fire when needed. The other soldiers learned to keep space from Beatrice but…
"Damn. Are only you toy soldiers left here? Your masters afraid sending more troops to the meat grinder?" Beatrice said. The robots made for poor conversationalists though, as they had no reply. She sighed. "How boring."
Inwardly, Beatrice was still aching from the burns Johnny gave her, but the ibuprofen and the rush of adrenaline from fighting gave her a respite from the pain. Besides, nothing was more fun to Beatrice than tearing their enemies apart! And speaking of enemies…
"Blake!" She shouted at the group of teens that just arrived. "How is my favorite little traitor today? Feeling a little bit under the weather? Maybe a little…heartbroken? Snrk!" Beatrice held back a little snort from her joke. Blake gritted her teeth, forcing herself to look around. The White Fang wasn't here! So where are they?
"Looking for something, Blake?" Beatrice snapped her out from her thoughts. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Oh! I know! You're looking for your Ex!" Beatrice pumped a fist into her hands. She shook her head and mock sobbed. "Sorry Blake, your bull faunus is in another tunnel."
"Adam is here?!" Blake shouted in surprise. Weiss, having a history with the White Fang, tightened her hold on Myrtenaster, when she heard the bull faunus' name. Beatrice grinned at her outburst.
"Yes he's here. No you can't meet him." Beatrice said. She picked up the rifle from one of the robots she had destroyed. "He's much too busy dealing with your drama. Seriously," Beatrice shook her head. "People might call Adam creepy for how he is around you, but you're the one that keeps crawling back every single time." She taunted.
Blake was steaming inside now. Every single one of her friends could almost see smoke from coming out of Blake. Their cat faunus friend's knuckles where white with how tight she was clenching her fists. Despite herself, Blake kept focus. "What are you planning Beatrice? Where are the rest of them?"
"One: planning to kill you. Two: uh, they're around." The mad medic sing-songed her answers. "Around and about." Beatrice rolled her eyes. "If you're just gonna tip-toe around like this then…" She charged at the team. "Let me come to you instead!"
"Scatter!" Ruby yelled. The teens avoided the charging Beatrice and started taking their potshots at her. "Jaune! We're going to find the rest of the White Fang! You, me, Ren, and Pyrrha! The rest take down Beatrice!" She quickly changed her plans. If the White Fang aren't here they must've moved out. Ruby had correctly guessed that Beatrice was stalling them and their move wasn't just your ordinary changing positions.
"Right!" Her fellow leader said. "Pyrrha, Ren! To me! We can leave the rest to Nora!" His team members nodded. Pyrrha and Ren zipped towards their blond leader. But Beatrice wasn't so easily stopped with their split.
"Oh no. You're all playing with me now!" Beatrice said, shooting at Ruby trying to flee into one tunnel, ignoring the bullets spraying from Blake's pistol. A mistake. Nora shot at her with grenades and Weiss was raining down on her shards of ice from her Dust. "Crap!" She swore, narrowly avoiding the projectiles. Beatrice learned her lesson, she can't just disintegrate exploding projectiles, lest they blow up when they're near her.
"Uh-uh. You're playing with me now!" Nora taunted, echoing Beatrice's words. The black haired woman laughed at the audacity of this little girl. "Oh, you're so going to die first, missy!" She yelled, charging at Nora. Yang launched a kick at her side, and Beatrice ate it, getting launched back at the cargo containers around them.
"Getting on my nerves kids!" She screamed in anger. Blake, Weiss, Yang, and Nora stood against the furious Beatrice.
With them successfully ignored, Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren snuck out on one of the tunnels, intent on finding the White Fang.
]|[
They didn't find the White Fang yet. Instead, the kids found someone leaning at the edge of the tunnel. A woman with white, shoulder length hair, in a matching white coat and suit. Behind her, strapped to her back, was a massive claymore. The woman looked at them, and the group had to stop, uncertain if she was an enemy.
"You here for the White Fang?" The woman said. Ruby nodded. "Well, I guess you'll do for now. My real target's not here yet." She drew the claymore from her back. A gale seemingly picked up from nowhere as the woman faced them.
"Please. We have no quarrel with you." Ren said pleadingly. "We only wish to stop the White Fang. Please move out of the way."
The woman smiled. Instinctively, Pyrrha knew a great danger was coming, hanging upon their heads. Ren knew it too, when he tried to deescalate their situation. "You are…You were at Mistral…?" The redhead said, her eyes narrowing trying to remember who the woman was. "A contender? I can't remember…"
"Pyrrha? What do you mean?" Jaune said. Even if he didn't know what was going on, he had subconsciously drew his sword. Something within him was screaming to fight back.
"There was something back home, some stories of some people that fought for some pieces of something. But it was just something my parents talked about…"
"We heard it too." Ren said. "Outside the larger cities, the details were much clearer." He faced the woman. "Ellasar Caeruleum, the Rogue Huntress." The woman smiled thinly. "Please let us pass. We have nothing for you here."
"You are wasting your time. And just 'Ella', please." Wind picked up and surrounded her great blade, like clouds surrounding a tall mountain. They swirled so fast that it seemed to create little sparks of lightning on the steel edge. "My full name makes me sound so old." She swung across her, blasting the teens back to the walls of the area. "Now, if you want to get to the White Fang, you'll have to overcome me first, or wait until my real quarry arrives." Ella said, resting her claymore on her shoulders, letting the Beacon students pick themselves up.
Ruby grimaced. This was going to be a doozy. She unfolded her great scythe, and Ella looked at her with silver eyes. Ruby's eyes widened. Ella smiled. "Come, my kin. Show me your resolve!" The huntress charged the team.
]|[
Johnny received the message from Neo, with pictures of the newer bombs the White Fang had been carrying with them. Oh drat. He thought. Spreading Astialo's Wings, Johnny ran through the main avenue, and soared through the air, not caring of the people that was watching him do it. The wind he generated from his launch blasted some students and Beacon staff back, and they shielded their eyes.
Soaring through the air, Johnny had to narrowly avoid the Bullhead heading to Beacon he almost ran through with his charge.
Inside the Beacon, seeing Johnny, Cinder smiled. One step at a time… She thought.