Halo, it's time for the newest chapter. Enjoy the reading.
Alone, betrayed and defeated, Adam Taurus had to retreat after the White Fang militia and the Mistral police foiled their attempt to blow up the Haven, his men were caught and he had to flee.
After jumping over Haven's wall, he started to run down the mountainside, although he didn't need to run because he was sliding down, he almost lost control but caught hold of the root of a tree, regaining his balance, jumping down and landing on the branch of another tree. From behind the canopy of the tree, he saw Salem's people who were left running down a path, Hazel carrying one girl, Emerald, on his shoulder, with the other girl, Neo, running on one side and the boy, Mercury, on the other side. They were clearly fleeing, and Cinder, Raven, Vernal and Roman weren't with them.
"Their pack is halved.", he thought to himself as he jumped to the ground and continued his journey into the lower parts of the city.
He was suddenly blinded by a floodlight and saw that a group of policemen who were looking for him were pointing their guns at him.
- Adam Taurus, drop your weapons and with raised hands... - Adam didn't even wait for him to finish the warning, he immediately pulled Wilt forward, opened fire with Blush, which scared and confused the policemen enough that he quickly appeared among them, he cut one down and shot the other dead with Blush before the remaining three opened fire but Adam used his Semblance and absorbing the force of the shots with Wilt, was able to execute all three policemen with a single energy beam.
In one corner, he saw a figure who watched the incident in a state of shock and horror. Adam immediately turned and pointed Wilt's tip at the figure. It was an old farmer who simply wanted to cross the street, raised his hands and dropped the sack he was carrying.
The man looked down at the digital hand-held monitor on the body of one of the dead officers, which showed Adam's mugshot. He was wearing the same outfit and the same Grimm mask as now, except his mask was cracked.
- I'll borrow your dress. - That was all he said and the man, still terrified, became a little confused.
- By "borrow"... - He couldn't even finish before Adam pierced the tip of his katana through his mouth and the tip of the red blade came out at the back of the man's neck, and then the life died in his eyes.
Adam wiped his sword and dragged the man's body and sack into an alley, where he undressed him and took his clothes, a pair of stretchy work boots, stained beige pants, and a sand-colored hooded jacket. He threw the man's naked body into a garbage container so that it would be found as soon as possible, scattered the vegetables from his sack next to him and put his own clothes and weapons in it. He tried to take off his mask as well, but as soon as he did, it broke in two in his hand. He just shook his head angrily and threw it in the trash too.
He took the bag over his shoulder, pulled the hood of his jacket deep over his face and set off like that, deep into the lower quarters of the city.
- Couldn't you have stolen a better jacket? – A female voice called him from the shadows and he quickly turned his head in the direction of the voice.
- What are you doing here? - Adam pulled himself out when Mandy came out of the shadows and one of the street lamps illuminated her face.
- The same you. - Mandy replied, her face showing a mixture of indignation and disappointment. - Escape route from the city.
- If you think I'm running away...
- Then what are you doing while you're pretending to be a farmer? – Mandy got to the point, since she was also in civilian clothes, she was wearing a pair of black sports shoes, a pair of long pants, short black jeans and a black long-sleeved T-shirt, she also removed the Grimm mask.
- We have to get back to White Fang headquarters! – He dodged the question and gave an instruction instead.
- I think it's forgettable. - Mandy just shook her head.
- I didn't ask, - Adam grabbed Mandy by the neck of her t-shirt. - what you think?!
- Then let me explain in more detail! – Mandy just took Adam's hand off her. - You failed our men after you tried to blow them up! Do you think the White Fang will follow you after this?!
Adam just grunted angrily, saw all red and started bellowing like a bull in anger.
- SHUT UP! - He pulled Wilt out of the bag to strike at the girl but Mandy simply teleported away. She appeared behind him but didn't attack, just stared at him with crossed arms and an indifferent look.
Adam opened fire with Blush but Mandy just teleported again with her Semblance and Adam didn't even know where to look. He heard a whistle behind him as Mandy stood balancing on a tall lamp, Adam opened fire again but Mandy jumped off the lamp onto a bench, then onto a fence and finally behind a tree.
- WHAT DO YOU WANT?! - Adam shouted.
- First, to calm down! - Mandy said back. - Second, talk!
- About what?! - Adam still pointed Blush's pipe forward.
- About what your next plan! - Adam lowered his gun in shock.
- My "plan"?
- Yes, - Mandy came out from behind the tree, holding one hand in front of her, indicating to Adam that she didn't want to fight. - I'll follow you even after this. I think we still have a chance to make those people pay for what they did to us. Even if there were only two of us left.
- Who are you thinking of anyway? - Adam lowered Wilt down and wanted to hang it on his belt but his new pants didn't have a belt, so he just held it. Mandy just looked at the SDC burn scar over Adam's left eye.
- On the Atlasians. On the Schnee Dust Company. Let's not fight for faunus anymore but for revenge.
- Just let our kind down and... - Although Adam's actions were terrible and cruel, he was still convinced that he acted for the faunus.
- Our kind has betrayed us! We tried to help them but they don't seem to want our help! - Mandy, she shouted in a completely unusual way. - Now maybe they'll try to live as equals with each other for a few years but in a few decades, they'll forget what they did for them and they'll see the faunus as second-class citizens, they'll oppress us and they'll see us as animals again!
- Then... - Adam saw what Mandy wanted to do. - what should we do? - Mandy clenched her fists angrily.
- Nothing. – Mandy now looked at her own kind with hatred too, not just humans. - Let them learn from their own fault. If they don't want to be saved, there is nothing we can do. There's only one thing we can do, - She closed her eyes and tears fell. - years later we can spread our hands and say "We were right and had a chance too but you scr*wed it".
- Wow. - Adam had never heard Mandy talk so much before but he couldn't argue with what she said.
- Yes. - Mandy wiped away her tears. - Let's leave the faunus and focus on ourselves.
- I see. - Adam turned the corner and started walking into the street. - Do as you wish.
Mandy said nothing, just followed Adam like the last ray of hope. Unfortunately, this path led in a very dark road.
The first thing Lance saw after his eyes popped open was that he was still lying on the floor of Haven's great hall and the last thing he remembered was Hazel easily defeating him, pinning him to the ground and electrocuting him. He then remembered a familiar red thing clouding his mind and a familiar headache causing total darkness to set in. His Semblance activated and someone turned on the chip in his brain, causing it to shut down.
He quickly looked around the room and was relieved to notice that the entire RWBY team was reunited and hugging, the JNR team was together, Oscar and Qrow were intact and Roman was relieved to light a cigar.
"At least none of them got killed." was the only thing that calmed him down. He pulled himself together and managed to stand up before heading towards Team RWBY.
- Is everybody OK? - Lance asked, a little worried.
- Lance... - Blake was the first to look up from the group hug and looked at him as if something horrible had happened.
- What is that?! - Lance thought the worst. - Did I kill someone with my Semblance? – He looked away and noticed that someone was missing from the team. - Where's Mike? Did I...
- No! - Ruby reassured him. - He just went to the bathroom to change his pants.
- And... - Although he was glad that his fat friend was alive and well, he was a little confused. - why?
- Salem appeared. - Yang replied, which shocked the Red Knight.
- Seriously? - Even though he didn't see the phantom image, the mere mention of Salem's name was enough to make him shudder. - Where is she? - He looked around in terror to see if he could see the terrible evil somewhere.
- It was just an illusion... - Weiss' heart was still beating fast from that scream. – but it was horrible.
- Mike cr*pped himself! - Yang laughed.
- Did he have a heart attack and… - Lance was still worried.
- No, - Yang continued to laugh. – he literally cr*pped in his pants and needs to change them!
- Oh… - Lance was a little disgusted and laughed a little. - Well… - He looked at Blake, the only one who wasn't laughing, in fact, she was still looking at him as if they had lost someone. - Blake, is something wrong?
- Lance… - Blake looked to the side as if trying to gather strength. - I have very bad news.
- What happened? - Lance tried to encourage her.
- Whatever it is, - Yang placed a hand on her shoulder, which she liked. - we can deal with it together.
- Deal with what? – Mike came back, they could still smell the stink on him but less than before he went to the bathroom.
- Mike… Lance… - Blake couldn't delay any longer. - Lynda... - The mention of the faunus girl's name stirred up a lot of emotions in the two boys' hearts. – she's dead. - With that one word, she shattered a world in them and they just listened in shock.
- Lynda… - Mike's heart was about to break, he immediately reached into his pocket and took out the moon-shaped locket he had received from Lynda the day they passed the teamwork test in Beacon. The day the team LLMM really came together and when Lynda called him her friend for the first time.
- How... - Lance couldn't believe that the faunus girl, with whom they had so much fun, laughed, cried, rejoiced and fought together, was gone for good. - what happened?
- Are you serious?! - Yang just shook her head.
- It can't be true! - Weiss broke down.
- Why? - Ruby was also sad.
- Because of the White Fang. - Blake replied. - An old friend of mine and her sister attacked my family's mansion, Sun and Lynda were there, we managed to defeat the White Fang but one of their men attached so many explosives on himself that could have blown our entire home... - Blake clenched her fists and she fought her tears to hold them back. - Lynda… she didn't hesitate. She focused all of her power into her Semblance… maybe it even evolved… but she grabbed the guy and in seconds ran off with him… far away to a mountain where it blasted a huge crater. Lynda sacrificed herself to save us all.
- Oh… - Mike held the locket to his forehead.
- So… - Lance's words also stopped, then he fell to his knees.
- She was very brave. - A male voice spoke from behind the two boys. - The New White Fang will never forget her memory and we will honor the sacrifice of your heroic teammates.
- Guys, - Blake introduced. - this is my father, Ghira. He will take over leadership of the White Fang.
- The arrival of you and your daughter saved us. - Lance shook hands with the faunus man but looked sadly at the ground.
- What's wrong, son. – Ghira didn't understand why Lance was so broken despite the victory. - I know Lynda's passing must have left a deep mark on all of you but...
- Not this! - Lance was disappointed. - I just… failed you… - In himself, he looked back towards team RWBY. - all of you.
- You didn't! – Mike immediately stood next to him. - You bravely protected Ruby and Oscar!
- It didn't end well. - Lance couldn't be cheered up.
- Lance, - Ruby felt the big boy was now under him. - you did everything you could.
- But it wasn't enough. - Lance lowered his head. - I'll be fine, it just takes time.
- Until then, - Ghira thought of something that could help him. – you could meet someone for whom Lynda means as much as you do.
He led the two boys out to Haven's yard, where they just led the arrested White Fang soldiers and the militia and police were on guard. Mike's eyes caught the sight of a short, white haired boy with dog ears towards whom they were heading.
- Lance, - He addressed his teammate. - that boy…
- I see. Lance looked at the wrist band on the boy's arm.
- Monty, - After they were close enough to him, Ghira addressed the little boy, who immediately looked towards him. – these two boys were Lynda's teammates at Beacon. – The boy didn't say anything, he just looked curiously at the two older boys.
- Hello, Monty. - Lance held out his gloved hand and shook it.
- If you knew, - Mike just like that. – how much we heard about you from your sister.
- Did you know her? - The boy finally spoke.
- Of course! - Mike spoke up. - We were very good friends."
- It's true, we only knew each other for half a year, - Lance took over. – but during this half year, we experienced things that really bring people together. - He remembered the dangerous adventures they went through. - I hope you'll never have to go through things like this to make true friends.
- Also, - Mike added. – such good friends feel responsible for each other and... - With a heavy heart, he reached into his pocket. – I promised something to your sister that I can no longer keep. - He took out the locket that Lynda had given him. - To give this, - He paused. – back to her.
- What is that? – The boy asked, and Mike just nervously felt and turned the locket.
- Lynda told, - Mike began the story. – that this locket was made by your great-grandmothers for your great-grandfathers, Eric Dawn, during the Great War. It was made by a master jeweler who was a very good friend of your great-grandparents and it was around your great-grandfather's neck when he went to fight on Vacuo's side towards the shores of Vale. He wore it every day while the war lasted and when he was demobilized, he went home to your great-grandmother, took off the locket, put it in a small box and it stayed there for a long time.
- Until your grandfather, Darren Dawn, nicknamed Double D, became a Hunter to protect others, just like his father. On the day he passed the exam, his father gave this locket to him as a lucky charm. Unfortunately, it didn't bring him as much luck as it did to his old man and five years after his exam, the Grimms killed him like so many other Hunters in the collapse of the Glenn Mountains. Their job was to hold off the Grimm as long as they could to buy as much time as possible for the fleeing civilians. He knew that he would face with the death and he knew... he didn't deluded himself by getting out of there alive. Before he left, your grandfather asked a soldier, a human soldier who was there for help the evacuation, his name was Vernon, he met him for the first time in his life and it was a well-known fact how much people hated faunus back then but still, he entrusted him to take the locket to his unborn son, who was still in your grandmother's womb. Unfortunately, your grandfather fell but Vernon kept his word. As soon as the Glenn Mountains were closed, he went to Mistral, to your grandmother, to take the locket to your father, who was just a baby at the time.
- This was the locket in your father's neck when he became a Hunter and then, when he was seriously wounded, he gave it to Lynda to take care of it. Lynda wore her great grandfather's locket in Beacon but when they put together our team, the team LLMM, things went really badly, in team training, which was meant to see how well we could work together, we were horrible.
- We failed every time because we wanted to overcome every obstacle alone, instead of sharing the burden and this was mostly true for Lynda. She was so hot-headed and aggressive that it was impossible to work with her in a team. When we failed the exam, Ozpin announced that he would give us a second chance but the night before, Lynda wanted to leave because she didn't think we would succeed.
- Fortunately, I was there to bring them to their senses and convince them that if we come together and work as a team, then we have a chance to succeed. Lynda agreed and the next day we achieved a perfect result. That's when we became a real team and that's when Lynda asked me to take care of her locket and I promised her that one day I would return it to her. Unfortunately, I can no longer keep this promise, except for you, Monty. – He handed the locket to Monty, who, despite his young age, understood what an important relic he had received. - Will you promise to take care of it?
- Yes. – Monty took the locket, which he felt was very heavy but he knew that now it was his duty to carry on this legacy. - I promise.
- We have to get Oz back to the apartment. - Qrow picked up Oscar, who was passed out after the fight.
- Yes, - Jaune agreed and they followed with the JNR team. – it will be best if we all rest. It was a great victory for us.
- Even before that, - Blake wanted to extract one more promise from Roman, who had lost his hat. – you answer some questions as promised!
- Yes! - Yang joined her, arms crossed. - Start talking!
Team RWBY surrounded Roman in case he wanted to slip away.
- Come on, - Roman just took a smoke from his cigar and blew out the smoke. – can't we just wait with this emotional conversation?
- You promised, Roman. - Ruby reminded her, though she wasn't as suspicious as her teammates.
- Come on, - He just shrugged. – you know very well that my promise is worth nothing. - He pointed to himself as if he was so very proud. - I'm a liar.
- You got to be kidding, are you?! – Weiss could hardly believe her ears, although on second thought, she was less surprised.
- A liar who saved the Ice Queen's life? – He reminded everyone Roman and Weiss remembered that she really owed her life to the thug. - In return, - He began to rub his palm. – I also want a small thing and a favor from you.
- Let me guess, - Yang just rolled her eyes. – so, you don't have to answer our questions?
- No, - Roman just shook his head. – the small thing is to let me answer your questions later. – Seeing team RWBY's angry looks, he clearly had to convince them. - The place is full of newsmen and cameras, - He looked out into Haven's yard, where a whole news crew had appeared to film Haven being attacked. – I don't think it would be good to reveal something to the crowd that shouldn't.
- Okay, - Blake allowed, but she also crossed her arms. – but if you wait a long time, you will get to know my angry side.
- I was unlucky to see it, - Roman rubbed his face, remembering when Blake had kicked him in the face on the train. – so, don't worry.
- And what's the favor? - Ruby remembered that too.
- So, I could go to Atlas with you. - After smoking his cigar, he threw away the butt.
- Why? - Yang and the rest of the team didn't understand either.
- This is a question I will answer later. - Roman twirled Melodic Cludgel as he went out of Haven, followed by the others.
- I don't trust him. - Yang nailed it. - Do you? - He turned to his teammates.
- Absolutely no. - Blake joined her but Ruby and Weiss were no longer so hostile to Roman.
- Ruby, Weiss? - Yang really didn't like the way they were in silence like that. - You don't believe him?
- I don't know, Yang… - Ruby felt a lot of discomfort in Roman and also that he was hiding something. - he really helped us.
- And he saved my life. - Weiss reminded them.
- You can't be serious! - Yang was completely freaked out. - Ruby?!
- You said you trust me! - Ruby gave her sister a stern look. - That I always know what's the right thing! Now I think that it wouldn't be right to condemn Roman without even listening to him! - Yang retorted but still looked to the side offended.
- Let's give him a chance. - Weiss joined in.
- Whatever. - Yang left the academy offended, followed by Blake.
The Mistral underworld was a dangerous place where the hand of the law didn't reach and a dangerous, semi-anarchist society was created, which the Mistral council has been unable to control for decades.
Neo had never been here before but she had heard a lot about it from Roman. Here you could trade everything, weapons and Dust, in any quantity. Drug dealing, prostitution, stabbings and other acts of violence were commonplace but even this wild city had a system. The criminal warlords maintained relative order and the borders changed on a monthly basis.
- Where exactly are we going? – Mercury broke the silence and asked Hazel.
- To Little Miss Malachite, - The tall man answered. – to the most feared criminal warlord in the Mistral underworld.
- Again, why? - Emerald just walked in the back, broken, with her head down, still hurt by the loss of Cinder.
- We need to know what Ozpin's next plan is, - Hazel's blood was still boiling at the thought of Ozpin, - where he's taking the relic.
- And this woman will really know? - Mercury wasn't confident about the plan.
- We have nothing to lose.
It had already been a week since the battle of Haven, during which time they thought it wiser to lie low. The authorities probably believed that they were trying to get outside the city and they didn't occur to them that they would rather have stayed in the city.
Neo just squeezed the brim of Roman's hat, now she was alone and she had to figure out what to do next.
- Are you okay? - Emerald asked with sympathy in her voice. - Do you mind that Roman is no longer with you? – Neo just grinned evilly, took out her Scroll and started writing.
"Roman is already in the past, I don't need him. With you, I can achieve more and faster than I ever could with Roman. Now I'm the boss and the next time I see him, I'll finish what I started.", she pushed the hat up, which was now her.
- Ah, - Emerald understood. - whose hat is the boss? – Neo just winked and pointed to herself. - I think it looks better on you.
Neo just grinned smugly and her expression said, "I know."
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Volume 5 is over.