GKC: What's up, everyone? This is GKC here, bringing you the next chapter of Neo Remnant's Climax Heroes.
SR: Alongside Dragoknight SR, Kamen Rider Duelist, and Tally-Hound!
KRD: And with that out of the way…
TH: Let's get this story running!
Everyone: HENSHIN!
Announcer: Last time on Neo Remnant's Climax Heroes! With the aid of Kamen Rider Nero, Pyrrha overcame both the Alter and her obstacles. As the four riders make their way to Vale, the forces of APEX plan their comeback.
Chapter 5: Red Rose, Bronze Beetle
A figure was enjoying his cigar in a darkened warehouse on the outskirts of Vale, dressed in a red-lined white suit with long black pants and black shoes. His attire included a small gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band. This was Roman Torchwick, the notorious criminal who terrorized the kingdom of Vale.
"I see you are keen to destroy your lungs, Torchwick." The voice made Roman turn around. Leaning against the warehouse door was Lapis, who had her arms crossed.
"Oh great, they sent the head freaks," Roman grumbled, taking another drag of his cigar. "This night is getting better and better…"
"Oh, don't be so cold, Torchwick. We're all on the same side, after all."
She opened the door to the warehouse, to which Roman sighed. Snuffing out the rest of his cigar, he walked inside, where countless men and women were moving crates and equipment around. Some were members of the White Fang, while others helped them out. The others in question wore black uniforms resembling business suits, a few sporting armored vests with APEX insignia, gray gloves, and boots. Many troops were armed to the teeth with various long-range and bladed weapons. Metal masks that resembled various scavengers, such as Coyotes, Jackals, Hyenas, and Vultures, were topping off their designs.
"Our organization has been more than helpful regarding your endeavors." Lapis continues, surveying a few crates. "And also making sure your boss doesn't get out of line."
"Heh, I can't fault you for that." Roman chuckled, taking out another cigar and lighting it. "The only thing I don't get is why you would willingly turn yourselves into monsters."
"You call it becoming a monster; we call it evolving."
"Spin it any way you please, sister. I'll still say it makes you guys a bunch of freaks."
A bullet shot suddenly hits his cigar, breaking it and making him flinch.
In annoyance, Roman glanced at the shooter, "Those are expensive cigars, you know. It's difficult enough getting them from the black market."
"Ah, cry me a river, Roman." Hunter blew the smoke from his gun before holstering it, "besides, we have much bigger fish to fry."
"There's a nice little Dust shop where you and Hunter can pick up a little extra for what we have planned. Be sure to take a couple of Rookies and two Warriors." Lapis remarked, turning around.
"What? You expect me to work with him?!" Hunter exclaimed.
"I expect you to follow orders. Unless you wish for me to report to our leader?" Lapis warned the gunslinger with a challenging glare.
Roman smirked with satisfaction at seeing the cowed expression on Hunter's face. "That's right, pup. Better play nice if you don't want Daddy to spank you."
"I will turn you into a pin cushion for calling me that," Hunter growled before turning to six of the soldiers. Two soldiers had belts with a single slot and a small button. "You six, come with us. And Roman, you better pray those goons you bought are worth it."
"Hmph… These guys are more animals than actual animals…" Roman grumbled as he pulled out another cigar.
"AND DON'T YOU DARE BLOW SMOKE AT ME!"
Yang Xiao Long was bouncing her leg, furrowing her brow that twitched. Ever since they met Aaron Jaeger, a boy heading to Beacon, she and her sister encountered the weirdest thing ever. Wimpy little boy Woody turned into a hulking bug monster, summoned Grimm, and was saved by Aaron, who became an armored wolf Faunus. Since then, Ruby has eagerly offered him shelter in their own home.
It took much convincing from their father, who was the most hesitant. But after giving him help on various broken equipment—no thanks to their father's knack for breaking things—he was more than willing to accommodate and set boundaries. But what bothered her was that he had yet to explain himself regarding his armor and the monster at that time.
Aaron, himself, was merely humming along as he was drawing up some blueprints to try and rework what he tried making. Ruby, meanwhile, was staring in awe at all his gear, seeing it up close.
"Ooh, so this mechanism is how you shift it!" Ruby said, lifting a gauntlet. "It's quite similar to Yang's Ember Celica!"
Yang's eyebrow twitched.
"Unlikely," Aaron said matter-of-factly. His eyes were glued to the blueprints he had scanned and drawn with a smirk. "Considering my weapons are far superior to Yang's and have more variety than punching things with a fistful of shotgun shells."
Yang's brow twitches twice.
"OOH! So this Sphere goes into this belt slot after the handle opens it!" Ruby said excitedly as she held the Aura Driver. She was going so fast that it was like there were three of her playing with the driver and the two spheres.
Yang's brow twitched three times as her eyes turned from lilac to red.
"Miss Rose, while I appreciate your attention to detail, please be careful with us. We are not toys, " the Wolf Sphere replied, and the Beetle Sphere chirped in agreement.
"But you guys do happen to have that appeal, though…"
SLAM!
Yang had gotten up and slammed her fist on the table, startling Aaron and Ruby.
"Could you please not do that?" Aaron asked the blonde brawler. "Drawing up blueprints requires a delicate hand."
"Only after you finally start explaining yourself and about your Aura Sphere pals," Yang said in annoyance. "We have been waiting for weeks, and you still haven't told us anything we don't already know!"
"Huh? I haven't? I thought I did?" Aaron asked, seemingly confused. "Must've been distracted."
Yang facepalmed at the remark, "All you told us was that you were able to transform with the belt to fight people who turned into monsters."
"Alters." Aaron corrected.
"Don't forget how they can summon Grimm and have high Aura levels." Ruby chimes in.
"Not once have you mentioned how you came across the ability, nor how we've never heard about Alters until now!"
She emphasizes this by presenting some printed articles and placing them on the table next to the blueprints. They were blurry images of Alters and him alongside the forms of Shiro, Nero, and Azure. The headlines read: 'Missing people found?!/Strange Grimm Attacks/Who are These Armored Faunus?'
Aaron looked at the articles and smirked, "Ah, I see the others are dealing with the Alters as well. Good on them." He commented as he set his pencil down and turned to face the sisters. "Alright, what would you like to know?"
"Start with how your fancy armor works, then the Alters."
"Ah, the important stuff, alright…" Aaron held up the Beetle Aura Sphere. "As you both already know, Aura is the manifestation of our souls. They guard our bodies from all means of harm and serve as our defense against the Grimm." He frowned as he looked at the Aura Spheres as if he remembered a bad memory. "Aura Spheres, on the other hand, are the crystallized form of a person's Aura given physical form. They can be formed in one of two ways."
Ruby tilted her head in confusion, "Huh?"
Aaron reached into his pocket and took out one of the metal attachments he used to get the Beetle Aura Sphere. "The first is by using these after defeating an Alter. These are called Soul Hooks. They seize a fallen Alter's Dark Aura Sphere and purify it in the color of the person's Aura. A new Aura Sphere is formed, and the Aura Beast within can be a newfound power for a Kamen Rider."
"Think of us as your inner animals." Wolf Sphere replies, causing Yang and Ruby to nod.
"And… the other way?" Yang asked, noticing Aaron's frown.
"That… is a more unpleasant method used back then." He sighed, clenching his fist. "It's also the original and inhumane way that… I'm familiar with it. For one, there is a device used on a person to materialize their Aura forcibly…and separate a part of it from their soul."
"Forcibly…" Ruby stared in disbelief as Yang covered her mouth. "That shouldn't be possible, right?"
"Yet, we're looking at the proof." Yang gestured to the Wolf Sphere.
"Correct. With some help, I developed the Aura Driver system to access that inner animal without losing control." Aaron explained a bit further. "Because those with a part of their soul separated from their true body can never become human or Faunus again. A few others were lucky to be saved before we completely succumbed to the transformation. After that, I created the Drivers using the same method our savior used to prevent us from becoming monsters."
Both girls nodded in understanding as Yang moved on to the other question. "So… the Alters…"
"They're more of a recent development. Using a person's most negative attributes, they can use an 'Alter Sphere' to bring out their darker, more beastly side…" Aaron sighed, setting his Aura Sphere back on the table. "Though it's a mystery how the Alter Sphere is made or how they can summon Grimm…"
"From the way you've been talking, does that mean that there's something out there making Alters?" Ruby asks.
"Indeed. An organization determined to create a new humanoid species to rule the planet." Aaron answered. "They are known simply… as APEX."
"APEX…" Yang mutters before standing up. "Okay, I've decided! I will become a Kamen Rider, too, to stop this APEX!"
"What?" Ruby stared at her sister in surprise.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Yang, but I don't think you can become a Kamen Rider," Aaron said, turning around.
"Oh yeah?" Yang proceeded to grab the Aura Driver and Wolf Sphere. "Watch as I prove you wrong."
"Oh, Yang, I don't think that's-" Yang ignored Wolf's words, placed the driver on her waist, and opened its maw.
AURA DRIVER!
"Uh, Yang?" Ruby said nervously as Aaron watched, looking rather smug. Yang slotted the Wolf Aura Sphere and put a fist into her other hand.
AURA SPHERE LINKED! WOLF!
"Time to prove you wrong! Henshin!" Yang declared before pushing the lever. A few seconds passed, and she looked around in confusion before pushing and pulling the handle a few times. "What? Did I do it wrong? Come on, you stupid thing…"
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!
"GYAAAAAAAAYOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!" Yang was immediately electrocuted by red energy. When it was over, she slumped as the Sphere and the Driver landed before her.
"YANG!" Ruby immediately exclaimed as Yang groaned, her aura flickering.
"I tried to warn you…"
Aaron shook his head, recovering both his Driver and Sphere. "Like I said, you can't become a Kamen Rider. The main reason is that the Wolf Sphere only works for me since it's my Aura. And the other is because the Aura Driver is DNA-locked."
"N-Now you tell me…" Yang muttered before passing out.
The dark-haired boy sighed, "Always so reckless. I'm amazed she can call herself the older sibling when she acts more of a child than you do, Ruby."
"Hehe, right…" Ruby chuckled nervously as she sweatdropped at that. Some part of her wanted to try it out herself, but after witnessing what Yang did, she decided not to.
At a nearby park, a girl was all alone in a wheelchair. She would look at how other kids seemed so happy, running around and playing. She gave a heavy sigh as someone sat on the bench next to her.
"It must be sad to live that kind of life, lil missy." A voice drew the girl's attention. Looking up, she saw Hunter looking at the people with a neutral expression.
The girl nodded with a sniffle. "I… I lost the use of my legs in a car crash… and now I can no longer run…"
"How terrible."
"I… I just want to run again…"
"What if I told you I can grant you the ability to walk again?" Hunter said with a smirk.
"But how? The doctors told me-"
"I know an extraordinary item that can do what many can not," Hunter said, holding out an Alter Sphere. "So… what do you say?"
The girl stared at the offering for a moment. The hesitation left her soon enough when she looked down at the reminders of her condition. Her hands grabbed the Alter Sphere, and a dark aura erupted.
A few days later…
The Kingdom of Vale. A bumbling kingdom that served as a melting pot of knowledge and information. Surrounded by natural barriers of shallow waters to the west and mountains to the east, Vale managed to endure the onslaught of Grimm and became a beacon of safety in Remnant.
And it's here that Ruby was dragging Aaron along.
"Come on, Aaron. You promised to come find a present for Yang with me!" Ruby exclaimed as she kept pulling.
"Ugh, can you stop pulling me? I can walk by myself, you know." Aaron rolled his eyes.
"Well, it was either that or staying at the hotel with Yang's puns!" Ruby retorted, causing Aaron to flinch. Since she failed to transform, she fell into a slump that Ruby helped her out of. "Besides, I want to get her something before she goes to Beacon!"
Aaron noticed how Ruby looked a little saddened when she said that.
With a sigh, the crimson wolf asked, "What exactly would she like?"
"I'd say we'll take a look around! There might be a new hair product, something to keep Bumblebee running, or some fresh Dust for Ember Celica!" Ruby said excitedly as she ran around.
"You, my friend, are a very sick man…" Roman said with a frown, glaring at Hunter.
"And why exactly do you think that?" Hunter asked, feigning ignorance.
"Don't play dumb; you know exactly what I'm talking about!" He gestured to the darkness, where a silhouette of an Alter slowly stepped out of a wheelchair.
"I… I can walk again!" The Alter said in amazement as she looked around in awe. "I feel… powerful! I bet I can run all across Remnant!"
"I merely gave her what she wanted," Hunter said with a frown. "And gave us some extra muscle."
"But you made it from a child! I can see your kind is even more heartless and stupid than the-GYACK!" Roman's rant was interrupted by Hunter grabbing and lifting him by the collar.
"Would you have preferred that I use you instead?!" Hunter growled, clearly having lost patience with the renowned criminal when Roman thought about this and looked away, allowing Hunter to drop him. "That's what I thought. Come along now, dear, I got some fun things to play with!"
"Okay~!" The Alter said excitedly, running after him as Roman rubbed his throat.
"… you have REALLY stepped into it this time, Roman." He grumbled to himself, before walking away.
"l almost forgot the city was so big!" Ruby said as she looked around. "It's so much more fun than Patch Island!"
"We can listen to music at scroll shops, visit cafes and weapon stores, and the time flies by!" Ruby exclaimed the two visiting said places. Nighttime slowly arrived, and they were near a TV shop. The screens played an anime about a girl with black twin tails wielding a massive cannon.
"Hm… I'm not familiar with that anime…" Aaron saw the anime but shrugged. "She could come to me if she wanted something for her bike. Since, you know, I have a bike of my own. As for hair products, I don't understand such a thing, so that will probably be left to you, Rubes. Dust, though? I have that in spades."
As the two walked, they stopped at a particular store. "From Dust Till Dawn…" Ruby read the name of the store and went inside. "Ooh! I bet they have the latest issue!"
"Didn't you hear me about the dust part?!" Aaron exclaimed before sighing. "She put on her headphones, didn't she?"
"Yes, yes, she did…" Wolf mentally replied.
Entering the shop, Aaron looked around to find his friend. He walked up to an elderly man who was manning the counter. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know where my friend is? She has a red hood; can't miss it."
"Oh certainly, young man." The shopkeeper responded kindly before pointing. "She's right over there by the weapon catalogs."
Aaron looked, his face blank, as he saw Ruby giggling at one of the magazines she read. He pinched the bridge of his nose and went to the back to talk to her.
'… Aaron!' Wolf's urgent voice made him jump as he went to a private corner of the store.
"What?!" He pulled the Aura Sphere in a calm, annoyed tone.
"This is bad… I'm not only sensing an Alter, but I'm sensing an Alpha too!" Wolf whispered. This made Aaron's eyes widen as he looked around.
"How close?"
The doors suddenly opened after he asked that question. Roman Torchwick and a group of hired goons dressed in black and red shades walked in. He soon walked up to the register with a smirk on his face.
"Wel-" the store owner greeted before noticing who it was.
"Do you know how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?" Roman asked.
One of the goons pointed his gun at the owner, who surrendered immediately as the customers ran out.
"P-Please, just take my Lien and leave."
"Shh. Calm down. We're not here for your money." Roman said before turning to the goons. "Grab the Dust."
"Roman Torchwick… but why is he stealing Dust?" Aaron whispered to himself. "A question for later… right now, we need to get Ruby out and then find that Alter…"
"Alright, kid, hands in the air." Aaron's eyes widened as he looked to see one of the goons approaching Ruby, a red blade drawn.
"Ruby…!"
"Situational awareness, Ruby!" Wolf exclaimed in Aaron's mind.
"Hey, do you have a death wish?! I said, "Hands in the air!" The goon turns Ruby around. She looks in confusion as he points to his ears.
"Yes, can I help you?" Ruby asked, taking her headphones off, causing Aaron to facepalm.
((Headphone Music- This Will Be The Day))
"Now, hands in the air."
"Oh, are you robbing me?"
"YES!" The Goon exclaimed.
"Oh…" her cloak floated up as a box on the back of her waist began shifting.
"Hey, wha-" he was sent flying onto a table.
"You punk!" Another goon ran around aiming his gun. Suddenly, a fist sends him flying out the window, and a blur of rose petals and red flies out after.
"Hmm, a semblance." Roman frowned. "A couple of Beacon Academy students?"
He followed the goons outside, where Ruby and Aaron landed. The red reaper slowly stood up, her weapon shifting into scythe form before she spun it around and slammed it into the ground. Aaron's weapons began unfurling, turning into razor-sharp nails and claws. Ruby then noticed her headphones still playing music and clicked them off.
((Headphone Music End))
"Really? Is that important?" Aaron asks, to which Ruby shrugs.
"… Okay…" Roman said in an unamused tone. "Get 'em."
The goons drew their blades and charged at the duo, who stood ready. Aaron was first to deliver a barrage of kicks and claw swipes. Ruby soon joined in with various swings and used shots from her weapon to boost her momentum. Aaron soon flicked his wrist to shift his nails back to normal while a bladed weapon extended above his forearms to deflect a few bullets before slashing the goon's gun in two. The guy looked at his weapon before Aaron delivered a quick punch to knock him out.
Turning around, he saw Ruby knock out the last of the goons, sending him towards Roman's feet.
"You were worth every cent. Truly you were." Roman replied bitterly, putting out his cigar with his cane. "Well, Red and Big Bad Wolf, I'd say that this has been an eventful evening."
Suddenly, Aaron sensed something and pulled Ruby away as bullets hit where she would have been standing.
"Kyah!" Ruby yelped in surprise.
"Oh, the evening's not over yet, Roman old buddy." A familiar voice said, causing Aaron's eyes to widen. "Looks like I've found you… Troublesome Mutt."
"Hunter…" Aaron muttered with disdain. Looking around, he and Ruby noticed six APEX soldiers surrounding them.
"Aaron…? Are-are these?" Ruby tightened the grip on her weapon.
"APEX, yes…"
"Looks like they creamed your goons quite easily, Roman." Hunter laughed at that, much to Roman's chagrin. "But don't worry, we will take care of them."
Aaron quickly shifted his gauntlets into firearms, aiming as Hunter pointed his revolver. The soldiers, in turn, aimed with their assault rifles.
"Been looking for you, pup." Aaron glared at Hunter. "Where are the rest of your friends?"
"They're otherwise occupied. I see you found someone new." Hunter gave a smug grin to him. "What? Did you find yourself a new pet?"
"AARON, ABOVE US!" Hearing Wolf shout caused Aaron to dash backward, barely avoiding four razor-sharp claws. Looking up, he would see a pair of glowing green eyes. Standing up, he would see a brand new Alter that had some machinery mixed with the beastial side. Sporting a sleek black frame with a deformed feline snout, whilst having a fuzzy torso with a chain like tail jutting out her back. Her legs were bulky at the thighs, parts resembling an F1 racer with exhaust pipes jutting out her ankles.
"I Will Run…" The Panther Alter growled, flexing her clawed fingers. Two APEX soldiers stepped forward, revealing belts with a singular slot. Ruby's eyes widened as they held up gray Aura Spheres that held no animals.
"Install." The two soldiers spoke. They inserted the spheres into the slots.
WARRIOR!
Their suits glowed, high-tech bodysuits forming as they stepped forward. Their right arms were now equipped with heavy armor plating, and they held heavier-duty assault rifles.
"Roman, I believe your ride awaits you on the rooftops," Hunter said, still acting smugly as he jumped to a better vantage point. Roman clicked his tongue as two APEX Rookies led him towards a fire escape.
"Ruby, go after Roman! We can't let him escape." Aaron said as he slotted his driver.
AURA DRIVER!
"Got it!" Ruby then burst into a swirl of rose petals, leaving Aaron with the Alter and the two APEX Warriors.
"Okay… time to sink my fangs again." He slotted his sphere into the Driver.
((BGM START- PSO2 Our Fighting (English)))
AURA SPHERE LINKED! WOLF!
The Crimson Aura Wolf flew out and growled, causing the Alter to step backward.
"Henshin!" Aaron declared, pushing the handle and charging.
CRIMSON HUNTER! KURENAI WOLF! GROWL!
Jumping into the air to deliver a punch, the wolf flew into him to don his armor. The Alter dashed backward to avoid the hit as one APEX Warrior drew a sword and swung.
CLANG!*
FANGHOWLER!
Aaron met this blade with his own, pushing him back. The other Warrior began delivering a few punches, where the rider leaned back and forward out of the way.
"If you think just two jacked-up mooks can stop me, Hunter, think again!" Aaron leaped up and delivered a kick to both Warriors. They were sent rolling across the ground as Aaron held up his weapon and the Wolf Sphere.
((BGM PAUSE))
Back in a hotel, Yang read the letter on her scroll. "We are delighted to accept you into Beacon Academy." She smiled happily before entering her father's room, where Zwei was lying on the floor.
"Dad, did Ruby or Aaron come home?" Yang asked.
"No, not yet," Taiyang answered.
"She said they'd be back in a minute," Yang said. "I wonder what happened."
"They're secretly buying a present to celebrate your acceptance, Yang," her father answered.
"Oh, why did you tell me?!" Yang complained. "I was trying so hard to play dumb."
"Sorry, sorry," Taiyang apologized. "We won't have as many chances to go out as a family now."
As he said this, Yang squatted down and scratched Zwei's ears. "I wonder if Ruby will do okay with me going? When she gets excited, she loses sight of everything around her." She ponders.
"It's about time Ruby became independent," Taiyang said. "It's great that you support each other, but it's not good for Ruby if she's always depending on you."
"Fine, fine, I know," Yang said, rubbing her head.
"Besides, there's the matter of that Aaron boy." Taiyang crossed his arms.
"Dad, he is a decent person. A bit arrogant," Yang said, muttering the last bit before smiling. "But he's got an honest goal, just like Ruby."
((BGM RESUME))
On the rooftops, Roman and the four Rookies were approaching the edge. Suddenly, a red blur lands on the roof behind them.
"Stop right there!" Ruby demanded as she readied her scythe. The Rookies began to rush towards her as she used her semblance to run circles around them.
"Persistent little…" Roman heard the sound of a Bullhead approaching and got a cruel idea. When he saw Ruby and the Rookies gathered in one place, "END OF THE LINE, RED!"
Ruby looked up, and her eyes widened as the thief threw a red Dust Crystal. She went to move but gagged when she felt one of the Rookies pull on her hood and yank her back.
Roman aimed with his cane, flipping the reticle up as he fired a decisive round. The round hit the Dust crystal, causing a massive explosion.
"Time to finish you both!" Kurenai declared, slotting the sphere into a slot on his hilt.
SOUL~ CHARGING!
Bright red energy coated his sword as he got into a ready position before charging forward. The two Warriors took aim and fired, the Rider dodging each shot. Aaron pulled the trigger on his sword when he approached the two.
WOLF SOUL DYNAMIC!
"HAAAAAAAH!" Aaron swung his sword through the two goons, the red energy becoming claw scratch marks.
((BGM END))
He slid to a stop behind them as they sparked and exploded, leaving two unconscious bodies slumped on the floor. Aaron stood up as his Sphere returned to his driver.
"Whew… now then, where did that Alter go..." Aaron said as he looked around.
*KABOOM!"*
Aaron immediately turned, seeing smoke coming from the rooftop where Roman and Ruby were.
"Ruby…" he was about to run towards the building when a claw slashed his back, creating sparks. "ARGH!"
He was sent rolling as he got up and looked around. Aaron sensed the Alter behind him and swung, only to hit air. Confused, a few more swipes sent painful sparks flying from his body and back. "This is bad, Aaron…"
"Yeah, this Alter's got speed higher than my own. Crimson Wolf can't keep up with her forever." He grumbled, rubbing his aching back. He quickly saw an attack coming, rolling into a nearby alleyway for cover. "So we'll need a change in strategy."
"Got it!"
He opened his Driver and removed his Wolf Sphere, which caused his chest plate, shoulder pads, and gauntlets to glow and vanish. He then held up his Bronze Beetle Aura Sphere, which chittered excitedly.
"Let's get to it, Kabuto." Aaron said, slotting it into the maw of his driver.
AURA SPHERE LINKED! KABUTO!
The Alter charged towards the alleyway as his Driver's eye glowed bronze, sending out something significant. The Aura had taken the form of a bronze Kabuto Beetle that used its horn to throw the Alter aside, allowing Aaron to close the driver.
KNIGHT OF HORNED FURY! BRONZE KABUTO! CLANG!
The Aura Animal flew directly towards Aaron, splitting into five orbs of bronze light. When they covered Aaron's upper body, they shone brightly. The light dimmed, and Aaron wore a more segmented chest plate colored bronze with dark brown highlights. His shoulders became bulky and rounded, and his forearms sported bronze rings. Topping off his armor, his helmet's forehead now had a V-Fin attachment that resembled the Kabuto's horn. The compound eyes of the helmet now glowed a brilliant sky blue.
"GRRAAAGGH! I will run… run… RUN!" The Alter snarled and began charging towards the alleyway. Aaron slowly walked out of the alleyway, cracking his neck and shoulders.
"Okay then… let's see how much running you have," Aaron said as he flared with aura. He grabbed a polearm that materialized from his aura, swinging it like a baseball bat. It smacked the Alter on the cheek, the momentum sending her tumbling into a few trash bins.
The polearm now sported a bladed side that resembled a Kabuto horn. The Alter roared and charged with a claw strike. Aaron met the strike with a punch from his left hand, the aura adding an additional boost in strength.
BEETLE GLAIVE!
The Alter was sent sliding backward and hissed, holding her hand in pain. "Okay, pussyfoot, it's time to sink my fangs in." Aaron declared and stood ready.
((Insert BGM: BLOOD on FIRE by AAA))
"I must run more… RUN FASTER THAN BEFORE!" She stomped her feet in frustration as she took a running position. She began running around the area, slowly gaining speed as Aaron moved to the center.
The Alter flashed its claws as it came right towards Aaron and swung. Her claws scraped against the new armor, but it didn't damage it at all.
"Huh?! How…?"
"My armor's a lot stronger now." Aaron explained, then took the Beetle Glaive with both hands and swung, slashing the Alter across the chest. The Alter roared and began cutting with her claws as the rider met each swing with his glaive and blocked a few.
The Alter roared as she began running around again, Aaron watching as she gained momentum and began attacking the rider from every angle.
"She means to either wear us down or find a chink in our armor!" Wolf remarked, speaking from Aaron's holster.
"Then let's wear her down first!" Aaron readied his glaive. With a twist, the 'horn' on the polearm shifted and pointed as if it was a scythe.
CUTTER MODE!
Bronze energy began gathering in the horn, creating what appeared to be a disk shape. With a mighty swing, multiple disks were sent out and flew around the area.
Missing buildings and startling people, disks slammed into the Alter. The Alter screamed as she was sent rolling across the ground before Aaron.
"Time to end your run." He declared as he opened and closed his Driver, making it spark with Bronze electricity.
BITE!
The same colored energy crackled across his V-Fin as he sent another quartet of disks that smacked into the Alter before fusing and morphing into a beetle. The energy beetle snatched the Alter in its horns before flying right towards Aaron.
STAFF MODE!
Shifting the weapon back into its previous form, Aaron began twirling it to gather energy. When the Alter was in range, Aaron smirked as he got ready.
KABUTO CUTTING!
"DORYAAAH!" He delivered a diagonal slash that left a mark on the Alter as she landed a few feet behind him.
"W…Why? I JUST WANTED TO RUN!" She gave one last cry before she exploded. The girl lay unconscious as the Alter Sphere floated above her body.
"Alright…" Aaron sighed as he held up a Soul Hook and held it out, the Alter Sphere slowly approaching him. "Time to take up a new ally and return to Ruby."
"LOOK OUT!" Wolf exclaimed, sensing something. Aaron looked up in surprise as multiple large drill-shaped quills hit, exploded, and sent him backward.
A monstrously spiky hand grabbed the Alter Sphere as a distorted yet familiar voice spoke. "The hunt's not over yet, Troublesome Mutt!"
Aaron glared at his enemy behind his helmet, "Finally showing your true, ugly form, huh? Always knew you were a good little dog for your masters."
Hunter stood, having transformed into his more monstrous form. The Gunslinger's arms were covered up to his shoulders by quills, and his entire body was bound by black bandages originating from a mouth-shaped buckle on his waist. Inside the buckle was his Dark Aura Sphere, as his cowboy hat had a Hedgehog symbol, while gold soulless eyes pierced through a black skull-shaped face.
"Funny, coming from a mangy dog who lost his master! Though ironic that she was a mangy dog, too!" Hunter cackled at his joke. His words made Aaron bristle with fury, especially regarding who he was talking about.
"Don't you dare insult her!" Aaron grabbed his weapon and pointed it at Hunter. The Alter Sphere in his claws began surging with more negativity, which made him chuckle.
"Touched a nerve, did I? Well, don't worry, my little friend here is just warming up!" Hunter threw the Alter Sphere back toward the unconscious girl. It entered her body as her eyes opened wide, gasping and writhing. "Let's see how well you can handle this one!"
"YOU BASTARD!" Aaron roared and sent out multiple energy disks. Hunter chuckled and lifted a monstrous-looking revolver, sending out numerous quills that exploded the disks. When the smoke cleared, any trace of the gunslinger was gone. "GOD…. DAMMIT!"
"Aaron, the Alter!" The rider turned as the panther Alter slowly rose with a dark aura surrounding her.
As she got onto all fours, her limbs became paws with sharpened claws. Her back arched and grew spikes as her body and tail elongated. Her mouth slowly opened to reveal even longer fangs as she snarled. When it was done, the Alter had become more of a monstrous panther beast instead of a humanoid creature.
"He forced a kid into a Wild Stage…" Aaron growled, tightening his fists. The Alter roared and began running off. "Another time then… for now, we need to slow down that animal before she causes harm to others and herself!"
CRIMSON HUNTER! KURENAI WOLF! GROWL!
Changing back to his default, he put two fingers towards his mouthpiece and whistled. How he did this is a mystery.
*VROOOOOM!*
Turning around, his Machine Kurenai remotely pulled in next to him. He then hopped onto the seat and began revving the engine. As the machine roared to life, the wolf head's eyes started glowing bright crimson.
"It's time to ride, Machine Kurenai!" Aaron declared, and the motorcycle sped off.
Back with Ruby, she watched as Roman's bullhead escaped from her and a woman who saved her from the Dust explosion. She has very light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. She stares at Ruby with bright green eyes hidden under thin ovular glasses. She has dangling teal earrings that match the hanging pendant on her collar.
She was wearing a white long-sleeved, pleated blouse that has a wide keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist. Her lower body is covered by a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black fading into brown stockings.
She also sported black boots with bronze heels and a purple cape with black on the inside and purple on the outside. The cape's cut is stylized to end in flames and arrows, and the back has a row of diamond-shaped bronze beads.
"You're a huntress…" Ruby said, making the woman turn towards her. The young girl soon had sparkles in her silver eyes. "Can I get your autograph?!"
The woman was about to say something when suddenly…
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
She quickly whipped her head towards explosions, moving away from Vale. "The Kamen Rider…" the woman whispered.
Ruby heard the phrase from the Huntress and looked at her, "Wait, wha-?"
"You stay right here!" The Huntress ordered before jumping from building to building after the explosions. Ruby, meanwhile, was left stunned, being left with unconscious APEX Rookies.
The Wild Alter was rushing down the highway, bashing and clawing at any incoming cars. She roared as her uncontrollable rage and fury created a massive blockade of vehicles. Aaron narrowed his eyes as he swerved over falling debris and noticed the impromptu roadblock.
"Okay, so you want to play it that way?!" Aaron said as he revved his bike. "Then let's play!"
His motorcycle engine howled like a wolf as it began shifting. The backside flipped outwards, allowing two hind legs to push off the ground. The front wheel turned into a chest piece while two limbs unfolded and vaulted over the roadblock. When Aaron landed, his Machine Kurenai had become an actual mechanical wolf!
The wolf howled as it began chasing after the rampaging monster. She then noticed Aaron gaining on her and started shooting out energy blasts from her mouth.
"Oh great, death by hairballs!" Aaron began swerving. His machine snarled as it began moving out of the line of fire, leaping onto rooftops to avoid her wild blasting.
The Rider summoned his FangHowler in its gun mode and fired energy bullets along the Wild Alter's hide. The Wild Alter hissed in pain as she moved to try and slam him off the road. However, Aaron moved the Machine Kurenai to jump over his prey's large stature and landed on her back.
"Let's get digging!" He declared with a hidden smirk behind his helmet as he pressed a button on his dashboard.
HISSATSU: CRIMSON BUZZSAW!
The wolf's eyes glowed crimson in energy. The Wolf began pulling off a spin similar to a blue hedgehog, becoming a crimson buzzsaw that cut into the Wild Alter's back.
"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" The beast roared in pain as black ichor flowed out, forcing her to try and buck Aaron off of her. The Wild Alter moved around, slammed against the highway wall, and fell.
Aaron took this chance to have Machine Kurenai jump off and land away from her. He soon stood on the bike and stared down the writhing Wild Alter.
"To think he would try and unleash a Wild Alter in a populated area…" Wolf spoke grimly.
It made him clench his jaw angrily as he saw the Wild Alter weakly get up, hissing and screaming in pain and fury. He shook his thoughts away before finally saying, "I'm going to save you from your nightmare."
BITE!
He opened and closed his driver, red energy surging all around him and his ride. Machine Kurenai began growling and snarling before charging forward. It then changed back to bike form, gaining a boost in speed and becoming a massive blur of crimson.
KURENAI FRENZY!
The crimson blur blasted right through the Wild Alter, skidding to a stop. The Wild Alter gave a few choked growls before groaning and falling backward. Holding out a Soul Hook, a massive wave of black smoke and energy began flying into it.
Aaron grunted as he pushed against its sheer force. When it was over, the girl was still unconscious, and Aaron was on his knees. He took a few shaky breaths before standing up and looking at his new Sphere.
"Panther, welcome to the team," Aaron said, the new Aura Sphere being black with a Panther inside. The sphere glowed as a little growl was heard from it. Slotting the Sphere next to Beetle, he walked shakily towards the girl.
The girl groaned as Aaron picked her up bridal style before Wolf whispered, "Aaron…"
"I know…" Aaron sighed as he felt the presence of Glynda Goodwitch standing behind him. "Are you going to start a fight with me too?"
"… No, but I will need you to come with me." Glynda requested. "I have someone who is waiting to meet with you."
"Mmm… Aaron, I think…"
"Yeah…" Aaron nodded, removing his Sphere and changing back. "She's with the man my mentor wanted me to meet."
"And the girl?" His Aura Sphere chimed.
Aaron looked down at the unconscious girl he held in his arms. His crimson eyes went to the girl's legs, "All this horrible stuff happened to her because she lost the use of her legs… Aura might be unable to repair it, but I will change that."
ELSEWHERE…
Hunter slowly approached the warehouse, looking up to see the Bullhead. He noticed some damage to the outer hull and windshield.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue, his hand taking the Aura Sphere from his Buckle and removing it. The blackened bandages receded into his waist, mist slowly reverting him to human form.
He opened the door to find Roman ranting about almost losing to a Beacon Student, the Kamen Rider, and a Huntress. Nearby, a silhouette of a young woman leaned against the beam, staring with bored amber-colored eyes.
"Of all the good your hired hands did, Hunter!" Roman growled, approaching Hunter to grab him by his jacket. "And what exactly happened to having a monster as extra muscle?!"
"Unlike yours, they didn't crumble against a little girl holding a giant scythe!" Hunter retorted, slapping his hand away. "At least the monster was more useful than what you were able to do!"
"Hmph, you both were pathetic… plain and simple." The silhouetted woman.
"EXCUSE ME?!/HELLO?!" The two retorted to the woman. Before they could say anything else, a door opened to an office letting a chill fill the warehouse. The trio shivered as they could feel Lapis's gaze on them.
"You three… inside…" Lapis said, her chilling tone indicating that she was less than pleased. They looked at each other before slowly walking into the office. The only sound that could be heard was the clinking of a Dust crystal between Lapis's fingers.
"Now then, which one of you is willing to explain yourselves?" Lapis said. An Apex Warrior approached and held up a tablet. The screens showed Glynda fighting against the bullhead and the Panther Alter fighting Aaron.
"Well, you see…" Hedgehog began.
"Hunter can speak for himself." Alligator interrupted from his spot on the desk.
"Well, as you can see, the robbery was interrupted by that Troublesome Mutt!" Hunter growled before grinning, "Despite losing an Alter, I got the useless Roman to the Bullhead with hot cheeks over there providing support!"
This in turn, insulted the two behind him. The woman stepped forward with flames in her hands. "How dare you call me that!"
"Oh, come off your high horse, you flaming bitch!"
The trio began arguing, much to Lapis's annoyance as she continued to let the Dust clink between her fingers.
"You wanna talk useless, you goddamn freak-faced monster?! If it wasn't for that Little Red girl, you'd had enough troops actually to outdo the Kamen Rider."
This made Lapis stop clinking the dust, and the same chill forced the trio to freeze up as they were forced to look at her.
"WHAT. GIRL?" Lapis narrowed her eyes at the three. They could see she was slowly cracking the crystal in her fingers.
"S-Some academy student… nobody of value or interest to our cause." Hunter quickly said as Lapis looked towards the screen. It began showing images of Ruby Rose, something the commander noticed.
"This girl…" Alligator muttered in surprise.
The trio watched as her grip on the crystal tightened until it cracked into pieces.
"Inform our outposts… We have another target…"
Aaron sat in the interrogation room of the police station, tapping a pen that he found. Glynda brought him here, alongside Ruby to this place after the police rounded up the APEX soldiers.
'If you're worried about Ruby, I doubt they would do anything bad to her.' Wolf telepathically remarked which made Aaron stop his tapping.
'It's not Ruby I'm worried about… our mentor told us that Ozpin's inner circle would make a great ally but to be cautious of them.' Aaron thought back to the wolf.
'So, you're willing to listen but not to trust them fully.' Wolf remarked internally.
'Yeah, and I trust Her words and my instincts.' Aaron mentally stated. The door opened, interrupting his thoughts, as Glynda stood by the entrance.
"Before I introduce him, I have a question." Glynda began. "We had captured the group that made up Roman's group… including the masked ones."
"You won't get any information out of them." Aaron stated, matter of fact.
"And why's that?"
"Because the ones Roman had were just hired help. The ones with masks are simply normal people hypnotized to act as mindless soldiers. The masks are also designed to destabilize themselves when captured or defeated."
She gauged Aaron's answers with narrowed eyes, as a silver-haired middle-aged man walked inside with a cane. The man wears shaded glass spectacles and a small, purple, cross-shaped pin on the cowl around his neck. His outfit mainly consists of an unzipped black suit over a dark green, buttoned vest and green shirt. He also wears black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. In addition to his cane, his other frequent accessory is a mug bearing the Beacon Academy emblem.
"Aaron Jaegar…" the man said, sitting down. "I would offer some cookies, but it seems Miss Rose has a sweet tooth."
"Don't I know it?" Aaron chuckled, his imagination wandering. He began imagining a chibi Ruby trying to steal a jar of cookies only to be stopped by Chibi Yang and a Chibi version of himself.
"Hehe… now then," Ozpin's demeanor changed to something serious. "I'm sure you already know our group through your mentor, Doctor Iris, correct?"
Aaron flinched at the name as he looked down. "Yes… she taught me everything I know, and told me about the secret war you and your allies fight."
"… I'm sorry for your loss." Ozpin offered his condolences. "When we lost contact with her, we feared the worst."
Aaron closed his eyes as his mind began thinking back to that moment in time.
*FLASHBACK!*
A much younger Aaron stared at a dark-skinned woman in a darkened facility. She had long, hime-cut violet hair left frayed and draped down to her shoulders with a purple butterfly clip on the left side. She had purple eyes and sported glasses, and her lens was cracked. Her main outfit was a long white lab coat worn over a short, loose violet-blue dress with coral trim and black nylons that were torn from running.
Next to him were younger versions of Kuromu, Orion, and Orpheus, all behind him, and all four of them sporting scrapes and bruises. She knelt and handed them a briefcase, gripping a nasty-looking gash on her shoulder. The facility was shaking from what sounded to be explosions.
"Take this and run. Get strong and stop them." The woman told the four boys as she winced in pain. Alarms were blaring in the distance as they saw blood dripping onto the ground.
"Doctor Iris," The boys were about to help her, but Iris stopped them.
"Don't worry about me. You're more important." Iris told them. "APEX used the four of you as their newest weapons, but I see something else. You boys have the potential to be the saviors of Remnant."
"Saviors…?" Kuromu repeated.
She opened a ventilation shaft, "This shaft will lead you to the surface. No matter what happens, you must find your way to Beacon Academy. Ozpin will help you where he can."
"But… without you…" Orion sniffled.
"Please, Doctor, come with us!" Orpheus added.
"APEX would hunt me to the ends of Remnant if I go with you…" Doctor Iris replied solemnly. "I will hold them here, buy you all some time to escape."
"No! We can't just leave you!" Aaron retorted, only for Iris to pull them into a group hug. Surprised, the boys try their best to hold back their tears.
"I will always be with you. Maybe not in body but always in spirit." Iris said with a motherly smile. "If things had been different, I would've been proud to have you all as my children. I love you all."
"Find them! They're here somewhere!" A voice shouted.
"Don't let the weapons escape!"
Iris grimaced when she heard the voices of the APEX soldiers. "All of you. Run now. I'll hold them back for as long as I can."
The four boys hesitated for a moment before Orpheus made the first move, entering the ventilation duct, followed by Orion and Kuromu. Aaron was the last and looked at the woman who had shown them kindness and love in this hell.
"Mom…" He said, teary-eyed.
Iris gave the boy a reassuring smile. "Aaron, you'll be in charge of caring for the others. You have the courage and loyalty of a wolf. I know you will make a great leader." She kissed Aaron's forehead lovingly, then shuffled him into the vent. "Goodbye."
As she closed the vent and stood up, APEX soldiers arrived, aiming their weapons at her. Soon, Lapis moved past them and glared at Iris who glared back.
"Where are they, Iris?" Lapis spoke, as Aaron managed to look through the grates whilst following the others.
"Far from his hands, Lapis. I will not stand by and let more children die for our sake." Iris retorted bitterly, as she slowly turned around with her arms behind her back.
"Master APEX will have your head for this, don't be a fool." Lapis stepped forward with a growl.
Iris gave a smirk, as she pulled her lab coat back. A silhouette of a driver was there, as she held up something that looked like an Aura Sphere.
"He won't get the chance…" Iris smiled as she slotted it into her driver.
The facility continued violently shaking from explosions, forcing Aaron to chase after his brothers in arms.
*FLASHBACK END*
Aaron's eyes opened as he was brought back to reality. "Dr. Iris did everything she could to save us… whether she survived or not, I don't know…"
"I see…" Ozpin nodded solemnly. He looked at Glynda, who sighed. "We will help you out however we can."
"Thank you, Headmaster."
"With that out of the way, someone wanted to speak with you outside the station."
Aaron raised a brow, "Do I know this someone?"
Ozpin smiled and led him outside, where a couple was waiting.
"Are you Aaron Jaeger?" The man asked the young Rider.
"That's me." Aaron replied, looking between the couple in confusion.
"Mister!"
Then someone small pushed past the couple and rushed to hug Aaron. He was taken aback as he looked down to see the girl he saved. On her legs were a pair of braces Aaron made that were powered by Gravity Dust to help her walk.
"Headmaster Ozpin said you were the one who found and helped our daughter." The woman explained, wiping a few tears of joy from her eyes. "It's thanks to you that she can walk again!"
"How could we ever hope to repay you for this kindness?" The man said, as the couple then bowed to the Rider.
Aaron sheepishly chuckled, "Uh, there's no need to bow." He told them before collecting himself. "But there is one thing you can do. Raise your daughter well. Treasure the moments you have as if they were your last."
"Thank you so much." The couple raised their heads and gave him a handshake before gesturing for their little girl to come along.
"Bye-bye, Mister!" The little girl waved to Aaron while Ruby, Yang, and Taiyang just walked out.
"Well, that's just cute!" Yang said with a smile. She then noticed the slight grin on Aaron's face.
"Hm? What is?" Aaron pondered, looking at the blonde-haired girl in confusion.
"Beneath that tough guy, there's a big softie!"
"Hmph, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Aaron said, turning and walking away as Yang followed him.
"Ah, come on, lighten up you grumpy old wolf!" Yang teased, much to Aaron's annoyance.
"I don't need to lighten up, Blondie!"
"Oh, call me a Blondie, will ya?!"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
Ruby watched Yang and Aaron butt heads, which caused her to laugh. Taiyang walked up to Ozpin, watching Ruby chase after the two.
"They've grown up…" Taiyang sighed before looking at Ozpin. "Are you sure they're going to be safe?"
"… I am honestly not sure." Ozpin tightened the grip on his cane before giving him a reassuring look. "But I will do what I can to ensure they are ready for the world. Besides…"
They looked over at the trio, walking and looking happy as Ruby told them that she had been accepted into Beacon. Aaron looked impressed while Yang lifted her into the air ecstatically.
"They will have each other."
GKC: I believe that's a good place to end the chapter. Right, lads?
DKSR: Heck yeah!
TH: Definitely, mate
KRD: Yeah, and looking into the flashback, you know there's going to be more to it.
GKC: Oh, and a quick message: Stop asking me if I want art from you on the website! Getting really tired of telling you guys that I am not interested!
DKSR: Mhm!
KRD: Anyways! Roll the preview clip!
Announcer: Next time on Neo Remnant's Climax Heroes!
Lapis: Underestimating our foes is what will destroy us.
Weiss: What are you doing?!
Koa: IT'S PLAYTIME~!
Kuromu: Their suffering is not for your entertainment and pleasure!
Next Time: The Tiger's Shining Beacon!
Weiss: Be careful out there…