RWBY-The Recidivist: Chapter 19 *Rewritten* (Original Version Released 1st of April, 2014)

Reminder: DISCLAIMER/AUTHOR'S NOTES

NOTE: I am aware that the entire series is not finished yet. Due to the huge number of changes in the canon and the other project being done in Japan, this story will be an AU (Alternate Universe) that takes place between Volume 2 and 3, while adopting some actual elements from the canon.

RWBY along with its characters DOESN'T belong to me. The series respectively belongs to RoosterTeeth and its creator, Monty Oum. The plot in this Fan Fiction and some characters you'll know who are OCs (Original Characters) are original from me. If any ideas or characters sound similar to another story written by somebody else, it is purely coincidental. I refuse to blatantly steal somebody's idea and claim that it was mine. If you have any concerns, you are always welcome to message me.

If there is anybody outside of this site posting this Fan Fiction without giving proper credit or impersonating me, please let me know.

Chapter 19: Go With the Flow, Part 2.

Plans from here on out.

-(Kumawaka Family Beach; Royal Palace, Northern Doraegon)-

(Wyvern's POV)

"A lot of fish today, huh?" I called out to my dad as I just finished reeling in a northern whiting that was about a foot long. Not too bad of a size.

Xavior nodded and whipped his reel to make his hook and bobber reach further to the deeper parts away from the rocky dock. "I have a feeling you mom kind of planned this, since I looked up the tide levels today. Tide was high, and now it's continuing to lower down, which is a perfect time for fishing."

"You think we'll catch a Red Fin?" I asked as, I'll admit, I was a bit excited to catch one for both the accomplishment and the tasty dish that'll come if we do.

"Hope we do. Because I think Blake and Amelie are rooting for you to catch one. And you know how much cats are obsessed with fish."

I bit my lip and shrugged my shoulders. "And I don't want to know what would happen if I came back empty handed with a Red Fin."

"Ms. Belladonna would be saddened. But Amelie, I have a feeling she would have a grudge about it for an entire day." A voice said from behind us, which was clearly Professor Goodwitch after turning around. "I see you've already caught a good amount."

"Think it'll be enough to satisfy the two of them?"

"For now." Professor Goodwitch said with a small hint of teasing in her tone.

In my case, I still felt pressured but determined enough to pray that I catch one soon. "Oh boy…"

"Glynda. Here to relax with us two guys instead of the others?" Xavior asked as he chuckled, knowing she was not much of the sporty type at the beach.

She nodded and took a seat on one of the rocks between us. "Just letting the kids enjoy themselves more without me supervising them as always."

"You want a fishing rod?" I asked, offering her to give fishing a try since I rarely see her doing outdoor activities besides school related stuff.

"No thank you. Just wanted to enjoy some quiet time closer to the waves." She shook her head while staring at the waves crashing into the rocks. "It's been some time since I got a chance to relax outside of Beacon."

Xavior looked down at her and said, "You seem to not take the chances whenever the opportunity is given to you. You know how Headmaster Ozpin cares about your mental health. And he knows when to distance you away from work."

Goodwitch sheepishly looked away from him and sighed. "I'll admit, I'm not much of a social woman, your majesty."

"And yet you decided to serve as my son's advisor during his time in Beacon?" He smirked.

"Simply put, it was my job that was assigned to me by Ostanes." She responded defensively.

"Alright, very well." Xavior chuckled and let go of the teasing to cut her some slack. "However, take the opportunity to get off some time of your work when given. In my experience, running an entire empire with my wife is exhausting in both ways. Hence why I'm doing my hobby with my son." He said while raising his fishing rod.

I nodded and gave a thumbs up to my dad before saying to Professor Goodwitch, "And no. Schoolwork isn't really much of a hobby. So is staying in your room all day."

Goodwitch huffed and shook her head. "Fine. But don't expect me to slack off when I'm watching over you." She declared to me.

"Not even a little? I'm not a baby or anything." I smiled dryly.

"Your mom says otherwise." Xavior grinned teasingly.

"Well, that's mom. I could be in my thirties in the future, and she'll still treat me like a baby." I groaned.

"That's a sign that she loves you a lot." Goodwitch said with a very faint smile. "She was pretty concerned about what happened on your way out of the capital city from the White Fang. Speaking of which, have you been doing okay ever since yesterday?"

I nodded and just let out a small chortle. "I'm all green. I've handled worse. It's just near the end before the authorities arrive, I had to deal with Adam and some man I ran into during our search for Amelie."

"Adam was there?" Xavior asked confusingly.

I nodded and looked down at my arms, with some of the lacerations I received from combat by facing both of them yesterday. "Yeah. I know about Adam being a top dog for that group in the White Fang. But not so much on his other accomplice. Kind of a freaky guy."

"What did he look like?" Goodwitch asked.

"I have a picture from Sappho, who was given access to the traffic cameras on the freeway." I told her and showed the picture of Adam and his accomplice, whom I never heard his real name besides his fake one, "Eric".

Goodwitch's expression and eyes sharpened as soon as she saw the photo, making me assume she was familiar with him. "Hmm…and he was there to assist Adam on getting the woman you were trying to extract?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

Xavior looked at the picture and had the same expression as Goodwitch's, which made me even further intrigued to who that man was. "Glynda, inform Ozpin about this. He's going to want to hear about it."

"Indeed." Goodwitch stood up and took out her scroll/phone from her small bag to give a call to the Headmaster.

"Okay, who is this guy?" I asked to try and get an answer out of them instead of staying in the dark.

"His name is Ahriman. All you need to know is this: He is one of the most dangerous cultists in Remnant that has committed some political violence throughout his years. He has his personal support behind him. However, I doubt it's anyone related to the White Fang. In fact, I don't think he's doing all this just for them." He explained to me.

"Well, what's his motive?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, son." Xavior shrugged. "There's a lot more like Ahriman. But he's a lot more tamed compared to the others."

"Others? Like who?"

"You'll be seeing them soon enough as the time goes by. For now, just focus on your studies and training inside Beacon like Master Ostanes intended for you."

"But about Ahriman." I went back to the subject of him. "He was visiting the ruins of Dragconis Family estate when me and Yang just landed in the capital. Do you have any idea why he was there?"

"I'm not sure…" Xavior placed his fingers on his bearded chin. "Unless there was some history behind him and the Dragconis Family, but I doubt it. Especially after the Battle of Solace."

"What went down with him during tha-"

*ZZZTTT~!*

"Oh! I got something!" I dropped the subject for now and prioritized on getting whatever caught my fishing reel.

"Could it be a Red Fin~?!" Xavior asked excitedly as he stood up with a fishing net to assist once I got my catch to shore.

"It's tough. But only one way to find out!" I grinned and reeled in the fish after giving it a chance to fight back, in order to exhaust its energy. But the more I reeled it in, the more it just further began to pull out. This fish was definitely a fighter, something notorious about Drahënese Red Fins.

Xavior huffed and rubbed his hand together before picking his net back up. "Persistent fella, isn't he? Keep reeling it in, I'll attempt to restrain him."

"Good plan. But be careful, dad." I told him before he leaped forward to the ocean waves with his net.

"Did your father just jump into the ocean?" Goodwitch asked while staring at me, wide-eyed.

"It's probably the best idea, if I caught a Red Fin."

"For a Royal Family, you three sure love to play dangerously." She commented while looking at where my dad jumped, and my mom outmatching everyone in volleyball at the shore.

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. All while reeling in my fishing rod after feeling both the fish fighting, and my dad restraining it. "You think our Zhulong heritage and instincts play a role in all that?"

"That's what Ostanes told me, just in case you decide to put yourself at unnecessary risk." Goodwitch said while sternly giving me a glare.

"Why are you saying that like I'm Yang?"

"Wyvern."

"Okay, alright. I'll relax a bit more during field exercises."

Our conversation was interrupted as soon as something came out of the water and landed next to us. It was indeed a Drahënese Red Fin that was caught by my reel, restrained and trapped inside of the same net my father carried with him. And, of course, it was huge! Maybe around three hundred pounds and six feet in length! As Professor Goodwitch kept her distance while the Red Fin still had some fight left in him, another figure launched from the water and hovered above the Red Fin, impacting its head with a rock to stun it. It was my dad as he gently landed near the neutralized catch and proudly smiled.

"HAHA! Two weeks' worth of Red Fin meat! Guess the Gods decided to be even more generous for our weekend!" Xavior said while tossing the rock he used back to the ocean.

"Nice work, dad!" I cheered and high-fived him.

"Couldn't have done it without your fishing rod, you know." He reminded.

Goodwitch, impressed, sighed upon the prized catch and commented, "I can already hear Blake and Amelie panting and drooling with anticipation to have a taste."

"That's because they're right there…." I pointed out as I just realized the two of them hiding behind a rock, clearly having that menacing hunger in their eyes. "Shouldn't you two be playing volleyball with the others?"

"The biggest disadvantage in sports is my height. And volleyball was clearly not short-stature friendly." Amelie gave a pretty decent reason.

As for Blake's, it wasn't that convincing as she just said, "I'm allergic to volleyball.", due to her state of hunger.

"Well, at least you and I have something in common." I joked about my lack of skills in sports.

"Does that mean I get to try the Red Fin first?!" Blake asked excitedly.

"Hey! I saw it first!" Amelie hissed.

Blake hissed back and glared. "Yeah right. You probably weren't tall enough to peek through the top of these rocks!"

"Talk about my height again, and you'll be getting horrific scars for the rest of your life." Amelie growled.

"Pspspspsps~! Alright, you two. Break it up." I called out to avoid a literal cat fight from happening. "You two can have dibs on the Red Fin. However, let it be properly prepared first."

"Who will be the one to prepare it?" Goodwitch asked.

"Leave that up to my mom."

And with that idea, Xavior took care of handling the fishing rods and tools while Wyvern carried the Red Fin, dealing with Blake and Amelie trying to stay close to him due to the catch. It also seemed like the perfect timing too as the others on the beach had just finished up with volleyball. All of whom were laying on the sand while enjoying the warm sand and the breeze of the ocean.

Charlotte saw the catch when Wyvern poked out of the rocks and was rather impressed like the others. "Oh my goodness…that's huge!"

"Honestly, I'm surprised we even caught it this close inland." I shrugged and placed the fish on the table. "Usually, you'd need a boat with Red Fins this size."

Nora whistled and tilted her head. "Why didn't you use a boat in the first place?"

"Well, first off, it's a hassle to prep one on the ramp. Secondly, zhulongs traditionally go fishing without one." Xavior said as he lifted up a fishing spear he brung along just in case.

"For now, can you prepare the Red Fin for us, please?" I asked my mom. "Otherwise, those two are gonna start fighting for it." I whispered to her about Blake and Amelie.

Charlotte chortled and called for Schnell to allow her to use her katana for preparation. Due to the size of the fish, a bigger blade is recommended. "It's sterilized, right?"

"Of course it is! I always take care of my swords!" Schnell folded her arms with a pout.

"In the meantime," Sybille fixed her hair and headed to the table, "I'll prepare the garnish while Wyvern's mom cuts the fish."

"I got the sides." Schnell said as she did the same with her hair too.

"And I got the fire!" Gyo inhaled deeply and blasted a wave of fire at the firepit of charcoal, which was easily lit. He then added the hanging grill on top of it to sterilize it. "Done! This is for those who want the Red Fin to have a sear to them."

Xavior looked down at his phone after grabbing it on the table next to Charlotte and sighed. "Well, I would help. But I'm going to have to take a call."

Charlotte looked up at him with some concern. "Is it urgent?"

"It's from the Head of the Councilmen in Vale…" He whispered, which I was able to catch unlike the others. "Let the kids enjoy themselves. I'll be near the elevator."

"Come back shortly, love." She said before planting a kiss on his cheek before he walked in the center of the hollow mesa.

I watched my dad walk away from the group as he placed his scroll/phone to his ear as soon as he was far enough for the others not to hear. Curiously, while my mom and the others were focused on the food preparation, I followed after my dad to check up on what was up. I have dealt with politics in the past, and it seemed like it was kind of my duty to hear things that were urgent outside of the Empire. Even if my parents didn't want me to be dragged into it. But one way or another, it's what I'll do in the future.

He took a seat on one of the stone benches near the elevator and proceeded to link to a call on his device. I remained at a good distance away from him, in order to avoid bothering him as his call was answered immediately.

"Emperor Kumawaka."

"Councilman Edwins." Xavior began. "Judging by your request to speak with me, I assume it's something urgent. How may I assist?"

"We're in a bad position now, Xavior. It's about your military advisor you sent us." Edwins went straight to the point and added, "He's dead. Decapitated from his head."

"….When did this happen?!" Xavior asked alarmedly.

"According to our MPs (military police) searching the scene right now, he was assumed to be killed maybe around fifteen hours ago." Edwins replied. "And before you ask, no. Camera footage was tampered with so we couldn't see the full picture of what happened."

"Which means our advisor was taken out by someone with a lot of experience in this sort of thing. Especially in a highly protected military base." He assumed while standing up to pace around during the conversation. "Have you dealt with this sort of assassination on other officials? Both military and political?"

"Twice, mainly on two lesser politicians in the past three years ago. But those were conducted by a White Fang assassin named "The Red Stalker". And this crime scene doesn't seem like her kind of work. Especially by how…brutally it was carried out…"

"What else is brutal about it besides his head being cut off?"

"My men discovered bitemarks on his neck just before the section where it was cut off."

My father was clearly disgusted, shuttering as soon as he heard about the bitemarks part. Admittedly, I felt a little sick to my stomach as my appetite for the upcoming food was already taken away.

"Alright then. For now, continue on with the investigation and try to find whatever clues you can regarding the incident." Xavior said while stopping in the middle of his pacing. "I'll be sure to relay this information to the Chairman of the Royal Drahënese Military as well. As soon as he's briefed, we will look into a replacement who is more than qualified to handle dangerous situations to prevent the same incident from happening."

"Thank you, Emperor Xavior."

"Take care, Councilman Edwins." Xavior hung up and turned around to catch me standing a few feet away from him. Or so I thought he didn't notice me during the call because he told me, "Hope you weren't trying to stay hidden. Because I sensed that you were there."

I chuckled lightly and shook my head. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Well, what are you doing here away from the others? You should be hanging out with your friends. Enjoy the weekend for a bit, why don't you?" He smiled.

"Getting a call from the Head of the Council in Vale is usually not a good sign." I pointed out. "And it turns out, I was right. I heard some of the phone call mentioning about an assassination of our military advisor."

"Son, you really don't need to focus on political and serious situations like this. Just enjoy your youth." Xavior said as he cared more about my golden years as a young man.

As much as I'm happy for him caring, I shook my head. "Look, dad. I just don't want you and mom handling things on your own. Maybe I can do something for once."

"We're not always alone on this, Wyvern." Xavior added. "However, if you insist. You are going to be coronated soon anyway. And I suppose getting involved with these sorts of problems might help you in the future." He shrugged and put his phone/scroll away while heading back to the group.

"First off, I didn't hear everything clearly during your call. What's going on?" I asked while following next to him.

"Our Drahënese Military Advisor stationed in the Kingdom of Vale has been assassinated. Beheaded." He answered straightforwardly as if he knew not to hold back on the details.

"When did this happen?!" I asked again, since I was unable to catch some of what Councilman Edwins said during his phone call.

"Yesterday during the evening. His name was Perry Wilkes Jr., ranked Commander for the Royal Drahënese Navy, 7th Fleet." Xavior dropped some of his personal details a bit.

I uncomfortably folded my arms and asked, "Was Adam or Ahriman involved in it somehow? Or is it who I think it is?"

Xavior sighed and nodded his head. "I'm afraid it's the latter. Normally, Ammit doesn't aim for any of our strategic members of our military. So, this assassination has to have some motive."

"Then what happens now that Vale doesn't have a military advisor?"

"The Kingdom of Vale is still prone from White Fang activity due to its position as a central hotspot throughout Remnant. The Council informed me that they still require assistance, even with our isolated status. So, I will be dispatching a replacement for Commander Wilkes to run as advisor for Vale's security and counterterrorism."

"You'd think Atlas would've been the first one they'd contact."

My father laughed and shook his head. "They're on better terms with General Ironwood. Jacques, on the other hand, can make things a bit more complicated to arrange. His influence is that much more powerful than you think. Overall, he will most likely get in the way while getting something out of it. No disrespect to Weiss."

"Who will you be sending?"

"Does the name "Gerard Warrington" sound familiar to you?" Xavior asked with a smile.

"Gerard Warrington?" The voice of Yang asked as she was handing us over two plates of Red Fin sashimi complimented with radish and wasabi next to a scoop of rice and soy sauce. "Sorry to interrupt you boys. But are we expecting more guests? Like that Gerard guy?" Yang asked as she didn't hear anything about the assassination and replacement earlier.

My father and I decided to leave her out of that subject, since this was something she didn't have to worry about. We both grabbed each of the plates she brung to us and began to have a sample.

To answer her question, I just replied saying, "No. We're just talking about politics on something. Nothing too major."

"Boooooring, isn't it?" Yang joked as she nudged me slightly. "Forgot to ask. What do you think?" She asked while looking down at her swimsuit.

I scanned her quick to avoid looking too creepy before answering, "Looking good."

…

"That's all?"

"Wait…why? What more is there to say?" He shrugged.

"Oh my god, you're just like Ren…" Yang deadpanned.

"Was that an insult or a compliment…?"

"Wait a minute. How is being me an insult?!" Ren asked, overhearing us while getting another can of soda.

I smiled dryly and waved my hand to him. "Sorry. Not like that. Carry on."

Xavior curiously looked at me, then Yang before asking, "Well, what about you then, Ms. Long. What do you think of my son right now on the beach?"

Yang's expression dropped as she took a short glance at me. She repeated after looking away sheepishly, before giving off a dry smile. "Looking good."

…

"That's all?"

"Alright, alright. Point taken." Yang groaned. "I'm not that good at thinking of any sort of compliments from the top of my head. But what I can say is this: You look a bit better with your bangs pinned back." She smiled with an earnest opinion. "From a distance, I would've mistaken you as Ren with your old hair style."

"Really? Well…I suppose I can keep this style for a bit, since it doesn't get in the way of my face too much." I smiled a bit while sliding my hand from my forehead to across my hair.

"Yeah. I think what would probably bother you is that your eyepatch is more visible." She told me.

"Would you call it an "eyesore"?" I punned.

…

"Krrrk~…!" Xavior snickered at my joke, at least.

Yang desperately tried to hide her laughter, but her face was a dead giveaway of holding back. "Th-That sucked…"

"Wow, sis. That's a lot coming from you." Ruby's voice said from behind us as she was there, holding her place already filled with charred Red Fins. "Anyway, if you want to charr your slices, Gyo already has the fire and grill covered."

Upon mentioning that, the sudden blast of hot air and the lighting from his fire breath behind the rocky pillar was clearly noticeable. Followed by his satisfied laughter with Nora and Schnell.

"We'll be there in a bit. Thanks." I told her while eating some of my pieces to add more room for the seared Red Fins.

As Ruby returned back to the group after telling us to grab more, I felt someone grab my left shoulder as I looked over to who it was.

"That reminds me." Yang stopped me from walking off and gave me a serious expression when Ruby was no longer nearby. "About that fight during our extraction from the capital."

I nodded and glanced over at my dad, who was already aware of what had gone down. "Yeah. That "Eric" guy's real name was Ahriman, according to my dad. He's described as some cultish man that is on the same level of danger as the Adam. Probably more."

"Yeah, about him. Are you aware that he's familiar with the existence of zhulongs?"

"…What?"

"When he used his lantern, he suddenly spread a pair of wings, and he mentioned that he wasn't a zhulong. Which made me realize he's aware of them." She added.

Xavior stepped forward and nodded. "I forgot to mention that to my son while we were fishing." He said and looked at me. "Ahriman knows about our existence."

"Isn't that a bad thing? What if he tells this to the White Fang?"

"As I've also mentioned to my son, I doubt Ahriman is fully loyal towards the White Fang. He's probably in the movement to collect some gains more than contribute to their cause. Not even the secrecy of zhulongs."

I folded my arms and asked, "What makes you sure about that?"

"I told him." Amelie said as she walked towards us with a plate, absolutely filled with slices of fresh and charred Red Fins with a side of rice and pickled veggies. Mostly of fish though. "I've served in the Venom Brigade long enough back to when Ahriman first joined. Not once did he mention anything about zhulongs, nor did any word spread about their existence throughout the White Fang. Hell, he didn't even talk to anybody else but his son."

"He has a son?" Xavior curiously looked at her.

Amelie nodded. "Not sure if he's biological or adopted. I never met him directly, nor did he talk about him a lot. This was back during the days when I was still a field agent for the Venom Brigade."

"If there's anything you can tell us about him, we're all open ears."

"Sadly, I'm afraid that's all I have about Ahriman, sir." She bowed her head. "Not even anything about the lantern he carries, since we weren't always paired up."

"Lantern…" Xavior mumbled and glanced away briefly before turning back to them. "For now, I'll continue to investigate what's happening afterwards. Just enjoy your meal while it's still fresh."

"Didn't have to tell me twice." Amelie licked her lips and added a spoonful of seasoned rice with Red Fin belly on top inside her mouth, letting out a blissful purr.

As soon as Xavior and Amelie returned back to the group, I looked at Yang and asked with concern, "About that fight. Are you sure you're okay? Ahriman was one helluva fighter."

Yang nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm fine. I've been through a lot of worse fights before and got back up."

I could tell Yang was still a bit troubled after getting taken down by Ahriman and being unable to do anything to help me during the final battle between him and Adam. Instead of dragging that subject even further down, I lifted up my plate towards her and asked, "Want to try some? You didn't have your own plate when you were giving it to me and my dad earlier. Have you ever tried Red Fins before?"

She chortled and rolled her eyes. "Do I look like a rich girl?"

"Point taken." I joked as I took the small nudge she gave me. "Seriously. Try it. It's rich and buttery than your average fish."

"Well, why not. I'm more of a beef gal. But fish is good too." Yang shrugged and took a piece from my plate using her hand. She chewed on it for a few seconds before her expression lit up, clearly impressed by the taste. "Whoa!"

"It's even better with the soy sauce and rice." I added said ingredients to a piece of Red Fin and pushed it to the edge of my plate. Wasabi wasn't added, just in case she couldn't handle it through her nose.

Yang gave it a try and was now even more impressed with the quality of the fish. "This is REALLY good. I can't imagine how Blake and Amelie are handling the taste of these right now."

Charlotte chuckled as she walked over with a plate for Yang. "Oh. Those two are in such deep bliss to the point where someone could mistake them under the influence of something."

"I can imagine." I chuckled a little too.

"Anyway, Yang. I brought you your own plate, just in case Wyvern's wasn't enough." My mom furrowed her eyebrows and widened her smirk before asking, "Unless you're comfortable sharing the same plate with my son~…"

Yang blushed slightly and took the plate. "I'll stick to having my own." She said before carefully walking back to the group. "Wyv? You want a drink too?"

"I'm okay. Thanks." I declined the offer and focused on finishing my plate first.

When she was away, my mom shifted her eyes to me while keeping that smirk. "She's calling you "Wyv" now, it seems~!"

"Uhhh…so? It's nothing to remember about." I rolled my eyes with a smile back.

"I disagree. It's the first step into the next level by giving nicknames to each other."

"Yeah, but I don't have one for Yang. Hell, not the others either."

"Sounds like someone needs to step up his game." Schnell said as she took a seat underneath the umbrella nearest to us. "Even after how much Charlotte tried to make things more interesting by guiding what the girls should have for their swimwear."

I looked over at my mom and asked, "You what? Why help the girls pick their swimsuits to specifically have them wear by your suggestions? I just let the Jaune and Ren pick whichever spare swimming shorts I had available."

Schnell turned her head and chuckled. "She did all that just so you can have the opportunity to choose who catches your attention for a potential girlfriend."

"I knew there was an agenda behind this." I groaned, clearly showing my lack of amusement by this set up.

"Sooo~! Who is the one that you have your eyes on~?" Charlotte asked with a teasing smile across her face.

"Dad." I jokingly answered.

"HEY! That's cheating!" Charlotte pouted. "In two ways than one!" She added.

"Three ways, actually." Schnell corrected.

Alrighty. Back to the serious parts next chapter.

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