As always, thanks for all the support, in all forms!
And, as usual, Review Responses are at the end of the chapter.
Nothing left to say for this one! Just… enjoy!
It was quiet around here, Taiyang noted.
Granted, that was to be expected. The village had already been destroyed days ago, and any hope of survivors being around was dashed by the fact that it was just a bit too far from Mistral.
Still… it couldn't hurt to hope… wouldn't it
Taiyang closed his eyes for a moment. He sighed. Quite a shame, but that was the reality of the world they lived in.
'Focus on the mission...' he opened his eyes again and looked at his surroundings. No, something just wasn't right...
The Hunter resolved to keep walking around the village. He should trace the attack's origins, its path, and its end. With it, he could make some educated guesses on where to go next.
He looked around as he walked. The buildings, drab and ruined as they were, were mostly intact. Only a few of them were destroyed, and even then it was only partly.
Taiyang approached one of the buildings that were destroyed. Yes, one of its walls was destroyed, leading to its roof collapsing. But judging the remains of the wall and how the roof fell, it almost seems... controlled, unlike the wild nature of the Grimm.
He stepped inside the building through the ruined wall, his boots crunching against the rubble. The hole led to the living room where it was a tad bit darker inside, sunlight blocked by what remains of the roof. Still, some of that light pierced through, mainly through the hole behind him and some cracked windows on the walls.
The Hunter analysed his surroundings.
For an abandoned and ruined house, the insides looked way too tidy. The hole in the wall, even controlled as it was, would lead one to suspect that a Grimm had come through. And yet, inside the house, there were barely any signs of struggle at all. The tables were set and the seats weren't drawn… one would expect those two to be either strewn around or in pieces on the floor.
In short, barely any signs of a struggle.
Taiyang looked around again. 'Even so… maybe I can find some bloodstains? They could lead to some more clues.'
The Hunter pulled out his Scroll and turned on its flashlight function. He pointed it around the room, shining it with even more light. Everything was covered with a thin layer of dust, indicating it hasn't been abandoned for too long. He surveyed the floor with his flashlight, until… 'There.'
A bloodstain, just a small mark on the floor. Taiyang knelt next to it and examined its colour. "Just a few days old…" And the dust had covered it too.
He tried to make sense of where it might have come from, and more importantly, why it was so small. Attacks from Grimm usually resulted in splashes of blood all over, and yet, just like the hole, this seemed too precise.
Taiyang looked up and saw the door to the bedroom was wide open, straight across the bloodstain. The Hunter got up from his kneeling position and stepped inside the bedroom.
Again, he took a good look around. The sheets were strewn about, but in a way that indicated someone got out of bed quickly. He shot a look to a shelf across the bed. It was tidy, save for one missing item. A gun rack was placed up on the shelf, and yet the gun itself was nowhere to be found. The same went for its ammo.
"So a controlled explosion, a small bloodstain, and a missing gun… No way this came from a Grimm." He tried to make sense of all this.
Taiyang put a finger to his chin. Maybe a fight broke out, the residents caused too much negativity, and the Grimm came to them in droves, wiping them out? A small-scale civil war, which ended with all sides slaughtered by the Grimm?
"No, but then the other buildings would be worse off than now…" Taiyang put a hand to his chin. "Hm, what else…
Experimentally, Taiyang sniffed the air. A faint scent, an odd smell came under his nose. 'What's this?' He turned to the source. The bedroom's cupboard.
Something was fishy.
Taiyang pocketed his Scroll and readied his guard. He stepped slowly, closer and closer to the cupboard. He braced himself as he neared. The Hunter reached it and deployed LimitBreak. With his weapon fully drawn, he put his hand on the knob and counted to three.
'Now.'
He opened the door quickly and stepped back, weapon at the ready. A dead body dropped to the floor, flies bursting forth from the closed space. To its side, a shotgun leaned against the cupboard wall.
The smell assaulted Taiyang's nose. He stepped back and pinched his nose, relaxing his guard as he waved the flies away.
Taiyang focused and took a closer look at the corpse. He looked like he'd been dead for days. And by the shape of his build, he wasn't a Hunter, or even any sort of combatant.
Taiyang turned the body over and began checking for any wound marks. He was wearing sleepwear, the apparel practically stainless. And yet, the corpse looked like it had died violently, mouth gaping and eyes wide open. Taiyang turned the corpse's head over and took a look at the corpse's throat.
This part was red all over. He traced his hand over the throat area and found what he was looking for. A small stab wound, located precisely for a quick kill.
"An assassination, huh…" So this supports his theory that there was an internal dispute. But again, to bring the entire village to ruin, so far out here? It just doesn't add up.
Carefully, he settled the corpse again and closed its mouth and its eyes. He turned his head back to the cupboard and looked at the shotgun. It was in pristine condition, and Taiyang had the feeling it was fully loaded too. He carefully removed it from the cupboard and held it with his gloved hands. The Hunter gave it a once-over. No fingermarks, save for what he assumed was the victim's.
No fingerprints meant that whoever disarmed him was either a Grimm or a professional. And judging from the facts he gathered, he was of course leaning to the latter.
Taiyang weighed the gun in his hands. Yup, fully loaded. The Hunter shrugged and readied it too. Couldn't hurt to have one more weapon. On-site procurement and all that.
Taiyang exited the house by the front door. He closed it behind him and saw that he was in the village centre now. Like before, the houses were in similar states; drab, abandoned, and ruined, yet not on a scale that would indicate Grimm invasions.
Taiyang looked around again and found a CCT transmitter on top of one of the houses. This wasn't anything odd in far-away villages; the mechanic for CCT-related tech usually lived alongside the transmitter, to ensure it was running as constant as possible.
As expected, the transmitter was off. With that in mind, Taiyang stepped into the mechanic's house, intent on seeing if it could be repaired. 'The entire village isn't too destroyed… maybe, just maybe, this could work.'
He stepped inside the house, then deeper into the mechanic's workshop. Just like before, Taiyang figured the body must've been hidden somewhere, but that was second priority. Getting this back online was more important.
Thankfully, the antenna controls weren't hidden at all. It greeted him as soon as he opened the workshop's door. Taiyang approached it and inspected it for any damage. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when there weren't any signs of them at all.
Thankfully, he was a bit familiar with the controls. He had seen other mechanics do it once or twice back on Patch, and just turning it on wasn't too complicated.
He began flicking several switches in a specific order. The antenna's controls began a quiet hum, signifying life. Most of the indicators were green, marking that it should be running at the very least.
He looked over to a screen on his left. It displayed that the antenna was starting to get pings. Good, shouldn't be long before it goes fully operational-
Then, all of a sudden, everything went dark. The controls shut down, and the entire room was quiet.
Taiayng grumbled. Great. Now where did something go wrong…
He fished out his Scroll and turned on the flashlight again. With it, he made his way out and looked at the antenna at the top. He scratched his hair in frustration. It was probably the cable….
While looking up, Taiyang noticed that the sun was going down. Great, just great. Soon, he'll need a more reliable source of light, not to mention the dangers of night time.
Taiyang groaned in annoyance and went to the back of the house. He found a ladder to the roof and climbed up. He felt a small thrill; maybe he can get this over quick and contact support ASAP. He didn't like darkness and silence in the night.
He reached the roof and got off the ladder. Then, he walked towards the antenna. Reaching it, he stopped and took a good look. He could see a cable leading away from the antenna, starting from right below it. Following it, he reached a point near the roof's edge. He knelt and looked at the cable. It was cleanly cut, electricity sparking from the severed ends.
"Damn it…" And everything was dark now too, now that the sun had fully set. He put his Scroll down at an angle, positioning it so the flashlight illuminated the cable. Shotgun on his other hand, Taiyang inspected it closer. 'Hm, looks like I need to find a replacement.' He turned it over and narrowed his eyes. 'But the cut's pretty clean… looks new, too. What could have cut it?'
Shrugging, Taiyang turned around, starting to grab at his Scroll. The workshop down below must have something-
BOOM!
"GAH!" Taiyang cried out as an explosion detonated right off the edge, sending him off the roof and down to the streets below. He crashed against the blocky streets, face first and mouth full of stone.
Taiyang groaned as he turned over, eyes cloudy and ears ringing. "Ugh…". His right hand fished for his Scroll. It rubbed against it, and yet dread filled Taiyang's stomach.
His Scroll was shattered and broken pieces were scattered around the street.
Taiyang gasped and hurriedly tried to get up. He first tried to enter a crouching position. Everything was sore, but he was sure his Aura got everything covered-!
A source of light blinded his eyes, coming from right in front of him. "Gah!" He covered his eyes with his arm. What's happening-!
Click!
RATATATATATATATATATATATATATA TATATATATATATATATATATATATA
"AAAAARGH!" Taiyang screamed, bullets from automatic fire hitting him dead-on everywhere. It assaulted every part of his body, firing rapidly from right in front of him. He stumbled back, falling flat on his back as the bullets continued to riddle him everywhere. His Aura was draining by the millisecond.
ClickClickClickClick!
Taiyang's eyes sharpened as he heard the gun click empty. He waved his arm back and gripped his shotgun with both of his arms. As fast as he could, he fired at right in front of him.
Taiyang's vision cleared, smoke coming out of his shotgun's barrel.
He was greeted by nothing, nothing but the cold night air and assault rifle bullet casings littered across the ground. "Damn it…" He got up, shotgun still at the ready. Mentally, he examined his Aura levels. Full-on automatic fire from ballistic rounds, in close range no less. Not to mention the explosion. He expected… maybe around 55%.
"What the hell…" So there must have been an assailant somewhere. But that would mean that this person killed the entire village?! But why?!
"Come out!" Taiyang screamed, keeping his gun at the ready. Mentally, he prepared to trick the enemy by keeping LimitBreak ready too. That way, when the enemy draws near…
He heard a clattering sound from behind him. Taiyang turned around quickly, pointing his shotgun at the source.
An empty magazine slid to a stop right beneath his feet. That could only mean-!
'Behind me!'
Taiyang spun his shotgun and fired a blind shot behind him.
His eyes couldn't see clearly in the dark, but he could still hear a meaty crunch sound, followed by a hiss and stumbling footsteps.
Bingo.
Taiyang firmed his stance and faced the source of the sound. He pumped his shotgun and prepared to fire again, fingers already tense at the trigger.
Faster than he could react, his opponent rushed forth. As Taiyang pulled the trigger, the assailant brushed it aside, the barrel's end now safely behind the assailant's head.
The gun fired, the shot giving a brief source of light. Taiyang's eyes widened as he got a glimpse of his opponent.
A weird Grimm-Human hybrid, with horn-like shrapnel soaring to the sky from its right side.
The monster used the distraction to grab Taiyang's gun firmly. It yanked it away easily. Almost immediately, its Grimm hand pushed Taiyang away with unnatural force, sending Taiyang stepping back in surprise.
Taiyang growled, LimitBreak at the ready. He lunged forth, right arm cocked back for a fist. As he reached the monster, he saw it preparing to block.
Good.
Taiyang feinted the attack and instead struck at the monster's right leg with a left kick. It hissed in pain again, buckling slightly from the attack. Taiyang went for another kick, this time with the same foot but now aimed at its chest.
The monster merely lifted its Grimm right arm. Taiyang gasped as it caught his foot easily. With an animalistic growl, the monster spun Taiyang around and threw him straight at the mechanic's home. Taiyang screamed as he crashed against the wall, then another, then another. He stopped at the last wall of the house, pieces of rubble coating him everywhere. He had his back propped up against a wall, a small bloodmark behind him.
He coughed away the dust and rubble surrounding him, Aura starting to heal the wound on his back.
"Ruby? What's wrong?"
"Hm?" Ruby looked up from her homework, rubbing her eyes blearily. She gazed at her partner with tired eyes. "Oh, hey, Weiss."
"You've… been a bit stressed, lately." Weiss motioned to her partner's entire being. "I mean… even taking it out on homework?"
"Oh…" Ruby's eyes went back to her homework. "It's nothing, Weiss…"
"Ruby…" Weiss placed a hand on her partner's shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything right?"
"Yeah…"
Weiss nodded patiently, waiting for her partner to continue.
"It's just…" Ruby began. "It's about Dad…"
Taiyang groaned, brushing himself off. He assessed his Aura again. Educated guess, 30%, firmly in the red. And that was being optimistic.
The Hunter got up from where he was. "Shit…" He walked back outside, through the holes he just made. He stood where he engaged the opponent before.
The monster was nowhere to be seen. No footprints, no bloodstains, nothing.
Gone, like a phantom. And yet, he could still feel its looming presence pressuring him, just waiting to strike.
"Is it about what he said? About what we're doing?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah, that… but he also looked a bit…"
Weiss stayed silent.
"He looked a bit stressed that time, Weiss. And I, we, worry about him…"
Taiyang noticed a faint source of light coming from a guard post tower, all the way at the edge of the village. He looked towards it, eyes narrowed trying to figure it out. Eventually, the light centred on him…
A red laser aimed right at his forehead.
Sniper!
"Your dad's a professional, Ruby. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about."
Taiyang's breath quickened and he move to quick-dive to the left, to a building that could act as cover. Before he could go fully prone, the monster fired. The shot ripped through his shoulder, sending him mid-dive back and rolling across the floor. He screamed in pain.
His aura was at 5%.
"Argh…" Taiyang crawled along the floor, right shoulder aching from the blow. His breath grew shorter, shallower. He forced himself through the pain, gripping the stone floor roughly, pulling closer and closer to the other building.
He could practically envision the monster. Cocking the bolt back, a new round entering the rifle as an empty bullet shell flew out. Pulling the bolt back in, chambering another round. Peering inside the scope, re-aiming the rifle…
Its red laser right at his feet.
Taiyang threw himself at the building's wall, just as a shot rang out. A bullet buried itself on the ground, right where Taiyang once was.
Taiyang pressed his back against the wall, trying to calm his breath. Sweat was running down his brow, and he could hear his heart in his ears. His shoulder was sore. He held back on his Aura healing it. He needed it just a bit more…
"I know that! It's just, he likes to overthink so much… and he's all that we have left, and us him."
Taiyang's eyes wandered to the other end of the building. He could rush out, maybe. But then, he noticed a faint red light coming from that other end.
Slowly, the Hunter shuffled over and peeked a bit over the end. Sure enough, a claymore was waiting for him over the other end, set up for him to step over there and explode. Thankfully, it didn't seem that the monster had realised that he now knew.
Taiyang shuffled back behind the building and thought hard. What could he do…
An idea popped into his head. Slowly, he took one of LimitBreak's pairs and unhooked a vial of Fire Dust from it, usually used to fuel his explosive punches. He weighed it in his other hand as he put LimitBreak back on.
"You're worried he's going to slip up."
"Yeah…"
Taiyang shuffled as far as he could from the trapped end. Then, he threw the fire dust in front of the claymore. He felt his surroundings explode into a fiery inferno, the ground shaking from the sheer force of the event. Taiyang used the last of his Aura to absorb the shockwaves. Quickly, he ran to the back of another building, this one across from the one before yet just a tad bit closer to the guard post.
Taiyang caught his breath as he pressed his back against his new cover. He risked a peek over the edge. The sniper's laser was searching over the explosion and the rubble, looking for Taiyang deceased corpse. It was looking mainly from where the trapped edge used to be. It didn't realise that Taiyang had moved to another building.
Good, good… he could work with this.
"Ruby… your dad's out there doing what's right. And about the other thing , I'm sure that one day, he'll understand what we're doing too. We all have the same goals here."
Taiyang stealthily crept along the village, moving from building to building as cover. He used the night's darkness, keeping his steps as silent as possible. Hell, even his breaths were held in more than before, afraid that even the slightest noise might alert the enemy.
The Hunter kept his eyes on the post. The laser light was still there, aiming around the village for any sight of the Hunter. It seemed that the monster had wisened up, but it still had no idea where Taiyang was.
He stayed patient, waiting for the laser to point at the farthest from him. Then, he moved to the next building. Wait again, clear, move. Wait again, clear, move.
With no choice for escape, and all ways of contact shut off, this was his only way to go.
Man and Grimm, only one will survive.
Patience, he only had so far to go before the distance was finally closed.
"I know, I know… But we love him so much…. I can't stand this, Weiss. I can't stand being worried. We've already lost too much, don't you think?"
Taiyang finally reached the guard post. He could still see the laser up above, pointed at the village. He watched his step and snuck to the back of the tower. With still breath, he climbed up the tower's ladder, making sure to make as little noise as possible.
As soon as he reached the end of the ladder , he'll grab the monster by the neck from behind and pull it down, then use it to cushion his fall.
He got closer and closer to the end of the ladder. Taiyang finally reached the end, and he peeked his head over the floor.
The sniper rifle sat on the railing unattended, propped up by a tripod.
'What?! Where is it?!'
Taiyang heard an animalistic roar from his left. He could barely look to his right in time before he was pushed off the ladder, the monster right on top of him. He struggled in its grip as they fell together, its Grimm hand digging into his shoulder.
Taiyang screamed in pain. With his right hand, he unleashed an explosion right in front of him, right at the monster's chest.
The monster screeched in pain, letting him go. They fell to the ground separately, with a distance between them. Taiyang scrambled up, seeing the monster do the same.
Through hazing vision, Taiyang managed to see one thing clearly. The creature dripped black blood from its chest wound, the 'blood' vaporising as soon as it hit the ground. Then, the oddest thing happened. The wound began to heal itself, first with red tissue, then skin beige, then finally pale white.
Taiyang's eyes widened as he came to a realisation. He looked at the monster more closely, its build, its features, its eye, its hair…. Its face.
Taiyang put his hands up at the ready, horrified by the implications.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"
The eyepatched man only growled in response.
"I know how you feel, Ruby. How do you think I feel about Winter? This… this is the life all of us chose. We have to accept that, and just… be better, I suppose."
The eyepatched man pulled out his assault rifle, loaded with another magazine. He aimed at Taiyang.
He moved to fire, but Taiyang moved quicker. He appeared in front of the eyepatched man and slugged him right in the jaw.
The eyepatched man stumbled back. Before he could regain his senses, Taiyang went to punch him with his other arm. The arm was caught by the man's Grimm hand. Taiyang tried to move it free, but it was stuck. With ease, he flipped Taiyang over and slammed his back on the floor.
Taiyang spat out blood, feeling some of his bones crack. He couldn't wiggle free, arm gripped in place. A knee came down and pushed his neck against the ground. His eyes shot out in cold fear as he saw the end of a rifle barrel pointed at his forehead.
He could feel the man tense, ready to fire.
Taiyang thought quickly and let loose another explosion on his gripped hand. It did the trick; the man was forced to let go and stumble back, his Grimm arm sustaining severe damage. He fired a wild shot from the rifle, hitting Taiyang in the stomach.
"Ark!"
Taiyang got to a knee. He flinched, blood starting to seep out from his stomach. He got up as quick as he can, seeing the eyepatched man still nursing his wounds. Quickly, Taiyang stumbled forwards and threw a blind punch at the man, hitting him straight in the horn.
The man stumbled back. "Argh…" It brought its hand to its head, remaining eye widening in pain. He opened his mouth wide open and screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The scream… it sounded human.
'Now… now's my chance.'
Taiyang tried to run forwards, but it turned into a messy stumble as his wounds worsened. He grit his teeth and tried to keep going forwards. He saw the eyepatched man scowl, eye peering into his soul. The eyepatched man's Grimm hand was holding his horn, while his right was holding a handgun aimed straight at Taiyang's chest.
Taiyang clenched his fist, preparing himself.
He roared and ran forwards. "RAAAAAARGH!"
The man fired. Taiyang moved his shoulder in front, the shot hitting there instead of his chest. His shoulder flew back, blood sprouting forth. The man took aim and fired again. Taiyang used his other arm and put it in front. The shot hit his arm, flying back too and blood sprouting out again. But this time, Taiyang was already right in front of the man.
Taiyang, now close, went in for a left punch at the man's head. The man blocked it with his right arm, stopping Taiyang dead in his tracks. The eyepatched man went for a stab at Taiyang's stomach with his Grimm hand. Taiyang grabbed his hand just in time, sharp Grimm nails digging into his skin and drawing more blood. The two pushed their hands outwards, caught in a deadlock. They scowled at each other, staring into each other's eyes.
Taiyang roared and headbutted the man straight in the horn. The man yelled out in pain, and a gash bled out on Taiyang's forehead. Taiyang scowled and kept at it, as the man let go of his grip, breaking the deadlock. The Hunter's hand grabbed the man's head, all of his wounds sprouting out even more blood from the sudden movement. He paid it no mind. With the man's head in his arms, Taiyang roared and kneed the man straight in the horn.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Taiyang let go and the man fell to the ground, convulsing rapidly with his head in his hands. The Hunter took deep breaths, covering his stomach wound with his hand, even as it bled its own wound. Blood kept pouring out, but he did his best to remain stable. He picked up his attacker's handgun. He pulled back its hammer, readying a round. He let out a breath. In, out. In, out.
The eyepatched man's convulsion had stopped. He had gone deathly still, save for the movement of breathing. Which meant he was still alive.
Taiyang brought the handgun up and aimed it at the man's horns.
The killing shot.
"Yeah… we just have to be better."
Taiyang stood there for what seemed like an eternity, rifle aimed at his opponent's head. Cold night wind blew, his wound getting worse and worse by the second. He had to make his decision now. Whatever happens…
Whatever happens, he could deal with it later.
Taiyang's fingers tensed, his arm prepared for the recoil.
Fire-!
The man's hand shot up and grabbed Taiyang's. The Hunter's eyes widened and his entire body sprang into alert, ready to fight back. He looked in surprise at the man. He's still alive-?!
In Taiyang's surprise, he looked into the man's eye. But instead of the Grimm-like red pupil and black sclera he expected, he saw white sclera and green pupil.
The voice that came out of its mouth was gravelly, deep…. and clearly human.
"You… came… back…."
And as if it was nothing, the man fell back down, eyes closed and nothing else indicating his life other than the sound of his breath.
The cassette on his belt glinted beneath the moonlight.
"Snake… What took you so long?"
"Kept you waiting… huh."
"There's a gas covering the LZ. We can't land! Pulling back!"
"Gas… It's them! Boss, watch out - it's the VOIDs…! Don't let 'em find us!"
"RUN, BOSS! YOU'VE GOT TO LOSE 'EM!"
"Normal bullets don't work, Boss! They'll just bounce off! JUST KEEP GOING, SNAKE!"
"They took all of us out… even survivors from nine years ago…"
"…I'm gonna make them give back our past."
Thanks for reading!
Just a few notes, if you're still confused. The first explosion on Tai was a C4, hidden just over the edge of the building. Aside from that, I know CQC is supposed to be this 'unbeatable martial art' thing, but it wouldn't be fair for Tai to not stand a chance hand-to-hand wise, right? Come on, the guy's spent his entire life fighting with that style alone, so that's why I wrote it that way. Back-and-forth, yet Venom wins just slightly on the virtue of grapples and damaging Tai first.
As always, tell me what you think!
See you next time!
Review Responses:
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, yes, yes it was.
To NeroAlmia, Raven's sadly for the next chapter. Question now is… will Taiyang make the choice?
To Victorious 435, the only clue I'll give is that Salem is in deeper than I first planned… And yeah, Raiden's gonna have a real bone to pick with Raven. Thanks!
To skeletalrepublic, what I meant by 'he knew' was that Leonardo just generally played him. He knows his identity, and sends Jaune on a fucked-up mission regarding his friends. And yes, that was Ren's father. And thank you for understanding!
To dovah117, Honestly, to me this is either a draw or a very, very close win. Prep time was a powerful ally for Venom, after all. Not to mention just his general skills.
To Phanttommore, yes!
To Gonsmoss, JNPR will come, in time. Just not yet, sorry. OC will be on the next chapter, alongside Raven.
To ThanoSstinks, kept you waiting huh?
To Kerrisive, Team SSSN should be in Vale by this moment, so sadly they won't cross paths just yet. And don't worry, I do plan on writing the civilian Jaune chapters on this arc, I think around two. As always, glad you enjoyed, and that you're still reading! :)
To Guest, the teaser at the end should give a bit of a clue :)
To TheJSmooth, no no no, that was his father! Sorry I didn't make it clear enough.
To SolSparda369, rage is building up beneath the casual exterior, ever so slowly.
To Doctor Snake Eater, yes!
To Salamandra134, no one, no one at all.
To Kabuto S. Inferno, on the Raven note, I'm going to have to re-read her profile a bit. Write her accurately, and all that. But yes, she's pretty much Raiden's opposite. Or rather, Armstrong's. And Venom's memories, you can see he's not gone just yet. There's still hope, but whether Taiyang will act on it or not, considering how deadly he was, remains to be seen. Again, I consider it more to be a draw, not necessarily a victory on Tai's part. And the MGS X RWBY universe part, glad you like the idea! I'll think about it. As always, thanks for reading, and glad you enjoyed it!
To Big E, yeah he will!