His vision was swimming.
The world was dark, very much unlike how he remembered it to be. Everything was shades of gray, with humanoid-shaped spots of red moving around.
Sounds of a battle were assaulting his ears, booms and bangs and clangs and much much more. Yells, cries of anguish and rage, desperate begs and panicked gasps were all he could hear.
As time wnt on, everything started to become clear, but it was so painfully slow. He tried to look around, to move his head to get a better view.
This all seemed so familiar...
Hm...
A hospital, engulfed in war...
"-E's waki- up!"
Voices, not his own, all around him...
Hm hm hm...
"Where's th- doc-?!"
"Someone guar-!"
Hm hm...
That blond boxer with a gun to his head...
Hm hm hm...
He jolted awake, hands rustling against chained links to his bed. He could see and hear everything clearly now, in this weird sense of vision; Shades of grey for inanimate objects and bright bloody red for all living things. He saw the reds shaped with doctor's coats and Hunter gears, all scurrying around him while war raged outside.
"Shit, The Hybrid's awake!"
"We need to put him under, now!"
Birds...
He growled and struggled more. Memories assaulted him of what just happened, of the events of 2684, of Operation N313, of his 'rescue'...
He needed to get out there, now!
In the sky...
"He's breaking free!"
"Dammit everyone stand back! Doc, get out of there now-!"
Carry...
The Hybrid grabbed the doctor right next to him by the arm and stared him dead in the eye. The room stood still, even if everything was raging outside. The air was tense as guns were pointed at him from every side he could see.
These words for me…
He felt his lips move, the sight of his Grimm left arm vibrant against the Doctor's red-tinted look. He spoke slowly, as if he hasn't spoken in years, the sound of words raspy through his lips...
"Aura... now."
Life...
The doctor stepped back, but wasn't able to move far thanks to his grip. He barely recognised the others preparing to kill him, guns pointed and blades drawn.
The doctor stuttered. "What- you- how-?!"
The sounds of battle raged harder than ever outside.
Tasted sweet…
He growled again, eyes narrowing in anger. Do they not understand?! He's been in this situation before, they don't have much time! "Cure... Aura... to my throat... now!"
It let me live…
The doctor stuttered, before eventually he gave in and followed his order. "Very well, then." He turned to the others and gave them an order, "Get me an Aura syringe!"
Not a moment later, someone handed an Aura syringe and gave it to the doctor. The Doctor took a look at his neck , a large black blot of Grimm right at the centre. He aimed the needle to pierce it true. The doctor took a deep breath. "Three.. two... one."
Let me breathe…
The Doctor injected the syringe's contents right into the Grimm blot. The blot burned black flames, slowly dissipating as did every inch of Grimm on the Hybrid's body. They... receded, almost, crawling inside his normal human skin save for his Grimm left arm.
He felt his vision change too. It went from black and red to various colours, just like how a normal person could see.
And yet, he didn't feel it leave him completely.
Venom Snake let out a breath, eye wide open and now fully awake. He forced himself up and took a look around him, assessing the situation. Men and women with guns pointed at him, panicked doctors, explosions and assault rifles outside...
A hospital in the middle of a war zone...
...Like the whole world wants him dead.
He rasped his first words in so long.
"…Where is she?"
"Grk!"
The last White Fang member fell to the ground, dead. Jaune flicked HF Murasama free of blood and looked right in front of him. Every single one of them had been dealt with now, leaving just the Branwen tribe as the remaining opposition force.
Beside him, Raiden stepped over the corpse of another White Fang member. They readied themselves against a closed door, the entrance to Haven Grand Hall.
Raiden stepped in front and took a deep breath. His visor was deployed, able to see all enemies behind the door. He shifted his gaze to Jaune for a second. The samurai returned it with cold determination.
'Alright then, partner. Let's do this.'
Without any more second thoughts, Raiden kicked the door open wide. He stepped inside the room with Jaune at his side, swords in their hands and ready to fight.
"That was quite impressive, Raiden."
Raven stood at the end of the hall, right in the middle of the twin stairs reaching to the Headmaster's Office. She had her arms crossed with her sword by her side, and Raiden noted that her eyes were flashing with… something, he didn't know what.
That strange power, different from a Semblance….
Raiden and Jaune continued walking and stopped in the middle of the hall. They stood their ground and stared Raven down, Branwen tribe members popping out from their sparse hiding spots and spreading out around them.
Raven leered down at the two warriors. With her sharpened skills… they wouldn't stand a chance. She'd make sure Vernal's death wasn't in vain. "You've done better than expected!"
Raiden stayed silent.
"I've been waiting for our rematch." Raven stepped forwards, the Branwen tribe circling the two swordsmen from all sides. "And now, the weak will be purged, and the Branwen tribe shall be the strongest once again."
Raiden's eye flashed. The Ripper flared through for just a moment. He growled. "There won't be a tribe left once we're done."
Heavy footsteps sounded across the hall, this one distinctly different. Raiden and Jaune's heads shot up to the top of the stairs, someone looking down at them from just outside the Headmaster's office.
Leonardo gazed neutrally at Jaune and Raiden.
Jaune stepped forwards, clutching HF Murasama even tighter. "Leo…"
"Reinforcements are on their way, and we still have troops attacking the Medical Wing." Leonardo spoke, tone cold. "The Hunters that guarded this place have been either killed or forced back to that last line." Leo's mouth twitched upwards. "Just give it up, you two. You have no chance of winning."
The Hunters… dead?
Everyone who gave their lives here tonight, students and more…
"Winning doesn't matter anymore." Jaune growled. His eyes burned with rage at the lion. "All I care about is bringing you down. That's all I came to do."
"We've long expected that we'll die on a battlefield." Raiden finished. In a single moment, The Ripper flashed threateningly. "If you think we're gonna play hero, THEN YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!"
Raven sunk into her stance, drawing her sword as the Branwen tribe readied themselves alongside her. Raiden and Jaune stepped closer to each other, standing side-by-side against the surrounding enemy. All the while, Leonardo watched from above, looking intently at the impending fight.
Jaune's mask deployed and covered his mouth. "Let's go."
A Branewen tribe member rushed in from their right. Before he could launch his attack, Jaune kicked him down and plunged his sword straight into his gut.
Another one rushed in from Raiden's back. Raiden didn't even turn around; he shifted his grip on HF Crocea and moved to stab right behind him. His vision never left Raven even as his sword pierced the tribe member's heart.
Raven smirked and let her eyes leak out light.
Elemental powers, stronger than any Dust could achieve.
Raven Branwen
Ex-Huntress, Chief of the Branwen Tribe
Raven drew her sword and rushed forwards, red Dust blade ready to strike Raiden. Her right hand gripped her sword tight while the other let out cold wisps of snow.
Raiden braced himself. He idly noted that Raven's lunge was faster than before. 'There's that weird power again…'
Faster than before, Raven reached Raiden with her sword high above his head. Unfazed, Raiden moved to the left, avoiding her downward strike. Raven landed on her knees, Raiden stepping forwards and now right behind her.
Raiden prepared to strike at Raven's back, it was wide open-!
Before he could react, Raven pointed her left hand backwards. Shards of ice burst from Raven's hand, cold and blinding and restricting. The ice latched onto Raiden's arms mid-attack, freezing them solid and knocking out their force.
"Grk!" Raiden stumbled forwards, his attack halted. Raven smirked and spun, unleashing a kick behind her. Her foot caught Raiden's gut and forced him to skid back. With slow grace, she put her foot back down and flourished her sword.
Not a moment later, Raven heard a roar coming from her left. Shifting her vision, she saw Raiden's blond-haired ally, Jaune, if she remembered Leo right, rush at her with his sword drawn. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a wave of fire right at him.
Jaune clenched his teeth. As the fire came closer to him, he pointed HF Murasama right at the centre of the attack as he came closer and closer.
'Not yet…'
BOOM!
Fire engulfed Raiden's ally, and Raven smirked. What was he expecting-?
Jaune burst forth, jumping high through the flames and leaping at her with his sword high and flames burning at the blade.
Raven scowled. Damn, this one's immune to fire?!
Jaune reached Raven and prepared to slice her in two as he fell. Raven stepped back and put her hands on the floor. She clenched her teeth and a tower of rocks grew fast from the ground. It hit Jaune dead-on as he was descending, growing more and more and pinning him to the ceiling.
"RAVEN!"
Raven focused back on Raiden and just managed to block his sword. The ninja growled and pushed her block back with his own, Raven trying her best to counter Raiden's monstrous strength. She channelled Wind through her arms to exceed her normal strength.
They came to a standstill.
'Dammit, this isn't getting anywhere! I've got to get him off of me!' Raven prepared to blast another round of ice at Raiden.
Raiden's eye flashed red, and before Raven could react, a red glow appeared around Raiden.
Raven clenched her teeth. That semblance…. Now, she could feel him slowly overpowering her. What was it? Increased strength? Higher endurance?
But still, being slowly pushed back, she couldn't fight back the sword much longer. Raven instead gave up the struggle early, leaping back while HF Crocea shattered Raven's sword as she barely escaped.
Raven skid to a stop a good distance away. She closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts as Raiden recovered.
'Focus.'
Raven let out a breath and opened her eyes again. With renewed vigour, Raven pushed her Maiden powers all the way, her eyes burning red with no remorse. Shards of ice formed and circled around her body, the wind picking up beneath her feet. She sheathed her Huntress sword and let both of her hands open, bits of dirt floating around her open palms.
In response, Raiden rolled his neck and bent his knees. He sunk low, HF Crocea gripped with both his hands and pointing upwards. The Ripper flowed free and was prepared to give her more than everything.
And then, the Branwen tribe members around them charged. Raiden's grip tensed on HF Crocea. He saw Raven preparing to attack along with her tribe.
But then, he smirked.
The Branwen tribe got closer and closer…
"Eat this you piece of shit-Ack!"
"Have some of –AHH!"
The opponents' bodies were split in two. In a flash, Jaune appeared behind Raiden and neutralised the almost all of the threats.
"I'll take care of the rest."Jaune said. The next words went unsaid, 'Don't worry. Just focus on her.'
Without another word, Jaune charged and engaged the rest of the Branwen tribe.
Raiden and Raven went back to waiting, bated breaths expecting a first move. For the two, the room went silent except for the sounds of their powers. Not a muscle moving, not a breath released…
Raven narrowed her eyes as she watched Jaune cover Raiden from her tribe. Was he that confident that he could take her on alone?
Well then, she won't give him a fighting chance.
"HIYAH!"
Raven slammed her hands to the ground, shards of rock bursting from her position and then growing towards Raiden's feet. The ninja's eye narrowed. The rocks got closer, and closer, and closer-!
The ninja entered Blade Mode just before it reached him. Faster than the eye could recognise, he spun and not half a second later came to a standstill, HF Crocea pointing to the side. The rocks shattered from his nigh-invisible attack, too fast to trace.
"HAAAAAAHHH!"
'Up above!'
Clang!
Raven descended from above and slashed down, her Ice sword meeting Raiden's HF Crocea. She smirked as she saw Raiden flinch. She had switched her Huntress sword for one made out of the Spring Maiden's Ice powers. Ice crept from her sword and onto Raiden's, and then they grew more and more until they covered the entirety of his arms.
Raiden tried to break free, just like before, but he struggled a lot more. Damn it, was this ice somehow stronger?!
Raven landed behind Raiden, ice sword falling apart into tiny shards. Quickly, she changed her powers to focus on Earth. As soon as it was done, she slammed her hands back on the ground and pulled out two large chunks of dirt. With a roar, she lifted them high and slammed them down on Raiden.
"Gah!" Raiden felt his knees buckle as he was forced down from imbalance. Before he could free himself, he felt the air around him heating up.
Raven smirked as she aimed her burning hands atop the rock-crushed Raiden. "Take this!"
BOOOOOMMMMM!
"Agh!" Raiden was knocked away as Raven unleashed an explosion point-black at his back. He flew to the other side of the hall, crashing against a wall and feeling it crack against his back. He slumped down, dazed.
"Ngghhh…" Raiden shook his gaze and tried to clear his head. Those elemental attacks were stronger than Dust… And the way she lunged at the first attack, much faster than just Aura-supported legs…
That means… she could control ice, fire, wind, and earth?
Raiden stood up and clenched his teeth. That has no relation at all to portals! What the fuck was this?!
"One semblance my ass…" Raiden cracked his neck. But then, he felt something grow from beneath his heart. Aside from hatred at Raven, something started building up. Something more feral.
Despite himself, a bloodthirsty grin became etched on Raiden's face. 'All the more challenge she'll be.'
Raiden lunged back into the fray, grinning and going straight towards Raven. The bandit chief formed another ice sword and met Raiden halfway.
Their swords collided, yellow electricity bouncing off white blasts of snow. They struggled again, woman and machine, yellow and blue.
Just like before, ice began creeping up against Raiden's arms. "Hrrghhhh!" Raiden forced himself through. He won't give in! He can take this, pain be damned!
Raven's eyes widened in panic. The ice was creeping more and more, from his arms to his body and to his face, and yet Raiden kept pushing back!
Was this not working anymore?!
"HRAAAAAA!" Raiden clenched his teeth. The Ripper flowed, more and more and more than ever! Keep pushing! KEEP PUSHING!
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Raiden gave a final push and sliced her ice sword in two. Not a moment later, all of the ice shattered into tiny pieces.
Raven staggered back, shock written all over. "How?!"
Raiden roared again and moved to stab Raven straight in the gut. Thinking quickly, she used Wind and blew a gust around her, halting Raiden for just a second. In that small timeframe, Raven flew above the battlefield.
She huffed, breaths short and sweat starting to run down her brow. How could he overpower a Maiden? That was almost all she had!
There had to be something more…
Raven took a closer look at Raiden's state. Sure, he was still standing tall, sword at the ready and gaze burning at Raven, but there was something more to him.
She narrowed her eyes and took a closer look. And there it was, signs of damage that he ignored despite their severity. Sparks of electricity through his suit, the low but audible creaking of his joints…
He's running on his Semblance, literally. All she needed to do was to tire him and keep damaging him until he ran out.
With a new plan in mind, Raven focused her energy on Fire and brought her palms together. She saw Raiden tense from below, but what can he do from down there?
Fire built up in the palm of her hands, more and more and more. Finally, it reached a breaking point. "Have some of this!"
A fireball launched from the palm joined palms of her hands. It zoomed straight towards Raiden, faster than he expected.
"Shit!" The ninja dodged to the right, just barely dodging the explosion that followed suit. The shockwave knocked him to his knees. He can't take that, Ripper or not! He got back on his feet not a moment later, looking back up at Raven.
Another fireball was growing in her hands.
Raiden cursed again and sheathed his sword. He can't take that hit! He broke into a Ninja Run and dashed around the room, fireball after fireball exploding less than a second where his feet were.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Raven smirked from above. That's it, tire him out. He won't last much longer-!
"Over here, bitch."
Raven didn't manage to turn around before another force slammed into her back, forcing her down from the sky. They fell together and rolled in the ground, coming to a stop after a few metres.
Raven got up, shaking her head and drawing her sword to use as a crutch. She stared at her front, her tackler getting up too. 'Jaune.' She thought bitterly. She took a good look at him, his suit damaged too in various parts and fatigue starting to show on his face. He was young, she noted. Probably around Yang's age…
And, after a look around, he had killed all of her tribe.
"You have no idea what you're messing with, boy." She growled as she stood up straight.
Jaune didn't give her the courtesy of a response. Instead, he readied himself and stood tall.
A few seconds later, Raiden came and stood beside Jaune. The two got into their stances again, and so did Raven. Her hands flashed with Maiden powers, and theirs clenched their swords tight. Everyone was starting to tire, shoulders slightly sagging and breaths shorter and more laboured.
Sparks flew from Raiden's suit, the circuitry beneath beginning to fry. Jaune's stamina was getting low, his Aura at around 40%. Meanwhile, Raven herself was running out of ideas. How could she, a fully trained Maiden, get out of this?
A tense standoff… two against one…
'Now!'
With a cry, Raven shifted to Ice and slammed her hands on the floor. In less than a second, the floor turned to ice and froze Jaune and Raiden's legs. Raiden grit his teeth and slammed HF Crocea at the ground, cracking the ice and freeing the two almost immediately.
FWOOM!
Before Raiden could react, Raven sent a wave of fire to the two. Jaune put HF Murasama in front of him and Raiden and did his best to let it absorb the brunt of the attack.
Raven lowered her hands, wisps of fire still blazing from her fingertips. She narrowed her eyes as the flames dissipated.
Her enemies were gone.
Instinctively, she drew her sword with her right hand and formed an Ice sword with her left. She moved them to guard, and sure enough, they blocked two strikes; the right from Jaune and the left from Raiden.
Raven growled. She felt her hands give in from Jaune and Raiden pushing her blades back. "Haaah!" She gave up and spun on her heel, launching herself upwards with Wind. The two strikes missed as she flew, barely noting Jaune and Raiden bursting forwards beneath her.
She kept herself flying up, landing on the ceiling and planting her sword to keep her steady. She looked upside-down at the floor below. No signs of the enemy. 'Where are they?!'
She heard footsteps from her left. Jaune climbing the walls to her left! Growling, Raven put her hand on the ceiling floor and let ice creep to Jaune's location.
Jaune, however, didn't pay it any mind. He kept running, closer and closer to the ice…
And then, in a white flash, he was gone.
No trace of him in front of her very eyes.
'What?!' Raven couldn't believe it. 'Where'd he go?!'
"RARGH!" Raiden charged at Raven from behind. He moved HF Crocea to slice at her back. Raven just barely managed to pull her sword out and let it take the brunt of the attack.
But even then, it wasn't enough.
"AHH!" Raven fell to the ground, her sword shattered and her arm bruised from Raiden's attack. She barely landed on her feet, knees taking the brunt of her attack.
She felt her Aura thinning. Dammit, she was getting low! Just above 30%?!
She heard footsteps from her left. Jaune ran at her full speed, sword sheathed and finger on his sheathe's trigger. She growled and waved her hand, sending a wave of wind at him. Again, the blond flashed away, the wind blowing past right where he was and then cutting the wall apart.
But then, she couldn't react to his next attack.
Jaune flashed behind her and jumped towards Raven. As he got close, he pulled the trigger on hissheath and let HF Murasama fly out. In one motion, unsheathing and attacking, he reached Raven and cut her right at her knees.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Raven cried out as she felt her knees sliced open, blood sprouting from a deep cut. She was forced to kneel as Aura tried to quickly heal her, and she blearily noted Jaune blasting past her.
She groaned and tried to stand up. That little-!
"HYAH!" Raiden descended from above, right foot out in a side kick. Raven refuelled her Huntress sword and tried to block the attack.
Seeing this, Raiden decided to change tactics. As he got closer and closer, he saw Raven put her sword up in a block. Then, as he finally reached her and his right foot was about to hit her sword, he pulled it back and switched with his left foot. With this, he did a new kick right in mid-air and forced Raven's sword out of her hands.
Another bruise formed on Raven's hands. "Gah!" Raven growled as Raiden landed on her side, her sword flying away uselessly. She forcefully stood up and drew another Ice sword. She lunged at Raiden…
And yet, with her knees damaged, and her hands bruised, her attacks were noticeably slower.
Raiden dodged the slower attack with ease, a chest-level swing from his right. Raven yelled and changed her grip, attacking Raiden again with an overhead attack from his left.
"RAAAAHHHHHH!" Raiden released The Ripper with all he had and punched the Ice sword mid-way.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion for Raven.
Her sword shattered mid-swing, turning into useless shards of ice. Her hands now holding a useless stump, and her attack… all gone.
And then everything was too fast to register.
Raiden roared and used his fist again to punch Raven across the cheek.
"AH!" Raven stumbled back from the blow. She had to get free, she had to get back-!
Raiden grabbed her by the collar before she could move. He kept his grip tight and pulled her close, then headbutted her. He let go as the force sent her stumbling back.
"GAH!" Raven cried out, now barely able to stand up. From her hazy vision, she saw Raiden prepared to lunge at her with his sword. Quickly, she formed another right-handed Ice sword.
Raiden lunged, and Raven brought her sword up.
The two swords hit, bouncing back with a clang. Raiden clenched his teeth and swung HF Crocea from Raven's low right. Raven brought her Ice sword to her low guard, chambering Raiden's attack. As Raiden's sword was deflected, she brought her own up and moved to stab Raiden in the chest.
Raiden quickly pulled HF Crocea back and blocked her sword with the back of his blade. He pushed his sword up, forcing Raven's right-handed sword above. Raiden moved to attack Raven with a slash from his left. Raven, thinking quickly, formed another one-handed Ice sword on her left and blocked, HF Crocea bouncing back again. With her right hand already above, she brought her left high above Raiden. She forced Wind through her feet. A double overhead attack with her Ice swords.
"HAAAAAAHHHH!"
Raven pushed forwards with her swords coming down, using everything she's got to enhance her weakening speed.
Raiden noticed it coming. Slower, more predictable.
Raven brought her swords down, lunging forwards…
And Raiden leapt to the side, the swords missing his nose by a hair.
Raven's eyes widened.
She realised her mistake too late.
Raiden could already see Raven going past him, her back unguarded and her knees too weak to catch her. He brought his sword high as her back became more and more visible….
Slash!
He brought HF Crocea down and slashed a deep wound in her back, running from shoulder to tailbone.
"Ack!" Raven gasped, stumbling forwards with her knees wobbling. Her voice cut out from the sheer pain. The ice in her hands cracked, then burst apart as she struggled to stand. She tried to force herself upright, but the wound…
It was simply too much.
She wobbled in place, knees barely supporting her as hands tried to reach her back. "Aaa-!"
"RARGH!"
Raiden lunged and kicked her right in the wound, sending her flying into the wall. Her screams echoed around the Hall as the wall crumbled and rubble piled up above her.
Raiden took a deep breath and tried to stand back up, The Ripper receding. Instead, he fell to his knees, sparks flying through his suit and joints creaking from damage.
He huffed and pulled out the last of his nanopaste packs. He crushed it in his hands and felt his cybernetics repair. Back to around fighting capability, just barely, Raiden stood back up. Jaune flashed to beside him, breathing slow and laboured. They looked at the top of the stairs.
Leonardo looked down at the two fighters, his expression neutral. Raven was neutralised, the Branwen tribe was all dead, and what was left of his forces was assaulting the Medical wings.
Idly, he checked his watch. 'Good.' Data deletion was in progress…
And his ace in the hole will be coming into play in just a few seconds.
"Amazing." He spoke to the two below, his voice echoing in the silent chamber. "With skills like that, it's no wonder everyone feared you…"
'Three… Two… one.'
Leonardo smirked. "But I think it's time we put a definitive end to this little game." Leonardo lifted his hand, motioning to something behind Raiden and Jaune to come closer.
The duo looked behind them. A group of people were approaching, covered with darkness from outside's shadows. They walked in the hall, stepping into the light, revealing who they were.
Policemen.
They walked in, dragging someone unconscious barely standing up. She was yanked roughly by the arms, with Aura-suppressing cuffs firmly locked around her wrists. The officers put a gun to her head. Blue eyes were closed, and a face all too familiar couldn't stare back at Jaune.
Jaune's eyes widened. "SCARLET!"