Chapter 12
Vale
The Vytal Festival was in full swing, and many were making ready in the upcoming weeks, eagerly counting down to the Vytal Tournament, an annual moment everybody would be cheering on their kingdom and watching the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses testing their might and defending their kingdom's honor.
Down the street, one particular shop was hanging up a new banner. The old shopkeeper of "From Dust 'Till Dawn" was eager to open his shop's doors once again after recovering from a robbery from Roman Torchwick. He was pretty relieved that little girl was there to fend them off.
The shopkeeper was about to get the banner up, but slipped as his ladder was accidentally knocked over, causing the old man to fall down to the pavement, rubbing his head.
"Oh! Sorry about that! I'm not really from around here." He heard a voice say in front of him.
He looked up to see a teenage girl. She had dark, brown skin with mint-green hair cut short above her shoulders, with eyes colored a deep, muted red. She wore a cropped undershirt with a white top that didn't exactly hide much, and skinny white pants with brown chaps. She kindly held out her hand, which he happily took.
She then held out a flyer to the man and asked, "Can you point me in the direction of this shop? I don't exactly know my way around this place."
The shopkeeper stared at the piece of paper and smiled, pointing her in the direction of her destination. She smiled back at him and waved him thank you, rounding a corner where another man was waiting.
He was a young man, wearing a grey and black jacket with sleeves ending just before the elbow, where his forearms were covered by fingerless gauntlets protected by vambraces. His hair was steel-gray, slicked back, but messily fell in locks over his eyes in the front.
"I knew you were lost." He taunted his partner.
Emerald groaned and shoved a wallet into his face. "Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up!"
Mercury just stared at her blankly. "That isn't your money."
"But it could be yours for a few minutes of silence!" Emerald bargained with the teen.
But Mercury simply shook his head. "Meh, no deal."
Emerald growled at him and slapped down the wallet at his feet. "Hmph. Fine."
Mercury chuckled at her with a shit-eating grin. "Whatever. You want me."
The pair walked down the streets of Vale, observing the crowds of people and the many different buildings. They would remember the way it looked before it would all burn to the ground.
"So… how much farther?" Mercury asked Emerald.
"A few more blocks."
"Uuuugh… This place is so dull…" He groaned.
"I kinda like it. Nice buildings, diverse culture…" Emerald said.
"…and nice, dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." Mercury finished.
"That's every city."
"Ooh! Emerald, master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by…" Mercury jokingly said, causing said woman to scowl and continue walking.
"Hmph. This city's not the only thing that's dull." Mercury said, not so subtly referring to his partner.
The pair came upon a bookshop at the end of the street and entered. The building was small and modest, with a dim light illuminating the room. Mercury stopped by a random shelf and began flipping through some books, and Emerald walked up to the counter and rang the bell on top.
"Just a second!"
Soon, a large man rushed in, carrying a large pile of books in his arms. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun."
He set down the books and turned to face his customers. "Now! How may I…"
He got a good look of who was in his shop, and all of a sudden, the light in his eyes dimmed. "…how may I help you?"
"Just browsin'." Mercury said, slamming a book shut.
Emerald however, raised her finger. "Actually, I was wondering… do you have any copies of The Thief and the Butcher?"
"Yes, we do." The shopkeeper answered her.
"That's great!"
"Would you like a copy?" He asked her.
"Nah, I was just curious." Emerald responded.
"Ooh! How about Violet's Garden in paperback?" She asked the man.
Mercury spoke up from the back of the room. "He's got it. Hardback, too."
"Ooh, nice…"
Mercury frowned. "Eegh, no pictures… You got any comics? X-Ray and Vav?"
"Check the back." The shopkeeper answered him.
Emerald spoke up again. "Oh! I know! How about… Crusade on Masyaf?"
The shopkeeper became tense, his jaw clicking hesitantly. "Ummm… I'm sorry, b-but I don't think we have that one."
"Oh, I'm sorry. What was this place called again?" Emerald asked him, tapping her palm on the counter.
"Tukson's Book Trade." He answered.
"And… you're Tukson?" She asked again.
"Yes." Tukson answered.
"So, you came up with the catchphrase?" Emerald asked, pointing a finger at him.
"Yes."
"And what was it again?" Mercury asked Tukson.
Tukson sighed. "Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun."
"Except Crusade on Masyaf." Mercury spoke from the corner.
"It's just a catchphrase."
"It's false advertising!" Mercury growled.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald said to him, maroon eyes glinting sinisterly.
"We hear you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo. I'm sure your brothers in the White Fang would be very unhappy to hear you're moving so far away..." Emerald continued with a dark voice.
"…and so are we." Mercury turned the lights down and closed the blinds, darkening the room.
"You know who we are, don't you?" Emerald asked him as Mercury continued turning of the shop's lights.
"Y-yes." Tukson answered her.
"And you know why we're here?" Emerald asked him again with a smile.
"Yes."
"So, Tukson… are you gonna fight back?"
"YES!" Tukson growled.
He flicked his wrist, catlike claws drawing from his fingers. He jumped atop the counter and leapt forth, swiping at Emerald, only for her to vanish before his eyes, discovering he was falling towards Mercury.
Mercury sneered and raised his foot, before Kicking the Man knocking him out. A couple of minutes later the Duo started leaving the shop.
Cafeteria, Beacon
Blake gazed at the drawings and writings on her diary. Each sketch was drawn beautifully on the lined paper. She always remembered to write before bed, but she always came back to the same set of pages.
The pages that told of the day she left. The day she left him. Granted, she was happy she made the right choice, but leaving an old friend and mentor behind was something else. Now the next time they would meet, he would not show mercy to h-
"Whaaaatcha doin'?" Yang sang over Blake's shoulder with a singsong voice.
Eyes wide, Blake quickly smacked her book close, stammering over her words. "J-j-just overlooking notes from class."
"Don't buy it, Belladonna. No pun intended." Yang joked, while grinning.
At the table across from theirs, Teams JNPR, TSKK and JKHL were seated, with Nora tossing food into Yang's mouth.
Just then, Ruby plopped down a large, white binder on the desk and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Sisters! Friends! … Weiss."
"Hey!"
"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream…" She began.
"Oh, this oughta be good." Yang commented, catching a cherry with her mouth.
"… a dream that one day, the four of us would come together as a team and have the most fun anyone has ever had… EVER!" She continued.
"Pass." Scorpion said not looking up from his food
"Hey, don't be a kill joy." Ruby pouted as Scorpion merely groaned
"Did you steal my binder?!" Weiss asked Ruby.
"I am not a crook."
"What were we talking about again?" Blake asked, confused.
"I'm talking about kicking off our semester with a bang!" She responded excitedly.
"Well, I always kick off my semesters with a Yang!" Her sister joked, much to the disgust of the seven others at the table.
"Eh? Guys?..." She asked, oblivious to her own horrendous attempt at comedy.
"Look guys, it's been a great couple of weeks, but between more exchange students arriving and the Tournament coming up, our next semester's gonna be awesome! But our classes start back up tomorrow, which is why your generous leader has taken the time to schedule a wonderful series of events for us today!" Ruby giddily proclaimed with a grin.
"I don't know whether to feel proud or scared for what you have in store." Weiss stated.
"I think I'll just sit this one out." Sub Zero said blankly.
Johnny, however wrapped his arm around him with a belch. "Ooohhh, come on Grandmaster Blue Berry Ice! Lighten up a little, will ya?"
These cause most of the group to snicker at the nickname
"Grandmaster Blue Berry Ice?" Weiss asked
"It's a nickname I came up with." Johnny answered
"Oh I like it, you should come up with one for Weiss as well." Ruby said
"Hey!"
"Nah, I think Ice Queen is okay." Johnny said
"Hey!"
"You know now that I think about it, it's kinda funny that the two cold hearted ice users of how group all have scars." Johnny said
"I'm right here you know!" Weiss said with a pout
Just then Nora threw a pie at Yang's face causing most of the group to pause.
Nora was not so successfully hiding behind Ren, who was facepalming at his friend's blunder.
"ALRIGHT, YOU LITTLE SHI-"
Outside…
"…So then all of a sudden this other guy created a freaking Ice Storm and we were fighting side-by-side, and she was super fast and I threw a banana at a guy, which sounds gross but it was awesome!" Sun excitedly told his friend.
The friend in question wore a red jacket. He wore a white shirt underneath with a tie and jeans. On his handsome face, he wore goggles on his forehead, barely covered by his brilliant blue hair.
"Niiice!" Neptune commented.
"Right, and the best part is; she's a faunus!" Sun's eyes widened and blurted out, "But that's a secret, okay?!"
"Got it, man." Neptune assured his partner.
"Not a 'I'm gonna go tell Scarlet and Sage" the moment Sun turns his back "'secret! This one's a secret secret!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Chill out, dude! I got it. I got it!" Neptune reassured him "My lips are sealed."
"Oh, they'd better be. I just don't wanna screw this up, you know!"
"Oh really now?" Neptune joked.
"What? No! Nothing like that! It's just… I can't help but feel different about her. But then do you think I'm out of my league here? The people here are the coolest! No offence." Sun insisted.
"None taken." Neptune said
"Okay, so they're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them! So… be cool! You'll be cool… right?"
"Dude." Neptune said bluntly.
Sun looked at him, and remembered he was witnessing Haven's epitome of "cool".
"Point made. Let's go!" Sun said, kicking open the door.
But as they entered the room, none of them were prepared for what was going on inside. The place was an utter mess, with everyone clearing out of the room as quickly as they could. Food was everywhere, and piles of tables were stacked up on either side of the room.
On one side were Teams RWBY and JNPR, with Nora cackling loudly from the top. Opposite them were Teams TSKK and JKHL, well half the team as Scorpion and Sub Zero were busy eating or in Sub Zero's case merely observing the spectacle
"QUEEN NORA WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS NONSENSE!" Nora proclaimed loudly.
"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! IT WILL BE DELICIOUS!" Ruby screamed, raising her fist and leading the charge across the battlefield that was once the cafeteria.
"WE CLAIM THIS EMPIRE IN THE NAME OF THE LIN KUEI!" Smoke proclaimed holding a long bread as his teammates also held various food weapons.
"PULL 'EM DOWN TO HELL, LADS!" Johnny yelled at Liu Kang while trying to imitate a Pirate.
"Ready to fire, captain!" Liu Kang yelled at Johnny, who sneered and raised his chicken leg.
"FIRE!" He signaled his teammate, causing Liu Kang to fling melons at their foes, stunning Blake and knocking Jaune against the floor.
Noticing the incoming barrage of fruit, Ruby called to her sister and Nora. "Yang! Turkey! Nora! Up!"
Yang ran up ahead, slipping her fists into two turkeys, slamming them together like her gauntlets. She then punched the incoming food, causing each melon to explode into pink mist.
Nora jumped off of her perch and gripped a metal bar on the wall, snapping it loose. She then speared an incoming melon onto the bar, and began wielding it like her hammer, smacking away any incoming fire.
Johnny growled and sprinted forward alongside Smoke, to whom he tossed a chicken leg to, which he wielded like a knife.
Blake sprinted forth alongside Yang, blowing apart any melons coming her way with two baguettes, and then Yang flung her turkeys at the enemy, hitting Kitana in the face, disorienting her.
"Did Blake just shatter watermelons with bread?" Sub Zero asked still trying to understand the physics behind it.
"At this point I don't question anything that happens here." Scorpion said while leaning his head to the side dodging a pie.
Blake attempted to stab her baguettes down on Smoke, but he jumped back and dodged the blow. Blake looked up and dashed towards him, her weapons drawn back, ready to strike, with Smoke doing the same. Bread and Chicken collided, with both trying to push harder against the other, but Smoke kicked Blake in the leg, sending her down on her knees, and tried to stab down on her, only for Blake to flip backwards, dodging his attack.
Smoke jumped up and spun himself around with a flip, swinging his Chicken so that it barely missed her torso. Blake jumped up with a shadow clone and tried to hit Smoke by throwing her bread at him, but he dodged and dashed forth, nailing Blake by the abdomen, sending her flying before bringing out a soda bottle, shaking it so hard that the cap flew off with a crack.
The cap hit Yang straight in the head, bringing her down on her back instantly. Ren ran forward with Ruby, who was surfing on a lunch tray. Kung Lao threw his Pizza at her, only for her to block with the tray, reflecting it back at him, knocking him down on his knees. Ruby then continued to surf on the tray, speeding towards Kitana, but she blocked her attack and pushed her off her arms, spinning to fling nachos at her like throwing knives. Ruby was hit in the face, chest and leg, knocking her back.
Sonya and Liu Kang ran forth towards the advancing Nora and Jaune, only for Weiss to appear, spraying ketchup all over the floor, causing them both to slip and crash into the tables. Sonya got up, however and retrieved two turkeys forming gloves similar to Yang's.
Nora ran for Sonya, clashing their heavy weapons. Sonya swung for her legs, trying to sweep her off of her feet, but she jumped up and kicked her across the cheek, staggering her. She then charged, bringing her weapon forward for an upwards swing, but she parried the strike, headbutted her and jabbed Nora in the forehead with her turkey fist stunning her. Sonya finally raised his weapon and smashed it against her skull, knocking Nora out for good.
"They've taken out Queen Nora!" Jaune exclaimed in horror.
"No… that means…" Ruby gasped with dread.
Johnny grinned and proclaimed. "YOUR LEADER IS DONE FOR! JOIN US OR FALL!"
Naturally, Team JNPR stepped over to the Kombat kids side, much to the horror of Team RWBY.
"C'mon!" Weiss yelled, grabbing a swordfish and zipping towards Ren and Johnny. Johnny grabbed a carrot and a rather large lollipop, wielding the two weapons .
Weiss and Johnny clashed, with Weiss trying to parry Johnny's aggressive strikes. Johnny swung the sweet left and brought up his right arm, trying to slash at her with the vegetable, but Weiss raised the fish and blocked the hit, then trying to stab forward at the movie star. Johnny side-stepped the attack and grabbed the fish by the bill, pulling her close enough for a speeding knee to the torso, stunning Weiss and leaving her open for Liu Kang to uppercut her with some fisticuffs crafted from a drumstick bone and licorice.
The punch sent Weiss flying up and crashing against one of the support pillars in the room, cracking the structure and knocking her out cold. Ruby caught her before she hit the ground and attempted to reach her friend.
"Weiss? Weiss! Don't leave me! NOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby mourned her partner".
Yang ran forward, slipping on two more turkeys with Kitana running to get to her, grabbing a scallion and a baguette. Yang gave a mighty roar and raised her fist, Kitana doing the same, raising both of her weapons. Yang raised her leg and attempted to kick Kitana, only for her foot to be held in place by her opponent, who crossed her weapons to block the hit.
Yang threw a right hook at her, which Kitana dodged by ducking under, stabbing backwards at her neck with the scallion, and spinning backwards to strike her in the head with a baguette. Yang was stunned, but then thrust her elbow back, socking Kitana in the nose, pounded down on her head and delivered a powerful uppercut to her chin, knocking the Assassin out cold.
Smoke ran ahead and brought down a large baguette onto the blonde, which she parried by crossing her fists above her head and pushing up, jarring the man. Yang jabbed left, right and spun with a roundhouse kick, hitting Smoke on the side of the face, stunning him. Yang then punched, hooked and jabbed in a combination so fast her opponent decided to transform into a cloud of smoke escaping her assault.
She then ran for Johnny, raising a fist and him readying his own, but Johnny connected his knuckles to her chin with a green aura-infused strike so strong, she flew straight up like a rocket, crashing through the roof, raining debris down on the remainder of Team RWBY.
Blake flipped back to avoid falling rubble and picked up a string of sausages, cracking them like a whip. Blake hit Ren, crashing him into a vending machine, causing some soda cans to fall out. Jaune grabbed some and tossed them at Blake, each can exploding like a grenade.
Pyrrha noticed this and summoned her Semblance. As her hand slammed on the ground, all of the soda cans on the floor rose and moved to Pyrrha's whim. She pointed her hand, the cans following to explode under Blake, sending her flying upwards.
Pyrrha then raised her arms and concentrated, and every can rushed up to the same target, pounding into Blake with a merciless explosive barrage. Blake then fell, unable to continue, leaving Ruby alone.
She glared at her enemy and knelt down for a running start, and summoned her aura to manifest her Semblance. With a loud scream, Ruby burst forward with unbelievable speed, rose petals trailing behind the red blur that was she. With her incredible speed, the draft created from the sprint carried with it tons of spilt food and cans and bottles. Teams ACEE, TSKK and JKHL only looked on in fear as Ruby spun into a red missile, shooting straight towards them, with a whirlwind of food behind her. Unable to escape, everyone was caught in the wind, sent flying towards the wall. But luckily for Scorpion, Sub Zero created an Ice Force Field that prevented them from being hit by Ruby's attack.
Ruby skidded to a stop just in front of a wall, which had a crater blown into it from the insane speed, and Ruby jumped up, pinning all her opponents onto the wall, who could only watch in horror as the food picked up from the wind splattered all over them, hammering endless amounts of fruits, plates, meat, vegetables and whatever was spilled on the floor.
Ruby landed gracefully, as her enemies were covered in food and grime, and could do nothing but fall, too weak and tired to do anything.
"I love these guys!" Sun grinned with glee, but Neptune was covered in food, not exactly catching his drift.
The doors then slammed open, revealing Glynda Goodwitch, and she did not look happy. She raised her riding crop, and the ruined tables and debris moved to her will, reassembling the cafeteria piece by piece, almost as if rewinding time, everything moving back into place as it was before and as if nothing had changed.
"Children, please do not… play with your food." She said to them with a glare.
The students just smiled awkwardly before Yang crashed back down to Remnant, smashing apart a chair as she landed.
Glynda frowned and was about to step forward, before a hand stopped her.
"Let it go." Ozpin told her calmly.
Glynda calmed down and sighed. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."
"And they will be, but now they're still children. So why not let them play the part? After all… it isn't a role they'll have forever." Ozpin told her as he turned to exit the room.