First of all, thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed!

This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written. As such, I really hope this goes well.

Review Responses have been moved to the end of the chapter.

On another note, there's a couple of songs I like to play while reading/writing this chapter. The Monsoon fight plays, of course, The Stains of Time. Meanwhile, the final part is heavily, and I mean heavily based on the song The Man Who Sold the World by Midge Ure (no spilers!). Personally, I'd suggest listening to either that or Behind the Mirror from the MGSV soundtrack, whichever you pick, with context. But if listening to music while reading's not your cup of tea, then I completely understand and am sorry if I messed the experience all up.

Basically, is it wrong for me to score some music for the fic? Lemme know in the reviews, 'cause I really do need some help here. Thanks!

And now, it's time for the Memes, Jack!

Raiden dashed forward, rushing along the final hallways of the abandoned underground tunnel. As light entered his vision, his visor flicked back, allowing his lone eye to adapt to the new source of light. Slowing down, Raiden entered his final destination and looked around: a well-lit maintenance shaft with a gate that he can slice through easily, leading him back to the surface. He gave the shaft a once-over. Good, no enemies.

Raiden stopped as his CODEC rang. He knelt and put a hand to his ear, in the process answering the call. As expected, Bladewolf answered from the other end.

"Raiden." The wolf faunus greeted. "Your current path will lead to an evacuated commercial district. Like it or not, that is the path that we must take. I am already sneaking around there now."

"Right," Raiden answered. "So, since it's been evacuated, we don't have to worry about collateral damage, huh?"

"Correct, however as I am checking right now, security is heavy; too heavy for me to deal with." Bladewolf's voice spoke with an apologetic tone. "I am sorry, but I could not deal with them without sacrificing my cover."

"It's fine," Raiden reassured. "I was planning on cutting loose anyway, with the evacuated state and everything."

"Then so be it." Bladewolf responded. "To the right of you-" Raiden stood up and turned to his right as Bladewolf continued talking, "Is an exit gate. Turn to the right again after slicing and walking through said exit. There should be a stairway. It acts a shortcut to World Marshal HQ."

"Turn right then right again to reach the shortcut." Raiden repeated. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Do not be distracted by the advertisements." Bladewolf warned. "You are not here as a tourist."

"Sure." Raiden responded. He added cheekily, "I'll just buy a quick souvenir or two for Rose and that'll be it."

"Raiden, we must hurry." Bladewolf spoke. Raiden raised an eyebrow. Did… did he just whine?

Raiden decided to test the water a bit. "….Remind me to teach you humour next time."

"I understand humour just fine." Bladewolf assured him. His voice had gained back its usual monotone edge, likely relieved that Raiden was merely joking. "However, I simply do not find them entertaining. Your ill-timed one specifically."

And with that, the CODEC shut down. Raiden smirked. "Heh, smartass."

Raiden rolled his shoulders as he felt anticipation rolling through his systems. What Bladewolf told him made sense, of course. It's only natural that security would increase the closer he got to World Marshall HQ. And besides, blowing Bladewolf's cover would compromise his role in the mission as a scout.

Well, no choice now, Raiden guessed. If this was the only way forward, then he'll have to take it.

Raiden arrived at the main plaza path at the end from the stairs, a path just before World Marshall HQ. True to Bladewolf's warnings, numerous advertisements were attached to the buildings around him, no doubt trying to entice citizens to buy various things. Most of those advertisements were shown via a screen, a mark of the advancing technology of the U.C.

Raiden had already defeated numerous enemies after exiting the tunnel, their bodies lying at the base of the stairs behind him. As such, he gripped his sword tight, ready for another set of enemies to either ambush him or attack him head-on. No doubt security would be tighter the closer he got to World Marshall HQ.

Suddenly, the advertisements around him flashed. Raiden tried to keep his eyes on as many of them as possible. Did that mean a new enemy was coming…?

His answers were answered when Jaune's face appeared on the screens. He looked ready for battle, which meant that he was close by. Raiden's mind raced as he tried to deduce what he can from his opponent's appearance. 'So he's close? Probably in World Marshall HQ… And it looks like he's ready for a fight.' Raiden's grip on his sword tightened. 'I have to be ready too.'

A mocking laugh echoed throughout the plaza. Jaune spoke through the screens, a mocking smirk etched on his face. "Really, my friend, isn't this a bit much?"

"Jetstream Jaune." Raiden growled.

"Seriously now, this seems a bit too over-the-top, right?" The blond asked rhetorically. "Even taking your friends along for the ride? I mean, is none of this-" Jaune gestured around him "enough to satisfy you?"

Raiden continued walking. "I don't fight for blood, not for something to satisfy." the white-haired ninja denied. He looked Jaune straight in the eye "Killing isn't justified no matter how you look at it."

Jaune chuckled. "Ah, so then what's your purpose here?" He asked. "What, you wanna save a bunch of kids?"

Raiden growled. "It's simple." Raiden stood straight as he continued to walk through the plaza, Jaune's face plastered on the many advertisements along the path. "What you're doing is sick. I won't stand for it. I'm going to take World Marshall down… even if it means I have to get through you."

"Haha! Playing the moral high ground!" Jaune mocked. "Oh, I haven't heard of that in a long time. Not since I met you, at least."

"Morals… then why'd you save those kids in Mexico?" Raiden asked. "You would've walked away just fine with our without doing what you did."

"Why'd I save them, huh? Hmm…" Jaune rubbed his chin. Then, he shrugged. "I dunno. Just felt like doing it at the time."

"Bullshit. There's a reason for every action, and a consequence to pay for those actions." Raiden stressed. "So why use your sword for something good, then you turn around and use it for all of this?!"

"Ah, my swords…" Jaune looked at the pairs strapped to his hips. "Well, I use them for fighting. That's it. Question is, what's your weapon for, eh? Come on, at least tell me."

"My sword is a tool of justice." Raiden finally reached the centre of the plaza. In the middle of the centre, a large hologram of Jaune stood before him. With confidence, Raiden pointed his sword at Jaune's hologram. "It's a means to an end: to protect those you'd prey on."

Jaune chuckled once again. "Heh, idealistic idiot. Don't lie to yourself, will you?" Jaune responded. "It doesn't matter what you use…" The hologram disappeared. Instead, Jaune appeared on a billboard to Raiden's left in milliseconds. Raiden quickly turned left, keeping Jaune in his field of vision, all the while keeping the grip on his sword tight.

"It doesn't matter if it's a massive, fuck-off sniper scythe," Jaune said as he walked between billboards, Raiden still keeping Jaune in his view. "Or an elegant, beautiful spear-shield combo." Another billboard. "Or even a long-ass rifle-zweihander!" And another. "Fighting, killing… It's what we're trained to do since kids, right? All we know is fight, fight, fight."

Raiden shook his head. "What matters is that we fight for what we believe in."

At this, Jaune laughed out loud again. "Hahaha! Beautiful lies, but lies all the same. Or have you forgotten?" Jaune paused, his tone becoming slightly melancholic. "They'll fill us with grandiose stories. What we're doing…they'll tell us it's patriotic! It's heroic! It's admirable! Fight evil, do it for both faunuskind and humankind! And with it, we can move forwards! A noble cause!" At the end, Jaune's voice gained a sharp edge.

Jaune spat venom with his next words. "Fuck off. We're no better than the people we fight. I mean, we're blindly hurting others just the same, aren't we? Have you ever given a thought about our enemies? Taken into consideration who they are?" He leaned forwards, looking Raiden straight in the eye. "Not just as enemies to face, but as people?!"

Raiden couldn't deny that last part. But still….

"They're… adults" Raiden denied. Even he knew it was weak. "They… made their choice." He shook his head. "And since they've made their choice, then they have to face the consequences."

"And that makes us right for ruining their lives?!" Jaune shouted. "Did they 'choose' to fight us? They can't see the future. Come on, think about it… It's not like our usual hunts. We're fighting creatures who prey on whoever they see. We're fighting people, with families, with friends, with dreams to chase, with things to want. Shit, even if we go non-lethal, they'll get so fucked, either mind, body, or both, that they won't find any other way to live. Then it's their relatives or their friends: people will want something to be done, be it for justice, for revenge, for vengeance… Lots of things. And then it'll all start from the beginning again."

Raiden looked at the ground. He couldn't answer. "I…"

Was it true? Was this all just one giant loop?

Jaune turned away from Raiden, chuckling all the while. Though, Raiden noted that his voice was hollow. "You coming here… how many people have you hurt? How many truly deserved it? Face it… you're here for yourself. None of that justice bullcrap."

Raiden kept silent.

Jaune spoke again, "It's just a cycle of violence. You, and I, and everyone else… we're just perpetuating it."

As Jaune's voice trailed off, two police members rushed into the scene behind Raiden, deploying their HF Batons. Raiden stood still. Slowly, parts of Raiden's nanomachines, specifically those that controlled his mental state, shut down. They didn't have the power to continue, not with Raiden's failing mental state. With them shut down, many things that once seemed clear turned out to be hazy.

He started hearing his opponent's thoughts inside his head. 'Can we take him?"

Raiden turned around. That voice… it echoed inside his head. And those… those were the thoughts of the officer on the left.

"What's wrong?" The one on the right challenged. 'The way he took on SWAT… what am I even doing here?!'

Jaune spoke again from behind Raiden. "And in the end... Fighting is what we're trained to do, isn't it? And fighting excessively will lead to bloodshed… remember that."

Raiden readied his sword in a trance. They're going to engage.

'I can't take this, man! I can't! I don't want to fight!'

Question is, can he engage them?

The answer came without even realising it. Raiden instinctively blocked a swing from his left. With all the strength he could muster, he pushed back against the officer.

"Little punk!" The right officer challenged. 'I have a family!'

Suddenly, another baton smashed against his abdomen. Raiden's efforts weakened, and he was struck by the baton he was blocking just moments before. He was sent tumbling into the cold hard ground.

"You 'aint shit!" The one on the left said. 'I have enough money for a normal life soon. Just gotta get through this!'

Is what he's doing right?!

"We don't care what others think, do we?" Jaune spoke again, his voice echoing throughout the plaza. "Not you, heh, and certainly not me.

Raiden slowly raised himself to stand on his two feet. His feet felt wobbly, and his hands shaking. His vision swam, shapes changing from one form to the next in seconds.

"Finish him off!" The one on the left said. 'Just enough…. One more paycheck!'

"What'chu gonna do, huh?" The one on the right said. 'I…. I didn't know what I was signing up for!'

Raiden readied his sword, eyes flicking left and right in desperation. He tried desperately to regain some form of control over himself.

'Just a little bit more… And then this torture will be over!'

"STOP IT!" Raiden cried as he gripped his sword tighter.

Despite his pleads, and even the officers' unwillingness inside, they rushed at him, batons at the ready. Raiden dodged their dual swings, stepping back to put some distance between them. Raiden flicked his sword to a ready position, trying to affirm his footing all the while.

Meanwhile, Jaune's hologram had already dispersed.

The two officers rushed at him again, this time led by the one on the left. Raiden ducked under a swing and sliced the officer, right across his chest. As the officer looked down in shock, Raiden quickly blocked a strike from the other one. As his opponent staggered back, Raiden flipped his sword to a reverse grip and stabbed straight at where his opponent's heart was.

With shaking hands, Raiden pulled the sword from his opponent. The adrenaline rush subsided, leaving Raiden to stumble back from what he'd done. His body shook, forcing him to kneel to the ground.

'What is this…' the words echoed in Raiden's head. 'what am I even fighting for…'

"Raiden." Someone spoke from behind him. The ninja turned around and vaguely recognised who it was.

"Blade…Wolf…" Raiden stumbled out.

"Are you injured?" The wolf faunus asked, stepping closer to Raiden.

"I…" Raiden's voice trailed off. "I… thought it was fair. They chose this, didn't they? You and I… we picked our sides, and they picked theirs."

"Be that as it may," Bladewolf began. "This is war. And in most wars, no one cares what the others think. Neither do I."

Raiden was perplexed. "How could you-."

"Do you remember basic soldier training?" Bladewolf cut him off. "Regretfully, it is… one of the few things I remember about myself. Day in and day out, we were always told what we were doing was for our country. For good. And yet, have we given thought that others were given the same speeches?"

"And so the mindless violence continues…" Raiden concluded. "Then how can you be so casual about this?!" He nearly screamed. "Did Jaune's words not ring a bell to you? They're true, aren't they? AREN'T THEY?!"

"It is simple. Because he was not simply talking to you." Bladewolf responded. "During his speech, something was… off."

"Huh?" Raiden tried to connect the dense. "W-what do you mean?"

"When I was with him," Bladewolf began. "He gave me advice many times, each supporting me to find my own loyalty." Bladewolf looked at Raiden. "I thought… that maybe a semblance of him was good. It was always rather odd, compared to the rest of Desperado. It stuck him out from the rest. He has never manipulated me. Unlike he did to you just now."

"Talking to someone else? But who..." Raiden's thoughts trailed off. "Who could it be?" He turned to Bladewolf "You… got any clues?"

"None." The response was monotone. Honest. "However, whoever this person is must have a great influence on him."

"Well as long as no surprises show up, then…" Raiden trailed off. He instead asked Bladewolf. "You think-agh" Raiden stood up, however, he was wobbly on his feet. Raiden huffed. "... You think we should continue?"

Bladewolf didn't answer immediately. "Your emotional state is currently volatile." Bladewolf walked ahead. "I will scout your path. I suggest you avoid combat for the time being." Bladewolf leapt away, leaving Raiden behind with corpses and his thoughts.

Raiden sighed. "Right." He carefully took steps forward.

'The mission… the brains… focus on that.'

The broadcast systems around him shut down. As the lights dimmed slightly, Jaune's smirk lost its place. He glanced around the broadcast room. No one in sight.

Good. They've disappeared.

Jaune sighed. Talking to Raiden was hard, but not overly so. There were so many similarities between them it was astonishing. Nevertheless, he went through it anyways. He said what he thought, all of it, to the ninja.

The similarities…was he talking to Raiden, or was he talking to himself?

No, in the end, talking to Raiden wasn't hard.

Talking to everyone else was.

Raiden stumbled forwards as he desperately tried to dodge attacks from three of World Marshall's guards. However, he could barely think. His movements were sluggish and sloppy. His blocks lacked proper form, and his steps carried no conviction.

In one final strike, a World Marshall guard hit him with his HF Machete, forcing Raiden to tumble to the ground. Raiden tried to use his sword as a crutch; to help him stand straight. However, he was forced to lean towards it on one knee and use it as support.

Raiden glanced up. The three guards walked cautiously towards him, their steps weary yet combat-ready.

'What's wrong with me?' The ninja asked himself. '…can I even go on?'

Raiden looked to their side, seeing someone leaning against the building's entrance. Jaune looked at him, the samurai's eyes showing an emotion he couldn't decipher.

He looked back to his current opponents. The three guards got closer and closer, World Marshall HQ looming over him and casting a dark shadow upon all of them. Raiden tried to focus his thoughts.

'Come on… I can't give up now.' Raiden tried to lift himself up, but all he managed to do was wobble in place. 'I've still got the brains to save…'

"How pleased you are to chop away, Jack the Ripper!"

Raiden glanced to the top of World Marshall. Someone was crouching there, a male, full-body cyborg at the edge of the building's rooftop. That must be…

"I am Monsoon." The man said. "Of the Winds of Destruction."

"Yeah…" Raiden muttered out. "I guessed as much."

Monsoon grinned. He crossed his arms, a purple aura surrounding his body. He jumped from the roof. His body split into multiple parts as he fell, banded together by purple streaks of electricity. As the feet touched the ground and cracked the tiles below him, his body reconnected itself, from the legs to the head. At the end of the sequence, Monsoon smirked and flexed his fingers, gazing at them with glee.

Meanwhile, Raiden raised an eyebrow and kept his eyes focused on this new enemy. 'So THAT'S what Bladewolf meant when he said a body that can counter my strikes…'

Monsoon cracked his neck. He looked back towards Jaune, who raised an eyebrow in response. Monsoon turned back to Raiden with a grin on his face.

"Feasting on the insides of your enemies?" He mocked the ninja, "How easily you ignore the act of killing, when it suits your convenience."

Raiden shifted his sword, keeping it in his hands just in case.

…Just in case. Right.

"So tell me," Monsoon asked. "Who saves the weak from the man who saves the weak?"

Raiden looked away. "You're the ones exploiting them. Telling them lies to believe." He muttered out. "Of course they get hurt, when you set them up as your human shields!"

Monsoon looked up in thought. "Then I ask you this, Jack the Ripper…" Monsoon turned his head and looked at Raiden. He smiled menacingly at the ninja. "Have you ever heard of Phnom Penh?"

"The capital city of Neo-Cambodia…." Raiden trailed off.

Monsoon nodded. "That's right. Also known as The Killing Fields, where more than a million people died from genocide…" Monsoon walked across Raiden's field of vision. "….and I, one of the few survivors left."

Raiden grunted. "Your point?"

"Heh, my point is that it was hardly war for us." Monsoon chuckled. "We didn't stand a chance against soldiers; trained for years with guns and military tactics. But for them? Oh, we were no better than if opposition forces were to march to our borders the very next day. To them, it was war."

"War…"

"Those soldiers followed their leader. They committed crimes we didn't think were possible." Monsoon's smile was still in place, even going through what would cause many people to break down. "They inherited… his Memes."

"Memes?" Raiden wracked his brain, looking for a response. Nothing came out.

Monsoon chuckled. He didn't let Raiden's confusion stop him. "Yes. You see, in definition, a meme is an element of a culture or system of behaviour. It is passed on, from one individual to another. Every word we say, every step we take, everything we do, when someone sees it… there is a chance that they might imitate us. All with us being none the wiser."

"Subconscious information…"

"That's right." Monsoon nodded. "Expose someone to anger long enough, and they'll learn to hate." The sai-wielding cyborg gave an example. "And then, someone else sees that hate. After that, the original hater, the original 'carrier', passes it on. The cycle continues. Envy, greed, despair…" Monsoon stood before Raiden, opening his arms. "All memes. All passed along."

Raiden growled as he looked up from his kneeling position, eyebrows knit in anger. "How 'bout 'full of shit'? Is that a meme?"

Monsoon hummed. "Trying to deny it… A meme from the Patriots, perhaps? Denying the truth when it's right in front of you?" Monsoon chuckled. "It doesn't matter anyway. The current world we live in, Jack… there will be those that prey upon others. That is something none of us can deny." He chuckled. "Jaune tells me you see your weapons as a tool." Monsoon cackled. "Now that's a pretty meme. Exquisite!"

Raiden grit his teeth.

"With that mindset, you don't feel the weight of the people you've killed." Monsoon continued. "Of the destruction you've ravaged!... of the people you've wronged."

Raiden loosened up, his will to fight breaking apart. He glanced down, avoiding everyone's gaze. 'He's right…'

"That is until the illusion was broken, hm?" Monsoon grinned again.

Raiden didn't, no, couldn't, answer.

"Ah, you finally can't deny it, can you?" He withdrew his sai, the twin pair HF Dystopia. With a flourish, Monsoon held them in a reverse grip and bent his knees, ready for a fight. However, he felt it was barely necessary. "Then the fight… is over."

"You're right."

Monsoon stopped in his tracks. "Hm?"

"About me, I mean." Raiden muttered out. "After the Patriots, I knew something was… off. We tried to live a normal life. I took on odd jobs here and there, but no one would accept a military cyborg for a desk job. Living a normal life got harder for us every second. In the end, I decided to take up combat again - joining Maverick for VIP protection missions around the world."

"In the beginning, I did all I can to do my best." Raiden continued. "To fight only for something I was certain was right. I did lots of research before taking a mission. Fuck, sometimes I even went behind Boris' back to find stuff out, even when I knew he wasn't keeping anything from me"

"But then… you just proved it right, didn't you?" Raiden continued. "Every time I'd protect someone, I'd be doing someone else harm. Protecting the weak? Hah!" Raiden started to laugh. "Then I guess all this time, I've been selective of who I called weak. Just people whose ideologies matched my own…"

Monsoon tilted his head. "What are you saying?"

Raiden's voice slipped into a growl. "I'm saying that Jack..." His lone eye flashed red in the tiles' reflection. "Is back!"

A faint red glow started to envelop Raiden. Jaune watched from the sidelines as Raiden got up, the ninja's mad laugh echoing across the battlefield.

Monsoon raised his arms high. With a wordless command, the three guards from before rushed at Raiden. As they reached Raiden, they stabbed him in his abdomen from various points; one from the left, one from the right, and one in the centre.

Raiden didn't react. Instead, his laugh grew louder, crazier. The three guards stepped back in shock.

"Hahahahahaha!" Raiden grinned maniacally. "Doktor!" He shouted over the CODEC. "Turn off my pain inhibitors!"

"W-what?!" Doktor gasped. "This is madness. Raiden! You-"

"Do it!" Raiden yelled. 'Heheh, I have a feeling I won't be needing it anyway…'

"A-alright…" Doktor looked away and disabled the inhibitors from his computer, just as asked.

Pain.

"HUAGH!"

All at once, pain enveloped Raiden's senses. His vision swam. He closed his eyes, trying to put it under control.

This feels familiar.

Like Neo-Mexico…

He felt cold, but everything was warm at the same time. His body felt weightless - it felt natural, like an athlete exercising for his entire life.

After years… everything felt…

Natural.

Something awakened inside of him. Raiden opened his eye, his vision finally settling on red. The white-haired ninja grasped the machetes that pierced him from the left and from the right. With a cry, he pulled them out.

"RRRRRARGH!"

Red blood sprouted everywhere. Faster than most could see, Raiden spun while still gripping the machetes tight, slashing all three guards in one clean manoeuvre. Their cut-in-half bodies, sparking with electricity, fell to the ground with a thud.

His body stopped spinning. "Hahahaha…." Raiden wrapped his hands around the final machete. "If it's a fight you want…hrgh-…". With a roar, he ripped the machete off of his abdomen. He chuckled as he gripped it tight. "Then I'll fight you without holding back!"

Monsoon's mouth opened slightly. He was intrigued.

"But then again…" Raiden gave the machete an experimental twirl. "The question is…"

He raised it and pointed at Monsoon. "Who comes next?"

When Monsoon didn't react, Raiden turned the sword towards Jaune. The samurai responded by raising an eyebrow.

Jaune analysed his... rival…. for lack of a better word. 'His wounds….' Jaune noted Raiden's blood-littered abdomen. 'They're glowing... keeping it from bleeding too much, but not healing. It can't heal cybernetic wounds. But it's keeping him stable. Just enough for him to keep going.'

"You know what that is." Pyrrha spoke beside him. "It's Aura."

'But it's odd, don't you think?' By now, Jaune had accepted "talking" back to these hallucinations. Eh, not like he can deny it any longer. 'I think his semblance's also in play…'

"If I had to hazard a guess," Someone else said. Indigo, huh? Who would've thought? "I'd say his Aura is his Semblance. They're one in the same."

'…Huh' Jaune thought. 'Interesting…'

"But this isn't anything good, Jaune." Ren said. "Imagine all the bloodshed…"

'And there it is.' Jaune thought. 'I already told you guys. There's no point in denying it. Fighting will cause harm, physically and mentally. Whether that's anything good… a lot of the times we go to war are subjective. Hunters and Huntresses, aren't we just perpetuating the cycle?'

"But there's something good out there, something that's undeniably good!" Ruby denied. "We can't just turn our backs! We can't let people just suffer, Jaune!"

'And yet when we save people, just how many other people did we harm in or quests?' Jaune bit back.

No one answered. Everybody had disappeared.

Jaune sighed. It was clear what was happening to him. When he destroyed the tablet back in Neo Mexico, all of his nanomachines started spiralling out of control. And thus, his Aura started coming back.

Did he even want it back?

It didn't help that his Aura messed with his nanomachines even further once it was unlocked. Nanomachines were strictly incompatible with Aura, he knew that. And without the specifically designed type to lock it away, strange things started to happen to his other sets of nanomachines.

So far, he managed to hold back his Aura a bit, preventing it from resurfacing again. It was a constant battle every second he breathed.

One that he felt he was losing rapidly.

Was his hallucinations a result of the failing nanomachines, or was it his mind going insane?

Jaune got off the wall he was leaning on. However, instead of walking towards Raiden, turned around and entered World Marshall HQ.

'The old man's got a mission for me, right? Better get to it, then.' He idly thought. 'I'm not sticking around here any longer. I've seen what I needed to see.'

Jaune smirked. 'So in the end, he awakened his own, huh?' Jaune chuckled. 'Who would've thought?'

Raiden grinned and pointed the machete back at Monsoon. He threw the machete at Monsoon's feet. Its sharp edge planted on the tiles on impact. His feet inched to his HF Sword. With grace, he kicked it up and caught it with his right hand. Raiden readied his stance.

Monsoon smiled. "So in the end, you're just the same as us huh?" He twirled his sai. "You accept the bloodshed that comes with war? That it doesn't matter what our opponents think? That "

"What I think, huh?" Raiden laughed out loud. "Heheh…. Hahahahahaha!" His visor flicked down, his teeth bared in a mad smile.

"I think it's time for Jack…. to let 'er rip!"

Monsoon grinned himself, his helmet sliding down to cover his entire face. He held his sai at the ready. His stance was eager, ready to get this party started.

"Rargh!" Raiden charged at Monsoon, gripping his HF Sword tight. Monsoon dodged nimbly, letting the blade fly past his chin. As he titled downwards, he kicked Raiden in the side, flinching the white-haired ninja. Monsoon let his feet drop back down and charged with his sai, swinging it downwards towards Raiden. Raiden blocked it, his sword in a reverse grip. He turned around and attempted to riposte the attack, however, Monsoon had already leapt back.

Raiden prepared to chase him. Before he could, Monsoon threw something at his feet. It burst into smoke, covering his entire field of vision. He attempted to look around with his visor.

"Red Phosphorus, Jack! Infrared is useless!"

That voice! From his right!

Raiden brought his sword up to his right, just in time to block Monsoon's strike descending from the air. The white-haired ninja attempted to strike back, but he was too slow. Monsoon had already disappeared back into the toxic fog.

"Come on, too slow!"

Left!

Raiden blocked his left, just in time to stop Monsoon's attack. Normally, his feet would wobble from moving so fast. But not now.

Something inside of him had awakened, mentally. It was like his usual barriers when fighting had been destroyed, scattered to pieces. As such, normal physical limitations went out the window.

"Show me your skill!"

Raiden blocked another strike, this time from behind him. "Heheh, so that's how it is…" Raiden muttered. Then, he smirked. "Where's all that talk? You want a fight?! COME OVER HERE AND FIGHT ME, MONSOON!"

However, Monsoon didn't come.

Raiden waited with bated breath and adrenaline-high expectation. No, Monsoon wouldn't dupe him. He's certain that Monsoon would attack from his front. No other angle. He was sure of it. But why hasn't it come?

He heard the sound of metal shifting around. What could it mean...

After all, sound was one of the few senses he could still rely on. But he couldn't make heads or tails of the shifting metal sounds he's hearing right now.

Then, all of a sudden, the red phosphorus smoke around him cleared, leaving his field of vision easy to see. His eyes widened beneath his visor when he saw what was coming.

"Let's see how you handle this, Jack the Ripper!"

Monsoon stood atop one of World Marshall HQ's gate pillars, hand outstretched pointing at him. Behind him, several military vehicles made out of metal floated in mid-air. Monsoon beckoned them forth. As one, they flew from behind Monsoon towards Raiden.

Raiden closed his eyes momentarily. No, this wasn't just something from his mental side. It was like a new power. Something he could have never imagined to be real. This ease of movement, this ease of fighting… it wasn't something a normal human could do, cyborg or not.

He opened his eyes once again. As expected, that… power…. helped him see things clearer. Act upon the information that his eye gave him faster.

Raiden saw the attacks coming like it was from a mile away. He dodged the vehicles, leaping high and slashing them apart as they flew below him. They landed on the ground in pieces, just in time as Raiden appeared upon Monsoon, the two of them staring at each other at eye level.

If Monsoon still had eyes, they'd be wide open. He tried to move away from Raiden, but it was useless. With newfound power and speed, Raiden swung down at Monsoon. The attack hit Monsoon true, forcing him to tumble into the floor below.

Raiden landed on the pillar Monsoon was on. He quickly jumped back down landed right in front of Monsoon just as the latter managed to get up.

"Come on…" Raiden growled. "Heheh.. is that all you've got?!"

Monsoon shook his head as he stood back up. "Hah! Not quite yet, Jack." He jumped back, landing on the celling he made his entrance from before. Monsoon lifted his hand.

Military vehicles from around World Marhsall HQ floated to the Cambodian. They joined themselves together, all while Monsoon bared his teeth. In the end, a massive wheel made up of large military vehicles was formed. Monsoon pointed his hand at Raiden. With surprising speed, the wheel charged straight towards Raiden.

'Exciting!' Raiden thought. He braced himself, holding his sword tight in his parry position. The wheel hit Raiden dead on, forcing him to skid back some centimetres away. However, the wheel wasn't done. It reversed, preparing to attack Raiden again.

Raiden kept his guard up, blocking the next strike. Again, he skidded back. Raiden growled. He roared as the wheel came at him again. This time, instead of merely blocking it, he pushed it back. As it recoiled from his force, Raiden leapt high. He moved fast, faster than he normally could. He sliced with speeds unseen by the naked eye, cutting the wheel up into multiple pieces. He landed back on the ground with grace as the wheel exploded behind him.

Monsoon jumped down from the pole he was perching on. A circular part of his visor extruded, his body exuding more of that purple aura from before. He jumped at Raiden, soaring high in the sky. In the apex of his jump, he gripped his sai in reverse. He descended fast, swinging HF Dystopia as he did so. Raiden blocked it, attacking back with a downwards swing. However, he didn't expect Monsoon's body to split apart precisely where his sword had swung.

'Fuck!' The ninja thought. 'Bladewolf's warning!'

Raiden didn't miss a beat. He shifted his stance and swung again, and yet he was met with the same results. That didn't deter him. He kept swinging and swinging, forcing his enemy to keep splitting and splitting.

Monsoon grinned. His left hand separated from his left arm and moved to strike Raiden alone. Raiden noted this. Even a lone HF weapon can cause damage he couldn't afford. As such, he was forced to deflect it – stopping his attack string.

Monsoon laughed. This was what he was hoping for! Now, Monsoon attacked with his right hand, moving quickly to attack Raiden while he was still blocking. Raiden managed to block in time, however just. Monsoon attacked again, using his other hand. Slowly, the tables were flipped. Now, Raiden was the one forced on the defensive while Monsoon gleefully kept on the offensive.

Raiden grit his teeth. Damn it, he was reckless. He needed to do better! He dodged a particularly fast-moving sai. Raiden leaned back, the sai's edge barely missing his chin. He let his body fall down, caught by his hands as his feet moved upwards. In one smooth motion, he kicked Monsoon's chin.

The Cambodian cried out in surprise. As his body reunited and he staggered back, Raiden made his move. He rushed forward and swung his sword hard against Monsoon's head, shattering his body's unity and sending its parts scattered across the battlefield.

Raiden swung his swords as he ran, striking many of the parts that scattered. He reached his final objective, Monsoon's head. Raiden jumped, angling his sword down to impale the head to the concrete. He yelled as he descended, sword moving down fast.

However, Raiden was a fraction of a second too late. Monsoon moved his head just in time to avoid Raiden's sword. The tiles cracked from Raiden's landing, his sword piercing it easily. Monsoon's head flew behind Raiden, his body reforming to its complete state.

Monsoon took deep breaths. If he was human, he'd cough up blood. "So…" He rasped. "This is you without constraint…"

Monsoon smirked. "Then come on! JACK THE RIPPER!"

Monsoon leapt back. In the process, a circular part on his visor extruded and the purple aura surrounding him intensified. Monsoon de-attached all of his arm's components. They flew towards Raiden, each part separated physically but held together by purple electricity. The manoeuvre extended Monsoon's attack greatly. The floating hands swung their sai towards Raiden, all the while Monsoon smiled from far away.

Raiden grinned menacingly. He eagerly blocked the sai, the clang of metal-on-metal impact echoing as Raiden blocked and blocked the strikes.

Monsoon's hands finished their barrage in a dual swing with more power than before. Raiden smiled. He blocked the two sai in one move. As they staggered back from the block, Raiden riposted and stuck the two hands clean. All of their parts fell to the ground, the purple electricity dying out.

Monsoon didn't let up. He sent his lower body alone running towards Raiden. As they reached the ninja, they kicked him with unrelenting speed. Raiden blocked the strikes again, while Monsoon discreetly pulled back his fallen arm parts.

The metals clanged again as Raiden blocked and blocked. As before, he riposted the final strike. The legs fell apart as the arms did before them. However, Raiden was unable to act upon this. He quickly moved his sword to the left, blocking a strike that Monsoon did with his reformed upper body. Monsoon laughed like a maniac as he spun towards Raiden, gripping his sai in reverse as he slashed multiple times at his opponent. Raiden did his best to parry the movements, skidding back a few centimetres from each blow he parried.

"HHRARGH!" Raiden dug in his heels and blocked the final move. This time, he didn't skid back one bit. Monsoon recoiled back, not expecting to be blocked. Raiden bared his teeth. He gripped his HF Sword with two hands and swung down as hard as he can at Monsoon's head, once again shattering the Cambodian apart.

Raiden slashed away, damaging Monsoon's body parts even more. However, he was stopped when Monsoon released a magnetic charge, forcing him to fly back. He landed on one knee a few metres away, Monsoon reforming in front of his eyes once again.

The Cambodian, now reformed, staggered on his steps. He bent down, cybernetic wounds from Raiden's sword now visible as day. Normal electricity sparked from gashes and scars on his body. Monsoon gasped. With great effort, he stood straight once more. "So this is your form, huh, Jack?"

Monsoon cackled. He jumped back to the rooftop. With a yell, he lifted his two hands.

To Raiden's right, a tall, 80-metre decorative pillar was engulfed in Monsoon's signature purple glow. It was lifted and arrived in front of Monsoon. With little effort, Monsoon turned the pillar towards Raiden.

"Now what will you do, Jack the Ripper?!"

Monsoon descended his arms, and so too did the pillar descend. Raiden tensed and jumped, avoiding the pillar by a hair's breadth as it was planted onto the tiles below. He landed on the pillar, running along its upwards slanted surface. He jumped as he reached the edge.

A military vehicle came upon him. Raiden easily cut it in half, its parts splitting to reveal Monsoon charging from behind it.

"You're wide open!" The Cambodian growled. He appeared before Raiden, ready to swung his sai downwards.

Raiden was faster. He flipped backwards, his feet kicking Monsoon's chin. Monsoon cried out in pain and crashed against World Marshall HQ's walls. Raiden landed back at the pillar and launched himself feet first at the enemy cyborg. Raiden crashed against Monsoon, the impact cracking the walls behind him even further.

"Stop! No!"

Raiden kicked Monsoon again and again, forcing him deeper into the crater they made. With one final kick, Raiden leapt back and gripped his sword tight. He swung down, and with all the strength he could muster, sliced Monsoon diagonally in two.

Electricity sparked from Monsoon's body, now split in two from head to heels. The purple aura around him disappeared, as did the magnetic pull around him. The body fell to the ground, clanging from the impact.

The tiles cracked once again as Raiden landed from his final attack. He twirled his sword, cleaning it off of any blood. His visor retreated as he relaxed.

Raiden's codec rang. He quickly answered the call. "Dok," he greeted, voice still growly. "It's over. His memes… end here."

"A-are you alright?" Doktor asked quietly. "Your pain inhibitors… should I turn them back on?"

"Funny you should say that…" Raiden touched his abdomen's wounds. "I… don't feel pain, Dok. And-… wait…." Raiden pulled back his hands. He examined the wounds closely. "Dok, you seein' what I'm seein'? My wound's…"

"Yes, they are glowing red," Doktor confirmed. "However they are not leaking any more blood. Yet they are not fully healed either… Interesting, my friend. It seems this…" Doktor struggled to find the proper term. "…glow… is stopping the wounds just enough for you to stabilise, but not do any real healing."

"You installed something new in my systems?" Raiden growled. No venom, of course. That's just how his voice… is? Huh, something else to note about. "This glow also enhanced my systems, Dok. I feel so much stronger. Every sense I've got feels better than I could've dreamed of."

"Nein." Doktor denied. "However, this glow… the energy surrounding you, most likely from this glow, has a very familiar frequency. One that I have seen before, on Jaune's tablet."

"His nanomachines controlled something like this?" Raiden asked incredulously. "Then why didn't I see something like this when I first fought him?! It doesn't make sense…"

"Indeed it doesn't, my friend." Doktor agreed. "I wish I could tell you more, but as I told you before, my equipment during transport is limited. I am sorry, but it will have to wait."

"Gotcha, Dok." Raiden said.

Then, something unexpected happened. The power he felt before left him, his vision returning back to normal colours. The naturalness of his unnatural body left, back to the normal senses he was used to. And lastly, the glow from before dissipated. Immediately, his wounds began bleeding all over again. The numbness that the power granted him left.

The strength he just had disappeared.

"Urg!" Raiden knelt down from the pain. Quickly, he pulled out a pack of repair nanomachines he found before. He hurriedly crushed it in his hands. The wounds on his abdomen began to close, conventional technology taking effect.

"Raiden!" Kevin cried from Maverick's end. "You alright?!"

"Yeah, Kev." Raiden took a deep breath. "Yeah…

"You want me to turn the inhibitors back on?" Courtney asked. "I know you just denied it, but, after-."

"No, Courtney. Don't." Raiden stopped her then and there. "After all this time… I finally remember. Maybe killing just got too easy… maybe I forgot the stakes at play, gotten too used to it…" Raiden wobbly stood up. "But something's clear. I don't want this…" The last of his wounds healed, the last splashes of blood spurting out of his wounds. "For anyone else."

"Then stay safe, tovarich." Boris answered. "You know what's up ahead… do your best, old friend."

Raiden chuckled. "Heh. 'Best' just got a whole new meaning now…"

Jaune fell in the living quarters' hallway, leaning on one knee and against the wall beside him. He gasped for breath. His lungs felt shallow, his world was spinning and his was balance spiralling out of control. He could barely stand up, leaning against the wall as he struggled to walk step by step.

His final mission, to kill everyone in Solis.

Normally, he'd barely bat an eye at this. But these weren't just combatants. These were scientists, janitors, everyone. Even an 11-year-old child!

Was the mission different, or was it himself?

His hallucinations returned in full force. They talked about him as they stared. Their bodies crowded the entire hallway, even though they weren't really there.

A failure…

A murderer….

A fool….

Disgraced….

Useless…

Weak….

"Stop it…" Jaune muttered. "STOP IT!"

All at once, his senses were muted.

He felt like floating in midair.

Jaune coughed. He covered his mouth with his hands. As he pulled them away, he saw one thing.

Blood.

With great effort, he pushed himself back up. He took a step, one by one. His footsteps echoed loudly in his ears, the only sound that made it in. His vision was blurred, yet he could clearly see the route to his room.

He reached his room. He pushed his body against the door, opening it and falling to the floor behind it. He crawled to his bathroom door. Slowly, he managed to prop himself against it. He took deep breaths. His entire body shook.

His hands inched towards the bathroom door's handle. He opened it and carefully stepped inside. He staggered towards the sink, leaning against it with his hands. Blood from his hands stained the sink's edge.

He took deep breaths again. Slowly, he looked at the mirror.

In the mirror stood a blonde teenager, long hair reaching his neck and small bangs decorating his face. He had blue eyes, with an innocent charm towards them. He wore his family's armour in front of a black hoodie, hood down of course. He had his family sword strapped to his hip. The most interesting thing, however, was the large hole in the middle of his chest, dried out from any blood.

"Hey." The reflection greeted. Doppelgänger raised his hands. "Long time no see."

"Who-" Jaune coughed. "…stands… before me?"

"Your friend." Doppelgänger responded. "When I was young, and when you were hopeful. Even though I wasn't there… you knew I'd come back."

And well, that was a surprise. He could hardly believe it.

"I thought-" Jaune coughed again, closing his eyes in pain. He opened it again and spoke into his eyes. "I thought you died alone." He whispered. "A long, long time ago."

Doppelgänger rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh no, not me." He smiled. "I never lost control. And now, I'm staring face to face…"

"With the man who sold his self." Jaune finished, barely audible.

"That's right." Doppelgänger finished. "But I never left you. Some part of me was still buried deep within, fighting back against-"

"Then stop." Jaune finished. "It's pointless…" Jaune looked away. "for you… and for me."

"Oh is it?" Doppelgänger asked back. "You and I both know that Monsoon has lost. And even then, after accepting the many horrors of war, Raiden still pushed through. He found the good in it. He's going through World Marshall right now, trying to save those brains. He hasn't given up."

Jaune stayed silent. After a long while, Jaune decided to speak back. "And what would you have me do?" He asked. "We're too far gone. There's no way for us to go home." Jaune chuckled hollowly. His vision blurred. A single tear fell across his face. "There's no way to go back to the way things were."

Doppelgänger went to answer, but Jaune cut him off.

"Don't you think I've tried?" Jaune continued. "For a long while…I've searched for ways to come back to our homeland, even in the midle of my vigilante pursuits. When that didn't pan out, I tried to find a dream here. For years and years I roamed." Jaune gazed a gazely stare. "Face it. We're alone. There's no going back, period. Our life in Remnant died, a long, long, time ago."

"Really?" Doppelgänger asked. "Do you really think so? Maybe there is a way to come home. After all," Doppelgänger opened his arms. "You thought I died, but I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Then HOW?!" Jaune screamed. "How do I get back?!"

"Who knows?" Doppelgänger smirked. "Not me. But one thing's clear. You want to go back, don't you? You want to do good things. But…" Doppelgänger smirked. "We've realised one important thing. How dark the world can be. That much of fighting results in bloodshed. Like it or not, we're different from Hunters and Huntresses. We can't get caught up in idealistic dreams, not anymore."

"…"

"But that doesn't mean we can't do good things. That there is no good in the world."

"…"

"Now, do you remember?" Doppelgänger asked. "Who you truly are? What we always wanted to do? What we want to do next?"

"…Yes."

"We fought for years on end. For various reasons. Some good, some bad. It's left a mark on us, somewhere deep in our soul. We're who we are from our experiences. I am Jaune Arc, and you are too. No…"

"He's the two of us, together." Jaune finished. "We can't escape each other. We are one."

Doppelgänger smirked. "Yeah, that's it. Then after this, there is no us…"

"Only me." Jaune finished.

"From here on out…"

"I am Jaune Arc."

The Doppelgänger disappeared. Jaune cleaned every trace of blood. He gazed at the mirror again. It was empty now, only showing himself as he is.

His body flashed with Aura. The feeling fully returned, though it was still fighting his nanomachines.

Ah, how fresh this truly feels. Jaune flexed his metal hand. Looks like it still works to some degree. He took in a deep breath. It filled his lungs. He exhaled, the wind blowing out of his nose.

He punched the mirror with his metal hand. The mirror cracked and fell to pieces. A vicious smirk overcame Jaune's face. With confidence, Jaune turned his back and walked out, the sounds of gunfire echoing throughout World Marshall HQ as Raiden began his assault.

End scene! This chapter's been particularly long just 'cause there's just so many things to wrap up. Plus I don't feel writing this one is easy. I really want this to turn out good, and the result is what you see.

And yes, I did kinda rip the last scene out straight from MGSV. :p

Was it good? Did I try too hard? Let me know in the reviews!

See you next time!

Now, time to respond to the reviews!

To 4dv1ct0r14m2017, yes, Jaune will meet Raiden in this chapter, though it won't be their duel just yet.

To Skeletalrepublic, why thank you! As usual, I try my very best!

To ShortyMcCoy, I hope this chapter satisfies you! Memes, after all!

To COBRS DARKNISS, I'm glad you liked the premise and plot! I'm sorry that it's rather slow, yes, but I thought it'd be better to see Jaune change rather than making chapter 3 just Jaune jumping back in Remnant. I felt that'd be in poor taste, and we needed to properly see Jaune change. He can't be a carbon copy of Sam after all. Thus, here we are.

To Kabuto S. Inferno, regarding Jaune and Raiden's relationship, yeah, there'll be elements of that. They have interesting views that feed off of each other, especially in Remnant. And yes, the culture clash will be a big point later on, specifically when Raiden and Jaune arrive.

To Serf in Turf, I'm sorry, but I haven't watch Maxor's video yet, so I can't really tell. Sorry!

To Kerrisive, I'm glad you liked it and that you're excited for more! I really do hope I manage to continue to do well and achieve everyone's expectations. For Jaune reuniting with his team, yeah, I plan on making it a real ride. Of course there will be mixed emotions. The world of the U.C and Remnant is different in so many ways, and the way they view conflict also differs greatly. And besides, there will be a scene where Jaune's rage will almost blind him, but that's for when the story reaches another arc (pun fully intended).

To BigE, all you need to know is that he can fit his suit beneath the attire from the beginning of chapter 1.