Greetings!
A month, and I've still got no progress on that RWBY binge.
The title of this chapter is inspired by the Yakuza Ishin soundtrack.
Sorry for the little break there, life kinda happened, as usual. Anyways! The poll has finally been closed, and the winners are… drumroll please… Summer and The Boss! Congratulations to those who voted, and for those whose selections didn't make the cut, I hope the little glimpses we've seen and will see will be enough to satisfy!
As always, thanks for all the support!
Enjoy!
Two Days Later…
With purposeful steps, Raiden walked briskly in the direction of the CCT Tower. After getting some reinsurances that what he was about to do was possible (albeit very taxing on his body and on resources) from Jade, he decided he didn't have time to waste anymore. It was time to get into contact, bringing up all the new intel he had.
Haven bustled with life around him as he continued on his little journey. Students talking, training, Hunters patrolling and giving guidance, and construction members rebuilding the ruins.
Raiden's eye narrowed as he spotted a figure among the many members of Haven walking around. Taking a little detour from his path, he approached the figure just as she finished a call and closed her Scroll.
The figure turned around just as Raiden reached her. She gave him a small nod, wrist now already healed. "Raiden."
"Beryl." Raiden growled. Raiden looked around. None of the others seemed to give her a second glance. "Made yourself at home, huh?"
"I'm plannin' on staying, if that's what you're wondering." Beryl shrugged. "I just rang up the Storm. They'll be coming by shortly."
Raiden turned back to Beryl, hand inching to HF Crocea's hilt. "Trying another takeover?"
"To help." Beryl rolled her eyes. "What's it take for you to believe me, eh?"
"Maybe start explaining why you decided to change all of a sudden."
"Sorry, but." Beryl looked down at Raiden and smirked. "It's personal."
Raiden growled. "Are you really doing this to meright now?"
"Do you want to hear my entire life story?"
Raiden scoffed. "We don't need to go that far."
"Then trust me and leave it at that. And besides, you think after what they did to Raven, I'm stupid enough to make a move against them?"
Raiden's memories flashed back to the day before. A day after Tai's ascension, there had been an incident with Raven. He was there, of course, to give his two cents on the matter…
But ultimately, it was Tai's decision to make. What matters is that the problem's been dealt with. But still…
"So you're siding with us to save your own skin?"
"A bit deeper than that. I just don't want history to repeat itself too similarly. Taking advantage of Hunters, let's just say I don't like that at all. We're supposed to be the strongest, not some brain-dead guns-for-hire." Beryl said. "Now, don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Tch." Raiden pulled his hand back from HF Crocea's hilt and stepped back, preparing to go back to the CCT route. Before he turned around, however, he made the universal 'I'm-watching-you' motion to Beryl.
Beryl chuckled and waved him off as Raiden made his way to the CCT.
Eventually, the ninja arrived and went straight to the room on the highest level via lift. As the door opened, he saw Jade setting things up for him.
The room had been intensely modified, with cables littering the inside and a modified central console that controlled the entire thing. Still, it had elements of the old CCT tech; they didn't have time to make a new one from scratch, after all.
"Sorry it took a bit longer." Raiden stepped inside the room as the lift door closed behind him. "Had a detour to make."
"It's fine! Still needed to figure these last ones out anyways." As Jade finished his preparations, Raiden stepped into the center of the room, right in front of the CCT's screen.
"And… we're done!" Jade stood up and dusted off his hands. "Everything should be in order for your call, Raiden. You are at 100% capacity, right?"
"Yeah. I've got some Dust crystals to keep me going too, just in case." Raiden fished out Electricity Dust crystals from his pockets and showed them to Jade. "Think these'll be enough?"
"Hm… maybe for about two minutes extra or three." Jade rubbed his chin. "Still, you better wrap it up fast."
Raiden nodded. "Start the process, then."
"Alright." Jade turned around, walking towards the CCT central console. "Just so you understand…" Jade turned his head to look at Raiden from the central console. "You do know that the calls will be unencrypted, right?"
Raiden nodded.
"And while I don't think they'd be able to trace the signals, well… You should keep it safe."
"Don't worry. I trust the person I'm calling." Raiden reassured Jade.
"Yeah… so long as you remember." Jade turned back and started messing around with the control console.
As Jade continued, the hum of electricity began filling the room. Various glows leaked from the wires, and the screen started to flicker on. Raiden himself felt his fuel cells being drained, electricity being ripped to a nearby power absorber to intensify his signal distance.
"Good to go, Raiden! You've got five minutes! Shoot it!"
Raiden took a deep breath and pressed a hand to his ear. Dialing through his CODEC frequency, he picked the one most important to him.
'147.49… Here we go.'
Ring ring! Ring ring!
Despite himself, Raiden can't help but fidget a bit. 'Come on… pick up…'
Ring ring! Ring rin-!
The other side finally picked up, and the screen in front of him showed a video of said person, sitting in their living room. Seeing her again, Raiden couldn't keep the smile off his face.
"…Jack?"
Raiden smiled. "Hello, Rose."
"Jack!" Rose leapt from her seat, tears starting to fall. Again, if the tear stains on her cheeks told him anything. "I- you- where are you?!"
"I'm… a long way from home." Raiden shot a glance at Jade. The technician gestured to the screen, and Raiden continued. "I… don't think I'll be able to get back for a while."
"…Why?" Rose asked meekly.
"There's-Well- a lot's been happening. A lot more than Desperado and World Marshall." Raiden answered. "It's really important, and I-."
"Jack." Rose said firmly. "I don't expect you to always be with me, I get that. But-I-I-." She took a deep breath. "I can't keep thinking that you died, or that you're gone, or worse. Please."
"…I know." Raiden looked down, eyes at the floor. "I'm sorry."
"I married a fighter, that's something I know." Rose smiled a little, broken yet hopeful through tear-stained cheeks. Her eyes were red, but light was starting to go back into them. "But… We need you too. So don't run on your own. We can get through this, Jack, I know we can. Together."
"Together…"
"So…. you and me?" Her voice held a bit of hope.
Raiden looked back up and smirked. "Yeah… together."
Rose smiled wide. "I'm glad."
"Yeah… I love you."
"I love you too." Rose leaned back in her seat. "So-"
"Right. I suppose I should tell you what's up."
Jade shot a glance at Raiden, but Raiden waved him off.
Jade rolled his eyes. 'Fine then, it's your funeral.'
"Get comfy in your seat, Rose." Raiden smiled. "This is gonna take a while."
During Venom's briefing…
Raiden and Tai sat in the Headmaster's office, Venom standing before them in front of a large evidence board. It was littered with pictures, texts, and much more, with red strings connecting each of them to a single paper at the centre of the board. On the paper was written one simple word, or rather, name.
'SALEM - Means Peace in Arabic, nothing else than that'.
In all honesty, Tai and Raiden were both shocked and impressed. Venom got this entire board running in around two hours, and with this much detail? They almost lost themselves at all the connections, eyes darting back and forth. Grimmlands, Haven, Vacuo, 2684?!-
"Alright then." Venom clapped his hands together, knocking Tai and Raiden out of their reverie and focusing on him. "Let's get started."
Tai and Raiden watched Venom intently as he began explaining the board.
"It all starts here." Venom pointed to a paper pinned to the upper left of the board. The paper read '2684 – SKULL FACE/DIAMOND DOGS'
"Diamond Dogs?" Tai parroted.
"My former Private Military." Venom clarified, while Tai's eyebrows raised.
'No wonder he has experience in leadership.' Tai thought to himself.
"The Diamond Dogs were a private force, formed from the former members of Militaries Sans Frontières; MSF, for short." Venom began, a logo of various islands. "Our mission at the time was to take down Zero and his control of the U.C"
"The U.C?" Tai asked. "Never heard of that place before."
Venom shot a glance at Raiden. The cyborg gave a go-ahead, and Venom began to explain. Tai didn't miss this move one bit.
"The U.C is… how should I say it… a collection of nations formed under a single landlocked continent. We're separatefrom Remnant. More than that, we've developed our own technologies, and are free of the Grimm."
"Wha-I-How?!"
"Beats us." Raiden shrugged. "That's just how things are. That's where Venom and I are from, and where Jaune's been for the past two-and-a-half years."
Tai was perplexed. "How exactly did he get there to begin with?"
"Something with his Semblance, if I remember right." Raiden answered Tai.
"And you really have no Grimm over there?"
"Yeah." Raiden nodded. "But, there have been reports of planes and boats being destroyed every time they tried to go over the continent border. Seeing Remnant now, I'm guessing that was the Grimm."
"Unbelievable…" Tai leaned back into his chair. Of course Raiden and Jaune seemed so out of place in the beginning. That's because they truly were.
"Moving on." Venom spoke again, "After some… rather complicated events, we were set into the sights of one of our former allies. His name was Skull Face."
Raiden grimaced, and Tai shot a look at the cyborg. "Know something, Raiden?"
Venom motioned to Raiden. "Maybe you could pull up a shot of him?"
Raiden sighed and began scrolling through his database. "What'd you do if I didn't pack a database…"
After a little while, Raiden finally found the picture and pulled it out in a hologram. He projected it to the board, clear for Tai and Venom to see.
Tai took a good look at this 'Skull Face'. Looking at his features, he noted that they were similar to Venom pre-restoration. But, his eyes didn't have the wild, feral gaze that Venom had. Instead, he was smirking, holding his hat in his hand and eyes piercing and searching.
"Hold on." Tai said. "He looks a lot better than you did, back when we first thought. Almost like he was actually conscious the whole time."
"That's because he was." Venom said. "He was calculating, smart, and truly believed in what he was doing. The Grimm parts kept him alive, but it didn't eat away at his brain."
"So then what made you different?"
"He explained this to me when we met. The key is embracing hatred."
Tai's eyes widened. "Embracing..?"
"He knew what he was doing right from the start. From that, he didn't need anything else. The normal parasite worked exceptionally wellon those who were already filled with hatred."
"He went through that willingly!?" Tai shot up from his seat. "What the fuck!?"
"His motivations are a whole other thing, and that's way too long. I am not getting into that Jeep ride right now." Venom spoke back, "What's important to note is that he accepted the Grimm, and that they, in turn, accepted him back."
Raiden spoke up next, "And Big Boss didn't?"
"I was forced into this; that's the difference." Venom spoke. "Skull Face was the one who 'made' the Grimm parasites. He did tons of research with various lifeforms to get the desires he wanted. He had his own unit too – The VOIDs. But since all of them were forced into the Grimm, they weren't as strong or as conscious as Skull Face. They were almost zombies in consciousness, kind of like how I was when I first met Tai, but nowhere near as strong."
"After we took Skull Face down, my partner and I decided to look into it some more. As you already know, the Grimm parasites could be cured via Aura injection to the throat. What you didn't know, however, was that the parasite I had was an – improved, shall we say- variant."
"Improved?" Tai echoed back.
"Mutated." Venom said. "The VOIDs wouldn't have stood a chance against a Hunter, not a chance. Judging from when you fought me, I had a higher degree of cognitive ability and more strength in the Grimm side, not to mention actually doing the job despite my best efforts. That leads me to the next point. This isn't the first time I've encountered a mutated Parasite either. It's actually-"
"Wait just a second." Tai stopped the snake. "What'd you mean by 'actually doing the job'?"
"Let's say I have some experience in brainwashing procedures. I'd feel it if I were to go through with it again, and that was exactly what I felt. I suspect Skull Face did the same to the VOIDs. Back when I first met them, I heard them whisper my name. Over, and over, and over…"
'Snake… Snake… Snake…'
Venom shook his head. "Regardless. When their brainwashing failed, they added another ingredient to the process, one that forced obedience to its hosts. But I can't remember what that was."
Venom pointed to another paper on the board.
OTHER INGREDIENT?
"You sure you don't have a clue?" Raiden asked. "This is vital information here. Anything that seems weirdly magical... what about Raven?"
"Raven?" Tai echoed.
"Right. You must be wondering about that too." Venom pointed to another paper on the board, accompanied with various pictures of women Tai vaguely recognised were featured on Remnant's history books.
"These women are called Maidens. They have the power to manipulate wind, earth, electricity, fire, and who knows what else. These powers are separated from Aura usage, and with proper training, well…"
Tai's eyes hardened. "You get someone that can deal out damage like Raven."
"Exactly." Venom nodded. "There are four of them, but I don't get how their powers are passed on. And only four at a time have ever existed, and they always remain secretive. Other than Raven here, the others are still firmly under the radar."
'Which means I need to deal with her soon…' Tai thought in his head. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Back to the other ingredient. You really have no clue?"
Venom shook his head. "No, sorry. I'll tell you if something comes up. But until then, we'll just have to focus on this." Venom pointed to another part of the board. This one read the following words.
VALE.
"I took a lot of missions when I was under her. 'Course, some of 'em were bound to stick. Lots of them focused on Vale for… around the last two years, give or take."
"Lines up I guess…" Tai rubbed his chin. "Let me guess. Dust robberies?"
"Yeah." Venom said carefully. "Assassinations, White Fang… you're on to something?"
"Anything about Beacon, V?"
Venom gasped and stumbled back.
"V?!" Tai got up quickly. Venom held him back with an outstretched hand, the other on his head.
"I-I'm okay." Venom gasped. "Beacon… yeah. Now I remember." He took a deep breath. "I was going to explain my Vale activities, but now it makes so much sense. Everything just came flooding in. Salem… Salem wants to take down Beacon."
Tai swore.
Raiden closed his eyes.
"But… who exactly does she think she is?" Tai began. "Sure she's got agents, and maybe people like you, but what makes her so special that she thinks she can take down Ozpin?"
"She can control the Grimm, Tai. As far as I know, she's done it for decades."
"You're saying everything that's happened with the Grimm, that's HER?!"
"To an extent." Venom replied. "It stands to reason that, with both Leo's activities and my own as evidence, she wants to destroy all of Remnant. With the backing of the Grimm, numerous infiltration agents, not to mention the abilities of the Grimm Hybrids including herself, that goal is very much within the realm of possibility."
"But why this 'Ozpin'?" Raiden asked. "I've got a feeling there's more than just being a Headmaster."
"I've got a feeling too." Venom said. "All of these Maidens, they've all been historically monitored by certain figures in power. That latest person being-."
"Ozpin." Tai finished. Everything clicked into place.
"We don't have much time." Venom said grimly, standing straight. "She already has people like me there, not to mention her control of the Grimm. Two of them… But I can barely remember who!"
'And of course she can control the Grimm too.' Tai thought bitterly.
"We'll just need to prod you with things like just before." Raiden said. "Hopefully you'll get another memory rush."
"Yeah… Leo's files might give us a clue…" Tai muttered. "Well then, we've got to prepare ourselves now, don't we? Raiden, you're going to bring Jaune up to speed?"
"You got it."
"Good. Everyone, dismissed."
Of course, Raiden didn't tell Rose everything about that. Just the necessary information to get his points across. And hearing Tai's story, he couldn't help but appreciate his wife just a tad bit more.
Rose chuckled. "Well then I guess you've got your work cut out for you again, huh?"
Raiden sighed. "You can say that a thousand times over."
"Well, you know I'll always be by your side." Rose reassured him. "Just give me a call whenever you need it. I'll be ready, like we used to be."
"Of course." Raiden smiled.
"Oh, and you want me to pass this message on? The call's unencrypted anyways, so…"
"Maybe Boris and the crew. No one else."
"Boris and Maverick. Got it." Rose nodded. "I bet we'll be getting investigated soon. I'll be in touch, with Maverick and with you."
Raiden let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Rose."
"It's no problem." Rose giggled. "Actually, it's quite the coincidence you decided to call today."
Raiden's head shot up again. "Oh? What about it?"
"It's the 29th of April!"
"Oh." Raiden chuckled. "The day I met you."
"Just didn't want you to forget~!" Rose waved at the camera with a smile. "See you, Jack!"
"Yeah…" Raiden waved back. "See you, Rose."
Cut!
"Heartwarming."
Raiden shot a look at Jade. The mechanic chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, it's not my head on the block. You wanna explain what happened to Tai, be my guest."
Just then, Raiden received a call from Tai. He prepared to explain himself, while Jade watched intently from the side. No matter what happens, he didn't regret calling Rose one bit.
Raiden picked up the call. "Tai. What's the matter?"
"…It's Jaune."
Raiden stilled. 'What?'
"He's gone missing."
"Miss, I need you to stay calm-"
"No!" Scarlet struggled against the doctor's grip. "No, take me to him!"
"Miss, we need you to rest!" Another doctor pushed herself against her patient. "We'll find your brother, we promise!"
"So he's missing?!" Scarlet grew more hysterical. "You can't let him get away! You don't know what he's going to do if he's free!"
"Miss, please-!"
"Let her go."
"H-Headmaster!" The doctors turned around. Tai stood behind them, arms crossed. "A-are you sure?"
"Yeah." Tai said, "Let me talk to her. Alone."
With wordless nods, the doctors left Scarlet's room. Tai and Scarlet stood across one another, the Arc's expression frantic and Tai's calm.
"Now," Tai began, taking a step towards Scarlet. The girl flinched, but Tai paid her no mind. "Jaune's gone missing, and I've got a feeling he left you a clue. I need you to tell me everything you know"
"Wh-what makes you think I'll tell you anything?"
"I care for him too." Tai said. "But we've got threats all around us. We need to stick together if we're going to survive."
"Jaune's not in danger from any enemies…" Scarlet whispered to herself. With shaking hands, she handed Tai her Scroll, prepared to play Jaune's voicemail.
Tai took the Scroll and pressed Play.
Fall.
If he was being honest, it was his favourite season. Leaves turning red and falling, orange hue and cool winds... It's a time that marks change, preparing for the future.
He savoured this feeling as he walked inside a familiar forest. He saw leaves falling, the afternoon sun shining between red trees, his feet crunching against fallen leaves. A breeze blew past him, his ponytail swinging back and forth and bangs swaying slightly on the sides of his face.
"You can't really think much in the heat of the moment. Adrenaline rushes are intoxicating, but in the few silent moments I've had since I got here… I started thinking a lot. And in the end… I wish I did a lot of things differently. No, that's not it. I just wish things didn't end up like this."
This place, this forest, held a lot of memories for him. Training with his sister, weekends with his family, all things he held close to his heart. But the place was abandoned now. The mansion was in ruins, the grass was barely kept, and he had the feeling the Grimm were beginning to swarm in again.
All that remained, he couldn't put it into words.
"Even back in the U.C, I wished I could go back to my old life. The things I wished for piled up like a mountain, but I never had the certainty in myself that I'd ever get it back. So I stopped trying. After all, what's the point? I had nothing left."
"In that way, I failed you. I failed everyone and everything I stood for. And in the past few years, I've seen a lot of different fighters and warriors."
He finally reached his destination, a clearing in the middle of the forest. Compared to the rest, this was kept tidy. The grass was trimmed, the trees proper, and no Grimm in sight. In the middle of the clearing was a plaque with one name, petals of roses surrounding the grave.
Jaune Arc.
"I saw a man that thought the ends justified the means. I saw someone with unbreakable will, who refused to change his ways no matter how hard I tried. I saw a woman whose only home was on the battlefield, another man who thought violence was constant in humanity's existence. So many people, so skilled in many ways… And in the middle was me, a boy in over his head with nothing but the skills to kill."
He came to a stop before the grave and looked down on his name.
"They fought with everything they had… for their own reasons. But still they fought, and so much blood was shed from it. I fought too, killed for even less, and in the end I had nothing to show for it."
"I deserved the worst, I killed for practically nothing. I was ready to dig myself in even deeper. But then suddenly I had a second chance, and the old life I wanted so much was suddenly before my very eyes."
He almost scoffed. What a joke. He didn't deserve to be honoured. After all, he always failed in what he wanted to do. Everything he tried to do, everyone else always ended up getting hurt. Scarlet, Master Rodrigues, Tai, all the others...
"So was fighting wrong? No… that wasn't the answer."
"I simply lost sight of what was important. I let the world break me, and I didn't try to fight back. I lost and didn't get up."
"You can lose yourself in fighting. It's almost laughably easy."
"Scarlet…"
"As I saw things in a new light, I couldn't stand back and watch my family and friends make the same mistakes I did. To see for how little people will kill another, and to lose faith in the truth of fighting. Losing their identities, becoming nothing but purposeless mercenaries."
"Scarlet… I wanted to protect you, but instead I pushed you further away. It was easy to say I didn't want any harm to come to you. But I didn't see how wrong I was in keeping you from what you want."
So then, what's the solution?
He didn't like the thought growing in the back of his head.
"I can't stop you from fighting. If you want to see justice be done, then so be it. The world needs someone who will fight for what's right. Thinking about the people I've met, how cruel it all was… I can't find the words."
"I won't call myself a hero, even a Hunter by any stretch. One day I'll die. Maybe in a gutter somewhere, or in the middle of a forest surrounded by Grimm and bandits. Even so, by the time you hear this, you won't need to think about me anymore. Just know that you have my blessing to fight for the truth."
"But please, don't try to avenge me as a family would a fallen brother."
"…My life isn't worth that much."
"That's my final request to you, Scarlet."
Yet judging from the red eyes peeking behind the bushes, the Grimm were more than happy to oblige.
Raiden brought his car to a stop. He felt the G's slam him forwards, but it didn't matter. As soon as the car stopped, he got out and ran to his arrived destination.
An abandoned town, long since destroyed. Forest surrounded them, red leaves and setting sun marking the entrance of fall season.
Raiden ran into the ruins without any second thoughts. He scouted for any clues to Jaune's whereabouts.
'Disappear to where it all began...'
The town was destroyed quite thoroughly. Nature has begun to reclaim the rubble, weeds and grass growing through the cracked stone path. He couldn't begin to count the number of ruins he walked past without any clues, electricity bouncing off his heels.
'Dammit, you can do better than this, Jack! Think! Where'd Jaune go?!'
One building; no significance. Ten buildings; nothing more. Dammit dammit dammit!
Raiden kept running, eventually reaching the edge of the town. He came to a stop in front of a large, ruined manor. He took a deep breath once he saw the just-barely visible plaque of the manor's name, on a wall that's just barely standing.
Arc Manor.
Raiden swore and looked down. Faint traces of footsteps, leading inside and through the manor. The ninja immediately rushed inside, following the footsteps lead.
It went through the manor, leading to the forest behind it. Raiden followed the track, going deep into the backyard forest.
Bodies of Grimm lay around his friend, dead.
"Hey, Jack."
"…Jaune." Raiden began slowly. His eye trailed to HF Murasma, withdrawn and held in Jaune's left hand. "Turn around, slowly."
Jaune didn't respond.
"Come on, Jaune."
Slowly, Jaune's legs began to shift. He turned around, head tilting to face Raiden with empty eyes slightly covered by his bangs.
Jaune's left hand twitched.
Raiden's eye narrowed. "Come on, Jaune. Be reasonable."
"…It's useless, Jack."
"Jaune-"
"Come on." Jaune chuckled, empty. "We both know that there's no life other than this. We'll fight and fight, destroying everything in our path. When something happens, it happens because of us."
"That doesn't mean we can give up. Whether we're here or not, bad things will always happen."
"That doesn't mean we get a free pass either." Jaune scoffed. "War… there'll only be one of us standing in the end. And you think it's worth it? Give it some thought, Jack, you know I'm right. Child soldier, manipulated special agent, unwilling cyborg. You think you'll ever get some rest? Ever get back and live with your family?"
"…"
"The people close to us, they'll always be in our enemies' crosshairs no matter how hard we try. As we breathe, as we continue to fight, they'll be drawn to it one way or another. I can't stop it. You can't either. So why bother anymore?"
"Scarlet's woken up, Jaune." Raiden said firmly. "She misses you. She wants you to come back."
"People don't know what's best for them." Jaune spoke. "She didn't, I didn't. But now my path's clear. No one will have to worry about me anymore, and my family will be free. The world will be all the better for it."
"You're throwing everything away." Raiden spoke. "And what if something happens even whe-if-" Raiden swallowed thickly. "If you're gone? You think running away from this is the best option?"
"This isn't running away. This is taking responsibility."
"Taking responsibility means facing the cold hard truth, and living with the consequences!"
"So the consequence is having my family DIE?! THAT'S EVERYTHING I DON'T WANT! SO TELL ME! WHY AM I STILL HERE?!" Jaune swung his sword. Gusts of wind blew from his swing, cracking the ground beneath them and almost slicing the gravestone behind him. "JUST TO SUFFER?!"
"…"
"Our old lives… a moment of peace… it's all just out of our grasp. You feel it too, don't you?! It won't stop hurting. It's like we can go back in time… But I know we can't. So why bother? We can just step away, and none of it will be our problem anymore."
"You're strong, Jaune." Raiden said. He meant that honestly. "We can do better next time. But if you leave everything behind here, I-." Raiden took a deep breath. "I can't fight them alone. We can only win if we do this together. If you don't give up now."
"And you guarantee that how? We can crush any Hunter in our sights… but will we ever get a victory? Face it, Jack. I'm done." Jaune turned around. "Tell Scarlet I love her."
Jaune began to step away.
That was, until he heard the sound of HF Crocea being withdrawn.
"I'm not letting you leave without a fight." Raiden pointed HF Crocea at Jaune, then lowered his stance. He held HF Crocea at the ready. "I'll cut you a deal. Let's see whose will is the strongest. If you really think that there's no hope… then I'll end your doubts, right here and right now."
Raiden lowered his visor. "Come at me, Jaune."
Jaune's mask lowered, his body going tense. His voice turned grave. "Then get ready…Jack!"
Quickly, Jaune turned around and dashed at Raiden, HF Murasama in a low slash. Raiden blocked and let HF Murasma slide against HF Crocea, stepping to the side. Raiden swung his sword down on Jaune, but the samurai dodged forwards. Jaune turned around and dashed at Raiden again.
The ninja narrowed his eyes as he saw Jaune approach. He saw Jaune coming closer and closer, sheathing HF Murasama, his finger itching on the trigger…
Then flashing away.
Raiden jumped up and turned his body around. He spun HF Crocea as he turned and swung it upwards…
Meeting Jaune's HF Murasama swing mid-air as the samurai descended.
Their swords' electricity clashed against each other, red and yellow fighting against each other. Their eyes shone with each of their beliefs. One of burning determination, and the other of hopeless acceptance.
Jaune Arc
The Lost Son of the Arc Family
They broke apart, landing a good distance away. Jaune brought HF Murasama at the ready, Raiden doing the same with HF Crocea.
Raiden prepared to dash in. He kept his foot on the ground, HF Crocea crackling-
"RAGH!"
'Shit!'
Jaune moved faster than Raiden expected. In an instant, he was already upon him.
Raiden hastily parried Jaune's attack. The block was sloppy, forcing Raiden to kneel from the blow. The ninja hastily tried to recover. He looked up and saw another attack coming from above.
"HYAH!"
Jaune brought his sword down. Raiden dodged to the side and HF Murasama hit the ground. Dirt was sent up the air, clouding Raiden's vision for just a moment.
In that single moment, Jaune moved to Raiden's back. Raiden kicked behind him, forcing Jaune back. Raiden jumped at Jaune, sword moving for a slash. Jaune blocked it mid-way, then pushed his opponent back. As Raiden landed, Jaune moved for a low upwards slash, but it was again blocked by Raiden.
Their grips pushed against one another, neither willing to relent. With a growl, Raiden turned his sword and forced Jaune's away. With Jaune staggering back, Raiden lunged for Jaune's chest.
A flash, and his lunge met empty air.
'Damn!'
Raiden twisted his sword and blocked to his left. A loud clang and HF Crocea met HF Murasma once again.
Raiden skid back and grit his teeth. 'Dammit, it's Monsoon all over again.' He twirled HF Crocea in his hand. 'Gotta make him slip up somehow…'
Raiden dashed forwards, HF Crocea held high. As Raiden approached, Jaune narrowed his eyes. He lifted his sword to block Raiden's attack-!
Raiden let go of HF Crocea mid-swing, instead ducking under Jaune's block. Before Jaune could react, Raiden slammed his fist into Jaune's gut.
"Ack!" Jaune doubled over. He snapped his head up at Raiden and glared hatefully. With rage, Jaune yelled and grabbed Raiden's head. Unable to break free, Raiden felt his head being slammed against Jaune's own.
"Ah!" Raiden staggered back to a crouch, a hand to his head and the other against the ground. He barely registered footsteps approaching, hand still patting against the ground. Dammit, where'd he dropped that sword-?!
Jaune leapt forwards. "RAAAAAARGH!"
Tap!
There!
Raiden swung upwards hastily. He caught the Jaune unguarded, cutting a wound right across his chest. His attack cut short, Jaune fell to the ground with uneasy steps.
Jaune brought a hand to his chest, right where the wound was. He pulled the hand away from the wound and looked at its marks.
Blood.
Jaune growled. Fuck!
Nothing ever seems to work!
Jaune saw sred. He lunged at Raiden again. In turn, Raiden unleashed the Ripper in a desperate attempt. He's not losing Jaune here, not by a long shot.
Even while using his semblance, this time Raiden kept himself relaxed. He kept his grip firm and his stance fluid. Listening to all his senses.
As expected, he saw Jaune flashed away mid-lunge.
Jaune landed to Raiden's right and swung HF Murasama in a chest-level slash. Raiden blocked it with HF Crocea. As soon as his attack was stopped, Jaune jumped back and flashed away.
Raiden turned to his left, and Jaune flashed back in. Raiden blocked the attack, and Jaune flashed away once more.
Above.
Raiden looked up and saw Jaune descending from right above him, HF Murasama set to skewer him to the ground. Raiden intensified the Ripper and met Jaune halfway. He jumped and grabbed HF Murasma with his bare hands. Raiden pushed the sword to the side. Before Jaune could pull away, Raiden threw an uppercut straight to Jaune's chin.
"Agh!" Jaune recoiled, and the two separated. Jaune flopped to the ground on his back. Meanwhile, Raiden landed and tried to open and close his fingers.
Raiden groaned, feeling his finger movements becoming restricted. He saw Jaune trying to get up again. Staggering back, Jaune leaned against a tree as his wound was still leaking.
Jaune huffed a breath. He gripped the tree behind him with his right hand and ripped it straight out. He hefted in above his shoulder, the weight inconsequential.
With a yell, Jaune threw the tree right at Raiden.
Raiden twirled HF Crocea and swung it down, cutting the tree vertically. As the tree split in two, Raiden looked up and heard the sound of gunfire.
Jaune was upon him, with his signature quick-draw attack.
"RARGH!"
Raiden ducked, Jaune's blade cutting the edges of his hair. Just before Jaune landed, he flashed and appeared against the bark of another tree. He fired his sheath again and rushed at Raiden once more. This time, Raiden jumped above Jaune. The attack missed again.
Jaune grunted and flashed away once more. Appearing against another tree bark, he aimed at the still-mid-air Raiden.
He pulled the trigger on his sheath.
Bang!
His body flew forwards, the sword firing out of its sheath. Raiden saw Jaune approach and prepared himself. Just as Jaune reached him, he parried HF Murasama and pushed it above. Grabbing Jaune's hand, Raiden yelled and threw his opponent to the ground.
Dust flew in the air just as Raiden landed. Raiden scanned the impact zone.
Jaune was nowhere in sight.
Then, he heard footsteps from behind him. Raiden's spun quickly and blocked another attack from Jaune.
"TAKE THIS!"
Clang!
BOOM!
Shockwaves were sent out into the air from the impact. Raiden and Jaune pushed their blades against each other, neither willing to give in.
After seconds of struggle, the two pulled apart, each taking a step back. Jaune roared and went for a low-to-high swing from the left. Raiden brought his sword down and met the attack halfway once again.
Clang!
BOOM!
Another struggle, another shockwave. Jaune pulled HF Murasama back and went in for a lunge. Raiden brought HF Crocea up and blocked Jaune's attack with the back of the blade.
Clang!
Raiden felt himself being pushed from the brunt of the impact, skidding back a few metres. He felt himself beginning to tire. Jaune's onslaught was constant, he didn't know if he could keep this up!
A flash of white, and Jaune was attacking him again. His sword was high, ready to cut Raiden down.
Raiden brought his sword up to block, but was surprised when it met thin air.
'What-? OOF!'
Raiden felt a kick slam right at his gut. Raiden doubled down, spit coming out of his mouth. Jaune roared and slashed HF Crocea downwards, right at Raiden's left shoulder.
"AAAAH!" Raiden fell to the ground face first and let go of HF Crocea, blood sprouting from his new wound. His arm wasn't torn off, but it was still a major hit.
Raiden tried to lift himself up, but he stumbled back down. He scowled as he turned himself around, now facing upwards. His arm was damaged, motor functions failing. Not to mention the leaking wound.
Raiden shook himself. He saw Jaune jumping, descending with HF Murasma ready to cut him down. Before Jaune could land the blow, Raiden kicked his feet up and struck Jaune in the chest wound again.
"Gk!" Jaune flew back, landing sloppily on the ground. Using this slight chance, Raiden forced himself up through his wounds and rushed at Jaune, not even getting the chance to bring HF Crocea.
Jaune clenched his fist in frustration and saw Raiden rushing forwards. With a yell, he met Raiden's fist with his own.
"RARGH!"
"HAH!"
Bang!
Their fists collided. They withdrew their hands and rushed in for high kicks. Their attacks met again. They stepped back for spinning kicks. Each struck the other's chest.
Each attack, mirrored by the other.
"HAH!"
"HYAH!"
"RAGH!"
"HAAA!"
Bang!
They struck each other's guts with their fists. They stepped back, staggering from the impact.
Raiden gasped for breath, looking intensely at Jaune. He seemed to be tired too, but his frustration won him over. Their swords were next to each other, right back at where they started.
Slowly, they lowered their stances and inched toward their swords. Getting up from their crouches, they both twirled their swords, each lowering into their stances. Their breaths started to even out and they inched closer to each other. Jaune sheathed HF Murasama, the clang of its guard meeting its sheath loud in the silent forest. Raiden responded in turn, bringing HF Crocea to his upper left side, its edge facing away from Jaune.
They were each within one swing distance to another.
Time seemed to freeze. The cold wind of fall, orange leaves falling down…
The peace didn't last.
Jaune pressed his trigger. HF Murasama flew out. Raiden brought his sword down with all his speed. The two swords met each other, just barely before HF Murasama could cut a new wound in Raiden's chest. Raiden skidded back, while Jaune finished his swing undeterred. Jaune quickly recovered and rushed at Raiden, sword held high.
All part of Raiden's plan.
Just as Jaune started to bring his sword down, Raiden shifted his grip on HF Crocea and threw it straight at Jaune's heavily telegraphed arm. Exhausted, Jaune couldn't react.
He watched as HF Crocea ripped through his right arm, his hand still gripping HF Murasama falling to the ground with a thud. He couldn't believe it. Now what was he going to do-?!
"JAUNEEEEE!!"
Raiden rushed in and punched Jaune right in the face.
"GAH!" Jaune felt himself flying back, falling to the ground and skidding to a stop once he hit a stone structure.
His gravestone once again.
He felt everything leave him. No Aura, No Murasama, no cybernetics.
Jaune slumped against his gravestone.
Everything was done. He really was no use at all.
Raiden sighed and relaxed. He felt his wounds still bleeding, but the matter wasn't too concerning anymore. After all, the fight was over.
Raiden walked to Jaune, who was staring blankly at the sky. He sheathed HF Crocea, HF Murasma planted on the ground next to Jaune.
"…Why?"
Raiden stopped in front of Jaune, listening for his rival to continue.
"Why do you keep coming back? Don't you want it all to end? Why keep fighting, other than the rush?"
"There's something I heard once that's stuck with me to this day." Raiden began. He took a knee and looked at Jaune. "We're not tools of the government or any higher-ups. Fighting was the only thing I was good at, but… at least I always fought for what I believed in."
"Something to believe in…" Jaune looked down and cast his gaze on Raiden's own. "What's yours, Raiden? We've done all this killing, but so far… nothing's come out of it. How could you still move forwards?"
"Killing's wrong, we both know that. But I'm fighting for more than myself. A future. For each person, they have their own…. Find something to believe in. And find it for yourself. When you do, pass it on to the future. But for what to believe in, that's something I can't give you."
"…"
"The world won't stand still for us, and neither will we for them. What we can do is move forwards for what's best. I can't guarantee the future for you, Jaune, or that no one else will be harmed. But if we do nothing, then I can guarantee that it will only be worse off. Think about Haven. How long do you think it would've gone on if we weren't there? How many more students would have fallen under Leo's schemes? Would your sister have been a part of them?"
Jaune flinched.
"We can't know everything. Can't know all the risks. But we can face it head-on with everything we've got. Together."
Raiden gave his left hand out to Jaune.
"So what do you say? Are you in with me, partner?"
Jaune looked at Raiden's hand. Then, he began to chuckle. With a firm grip, he grabbed Raiden's left hand with his own, giving it a firm shake.
"Fine then, Raiden." Jaune smiled softly. "You and me. One more time."
Raiden pulled Jaune up with a grunt. As they did so, Jaune grabbed his arm and HF Murasama. The two left the scene behind side-by-side.
The sun shone through the trees, casting light on a now-broken gravestone.
Thanks for reading!
There was originally gonna be one more scene, but I'll save it for later. Next up, Beacon watches a damning scene of the current situation. Meanwhile, Tai comes to terms with the new conditions he's in. All the while, the U.C prepares to send two of their residents, Bladewolf and a certain man.
Thoughts? Tell 'em in the reviews!
See you next time!
Review Responses:
To Afiandra, thank you!
To ThatYGuy, Hm, maybe I'll make another for the next part. Thanks!
To Aelmellin, thank you! Hopefully Tai can lead them right!
To SolSparda369, y'know, that's an awesome name. Might use it in the future. If so, you have my thanks! As for the mechanism of the HF Gun, I'm thinking more like a bullet-charged-in-the gun-based-thing. Longer the distance, the less HF properties it will have.
To kidfox287, you got your wish! She's in!
To TheCrimsonCommunist, thank you for the compliment! Thanks for reading, and glad that you liked it!
To RedDucky, she's in! Congratulations!
To Anon, oh there's gonna be a reaction all right.
To Skeletalrepublic, yeah, he's gonna learn about it. It's not gonna look good on Tai, but his head isn't exactly clear right now. He'll have to do his best to remain calm and not let emotions cloud his judgment, especially with his position now.
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, of course! You're right, their main problems would probably be how to counteract scummy plans. There's no low Cinder won't go, but with influence, that might change…
To Shashenka, thank you, glad you liked it!
To Rak0s, there's gonna be more for RWBY than that…
To Phantommore, mostly he's gonna be the guiding hand. Doesn't mean he loses his charisma, though. He was BB's clone after all, and there's a reason people were drawn to him in the first place.
To just a reader now a writer, Hm, Salem certainly knows. Ozpin to a degree, but much, much less so. As for RWBY and The Boss… we'll just have to wait and see.
To Gwynx, thank you!
To Kabuto S. Inferno, yeah, I certainly see your point. He's a very complex person, and dividing the line between what he wants for the good of the world and for himself is certainly tricky. Nevertheless, I apologize for the slight… mistake? Yeah, he is pretty tricky… And yeah, you think The Boss' gonna bend down that easily and be mindless? Hell no. But then again, her biggest flaw has always been her loyalty. And about politics, I'm gonna have to get around that real soon, don't I? Maybe in the next one, if the pacing fits. Also! Scarlet's awake, just not fast enough. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!
To GAIC0, hmmm, I'll have to recheck my grammar usage. Thanks for the heads up, and glad you liked it! It's been a pleasure :)
To Guest, 'course she isn't. But like hell will she ever admit it.
To Big E, What?
To VLF, yeah! People aren't gonna be as passive anymore.
To Azu, happy you liked it!
To Korst, I understand your frustration. Fusions aren't exactly the common way, I'll admit. However I've never been one too much for the different universe kinda thing, just that I don't really like it that much. Still, Aura peeps back at the U.C should be popping up soon.
To Mernom, not gonna be so much as a call home, more like a recording!
To Kerrisive, yeah, I'm trying to decrease it in the coming chapters, thanks for your suggestion! I understand how they might feel. It kinda clutters up the reading space, if it's used too often it also loses its importance factor. Also, thanks for the well wishes! I've been really full lately, and writing hasn't been easy. I'll try to check out Kengan Ashura and Kengan Omega, thanks to your word. I think this chapter concludes Jaune's inner battle with his place in the fighting world, so to speak. Question is, will his old life accept him for who he is? As for Tai, I'm aiming for a mix of several characters. Like, hm… Kenshiro's quest for lost love, All Might's position as an inspiration, Future Trunks' desperation for the future… and of course, Big Boss' battle between 'good' and 'right', as well as Venom's rage-filled quest and how empty it was in the end. And you know what, yeah, maybe I'll slow down a bit in the coming chapters, a little time to breathe like you said. Action's over, after all, and I've still got a lot of exposition character interactions/setups to make. As usual, thank you for the reviews and compliments! Glad to see you're still here, honest! :)
To Exodus12345, Hm…. Will they? Yeah, they'd probably attack immediately at least.