Hello again, everyone!
Sorry for the long wait, took a little break + finals for the year. Also, learned to draw more, as such got a new cover! It's Tai :)
Anyways! As usual, thanks for the support in all kinds!
Here's the new chapter, and I'm gonna try to start working on this a lot more.
Hope you enjoy!
The four of them stood straight in front of a large audience, eager to hear their results in Beacon. With sweat running down their brows and breaths growing short, they looked to each other for comfort. Hey, they got through Initiation together, right? At least they had each other to count on, right? Results be damned!
At least, that's what Tai thought. He didn't know if the others were the same. He sure hoped so, though! That Initiation was hard, even more so with the number of Grimm they had to take out, more than a hundred! He had a feeling that wasn't any of the faculties' intention, even if they managed to book it out of there and snag get the objective back to the start in time.
Tai took a look to his teammates. Summer was hiding deep within her cloak, only her silver eyes just barely peeking through. Raven was stand-offish, head pointed high and gaze uncaring of the crowd. Qrow, meanwhile, was just waltzing in place with no care in the world.
Well, let's just hope they all got through this… life's just getting started!
The Headmaster stepped up and spoke to everyone there. The crowd quieted down as his voice was heard.
"Summer Rose. Taiyang Xiao-Long. Raven Branwen. Qrow Branwen. You four have passed Initiation with flying colours, setting a record both time and Grimm elimination count. With that, we welcome Team STRQ, lead by… Summer Rose!"
"E-Ehh?!" Summer squeaked from her cloak. "I'm the leader? Me?!'
Tai barked a laugh and slapped a hand on her back. "Congratulations on the win, Summer!"
Qrow smirked and drawled out a genuine compliment. "Great job, cloakie."
Raven just scoffed.
Tai laughed as Summer tried to deflect the praise. When that didn't work, the crowd cheered and her cheeks flushed red, trying to save herself and hide behind her teammates.
Tai smiled in delight. Ah, Beacon was gonna be great!
Present Day, In A Bar In Mistral…
It wasn't a busy day for the bar. Granted, it hadn't been busy for the past week, but that wasn't the point. With the recent shift in power, Leo's fall and this newcomer grasping the loyalty of almost every Hunter and Huntress in Mistral, it was understandable that her business would slow down, loathe as she was to admit it.
But she had to persevere. She took control of Spider, she had connections everywhere, she had control. This wasn't a hurdle she won't be able to leap over.
With that in mind, Lil' Miss Malachite forced herself to appear calm. She stood straight in her seat, eyes focused on the bar door. There were four guards with her today, overkill for the rate of customers they were getting, but she didn't care. The rest of her organisation were scoping out the current power landscape, doing their best even against the rather Hunter population these days. In time, she'd get back in the game and have something against this 'Taiyang Xiao-Long'. She just had to be patient.
Ring!
Her focus turned to the opening door, ringing the bell above it. She internally smiled to herself. See, be patient and business would go be back to usual-!
Her blood froze when she saw who entered.
Taiyang Xiao-Long.
Dammit, did this guy have no idea of subtlety at all? Was he this ballsy?
Tai walked in with confidence into the bar. His eyes flicked around to the guards stationed around the bar, to the bar's furnitures, and finally to Lil' Miss Malachite sitting behind a table at the very end of the bar.
Tai felt the folder hidden beneath his Headmaster's coat, making sure it was still there. He felt relief when it was. It contained crucial information regarding their drones' findings in Vacuo. They automatically sent the results in as soon as they received, and he wanted to ask Lil' Miss for any information she had regarding it.
And the simple fact was, he didn't have time for any bullshit crime drama.
Tai took massive strides forwards, ignoring the guards tensing once they realised who he was. He approached Lil' Miss Malachite and dragged a seat over, scraping against the floor. He took a seat and put his hands on the table.
"Miss Malachite."
"Xiao-Long." Lil' Miss bit out. Her eyes briefly shot to her guards. They were preparing themselves for combat, one standing in front of the exit and the others discreetly surrounding Tai. Her eyes shot back to Tai, who was focused on her alone. She gave a tense smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You have connections in Vacuo? On second thought, don't answer that, you must have." Tai pulled out a folder from his coat and held it in his hands, showing it to Lil' Miss. "I want to ask you if you know about this."
Tai opened the folder and laid it bare on the table. Lil' Miss Malachite peered over its contents as photographs fell out the folder, a set of pictures of a village in the large sand dunes of Vacuo. She mulled her thoughts. She did recognise that village, albeit it wasn't too much of a strategic location back then so she chose to ignore it. Not to mention the locals had a reputation of being hostile… not really a place an intelligence network would benefit from. That said, she still kept tabs on it as a matter of principle.
The question was, what would a Headmaster gain from such a backwater place?
"I'm gonna ask, and I don't have time for any bullshit. What do you know of this place?"
Lil Miss' attention shot back to Tai. She sneered. Ah, looks like he wanted this bad. She can play with that. "And why should I tell you that? You must know that I won't give it for free."
Tai growled. "Cut the crap. I'm not going to ask again."
"Well, we do know something about it, but you can't expect it to be so easy." Lil' Miss chuckled. "I have eyes everywhere, Tai. We may not know what happened the night Leo fell, but we do know that you were involved in it. Don't you think its shady that the previous one died and the entire Academy pledged loyalty to a new one, one who hasn't had a name since his Beacon Academy days in the Vytal Tournament? One wrong word from me and the wrong kind of information would be leaked. And then the other Kingdoms will go into an uproar, and you'd be finished."
"Don't try to gaslight me into thinking I'm selfish." Tai said. "And if you think I'd give up information for information, then you're dead wrong."
"So then what can you give in trade?" Lil' Miss challenged. "This is my information. You've walked in to my bar, my organisation. Why should I help you at all when you're the one who came to me?"
"I don't have time for this." Tai almost scoffed. Her life was on the line… and he had to get to Vacuo as fast as possible. Frankly, this hag was getting on his already thin nerves. "What do you expect? For me to beg to you?"
"I expect an insurance that we can operate safely, Tai. The Hunters are volatile. Whatever happened that night…. I want to ensure that my organisation is safe."
"I'm not the one doing criminal activities."
"Mistral isn't Patch. Criminals thrive and are what keeps Mistral running. Ensure us immunity, at least in the eyes of Haven. Then I'll talk."
The room grew silent. The guards were tensing up, slowly rising from their seats in caution. Lil' Miss Malachite watched Tai intently, his features growing frustrated.
She won't budge. This was her ultimatum. Do that, or she wouldn't say a word. Because if she started giving it away for free now, then that'd set an expectation. Expectation would grow into demands. Then she'd lose all willpower and become obedient.
She won't fear again, she swore that when she took control of Spider.
She watched as Tai sighed. "No."
So it seemed he wouldn't budge either. "Then it seems we've reached an impasse." That only meant one option, one her guards seemed to realise. There was no other choice. If Tai wouldn't leave them alone, then they'd have to deal with him the old fashioned way.
He noticed the guards drawing their weapons, ready to neutralise him. His hand drifted to the inside of his coat, laying right where HF Dragonsbreath was holstered.
Lil' Miss' eyes widened. He was going for-!
Tai turned around fast and drew his pistol. He fired at the first guard he saw.
BANG!
The guard was the one before the exit. He flew back, the shot hitting his gut and sending him through the exit door.
"GET HIM!"
Tai kicked up the chair and leapt back, avoiding Lil' Miss' lunge for his throat. He landed to the side of the bar, just enough to get a good view of everyone there. Three guards and the Miss. He steadied his breathing and held HF Dragonsbreath tight. Careful now… this was a volatile weapon.
He looked at the guards' weapons. One was using an assault rifle, the other a sword, and the last one a large sledgehammer. Lil' Miss Malachite herself pulled out a mechashift axe-and-drum shotgun combo.
They all must have their Auras unlocked. Didn't matter to him, though, he'd seen much worse with recent company.
"Don't let him get away!"
Tai twirled HF Dragonbreath with his right hand. As they rushed at him, he braced himself with a hand-to-hand stance with his gun in his right hand.
The sword one rushed at him first. She swung down and Tai dodged to the back. She swung again, and yet Tai dodged once more. With her guard open, Tai jabbed at her face. As she stumbled back, Tai follwed it up with more even more attacks .
Jab! Jab! Jab! Haymaker at the face! The last hit sent her sprawling to the ground, revealing the sledgehammer one behind her. Tai took a step forwards and spun inside as the sledgehammer one swung at his side. He prepared to fire at his back, before he saw heard the click of an assault rifle from his side.
His eyes quickly shifted to his right. The other guard-!
"EAT LEAD, MOTHERFUCKER!"
RATATATATATA!
Tai ran to the side, the bullets following him every step he took and just missing him. The bullets shattered wine bottles, cracked light bulbs, and caused mayhem all around. Tai jumped over the bar counter and ducked behind it, the shots hitting the counter yet not piercing it.
He hunkered down for a second, staying patient.
RATATATATATATAClickclickclickclick!
"Damn, I'm out-!"
Tai peeked over the counter and immediately fired HF Dragonsbreath at the enemy.
BANG!
"AH!"
Tai's shot ripped through the guards' Aura and hit him square in the gut. The guard flew back and hit the wall, slumping to the ground with blood leaking out from his wound.
Tai leaped back over the counter, scanning the room for more enemies. Maybe there'd be backup, he just couldn't stay in that corner-!
"HIYAH!"
Instictively, Tai ducked and dodged a swing from Lil' Miss Malachite's axe from behind. With her slow recovery, he came back up and punched her body. Miss Malachite groaned, and Tai punched her again and again with uppercuts. Each hit forced her up just a bit, each punch enough to jump her off the floor. Tai yelled and finished it with a straight kick to the chest. The attack sent her skidding back, forcing her off of Tai.
Miss Malachite growled. "Why you…!"
Tai heard another one approach from behind. "Taaake this!" The sledgehammer one rushed at him behind him again. This time, Tai turned around blocked the attack with his arms.
"Ngh.." Shit, that sledgehammer had some power after all! Growling, Tai pushed the guard's attack away and gripped him by the collar. With a roar, he headbutted the man.
"Grk!"
"HAH!" Tai let go of his grip jabbed him in the chest. Another jab, right at the throat. And again! Jab jab jab! Don't let up!
Shrrt-Clickclickclick!
Tai recognised the sound of mechashift from Lil' Miss Malachite's weapon. With the final guard still in a daze and his breathing restricted, Tai grabbed him and put him between him and Miss Malachite.
Boom!
Miss Malachite fired her weapon, her shotgun blast hitting her own guard's Aura. Tai took a peek from beside the man's head. With Miss Malachite preparing to fire another round, Tai made a decision.
He threw the man straight at Miss Malachite.
Miss Malachite fired. The shot hit her subordinate and his Aura, sending him flying.
Everything happened in slow motion. The guard flew back at Tai, who stepped to the side.
As Miss Malachite loaded another round, her eyes widened.
She saw Tai's figure being slowly revealed by the guard flying past.
His eyes burned to her own, cold, his gun aimed straight at her.
No, she didn't have time-!
Tai pulled the trigger before Miss Malachite could.
BANG!
The shot ripped through Miss Malachite's hand. "Ah!" Her mechashift weapon flew from her bleeding hand, clattering far away uselessly to the floor.
"AHHH!" She grasped her hand in another, bleeding even with Aura. She watched with fear and horror as blood continued to sprout out. "How did-! How-?!" She had Aura! How did it pierce?!
Damn it, what happened there?!
She looked up. She had to get close, had- no, she had to-!
She looked and her eyes met Tai's own. And she saw his gun was ready once more.
No! NonononoNO-!
BANG!
The shot hit her upper left stomach, sending her flying back to her table before. Splinters flew around the bar, the sound of wood breaking and creaking surrounding them.
Tai let out a breath as the action died down, HF Dragonsbreath's barrel steaming from the shots. Smoke was going out of the barrel, from consecutive High-Frequency shots.
Lil' Miss Malachite groaned from where she was. The table was cracked behind her, blood seeping out to the photos Tai presented. Somehow, those shots…
Those shots ripped through her Aura. One in her hand, and the other in her upper right middle section. Aura did nothing to stop it… she was bleeding here immobile.
Her eyes shifted to her weapon, tossed away on the floor far away from her. She reached out feebly with her hand. had to get back there, had to arm herself-!
"Ah ah. Stop right there."
A leg blocked her field of vision.
Fearfully, she looked up at the person who was blocking her.
Tai loomed over her, face slightly dark from the backlit from the light bulb behind him and HF Dragonsbreath's still-smoking barrel aimed at her head.
"I know what you're thinking Malachite." Tai growled. "'How did those shots rip through Aura?' 'How did he get a gun like that?' Well I'll tell you. This is the very same technology that conquered Leonardo. A five-round High Frequency-modded SOCOM, where one shot a gun is enough to change the game."
"So now I bet you're thinking, 'Did he fire five shots, or only four?' Well to tell you the truth I lost track myself in all of this trouble. But being this is the most powerful gun in Remnant and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question. 'Do I feel lucky?'"
Tai snarled, finger on the trigger. "Well do you, hag?"
Miss Malachite's vision was growing hazy. She might die here… or Tai might save her…. she didn't know.
She didn't know! She didn't know!
Damn it, please…!
Tai stared unflinchingly at Malachite, gun still trained, even as she had her internal battle while she was bleeding out.
'Nononono…. Damn it, fine!'
"T-the village, i-it's located at the southeastern part o-of Vacuo. They-'ve got a lot of Grimm around there, a-a-nd only one Bullhead's ever been seen going in and o-out. The locals barely trade, and th-they're very hostile-ack!" Miss Malachite coughed. "T-they've seemed to pacify the Grimm, somehow! They don't have much in the way of communication, both in an-and out."
Tai stared at Malachite's wild gaze. Her breaths were getting shorter, her eyes hazier and pleading. "Please! That's all I know. H-help me!"
Tai stared.
"P-PLEASE!"
Tai aimed his gun.
"NO-!"
BANG!
Lil' Miss Malachite flinched. Her eyes were wide open, her body shaking and her breaths short. When she felt no new wounds, she slowly looked to her left, smoke rising from her peripheral vision. When she finally looked at her left, a smoking bullet embedded to the wall beside her.
Miss Malachite gasped for breath, gaze transfixed on the wall. "Hah.. Hah…"
From above, Tai smirked, barrel smoking again. He slowly let HF Dragonsbreath hinge on his trigger finger, barrel pointing above and mag empty, before twirling it and holstering it again within his Headmaster's coat. He turned around to face the exit, stepping to leave.
As he stepped out, Beryl came in to his side prepared to enter the bar herself. He spoke to her tensely. "Make sure she survives, and any of the guards that can. I want her detained for further questioning."
Beryl nodded, taking note of Tai's handiwork. Bloody and efficient. "Of course, Headmaster. But I want to ask…"
Tai stopped in his tracks and looked at Beryl. "Shoot."
"...How important was she to you?"
Tai paused for just a moment. He remembered the times they once spent together. The formation of Team STRQ, following her lead, getting married and the times they spent together, when she pulled him out of that slump after Raven…
Tai spoke with steel conviction. "She was the life I once led."
Meanwhile, in Beacon…
The elevator dinged and its door slid open. The crowd entered Ozpin's office, some all the way from Haven. Glynda, Ironwood and Qrow, followed by Indigo, then finally Raiden and Venom.
Ozpin shut down his communications array and looked at the arrivals, a cup of hot cocoa near his right hand. "Ah, Glynda. I take it these are the Haven representatives?"
"They are." Ironwood, Qrow, and her approached Ozpin and stood beside him, facing Raiden and Venom from across the room. Meanwhile, Indigo went and stood to the side, making sure both sides were in her field of vision. Glynda continued, "You can start, Headmaster."
Ozpin cleared his throat. "Right. So… Mr. - Sorry, Headmaster Xiao-Long's sent you to represent Haven?"
"Actually we only agreed to send me." Venom replied. He looked to Raiden. "You and Jaune are a bit…" Venom motioned with his hands.
"Yeah." Raiden nodded. "Pretty much sponsored free agents." The ninja turned to Ozpin. "Venom's here to bring Haven's name. He's much better suited to that. Jaune and I, our jobs are a lot more hands-on. Getting dirty in the streets."
"And has he thought about the repercussions of sending you three?" Ozpin asked back. "Like it or not, the three of you are under Mistral's banner. No matter how Headmaster Xiao-Long plans it, you all carry Mistral's name to some degree. So I ask, what are your plans? Are you sure they are a net positive for everyone here?"
Raiden chuckled. "You're not getting it out of us that easily, Ozpin."
Venom sighed. "Look, we're all here to face the same enemy. Salem. What Tai's suggesting is that we cooperate, but we do it on our own terms. You have your methods and we have ours."
"And what's to say you won't turn your backs on us?" Ironwood asked.
"We'll still maintain communications, General." Venom said. With people like Ironwood, it was best they… admit, for a lack of better word, their position in the military. Strokes their ego a bit. "Just because we have our own ways does not mean we work freely. There will still be cooperation, information sharing, I trust you're familiar with how that goes. But we have our own jurisdiction to act as we see fit."
Ozpin responded. "The condition today is fragile. Too fragile. With the enemy knocking on our doorstep, I can't afford to give you such leeway." He said firmly. "The council has already been acting up. The silence of Mistral doesn't help, Mr. Venom, and even more so with all of you coming here. Could you imagine the chaos that would unfold should you do something wrong, and my name is attached to it? It'd be a dream come true for Salem. One attack, and we'll all fall."
"Hm…" Venom put a hand to his chin. So that was the case, the situation was too delicate for them to go all out.
The phantom sent a look to Raiden. Raiden met his gaze and shrugged, turning back to look at Ozpin.
Hm, so he'd probably be okay with stealth, but Jaune's hopeless when it comes to that. So it's best they get one foot in the door first for now, to ensure a healthy relationship between Haven and Beacon. They'll deal with what comes later.
Venom began his negotiations. "It's not like you don't have your own secrets, Headmaster."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "..Pardon?"
"The Maidens. Raven's bird ability. Salem. And so… why don't you use that for us too? You don't have to give us leeway explicitly, but wave your hand as you usually do with other matters. In return, we will share some of what we know, right here and right now."
"And what might that be?" Ozpin leaned in. "What do you know about Salem that we don't? We've been fighting her longer than Headmaster Xiao-Long's even been aware of her. What does he bring to the table that could help us more than we've already done?"
"Simple. The fact that there's a traitor in Beacon."
The room stilled.
Ironwood growled. "Excuse me..?"
"Exchanges sent from Leonardo's communications array indicate that someone has successfully infiltrated Beacon Academy." Raiden said. He pulled out a hologram screen and showed them all the proof. "The Council of Mistral are already aware of this. The problem is, we did not manage to recover data on who exactly it, or they, might be. The data proved to be lost beyond recovery."
"That attack…" Glynda trailed off. Everyone turned to her. "The one at the CCT… that meant that whoever it was, it was one of the students ."
"Then we know exactly where to look, don't we?" Qrow slurred. "Call in Leo's students here. One of 'em's got to be the traitor."
"And yet that would be tipping our hand too early." Venom interrupted. "And besides, that might simply be false. The fact that Leo was a Headmaster might be a trick to lure us away from the scent."
"And what gives you that idea?"
"I knew a man that played two sides like a damn fiddle. A triple agent, no wait, a quadruple agent. That level of trickery might be what's playing here. Simple fact is, we just don't know, and revealing any form of knowledge that we have to the enemy is a weakness. "
Raiden shot him a look. "Ocelot?"
"Who else?"
"Mr. Venom does raise a good point…" Ozpin trailed off. "But my statement still stands. You've all come here and caused quite a racket. There's simply no way the Council would overlook anything further, not while the Festival's still on and Haven's still not forthcoming. The only way for me to give you a go would be if you would follow my orders. Even Tai."
"That's not gonna happen." Raiden said firmly.
"So it won't. Then how do we cross this impasse, Mr. Venom?"
Venom mulled over his options. Ozpin was uncompromising, even with the information they offered. And with the knowledge they now had there's just no way they won't act on it. Act in a way that would conflict with Haven's own methods and philosophy. And it's not like they could bow down to Ozpin either. They were simply too different. Not to mention Tai's suspicions on Ozpin and Summer…
No, the price was too high for the pay-off.
How could he make them see reason? How could they cooperate without risking independence…?
"They can workwith us."
Venom turned to Indigo, as did everyone else's attention. What was that?
Indigo continued. "Any friend of Jaune's is a friend of ours. Of course we'll have our own terms and conditions, but that's something we can discuss further at the hotel. I'm personally willing to negotiate as much as you like, as long as you tell me about my brother and what he's been up to."
"Ms. Arc…" Ozpin said.
"It's either Ozpin or the Arc family, Mr. Venom. That sword, and my brother, mean much more to us than you realise. The fact that you have it on your person, Mr. Raiden, and that Jaune wouldn't have given it away so easily, is giving me some good signals. So after all these years… I'll trust Jaune. If he sees you as fit, then I already have a good frame of reference to work with."
Raiden spoke up. "Does that mean opposing Beacon, Indigo?"
"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. We're just here to help you acclimate to the Vale side of things. Make you guys an intern at the unit, hell, we'll figure it out, like I said. The contributions against the Fang in these recent years should give us some pull. Enough to get you in a favourable position or recognised, at least."
Raiden looked at Venom. He could practically hear the cyborg's thoughts. 'Hey, this is Jaune's sister. Much better to work with than Ozpin, isn't it?'
'The entire point of us here was to build good relations with Beacon.'
'Not at the price of our independence. 'Sides, it's not like we're going to war with them, right?'
'True…' Venom sighed. Damn it. He turned to Indigo. "If we do this, then I want to make sure that we would all cooperate." He turned to the Beacon side of the attendees. "We don't want trouble here. Fact is, we want to save Beacon. So please, with our differences… let us tolerate each other at least, okay? We'll all do our own methods, but it's all in the name of good."
Ozpin paused. No, it seemed he wasn't going to win them back. And besides, if it was about Salem, he couldn't relinquish control. Not today. He just had to play this smart.
After a few moments, Ozpin relented and nodded. "Very well. You will be cleared to enter Beacon Academy as representatives, but nothing else. Combat permission on the streets, actions and patrols, all of those things, would be publicly handled by the Arc family. You will do nothing related to combat while you are on these grounds, and any and all of my decisions regarding the students are mine alone. Your actions against Salem will fall under the Arc family's umbrella, and Beacon will not provide you with support should they come to light. Is that clear?"
"Good enough." Venom nodded. He let his eye fly around the room. "I'm glad we got into an agreement, everyone."
"So am I." Ozpin responded. "Off you go, then."
"Okay." Indigo stepped up and lead the two newcomers. "Follow me, Raiden, Venom."
As they descended the tower, Ozpin mulled his thoughts once more. Glynda, Ironwood, and Qrow began talking again, but he couldn't pay them any mind.
He absolutely could not needed control. In all these years, they just barely managed to hold Salem back. He can't afford to let her win, not when they're already so close to total annihilation. And the only person who knew ho to stop her was him and his predecessors. The others simply wouldn't get it.
As such, even with these mysterious warriors from who-knows-where on the table, he couldn't relinquish control. And trust him, he had some questions as to where they came from.
That's why he needed control, and why others simply had to follow his orders to a tee, no matter the sacrifice.
That fact weighed heavy on him, and yet it was the truth.
Like it or not, even Summer's death back then was necessary.
A Few Hours Later…
Pyrrha groaned, her eyes slowly opening. Her head was hurting, and more so her neck and her back.
"Ugh…" She put a hand to her head, slowly getting up from a… couch? She looked around, noticing Nora and Ren in similar situations. Besides that, the room she was familiar with, a conference room to be exact. This was the conference room on the Arc floor, reserved for exclusive use by Tanner Arc in the Vale Grand Hotel.
Memories began to flood back to her, causing another rush of pain on her head. Jaune gave them a challenge, and JNPR lost hard. One by one they fell until in the end she too failed. And then, darkness as Jaune finished her off.
But then why was she here, instead of Beacon's infirmary or the JNPR room? Only the Arc family had access to this floor… so it must have been Indigo who found her after the fact. Maybe Team RWBY handed them over? Or did Jaune fight them too, defeated them all, so the Beacon staff simply got their hands full?
Her musings were cut short when the door to their room opened. Indigo stepped in, and with her, Nora and Ren began to stir awake as well.
Her eyes shot to Pyrrha. She smiled in relief. "Glad to see you're doing okay."
Pyrrha smiled tiredly, her body still sore all over. "Yeah. Jaune really put a number on me…"
"I've been watching the replay over and over." Indigo pulled in a chair and sat next to Pyrrha's couch. "He's really good. I couldn't see any fault in footing, technique, strikes… they were all fast and honed."
"Yeah…" Pyrrha trailed off, looking at the ground. Damn it, she should've done better! Maybe used her Semblance more, even if it'd be-!
"Relax, Pyrrha. I'm not going to blame you on this one."
"...Really?"
"It's come to my attention that we'll be dealing with bigger threats. And with Jaune back, I think some introspection is in order. What's important to me now…" Indigo let out a sigh. "is that you keep doing your best. In time it'll pay off, I'm sure of it."
"Indigo…"
"Besides." Indigo cut her off. She chuckled, clearly relieved with something. "I already got a score today. We'll all be talking together, and I'm sure you'd love to hear about it." She turned to the door, to Pyrrha's bewilderment. Who was it going to be?
Indigo spoke to the person who Pyrrha couldn't see. "You done looking around yet?"
A familiar voice spoke back. "Hey, cut me some slack. It's a pretty good place you've got here."
That voice… Pyrrha recognised it.
That cyborg, right? Raiden?!
As soon as she though that, Raiden stepped through the door, HF Crocea sheathed on his back. She felt herself go stiff as Raiden changed from looking around the room to looking at her. His eyes were sharp, analytical, and most of all, a certain degree of cold.
She realised he was sizing her up. As such, Pyrrha did her best to appear strong. I.e, not backing down at all.
Raiden kept his gaze on her. Then, he let out a chuckle and pulled in another seat. He sat across her, yet noticeably at a distance where he could look at Ren, Nora, and Indigo too.
It was then that Ren and Nora finally awoke in full. Their gazes first snapped to Pyrrha, then to Raiden, and then to Indigo. They looked at Pyrrha again, waiting for their leaders' instructions.
Pyrrha let out a shaky breath. "What do you want?"
"I've cut a deal with Indigo." Raiden said. "In exchange for helping us out, I've agreed to tell you all about Jaune."
"Really?!" Nora jumped up. Her bones ached, however, and she fell back to her couch. "Ow."
"Relax. And yeah, we've been through a lot together, and well, this sword-." He tapped HF Crocea. "is proof of that. He gave it to me, and we've been 'together' ever since."
"...Like, 'together-together'-?"
"No!" Raiden's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I-I'm married, dammit!"
"Oh! S-sorry!"
"...He told me he was a killer, a terrorist." Pyrrha spoke softly. She briefly noted Indigo's surprise. Raiden's gaze shot to her. Pyrrha continued to speak. "Is-is any of that true?"
"Yes."
Pyrrha heaved out a sigh. "I- I failed, then…"
"No. Jaune's decision was his and his alone." Raiden spoke firmly. Indigo's gaze was trained on him, now. Raiden shifted in his seat, preparing himself. "Guess I should start on how I met him, huh? Any complaints?"
All stayed silent.
"Right then, guess I'll start. A few months ago I had this mission to guard a Prime Minister. N'mani and I were close at the time, he was one of the few good politicians left, still dedicated to rebuilding his country even after SOP. Evidently, some people didn't peace to return, that being Desperado. They wanted the war economy to return, to shape a word where the strongest thrived and the weak were purged. As such they decided that N'mani had to go. He was simply too good at his job."
"Desperado decided to deploy a full army against N'mani. One of them, their elites, was Jaune. I met him, tried to stop him, failed. N'mani was killed, and my left hand was severed clean." Raiden's hand drifted to his eyepatch. "He was the one who gave me… this."
"...He's that strong?" Indigo whispered. Not to mention his old 'terrorist' ways… alarm bells were ringing in her head. Just what had happened?
"Long story short, we met again some time after that. At that point I already had a new body, and I had just unlocked my Semblance. We fought again, and that time he was the one who lost. I- I drove a sword to his gut, as well as other wounds. I thought he was dead that time, and I had to move on to Armstrong, the head honcho of the entire operation. And you know what he did in his 'last moments'? He gave me his sword."
Raiden detached HF Crocea and its sheath from his back and put it on a table before the five of them. Its hilt was still the same as ever, save for some HF cable modifications. PNR and Indigo could only look in amazement at the sword that was used for both good and evil… all by the one man.
"I learned that he fought Armstrong too, before me. But he failed, and so he gave this sword to me in the hopes I could finish the job. He was the one who ripped Jaune's hand with his own arms, Aura be damned. He was the strongest opponent I ever faced, and had a method of crushing his opponents' ideals. I feel like that was what he did to Jaune. After all, with his master dead, a missing arm, a locked Aura, no friends and family, what else did he have but his sword and skills?"
"That doesn't excuse him of his acts, of course." Raiden reiterated. "He did things his way, like it or not. But that doesn't mean he doesn't regret it."
Pyrrha listened on, gaze transfixed on the sword. Her hand instinctively inched closer and closer to the hilt. She felt the sword's strange metal properties, her memories of that sword replaying again and again…
Her hand reached the hilt, and a holographic pop-up appeared before her.
HF CROCEA BLADE
ID LOCKED
JAUNE ARC / RAIDEN
Pyrrha's drew back her hand. Looked like it wasn't for her…?
"A VT-7 HF Blade. Jaune had it under lock and key save for a select person; me." Raiden said softly. "However… I don't think he accounted for familial bonds." He looked at Indigo. "Go ahead."
Indigo nodded in response. She extended her hand and touched its hilt.
Another pop-up appeared.
….INDIGO ARC
DNA MATCH… 39%
ACCESS APPROVED
A voice began to speak from the sword. Raiden kept his head low. A familiar recording was about to play, although it certainly wasn't the latest.
"Y'know, for a long while, I didn't think there was anyone else who could truly hold out…"
Indigo flinched back. "J-Jaune…?"
In the recording, Jaune scoffed. "Heh, I mean… The dream was nice when it lasted, wasn't it? When you've got something you really believed in… But then reality comes, and you're faced with everything you've done."
Jaune chuckled hollowly. "And now… you're asking me why I betrayed the old man? I guess the thing is… I haven't been loyal to myself. I… turned my back on what I believed in. But Raiden… He's shown me that maybe it doesn't have to be that way. We don't have to forsake everything we believed in once before… What's important is that you stay loyal to yourself. To follow your heart, never lose sight of who you are. Wouldn't you agree Wolfy? Won't you stay loyal to only those you'd think is right?"
The recording continued. "Please, Wolfy… you're free now, aren't you? You're free to make your own decisions… so please, make one that you know is right.."
Jaune sighed deeply on the audio. "…Y'know, there are a lot of people who I …knew…, once. Before… all of this. And, after everything, I don't feel like it'd be right for me to carry on their legacy. HF Crocea was once used for noble purposes by noble people. And I…I'm not that."
"Oh, Jaune…" Pyrrha whined. She wasn't there for him. Wasn't there to guide him…
Indigo's eyes were hollow. She failed him too. All he wanted to do was honour their legacy, and look now… she should've given him a chance.
"But maybe… Raiden can be a better person than I am. Someone with a true cause to fight for. I mean, he's made it this far… farther than I've ever been."
"So… If I lose here… Then, give it to him, will you, Wolfy? It's my last request of you…"
"….He's more fit of a wielder than I ever was."
"He didn't have any regrets at the end of our fight." Raiden spoke softly. "So what I want to say is, he really does want the best for all of us. It's just hard for him, to know what the best actually is or say his ideas to others. He's the same man you once knew, and yet at the same time, he's changed so much that he can't think outside of the U.C."
"He's a murderer…" Pyrrha weakly said. "I- I failed him, Mr. Raiden… and all that time he was waiting for us."
Raiden shook his head. "Just keep what I said in mind the next time you see him. All of you." Raiden looked to everyone in the room. "You have no idea how close Jaune keeps you all to his heart. He views you all as better than him. As pure, unstained with blood. That's why he wants to keep you all far far away. In his mind, let him dirty himself with blood. At least that way, none of the ones he love would bear the burden."
"...And what about you?" Nora asked. "You didn't try to stop him?"
"How could I?" Raiden shot back. "Jack the Ripper came back because of Jaune's word. I'd be hypocritical if I was the one who stopped him. No, if someone were to stop him then it certainly wouldn't be me."
Everyone was silent. Raiden sighed.
"Look, he wants everything to go back to the way they were. He wants to be with his friends, his family, wants to be happy. But he knows he can't do it, knows he can't close his eyes to the bloodshed he's seen and known. So this is the path he chose. With me, because there's simply no one else."
"You're saying killing's the right way to do it?" Indigo asked.
"I'm saying that this is the way we do it."
"And we should follow your footsteps?" Ren said.
"Unlike Jaune, I don't hold any delusions that you're gonna stop." Raiden said. "I've tasted the battlefield since childhood too, you know? By the age of eight, I already knew how to disassemble and re-assemble an AK-47. Led my own child-soldier unit. Trying combat since an early age… it doesn't matter if you were running orphans," He looked at Ren and Nora. Then, he turned to Pyrrha. "Championship darlings," to Indigo, "Or the eldest daughter of a warrior legacy. Simple fact is that fighting has become a part of who we are."
"So then, you're saying-." Pyrrha said.
Raiden spoke before Pyrrha could finish. "If you want to fight another way, then you can certainly try, and I wont be the one to stop you. I won't show you the way, my way, either, mind you. We've all got our own methods. I'm just here to tell you the other side of Jaune's story. Because for Jaune and I, we can't see ourselves backing out now. We have to act with the way we understand."
"Know this." Raiden stressed. "If there's one thing I learned as a soldier, is that you must always, always, fight for what you believe in."
All was silent again. Raiden let it linger, hoping his words would sink it. That was all he had to say. He just hoped this was enough to help their negative conceptions. Not for him, but for Jaune.
"...So is it true, then?" Pyrrha said softly.
Raiden's eye shot to Pyrrha.
"D-does he still…. want all of us to be together again?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"In that case… I'll fight." Pyrrha began. Her voice grew firm, and she spoke with steely eyes meeting Raiden's own. "I won't give up. I'll show him how strong we are, no matter the cost. I'll make my own way, without falling into his. Just because we're different doesn't mean we should give up."
"That's what I'm looking for! I'm not gonna force you to fight like us, but at least you have something to believe in." Raiden smiled. "Good girl."
Pyrrha just managed a nod. "Thank you, sir."
Raiden smirked. Ah, Jaune, how lucky you are to have these kind of people here.
Damn hardhead. How dense could you be?
Raiden spoke to Pyrrha again, a smirk on his face. "Heh, Jaune really lucked out on getting a girlfriend, huh?"
Pyrrha sputtered, cheeks flushing red. "I-we're not- I-?!"
Raiden laughed.
Pyrrha continued to sputter, all the while Ren, Nora, and Indigo smiled a little as well. At least they had a gameplan now. And evidently, Raiden was willing to help them out to see Jaune again.
Even if that meant they had their own values to follow.
In Vacuo…
Amidst the hot deserts of Vacuo, a lone figure strode atop a brown horse. With the sun shining down burning noon heat, his steps were certain and in haste, heading to a location the abandoned village that Miss Malachite had leaked the information of.
He had to get there quick, he didn't have much more time! And that's not counting getting lost in the sands! Because amidst the blowing hot winds, it was unbelievably easy to get lost. And a second that's wasted was a second Summer was suffering.
Tai was wearing his usual uniform, added with his Headmaster's coat and a hood just over his eyes. He was gazing down on a brand-new Scroll with all the information he had. The drones' pictures, Miss Malachite's confessions both to him and in the interrogation room, he made sure he could see it all from his Scroll.
As the horse continued to walk, he reviewed the information with critical eyes once more.
A Grimm-allied village at the south-eastern end of Vacuo. One of Salem's agents, just like Venom was, getting in and out of the village with the only Bullhead there. Hostile locals and barely any contact with the outside world…
That was it. Where he needed to go. Where Summer had been for the past seventeen years.
And as such, he booked the fastest flight from Haven to Vacuo. Using advanced triangulation tactics, his colleagues (he refused to call them underlings) had managed to get out a rough coordinate of the place. All he needed to do was be dropped off far enough from the zone to avoid suspicion and make it there as fast as he could. That still meant he had to go on horse for a bit further, find the place for himself. Only then could he begin the mission.
This was about his past. About the former Team STRQ. No matter what happened at Haven, the one in Vacuo was his problem alone. As such, this would be a solo infiltration. Support would only be for extraction and advice via Scroll call.
His horse strode up a large hill of sand. A drop of sweat was going down his eyebrows. Reflexively, he wiped it off and took a deep breath. 'Can't get tired now…'
He pocketed his Scroll and held on to the horse, slowly guiding it to the top. The two reached the peak of the sand hill. He looked around, trying to find the village in the photos.
He sighed. 'Nothing recognisable. Back to walking.'
"HIYAH!" Tai whipped the ties to the horse. With a neigh, the horse began marching down fast. As the wind blew past Tai's face, the horse' cargo bags bounced ever so slightly. Its contents were something he was sure Summer was missing. Freshly washed, packed inside a plastic bag and smelling of roses.
Her old, white cloak, stored safely inside the horse's bags. Its metal zippers softly rang as they went down the mountain.
The thought only stregthened Tai's resolve even more. He won't let her suffer a second more.
'Please, don't give in just yet…'
Only one thought kept repeating in his mind.
'Hang on, Sum. I'm coming!'
Thanks for reading! Next up, Tai's encounter.
As usual, leave all thoughts in the reviews.
See you next time!
Review Responses!
Tp Greer123, absolutely right! This chapter just confirms it.
To TheJSmooth, glad you liked it, and sorry for taking so long. And nah, Jaune didn't fight RWBY in the end, he just flashed away. And besides, RWBY would've actually thought twice about fighting Jaune after his display.
To DeathlyJazzHands55, thanks for the compliments, and glad you enjoyed! I want to put more 'subtle' fight elements in the future, especially in the finale of this arc, I just hope I could pull it off. Again, thanks for reading!
To Dhestrya, thanks!
To Gwynx, thank you!
To Shovell, you got that this chapter! Hope you liked it!
To TheLoneSpartan117, sorry for taking so long! Here it is!
To SolSparda369, hm, yeah that's could work. Problem is I didn't want to go through the trouble of RWBY v Jaune when the previous one's already got the point across. Rest assured, the next time they meet, it won't be pleasant. And of course, Raiden sees the fault in Jaune's plan and encourages the others to keep trying, but not killing. That's cause at least he's there to oversee them.
To triscythe59, yeah, since it was a JNPR-focused chapter I didn't feel like writing RWBY again, espescially sine RWBY v Jaune's already got the point across.
To Fatswordsman, hm, alright! Jaune's not that hostile though, so there's no reason for straight-up murder in my eyes, even more so his former friends!
To Havel the Habel, will try my best! Thanks for reading!
To ErwinG'Arc, well they're bound to grow up to some degree now, at least. And with Raiden helping them get close to Jaune, it's only to be expected that they'd see some of the darker sides of combat.
To Skeletalrepublic, exactly! While Jaune's words may be rough, Raiden was there to explain it in better terms, and therefore help PNR with their dillema. Pyrrha refuses to give up, because it's not over just yet.
To CriticaofRandomness, there you go! 'Dirty' Tai! Hope it didn't feel too OOC, since I was in the mindfset that Tai was desperate to save Summer. Any 'bullshit' he came across, he simply wasn't gonna tolerate it.
To TheNineNerdGhouls, hope this chapter satisfies! And yeah, since the main theme of this Arc are 'pasts and consequences', I do plan on adressing the loose ends I've written. That's why we have Kiryu!
To TheCrimsonCommunist, happy you liked it! :)
To Goldstar77, yeah, it's that. And I hope that Raiden's explanation here proved adequate, as well so that JNPR now the other side of Jaune's story. Thanks for the compliments, and glad you enjoyed!
To PSYCONIG, Pyrrha's still not gonna give up, though! Being a champion has hammered that into her head.
To Aelmellin, harsh wake-up call indeed, but Raiden's still there to tell them not to give up on Jaune. As for how they fight, though? He's the last person to tell them how they should do it.
To Just a reader now a writer, yeah, Adam's gonna be pretty important. Just haven't gotten around to him yet!
To FhunnyJoker, thanks for the compliments! Glad you liked it!
To GAIC0, hm, yeah, I'm glad myself that I could keep going! 200k+ words, after all!
To Galeon82, that (getting the old Jaune back) is what Raiden's trying to help them out with. And, I get the feeling that the Ozpin/Venom meetup might be a bit lackluster.. and as for Adam, don't worry, I've got big plans for his character development.
To Insane Wombat, A DESOLATE PLACE! WITHOUT ANY TRACE! IT'S ONLY THE COLD WIND I FEEEL!
To Draak D. Sol, exactly. But they can't give up just yet, or else nothing would come out of it.
To Guest (1), sorry for the long wait!
To Maniacalharp747, is that what happened? I haven't followed BNHA in a long while…
To HaloZealotDemon, I do plan on Pyrrha getting some strength to fight back. That is, she still has one trump card she hasn't used just yet. Of course it won't be so easy to just 'close' the gap like that, not when she's still Training (like it or not) and Jaune's pretty much the elite of the elites in the U.C. Still, this won't be the last time they fight, not by a long shot.
To Kabuto S. Inferno, that's what Raiden's here for. He's telling them of the stakes in a much more softer tone, telling them his view on Jaune, and cautioning them on their next steps but not stopping them either. He recognises the futility in stopping PNR, but is instead showing them a better reason to fight. Not hating The White Fang, not for vengeance, but for the person they love. As for Shindo…. fuck, man, he creeps me out. Those eyes… agh, dammit.
To TheExodusHasArrived, like ZeroCrimson said, no HF enhancements. Jaune's isn't that cruel.
To T3mp3rusMaximus, wow, thanks! Glad you liked it!
To ZeroCrimson, that's right! Thanks! :)
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, the question isn't strong enough now, it's worthy enough. Thanks for reading and continuing to follow!
To Guest (2), sure isn't! Not by a long shot!
To RizenKing, is that what happened? I 'unno, a coincidence!
A tloz73706, ¡Esperemos poder continuar! ¡Gracias por leer! (Usé el traductor de Google para escribir esto :))
To Anonatwork, yeah, it's pretty much a running joke at this point. Sorry. :)