Fangs of the Exiles
Rated M
Rwby
Summary:
Life is not about what happens to you, but what you make of it... At least that's what everyone says. Two faunus will answer whose way is right, carrying the will of a titanic kingdom while the other, the spirit of one who shouldn't exist. Forgotten, their paths will cross, for better or worse.
A/N:
Chapter 23: Throne of Titans-1
Blake reached the top of the communication tower, working diligently with the controls and passcodes.
As she continued bypassing the firewalls, Aganju was struggling with Cinder's aggressive assault. Without Nguangus, he was reduced to running and dodging in hopes of closing the gap.
Instead, he wound up eating fireballs anytime he got near her.
He had a lot of aurae to spare, but even he knew that this approach couldn't last much longer.
Soon, the Fall Maiden's eyes lit up with an amber flame before rushing the male faunus. He side-stepped out of the way, seizing the moment to recover his sword. Without delay, he rushed over to the idle weapon only to eat another blast for his troubles.
This sent him grinding against the earth until he landed into a tree with a sickening thud.
Groaning, the vulpine struggled to his feet as his earlier realization proved to be a more horrific reality.
This was not the same Cinder he'd fought on Beacon Tower.
In their first battle, she was powerful, but her arrogance and inexperience with her newfound ability even things up a little. Add to that his loss of control after seeing Pyrrha's state, and it was a fair fight. Now? Now Aganju was experiencing a more thoroughly trained and more serious version of the woman he despised.
Leaning against the tree, the vulpine tried to shake off the disorientation he was feeling only to eat multiple blasts.
One after another, and then another, and so on. The raven-haired woman let out all the anger she could summon, and it seemed to go on forever. Blake Belladonna heard each mini-explosion ever since she shut down the military-grade codings. She was unable to relish the win even if the tower was shut down as her eyes widened in terror.
"Aganju!"
Cinder's assault came to a temporary halt.
A gust gently peeled back the shroud of smoke showing the young man still standing, though he was badly banged up for his troubles. Even with the pained grin on his face, it didn't take an Atlesian scientist to detect that he was in no shape for a fight anymore. Each breath was labored, causing intense anguish from such a relentless attack. Still, his lips never fell, though his body began to slide down, exhausted.
On his hands and knees, coughing and heaving from pain, his aura soon gave way to the previous barrage.
"Damn... That's twice now that you've hurt me." he spat out a glob of blood, chuckling darkly.
Still, Cinder said nothing though, continuing the unconventional approach to their rematch.
Rather, his ears caught the sound of metal scraping against the ground. Lifting his eyes, Aganju noticed that it was his sword. Behind them, Blake hopped down each level of the column, praying that she'd make it to him in time.
This was what she worried about when she left after Beacon's demise.
She heard about this similar scene with Pyrrha. She saw the damage that befell Aganju after they were brought to the hospital in Vale. She couldn't bear to see him killed.
She just had to reach him.
She had to...
Don't die... Please, don't die...!
As she sprinted as quickly as her legs could take her, she repeated this mantra repeatedly in her head. Cinder was unconcerned. The fact that she would finally prevail for a change was all that mattered. She used her abilities to lift the large sword above her head and then bring it down on the helpless faunus.
"NO!"
"Stay back!" The abrupt boom stopped Blake dead in her tracks. "Don't... Don't come any... closer, Blake."
The strain in his tone was enough to warrant an objection. However, what Blake saw shut that notion down.
Though she witnessed his aura shatter, the feline could see three black and purple limbs extended from behind Aganju.
They held Cinder's wrists at the point of the blade she intended to use to kill him. He slowly raised his head while extending an unpleasant grin. While his eyes were now crimson, an Amethyst ring had also formed around them and was gradually spreading across his scleras.
"Aganju?"
Guess I can't hide this anymore... he groaned to himself. "Did you finish?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Good. Then it's time I stop playing around."
His opponent peeked at him dumbfounded at such a bold declaration. After all of that damage sustained, was he truly not taking her seriously? Anger began boiling over at such a cocky notion. Surely, he was bluffing just to save face in front of the dark-haired girl.
Right?
Blake wasn't sure what he meant, but she wouldn't push the issue for the time being. He was safe and, based on appearances, still capable of fighting, and that was all that counted. In a split second, he tore Cerberus from Cinder's grasp before shoving her back with another horrific limb. However, he didn't attack, instead using it as a crutch by driving the blade's point into the ground. The muted Cinder was greatly perplexed as he used the little respite to crack his neck.
Aganju wouldn't be so hasty in his actions this time.
This time, however, he wouldn't be so hasty in his approach as he recalled the limbs back into his body.
In contrast to earlier, he deftly evaded Cinder's many fire spheres without hesitation. While he moved quickly, this was something neither woman had ever seen before. Cinder wouldn't let this stop her from letting out her anger, encircling herself with fire rings, and grinning indiscreetly—a blatant challenge to the faunus.
"Cute trick. Mind if I try?"
Inquiring as to what he was referring to specifically, she raised an eyebrow. How was it possible for him to mimic a woman's abilities? An ominous shadow that stretched beneath his feet served as the solution. It quickly changed, resembling Cinder's shield in its whirling motion surrounding his body.
Denial contorted to surprise then to horror; he wasn't lying.
Where did he get such power? She pondered worriedly.
The fox's eyes blazed with confidence before his body completely vanished in a flash.
Aganju abruptly materialized in front of both girls before they could grasp what was taking place, his face hovering mere inches away from Cinder. Amazingly, his head was still intact after penetrating the energy ball. The lady felt apprehension as she realized that, whatever power he may have had, this was on par with the power of the maidens.
No way was she prepared for this.
In a desperate bid, she vanished, moving at supersonic speeds but, this didn't stop Aganju as he matched her speed while in hot pursuit.
Left.
Right.
Forward.
Backward.
Behind him.
In front.
Either side.
Nothing Cinder tried came remotely close to shaking off the faunus, a fact made all the more true when she looked back to find a smug grin on his face. It was a total contrast to the deranged expression from Beacon, but somehow, someway, this was far worse.
Leave me alone! She screamed internally.
"Not until you show me who you are..."
The woman was frozen, ending their game of tag. Aganju mirrored her pose, crossing his arms and replacing his smirk with a menacing stare. Initially, she thought he could read her mind, but she realized that was not his special ability. His powers had nothing to do with telepathy, so she wondered how he knew what she was thinking.
In truth, he'd been able to read her expressions rather easily.
It wasn't a perfect technique by any means, but it was effective.
"You're not her, are you?"
The woman's face had a soft scowl, another sign that his assertion was correct.
When Cinder was no longer in an advantageous position, she never scowled; instead, she always exposed her fangs. Her silence had only been understood by one other person. The imposter wanted to assess the degree of the boy's analytical abilities.
How could you tell?
"Ella's a fuckin' loudmouth and you were quiet the entire time we fought. On top of that, your fighting style is vastly different from hers."
True. I'm impressed. the woman silently giggled.
"Thanks. But, you're not just here to stop up are you?"
How did you...?
"It's written all over your face," he solemnly spoke up. "Plus, I picked up that you're using a semblance. Lastly, I figured you weren't her when you didn't stop to gloat at your 'victory'. There's no way that narcissist would pass up a chance to monologue."
Blake narrowed her eyes in confusion at what she was hearing. If this wasn't Cinder, then who was this person?
A quiet sigh, followed by an over-dramatic eye roll confirmed Aganju's suspicions. Another blink followed as amber orbs instantly morphed into pink/brown optics.
Then, a much tiny girl with thick, long hair that matched her eyes appeared, overshadowing the picture of Cinder Fall completely. She wore a brown jacket that ended just below her shoulders and over her chest, had pink trimmings on top, and was pink on the inside. She also wore two brown belt shoulder straps, a gray scarf, a vest, gloves, a belt, slacks, and heels in the same matching white hue.
While she transformed, Blake immediately raced over to the wounded warrior's side, nearly knocking the young man over.
"Aganju, be careful. This is Roman Torchwick's henchwoman!"
Oh goodie, you're one of the blond Bimbo's friends. the girl's frown deepened. The name's Neopolitan, bitch, and I was Roman's partner and daughter, NOT a damn Henchman!
Aganju decided then to defuse the situation before another fight broke out.
"How do you know my sister?" he asked, somehow getting all of that.
Neopolitan turned her gaze, her jaw steadily dropping upon his revelation.
How in the brothers is she related to someone so cute? Aganju didn't miss the slight seductive edge to her last word but, chose to remain silent, though it did little to stop the pink hue from appearing on his cheeks. Anyway, I must be going... Tata, Aganju!
As she turned to leave, Blake attempted to rush after her only to be stopped when she heard a soft thud behind her.
Looking over her shoulders, she found Aganju in a seated position, his torso rocking back and forth as if he was trying to force himself upright. That's when she noticed the various bruises from the battle. That Neopolitan girl happened to spare a glance, taking in the worn-out demeanor. He was a strange case to her, but, anyone who could naturally communicate with a mute was worth the intrigue.
I hope we meet again! She smiled playfully before vanishing without a trace.
The pair didn't seem to notice her departure though as Blake did her best to assist the boy back to his feet. As expected, he was much heavier than she was yet, she managed to find a steady pace to keep them both upright. With their mission complete, they needed only to return to their friends and hopefully get over to Atlas. While they traveled the main path, Black constantly snuck glances at the boy.
She wanted to chalk this up to 'monitoring his condition' but, she knew it wasn't the entire truth. If Blake was being honest with herself, this was the closest she'd ever been to Atsura alone. She milked this moment for all it was worth, noting many of his features, from the overt to the most subtle. Whether it was the way his tail swayed lazily or the tiny traces of chin hair, Blake noticed it.
"Sorry..."
She suddenly snapped out of her voyeurism upon hearing his voice.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Blake. I was being stupid in trying to stall rather than just fight all out from the beginning."
"So, why didn't you? Aside from discovering it was really that Neo chick, why were you so stubborn with stalling her?"
The walk grew silent for a moment. While it was only seconds, to Blake, it felt much longer.
"Mainly, I stalled so that you wouldn't be a target."
This was shocking to the cat girl.
"You took all of that damage, risking your life and sustaining injury for me?"
"Yep. Had I gone all out from the start, the enemy might've thought to use you as leverage. By giving the illusion of them overwhelming me, you had enough time to focus on your task without being harmed."
"That's... That's insane!" she frowned, anger thinly lacing her tone. "I can handle myself, you know? I'm not a helpless girl who needs to be rescued. Did you think it would impress me or-!"
Blake quickly clasped her hand over her mouth, but she knew it was too late.
While Aganju was aware, he was too worn out to pursue the subject further. Instead, he professed regret once again and received a hug in return. Even though it was a brief gesture, both parties were relieved that it didn't linger much longer.
"Let's hurry and get back and join the others," Blake quickly extended a hand to assist the battered fox. "Pyrrha's gotta be worried about us right now."
"Okay, Cat-Girl..." he chuckled as they began their trek back to their friends. "Just promise me that you won't go brooding over this, alright?"
"Wha?! I do NOT brood...!"
[Solitas Airspace]
"Manta-51? Welcome home."
Such a statement should have been soothing to the group, yet it only brought along a greater sense of anxiety.
The tranquil magnificence of the aurora lining the night sky was overshadowed by the blatant symbol of impending war. Everyone aboard the aircraft exchanged looks of concern; clearly, this was an unexpected development. They all knew that the kingdom would be on guard after Beacon's fall, but, to see this stark contrast only brought more anxiety as they slowly sailed toward the floating city and its army.
Maria said nothing, recalling how disastrous her previous attempt to communicate with the Argus branch went. After a couple of minutes though, they all would find themselves backed into a corner.
"Please continue your approach to Atlas docking bay Omega-12. A security team will meet you there, over."
"I don't understand," Ruby whispered. "What's happening here?"
"I don't know," her uncle replied.
"We are here, right? We've brought the lamp to Atlas... So, I guess we land and try to get some answers."
Weiss however, didn't think this was a good idea. Given that she was the only Atlesian on the ship, her skepticism held a bit more weight than the blond boy's logic. She ignored the eyes pointed at her, carefully inspecting the ominous display.
"I've never seen our forces deployed so aggressively before. If we land in a stolen ship, there's no way the security team will let us anywhere near Ironwood. They might even take me back to my father..."
"So...?"
"Winter!" Weiss unknowingly answered, a small smile beginning to form. "Put some distance between us and the fleet."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Maria smiled, glad that they finally had something resembling a plan to work with.
The elder pointed the ship in the direction of the sizable city located beneath the floating kingdom. They had to act quickly if they were going to get away from the fleet, or else they would end up captured—or worse. They figured whoever was contacting them would find out about their behavior soon enough. As expected, the radio clicked once more as they arrived in Mantle, the original kingdom before Atlas, further adding to their trepidation.
"Manta-51, we've noticed a detail in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega-12 immediately. Do you copy, over?"
With Weiss trying to contact her older sister and the depressing view of the rustic city, there was only one thing they could do.
"We need to ditch the ship unless we want to get caught..." Roxie crossed her arms.
"Good idea, but, where are we going to go?" Aganju groaned softly. "Eventually, we'll be spotted if we're just wandering around recklessly."
"I think I can help with that..." Maria chimed in.
"Manta-51! Why aren't you-?"
The old woman shut the radio off, having enough of the constant pestering of the Atlesian soldier.
"Take a hint!" Maria huffed.
"I'm telling you, my sister can help us!"
"Um, Weiss?" Blake pointed out of the left window. When the former heiress peered out, she was shocked to find the specialist's face broadcasting on one of the large screens.
"A reminder; failure to cooperate with Atlas Military personnel is a serious offense..."
"No offense Weiss, I don't think that's such a good idea anymore..."
Qrow's declaration couldn't be closer to the truth. The image of Winter Schnee, flanked by Sango Bagheera and another unknown man on either side wasn't the boost in confidence she'd like to have.
The group eventually abandoned the airship and moved throughout the city. Weaving through the many streets, it was clear that Mantle carried a dark presence that sat poorly with many in the group. Shown to have slums within the edges of its borders, the two remaining members of Team ASRE looked visibly uncomfortable.
It took everything within Roxanne to keep her nerves in check as her breathing grew shallow with each step forward. Thankfully, Yang slipped her hand into the ram's, reminding her that she wasn't alone. The battle against Adam paled in comparison to the conditions that surrounded her.
As for Aganju, he remained stoic while limping slightly, showing an uncharacteristic side to his personality. Though he'd flash a confident grin whenever Pyrrha would sneak a glance, it was evident that she could tell he too was uncomfortable. Why wouldn't he?
Next to Mistral, Atlas was considered to be a rival when it came to discrimination.
He watched as men, women, and children did their best to make a living in a place where one would be forgiven for believing that this city was nothing more than a slow and methodical grave sentence.
On their way to their destination, many of the walls were covered in anti-faunus rhetoric, but it was a honking horn that caught their attention and revealed a slightly damaged pickup truck. Several people of faunus descent sat dejectedly in the rear flatbed, each one covered in ash and grime. Maria made a concerted effort to explain how Atlas and Mantle are related, but she was unable to significantly improve the mood of the teenagers.
At times, Aganju's eyes would shake upon seeing the horrid conditions of both humans and faunus alike until he felt someone slip their arms around his own. He peered into the emerald orbs of the Amazon. In her eyes, comfort and understanding began to clash with the woe and conflict behind his own, earning a forced grin from the faunus.
"This whole city, it just seems... so wrong." Blake wrapped her arms around herself.
"Oh yeah?" another voice startled them all. From the alleyway behind them, a man wearing glasses stumbled around the corner, his flask tightly gripped in his hand. "You don't like it here?! There's plenty of space out in the tundra!"
He was drunk, made noticeable by his incessant slurring.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"Atlas is the greatest kingdom in the world, alright!?" he garbled, stumbling off the stoop.
"Hey!" An already irritated Aganju slowly stalked toward the man only to be stopped by Pyrrha giving his arm a gentle squeeze. Still, his tail stayed stiff and upright.
"We shouldn't cause a scene..."
The man was joined by his associate sitting on the stoop nearby. He tried to make light of things by mentioning how circumstances had suffered since the Dust embargo and how it affected Mantle but, the drunkard wouldn't permit the pleasantries to stop his rambling.
"We try and help the other kingdoms and this is what happens?!"
"I apologize..." Blake replied, hoping to quell the issue. "I didn't mean to insult you."
Despite her genuine apology to the man, he glared back at Blake with contempt before spitting off to the side.
"Stupid faunus like you would under... Huh?"
The man didn't have time to finish his berating before being abruptly propelled into the air by a white symbol that appeared beneath his feet. He was fortunate to land in an adjacent dumpster with some softness. The only person wearing a smug grin was Weiss when the others turned around to see. Due to their irritation with the now groaning imbecile, Aganju and Roxanne returned the gesture.
"It was worth it."
Before anyone could reproach the smug Weiss, their ears picked up the sound of metallic footsteps approaching. Quickly, they rushed off just in time to avoid being seen by the Atlesian drones who were more interested in the sight of the man lying in the trash. From there, Maria led them down a few more blocks stopping as a door opened.
To their surprise, a young faunus giggled happily as a stern yet caring tone trailed behind her.
"...And no more heavy lifting, you hear?"
"Ah, it's good to see you, old friend."
"Maria!" the portly man couldn't contain his hearty laugh at the image of his closest friend. "It's been too long!"
[Evernight Castle]
Emerald sat in her room, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She struggled to grasp everything that had happened over the past year as she let out ragged breaths. No one could have foreseen her life's course from Beacon's collapse to her current situation. How did she get from stealing and scrounging for food to this?
Her mind recalled a past fight she had with Mercury about Cinder's true intentions; a battle that resulted in the grey-haired boy forcing a potentially soul-shattering truth down her throat:
"Cinder Doesn't care about you..." She pulled her knees toward her chest, concealing her features as she pushed back tears. "He's wrong; He has to be!"
But why did she discover so much proof to back up Mercury's audacious assertion if he was mistaken? Cinder scarcely noticed her because of their time spent with Roman, but the goal called for it, didn't it? First and foremost was the mission. What happens thereafter, though? No matter what situation she considered, Emerald was unable to identify even a single instance of Cinder's genuine affection.
We were nothing more than tools for her to use!
She didn't care about us! She never did!
Her defense eventually crumbled as tears trickled down her cheeks. Emerald had a difficult time accepting it, but she was powerless to ignore what was there in front of her. Even now, she was aware that the fighter was likely away training with Hazel after admitting that he genuinely desired to join Salem's faction. Hazel was the one bright spot in this entire horrible experience, to speak of.
Hazel Reinhart voluntarily gave Emerald the attention and understanding that she so desperately craved from Cinder without hesitation. He even bore the brunt of Salem's anger after they failed at Mistral, even though he wasn't to blame. In contrast, Cinder was quick to throw Emerald and everyone else she could under the bus to appease the witch.
"Maybe, he was-"
A long series of heavy knocks scared the girl, dragging her from her private moment. She remained silent before finding the strength to speak.
"Go away, Mercury. I'm not in the mood."
The green-haired girl grew progressively more agitated as the knocking proceeded. Red pools of indignation burned as she got off the bed and strode toward the door. She extended her hand and got ready to teach the boy about maintaining personal space.
Except, it wasn't Mercury standing at the door.
It wasn't anyone she'd expected to see greeting her. Of all the choices she could've had, anyone would've been better than the person looking back at her.
"Hello, Emerald."
"S-Salem...? I mean, Ma'am." she bowed out before stepping aside.
Salem walked in, her steps quiet, till the woman took a seat on the side of the bed. Ironically, the girl became even more worried by the calmness that her pale face radiated. Maybe it was the ominous glow emanating from her ruby eyes, or maybe it was the veins that covered her features. Emerald wished in silence for Tyrian to be there at this point.
"Have a seat, child. I wish to speak with you."
Her voice was surprisingly gentle, almost motherly as Salem patted the spot next to her. Emerald didn't disobey for fear of angering the Grimm's master. She mentally cursed her brain for bringing up another memory of the woman she swore devotion to.
With the girl looking down at her hands at first, the atmosphere seemed awkward. Who could blame her? She was only a few millimeters away from arguably the most powerful Remnant. This was an immortal being, capable of erasing her from existence with the snap of a finger or, worse, summoning any kind of Grimm to slowly eat her up for enjoyment.
"What troubles you, Emerald?" The girl's blood ran cold, halting her fiddling. "Are you still thinking of dear Cinder? Or are you thinking about the one she left behind?"
Her pupils widened. Salem once more broached this topic as if it were the most inconsequential thing in the world, even though it has always been a source of her dread. Aside from a single exception, Emerald would have shut down any further talks if it had been anyone else. She realized, however, that the alternative was no longer open. She was able to only flutter her fingers like a child who'd been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Upon noticing this, Salem grinned a little.
"Perhaps you would be so kind as to share your thoughts on the matter."
"Well... I..."
"Cinder isn't here to make decisions for you, child," the sorceress interrupted. "Eventually, you'll have to do things on your own if you are to ever attain true strength for the war ahead..."
Her eyes were closed as she reflected on all that had taken on in her life to that point. After a brief respite, Emerald finally inhaled deeply and agreed to Salem's request with a nod. The pale woman listened in silence with interest and a rare feeling of joy as she was told all that Emerald knew about Cinder and the vulpine faunus. Salem didn't rise until after the young woman had concluded her story.
"It would appear that there's much more to consider before we proceed with the next phase; such little time." Salem then began to make her exit, feeling the wave of trepidation morphing into curiosity from the young woman. "Something troubles you?"
"I... What are you planning to do with... Cinder, ma'am?"
Salem simply allowed her lips to curl up slightly, her crimson orbs glowing.
"That depends on her, dear Emerald."
"Heads up!"
Blake shouted out, launching Gambol Shroud at a Sabyr Grimm that charged at Pyrrha and Aganju. The couple watched as it began to disintegrate, relieved that the Team RWBY member remained vigilant.
They both nodded in appreciation as it seemed that the threat was over.
What threat, you ask?
The gang heard alarms screaming around the streets outside of the Pharmacy while they were meeting with Pietro Polendina, Maria's trusted advisor. Many Sabyr awaited them when they went to investigate the problem and immediately charged upon sighting the group. They were fortunately prepared for such a situation and swiftly defeated the evil creatures. Even Oscar, no longer the helpless farm lad he once was, was able to dispatch a few of the Grimm.
Still, not everything can be explained, as was demonstrated when a Sabyr suddenly materialized ready to attack Blake. It appeared as though the girl would be mauled without any chance to dodge or defend herself. Then, a green beam pierced the creature and vaporized it quickly from the skies above.
While the act was welcomed, it was the owner said act who surprised them.
A fairly graceful figure swooped over them, her long hair falling to the center of her back as she slowly fell to the Mantle streets. The gang was ultimately able to identify the woman after Ruby Rose confirmed it by saying her name.
"P-Penny?"
After making a small turn the girl's face broke into the biggest smile. Upon realizing who she had saved, her excited exhalation caused her emerald eyes to enlarge into saucers. The two people back at Beacon who were most impacted by the girl's fate, Ruby and Pyrrha, couldn't help but smile. That is until Penny tried to greet them.
"Sal-"
"Huh?" Ruby's lips fell slightly in confusion.
"-U-"
Ruby gasped in sudden (and unfortunate) realization as Penny crouched down.
"-tations!"
Penny rushed at high speeds, zooming past all of the others to reach her first real friend. Ruby flailed her arms defensively, but it did little good as she wound up tackled for her troubles.
"Oooohhh... Penny used Super Glomp..." Roxanne winced dramatically at the display of endearment.
"Against Ruby, it was super effective!" Yang chuckled, high-fiving her partner while Ren shook his head in amusement.
Penny, eager to hear Ruby Rose's tale from the others, couldn't help but re-acquaint herself with her. Although there were many inquiries, Pietro, her creator/father, pledged to respond to as many as he could. A few of the aspiring hunters/huntresses watched in delight or amusement, but one chose to stay behind.
A certain green-eyed girl who felt nothing but guilt wash over her spirit.
"It is such a pleasure to see you all again!" Penny announced giddily.
"P-Penny... I- We thought you..."
"Died?" Pietro cut in, his tone still festive and hearty. "I guess in a matter of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Coliseum once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took some time but-"
"I'm as good as new...! Better even; Now, I'm the official protector of the city!"
"That's my girl! We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?"
"No sir!" she replied, knocking on her dome.
Although it was intended in jest, Pyrrha struggled to find the humor. She couldn't shake the lifeless glare of Penny Polendina's prior existence as she lay on the stadium floor. Whether or not she was influenced by someone else when she did that, she still felt responsible for her destruction. It was one thing to see Ruby, but how would Penny feel about her?
"Miss Nikos?" She released the air trapped in her lungs, not realizing that she'd been repressing it all of this time. Hearing Penny's voice had the effect of a solid punch to the gut at this point. "Is that you?"
Pyrrha could only despondently wave, keeping her head bowed in shame.
She could hear the cybernetic steps growing louder until they stopped before her.
"Pyrrha? Why won't you look at me?" Penny tilted her head, puzzled. "Did I do something wrong?"
"What? N-No! I-"
"Then what is it, Pyrrha? You seem sad about something..."
Pyrrha was reluctant to simply address the girl and point out what she had done. She didn't even have the strength to try just now, even if she wanted to. Pyrrha finally saw the entire magnitude of Penny 2.0 with the little she could muster, and she instantly started crying tears of relief and sadness.
"I-I'm sorry..." she cried, burying her head in her gloved hands. "I'm so sorry!"
Penny didn't get the apology, but everyone else around her could feel the anguish it was intended to express. Although Pyrrha's processor was aware of the situation, she didn't get why Pyrrha was in such distress. She regrettably had little time to speak before another warning from the eastern district started to sound. She hugged the girl who was sobbing instead and then grinned with assurance.
"We can talk later and patch things right up later!" she saluted. "For now, it seems we will have to wait."
The redhead nodded in agreement before Penny took flight, leaving the group with many more questions but, at least Pyrrha had something positive to build on for later on. While Aganju comforted her, they all resolved to head back to Pietro's Pharmacy in hopes of figuring things out.
"This is not how I pictured this night going..." Qrow shrugged, slightly amused.
As they made their way down the street, Aganju and Lie Ren felt an ominous presence lurking nearby. Though they appeared to be the only ones in the immediate area, there was no denying the sensation of danger alerting them. They both had the same idea, opting to turn around only to hear several items whistling through the air at them.
It was too late for them to react...
As Atlas bindings encircled each of their bodies, they fell to the ground one by one, leaving only Qrow standing. He was swiftly restrained as well, leaving only Maria and Pietro to stand and stare in disbelief at the events. Five figures, each wearing a fancy uniform, emerged seemingly out of nowhere from all directions.
"Good work, team!"
"Hey! What's going on?!" Oscar grunted as he wriggled around.
Even Qrow wasn't having it with whoever apprehended them.
"Hey, Pal! I'm a licensed Huntsman!" Qrow growled during his struggle. "...Just helped save everyone?!"
A brunette man spun a horseshoe, amusement flashing on his face, looking down on his victim. He then reached down to take the weapon from beside his prisoner, as his fellow compatriots mirrored him. A few Atlas Knights soon joined them, and they took all of the weapons that had been seized and began leading their captives into the rear of a paddywagon.
"What is the meaning of this?! What are the Ace-Ops even doing here in Mantle?!"
The brown-haired male turned to Pietro with a confident and radiant smile.
"It's good to see you, doc! We heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing followed by unauthorized use of weapons by non-licensed huntsmen."
Maria and Pietro exchanged looks of concern but couldn't resist the fact that their hands were tied.
"If we could... just talk this out...!"
They'll be able to talk once they get to Atlas," the man noted with a jovial smirk before tossing what looked like a fishing line that allowed him to sail off with his teammates.
In the meantime, Qrow and the others were all loaded up, none able to escape the bonds that held them.
"Now this?... This is much closer to what I was expecting."