Salutations, Everyone… as Penny would say.
As RWBY's status is up in the air following the Rooster Teeth's shut down, Tolkien's Middle Earth is making a big comeback, both on the silver screen and the big screen. The trailer for The Rings of Power Season 2 has dropped, and after that comes War of the Rohirrim in December. That's not the last of it, as the announcement has been dropped regarding 'The Hunt for Gollum' in the works, with legends Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis collaborating once again.
As both down and exciting this bundle of news is, I think we can only just wait to see what directions both franchises take. If the new Middle-Earth installments might prove to be worth the wait and if RWBY's canon storyline will be picked up to finish to the story in any way.
This chapter is dedicated in remembrance of Bernard Hill (December 17th, 1944- May 5th, 2024) who passed away recently this week. He who we remember as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's Titanic (1997), Luther Pinkett in Clint Eastwood's True Crime, The Judge in ParaNorman (2012), and most of all the one we will never forget, especially during this story… his role as Theoden, King of Rohan…
He will be remembered as one of the beating hearts of Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's legendary trilogy.
"I now go to my fathers in whose mighty company, I shall not feel ashamed."
Let's say… that I can give his portrayal of Theoden in here… and when we see him… one more hurrah.
"Forth Eorlingas!"
Chapter V
Black and White All Over
"Good Oum…"
The captain grimaced as he glanced down at the table map… showing the breaching of the city. The city that was standing down below their flying airship.
"The bulk of the Grimm herd has all but breached through the city's defenses."
"How did a horde of mindless orcs manage to gather that many Grimm?!"
"It's not just orcs… the White Fang's down there as well!"
"You gotta be kidding…"
"What would you expect from a pack of lawless animals?!"
"Quiet, Edwin!"
"I'm receiving a distress call!"
"From who?!"
"It's from the General!" Opal looked up from his screen to the crew standing around the bridge. "He requests a quick squadron of Knights to…"
*BREAK!
The crew gasped in shock when the window to the bridge broke open… when a sudden black blur shot through like a throwing stone. The blur rolled down across the ground before it stopped… and kneeled.
The Atlas soldiers paused… and stared both shocked and dumbstruck… at the kneeling blur… that turned out to be a figure… that rose to reveal it was wearing black robe and hood…
"It… It cannot be…"
For Gandalf… time had stopped. The surroundings and people he barely focused on, even the group of friends behind him.
Barely anything mattered… except for the individual standing across from of him.
"Saruman…"
He barely blinked… hoping to see what was in front of him some sort of illusion or… imposter.
"What… What is the meaning of this…?"
It had to be… otherwise…
"Is this some sort of… sick joke?"
This had to be. It had to be. Because… the alternative… was unthinkable.
Because it would mean… that… one of the wisest… and most reliable beings… he had known during his long lifespan… their time… throughout the age…
"I'm afraid not, old friend." The figure in white spoke… in the way to shudder in Gandalf's ears… that was very much Saruman.
"I am neither an imposter nor am I one of young Emerald's illusions. Though, I don't doubt she would make a fitting visage of my image… I am responsible for training her to perfect her Semblance."
…
"You… You what?"
"You?!" Both Weiss and Taiyang screeched from behind.
"You're the geezer who trained her?!" Yang growled, the girl now glaring between the green-haired girl and the old man in white.
"Saruman…" Gandalf stuttered. "Do not… Do not tell me… you… you are…" The wizard glanced at three young, yet dangerous individuals standing behind his old friend. "Do not tell me you are affiliated with them…"
"But of course I am."
Gandalf felt the blood drain at the sound of that confirmation.
"In truth, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustari, and Cinder Fall who is absent here, they were never part of Lionheart's academy… but they were under my tutelage and employ all along."
…
"Your… employ? Saruman…" Gandalf could barely blink. "Do you… do you… do you realize… who they are? What they have… confessed to doing?" He caught Mercury's smug smile. "Look around you!" The wizard waved his hands. "It's… It's chaos out there! Everywhere! Grimm have breached the city walls! Orcs are here from the mountains! They are attacking civilians and students everywhere! Beacon is burning!"
"I am fully aware of that…" Saruman stayed barely affected. "Because I arranged for it."
…
…
"You… You… what?" Gandalf felt frozen like a sheet of ice.
…
"Why you…" Yang growled as her eyes turned full red towards Saruman. "What did you say?!" She clenched up her fist. "Explain just exactly what you just said… or I am going to rip out every last tooth behind that beard… RIGHT NOW!"
…
The White Wizard barely batted an eye, as he barely turned his eye towards the fuming blonde next to Gandalf.
"I am only speaking to Gandalf… not to you."
…
Almost instantly, Yang turned whiter than Weiss's hair as she felt flabberghasted by the White Wizard's response.
"You… You little…"
"Yang…" Taiyang had grabbed hold of his daughter's shoulder to keep her from pouncing and slugging the wizard across from them.
"Alright… that was cold…" Weiss cringed.
Blake however…
"Jackass…" She muttered.
Next to her, Zwei growled with a bark.
Mercury could barely hold in his snickering before Emerald elbowed him. Adam shook his head in annoyance.
Saruman cleared his throat.
"To clarify your understanding, old friend," He spoke once more to the wizard across from him. "Cinder may have acted as the ringleader in this operation, that in infiltrating this academy and uploading the virus… but it was I who organized these schemes in the first place. I was the mastermind of this operation."
…
"You… You…" Gandalf's blue eyes were widening in horror.
…
"Many pieces had to be organized enough to launch an assault to tear through the city and this academy," Saruman continued. "Especially during a time when the other Kingdoms would send their own huntsmen-in-training to compete, and… when Ironwood would bring in his rabble of obedient lackeys and puppets to maintain his delusional sense of security." The wizard spat at the last sentence, before gesturing to the flame-haired faunus next to him with a proud smile. "All the more reason for young Master Taurus and his loyal compatriots to contribute to our cause."
…
"No…" Blake Belladonna shook her head as she stared at her former flame. "Adam… you… you couldn't have… I… I would have…"
"Hmph…" Adam scoffed. "A lot happened after you left, Blake. And I had to pick a lot of pieces… but gladly… I didn't have to do it alone."
…
"I don't understand…" Taiyang stepped in front of his daughter. "Why the hell are you doing this. Why you… of all people…" He now spoke directly to the white wizard. "Why… would you plan something… something… so heinous… and horrible as this?" The blonde man glanced the ongoing fire outside the great hall's windows. "Gandalf here… he told us… my family and I… about you, Saruman." The white wizard raised an eyebrow. "He spoke how you were one of the wisest and most powerful beings in the world. You… You are one of Middle Earth's oldest… and most esteemed guardians. You are a Wizard. You help people. You protect. Even Ozpin spoke highly of…"
"Ozpin?!" Everyone, except Gandalf, balked when the white wizard spoke in a stern and angry tone that held obvious contempt for the name. "Do not speak of Ozpin… when you do not know who he truly is behind that kindly and benevolent façade he displays."
"Façade?" Weiss spoke out. "What façade?"
"Foolish girl…" Saruman regarded with disappointment. "We are already standing on the greatest monument of his facade." The white wizard spread his arms to gesture to the whole of the room. "These grounds. This academy. This city. All of it… are a testament to Ozpin's greatest lies and cowardness."
"He's not a coward!" Yang yelled. "He is our professor. He is our headmaster. He leads this school so we could learn and train to be huntsmen!"
"And that is the very thing he uses to ensnare the naïve… such as you," Saruman grinned with his teeth. "He uses his charm and his stories to inspire others to delude themselves in pretending to be so-called heroes. Those who claim to protect and serve the weak. But the only weak one they end up serving and protecting… is Ozpin himself."
…
"Why are you saying such things, Saruman?!" Gandalf exclaimed. "After ages of being fellow comrades… what are you to speak trash and ill-will against him? He is our leader!"
"We no longer need him," Saruman stated. "We have not for a long time…"
"But we do now!" Gandalf countered. "We need him and each other more than ever! We need everyone able to stand against the coming darkness…"
"And to what end?!" Saruman raised his voice with glare that caused Gandalf to stop cold. "To keep the iron of this status quo hot for centuries more to come? To keep fighting this endless war? His war… that he has dragged all of us on for centuries? To pass that burden to the generations to come?!"
…
"It is time for us to choose, Gandalf!" Saruman declared. "A new age is upon us! A new power is rising! Nothing that Ozpin, huntsmen, elves, nor wizards can do to avail against it! Its enemies are utterly doomed… but its friends…"
…
"Wh…" Weiss could feel herself feeling cold as her dust. "What… new… power?"
"Gandalf?" Yang somehow felt a cold shiver. "What is he talking about?"
…
"No…" Gandalf shook in place. "No… No… No, Saruman." He shook his head. "What are you saying?! Are you saying… you're saying… that we should… join with Mordor?!" The gray wizard pointed finger towards the southeastern direction of the hall. "With HIM?!"
…
"Him…?" Blake whispered her bow twitching in confusion.
"Does that displease you?" Saruman tilted his head. "His forces… are already moving. His herd of Grimm has multiplied and gathered. His orcs have spread across the land. Even now… he hath sent forth his most devoted servants… the Nine."
…
"The Nine?!" Gandalf instantly felt the blood leaving his face.
"Indeed… in fact, they are already here." Saruman grinned.
"They are here… in Beacon?!" Gandalf cried out.
"You haven't noticed?" Saruman said, amused. "They had crossed the border of Sarn Ford long ago… disguised… as Riders in Black."
…
Taiyang gasped. "Riders… in black…?"
"Dad?" Yang glanced back at her dad.
"They have been a given three missions of great importance involving this operation…" Saruman said.
"Missions…?" Gandalf questioned. "What…?"
"The first… to see this false academy… burnt to the ground…" Saruman began, his first line instantly brought about a heated glare from the three girls behind Gandalf.
"The second… to destroy Ozpin… and throw him off the board."
Taiyang growled as he clenched his fists, while Zwei growled towards the white wizard.
"And finally… to find… a girl."
All of those on Gandalf's side froze.
"A girl… with silver eyes."
…
"No…" The grey wizard said.
"What…?" Both Blake and Weiss responded, clearly baffled.
"Ruby?" The response came from both the father and daughter.
"The Nine…" Gandalf stuttered. "They are here… for…"
"Yes, Gandalf," Saruman stated. "They will find the girl… and bring her back to Mordor… to the Dark Lord himself!"
"NO!" Yang yelled, before dashing towards the door to the mess hall.
Until it apparently closed by itself.
Yang stopped in her tracks, as did her friends as they looked in shock. Gandalf turned back to Saruman, who held a gleeful look.
Not long after, all the windows of the mess hall, instantly shut close with the black shutters…
All to shut down any idea of leaving…
"What the hell are you doing?!" Yang yelled, once again glaring crimson eyes towards the white wizard.
…
"Temper, temper…" Saruman shook his head. "I am only preventing any of you… any of you foolish enough to intervene… you cannot hope to stand a chance against the Nine."
"But why… WHY?!" Blake cried out. "What… What does Ruby… what has she done…?"
"For that, Miss Belladonna, I would be willing to share with all of you," Saruman nodded. "But first… I would be generous to ask all of you to stop and surrender your arms…"
"LIKE HELL WE WILL!" Yang yelled her Ember Cilica almost cocking as she glared at the wizard. "If any of you… or anyone else… dares… even dares to touch… or as even touch a hair on my sister's head… I WILL…"
"You will what?" Saruman asked, even more amused. "You do not honestly think you can contend with the will of Sauron?"
…
"S…" Blake paused behind Yang, her eyes widening with recognition. "Sauron?"
"What…?" Weiss whispered in confusion.
Taiyang shrunk back… his tan skin turning pale… at the sudden mention of that name.
Even Zwei was now starting to whimper.
"There are none who can." Saruman turned his gaze back to Gandalf, who looked to be at loss for words. "Against the power of Mordor… there can be no victor. Ozpin realized that long ago… and he has been delaying the inevitable. But it needs not happen… to us…
…
Gandalf glanced back with widened eyes.
…
"It is time… we forsook Ozpin's path… for his path… has been… and always will be… folly."
…
"It is time… that we choose a different path. One that will lead… to a far greater change… for all of Middle-Earth."
…
"We must join with him, Gandalf…" The white wizard was now staring intently back at the gray wizard.
"We must join… with Sauron."
…
Blake gasped with widened eyes, her gaze following back to Adam, who gazed back with a hardened look… even though it was covered by his pale mask.
Emerald looked down, while Mercury crossed his arms and scoffed in amusement.
"Only then…" Saruman continued. "Would there be any chance… for your little friend to be spared from what is in store."
Gandalf's blue eyes widened with horror at the implication of that.
Weiss put a hand to her mouth.
Taiyang could barely speak.
Yang looked as still as the courtyard statue, her jaw dropped, while staring back between the treacherous white wizard… and the grey wizard… who looked sullen and silent.
…
The white wizard smiled. "It would be wise… my friend."
…
"No…" Yang wanted to cry out, turning to wizard who practically had been a part of her family for so long… and if… somehow… he may… considering what the smug faced two faced bastard was saying…
Was it because… of what he meant about… Ruby? For her sake?
…
…
Finally… Gandalf looked up to the white wizard.
"Tell me… friend."
Saruman tilted his head, still smiling.
"When did Saruman the Wise…
...
...
"...ABADONED REASON FOR MADNESS?!"
…
"GAH!"
In a second, Saruman's face contorted with rage and before any of them could move… the white wizard made a swing of his staff.
"GANDALF!" Yang cried out when the grey wizard was flung into the air by an invisible force that sent up in the air until he was pinned to the wall above the door of the hallway.
Pinned in place by Saruman.
"BASTARD!" Yang yelled.
"Yang, no!" Taiyang cried out as his daughter dashed towards the white wizard with a raised fist.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Yang blinked before her advanced was stopped when she was kicked to the stomach and flung back past her friends.
"YANG!" Taiyang dashed towards his daughter.
"Heh…" Mercury grinned as he set down his boot, kneeling defensively in front of his master. "Guess this concludes negotiations…"
"I'm afraid so…" Saruman muttered, looking clearly disappointed.
"Ergh!" Weiss grunted, as she waved Myrtenmaster, a white glyph forming towards the enemy group. "Not so fast…"
"Weiss!" Blake yelled.
"SCHNEE!"
Weiss barely had time to turn back when a red-and-black blur jumped onto the wall before pouncing towards her exposed side. The white-haired girl tried to wave a glyph shield at it, only for the blur to bring up its weapon to strike with a force that broke through the barely formed shield, causing the girl to look in shock.
The girl had to back away to dodge a strike when the bull-horned faunus pounced on the ground and swiped at her with his blood-colored blade.
"FINALLY!" While his upper face was masked, there was no mistaking the wild and feral grin on Adam Taurus's mouth… directed towards Weiss Schnee. "YOU'RE ALL MINE!"
Weiss yelped when she quickly pulled up her blade to block Adam's sharp blade. There came a hard clang that almost caused her to staggard back. She had no time for reprieve as she had to parry again as the grinning man was slashing repeatedly with his blade at her.
"ADAM, NO!" Blake widened her eyes in absolute horror at what she may be picturing as her one of her worst nightmares coming alive. The black-haired girl rose ready to dash to put herself between her teammate and her crazed ex-lover before…
"GET BACK!"
Blake grunted as she brought up her black blade to clash with Emerald's.
"Let me pass!" She cried out.
"Sorry…" Emerald shook her head. "But you're not going anywhere. None of you are."
Blake gritted her teeth before pulling Gambol Shroud back before pulling it back to swing it horizontally towards Emerald's midriff, before she parried it. The cat faunus growled as she swung up at her head, before mint-green haired girl brought her dual weapon to catch it. Belladonna started circling her, before pouncing to strike again before Sustari flipped back and shot the dust rounds from Thief's Respite's at her opponent, who flipped back.
…
"Yang…" Taiyang helped his daughter to rise.
"I'm fine, Dad…" Yang insisted. "Just…"
"Beaten dirty again?"
Both father and daughter turned up with a glare towards the grey-haired teen who smugly approached them.
Yang growled, before…
"Yang, what are you doing?!" Taiyang exclaimed as his daughter pushed off him and kept her glance towards Mercury.
"Stay back, Dad…" Yang gestured a hand to her father. "This bastard and I have unfinished business."
"Pfft… unfinished business wouldn't be cutting it close, blondie" Mercury snorted. "But hey… I'm not complaining. I still can't believe you were right."
"About what?" Yang asked.
"That we got our 'next time' rematch…" Mercury grinned as he shifted in position. "And just so soon."
Yang raised her gauntlets. "I couldn't agree… more."
…
"ERAGH!"
Both combatants cried out as dashed towards each other. Mercury swung his kick towards Yang's face, who dodge and tried slugging at him, only for the smug to flip back and slug another kick at her.
"ARGH!"
Gandalf cried out as he felt the forceful hold over him vanish, and he fell from the wall and hit the ground.
*STAMP!
The gray wizard lifted his head… to see the towering form of his former friend… looking down at him with both fury and disappointment.
"Abandoned reason... you say?" The white wizard questioned, before his black staff started emit a crimson glow. "This is reason... friend."
This one confrontation I've been waiting to do and tried to put the White Wizard at his best... and how he is making clear his horrifying involvement and allegiance to Gandalf and three quarters of the titular team. Not only that... but his disdain towards a certain headmaster.
As short as this was, the next one won't be far off. It's all cracking down to Beacon's ultimate breaking point... and then... to war.
"THERE IT IS!"
"SHOOT IT!"
Opal cried out desperately as he and his fellow soldiers repeatedly shot their dust rifles and handguns at the black robed assailant… who was evading their shots at an impossible speed.
The blur zigzagged across the bridge. Opal figured that it had to be a sort of semblance the assailant had to move like that.
It wasn't long before the blur jumped, and they turned to see it crashing onto the radar map at the center of the bridge. The assailant kicked the first officer at the head, before another soldier tried to shoot at him… before a black sword cut the handgun in half.
What happened after…
…was when the fellow officer gasped as his weapon was cut off… he didn't have time… and neither did anyone… when the assailant dashed in front of him… and brought his sword up to strike…
With such force, the officer was shot against the wall… with a black sword… impaled through his head.
"NO!"
"NO!"
"EDWIN!"
Opal's eyes turned circular and pale… barely able to blink at the sudden blade… that nailed through his fellow's soldier's head against the wall… like a nail.
His protective yellow aura… already flickering… and going out…
…for good.
The only one who wasn't deterred and stood indifferent from the sudden carnage… was the one who caused it… and standing in front of Edwin's corpse…
The black-robed assailant.
…
*BREAK!
*BREAK!
The same sound of glass breaking came again…
Those remaining turned… to see… two more… identical… of the same figure…
Both… their black hoods hiding their faces… tilted their heads… and turned on them.
…
…
"WH…"
*SLASH!
"BECKER!"
Becker's throat was suddenly cut open when the next dark figure appeared in front of him… producing from his armored gloves… a pair of grisly cleavers.
Blades… cleavers…
That were able to… cut through their Aura… so easily?
Opal thought… before he heard another his comrades on the bridge screamed when the third dark figure shot out a sickle and chain that wrap his next comrades next and…
"NO!" Opal yelled and dashed to intervene… only for the other dark figure to block him.
The same who butchered Edwin.
It raised an open palm… enough to slap Opal back against the wall.
He grunted in pain, his Aura fizzing and suddenly going down…
After just one forceful slap and shove…?
The dark hooded figure was approaching him. Opal glared up at it…
"No… No, you don't!"
He cocked his dust rifle and shot… point-blank range at the butcher's chest…
It stopped… almost shifting back at the blow… that caused Opal some small fraction of something to hold on to… only for a small second when…
The hood figure stood straight and continuing advancing towards him… like the blow was nothing.
…
…
"No… NO!"
Opal cried out.
He shot another dust round.
Again.
It pierced through the dark robes of the assailant.
Same.
Again.
Same.
Again.
"NO!" He cried, his sweat not pulsing across his face. "NO! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
He stopped…
It wasn't because he ran out of rounds…
He stopped when a sharp glove… was impaling through his chest.
Opal gasped… and slowly looked up…
…at the faceless monstrosity of the hood figure… who stared right back at him.
It ripped its now bloody hand out of his chest… and Opal collapsed to the white metal floor of the bridge… his blood pouring all out.
He fidgeted… and shivered… and he could no longer move…
He realized that with his blood spilling out to no end… that he was losing consciousness… and realized…
He heard a scream.
Opal used what little strength he was already losing… to see his standing comrade… Jill… who was trying run off the bridge…
…before a sickle was flung towards her… and was impaled through her left calf.
Jill wailed as she slammed face-down to the floor.
The now-bloody sickle impaling through her calf worse than a hook cutting through a fish's mouth… and like a fish… was being reeled in by the dark robed figure wielding it.
Opal was losing consciousness… as the last things he heard… was Jill wailing.
The sound of her nail… scratching helplessly across the floor of the bridge.
Before finally…
Then came the screeching sound of something horrifying inhuman… that silenced the bridge of the airship forever…