A/N: Doing something a little different this time; this is a continuation of the last fragment PLUS another fragment; in other words, two chapters.
Fanficiton is weird/glitchy when it comes to dual chapters being posted within minutes of another, so I'm doing this.
If you could review both, I would greatly appreciate it.
...the funeral for my Aunt is rapidly approaching. I'm not ready for it; not ready to say goodbye to another family member.
I've taken to drowning my sorrows in writing and drink, so apologies for any errors here.
Thank you for your time and understanding in this matter.
Take the Girl is all but written, I just need to go over it, fine-tune things, and polish things up. It promises to be a MASSIVE chapter, though my head and heart aren't in the game right now.
Thinking of a working title for this first fragment. Something along the lines of:
War Never Changes. That, or Wanderer. Thoughts?
And of course, after it,
"Do you have any idea who that bastard is? He's been roaming Vacuo for centuries now.
He's a man, a myth, a legend...they call him the Wanderer.
I call him...
~?
Wanderer
There was nothing quite like a cold drink after a hard day's work.
Downright refreshing really. Almost made this worth it.
Almost.
Having long since lost the ability to taste all but the spiciest of foods, he could at least revel in a cool glass of water when he wished. It was the little things like this that kept him going. He'd even managed to score some decent bounties today; the sack at his hip was chock full of his hard work. Three heads; each would pay well once he turned them in.
Their weight didn't compare to that of his arsenal; his the rifle, shotgun, pistols or the freaking Relic of Destruction on his hip. That's right. A relic. He didn't stutter. A gift from the Summer Maiden nearly a century before, he kept it swathed in heavy bandages yellowed by age, a secret he guarded with his life, even now. Especially with another war between Oz and Salem about to kick off. Another Great War seemed primed to blow any day now; he wouldn't be surprised if it started in Vale.
It would come to Vacuo eventually, sooner or later. He couldn't wait to see the look on their faces once they realized their precious prize was nowhere to be found.
War never changes; the Maiden had told him that once, and he agreed. It never did. Someone always wanted something from someone.
He missed that Maiden sometimes. She'd been good company...even if he could no longer remember her name.
Hadn't it started with an L? Was it Layla? Lila? Lulu?
Lucy! That was the one.
She'd been such a good person...until Atlas killed her.
A memory wrapped him in its scorching embrace; heat and fire flashed across his vision, bringing with it the stench of sulfur and burnt flesh. Oh, yes. He remembered.
His gloved hand creaked around the tempered glass, cracking it. Water sluiced out to stain the table.
The barkeep grunted at him. "You gonna pay for that?"
He tossed a lien card the man's way and let him go about his business.
Lucy had believed in something she called The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself, or some bullshit. And for awhile, she'd almost suckered him into believing again. Pah! There was only one golden rule in Vacuo these days. Thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every time. Every. Damn Time.
The faint whine of an engine reached his ears, prompting him to look up from his dark musings.
A bullhead circled in, swooping low to port. One of its engines had been damaged; belching smoke in the harsh afternoon sunlight. It didn't so much land as it did slam down onto the airstrip, grinding to a painful halt. He recognized the slender make of the craft. Huh. Schnee ship. Wasn't often they got visitors way out here in the sticks.
He flicked another lien card the man's way. "Keep the change, Sam.
From there, he adjusted his brimmed hat and stood, sweeping his battered trenchcoat out behind him as he walked into light.
A woman in white disembarked from the battered craft, flanked by a pair of tin men. So Altas was still using mechs. These ones could actually move on their own. Interesting.
"You there, citizen." she took one look at him and held up a hand. "I am Winter Schnee. Might you know where I can find Uzumaki Naruto?"
He planted a hand upon one of his pisols, threading chakra into the chamber. "You're lookin' at him."
"I see." Her gaze fixated on him, sharp and cold as ice. "I must ask you to come with us."
Ah, this song and dance again. "Doesn't sound like an ask to me."
Winter bridled. "The SDC is interested in your ability to pierce and nullify aura-
"I ain't for sale, missy." he flicked a finger her way. "Run along back to yer daddy before I put a hole between your eyes."
She huffed indignantly, no doubt used to getting what she wanted. "I no longer work for my father-
He waggled a brow at her. "Wasn't the daddy I was talking about."
Winter went red. "You dare?!"
"Yup."
All to easy. He always enjoyed teasing those military types, winding them up. Lucy had been from Atlas, too, and she'd been one of the better ones despite her sheltered upbringing. This woman wasn't fit to tread the same ground she had. He closed his eyes and fought down another flashback. Lucy would've welcomed this woman in. He, however...
...I'm sorry."
Winter lunged at him when he wasn't looking; as though that would make a difference. He parried her saber, grabbed her by the arm, and wrenched it behind her back.
The Schnee droids bridled and he drew with his free hand, shooting them dead.
"Sorry for what? This pitiful excuse of an attack?" Grinning, he kicked out her legs, depriving her of balance to force her face into the dirt. "Who's your daddy now?"
Winter garbled into the ground gravely.
Naruto smiled. "I thought so.
A/N: To be clear, this fragment is set before RWBY.
Would you like an update next week? Do let me know!
We'll be picking up here, but with the notifications down, I really need to hear from you here.
RWBY may have been canned by Warner Bros. but we fanfiction writers are out here trying to keep the light alive, as it were. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter!
That's no joke! I can't write without feedback. Guess that makes me weak...T_T
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
Potential ones at that.
Also, references.
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
EDIT: If you aren't familiar with the RWBY organization known as Crown...you're about to be.
"And I'm telling you, Gillian, this Crown thing of yours that you're trying to start up, its an awful idea." he reached across the table, buckled on his pistol next to his sword, and shook his head. "You go tell your brother that, or so help me, I will come down there and tan Jax's hide. Are we clear? Focus on graduating from Shade and keep that idiot in check.
"But grandfather-
"No buts! Get!"
Carmine tilted her head. "Neat trick...
"Surrender or you will be shot!"
As far as threats went, that one was rather blase.
"Nice Paladin. I was there when they first came up with the idea; there's a flaw in the welding. Right under the chesplate...there. Wonder if they fixed it?"
His revolver snapped up and barked once; the sound echoing over the dunes. For a moment, nothing happened. And then:
The massive mech toppled like a house of cards, flattening three soldiers.
A grin split Naruto's face.
"I guess not...
Nice sword ya got there, old man. Hand it over.
This old thing? He hefted the Relic of Destruction. "Trust me, you don't want this. She's a fickle bitch."
His would be mugger made a grab for the sword; the moment their fingers closed around the hilt, he turned to ash.
Naruto clicked his tongue and walked over his remains.
"Told ya."
EDIT: Thanks for reading. May you have a better day than I, filled with lots of luck.
Looking forward to hearing from you all when I get back from work~!
Feedback means the world to me. I appreciate you all~!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
(NOW COMES THE TEASER FOR TAKE THE GIRL! ITS DELIBERATELY ROUGH! DON'T WANT TO SPOIL TOO MUCH!)
Just this once, the chapter title will change.
That's how long this will be.
Ten.
Thousand.
Words.
"If I became the monster and threw my guilt away...
...would that make us stronger, would it keep our foes at bay?
If I became the monster to everyone but us, and made sure we were safe again...who would care if I was unjust?
Then I'll become the monster! I will deal the blow! Yes, I'll become Mistral's MONSTER! Like none you've ever known!"
~?
The Smiling Monster
"Gimme back my birdie! RIGHT NOW!"
Ozpin dragged a hand across his face to stifle a sigh. "Summer-
No such luck; she wasn't in any such state to hear him, let alone heed his words.
"Do you hear me, Salem?!" Ruby's mother wholheartedly ignored him and continued to rail at HIS scroll, having snatched it out his hand not a minute before to holler her lungs out. "I am TALKING, you pale bitch!" Her rage was towering in Bring my teammate back or I will personally march up to your tower and shove my ax up your-
There was no response. Only static. White noise.
He knew the sound well from years of experience; someone had smashed Qrow's phone.
He gently pried his phone from her fingers and took it back.
Its Salem. It must be. Who else could've done this?
And all the while, the clockwork gears of his office ground ever onward, precious seconds ticking by.
War never changes. And neither did time. A rational conclusion for irrational reasons. He could understand the need to blame Salem for such, but it was simply implausible.
We do not know whether she was responsible for this," and this would be brazen, even for her, "but we must not jump to conclusions-
"It doesn't change the fact that he was taken! And we don't even know where he-
Patience! He held up a hand to forestall her mounting anger. Qrow was in Mistral at my behest; I sent him to Haven to speak with their headmaster on my behalf.
Sumer bridled. You don't think he...?
"I do not. This "Headmaster of Hell" is a dangerous man but he does not strike me as the sort to kill senselessly," Even in the circumstances surrounding his ascension to Headmaster were suspicious, "Nevertheless, he may know something, so we shall begin our search there...
"I'm going."
"You are not."
She stamped a foot. "I am!"
"And what of Ruby? She's much too young to be left alone."
Glynda can look after her. "She's done so before."
Ah, yes. Auntie Glynda, as Ruby called her. The little lass was admittedly fond of her. However! "Summer, this is reckless-
"No! I won't lose Qrow the way we lost Raven!"
Ah, the arrogance of youth. They thought themselves invincible...until they weren't. If this IS Salem's doing, it may be a trap to lure you out again-
Summer glared silver daggers at him.
Ozpin stood firm. "That didn't work when you were a student and it certainly won't now-"
She kept staring.
"What would you have me do? We cannot afford to leave ourselves open at this crucial juncture."
The stare persisted.
"...Very well. She will be well guarded by Glynda and Oobleck"
Taiyang? He looked to Yang's father, belatedly remember he was also in the room. "You haven't said a word. What do you think of-
"...!"
The blond brawler walked past him without a word and strode to the elevator.
"Where are you going?"
He looked over his shoulder, a single blank blue eye regarding him. "...to dig up my gauntlets."
Those things?! Summer balked and ran after him, latching onto his arm. "Tai, no! You buried them for a reason!
"Tai, yes!" He rounded on her with a snarl, pain etched across his face. "I'll do whatever it takes to bring my little girl home."
He shrugged free of her grasp and that was that.
Summer whined and looked fit to run after her husband, but dithered, looking to Ozpin for direction.
He wasn't quite sure he could give it. after him.
Ozpin sighed and paced back to his desk. So be it. It seemed this was the path they were embarking upon, for better or worse. It would take them days to make it to Mistral, maybe two, perhaps longer if Taiyang's weapons required maintenance after being forsaken for so many years. He did not look forward to seeing those destructive tools in action once more.
...I shall liase with the Headmaster there as quickly as I can."
Summer darted into the elevator and shouted after him. "We have to hurry! Who knows what horrors Qrow's being put through as we speak!
(.0.0.0.)
Qrow awoke with a start as someone dumped a bucket of water on his head.
"Time to rise and shine, my fine-feathered friend!"
Rise, he did. Shine, he did not. Glare, he did.
Naruto smiled at him.
"Sleep well?"
A/N: The full chapter will be posted tomorrow. If you could kindly review this -let me know what you think, what could be improved etc- as well as state your thoughts for the other teaser above, I would great approve it.
We'll be picking up here, but with the notifications down, I really need to hear from you here.
RWBY may have been canned by Warner Bros. but we fanfiction writers are out here trying to keep the light alive, as it were. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter!
That's no joke! I can't write without feedback. Guess that makes me weak...T_T
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review Would You Kindly?