Chapter 9: Enemies Within
Last time our hero learned of Blake's past and assisted her with trying to prove the White Fang was innocent. However, it was proven wrong. Teams RWBY and JNPR have learned of the existence of Ki and how Jason came to Remnant, expelling any fear or concerns that they might have.
However, unknown to everyone, four unknown men have been released from chambers in Talon's laboratory, planning on killing Jason and conquering the world. What happens next now!
Jason was currently doing his usual training exercises deep in a vein of gravity dust. He assumed that he was in at least six times the normal gravity. Jason needed to become stronger, he had to so that if someone like Talon came around, he would be prepared.
So he and the rest of his team, once the semester ended, decided to use the break to train. As Damian and Alex trained with Kai, He and Evan would train under the gravity dust just as Jason did during his one year alone.
"I got used to this fast! I somehow managed to increase my strength over the several months in Beacon without this, but still, I know this can help. Though I think it's time to go deeper in." Jason thought.
"Seriously, how did you do this for a year?!" Evan questioned as he moved slowly around the times two area of the vein.
"It gets easier once you get used to the pressure," Jason replied, smiling over his shoulder. He then looked over to Damian and Alex, who were undergoing Kai's brutal training.
"Keep going, maggots. If you can't do one hundred laps, then no dinner!" Kai yelled, causing Damian and Alex to run faster. Since they didn't want to fall behind in power and since they couldn't use Ki, they decided to train with Kai to increase their strength and develop their semblances more.
"So…how are you feeling without your tail?" Evan asked though very hesitantly.
"It's fine. I'm getting used to it. At first, I had trouble with balance, but right now, I have it covered. I probably would have had a harder time if I didn't wrap my tail around my waist during fights." Jason answered as he reached the next level of gravity.
It seemed looked like the vein was bigger than he expected. If he had to guess, then he would say that this vein would give him up to at least twenty times gravity. So during his stay here, Jason planned to push himself to the limit in his training and go as far as he could.
"Again, I wanted to apologize for cutting off your tail, it's just that we had no other choice." Evan apologized, taking Jason out of his thoughts.
"Dude, you don't need to keep apologizing. I understand if I was in your shoes, I would do the same thing." Jason replied.
"Yeah, though, I am curious how you turned into that ape," Evan said as the two continued training.
"I still don't know. The last thing I remember was a bright light, so unless it was that, then I don't know." Jason replied while he performed several backflips.
Every time Jason thought on when he turned into a giant ape, he couldn't help but think back on the words Mura had told him over a year ago. "…you must tame the beast within…" those words kept resonating in his head, and he wondered if this is what those words meant.
"How would I tame a beast that I have no idea how it came out?" Jason thought.
He looked over at Mura, who was meditating by himself on a hill. Mura knew that he too must train who he, even at his age, had fallen behind and must become stronger.
Teams RWBY and JNPR had wanted to join them for training for after witnessing the power that Talon had exhibited, they wished to get stronger. While they chose to not learn Ki, they decided they could train like Damian and Alex to increase their strength and semblance prowess.
Sadly, they had a lot of homework, which Weiss insisted that they complete, to do over break, and so for the next couple of days, they would finish up their homework before they came here. Thankfully Jason had instructed his team to do the homework in one night, and they managed to do so. However, they were bedridden for the next day due to mental exhaustion.
"So, when do we start trying to learn to fly?" Asked Evan, who was doing push-ups behind Jason.
"Whenever we figure out the method, that's how, best guess is that we push with our energy underneath, but we need to be careful about that," Jason explained.
"Yeah, you're right. Don't want to fall from a high place if we jump or blow up." Evan agreed as he went back to training.
Jason continued on with his training as well, but he had a strange feeling like he was being watched. He sensed around for anyone other than his friends but felt nothing and pushed the thought aside.
However, over on the top of a nearby cliff, someone was watching Jason and co. A man was crouched at the edge as he observed the group smile mischievously. Suddenly his ears twitched as he got a communication.
"Kiran, how's it looking?" Asked the man on the other side of the coms.
"Not bad he's training currently with his friends, by my sensors, I'd say his power level is around 6,800 and rising, and his friend is about 4,200. It seems the battle with the old man, and this gravity training is doing wonders for him." The man now named Kiran answered.
"However, I still don't see that power boost he exhibited during the fight with the old man and his tin can. He theorized that he somehow managed to bring out the power of the Oozaru without transforming. My theory is that it was triggered by his survival instinct that was brought out in a dire situation of near-death." Kiran continued as he watched the group below.
"Leave him, then he'll be no fun to kill as he is now. Let him get stronger. I need to back here to hack into the CCT systems to falsify our documents for the tournament." The man on the other side of the com ordered.
"I'm on my way Silas," Kiran informed before he flew off at high speed.
Back with the others, Damian and Alex had finished Kai's lesson for the day while Evan and Jason decided to switch up their training. Jason wanted to tap into that power he had used during the fight with Talon.
"So, how are you going to tap into this power?" Evan asked.
"I'm going to focus on how I felt during that time and try to recreate it. If I do that, then I think I could tap into it." Jason explained.
"Alright, well, why do you need me here for this?" Evan inquired.
"Because during the battle, I could barely control myself. I felt like I could lose control at any moment, so in case that happens, you and Mura will be here to stop me." Jason answered.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Evan sighed as Jason sat down and meditated.
He got into this position to focus on his mind and body. To focus on the feeling of rage, the primal instincts that came with the power. Soon he could feel the power deep down within him and called to it. His hair stood slightly as his power grew, and when he opened his eyes, they were orange.
"Whoa, your power is off the charts. I guess you did it!" Evan gasped.
"Yeah, I feel it. The power is amazing." Jason agreed.
"What will you call this power?" Evan asked.
"I'm going to call this…my Primal State," Jason answered.
Soon after, Jason practiced with his control with the new Primal State. However, after a few minutes, he lost control of himself, and Evan and Mura were forced to stop him.
Hours later, everyone was taking a break, each drenched in sweat, but for Jason and Evan, break time was their time to find out how to fly. They were concentrating and playing with their energy pushing underneath them. Evan struggled to do this, having to use so much energy all underneath him was a difficult task.
With Ki blasts, it was easy to him now, he just had to concentrate his energy in the palm of his hands, but now he had to exert more energy all underneath himself. He only could barely manage to float a meter in the air. However, Jason seemed to catch on quick to the technique and was hovering at least five meters in the air. Not only that, but he also began to learn how to move around.
"How are you always so good at this?" Evan questioned as he continued to exert more energy to try to fly higher.
"I don't know. I just seem to be naturally attuned to Ki usage," Jason explained as he slowly moved around the area.
"That seems like a lot of fun. Wish I could do that without giving up my semblance." Damian complained as he watched his two teammates practice to fly.
"True, but think about it this way, think about all the cool things only you could do with your semblance once you train with it enough," Evan replied as he descended back to the ground. As he did so, Jason had joined him, both needing to use their break for its intended purpose.
"Man, that uses up a lot of energy fast." Evan exasperated as he breathed heavily.
"True, but that means it's more training that will increase our power!" Jason exclaimed, pumping his arms.
"I swear it seems like the only thing you think about is training, fighting, and food," Alex said, getting a glare from Jason, causing everyone to laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, but I think of other things like making friends!" Jason exclaimed.
"Yeah, but you don't show it as much." Evan teased, getting an elbow to the ribs.
"Oh, come on, it was a joke!" Evan cried as he fell down. They all began laughing as slowly turned to night.
"Okay, you four, it's time to head back for dinner," Mura announced as he walked up to Team JADE with Kai right behind him.
"Sweet, I'm starved!" Jason smiled.
Soon Team JADE and co were teleported back the mountain. As they walked towards the dining hall, Alex spoke up. "So, I was wondering, what do you guys call this place? I mean, it has to have a name, right?" Alex asked, getting everyone's attention.
"Oh yeah, I never really thought about that. What is this place called?" Evan questioned as they continued forward.
"It's my mountain, so call it as such maggots now keep going!" Kai ordered as they all started walking faster.
"Okay, Kai's mountain, it is, that's a great name. I love it, right guys?" Jason stammered as he got into the hall.
"Yep, it's great the best even." Damian agreed as they all sat down to eat.
As usual for them, everyone scrambled to get food before Jason ate it all. Even though they have known him for a while, it still amazed the team of how much Jason ate.
When Teams RWBY and JNPR first saw how much he ate, it disgusted some, Mainly Weiss, and astonished the rest. Some were even jealous of how much he could eat, like Nora, who challenged Jason to an eating contest. Of which she later regretted after she lost much and had stomach cramps for the next few days.
"You know I've been thinking, ever since we got to Beacon, I feel like I've been growing even stronger than before, even now after only one day of training, I feel like I've had more progress than when I was training alone for a year," Jason spoke up as he finished his food.
"Yeah, with this gravity training you suggested and the flying practice, I feel stronger than ever!" Evan exclaimed.
"Definitely, even though we aren't training with Ki like you are, I still feel stronger with Kai's training and my experimenting with my semblance," Damian added with Alex nodding in agreement.
"Nice, what improvements have you made?" Jason asked.
"I've been able to charge up my energy slashes faster so I can shoot them in rapid succession, and I plan to try to hold the energy in the sword to increase my striking power," Damian explained.
"And with me, it's similar. I can fire my arrow filled with energy faster and put even more energy in it to deal more damage." Alex added.
"Sweet! When the Vytal Festival Tournament comes around, we are so going to win!" Jason proclaimed, standing up.
"Oh yeah, we are going to be the best team there!" Evan agreed, also getting up. Soon the rest of Team JADE were on their feet cheering, much to Alex's discomfort.
"Keep it down and clean up idiots, unless you want me to make you!" Kai yelled from the other room, causing everyone to jump to action and clean up the room.
After they finished cleaning up, everyone decided to head to bed and rest, so everyone retired to their rooms. Before Jason could go to bed, however, he got a message from Ruby informing him that Team RWBY was ready to come over and train, then soon after, he got a message from Jaune saying the same thing for Team JNPR.
"Looks like Kai is going to have his hands full." Jason thought before he went to bed. However, his rest was soon interrupted once again by someone knocking on the sliding door of his room. Jason opened the door to see Mura on the other side.
"Master, is there something you need?" Jason asked.
"Yes, I just wanted to see how you were holding up. Even though weeks had passed since our fight with Talon, I feel like it's still on your mind." Mura explained as he walked into the room.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm over the whole thing except the whole turning into a giant rampaging ape," Jason answered.
"Yes, I understand. It would be a shock and concern to anyone, especially since we don't know what caused it." Mura replied.
"Yeah, but I have the feeling that it is connected to that vision you told Evan and me about last year about taming the beast within. I can't help but feel like that is what it was talking about." Jason pointed out. Mura nodded in agreement
"Yes, I do see the connection as well, but don't let it bother you too much, I'm certain you'll figure out what it means." Mura agreed, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder.
"There is also the part about accepting who I am, I feel like that means that I'm this Saiyan race and not a faunus. But I grew up a faunus, so I won't let some crazy old man change who I am." Jason declared.
"I'm glad to see you are taking this so well, now it's time you get some sleep. I won't keep you any longer," Mura replied as he left the room. Jason nodded and soon managed to fall asleep.
Next Morning...
As morning broke, Kai returned with Teams RWBY and JNPR. With all their homework done, they were now able to come and train with Team JADE.
"That was so cool, we got here instantly without any wait, and now we can spend more time training!" Ruby exclaimed as she sped around looking at the grounds but soon stopped when she ran out of breath.
"Can't breathe, need air!" Ruby gasped.
"Wow, usually it takes more to make you like this. What happened?" Yang asked as she helped her sister.
"It's just the air here. It is very thin, so try not to waste breaths and breathe slowly. Do that, and you'll be fine." Kai answered.
"The others are over here, follow me," Kai instructed as everyone followed him to the training grounds to see Damian swinging around a pole with many weights on it and Alex doing several exercises with weights on.
"Wait, where's Jason and Evan?" Pyrrha asked, looking around for them.
"We're up here, guys!" Jason announced from above.
Everyone then looked up, eyes widened to see both Jason and Evan floating above them with varied difficulty. Jason was beginning to fly around with ease while Evan was just getting the hang of it but still struggled.
"You…you…you guys are…are…are…" Jaune began to stutter before Weiss finished for him.
"Flying!" Weiss gasped.
"Yep, cool, right, we managed to figure it out, and it did wonders for our Ki control!" Jason smiled before he started to fly around doing a couple of loop-d-loops.
"Oh, come on, quit showing off! It's only the second day we're doing this. How the hell are you this good?!" Evan questioned, annoyed at his partner's ability to learn.
"I don't know what to tell you, bud, I just managed to catch on fast," Jason answered, lounging in midair.
"Seeing all of this just makes me bummed that I can't learn Ki…or at least not without losing my semblance, and I am not up for that," Yang complained, sulking a little.
"Yeah, I want to fly," Ruby added on her knees with a flood of tears coming from her eyes.
"Oh, stop pouting like a child. We're here to train, and we don't need Ki to get stronger. Just look at Damian and Alex. They seem to be doing fine." Weiss asserted as she picked Ruby up.
"She's right. I'm actually quite intrigued about what we can learn here." Ren agreed, stepping forward.
"Well, I think you guys are going to be pleased with the results. You're just going to…have to learn how to deal with Kai's way of teaching," Jason explained as he set back down on the ground.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Blake asked, but before Jason could answer, Kai spoke up.
"It means you maggots are going to do what I say and follow my rules to which I will now tell you," Kai said, going on to explain to everyone the rules of training.
Weiss seemed like she was going to complain about all the rules but was stopped when she saw the scared look on Jason's face as he motioned her to not do so.
"Well, now that we got that out of the way, we can begin training, so line up maggot!" Kai yelled, everyone then quickly lined up as Kai began their training. Once he got everyone on a regiment, he teleported Jason and Evan to their gravity training before he returned.
"Wait, where did they go? I thought we were all training together?" Nora asked, confused.
"Yeah, they are doing some special training with a gravity dust vein, trust me, it's best to leave it to them to do that training. I tried it, and I couldn't move a muscle." Damian answered, continuing to swing the pole around.
"Wait, they're messing with gravity dust, that's very dangerous. What are they thinking?" Weiss questioned.
"You've seen how strong those two are. Something like that for them is nothing." Alex answered as he ran past them.
Everyone was now doing training with weights and several exercises save Damian, who continued with his training. Not even halfway through the training, everyone not on Team JADE was gasping for air, trying to force themselves to continue.
"How can you guys do this with so little air?" Ruby asked, collapsing onto the ground.
"You'll eventually get used to the air up here, and once you do, it helps in terms of stamina, and you can do more with less air," Damian explained as everyone took a short break.
Once nighttime came, everyone was exhausted by Kai's intense training. Between the exercises with weights and the battles with the shadows, everyone and their auras were tapped out. Everybody was laying on the ground gasping for air, too tired to move or do anything for that manner.
"How…the…hell…did Jason and…Evan do this when they were twelve?" Weiss complained as she stared at the stars above.
"My entire body feels like jelly," Ruby complained as she laid on her stomach. Suddenly Kai teleported with Jason and Evan, who were also very exhausted to the grounds.
"Well, it's time for dinner, get up and go to the dining hall or else no food for you," Kai ordered as he walked towards the hall.
"Looks like you guys had a productive first day of training." Jason teased.
"Why did we accept your offer for training?" Jaune complained as he slowly picked himself up.
"I…hate you…hate you both," Yang stated as she got up.
"Yeah, yeah keep complaining, but you'll be happy that you came here once you've seen the results." Evan smiled.
He then helped Blake, Weiss, and Pyrrha up. Jason did the same helping up Nora, and Ren then picked up Ruby, who couldn't put the effort to get up. He put her over his shoulder as he and the others walked over towards the dining hall.
"Hey, put me down. This is embarrassing!" Ruby yelled as Jason put her down, laughing.
"Well, if you weren't going to get up and walk, carrying you was the only option." Jason laughed. Everyone got a little laugh out of this, too, getting their mind off their exhaustion.
"It's not that funny!" Ruby complained as she blushed out of embarrassment.
When they arrived at the dining hall, there was plenty of food waiting there for them as well as more seats set up to accommodate. Everyone sat down and started eating while getting into several conversations.
"So how did you guys survive training like this for four years?" Nora asked, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Well, I was always pretty strong. I actually first started training with my mother until she passed away," Jason explained, causing an awkward silence to come up.
"Well, as for me, I just pushed myself to my limits so as to not fall behind this guy," Evan answered, pointing at Jason. Afterward, everyone went back to several different conversations with each other.
"So, Jason, do you mind if I ask what your mom was like?" Ruby asked low enough for no one else to notice since she sat next to Jason.
"I don't mind at all my mother well, she was the best. She was a strong fighter and great huntress. She saved many people's lives, including my own, when she found me and adopted me." Jason began.
"I guess she got it from my grandfather, the man who saved her life, you see she was like me, an orphan left for dead until her father, the original Jason Shin, saved her life and raised her," Jason explained with Ruby listening with great interest.
"Wow, I guess saving little kids and adopting them runs in the family." Ruby joked with Jason, letting out a small laugh.
"Yeah, I guess it does, who knows maybe I might save a little kid and adopt him or her if I do find one," Jason replied, the two now laughing even more.
"Yeah, my favorite part of the story was that my grandfather was human and not a faunus, yet he treated my mother with the same respect and care he would give to anyone else, and it inspired me to treat everyone with as much kindness as I would want." Jason continued. He now got the attention of Blake, who overheard that last part.
"Your mother was raised by a human?" Blake asked, getting Jason's attention.
"Yep, surprising right, but at the same time, it's inspiring," Jason answered Blake nodding with a smile.
"I just wish there were more people like him out there," Blake commented.
"Yeah, me too, sadly, I never got to meet him." Jason agreed as he finished his food. Afterward, they all cleaned up, and the members of Team JADE showed their friends to their rooms.
"Wow, having our own room after sharing one for a whole semester feels weird." Weiss pointed out before Ruby rushed over, putting her arm around her partner.
"Well, Weiss, if you'd like, we could always have a slumber party!" Ruby proclaimed.
"No, I think I'm fine, maybe some other time." Weiss declined with a slight smile as she entered her room. Soon everyone was sorted into their own rooms and went to sleep, and Jason and the rest of Team JADE followed suit.
Beacon…
Ozpin looked at the screen of his scroll with concern and curiosity. A new team had applied to transfer to Beacon for the Vytal Festival from Mistral. However, the more he looked at the team, the more suspicious they looked. The team was a team of four boys that looked around eighteen years old. However, it seemed as though the team's information only was just created.
Very little was known of the team as if they just kept to themselves for their time in Haven but now decided to show off in the tournament. The team was called SIKE and was composed of its leader Silas, his partner Iver, and their teammates Kiran and Elias. The name sounded like a bad joke, but it was apparently all real.
Ozpin still was going to let them come but had the feeling that he should look deeper into their backgrounds because the most suspicious thing to him about them was that they were all brothers, quadruplets, in fact, who all looked almost exactly the same.
"Well, they don't have anything that would disqualify them from being entered in, so I see no reason not to let them enter. But I think I should keep an eye on them." Ozpin thought as he sent the green-light for their entry. Soon his thoughts were interrupted when he got a message from Qrow which read
"Any new information on the alien kids' enemy?" Ozpin sighed at this as he took a sip of his coffee.
Ever since the incident with Talon, he had Ironwood analyze the remains of his robotic creation and sent a team to investigate the area to see if they could find where Talon came from. The team he had sent came back empty-handed while Atlas's scientists could not complete a full analysis of the remains due to the technology being far more advanced than anything on Remnant.
This meant he was back to square one with no other leads to go on. The only good thing that he could think of that came out of this was that Talon was gone and no longer posed a threat to his students or Remnant.
However, he couldn't help but think it wasn't over. Someone like Talon would most definitely have a backup plan if he failed, and he felt that it was already underway and that his problems were just beginning.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the day it was just Salem that I had to deal with." Ozpin thought.
But he did take solace knowing that Mura had his colleague Kai training some of his students. He knew that he would make them much stronger than before. He only wished they wouldn't need to use it. Ozpin sent his update to Qrow, receiving another message back from him.
"Too bad, but on the other note, the Queen has pawns keep an eye out." Qrow had sent Ozpin. He scowled at this, knowing that Salem was making a move now of all times was concerning, but he believed they would endure.
One Month Later…
"I can't believe it's been a month already. I feel like I did a years' worth of training in such a short time." Yang smiled as everyone gathered in the courtyard.
"Yeah, at first, the training was a nightmare, but now I can do it no problem, it definitely made me stronger!" Nora exclaimed, flexing her arms.
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, pumping her arms in the air.
"Yep, I just wish that I could have made it to the center of the gravity dust vein, but I still managed to improve with large strides." Jason smiled as they waited on Kai.
It was finally time to return to Beacon as today was the last day of the break between semesters. Because of that, it was time to go back to Beacon and relax before the new semester starts. That also means that with the new semester, they are that much closer to the Vytal Festival.
Jason made it three-fourths of the way in experiencing twelve times gravity, Evan managed to make it halfway through going under ten times gravity, which increased their strength immensely.
"I still feel like you two training under gravity dust is cheating," Weiss commented, getting a smug look from Evan.
"You're just jealous that you couldn't do it." Evan teased, receiving a glare from Weiss.
"Plus, you two learned how to fly, which I feel is unfair," Damian added.
"Yeah, flying is awesome," Evan replied, smiling. He'd finally mastered flying after a week since he started and was able to fly at high speeds with Jason.
"Just make sure you don't use that power to peep on girls." Jason requested.
'Wha…don't say that out loud, and I would never do that!" Evan yelled, embarrassed.
"Yeah, you better not," Yang said, glaring at Evan.
"Hey, I have never peeped on a girl. I'm no pervert." Evan claimed defensively.
"Oh, right, you're a connoisseur of women," Jason commented.
"Traitor!" Evan yelled.
As he said that, every girl present glared daggers at Evan, who sweatdropped and now was nervous in the presence of the current company. Kai soon arrived with Mura to see the group off.
"Alright, maggots get close together so we can go," Kai ordered. Everyone immediately got together, not questioning Kai's order to not anger him.
"Well, I'm glad to have had so many guests here, and I hope your training had given the results you wanted. All of you are always welcome to come here." Mura informed.
"Thanks, old man. I think I might just take you up on that offer one day." Yang thanked.
"Yeah, me too!" Nora said. Kai then went to the group and transported them back to Beacon.
"Why is it that every time I see them off, I feel like something bad will happen." Mura sighed as he walked back into the main building.
Back with the others, they had finally arrived back in Beacon and had gone their separate ways to their dorms and wherever else as they settled back into their lives there. Jason was taking a walk around campus as he adjusted the tie on his uniform until he felt a chill run down his spine.
He turned around and saw one person behind him looking right at him. He didn't recognize who he was, and soon the boy walked off, almost disappearing.
"That was odd. Who was that?" Jason questioned as he turned back around and continued his walk.
He began to think about the Primal State, the power he experienced during his fight with Talon. During his training, he was able to bring it out. However, it was not for long, and he was barely able to control his actions, nearly hurting Evan in the process.
"Maybe it's not worth it to use that power if I end up going crazy and hurting people." Jason thought as he continued his walk.
Jason looked at the nearest clock seeing it was almost noon, meaning lunch was soon. Jason was not going to miss a meal, so he decided to head over early to get his meal and eat with his team and friends.
Kiran returned to his temporary base being his dorm room at Beacon with the rest of his brothers already setting up in the room. "So, Kiran, how powerful has he become?" Silas asked as he noticed his presence.
"I clocked him in at 10,348, and his friend at 8,960. They increased their power by a lot, of course, without that little power up the Saiyan, and much less the human pose any threat to us. But they still should be fun to take out." Kiran answered.
"I just wish there were more people as strong as them around here. It will be boring fighting in the tournament when there is no challenge." Elias pointed out.
The Tuffle looked through a couple of books he acquired from a nearby store where the shop owner had been killed. Before he took the books he wanted, he did, however, pay his respects. While he may not have known the man, no one deserved to meet such a fate.
"Just forget about that, Elias. Just focus on the task at hand, eliminating Jason Shin. If we don't, he will pose a threat to our plans." Iver explained.
"I still think that killing him is unnecessary," Elias replied.
"You're too soft, Elias, just think back on what the Saiyans have done to us, Tuffles, we cannot let a single one live or get in our way," Silas told Elias.
"Yes, I understand. Don't worry, I will stay on task." Elias assured, sitting down.
"Now, what about our second obstacle on this planet?" Silas asked as he sat down on a chair.
"Salem has not left her territory, but she has spies planted in this academy already from the information Talon had gathered before his death. And it seems that the headmaster of Haven is also under her thumb." Kiran answered.
"And what about the cameras they placed in the room?" Silas questioned.
"Taken care of, I removed them and replaced them with fakes that run false footage," Kiran answered.
"Iver thought up of several hundred scenarios just to make them look believable," Kiran added.
"It's what I do," Iver smirked.
"Perfect, this is beginning to be fun already, now then it says that we must attend classes here to participate for now. We will keep a low profile, so we don't draw attention to ourselves." Silas explained.
"And if we get the attention on us?" Asked Iver.
"Then eliminate the problem discreetly," Silas answered.
"However, if the Saiyan finds out we'll threaten him technically right now, all of Vale is basically our hostage, so if he wants it to remain intact to live, he'll play by our rules," Silas stated laughing afterward.
"Now, Kiran, how long will it take you to take hold of the CCT?" Asked Silas.
"Considering how easy it was to falsify our records, I can do it right now," Kiran answered.
"Good now, Iver, I want you to find out who that old witch's pawns are and well, let them know their place in the pecking order," Silas ordered with a stern tone.
"Sounds like fun. I'll make some outfits to hide ourselves just in case." Iver smiled.
"Fine but nothing flashy," Silas replied.
"Your no fun." Iver sighed as he and Kiran left the room.
"What will we do, Silas?" questioned Elias.
"We are going to take a little tour of the building and keep up appearances to not raise suspicion, now let's go," Silas answered as Elias followed him out.
Jason couldn't help but laugh at the current situation with his friends. When he went to have lunch with his friends, it slowly turned into a giant food fight that destroyed most of the cafeteria.
While Jason wanted to participate, he was too hungry to do anything, so for once in his life, he chose food over fighting, to which his teammates followed suit. The food fight soon ended when Glynda came in and repaired the entire room and scolding the children for their actions.
"Maybe it was a good idea that we didn't enter the fight." Evan pointed out as he looked on at his friends.
"Yeah, I'm sure at least you and Jason would have wrecked the place even worse than they did," Alex commented.
The group then left to spend the rest of their day getting settled back into Beacon, as Jason went on his own to spend some time alone until he ran into two people who seemed lost.
"Damn, what is wrong with this place? It's like a maze where are we even supposed to go!" One of them yelled in anger.
"Just calm down, Silas, it's just the first day. Who cares if it's like a maze? We'll get it down soon enough." The other said as Jason approached them.
"Hey, do you guys need help finding your way around here? I know where everything is if you'd like me to show you." Jason offered as he walked up to them. The one named Silas scowled at Jason, almost like he couldn't stand his presence.
"No, we're fine, thanks, let's go, Elias, and head back to our dorm." Silas declined as he left.
"Sorry about him. He's just in a bad mood so long." Elias apologized as he followed his leader.
Jason just stood there confused at the event but soon let it go and continued to the bullhead to head into the city. When he arrived, he walked around the city, taking in the sights. He made his way to where he fought Talon's first creation.
It seemed like the repairs were well on their way to being complete, making Jason smile. However, he was taken out of his thoughts when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Behind him, a woman stood with what seemed to be her daughter.
"Can I help you?" Jason asked, wondering what they wanted.
"Yes, well, I don't know if you remember us, but you saved us from that robot that attacked this area. I just wanted to thank you for saving our lives." The woman Thanked.
"Oh yeah, I remember you, it was no problem. I'm just glad that you two are safe." Jason replied as the little girl walked up to him.
"Thank you, mister." She thanked before she returned to her mother.
Jason smiled, knowing that he made the right decision that day as he said goodbye to the two as he left. Jason made his way through the city. He bumped into another person he hadn't seen in a while. Velvet was leaving a clothing store accompanied by what seemed to be her friend carrying several bags. Velvet noticed Jason and waved at him as she approached him.
"Jason, it's good to see you. It's been a while." Velvet greeted as she reached him.
"Yeah, it's good to see you too. How've you been? I hope Cardin hasn't been giving you any trouble?" Jason asked.
"No, he hasn't really been around me. Guess you scared him off," Velvet answered as her friend approached.
"So you're the one that helped out Velvet. Nice to meet you. I'm her partner Coco." Coco introduced.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jason." Jason replied, shaking Coco's free hand.
"That's a tight grip you have there. You must be pretty strong. No wonder Velvet likes you." Coco commented, making Velvet blush.
"Don't say it like that, Coco he's just a friend!" Velvet cried, embarrassed.
"Well, anyone who stands up for Velvet against people like that dick Cardin is a friend of mine." Coco smiled, ignoring Velvet's cries.
"Sure, I love making more friends," Jason replied, smiling.
"Well, we have to go see you later, Jason," Coco said, grabbing onto Velvet as they left.
"It's good to see Velvet doing well, and I made a new friend, but I wonder why Velvet got so embarrassed. Was it because Coco said she liked me? Don't friends like each other, or did Coco mean something else?" Jason questioned. He just let the thought go as he continued his little trip around Vale.
Vale…
Nighttime descended on Vale, and to anyone there, it would seem like a peaceful night. However, in the darkness, many evils were making moves. Kiran and Iver were on top of a building looking down on the city. Both of them were dressed in black clothing with hoods and masks that hid their faces.
(Think the Nightingale armor from Skyrim excluding the cape)
"So any leads on where we're going to find these pests?" Kiran asked.
"You're the one that inherited the intelligence you tell me," Iver replied.
"Okay, smartass, just tell me," Kiran demanded, annoyed at Iver's sass.
"Well, I do know they are controlling the White Fang from behind the scenes. We find them, we find the others. We just need to take out the head of that witch's operations here, and the others will fall like dominoes." Iver explained.
"Good well, let's not waste time and find them." Kiran smiled as the two flew away from the roof, scanning the city. Soon the two found an old abandoned warehouse where it seemed the White Fang was hiding out in.
"Looks like we found where the animals meet," Iver smirked.
"Let's show them that we mean business a good message to those pawns that they're on our turf now," Kiran said as he charged up a Ki blast.
"Sounds like a plan." Iver agreed as he floated next to him charging up his own attack.
Just as soon as they charged up did, they fire upon the building, wreaking havoc and beginning to kill the people inside. However, unbenounced to them, a small group of people, which included Roman Torchwick, slipped out unnoticed.
The Next Morning…
Almost every student stood in awe as they looked out the windows of Beacon to look at the Atlas ships that were flying above the campus grounds. Up in Ozpin's tower, Ozpin and Glynda were also watching the display.
"Did Ironwood have to bring his entire army?" Glynda sighed in annoyance.
"He's just concerned and after the events of the field trip and other recent occurrences, he's being cautious. Though they are an eyesore," Ozpin commented. He turned around when he got an alert on his desk, asking for permission to enter.
"Come in," Ozpin said as the elevator doors opened to reveal General Ironwood as he entered Ozpin's office.
"Ozpin! Glynda!" Ironwood greeted in a happy tone.
"It's good to see you in person again James," Ozpin replied as the two shook hands.
"The feeling is mutual. And it is always good to see you too Glynda." Ironwood added as Glynda approached the two.
"Right. I'll be in my office," Glynda replied as she left the room uninterested in Ironwood's advances.
"Cold as always," Ironwood commented as she left.
"So while it is good to see you don't you think the army outside is a bit overkill?" Ozpin questioned.
"They're necessary Oz and I think you know why," Ironwood responded.
"I doubt they will be needed against Salem. She hasn't shown her face in Vale for centuries. Don't tell me they're here because of the boy?" Ozpin asked.
"While Salem herself may not be here her pawns certainly are. Plus now that there is someone who can turn into a large monkey I don't want to take chances." Ironwood explained.
"James all your fleet will do will cause panic and fear. People will think an attack is imminent," Ozpin stated.
"You heard what Qrow said Oz. We need action!" Ironwood argued.
"We don't know if what Qrow said was even true James. You must remember that we are about to hold the Vytal Festival to celebrate peace between the kingdoms. We can't let fear dictate our actions." Ozpin explained.
"I'm not letting fear dictate my actions Oz. To keep the people safe I will do anything." Ironwood replied.
"If you excuse me I must take my leave now. It was nice seeing you." Ironwood added as he left.
Beacon Library…
Jason was sitting in the library with his friends as he read a book about martial art techniques he was reading currently a technique called the Kaio-… Kaio-what now he couldn't quite understand it, it seemed like a weird combo move.
"Looks dumb and dangerous anyway. Let's just skip it." Jason thought as he turned the next page.
He sat with his team and Team JNPR as Team RWBY was playing a board game across from them. It seemed like things were heating up as the game went on its way. Eventually, Ruby and Weiss were crying comically as Yang had defeated them, with Blake seemingly disinterested.
Jaune went up asking if he could play, but Team RWBY had the maximum number of players. "I feel like that game is similar to a card game I heard of, but I can't think of the game." Jason thought as he continued his reading. Suddenly Sun showed up with a boy with blue hair behind him greeting the group.
"Aren't libraries supposed to be for reading?" The boy asked.
"Thank You!" Ren cried, waking up Nora.
"Well, they're the only ones not reading something in here." Alex pointed out.
"Yeah well this is more fun!" Ruby exclaimed.
"So Sun who's your friend?" Yang asked.
"I'm Neptune." Neptune introduced himself. After he introduced himself, he immediately flirted with Weiss, who was surprisingly swooned over by him.
"He's my partner," Sun added.
"By the way, I haven't heard of this game what is it?" Sun asked.
"Oh, it's Remnant The Game!" Ruby answered.
"That's kind of a boring name," Sun commented.
"Well, it is a fun game!" Yang smirked.
"Yeah I'm actually done playing so I'll see you guys later," Blake stated As she left the group.
"Wait Blake don't go we need four players!" Ruby begged before watching her friend turn the corner.
"I wonder why she seems more distant than usual." Jason wondered aloud as he watched her leave.
"Maybe it has something to do with that attack on a warehouse that happened last night. I heard it was a base of operations for the White Fang," Damian suggested.
"Probably that and the whole White Fang doing all these robberies and causing all the panic." Evan elaborated.
"Yeah, she is sensitive about the White Fang." Jason agreed.
"Hey Jason, haven't seen you since the stakeout. How's your tail?" Sun asked as he walked up to Jason.
"Oh, my tail is all better. I just wrapped it around my waist, I usually do it when I'm fighting, but my tail is still sensitive, so I'm being careful." Jason lied as he rubbed the back of his neck.
He didn't want to lie to his new friend, but he didn't want others to know just yet that his tail was cut off. They might get the wrong idea.
"Cool, what 'ya reading? You're not studying cause that would make you a nerd like Neptune?" Sun asked.
"It's intellectual!" Neptune yelled.
"Nah, I'm just reading on some new martial arts techniques I could use," Jason answered, smiling.
"Wow, you really like fighting, don't you?" Sun asked.
"Yeah, it's unnatural, but you learn to live with it," Evan answered for Jason, who went on to glare at him.
"So, are you going to be participating in the tournament with your team?" Jason asked.
"You bet me, and Neptune, and the rest of our team are going all the way to the finals!" Sun declared.
"Well, so are we, so I guess we'll see you there," Jason replied.
"Hey, what makes you think you'll be the ones to make it to the finals Team RWBY is going to take home the gold!" Ruby exclaimed, pumping her arms in the air.
"Well, Team JNPR is going to be the ones to win it all!" Jaune boasted. Everyone present were chatting it up until they were asked to leave for being too loud.
Beacon Dorms…
Later that night, Cinder Fall sat with her henchmen Emerald and Mercury, in their dorm, very unhappy. The previous night had given many of them a shock seeing that their operation in Vale was now very crippled for the time being.
Cinder was deep in thought as she thought about what their next move would be. She knew that the recruitment would need to be moved up so that they can replenish their numbers, but what would they do about those two attackers.
"So, are we going to talk about what happened last night?" Mercury asked, breaking the silence.
"Quiet Mercury, can't you see Cinder is trying to think!" Emerald yelled, not liking Mercury's abruptness.
"What are we just going to sit here and not talk about it cause I feel like this is an important topic? Two people only TWO PEOPLE came in and destroyed the entire warehouse and killed a great many of those White Fang members with lasers freaking lasers! I don't think the White Fang is too happy about that!" Mercury yelled, not happy about the situation himself.
"Oh, and what are we going to do about now they disappeared as soon as they appeared?!" Emerald questioned.
"Well, anything is better than nothing!" Mercury replied.
"QUIET BOTH OF YOU!" Cinder snapped, causing both of them to stop talking. Cinder was angry, angrier than she has ever been, but she knew she had to keep her cool, now was not the time to panic.
"For now, all we need to do is be patient and wait and continue the plan and keep an eye out for those two again, and next time I will deal with them personally on our terms." Cinder explained.
"I will make them know that messing with us was the biggest mistake of their lives, and they will know their place." Emerald and Mercury seemed to calm down after hearing that, but Mercury deep down had his doubts.
Cinder only had half of the fall maiden's power, and those guys again were shooting lasers like it was nothing. He felt that without the fall maiden's power, she would lose.
"Now, while we lost many members last night, they can be replaced, and as long as Torchwick is still here to do the dirty work, we can still stay on schedule." Cinder finished. The three then began to settle in and keep the appearance as normal transfer students.
Beacon Dorms Elsewhere…
"Well, I think it's safe to say that we have put some fear and doubt in the minds of Salem's pathetic pawns." Kiran bragged as the entirety of his 'team' was in their dorm.
"They were pathetic, granted it was just some White Fang grunts, but we have now made our presence known to them," Iver explained.
"Good, though, I do think at the moment they still think they can beat us. Once we learn who they are we can deal with them more efficiently." Silas smiled happily with the results.
"Now that we have access to the CCT, I want to keep tabs on all communication so that we can take over if needed, and once the tournament is in its full swing and we kill the Saiyan in front of the people, we can show the world that we are in control now," Silas explained.
"Now, Elias, I want you to be the one who shows his face most here while we take care of business," Silas ordered.
"Understood," Elias replied.
"Now is the time to do what the old man couldn't," Silas said.
"Now, Kiran, how goes the development of the device?" Asked Silas.
"It's well underway the whole world will be united, no more humans and no more faunus, only Tuffles," Kiran answered.
"Good now, all we need to do is wait," Silas said, sitting down.
Elias looked on at his brothers and kept telling himself that this was the right thing to do. For the survival of the Tuffles and the building of their new empire, this is what needed to happen.
The mysterious quadruplet Tuffle warriors have begun to make their move. What do they plan to do, and what do they mean that only Tuffles will be left? Find out next time!
Author's Note:
Well, while this chapter had little action, I still had fun writing it next time. There will be some fighting, so look forward to that. Now I know some may be wondering if Jason will ever date any of the characters, especially when he saw Velvet again in this chapter, which was just a joke, I don't really plan on having him do so, but I might have it happen in the future. See you next time.