Chapter 12: The Tournament Begins
Last time our hero helped Team RWBY capture Roman Torchwick and get rid of a bomb, then Cinder Fall has perished by the hand of Silas. What happens next now!
"Wow, that's where we're fighting in the tournament?!" Jason questioned as he watched the floating arena being positioned near Beacon.
"Yeah, that's what I was told. It's amazing, right?" Evan replied.
"Oh yeah, this is awesome!" Jason agreed.
"Yeah, it's going to be great." Alex stuttered lowly.
"You okay there, buddy, you kinda stuttered there?" Evan asked.
"He's just afraid of heights," Damian explained.
"Wait, how's that possible? How did you managed to get through the initiation or training on top of Kai's mountain if you're scared of heights?" Jason asked.
"I manage," Alex answered speedily.
"Don't engage him on it, please it makes him self conscious." Damian requested.
"Well, let's hope you don't get too scared during the tournament. Just don't look down." Jason reassured his friend patting him on his back.
"So, what's the game plan for the tournament?" Damian asked.
"Well from how the previous tournaments were like we all get to fight in the first round, then two of us, then finally one on one fights. So, I was thinking for the second round we draw straws for who goes then rock paper scissors for who goes to the finals." Jason explained.
"That sounds fair." Evan agreed with the others nodding.
"Hey, guys enjoying the view?" Ruby asked as she and the rest of Team RWBY walk up to them.
"Yeah, that arena is awesome. I want to fight in it right now!" Jason exclaimed with stars in his eyes.
"He's a bit overly excited about it," Damian added.
"Well, that's to be expected knowing his obsession for fighting," Weiss replied.
"What are you guys doing?" Evan asked.
"We're heading to Vale to resupply, then we're heading to train in the combat room," Blake answered.
"Nice, it's always good to be prepared, but we're going to win the tournament," Jason replied.
"Challenge accepted!" Ruby exulted.
The two teams said their goodbyes as they departed. Team JADE decided to go to do their own training. Jason and Evan decided to meditate on the roof and work on their Ki control while Damian worked on his technique and strength, and Alex worked on his aim to keep up his accuracy.
"How do you guys meditate for so long without getting bored?" Damian asked as he took a break.
"It takes a lot of mental focus and training, when we first started it, we were bored out of our minds, but now we can do it for days if we wanted," Evan explained.
"I might have to try that sometime to help with my focus and mental fortitude," Damian said as he got back up to continue his training.
Jason looked up from his meditation sensing Alex using his semblance, but it felt different, almost like he was trying to use it differently than normal. When he shot the arrow, energy surrounded it but soon became unstable, and the arrow broke in two. Alex sighed and knocked another arrow attempting to try it again.
"Looks like he's trying to develop that technique." Jason thought as he turned his attention to Damian, who was now doing something very similar.
Damian began building up energy in his sword and swung, and, from what Jason could tell, he was trying to keep his energy in the blade-like he had been practicing, but once the blade was swung, the energy was thrown away like always, and he had to try again. They seemed to be trying their hardest on this training and looked like they already knew what they had to do to complete it.
"I know that they'll get it eventually. I believe that they can do it. They can do what their family said they couldn't." Jason thought as he returned to his meditation, remembering the tale his friends had told him.
Evidently, Damian and Alex come from a family, much like Weiss's, were their semblances are inherited. However, in their family, they have two distinct semblances that must use the sword, and the other uses the bow, much like the two brothers.
However, it seemed that they didn't care for the semblance they were given even though that if they use it, they would be much powerful they choose to use the opposite weapon. Damian was supposed to use the bow while Alex was supposed to use the sword.
Still, both preferred the weapons they used, meant that they could not use the many techniques that their family has made with their semblances. Still, ever since they became a team together, it seems that they have more of a drive to master the techniques of their family even though they have been told to give up all their life. But they'll do it. Jason believed they could do it.
Vale…
Mercury and Emerald were currently hiding out in the back alleys of Vale. They refused to return to Beacon now that Cinder was dead. What was the point? The plan was over, and even though they still had access to the CCT, they knew there was nothing they could accomplish with it.
"Are we just going to sit here and do nothing?" Mercury asked.
"What else are we supposed to do without Cinder gone? We have nothing and no one." Emerald answered.
"Well, I guess we might as well just leave and do whatever we want. Personally, I can just leave you here because I never really cared about you." Mercury suggested.
"Fine, go if you want!" Emerald yelled. Suddenly they both felt the air around them turn cold. They turned to see a Seer Grimm at the end of the ally with the picture of a pale woman upon it.
"Well, if you insist on leaving, I won't stop you, but not before you tell me everything you know," Salem demanded from the other end of the line. The sight terrified the two considerably, however, not in the same way when the masked man had when he decimated Cinder.
"Who…who are you?" Emerald asked.
"I am Cinder's boss, to put it simply." Salem introduced herself as the Seer approached the two.
"Now, I would like to know what exactly led to her death and who exactly killed her?" Salem questioned.
"Why should we do what you ask? You're not the boss of us?!" Mercury questioned. No sooner then he said that did one of the Seer's tentacles wrap itself around his neck, choking him.
"Because if you don't, I'll kill you," Salem answered as Mercury fell to his knees.
"We'll talk okay, we'll talk!" Emerald replied, causing Mercury to be released.
"Good now, tell me everything," Salem ordered as Emerald told her the events that led to Cinder's demise.
Beacon Dorms…
Amber laid on her back in the private dorm room that she was given for the time being. She still felt like it was all a dream. What Ozpin and Ironwood had told her seemed unbelievable that someone stole half of the maiden powers from her along with half her soul. She had apparently been comatose and on the verge of death for months. That is until suddenly, her powers came back to her.
"That means the girl that attacked me is dead, but how?" Amber questioned. A knock came from her door, and soon Ozpin let himself into the room.
"Hello, Amber, how are you feeling?" Ozpin asked as he entered the room.
"Better than I was a couple of days ago," Amber answered.
"That's good to hear. I hope that keeping you here isn't bothering you that much. We just need to make sure that the people who attacked you before don't try again, then there is whoever killed your attacker, for we don't know what their objective is or at least maybe not fully." Ozpin explained.
"What do you mean?" Amber asked.
"What I am about to tell you must be kept a secret just like the fact with your maiden powers and Salem." Ozpin began getting a nod of confirmation from Amber.
"A couple of months ago, we discovered that we are not alone in the universe, alien life has come to Remnant and has been causing trouble and as you may assume, can be more of a threat than Salem herself. They are stronger, faster, and as much as Ironwood doesn't want to say it smarter than us." Ozpin continued.
"Months ago, a man by the name of Talon attacked one of the students along with his friends during a field trip, nearly killing them. He claimed to be from another planet, and the student was also an alien whose ancestors have exterminated his brethren." Ozpin further explained.
"Thankfully, that man was stopped before he could kill anyone. However, he apparently left behind some copies of himself to continue on his work, we believe that they might be the ones that killed your assailant. We believe that they are looking to kill the aforementioned student." Ozpin finished his lengthy explanation.
Amber was silent, stunned at the information that was given to her. She thought that the information about Salem was the worst thing she could have heard, but this took the cake. Aliens on Remnant ones that had powers that could ultimately surpass the power of the maidens, maybe even the power Salem had held.
"Are these aliens stronger than us maidens?" Amber asked to confirm her suspicion.
"Yes, considerably so," Ozpin answered.
"So would they come after me because they see me as a threat or an obstacle if they're stronger than I or any of the other maidens what will we do?" Amber questioned.
"I would not be surprised if they knew about the maidens or Salem, so it's not out of the question. However, we do have people strong enough to fight them." Ozpin began.
"The student I told you about has become strong enough to hopefully counter them. Thankfully he is on our side instead of turning against us." Ozpin answered.
"This boy must be really strong then if you have faith in him like that, but why protect us if he's not from here?" Amber asked.
"You see, he didn't originally know that he was an alien. In fact, he grew up thinking that he was a faunus. Because of that, he thinks of Remnant as his home, so he will want to protect it." Ozpin answered.
"Now, for now, I want you to keep a low profile until the tournament is over. I think that they will make their move soon, so be careful." Ozpin warned as he got up to leave.
"Oh, and you can use all the facilities here at Beacon while you're here," Ozpin added as he left.
"All the facilities, huh. I guess that's nice, but I think I will wait until my aura completely heals the scar on my face." Amber thought.
Amity Colosseum…
In the underbelly of the Amity Colosseum, four Tuffles were preparing a strange device for their own plans. "How's the device fairing?" Elias asked.
"It's almost ready to go a couple of minutes, and it will be good to go," Kiran answered as he worked on the device.
"Good, there are still some crew around, but they are not coming down here yet," Elias responded.
"So, what was it like to kill Cinder, was it fun?" Iver asked as he and Silas stood to watch on the other end of the room.
"It was very enjoyable. I could see the utter terror in her face as I showed her what the real world is like." Silas began.
"Her accomplices were so scared they couldn't even move!" Silas laughed.
Elias overheard the conversation and was saddened by it. While he believed in their cause, he couldn't help but sometimes think that they were taking things too far.
"We have company coming! Finish it up, Kiran!" Silas ordered as he turned around.
"I'm almost done. I just need to set the cloaking mechanism, and I'll be done." Kiran replied as he pressed several buttons. Soon voices could be heard from across the room as the crew approached the area for their survey.
"And done!" Kiran announced as the device became invisible.
"Good now, let's get out of here," Elias replied as the four vanished from sight. Soon the crew arrived where they left and looked around.
"I thought I heard voices. Guess I was wrong." One said as they left the area, unknowingly leaving a dangerous device behind.
Beacon…
Back with Team JADE, Damian and Alex decided to try out meditation with Jason and Evan. They agreed that to be able to utilize all their powers effectively, they all needed to train mentally more, which Damian and Alex quickly agreed to.
"They seem to be really determined to complete their techniques, not that I could blame them. I am the same way." Jason thought as the team meditated together.
"How much longer is this going to be?" Alex asked, nearing the end of his rope.
"Let's just end it here for now. How about we head down to the combat area for some sparring." Jason suggested as he got up.
"Sure, I need to do something before I die of boredom." Damian agreed as he got up.
"You should still keep up some meditation. I think it could help you both greatly." Jason voiced as they left the roof.
When they reached the room, Teams, RWBY and JNPR were already there training themselves. Currently, Ruby and Nora were on the stage, sparring their auras were displayed on the screen.
It seemed that Ruby was in the lead, but barely. Jason figured she used her speed to get around Nora and deal damage, but every time there was an opening, Nora hit Ruby head-on with her superior strength.
"Looks like you guys are taking training pretty seriously makes me excited to go against one of you in the tournament." Jason smiled as he and Team JADE approached their friends.
"Oh, hey guys, you bet we need all the training we can get to go against you guys," Yang explained.
"More specifically, Jason and Evan, no offense, you two," Weiss added.
"None taken." Damian and Alex replied in unison
"We understand their ungodly strength can be intimidating," Damian said.
"So have you guys come down to spar as well?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah, we were finished the other training we were doing, so we decided to get some sparring in," Damian answered.
"We'll spar any of you guys if you want, too," Evan added.
"As much as I would like to spar you, I don't think that I can deal as much damage to you, that, and you're too fast," Yang replied.
"Well, that's disappointing," Evan replied. Soon Nora and Ruby's match ended with Nora being victorious, if only slightly.
"Victory!" Nora Cheered.
"So close." Ruby sniffled.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, sis you were close. Besides, it doesn't matter until the tournament." Yang comforted Ruby, who was being overdramatic.
"So, who's going next?" Ruby asked.
"Mind if we use it next?" Jason asked.
"Not at all, so who's going?" Ruby questioned.
"Oh, I know I want to see Jason and Evan fight! I've never seen them spar so I want to see what they can do!" Nora suggested.
"Huh yeah, now that I think about it, I've never seen you two fight before." Blake agreed.
"The only time I've ever seen you two fight was during the Mistral Tournament. I would like to see you two fight again. It was quite fascinating." Pyrrha added.
"I guess it couldn't hurt. It has been a while, and I would like to let loose a little." Jason acquiesced.
"Yeah, that could be fun." Evan agreed. Everyone was insistent for them to fight, so the two jumped down to the stage, ready to fight.
"You ready?" Jason asked.
"Ready when you are!" Evan answered. Then the two started their match, darting right at each other, clashing at the center of the ring.
Backing up, they slowly circled the ring in their fighting stances until Jason took the initiative, charging in and throwing a punch at Evan, who blocked the attack. Jason flipped over to kick Evan in the head, but he ducked under and kicked Jason in the back, sending him away. He quickly recovered and dodged Evan's next attack throwing an elbow into his back, sending him to the ground.
"Wow, they're amazing!" Ruby gasped as she watched the fight.
"Yeah, they're even better than when I first saw them fight one another." Pyrrha agreed.
"Knowing that we might go against them in the tournament can be very discouraging," Ren added as everyone continued to watch.
Evan flipped back up and threw a kick at Jason, who back-flipped away, dodging the attack. Jason and Evan now once again stood at opposite ends of the stage, staring each other down, smiling.
"Now that the warm-up is out of the way, want to get serious?" Evan asked.
"Of course, I've been waiting to get serious," Jason answered as the two powered up their bodies were surrounded by a glowing white aura.
The two then became a blur as they clashed several times around the ring at full speed. The people spectating could not keep up as all they could see were several flashing lights clashing across the ring.
"Okay, now I feel very unready for the tournament if we have to go against them," Weiss complained wide-eyed.
"Yeah, even if we fight them in the single matches, I don't think we can defeat them." Jaune agreed.
"Don't give up just yet. Who cares if they have the advantage with Ki, we can still catch up by developing our semblances some more!" Damian exclaimed, getting everyone's attention.
"Yeah!" Yang agreed. Back with the fight, Jason and Evan had taken to the air almost instinctively, clashing in the middle of the ring with several barrages of attacks.
"It's a shame we can't use Ki attacks in here because that would make this match more interesting." Evan smiled as he threw a punch at Jason, who ducked under.
"Yeah, we don't want to get in trouble by destroying the room." Jason agreed as he grabbed Evan's arm and threw him back to the ground.
Jason rushed down to dropkick Evan, but he rolled out of the way, getting back onto his feet. Jason threw a punch at Evan, who caught his fist and countered by kneeing at Jason, who, in turn, caught his attack. They stood locked in that stance until they broke off and went backward.
Jason began bouncing back and forth as he waited for an opening for an attack, then Evan charged back at Jason, punching at him, but he simply jumped up and kicked Evan to the ground. Spinning around, Jason elbowed at Evan. However, he dodged the attack and then proceeding to punch Jason in the face. Due to the fact that their Ki reserves were so large and they were going all out, their aura meter barley moved during the fight.
"Well, we're getting nowhere like this, so how's this whoever lands the next blow wins," Jason suggested as Evan got back up.
"Sounds good to me," Evan replied.
Both charged at full speed over toward one another with their arms pulled back. Once they reached each other, they both threw a punch that slid past one another. To the surprise of everyone, they hit each other, simultaneously sending themselves flying back.
"Oh man, it's a tie." Jason groaned as he got up.
"Oh well, there's always next time, then we can fight seriously." Evan pointed out as he put his arm around Jason's shoulder. The two laughed as they exited the ring and returned to the others.
"Wow, that was disappointing. I was hoping to see a definitive winner." Yang complained.
"Sorry, Yang, but we can't really keep the ring for ourselves all day with our spar, plus we can't go all out here." Evan apologized.
"That being said, if we were going all out, I doubt I could beat Jason honestly. He has surpassed me, but even so, I will not stop trying to close the gap!" Evan thought.
"Still, I feel let down by that ending." Yang continued.
"Well, I guess you're just going to have to get over it, one day we might settle it for real, but for now, that's not happening," Jason replied.
After the match, Damian went to spar with Pyrrha for the next spar, and soon everyone got a turn to fight and train. Soon the day was coming to an end, and everyone decided to head back to their respective dorms.
As Team JADE got back to their room, they each began to relax and rest their bodies. Damian and Alex chose to spend that time meditating again to increase their mental fortitude and control of their aura while Jason and Evan decided to just rest in bed.
"What a day I think we made some good progress!" Jason exclaimed.
"Yeah, but still, I feel we can't get the maximum amount of training here without that gravity dust vein," Evan replied.
"Sure, but that just means we have to focus more on the other things. We can't just focus on strength alone." Jason pointed out.
"True." Evan hummed.
"I just wish the tournament could start now instead of a week because I'm ready!" Jason beamed.
"Of course you are," Evan sighed.
"But other than the tournament, what about those Tuffle guys, shouldn't we be concerned? They haven't shown up since that time you fought them, and I feel like they're up to something?" Evan asked.
"Yeah, I am concerned as well, I thought that they would have made their move by now, but I don't know what their objective is. I have a feeling they're right under our noses." Jason explained.
"Maybe they plan on doing something during the tournament, it is broadcasted to all the kingdoms they might plan to broadcast something," Alex suggested.
"Yeah, you might be right that may be a motive, but what would they want to broadcast?" Jason questioned.
"Who knows? We can try to do some investigating to see if we can find out, but that would be difficult." Damian said.
"You're right there, no way to know where to start, for now, I think we should keep an eye out for anyone acting suspicious, however…" Jason began everyone turning their attention to him.
"…I did get what I think is the first letter of their names. It was S, K, I, and E we may be able to find them if we look for people with names beginning with that." Jason finished.
"Still, that's little to go on. However, those initials sound familiar, but I don't know why." Evan commented.
Ozpin's Office…
"Oz, I'm telling you we need to have a high amount of security. If those people are here, then the people are at risk!" Ironwood insisted as he stood in Ozpin's office.
"James, I understand, but we have to think of what the people will think if we increase security too much, then the people will become suspicious, we need to keep security at a medium, but with the strongest, we have," Ozpin argued.
"We will keep the rest close by but not at the arena itself." Ozpin continued, getting up from his chair.
"I understand, but what do you think they want? Obviously, Salem's goons are after Amber and the relic, but what about those…what are they called?" Ironwood asked.
"Tuffles were the word that Mr. Shin told us, and as for them, I still believe that Mr. Shin is a target for them, and I've already had some staff, namely Oobleck and Port, keeping a close eye on Amber in the meantime. Which means I got someone else to announce the tournament." Ozpin explained.
"Well, that's good to hear, but it also seems that they are against Salem as well, so they must be acting alone," Ironwood added.
"True, but even alone, they are dangerous, they are both extremely strong and intelligent, so we can't let our guard down with them here." Ozpin pointed out.
"Well, on another note, has Qrow contacted you with any information?" Ironwood asked.
"No, but he has told me that he's coming here," Ozpin answered.
"He's coming here. Does that mean he's got no more leads?" Ironwood asked.
"He didn't say he just said it was important. I feel as if the end is coming for this whole ordeal, and even if it wasn't, it seems that the main character in Salem's spy ring has perished otherwise, Amber would not have woken up." Ozpin explained.
"I know how you feel. I can't shake the feeling as well that something is going to happen during the festival even if Amber's assailant has perished." Ironwood agreed.
"For now, we must remain vigilant and investigate some of the transfer students that are the most suspicious," Ozpin stated.
"What teams are you thinking?" Ironwood questioned.
"One team, in particular, has my attention. It is Team SIKE they seem to have come from nowhere with nothing but basic missions taken and nothing noteworthy to their name, yet they decided to enter the tournament this year." Ozpin explained.
"Are you sure Oz, they might just want to push themselves this year?" Ironwood asked.
"I'm not completely sure, but that is why we need to investigate, to be sure we need to gain as much information as we can," Ozpin answered.
"I understand." Ironwood agreed as he left Ozpin's office.
Team SIKE Dorm…
"So, the tournament has a system that cuts the participants and their teams in half every time they move up," Kiran explained.
"That's good. This means once we move up from the first round, we won't have to all participate in the tournament." Silas approved.
"So, who will be moving up?" Elias asked.
"For the second round, you and Iver can fight against whomever you fight, and for the finals, you will fight the Saiyan," Silas answered as he walked up to Elias. Elias smiled at this, happy with the arrangements.
"That's perfect," Elias replied.
"Of course, once you battle the Saiyan in the finals, we shall broadcast his demise to the entire world and show them just who we are!" Silas exclaimed, laughing as he did so.
"Our plan is full proof, and soon this world will belong to us!" Kiran laughed along with Silas.
"They laugh too much." Elias thought to himself as he sighed.
Days Later…
The next couple of days past by in a flash, and Team JADE spent those days training for the tournament. Jason and Evan continued their training furthering their control over Ki while Damian and Alex did their own training while meditating due to Jason and Evan's advice. Soon it was the day of the tournament began, and everyone was anxious for it.
"One more hour till the tournament, I can't wait!" Jason smiled, almost jumping out of his seat in the cafeteria.
"Wow, you're acting like Ruby before Christmas!" Yang commented.
"Hey, I don't get like that!" Ruby complained at her sister's comment.
"Yeah, he was unable to sleep because he is way too excited," Evan explained.
"It's getting annoying," Alex commented.
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Jason complained.
"It's pretty bad, dude," Damian replied.
"Okay fine," Jason grumbled.
"Well, I guess I can understand. I'm excited to for the tournament though I don't plan on fighting past the first round." Jaune spoke.
"Yeah, it's going to be super fun!" Nora exclaimed as she ate.
"Nora, eat first talk later," Ren told Nora.
"I wonder what the brackets will be depending on what they are, we may actually meet each other in the tournament sooner than we think." Pyrrha wondered.
"Yeah, I hope we don't meet at the beginning. That would be no fun." Jason sighed.
"Yeah, me too well. I at least don't want to go up against you guys, no offense, but I would like to actually get far in the tournament." Ruby agreed.
"It's fine, we understand, but I'm more concerned about the competition. I want to see what we're up against." Evan expressed.
"Yeah, the transfer students, especially since we don't know how they fight." Jason smiled.
"Well, here's hoping we all make it to the finals!" Yang exclaimed, pumping her arms in the air. Soon breakfast ended, and they all left for the bullheads to go to Amity Colosseum. Everyone found some seats to sit in as the tournament began.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Doctor Oobleck, and my friend here is Professor Port." Oobleck introduced himself and Port.
"Hello, everyone!" Port greeted the audience.
"Today marks the first day of the Vytal Festival Tournament where students from the four kingdoms go head to head! And to announce the tournament is none other than the one the only…" Oobleck began but was suddenly interrupted.
"Jimmy Firecracker!" Jimmy announced as he entered the booth, getting a roar of applause.
"Sorry, Doctor, but I prefer to introduce myself to the people." Jimmy apologized.
"No problem, Jimmy, you can take a seat here," Oobleck replied as Jimmy took his seat.
"Now, we'll leave the rest to you, Jimmy!" Port exclaimed.
"With pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, let us begin the tournament!" Jimmy announced with the crowd roaring with applause.
"Now, for the first match, it shall be chosen through random selection as well as the stage they will be fighting in!" Jimmy continued as the random selection began.
"The first set of teams to fight are Teams JADE and HANK!" Jimmy announced.
"Yes, we're first!" Jason shouted, jumping out of his seat.
"That's a pleasant surprise, but I never heard of Team HANK," Damian commented as they began to head to the stage.
"Good luck, guys!" Ruby cheered as they left. As they got to the stage, they stood outside it until the stage selected its type.
"The ring that they will be fighting in is barren wasteland and tropical forests!" Jimmy announced as the stage changed to that environment.
"Whoa, that's cool!" Evan gasped.
"Now for the Teams, Team JADE is part of Beacon led by Jason Shin, who I remember from the last Mistral Tournament when he was runner up and who seems to have had a massive growth spurt since then! And Team HANK part of Haven academy is led by Hank Bills!" Jimmy announced the crowd cheering the entire time.
"Hank Bills? That name sounds familiar." Jason pondered while also annoyed at Jimmy's comment on him. They got onto the stage along with the other team across from them. The leader stepped forward, looking at Jason.
"This isn't going to end like it did last time, punk, growth spurt or not, I won't lose to you again!" Hank declared as he stared at Jason.
"Do I know you?" Jason asked, looking confused.
"Wha…do…do you not remember me?!" Hank sputtered.
"Nope, should I?" Jason questioned.
"I…we…we fought in the first rounds of the Mistral Tournament where you beat me," Hank yelled, annoyed.
"Oh yeah, he was the guy you beat instantly in the first round!" Evan realized.
"Huh, you're right, how've you been?" Jason asked.
"Wha…how've I been?! We're not friends! I'm here to defeat you for the humiliation you put on me that day!" Hank explained.
"What humiliation you just lost? It's not that big of a deal. You were just unlucky to go against me that day and now, of course, because me and my team plan to win!" Jason announced as the countdown to begin the fight began.
"Let's set off this tournament with a bang people in 3, 2, 1, and begin!" Jimmy announced starting the match.
Moments Later…
"Well, I should have expected such an ending to the match knowing that Team JADE has two powerhouses, but even so, it was still shocking!" Jimmy announced.
Team JADE was victorious. The fight ended soon after it started. Jason and Evan took care of the two people who came after them while Damian and Alex took care of the rest soon after. Hank Bills was thrown straight off the ring as Jason punched him in the gut, and his teammates had similar actions done to them.
"Well, even though it was short, it was still exciting, no? So the winner of the first match is Team JADE!" Jimmy announced the crowd giving lots of applause. Team JADE left the ring and passed by Team HANK on the way.
"Sorry if we hurt you guys too much. Even though the fight didn't last long, I still had fun." Jason apologized as Team HANK left the arena.
"Yeah, whatever." Hank deadpanned as he and his team left. As Team JADE returned to their seats, they were greeted by their friends that were still there.
"Wow, that was amazing, guys congrats!" Yang congratulated.
"Great job, but we expected that you guys would get past the first rounds, no problem," Blake added.
"Thanks. I just wish the fight lasted longer." Jason thanked as he took his seat.
"I wonder who's going to be fighting next." Nora wondered.
"I hope that the next fight lasts a bit longer." Yang expressed.
"Sorry, we didn't make the fight interesting for you, Yang." Evan apologized.
"Well, you better make up for it in your next match," Yang replied.
"That's if he even gets to fight in the next round, we decided to pull straws to decide," Jason explained.
"Well, now it's time for the next round, ladies and gentlemen, so let's see the teams that will be participating!" Jimmy announced. The screen cycled through several teams until it stopped at the two that will be participating.
"Well, the next teams to fight are Teams CDRL of Beacon led by Cardin Winchester and SIKE of Haven led by Silas Plant!" Jimmy announced the crowd applauding.
"Team SIKE, I haven't really heard of them that much have you guys?" Blake asked.
"Not really, but didn't Jason fight one of their members?" Weiss added.
"Yeah, he did. His name was Elias, I think, but other than that, they really haven't made much of an appearance." Jaune answered. Jason, however, didn't hear any of what they were saying, paying too much attention to Team SIKE.
"It couldn't be, could it? That team name S…I…K…E, are they the Tuffles?!" Jason questioned.
"I can't be sure it's them, but the initials fit, and I can't sense their energy. Why are they participating in the tournament?!" Jason thought further as the two teams went towards the stage. The stage was set for cityscape and swampland as the two teams stepped up.
"You're going down, losers." Cardin boasted as he and his team stepped up.
"Someone's overconfident, I'm going to enjoy beating you guys," Kiran stated.
"You wish!" Cardin shouted, getting annoyed.
Soon the fight began, and to everyone's disappointment of everyone, it was even faster than Team JADE's fight. Cardin was the first to be taken out with Kiran kneeing him in the gut and kicking him off the ring, and soon the rest followed.
"And Team CDRL is defeated. Amazing that fight ended even sooner than JADE's, I could only imagine what would happen if those two teams clashed. It makes me want to get in that ring myself!" Jimmy announced as he got out of his chair.
"Well, now it's time for the next match!" Jimmy announced. Team SIKE exited the stage and heading back up to spectate.
"That was disappointing. They were pathetic." Iver complained as they walked back up the stairs.
"Yeah, but making that Cardin guy look pathetic was pretty entertaining." Kiran laughed.
Fairgrounds…
Team JADE left soon after Team RWBY won their match and went to the fairgrounds for food to celebrate and fill their empty stomachs. They all met up at a noodle stand at the fairground and were eating the largest portion there. Though for one had several of them.
"I am stuffed!" Ruby said, patting her stomach.
"Yeah, me too, thanks, Pyrrha." Yang thanked.
"It's no problem. I'm just glad I'm not paying for Jason's food." Pyrrha replied. Everyone turned to Jason, who was on his fifth bowl of noodles giving everyone a thumbs up.
"Yeah, he would have felt bad if he made you pay for his food, that's why he never lets anyone ever pay for his food," Evan explained.
"That's smart. He would bankrupt anyone with his appetite." Weiss agreed.
"Come on, it's not that much!" Jason responded, getting looks from everyone.
"It's a lot, dude." Damian pointed out.
"I can't tell how you can eat so much. I feel like I'm going to hurl from that," Jaune commented.
"You wouldn't want to get sick before your match," Alex said.
"But if he does, he can aim his vomit at the enemy!" Nora joked.
"Nora, that's gross," Ren replied.
"But if you do feel the urge…" Ren continued.
"Got it," Jaune answered.
"Well, we should get going!" Pyrrha said, getting up.
"So, you think you guys are ready?" Ruby asked.
"Of course, we've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, what's basically a ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune…we've trained all year our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore and uh…Jaune!" Nora exclaimed.
"Are you going to take that?" Ren asked.
"She's not wrong." Jaune simply answered.
"I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding, don't be so nervous. The worst that could happen is we lose, then it's just a few more years of walking around school with people knowing we're failures…" Nora began as her explanation became grimmer and grimmer until she finished.
"So yeah, we're feeling pretty good," Ren said.
"Well, I think you guys are going to make it to the finals!" Jason encouraged.
"He's right. We're going to be looking forward to a well-balanced fight with rules and precautions and not with…murderers." Pyrrha agreed.
"That's the best part!" Evan added.
Jason zoned out there. He was too focused on his own thoughts at the word of murderers. His thoughts couldn't help but think about the Tuffles that were in Vale and how he suspected that Team SIKE were the people in question. He had no doubt in his mind that if they were the Tuffles that if they fought, they would no doubt try to kill him.
But he had no proof besides that he couldn't sense their energy and the initials. However, while he knew this to be enough, he knew that he had to tell Ozpin soon. Jason was snapped out of his thoughts when Team JNPR was called to their match. Everyone got up to watch their friends match, which they won, as most expected.
Later…
Jason was almost literally dying of laughter as he watched the match between SSSN and NDGO. "You can…you can…*wheeze*…. you can't be serious?!" Jason laughed as he clutched his stomach.
"I am. Neptune is quite literally afraid of the water." Blake answered as they watched the match.
"Come on, it's not that funny," Alex said, sympathizing with Neptune.
"It's pretty funny, Alex," Damian replied.
"Sorry…*laugh*…I'm fine now." Jason finished as he turned his attention back to the match.
Neptune immediately went towards the enemy's area to avoid the water. Quickly it became a three on three match with one from each team being eliminated.
"Amazing what skill, what grace, what is the blue-haired one doing?" Jimmy asked as Neptune kept his distance when the fight went to the water. Soon another one of Team SSSN's members was eliminated when he was struck by a coconut in the face then the junk.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when you don't wear protection!" Jimmy announced.
Now it was a three against two match, and Sun was fighting alone in the water area as Neptune still kept his distance. Sun and Neptune kept arguing over the fact Neptune would not come over to help, which Neptune quickly shot one of the enemy team members away from Sun helping him.
"Quit being a baby and get over here!" Sun insisted as he dodged more of the enemy's attacks.
"I'm not a baby, and I'm not afraid of water!" Neptune denied.
Soon the entire enemy team was in the water, and Neptune finally manned up, in the most minimal form imaginable, and used his weapon to send an electric current threw the water, taking out the entire enemy team.
"And Team SSSN has claimed the victory in a very shocking manner, in more ways than one!" Jimmy announced.
"That was awesome!" Evan exclaimed.
"And hilarious, I hope they get another water area if Neptune fights again!" Jason laughed.
"Come on, he's had enough," Damian replied.
"Okay, I'm done for real, still good match," Jason stated as he calmed down to Sun and Neptune, who was currently doing an odd victory dance as they stood alone in the center.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes all the matches for today, so please leave in a calm and orderly fashion for tomorrow the action continues, and Jimmy Firecracker will be back to announce this amazing tournament!" Jimmy announced as everyone began to leave. Midway through leaving, Weiss stopped in her tracks as she saw a ship flew overhead.
"Everything okay, Weiss?" Jason asked.
"She's here." Was all she said in response.
"Who's here, Weiss? … Weiss?" Ruby asked as Weiss rushed out of the arena.
"Weiss, wait up!" Ruby yelled as she ran after her.
"Any ideas on what that was about?" Jason asked.
"No idea," Alex answered as they left the arena. Jason was curious about what Weiss was talking about but decided that he needed to speak to Ozpin about Team SIKE.
Fairgrounds…
Elias walked through the many people in the fairgrounds. He was keeping up the illusion that he was a normal transfer student so that he would not raise any suspicion. While he did not care for crowds, he did like exploring the grounds and the several tents and other places that were set up.
Elias, ever since his creation, was the only one of his brothers who liked to appreciate the accomplishments of others and nature itself. He watched with a small smile as several birds flew overhead, allowing one to land on his finger.
"Hello, little one," Elias said as he petted his head.
"Wow making new friends that seems so like you." Kiran laughed as he walked up behind Elias, scaring off the bird.
"What do you need?" Elias questioned.
"Just wanted to let you know that the machine is set to go off during your match, so make sure to make it quick when you kill the Saiyan. Don't get sentimental and make the fight last longer just because of your stupid fair grounds warrior pride shit." Kiran answered.
"I understand," Elias replied as he walked off and away from the fairgrounds.
Elsewhere…
Neo sat on top of a roof, staring at the Atlas ships overhead. Ever since she escaped from being captured on the train, she was in the dark on the plan. She tried to contact Cinder and Emerald several times, she didn't bother trying to contact Mercury because she never liked him, but she received no answer. Eventually, she found out for herself that they abandoned the mission and left her and Roman to fend for themselves.
That made her furious. For without the plan, it would be near impossible, even for her, to get in and rescue Roman. She always hated being abandoned, and when she needed someone the most, Roman was there for her. She owed him everything and was willing to do anything to get him out.
She should have known it was a bad idea to save that boy, but she thought it would be fun messing with him. But now that was over, she could care less about him, all she wanted to do now was wait for the perfect opportunity to save Roman, and she knew that it would be soon.
Beacon…
Jason, once he returned to Beacon, planned to head to Ozpin's office to tell him of his suspicions of Team SIKE. As Jason entered the elevator, he could already hear arguing from the office before he even arrived.
"I hope I'm not coming at a bad time." Jason thought as the elevator door opened.
When the door opened, he was face to face with a woman who looked a lot like Weiss without a scar. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that he accidentally went to the future. Afterward, he noticed that the room was filled with Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda, a girl he didn't recognize, and finally, a man with a red cape who all turned to look at him.
"Am I interrupting something?" Jason asked as he exited the elevator.
"No, not at all," Ozpin answered. However, Ironwood also responded simultaneously.
"Yes, not a great time." The two looked at each other with conflict written on their faces.
"Who's this kid?" The man in the red cape asked as Weiss's look-alike left in the elevator.
"This is Jason Shin Qrow," Ozpin answered. The man, now named Qrow, looked at Jason in disbelief and confusion.
"Really, this is the kid who turned into a giant ape?" Qrow asked in disbelief.
"How does he know about that?!" Jason asked.
"First, yes, Qrow, that's him, and second, Mr. Shin, this is Qrow Branwen, someone who can be trusted with such knowledge," Ozpin explained.
"Now, why have you come to my office?" Ozpin asked.
"Well, is everyone here informed about me?" Jason questioned as he looked at the unknown girl.
"Yes, this is Amber, she is also like Qrow, so if you came here concerning some knowledge of a situation, please explain," Ozpin answered with Jason nodding in compliance.
"Okay, well, it's regarding one of the transfer teams known as Team SIKE." Jason began, the mention of the team got everyone's attention.
"What about them?" Ironwood asked.
"You see, I think they're the Tuffles that I fought a few weeks ago. You see, they introduced themselves to me as initials S, I, K, and they mentioned an E fitting the initials of Team SIKE." Jason began.
"I know that doesn't make them guilty, but I also couldn't sense their energy just like before," Jason explained. Ozpin hid some of his face with his hands, but Jason could feel the concern from the man.
"Thank you for this information, Mr. Shin. We will take measures to make sure nothing happens, and we will keep an eye on that team." Ozpin explained, dismissing Jason.
"Thank you for listening, sir, and it was a pleasure meeting you both." Jason addressed Qrow and Amber before leaving.
"This doesn't bode well, Oz. It seems your suspicions were correct. The people who attacked Amber may potentially be gone, but these Tuffle people are far more dangerous." Ironwood stated.
"No shit, what made you think that was it the fact that they killed someone with half the power of a maiden, or was it the fact that the first one needed to be taken down by a giant ape!" Qrow responded.
"Both of you enough!" Glynda ordered, breaking the two up.
"While this may not be the ideal situation, I think we can deal with it, for once I am glad you brought your entourage, James, we very well may need them," Ozpin stated, getting surprised looks from both Ironwood and Qrow.
"Oz, you can't be saying that you want him to keep those things here?!" Qrow questioned.
"I do while I disagreed with it at first. I do now if it was still all about Salem's spies, then I wouldn't want them here, but the Tuffles are more of a threat than them, and we need all the help we can get." Ozpin explained. Amber took that moment to step up and speak.
"Professor, I also want to help, while I may not know much of what happened except for what you told me, as a maiden, I can't sit on the sidelines while Vale is in potential danger," Amber said.
"Thank you, Amber. Your help will be much appreciated, but you must be careful. I would advise not to engage those Tuffles. They are stronger than a maiden from the information we have." Ozpin thanked.
"Still, Oz, if they're that dangerous, we need to make sure that they don't go near the students," Qrow suggested.
"Yes, well, it seems that they only interact with students very rarely. I would appreciate it if you kept tabs on them." Ozpin replied. Qrow sighed in defeat and nodded. Soon everyone left the office until only Ozpin remained.
Team JADE's Dorm…
"Are you serious!" Evan shouted as Jason told him the news.
"Dead serious, I don't know what they have planned, but it may be Team SIKE, who are the Tuffles," Jason explained.
"Well, for now, there doesn't seem to be much we can do since we have little evidence of their guilt. We should probably just keep an eye on them and make sure they don't do anything," Alex suggested.
"That seems to be the best option for the moment. I'd rather not attack them and be completely wrong, hurting innocent people." Jason agreed.
"That sucks. I hate waiting for them to make a move. For all, we know if we don't act now, people may die." Evan complained as he clenched his fists.
"I know, but we have to be sure, and once this tournament is over, we can confront them personally," Jason explained.
"That is if we don't face off against them in the tournament," Damian commented.
"Speaking of who is going to the second rounds?" Evan asked.
They decided that the best course of action would be to send Jason and Damian to the next round while Alex and Evan keep an eye on Team SIKE. The team was taken out of their thoughts when they heard a knock on their door. They opened the door to reveal Mura and Kai on the other side.
"Hello, you four!" Mura greeted as the door opened.
"Master, why are you here?!" Evan asked in surprise.
"Why wouldn't I be here to watch my students participate in the tournament and to congratulate them on their victory," Mura answered as he and Kai entered the room.
"Is something wrong?" Mura asked. Jason updated Mura and Kai on the current situation.
"I see that is very troubling, and I understand why you suspect this team. I agree that the best course of action is to observe." Mura agreed.
"Well, that sounds shitty, guess it sucks to be you guys," Kai commented.
"Really?" Evan asked sarcastically.
"Are you questioning me, boy?" Kai asked.
"No sir!" Evan replied.
"Good…that's good." Kai slowly laughed in an odd manner.
"Is…is he high?" Jason questioned.
"Unfortunately, yes," Mura answered.
"He came to watch us in the tournament, high?" Damian asked.
"Yeah, I'm not going to lie, he doesn't really like any of you," Mura answered.
"Ah ha ha!" Kai laughed.
"Well, that's not surprising," Jason replied.
"But that's the situation, and we can use all the help we can get," Jason stated.
"Of course, I will help, but as you know, this won't be easy. I feel that the vision I had long ago is coming to fruition," Mura explained.
Thankfully Jason and Evan had already debriefed Damian and Alex of Mura's vision when they first brought them to Kai's mountain, so it was unnecessary to tell them. Jason thought over Mura's vision once again over in his head, and the two phrases he couldn't keep his mind off of kept coming to his mind.
"Tame the beast within and accept who I am." Jason thought.
Does that mean he had to master his primal state and accept that he's a Saiyan? He knew that he had to master that form, but why accept that he's a Saiyan? He knew that he was one at this point. He just didn't care. He still liked to think that he was a faunus. That does not change who he is, right? At any rate, Jason knew that he had to do this before the finals in two days, which would not be easy.
Elsewhere…
In the vast dark wastelands, the Grimm Queen sat alone in her throne room, thinking on the new information she had just been told. She had sent Watts to confirm if alien life had come to Remnant, he had returned with some proof to their new enemy's claims.
While it did not prove that they themselves were alien, he found proof in Atlas that there is life beyond Remnant. He had found files and documents that spoke of a spacecraft that crashed in Anima and that it held a lone baby with a monkey's tail. Had the gods tried again where they failed here or was there life in the universe well beyond when the gods created humanity on Remnant?
"Either way, there is at least one alien on the planet, and whether or not they endanger my plans is unknown." Salem thought.
She then took a scroll, which Watts had supplied her to open Beacon document compliments of Emerald and Mercury, giving her access with the virus. She did some digging and found something very interesting, a video. The video's contents were of a giant ape the size of a mountain rampaging and causing massive destruction.
"I must have the power this being holds." Salem thought.
The Tuffles plans are coming together soon. They will put their plan to action, what is, do they want, and what will Salem do with the new information that she had been given? Find out next time!
Author's Note:
Here we go. Volume 3 has started. I am very excited to write what happens next with the story. The climax of the Vytal arc is coming soon! Hope you enjoy and see you next time!