Welcome back to another edition.
We're almost at 3k followers, and people keep sending me neat drawings of the fic, so life is pretty good, all things considered. I hope your life is going well, too.
Let's get into this.
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...
In a secret Atlesian blackout site in Southern Mistral
An elevator door slid open, followed by the sound of rugged, perfectly disciplined boots marching along a sleek metallic floor.
Ironwood stopped, watching as a mop of disheveled grey hair swished back and forth as a metallic hand wrote intricate formulas along a holographic display.
The military official spoke with authority, "Busy as always, aren't we, Merlot?"
The elderly man paused, turning to reveal a face covered in unkempt hairs and a red mechanical eye that zoomed in on the man's face, his perplexion morphing into glee.
The inventor placed a hand to his heart, offering a bow, "Ah, General, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"
Dr. Merlot, one of the top scientists in all of Atlas, officially listed as dead for some years due to...an incident involving Arthur Watts, but the military government wasn't keen on wasting a valuable resource, a 'loyal one' at that, thus began his rehabilitation, doing as he'd done before, but in seclusion.
He wore the standard Atlesian garb befitting his rank but with an extra high-collar grey jacket and a red undershirt.
Ironwood approached, swiping a finger over a nearby table, not finding a spec of dust, "Your little project siphons over ten percent of our entire R budget. I'd like to see what the taxpayers are contributing toward...that aside-"
He reached into his jacket, sliding a folder toward the aged man, "That old 'friend' of ours hasn't stopped his research. We raided his lab beneath the Capital and found some data you might find...useful."
The madman smiled more, opening the packet and beginning to read, "Live subject testing...observations upon exposure to foreign energy source...massive death rate...Ah, so that's what you were doing, Watts...trying to find that missing link of yours-"
"You best make use of it. Watts won't live long enough to continue his work."
Merlot flipped a page indifferently, "Going after him, are we?"
"I'm handling it personally."
"So be it."
"Hmph. You worked with the man for ten years, and that's all you have to say?"
"General, with all respect, Watts and I couldn't be more different. My inventions have a use. His works are more than the dabblings of a moron trying to blend scientific knowledge with the occult. If you want a superior being, make an android or shut the hell up...though there may just be something here-"
Ironwood raised a brow, "What is it?"
He beckoned the man, "In due time, but for now, I'll show you our progress."
They marched through endless halls of sterile activity, the occasional guard or researcher standing on high alert as the men passed them.
After approaching a sealed door, Merlot entered a code, allowing it to open with a metallic clank, revealing row after row of mechanical tubes filled with an ooze-like liquid, the room utterly dark aside from the faint light coming from the containers.
Merlot waved a hand, "I must thank you for your...generous donations. Cadavers are so hard to come by, and those Faunus you provided-"
Ironwood scoffed, "Those things attacked Vale intending to murder and eat us. Don't even call them people. It's better their useless hides be used for something productive other than rot away."
"Hmph, it took more than enough stitchwork to make them viable. Most of them arrived as chunks of meat lazily thrown into boxes, and most were mismatched...but that's what we have interns for."
"That's what you wanted those medical students for?"
"What? You think I'm going to play jigsaw puzzle with truckloads of corpses?"
"Have you considered the security risks of inviting outsiders here?"
"They signed an NDA, James, and regardless, they'll be working for you eventually. What's the expression? Out of the frying pan and into the morgue?"
The gruff leader hummed, "If I didn't surround myself with lunatics, I'd say I never heard it."
"It wasn't easy. Those slices were...well...beyond anatomically perfect, cutting right through the flesh and down to the soul. But once the cores were made and inserted into their new home, they seemed to hold decently enough. Their souls even started to fill in the missing gaps-"
Ironwood raised a brow, "And that's good?"
Merlot nodded, tapping the container of a humanoid figure with a metallic helmet seemingly grafted to its flesh, the being lazily snapping its teeth at him, "More than good. It means they're acclimating. If we wanted autonomous units, it would take about three months, but with your suggestions-"
"They aren't suggestions. They're orders."
The General clasped his hands behind his back, staring up at nothing, "That attack in Vale was a stark reminder that we aren't as impervious as we thought. Our androids were hacked into with code leaked by their creator, and the only exception was the now-defunct Penny Polendina. She was connected to our servers, but her independent mind allowed her to retain control without issue."
The metallic leader paced about, "I told you we needed to replicate that on a larger scale. Autonomous units without the possibility of losing our control, and right now, we need results."
Merlot clapped his hands together, a wicked grin crossing his face, "Planning something, are we, dear leader?"
"It can't leave this room."
"Well, it's good you don't let me leave the base, isn't it?"
"...Right now, there's a rising threat to the global order, and our resources are being spread thin. I've had to divert men and materiel away from nearly every front to regain control over Mistral, and as we speak, our enemies are assembling a force on the island of Menagerie. I need you to-"
"Are there any restrictions?"
"...None."
"Then I can certainly be of service, with one caveat."
Ironwood grumbled, "Fine. What are your demands?"
Merlot's eye glimmered beneath the fluorescent lights, "I want to watch it happen."
"Hm?"
The inventor waved toward the creatures strapped into their machines, "You heard me. I've created a new...better form of life, and I want to see them for myself when you set them loose on that island full of animals. It seems fair, doesn't it?"
The leader scoffed, "You're a repulsive little man, you know that?... Fine, I'll put a stealth squadron over the island and let you watch their camera feed. Is that enough?"
"Oh, no need. I already have cameras built into my little projects. I just wanted you to know I'll be watching."
Ironwood's face contorted into disgust, but it soon faded as he waved a hand, "...Just tell me what they can do."
The creator elegantly adjusted his jacket, giving off nothing but contentment, "I thought you'd never ask. You see, Watts and I disagree on many things, but our disdain for Professor Polendina's methods brought us together."
The inventor chuckled, "'Progress with morality?' That doesn't befit the Atlesian name, and I'm more than aware you put him in charge of research as a PR stunt-"
Ironwood glared at him, "Pietro runs our programs because he's not a raving lunatic. His inventions alone have pushed the kingdom ahead by decades-"
"Please, he holds you back. The man discovers that you can turn physical information into data on the soul, which we can infuse into cores that can turn anything into a living, viable weapon. What does he do with it?"
Merlot spat, "He used chunks of his own soul to make that precious 'daughter' of his, putting himself in a glorified wheelchair for the rest of his existence, just to report Watts and I for 'going too far.'"
"Yet, you're coming to me because clearly, he doesn't have what it takes to do what needs to be done. He could've made the strongest weapon in existence, but he gave it a frilly dress and conscience, but Atlas doesn't need morality. Atlas needs victory."
"So you tell that bumbling moron that I'm glad his little toaster died when you show him how far above I am."
Merlot snapped a finger, a nearby screen lighting up as data crossed over it, "We begin by tracing souls. Two Atlesians for every host, the latter of which we turn into a core to ensure greater rates of acceptance. We've tried inanimate objects, but they take far too long to be capable of anything worthwhile."
"It took Penny years to wake up, but by using human and Faunus corpses, the process is expedited for reasons we can't explain, like we both use a limited amount of some unknown energy, but living beings just have more of it."
The inventor hissed, "Watts obsessed over that, and I dismissed it as nonsense, but seeing what Yuji Itadori is capable of, I'm starting to believe he might be right-"
"In all likelihood, he was probably trying to inject those subjects of his with the boy's blood to awaken that energy in them, too, just like what happened with...no, I'll get to Him later."
"If left alone, the cores will become a new sentient being, so we suspend them in cryogenic fluid to prevent rotting, but, as per your orders, we don't allow them to progress far enough to regain independent thought, but that's come with...drawbacks-"
Ironwood crossed his arms, "What sort of drawbacks, Merlot?"
"The things are stupid, James. If you don't cook them long enough, they're incapable of breathing and just die, and the best we can do is make them smart enough to follow instinct, but that also means they can't use their semblances."
"I can only assume you found a solution. Otherwise, you wouldn't be gloating."
Merlot slyly smiled, tapping a series of buttons along one of the containers, the fluid rapidly draining, "I think you'll like this."
*Shhhhhh
The pod opened with a hiss, and a pale being stumbled out, the motion ripping a tube from its mouth right off, letting a torrent of liquid to the floor as it fell to its knees.
It looked mostly humanoid, but with a set of Atlesian knight armor grafted into its flesh, there was very little skin to be seen. However, the visible lizard scales and carved cultist markings along its exposed forehead reminded the General of where this being came from, and even as he stared into its lifeless machine-red eyes, there was no pity to be found for its pained existence.
Merlot crouched to its level, patting a hand against its metallic skull, "Impressive piece of work, isn't it? The true achievement was integrating the cerebral matter with modern processors...what with the limit of space within the skull and the risk of biological rejection, but with the right chemical concoctions, we've settled those concerns."
The scientist stuck a finger in the creature's ear, "Housed inside of each of these units is an artificial intelligence, influenced, but not controlled by the souls inside, making it more than capable of managing brain functionality with none of the downsides of giving them genuine thought."
Ironwood hummed, "And it'll listen to what I say?"
Merlot nodded, "And more...feel free to test it if you-"
Within less than a second, Ironwood pushed his jacket back, withdrawing his revolver, putting it to the creature's skull before-
*BANG
*Tink-Tink-Tink
The round bounced along the floor, fizzling into a pool of ice as the creature remained unmoving.
The leader's eyes slightly widened, "It has an aura."
Merlot tapped his temple a few times, "Ah, fire another round right next to my ear, why don't you? But an aura is the least impressive thing they're capable of. Try having three semblances at once, a hull utterly impervious to small arms fire, and enough chemicals in its brain to make it stronger than any person could hope to match. You're looking at the next generation of warfare, General. Unhackable, unbeatable, they'll secure our dominance for another generation."
Ironwood paused for a moment, his fist hardening as metal consumed his entire limb, hurling a punch into the being's jaw with an audible-
*BOOM
He pulled back, not seeing so much as a scratch on it, "...What directives can they follow?"
"Mmmm, they can do complicated tasks, but try talking to a chatbot for long enough, and you'll know they aren't the brightest things out there, so, with these prototypes? The more direct and simple it is, the better."
Merlot raised a brow, "What exactly did you have in mind?"
The stern man slowly put his pistol away, adjusting his stance as he stared out a window toward the sea, "We can't risk Menagerie falling into enemy hands, not now. That island is a flashpoint waiting to happen, and I have no doubt in my mind that more than enough of them will join a movement to bring back their god, especially in our moment of weakness."
Ironwood's hands tightened as he clasped them together behind his back, "Our only recourse is a complete collapse of civil society. Send them back to the Stone Age, where they can't threaten us again. I have the council down my neck. I can't deal with the White Fang for another day with so much going on. We'll destroy their support base once and for all."
Merlot bowed, "By all means. I'll have them prepped and loaded onto your ships within the hour...but that leaves the matter of Project New Moon."
"...Have you started the creation process?"
"No. You ordered me not to, so I've kept it in cold storage."
"...Will it be any different from the others?"
"With what Watts' data suggests? I'd lean toward the affirmative, but I have no idea what'll come out of it."
"It doesn't matter. Yuji Itadori is a threat to this very world, and we need something capable of putting him down. Fight fire with fire."
...
...
Ironwood closed his eyes, mumbling to himself, "...Forgive me, Pietro. You won't be getting your little girl back."
The General turned, looking the scientist in the eye, "Both I and Professor Polendina have pieces of our bodies and souls put away. I'll have them sent here. You are to make them into cores and use them in the Corpse Conversion Process. Is that clear?"
Merlot raised a hand, "I...General, while I understand using your own soul to ensure loyalty...his?"
"Pietro may not seem like much, but his semblance is actually quite remarkable. The things he can summon...imagine what they'd be with that sort of energy behind them. Make it happen within the month."
The old man bowed, "...Understood."
With that, General Ironwood marched out to his ship, beginning a long series of talks with the council and the loss of such a staggering amount of equipment in Mistral.
...
North of Mistral, in the deep wilderness.
A man tapped a gloved finger against his black bowler hat, letting off a sigh, his breath escaping as fog in the cold breeze as he sat on an old tree stump, "This has to be your worst idea yet."
A young woman with pink and brown hair indifferently smiled as she took a picture of a bird with her scroll, snapping a finger as a sign appeared, 'You wanted out of Vale. So we're out of Vale.'
Roman guffawed, "Oh, don't give me that hogwash. You know this isn't any better, and for the record, I wanted to get the hell away from Cinder, not Vale. That kingdom's practically paradise-"
'Ohh, but you were all crying last time they put you in cuffs. Who had to come to save you?'
"Bah, that? You broke me out years ago, and besides, I came here with you, so consider us even, but really, Vale is a hooligan's wet dream-"
He raised his fingers one by one, "Lax laws on crime, no death penalty...wealthy residents...really, a liberal haven like that is a dream come true when they'd cut your hand off in Atlas or try to brainwash you in Mistral, don't even get me started on the frontier justice they have in Vacuo."
Neo quietly laughed, 'You talk a lot when you're nervous.'
"How could I not be nervous!? You're bringing us to meet someone even more dangerous than the nutcase we're trying to get away from!"
'He can fight her.'
"And he can kill us just the same."
'He won't...probably.'
"Right, and I guess I'm the only one who read the headlines about him going feral and...did you just say 'probably?'"
'Okay, you're, like, really stressed, and it's killing my vibe.'
"Oh my...you are the only person on this planet that is somehow fine with anything, like...is it me? Am I the messed up one for not wanting to go near a cannibal, of all things?"
'Probably fake news.'
"Right. It's the same kingdom that claimed to solve homelessness by throwing them in the military, but even in the deepest lie, there's always some grain of truth. We're taking a big risk by coming here, Neo-"
Roman kicked a foot against the stump, "Our records might as well be novels, but even we haven't crossed into mass murder, the occasional death here or there, sure, but what he's charged with?"
"If we get caught with him, next time we're arrested, there won't be a judge. It'll be a firing squad."
Neo shrugged, making another sign, 'We stole a paladin after what the WF did. We'd get disappeared over it eventually.'
"Hm...probably, and it's not like any civil rights lawyers would take our case. We've got enough Lien stashed away to last a while, so our best bet might be to stick with the kid until the heat dies down, then...figure something out."
Neo smiled, snapping a new neon sign above her head into existence-
' \_(ツ)/ '
Roman grumbled, "You're such a brat."
'༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽'
"Okay. What the actual FUCK was that!?"
...
...
The ice-creamed colored teen reached down, scooping up a handful of snow, the text changing as she lazily tossed it away-
'͛*͛ ͙͛ ⁑͛͛*͛ ͙͛ ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ‧͛*͛ ͙͛ ⁑͛͛*͛ ͙͛'
Roman crossed his arms, "...Yeah, reminds me of Christmas too."
Moments passed in silence before-
Torchwick faced away from her, "...I'll find a way to take care of you, Neo. I always have."
Within a moment, Neo's image shattered like glass, and she was standing in front of her father figure, a sign appearing over her head-
'(づ ‿ )づ'
Roman sighed, slowly getting up, "Eugh, fine-"
He hugged her, dropping a hand on her head to ruffle the young girl's hair, "Even with all your quirks, you're still just a kid."
...
...
Some time later.
Neo and Roman hopped onto a passing train, traversing through the empty carts until-
The door slid open, and there sat Yuij and Blake on some old crates playing cards.
The Faunus rolled her eyes, "You really suck at this."
The vessel scoffed, "You'll see. It's all about the heart of the cards."
"I...you know there's more than hearts in the deck, right?"
"You wouldn't get it. You don't watch good TV."
"I don't even like TV."
"And that's why you fail."
"Fail what? You've lost every round."
"...No."
"Ahuh."
"At least I know what Yu-Gi-Oh is."
"At least I can count to twenty-one."
"Stop saying that number. You're giving me whiplash."
"Why?"
Yuji mumbled to himself, "Nine plus ten..."
Roman cleared his throat, drawing the teen's attention, "Oh, hey, Neo and...mob boss?"
Seriously, why did he dress like it was the 1920s?
Torchwick sighed, "We've met before."
"Not...really. You mostly just fought Ruby while I stood there."
"Let's not pretend you didn't bail her out when-oof!"
Neo elbowed him, making the older man drop his head, "Not that it matters. Water under the bridge, I assure you."
The thief leaned against his cane, hesitantly reaching out a hand, "Roman Torchwick. Try not to bite me like the others."
Blake's eyes narrowed, "He wasn't the one that-"
Yuji waved her off, reaching out to shake his head, "Nah, I ain't gonna bite ya... but my brother might."
Roman raised a brow, "You have a brother?"
"A few, yeah, but this one's not really...people trained?"
Yuji looked at Blake, "Is that offensive?"
The Faunus shrugged, "Normally, yeah, but...Kechizu's kind of...special."
"Now, when you say special-"
Neo cut them off, dragging a finger on the sorcerer's robe, raising a sign, 'I like ur fit :D'
Yuji's face lightened, "Oh, thanks. It's not really my thing, but my other brother made it for me, so...gotta wear it to show I'm grateful."
'Other brother?'
*Drip-Drop
A few droplets of liquid splattered onto the colorful girl's head from above, followed by a childish yet corrupted voice-
"You look and smell like ice cream...do you taste like ice cream?"
Blake cringed, "Might wanna worry about the first one."
Neo couldn't talk, but she flinched when a pair of green arms grabbed her. She looked up to see a giant mouth, and the entire scene looked like that one image of Saturn eating his son.
*NOM
Neo kicked her legs in a blind panic, running around with a giant green creature over her head as Kechizu tried to swallow her like a seagull.
Roman's face contorted into horror and rage, raising his cane, priming a grenade to fire, "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THAT!?"
A shadow loomed over him, followed by a deep yet terrifyingly sensual voice, "He'll chew whatever you shoot at him and spit it back out~"
Torchwick looked up with shaking green eyes, meeting Eso's violet stare, "W-What?"
"Oh...are you wearing eyeliner? Mmmm."
"What the fu-"
Eso smiled, leaning closer, "...Do you like men too?"
The thief shuddered, completely forgetting that Neo was being eaten, "What!? No! Well...there was that thing in prison, but that's not...NO!"
The half-curse hissed, crossing his arms in a huff, "Tch. Damn."
Blake squinted, "Eso, I'm not like...judging, but...wouldn't you rot anyone you get with?"
Roman paled, "...Okay, it's just like prison."
Yuji deadpanned, grabbing the cord of blood that tethered the brothers together, "I don't wanna be in earshot of that."
Eso scoffed, "Hmph. First, you make me hear about that girl of yours, then you insult my clothes, and now you don't want me to have a life. I see how it is."
"Oy, we're like...-"
Yuji started counting fingers, "...one-two-three-...make that nine...plus me and Sukuna-"
"Okay, we're like...at least ten or eleven guys in here. None of us is having a normal life."
Eso held out a hand, "At least? I..It's your body! How do you not know!?"
"Man, it's not like they talk to me!"
"You ate every brother that's not Choso! There are ten of us! It's not rocket science!"
Roman ran a hand through his hair, "Wait- You actually ate-"
Yuji squinted, "Wait-wait-wait, how do you even know what a rocket is!?"
Eso slammed a foot into the ground and roared, "ALL YOU SHOW ME IS COMICS AND CARTOONS! I WANT MY HOME LIVING MAGAZINES AND SOAP OPERAS!"
"Those are boring!"
"YOU'RE BORING!"
"Grown ass man, by the way."
"AHHHHH!"
Eso tackled Yuji, sending cards flying while Blake sat there, miserably questioning her life choices before throwing her hand down to go help Neo.
If the ice-cream-colored teen could speak, she would be screaming, so it was more of a silent thrashing as Blake put on a rubber glove-
Torchwick hesitantly approached, "W-What are you about to do?"
The Faunus looked so tired, "...What I have to."
She reached a hand into a jar of peanut butter and hopped up, smearing it over Kechizu's lifeless human face, and-
*Sniff...Sniff-Sniff
*BLEH
The green entity put his hands on Neo's shoulders and pushed himself off, tumbling to the floor as his massive tongue slowly licked his own face like a dog.
Neo slumped to the floor, colored in drool, staring into what could only be oblivion.
Blake crouched to her level, "You good?"
She made a sign, 'I ️ U.'
"...Thanks for not calling me a cat. I know that took effort."
'I like ur ears.'
"Thanks."
Neo tried to touch them and got slapped away, so like a pouting child denied what they wanted-
Roman backed up, "No."
Neo took a step closer, drool splattering on the floor-
"Neo, NO!"
She started running-
"I JUST GOT THIS SUIT WASHED! PLEAS-"
She tackled him to make him suffer, too.
...
...
A bit later, once things had calmed down
Torchwick rested his hand beneath his chin, "So, let me make sure I'm hearing you right...You...you want to go to Menagerie-"
Blake stared at him, "To stop the world from ending-"
"To stop the world from ending...how is it going to end exactly? Will we smited for our sins, because I have a list and-"
Yuji yawned, "You know Cinder, right?"
Roman shifted his attention, "...She's the reason I'm even talking to you right now."
Itadori nodded, "Oh, good. Well, TLDR, Ryomen Sukuna's real, most of him's sealed in me, there's a piece that isn't and is buried under a place called Mountain Glenn, and that Cinder lady's trying to raise an army on that island to go wake him up."
The thieves went silent. Well, one of them went quiet, while the other one was always quiet.
Blake deadpanned, "You could've been more subtle about that."
Yuji shrugged, "We've talked about it a lot. It gets boring."
...
...
Roman let out the longest sigh in human history, slumping into his seat, putting his hands to his face, "...You know, out of everything I thought you'd say, I didn't think, 'Hey, the devil's real, and inside of me,' was gonna be it, but you know what? I'll bite."
Yuji's eyes widened, "Really?"
"You'd think I'm bullshitting, but you have no idea how many heists start with someone giving me their sob story...blah-blah, my wife's dead, and her bitch sister stole the ring, and I want it back; cops won't help...it's like...just tell me what you want, and I'll go steal it, right?"
"Oh, cool. Well-"
Blake stared at them in disbelief, "You're both just rolling with this?"
Both ignored her.
Yuji glanced out the train toward a frozen lake as they glided past along the tracks, "We're on our way to Argus. That's where my partner's from-"
Roman nodded, "Neat, I don't care."
"Okay, well, we wanna get from there to Menagerie without Atlas knowing, and you guys are the stealing types, so I figured you might know how to do that."
"Oh, I could do that in two seconds. I could use my semblance, convince the workers we're supposed to be there, and we'd be set-"
"Cool, so-"
Roman raised a finger, "But why should I?"
Blake scowled, "Because everyone dies if we don't stop Cinder."
"My semblance requires I be there to keep it active, and right now, my only goal is to be as far away from that raging lunatic as possible, and you're going to bring me right to her after I ghosted her-"
Neo raised a sign, 'They used to date.'
Torchwick paled, "...Worse than prison."
Yuji hummed, "So...what? There's no way?"
"I never said that. I just want guarantees before we do business."
Yuji locked in, leaning into his inner Hakari, ready to gamble it all, "Whaddya want?"
"Protection. Long term."
"Protection from Cinder or-"
"Look, I'm not asking for a bodyguard, but we've got the same people breathing down our necks...her, Ironwood, the whole lot's gonna come for us some day or other, and I like living, so let's cut a deal. Mutual guarantees, the whole thing-"
Yuji hummed, "Let's just make a binding vow and get it over with then."
"Binding vow?"
"It's a sorcerer thing. We make a pact, and if either of us breaks it, the powers that be punish them."
"Powers that be? So what? I break it, and you throttle me?"
"That's not how it works. Cursed Energy, the stuff I use to do what I do, would punish you instead. The risk is that neither of us would know what it would do."
Yuji scooted closer, tapping his palm, "See, if I made a vow with myself and broke it, then normally I'd just lose whatever the deal gave me in the first place, but ones made between two people have...consequences. There's no way of knowing what they are."
"That's why we'll both wanna honor it, 'cause the punishment could be nothing, or it could be real bad. You just don't know until it's broken."
...
...
Roman leaned back, clicking his tongue in thought, "...So we both have an incentive to live up to it. Hmph, that's about the fairest deal I can imagine."
He took a second before nodding, "Go ahead but make sure you word it properly, or I'll refuse, and we'll be at this all day."
Yuji dug a finger in his ear, "Yeah-yeah, lemme think of the terms, but you're promising to not do any funny crap while we're a team."
"Hah...fine."
The vessel waited a few minutes, mumbling to himself before starting, "Alright...I, Yuji Itadori, hereby swear to protect the lives of both Roman Torchwick and Neopolitian from any and all danger as best I can, and that includes me not being able to harm them, on the condition that they never hurt another person again without a reason I can agree with. In exchange, they'll help us with whatever issue we're handling at a given moment. This deal will last until both sides can agree it's outlived its use."
The pink-haired teen held out a hand, "That sound fair?"
The thief closed his eyes for a moment, going over it in his head before grumbling, "You're twisting my arm with the no harm part...but fine, I'll play civilian for now."
Torchwick reached out and shook the vessel's hand, "So...is that it?"
Yuji nodded, "Yeah...that'll do it."
The ginger looked around, "I figured there'd be more...grandeur?"
"Hey, binding vows are a serious thing with sorcerers. Even Sukuna doesn't mess around with them. They're real easy to abuse, and we made the deal about as fair as we could make it."
"Fine, I won't complain about getting to live another day."
"What now?"
"We wait until we're at Argus, then you let me work my magic, boy."
Itadori shrugged, laying back on the ground to meditate, "Fine by me. I'm gonna focus on improvin' my barriers in the meantime."
"...Barrier?"
Blake shook her head, "Don't bother asking. It's more sorcerer stuff."
The Faunus held up her notes, "I'm writing a book about it if you wanna read it...could use an editor-"
Neo jumped up, waving a hand before sliding next to the raven-haired girl, and so Blake found a proofreader who couldn't talk but damn sure left a lot of critiques.
Before things could settle, Blake paused, looking down and staring right at Itadori. "Hey...Yuji."
The sorcerer cleared his throat, "Yeah?"
"You got...really specific with that vow. What's up with that?"
"How come you're askin'?"
"I don't know. It's just that you don't normally talk like that. Was it part of how it works or-"
"...Sukuna got out the first time because he tricked me into making a bad vow. I don't even know the specifics. The deal erased my memory of the whole thing, so all I can do now is guess how he worded it, but...at the end of the day, I know my friends are dead because of it."
Blake's expression shifted into a sad understanding, "...Just try to stay strong, alright? You won't let it happen again."
Yuji covered his face with a hand, "Yeah...never again."
...
...
A bit later, Yuji would crack open an eye, realizing a certain figure had moved-
He was standing right behind Torchwick.
Itadori closed his eyes again, knowing it wasn't real.
...
On an outdoor patio at Beacon
"I'll do it."
Yang sighed, "Rube, no."
The scythe-user put a palm on the table, "Someone has to. It...It might as well be me. I just don't want him to hurt anymore...okay?"
"Ozpin said it can't be you, and besides, I'm not gonna let you make some life-altering choice like that on the fly-"
"I'm not a kid-"
"But you're still my sister, and this is one of those things you can't just magically undo. Look, I...I get I was pissed before, and honest? I still am. I don't think I'll ever wanna see Yuji again when this is all over, but you might."
Yang let out a breath, slumping into her chair, "I get it. I wasn't there as much as I should've been when we were growing up, and he's the first real friend you made, but you doing that? You'll never be able to see him again...are you sure you wanna go through with that?"
...
...
Ruby sighed, "...I don't know. It feels like we just keep getting swept up in things we have no control of. I...I wanted to be a Huntress so I could do something worthwhile, to be more like my mom, but now...it's like all we do is wait for the next awful thing to happen, and this...well-"
The younger girl tapped a finger on the table, "Professor Ozpin said it'll make us stronger."
Yang shook her head, "You don't want handouts, Ruby."
"I don't care if it's a handout or what. I just want to help."
"Be careful with that. If you start getting all crazy about power, you're just gonna end up like...Raven. God, I hate even saying her name, but...look at her, Ruby. She made some kind of...DEAL, with whatever that thing inside of Yuji is, when could she have-"
Pyrrha spoke up, putting her drink down with shaking hands, "I think I know when."
"You do?"
The redhead nodded, "Back when we fought her on our first mission...something weird happened. She and Yuji just...sort of...blanked."
Ruby tilted her head, "Blanked?"
"He was charging that fire arrow he uses, and she had a ball of flame and...they just...went quiet...then-"
The invincible girl shuddered, "Raven's eye just-"
Ren made a poof motion with his hand, "It exploded."
Yang bit her cheek, "...And if Maidens are what mess with Yuji's head, that means...Raven must've met him then and struck a deal-"
Lie nodded, "Well, whatever it is, she made him promise not to hurt you, for whatever that's worth."
The fistfighter spat, "Right. Well, she can take her 'protection' and go to hell. The almighty Raven Branwen ran off on her own daughter for power, made a deal with the devil, and left her family to die."
The blonde barred her teeth, "She saw all that and still decided to run. If that isn't my mom in a nutshell, I don't know what is...I-"
"I'm sorry, one of the other girls has to take the Maiden. Getting a handout like that...even if I give myself a reason, it'll make me just like her, and I want nothing to do with that fucking monster. I'm gonna make her pay for what she brought on Uncle Qrow with my own two hands, and that's final."
Ruby put a hand to her sister's arm, not saying anything.
Nora looked between her, Weiss, and Pyrrha, "...Looks like it's down to us, huh? Does...does anyone wanna say anything, or can I-"
No one did, and after a moment, the ginger balled up a fist, "I know I like to joke a lot and do stupid stuff, but...I really like you guys, and I still like Yuji, even if he lied."
"I grew up on the street and...you kinda learn that there are people that lie because they're bad and people that lie because they have to. I'm not gonna pretend I'm not mad, I am, but-"
"Yuji isn't a bad person."
"I know what it's like to get pulled into messes other people made. My mom and dad hated each other and thought having me would fix things, but it didn't, so I chose to be homeless over living with them another day."
"Yuji has that but with a lot more...magical and...scary stuff involved. I don't know whose fault any of this is; I'm not good with stuff like that, but...even with all that-"
"I still really had fun with you guys-"
"And I don't want it to end."
Her blue eyes filled with tears, "And it's gonna end when one of us has to take the Maiden, and I don't know if I can do it."
"I just don't want to lose more than I already have."
Ren put a hand on her shoulder, "No one's forcing any of you to do this. There are plenty of people Ozpin can talk to if he needs a Maiden so bad."
...
...
Weiss looked up, "...I doubt it."
Ren tilted his head, "What?"
"Think about it...we're just a bunch of students, and Professor Ozpin came to us. There's no sense in that, not when there are however many hundreds of Huntsmen out there...ones who are better than us."
The heiress looked over the room, "He asked us because we're the only ones who might want to help Yuji...and he's probably right."
"Ever since I was young, I learned how people think, it's...part of being a Schnee. If you want to run the SDC, you need to know how to deal with cutthroat business tactics, and it always shocked me how...fickle people are."
"It's always so...selfish. One day, my father would greet someone like they were best friends, and the next, he'd short a few stocks and run that man's business into the ground, bankrupting him."
"Unless you really know someone, most of the time, it's just a passing, 'oh, that's a shame,' when something bad happens to them. A few weeks ago, people were calling Yuji a hero, and now, they're saying he's a monster."
"...My father wants me to come home."
Ruby shot up in her seat, "What!? For-For how long!?"
"Indefinitely. After...After what happened to-"
Weiss took a moment to collect herself, "After what happened with Winter, he's...afraid of losing his heirs. I've been ignoring his calls, but he'll get forceful sooner or later. He's been mad at me for weeks. This is just how it ends."
Yang squinted, "Mad? What does he have to be mad at you about?"
...
...
Weiss clasped her hands, "...I don't know who knows, so I'll just come out and say it."
Her blue eyes shifted around, "Yuji and I have been dating since the trip our teams took together."
Ren sighed, putting a hand to his face, "Pretty sure most of us knew."
Pyrrha looked dejected but didn't say anything.
Yang scoffed, "That explains a lot."
Ruby elbowed her, so she stopped.
Soon, the scythe-user hummed, "So...does your dad not like him or-"
The heiress hissed, "That's not the issue. My father...my father wanted us to be together."
"Wanted you to, like-"
"Before you get upset, just...listen, okay?"
Weiss fidgeted, "Haven't you ever wondered why the Schnees all look alike and how we have the same semblance? My father invested a fortune in gene editing to make sure we were born with as many gifts as possible-"
"When he saw what Yuji did during the White Fang attack, he...wanted those powers in our family. Apparently, he even tried to offer Professor Ozpin enough Lien to run Beacon for decades to make it happen."
...
...
Ren's eyes widened, "Make what happen?... Wait, you don't mean you...like some eugenics type shit-"
Weiss shook her head, "No! That's what my dad wants!"
Her face turned a bit red, looking away in a huff, "I...I just like him, okay? Yuji's the first person to not want or expect something from me...it made me feel like a real person."
"I never had anyone go out of their way for me before, and that's all he does."
...
...
Her blue eyes watered, "Why didn't he tell me?"
Ruby frowned, "He didn't tell any of us, Weiss."
"...He should have told me. I'm...we're-"
"Special?"
"Don't call it that. I hate being told I'm better or different, but-"
Weiss put a hand over her forehead, "We're together. If he told me, I would've listened...but he always does that, bottling everything up just to have some kind of freak out when he can't take it anymore."
"Of course, I'll worry when he's on his own. Why wouldn't I?"
Yang took a swig from her soda, "Well, after what happened... no one would blame you for-"
Weiss stared at her, "...I don't know how I feel. Okay? I'm...I'm angry, sad, more confused than I've ever been. That...that thing tried to-"
The Schnee trembled but calmed herself, "...I know it wasn't him, but it was wearing his face, using his voice. I just-"
"I can't get over that."
"...My dad will probably cut me off if I don't go home, maybe even out of the will, and I know it would be easy to just pack up and leave, but-"
...
...
Weiss put a hand over her chest, "I'd just be the same awful girl he met me as, the sort of person who can't be honest about anything, and that's...-"
"Living like that-"
"I just can't do it anymore."
"There's going to be a lot of regrets either way this goes."
"I can do nothing and live wondering if I could've done more."
"Or...I can do something and never be able to see him again."
"But at least Yuji would be alive, and that thing wouldn't be able to hurt him again, and maybe that would be enough for me."
Weiss sadly smiled, "I like saying he's my idiot. I always thought it was cute how he wanted to make me happy like he was some big golden retriever, but he was the one cleaning my messes, trying to get me out of my shell."
"I think I should do something to help him for once and be his idiot."
"I'll take the Maiden."
...
...
Ruby's eyes went wide, "W-Weiss, do you know what you're saying!? This is permanent, as in, never see him again! Don't you like him!?"
The heiress laughed, "If this were a few months ago, I'd get mad and call you a moron for even insinuating it, but...yeah, I guess I do like him...enough to do this, anyway."
...
...
"Don't do that to yourself. It's a bad idea."
Everyone turned to see Pyrrha looking at Weiss with an unreadable expression on her face, "You can't just think about these things in the moment. You...you have to consider what comes after."
The redhead fidgeted, "I don't want anything bad to happen to Yuji, I...like...like him just as much as anyone else, but doing what you said about 'being his idiot,' it's just-"
"You're going to end up in the exact spot he keeps landing in...jumping headfirst into a big decision, then getting stuck with what comes out of it."
Weiss hummed, "What are you asking?"
Pyrrha sighed, "I'm saying...are you okay with losing everything? Your family, your career, even him?"
"It's not about being okay, it's-"
*Crack
The redhead slammed a palm against the table, "It is about being okay with it! You all might think I have things figured out, but I've spent my whole life being second-fiddle in everything besides fighting!"
Pyrrha huffed, "You try your heart out, work yourself to the bone to be stronger, to be better than your competition, just to win and have no one to celebrate it with. That's what it's like to win no matter what."
"It doesn't feel good. There's just a big pit of emptiness in your stomach, sitting there in the dark with your trophy, and no matter how you try to rationalize it, you feel like you wasted your chances, like you could've spent that time meeting people and doing things and-"
"That's what it'll be like for you if this works out, Weiss."
"He might be alive, but I promise you won't be happy."
The Schnee looked down, "I don't...I don't know if I'd be happy regardless of what comes out of this. I don't even know if I can get over what happened to my sister. I just-"
Weiss flinched, "I don't want him to die or...have anything like that happen again. I don't know what we could even do to fix what happened-"
Pyrrha leaned closer, "Exactly. You don't know. You might find a way to make things work, maybe not. We're just a bunch of stupid teenagers who don't understand how the world works, but locking yourself down one path is just setting yourself up to always be miserable!"
The invincible girl winced for a second, "Take it from me. I had chances, and I never took them. I just...have to accept that I didn't, but you can still make them!"
"When this is over, wouldn't you want to see him again? Or are you really okay just fading into the background? Because I'll say it-"
"I think we're on the verge of something big happening-"
"I don't know what-"
"I don't know how-"
"But I just have a feeling that everything is about to change...and if things do get different, the last thing I'd want is to see two people I care about in shambles over something they can't change."
...
...
A tear trickled down Weiss' face as her cheeks tinged pink, "...You people already got me to admit I like him, and now this?... Argh! Yes! I-"
She kicked a foot on the ground, "For God's sake, I daydream about us going on dates and holding hands! Yes, I want to see him again! He's my idiot and no one else's!"
The Schnee paused, realizing what she said-
Nora's eyes narrowed, letting out a sly "ooooo-"
The heiress hissed, "Shut up! At least I have the guts to say it!"
The ginger pouted, going quiet.
Pyrrha sadly smiled, but the look disappeared soon after, "Then...let me do it."
Weiss' eyes widened, "You...you'd do that?"
"...Yeah. I'll do it."
Nora's expression dropped, "What?"
Pyrrha looked to her teammate, "No one else besides Weiss offered to and...I think she has the most to lose."
The redhead sweetly smiled at the Schnee, "I think you're really brave for putting yourself out there first. You really have changed, and I don't want you to be kept from the person who helped you get there."
Weiss trembled a bit, putting a hand over her heart, "I...I-"
Nora stood up, "Don't ignore me, Pyrrha! You have just as much to lose as anyone else! We're a team, and you...you'd give it up?"
Pyrrha smiled more, "Yeah, I would. You're all important to me, so why wouldn't I?"
"Because we...we can't be a team anymore if you do! We can't be together or do things or-"
"We'll find a way to make it work. Maybe me and Yuji can take shifts while the other does something else. It'd be hard, but we'll manage. I just...can't see him and Weiss being together if they can't...you know...be together."
Nora shook her head, "I just...I don't know how you can take it when I...I can't-"
The ginger shook, "I know what's at stake. I know I can do something if I take it, but...-"
The invincible girl nodded, "I know Yuji says it's bad to compare how much we've been through, but...you've all had pretty hard lives, and I...well, I just haven't."
The redhead looked up, "I've got loving parents, friends, no real bad memories to speak of. I guess what I'm saying is...I want to pull my weight and make things easier on the rest of you."
"This is something I can do, so you don't have to, and isn't that what this is all about? We...make sacrifices for the people that matter to us."
Ren closed his eyes in a rare sign of emotion, forcing a smile, "What cartoon did you get that one from?"
Pyrrha smiled, "None. It's just...what's coming to mind."
"...It'd make a good episode anyway."
"Maybe... I might just start working on my own scripts when this is all over. Have to find something to do if I'm not with you guys."
...
...
Weiss stood, slowly pushing in her chair, before walking right up to Pyrrha.
The redhead raised a brow before-
*pompf
The Schnee wrapped her in a hug, "...Thank you."
Pyrrha hugged her back, not saying a word.
A bit later, the invincible girl made her way to Ozpin's office, and once alone, she found a dark corner and sank to the ground for a while, letting the facade fade one last time.
...
At the same time
The train door slid open as a Mistrali customs agent walked in, their expressionless helmet reflecting the sunlight.
They looked up from their inventory sheet to see Torchwick lazily sitting on a crate, spinning his hat away from his eyes with the twirl of a finger, "It'd sure be nice if you could call it a day and go home early. No one will notice."
The figure paused, marking something on their list before leaving the way they came, "Eh, I'm sure they checked it at the last station. Come on, boys, let's call it a day and hit the bar!"
There were a few cheers, and soon the train was quiet again.
Blake came out of a corner, whistling, "You know, you could make a lot of money with that semblance."
Roman scoffed, awkwardly tugging at his throat, "Ack...I do make a lot of money, kitty-cat."
"I mean, legit money. You know how much a company like SDC would pay for a negotiator with your semblance?"
"It's not as good as you think it is."
"What does that mean?"
Yuji stepped in, crossing his arms, "Lemme guess, the stronger someone is, the more it takes outa you?"
Torchwick raised a brow, "You're smarter than you look."
"Nah, I just know a guy with somethin' similar, but his technique is more of a burden."
Yuji waved at his mouth, "His name's Inumaki. Poor guy can only talk by listing rice ball ingredients."
Blake squinted, "Is he like...all there mentally?"
"Oh yeah, he's a nice guy, but Cursed Speech is kind of a doosie you can't turn off. So, if he told you to shit yourself...you're gonna shit yourself."
"...Ew."
Neo held up a sign, 'Roman's is like that. Can't turn it off.'
Torchwick shrugged, "I manage just fine."
'You said it'd be nice if I could talk!'
"And it would be! We'd talk about the nicest of things!"
'We do talk about things!'
"Yeah, well...sometimes my eyes hurt when I read."
Neo just stared at him.
Yuji tilted his head, "So, he wanted to hear your voice? What's wrong about that?"
The ice-cream-colored girl shook her head, using her hands to make an X over her throat-
"Your...throat's messed up?"
She nodded, snapping a finger to make an animated gif of a quacking duck.
Yuji laughed, "Cute."
Neo lightly hit him on the shoulder, looking away in a wordless huff.
Roman tapped the boy with his cane, "My semblance isn't something I can control very easily, but at least when I'm my own boss, I can dictate how it's used, but you never know what some government or company would make me do with it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, boy."
The thief looked at the city as it grew closer by the moment, "If I can give one piece of advice, it's that sometimes, there are no good choices, but you'll still have to make one."
Yuji nodded but said nothing.
...
...
Argus was a booming port town in Northern Mistral, with large defensive walls lined with emplaced weapons and soldiers overlooking cobblestone streets and a never-ending stream of commerce occurring within its frost-coated confines.
After disembarking the train and making their way out onto the streets, Itadori couldn't help but whistle at the massive walls, casting a shadow over the entire city, "Don't see that every day, huh, Blake?"
The Faunus rolled her eyes, grabbing the teen's hood and yanking it over his head, "Remember, we're keeping a low profile."
"Sorry, got excited, is all."
"...You know every city has walls, right?"
"Yeah, but...they're one of the things Pyrrha told me about when we first met. It's just kinda cool to see it for myself."
The vessel lightly smiled at his friend, "Guess I'll get to see where you come from next, huh?"
Blake bristled, "...Yeah, I guess you will."
"You alright?"
The raven-haired girl looked conflicted, "...It's been a long time since I've been home, and I didn't leave things in a good place with my parents...they probably don't even know if I'm alive or not."
"Then show 'em you aren't."
She scoffed, "Just like that? Walk in and go, 'Hey, I'm back.'"
Yuji waved a finger, "You can do it that way or pop out of a box like I did when my friends thought I was dead...but you don't wanna do that, Kugisaki almost cried."
Her face scrunched up, "You're awful."
"It was Gojo's idea."
"You went along with it."
"...Yeah, that's fair. I still feel bad about it."
"You should!"
Roman tapped his cane on the ground, getting their attention, "If you two are done, I'm going to head down to the port and...arrange some transport for us."
Blake tried to step toward him, "Let me go with you. I know a few dock workers who could-"
He blocked her path, "Ah-ah...you're on the Atlas terror list. You might think you're clever pulling up the boy's hood, but if Neo wasn't projecting a fake face over you and those ears, we'd be in...a situation. Let the professional handle this. Let me just-"
The thief raised his scroll, flashing a light in Yuji's face as he took a photo, "There we are. I've got all I need to make this work."
The sorcerer hummed, "You do? Aren't you just gonna use your semblance or-"
"Using it on a whole ship would hurt like hell. I'll just tell them you're god and be done with it."
...
...
All three of the teens stared at him.
Roman raised a hand, "What? It'll work."
Yuji and Neo looked at Blake, making the girl fidget, "What?...Oh, I see how it is. The Faunus knows how another Faunus would think."
Itadori nodded, "Better you than us."
"Oh, so you're just dumping this on me?"
Neo raised a sign, 'Pretty much."
Blake deadpanned, "Both of you suck."
Yuji shook his head, "Hey, I don't wanna make assumptions. I'm tryna be better about that stuff."
The cat girl stared at him a good while before dropping her shoulders, "...Eugh, fine. My fault for making you self-aware, I guess...the Faunus who work on ships are your average sailors. They've lived their whole lives on the sea, so if you play into the divine act, they might just give us a ride to not get shipwrecked."
...
...
The vessel scratched the back of his head, "I've been meaning to ask...how many people actually...worship Sukuna?"
Blake's expression shifted to indifference, "Depends what you mean by worship. I don't know why I'm asking, but are you...you know, religious?"
"Eh, most Japanese people aren't, but if you asked, we either say Shinto or Buddhist. I guess I'm the second one?"
"Do you go to Church?"
"Nah, temples and shrines kinda bore me."
"Yeah, it's sorta like that with worshiping Ryomen. It's just easier to look for who's way too serious about it, and it's not a lot. With most people, he's either made up or some aloof figure in the clouds, so at max, it's a prayer here or there, not the...other stuff."
"Huh...so would they think I'm Jesus or-"
"I don't know who that is."
Yuji's head dropped, "...Never mind."
...
...
A certain orange-haired thief rubbed his chin, "Religious icon, huh?"
A lightbulb dinged over Roman's head, reaching down to grab a rock, tossing it at the vessel, "Hey, brat. Catch."
Yuji swiped it out of the air without looking, "What's this about?"
A sly look crossed the man's face, raising his scroll to record the teen, "Wanna make your first relic?"
"What?"
He poked the salmon-haired boy with his cane, "Come oooon. Do the thing."
"What thing?"
"The cutting thing. Make a drawing or some shit. I don't know!"
"...Somethin' tells me you're only a good criminal because of your semblance."
Neo nodded, making Roman flip her off, "Just draw something you think people should worship."
A dimmer lightbulb dinged over Yuji's head, a smile crossing his face, "Oh! I know just the thing!"
Using his techniques and newly improved skills, the sorcerer went to work, showcasing what mattered most to him in this dark and painful little world of theirs.
And that's how Yuji's first religious symbol was a crudely drawn bowl of rice with food on top of it, cut and burned into stone, laden with Cursed Energy.
All hail the mighty Donburi.
Roman was totally going to sell it for a small fortune the first chance he got.
...
...
Soon enough, Roman and Neo had left to make their arrangements as Blake went off to gather a few supplies from her contacts, but Yuji had decided to wander the city with the promise he'd meet them in a few hours...and so-
Yuji traversed the city, passing through the crowds as he gawked at the storefronts, stopping in one to buy a massive bag of popcorn, tossing pieces in his mouth as he went.
Soon enough, another mouth opened on the side of his face, and without missing a beat, Itadori started feeding it, making Kechizu hum in delight, "Yum-Yum."
Eso's mouth appeared on the other side, "What exactly are you doing out here?"
Yuji shrugged, "Enjoyin' the day, what else?... Popcorn?"
"All carbs."
"It's my stomach."
"Hmph."
Soon, there were three mouths eating popcorn. Thankfully, no one in Argus seemed particularly interested in watching a teenager stuff his face to notice the finer details.
Eso mumbled in suspicion, "What has you in such a good mood, little brother?"
Yuji smiled, "It's just a nice day, is all. Lots of people out here."
"People who want you dead and wouldn't hesitate to call the authorities if they recognized you."
"Eh. Probably."
"...That's all you have to say?"
"Pretty much. Why? Is something bothering you?"
"...Why do you insist on helping them?"
"Help who?"
"Them. These faceless nobodies who couldn't care less if you live or die."
"They're people too, ya know?"
"Yet they don't think the same of you."
Itadori picked a kernel out of his teeth, "You care too much about what other people think, Eso."
"You can't ignore it forever. They're calling you a monster."
"So?"
"Get angry. You have more right to hate these people than anyone else."
"These people?"
Yuji motioned to the crowd as it passed by, "These people haven't done anything to me. They're just...doing their best, like us. I think you and Kechizu gotta realize that humans aren't perfect. We're full of flaws. If we weren't, Curses wouldn't exist."
Eso sighed, "And what am I supposed to do with that?"
"That's up to you, but...I'm kinda grateful for it, all things considered."
"Really? And why's that?"
"I'm a selfish guy, Eso. I only talk to people who interest me and ignore everyone else. It's just how I am...I like having you and Kechizu in my life just as much as I appreciate Choso. So, even if you were born from a Curse, I'm still glad you were. That wouldn't make sense to a normal person, would it?"
Yuji sadly smiled, "That's just something I realized about life. People do things that we don't like...things that we call dumb or whatever, but...they're just looking out for the people and things that matter to them."
"Look at the city around us. It's just a bunch of selfish people doing the best they can for what they care about, but they made all this...from the roads to the buildings to the government and everything else."
"They made these things, kept them running, and improved them for the people that matter to them, but they benefit everyone. That's progress, and it's one of the coolest things I'll never get tired of seeing...everyone working together, intentionally or not."
"It's not perfect. People lie, cheat, steal, and kill, but that's only looking at the negatives. Some tell the truth, are honest, give to others, and protect them when they're weak...maybe not to everyone, but they do for somebody."
"There are very few Sukunas' in this world, and I choose to believe that as long as I have people who matter to me...that give life meaning...like you guys, that other people can feel the same, and that gives their lives purpose, even if I don't know them personally."
"So, I'll protect them for no other reason than that they matter to someone, and together, we give each other meaning. I just don't need anything else to look at all this and smile."
Yuji made his way into a park, circling around a pond before coming to a stop in front of a family of ducks, reaching into his bag before-
Kechizu mumbled, "Ducks can't eat popcorn. The kernels are bad for them."
Itadori's eyes went wide, "Eh? How do you know that?"
Eso gave an amused snort, "He likes animals."
"Really?"
"Mhm. When we got our bodies, you know who broke into a library and stole a bunch of books about them. Which one was your favorite, Kechizu?"
The half-curse smiled, "A hundred uses for a dog. The best one's a pillow."
Itadori sadly kicked a rock, "Oh."
"What?"
"I thought it'd be about cats, ya know? Explain why you're friends with...never mind...so, whaddya like about animals so much?"
Kechizu sounded sad, "All they care about is food and pets...not the hard stuff."
"...Oh."
"You can feed 'em a little popcorn. Just shred the kernels real good first."
"Gotcha."
With that, Yuji cleaved and dismantled the puffy snack into a near powder, tossing the colorful flakes into the water as the birds went to town.
The brown-eyed teen smiled, watching as a little yellow duckling sauntered out of the water, strolling right up to him, lowering a hand as it ate out of his palm, "You're a brave little guy, aren't you?"
Eso hummed, "It's not old enough to understand the danger it's in."
Kechizu clicked his tongue, "Nah, animals are smart enough to know when someone means 'em harm. Little man is chilling."
Yuji smiled a bit more, gently petting the duck's head with a finger, "He's just used to humans, is all. This guy's probably lived his whole short life right here in this pond, with all kinds of people passing by every day...and enough of 'em are friendly enough for him to think it's worth coming up to ask for food. You guys might learn something from him."
Eso scoffed, "From a duck?"
"Principle's the same, big bro. Talk to enough people, and you'll see there's good everywhere, maybe not in everyone, but I like to think most people are decent."
A woman's voice echoed out from behind, "E-Excuse me."
The vessel froze, but she kept talking, "Are you...Yuji Itadori?"
The mouths on the sides of his face disappeared as the sorcerer glanced over his shoulder, seeing-
"...Are you Pyrrha's mom?"
She was a woman in her thirties or forties, with short red hair and green eyes covered over by a pair of glasses, wearing a long furred winter coat and dark boots.
The older woman jumped, "It is you. I... Ah...Ahaha...I didn't think she'd ever talked about me before."
The vessel stood, shaking his head, "Nah, it's just...you two look super alike."
"Well, that's kind of you to say."
"It is? I'm just pointin' out the obvious."
"And you're...exactly how she described you. Ah, but where are my manners-"
She approached, taking off one of her gloves, reaching out a hand, "Erythrà Nikos."
Yuji awkwardly shook her hand, "You already said my name, so...I dunno, want me to say it again?"
"No...no, that's fine. I could get into quite a lot of trouble talking to you as it is, so it's better we not announce things."
Their hands dropped and Itadori took a moment, looking at their surroundings, seeing no one, "Yeah, Mistral's definitely a place, but your town's not really like the Capital. Things are all kinds of goofy over there."
Erythrà nodded, "True, but Argus makes up a lot of the kingdom's finances, so they tend to leave us be...that and their less than savory actions tend to stay in the Capital... I heard you caused quite a lot of havoc there."
"I'm not gonna deny it, miss. Things...got outa control. I'm kinda surprised you're even talking to me instead of calling the cops. You a crook or something?"
"What? No. I'm a doctor. I was on my way to work and thought I recognized your voice from those videos my daughter sent of her team and...I thought about calling the authorities, but-"
The red-haired woman shrugged, "Pyrrha thinks the world of you, so...against my better judgment, I thought we should at least talk before I do anything drastic...that and bad people aren't nice to cute duckies."
Yuji brightly smiled, "Ohhhh, that explains it."
"...Explains what?"
"You're why she's so nice!"
"Eh?"
"Yeah. Since day one, Pyrrha's been a great partner...well, that and...look, I get this is gonna make me sound bad, but you're talking to a guy who's been accused of some really awful stuff alone in a park because he's pettin' some wild duck. That's a Pyrrha move."
"A 'Pyrrha move?'...Oh my God."
"You're just realizin' how bad this is?"
"...No. Well, yes, but I'm...I'm mostly wondering what my daughter does for things to be called a 'Pyrrha move.'"
"Ehhh, I dunno if I could explain it. If something or someone doesn't deserve a chance and you give it to 'em against common sense, that's a Pyrrha move."
"I knew I shouldn't have let her watch those cartoons...but we're getting off track. What are you doing in a town like Argus?"
Yuji dumbly stared at her, giving a thumbs up, "Tryna save the world."
"...Really? That's all you have to say?"
"Kinda? Do you want the details? It might take a while."
"No, I...I need to start my shift, but...-"
Erythrà sighed, "You don't seem like a bad person, but...I want you to know my daughter, your friend, is unbelievably worried about you. From what I heard, you up and disappeared on your team after whatever happened in the Capital."
"I don't care what your reasons were. Leaving anyone like that is a rotten thing to do."
...
...
Yuji dropped his head, being shamed by an angry mom of all things, "I know it was, ma'am, but at the moment, it just felt like the only thing I could do to keep my friends' out of trouble."
The vessel looked down at the duckling as it nibbled on his ankle, "I get you probably wanna hear something more, but...really, all I can do is promise I'll get on my knees, say sorry, and do better from here on."
"I don't have anything else to give at this point but my word."
Erythrà closed her eyes, "My daughter's not going to like you pulling this-"
"Yeah, I figure-"
She raised a hand, "But...Pyrrha's a sweet girl, so knowing her, she's worrying herself sick trying to find a way to help you...so, if you really want to do better, then don't try to stop her from doing that."
Yuji bowed his head, "Yes, ma'am."
The older woman squinted, studying him for a moment, "Alright then."
"...Alright then?"
The motherly figure smiled, dropping a hand on the teen's head to ruffle his hair, "You seem like a nice boy, and it'd be a shame to see a nice day like this get ruined with a fight, so...you go your way, I go mine, that sound fair?"
Itadori couldn't help but chuckle, "Is everyone in your family this nice?"
Erythrà turned away, "Who knows? My shift is starting in a few minutes, so I need to be on my way, but make sure you put a coat on. You'll catch a cold."
Yuji watched her go, soon noticing that his brothers were oddly quiet about the encounter.
It just might've been the first time either of them had seen someone put their trust in a complete stranger.
...
Beneath Beacon
An elevator door clicked open, revealing a wide chamber lit by an array of green torches placed on a series of pillars, and at the end, sat a series of beeping machines connected to what looked like two futuristic coffins.
Pyrrha stepped out, marveling at her surroundings, "You had this hiding under our school...all this time?"
Ozpin stopped beside her, "It wasn't easy, I assure you. The company building the school had more than a few questions about why I needed a vault below my office."
"What did you say?"
"It connects to a cavern, so I said we'd be studying bats or subterranean Grimm...something or other."
"You don't remember?"
"I've lived a long time, my girl. You tend to forget the inconsequential bits."
"Right. It doesn't matter."
"But your decision does. Are you sure you want to go through with it? There are-"
The redhead nodded, "Consequences, I know."
The immortal leaned against his cane, "I'm not just referring to your partner. This is a matter of your own morality...and what you're willing to do to see things through."
Ozpin walked ahead, with her following behind, coming up on the coffins as Pyrrha saw a figure lying in one.
It was a young woman with fair brown skin and shoulder-length hair of the same color wearing a simple hospital gown, utterly unmoving.
The invincible girl hummed, "Who...who is that?"
The Headmaster sat at a nearby chair, his hands moving across a keyboard as information flashed over a screen, "Amber, the current Fall Maiden and a former student of mine...and a very kind girl, one who deserved better."
"Is she-"
"Before your arrival at Beacon, Amber was attacked and had half of her soul ripped out alongside her powers, rendering her in a vegetative state. Life support aside, the only thing keeping her alive right now is whatever is left of the Maiden."
Pyrrha walked up to the glass, putting a hand over it, "That's awful."
"...And no way to live."
She turned to face the immortal, "Hm?"
Ozpin clasped his hands together, "I must admit, Miss Nikos, I've kept two things from you, not out of deceit, but because I wanted to give these circumstances the gravity they deserve."
The Headmaster had a solemn look across his face, "You won't be receiving the full Fall Maiden. Half of it is gone, and while initially, I had little to no clue who could've done such a thing...I'm all but certain it was Cinder Fall, the woman you encountered in Mistral."
"Salem is the only person I know who's capable of doing such a thing, and given their apparent ties...well, as you would say, it's pointing out the obvious."
Pyrrha looked down, "...She did seem to know who Ryomen was."
"Yes, and that has me concerned...as far as I knew, Ryomen and Salem never met, but...there's always room for error, which complicates things. If she's deadset on bringing about his return, we can only assume the worst and take preemptive measures...but-"
Pyrrha looked back to Amber's unmoving form, "She'll die if I do this...won't she?"
"She will."
"...Can you tell me about her? I-"
The redhead looked conflicted, "I want to know everything I can before I make a decision."
Ozpin nodded, reaching inside a drawer, "She left behind a few personal belongings. I actually keep her scroll in this desk-"
After handing it to Pyrrha, the invincible girl tapped the screen-
The immortal sighed, "The password is 'squirrel.'...We used to watch them together."
The armored girl glossed through her files, seeing various notes about meeting friends, turning in assignments on time, and more than a few doodles about random things.
She moved to the photos, seeing Amber's parents, siblings, pets, and random things the girl thought were worth a picture.
This was a person-
A living being-
And she was going to-
...
...
Pyrrrha lowered her hand, "What would Amber want if she could...you know-?"
Ozpin sadly smiled, "She was the helpful type, always volunteering her time to tutor her struggling peers, sitting with those who had no friends at the cafeteria...why, she even ate with the teachers to make us talk about less serious things."
He leaned closer, "This isn't me trying to convince you, but if Amber could speak, she'd likely tell you to do whatever brings you the most joy."
Pyrrha looked to the ceiling, thinking of her teammates and everything her life had led to-
...
At the same time
A hooded figure walked from the ramshackle port of Kuo Kuana, the capital of Menagerie.
They strolled past derelict sheet metal homes, held together by fibers and rope-
They ignored the starving masses on the street-
They chuckled at the patroling White Fang as if they were nothing but a pathetic joke.
They even paid no mind as the people pointed to the skies, some screaming in shock, others just staring in confusion as the clouds parted, with hundreds of small, metallic pods piercing through the veil, burning up in the atmosphere like meteors as more shot out of a hovering Atlesian airship, just off the coast-
And they were on a collision course with the island.
The figure reached up a hand and pulled their hood down.
Cinder could only smile, holding out her arms in reverence, "This will do."
And as one-half of the Fall Maiden could only praise the end of all things-
Across the world-
As Pyrrha Nikos entered her pod-
Another would rise.
...
Chibi
Yuji leaned back in his seat, "Wow, Weiss Schnee, I'm so glad you invited me to your dorm room to study, Weiss Schnee."
The heiress stopped digging through her bag, a baffled look on her face, "Why are you talking like that?"
"Setting the context, Weiss Schnee. My girlfriend, Weiss Schnee, by the way, whose dorm I currently exist within. Canonically, I'm in Mistral right now, so this entire situation makes no sense."
*Bonk
Weiss put a hand on his forehead, "Did you get another concussion?"
Yuji zoned back in, looking around in a daze, "Huh? How'd I get here?"
"There, now you're in character."
"What? Are you doing it too?"
"Doing what?"
"I...I dunno what's happening anymore. Let's just roll with it."
"Fine."
...
...
Sitting beside one another on a couch in Team RWBY's room, Yuji drummed a beat on his thighs, "Can we watch a movie?"
Weiss scoffed, "No."
"Aw, come on, isn't this a date night?"
"Study date."
"...Can we watch a movie after?"
"If I think you earned it. Now, we only have one book, so-"
The Schnee scooted closer, leaning her head on his arm, "We'll have to share."
Yuji couldn't see her face, but she started fidgeting, and it didn't take long for him to take the hint, rolling his eyes as he wrapped an arm around her, "Right. Most prepared girl on the planet only got one book."
Weiss faked a huff, "A shame."
"I'm not complainin', but I dunno how much we're gonna get done."
"I'm sure we'll manage."
...
...
Five minutes later
Yuji deadpanned, "Yeah, we're getting nothing done."
Weiss' face got red, "Shut up! You're distracting me with your breathing!"
"Whaddya want me to do!? Not breathe!?
"I don't know! I do better on my own!"
"...Can we just watch a movie and do this later?"
Weiss grumbled, "...Fine."
"Cool."
Yuji hurled the book across the room and grabbed the remote, turning on some cheesy romance about a Princess and a Frog-
Man, it's cool that Blake and Kechizu's acting careers took off.
Itadori gave a content sigh, snuggling up with his girlfriend as they lazily paid more attention to each other than the movie, his brown eyes staring into her blue-
He smiled, and so did she-
The vessel leaned down and-
Off in the distance, there was an audible-
*CLAP
There was a scarred face mere centimeters away from Yuji's lips, "Bruzzah..."
The teen tried to jump back in fear, "W-Wha- TODO!?"
The teleporter wouldn't let him go, pulling Yuji back into a cuddle, "Shhh...brother...we're bonding...you and me...we're bonding."
"WHAT!?"
Todo pulled Yuji into a hug, resting his head on his shoulder, "...I am so lonely."
A tear fell down his face, "All the tall girls are scared of me."
"No one wants to be my girlfriend."
"They think I'm schizophrenic."
"I send money to their Twitch streams, leaving messages in their names...and as I give more and more...they say my username less and less."
"I am a victim of my own type."
"Biggirlenjoyer2000."
"They don't call me by name... only the donation amount..."
"I am capable of giving so much more, but no one sees my balance..."
"Some days, I want a girlfriend so bad, I could cry, but I don't. I never do. Because what would be the point? Not a single e-girl would care."
"Take it to our cuddle session."
Yuji sat there, holding a despondent Todo, awkwardly patting his back, "...Aren't you dating Coco? I thought she was your girlfriend."
A tear trickled down Todo's face, "I can't admit to dating a tall girl until you have one too."
Todo was still in massive denial that Yuji was dating a short girl.
Across town, sitting at a cafe, Weiss stared at Coco, "What...where...what just-"
The fashionista shrugged, "I dunno. Todo gets jealous of you sometimes. Wanna crepe? They're pretty good."
Weiss came back to Yuji and Todo cuddling.
Apparently, Todo was a good cuddler.
...
That's all for now.
It feels good to write a Chibi; it's been a while.
Anyway.
Take it easy, and I'll see you guys next time; cheers.
Discord:
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