Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You could always expect to find some sort of trouble in the forests of Anima. With grimm being a thing, it’s not hard to find a few in the forests. Of course, grimm aren’t the only things to worry about on the continent of Anima. You have those most would consider to be “evil” by most accounts. The Spiders, the Hana Guild, the Black Sheep, the Hearth, and of course, the Branwen tribe. The harsh truth is, sometimes people are more dangerous than the grimm. Even so, things still aren’t that simple.

‘No matter how much we wish otherwise, shit still happens. You can try to avoid it all you want, but that’s just life’ a young man in his late teens thought as he stared deep into the campfire. He was fairly tall for his age, and fairly bulky too. His red eyes matched the red fingerless gloves he wore, as well as two birds on the chest area of his black leather armor. The black trousers were also padded with some extra protection, and his red combat boots had some steel on the front and back to protect from certain attacks.

He sometimes wondered what his life would have been like had he been raised outside of his current environment. He wasn’t unhappy with his current life, nor did he wish for a new one, but he just wondered what he would become if he was raised in what society would call a more “traditional” environment. The teen snorts at his own thoughts, recalling something one of the older tribesmen told him. “He may be gone now, but his words still stick with me. ‘The things most of us value, no matter how much we may wish otherwise, are ultimately nothing special on a grand scale. They all fade eventually. The universe doesn't care about us. So, there’s no point in saying one viewpoint is more valuable than another. Stick to what you value the most and make the most of your life.’ I can see what he meant.”

The teen had always felt this weird feeling whenever he heard conversations regarding right and wrong, which usually came from some of the people he stole from with Neo. Not that those people knew who they were thanks to Neo’s semblance. That’s one of the reasons he wasn’t as well-known as his mom. Something within his soul was trying to tell him something about why he felt that way, but he still didn’t understand it.

The teen ran a hand through his messy black hair as he sighed. He had been sitting here for at least an hour. “Once again, I am nothing but a lookout. ‘Guard the camp’ she says, ‘You’re not ready’ she says…I can’t believe mom still doesn’t think I’m ready for raids. I’ve been in combat plenty of times already” he complained as he took a sip of water from his container. “Then again, I guess she doesn’t want the old wizard or the rest of my family to find me.”

Raven Branwen, his mother, had always told him about the reincarnating wizard she had for a headmaster back when she was a huntress in training. Yeah, Roc knew the truth. He knew about Salem and all that jazz. Not that he was too concerned about it. Sure, eventually there may come a time when they WILL have to get involved in that mess, but there was still no guarantee. After all, Salem had been around for a very long time, yet plenty of people had lived long and happy lives without ever getting involved. So, if they got lucky, they wouldn’t have to get involved.

Unfortunately, they weren’t exactly the luckiest group out there. They had to rely on their strength, not luck. “The weak die, and the strong perish” is what his mom told him, but she had also told him to question everything. So, he questioned her philosophy.

The teen, about 14 at this point in time, sat next to his mother as she sharpened her blade. With an odd look on his face, the teen asked his mother what had been on his mind. “Mom…you said that weaklings die while the strongest survive. But…if we all die, what’s the point in getting stronger?” he asked.

Raven stopped sharpening her sword. Setting it down on a table, she turned to her son and gave him a small smile. “You’ve certainly taken my teachings to heart Roc. You see, even I know that my philosophy is just that, a philosophy. Philosophies are ways to live, but they aren’t all correct” she answered, causing Roc to frown.

“So…what should I do?” he asked, only for Raven to ruffle his hair, much to his annoyance.

Raven chuckles as she stands to her feet. “Take it as an incomplete lesson and find your own answers, ones that will work for you.”

And that’s what Roc did. Roc took his mother’s philosophy and found something that works for him. “The weak die having lived unhappy and unfulfilled lives, while the strongest live true to themselves and die with fulfillment. The strongest die happy with who they are deep down at their core. That’s survival.”

Roc heard a few clapping sounds behind him. He had gotten so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the intruders in the camp. ‘Mom’s gonna grill me for dropping my guard like that…’ he groaned internally before turning to face the intruders. “Uh, I get that it’s a free forest and all, but it’s still pretty rude to just barge into someone’s camp like this” Roc pointed out as the intruders pulled out their weapons.

Roc analyzed their clothing. From what he knew, these guys were part of the Hearth. This group of assassins and thieves had been making some moves recently according to some of the tribe. The weapons they were holding were interesting though. They didn’t seem like the kind of weapons a bunch of thieves and assassins would hold. “Say, where did you get your hands on that kind of gear? Is it an exclusive thing?” Roc asked as his hand slowly drifted towards one of his blades, the one with a single edge.

One of the intruders, a woman that was, in Roc’s mind, trying WAY too hard to pull off the “assassin” look, twirled her knives that were infused with ice dust. She let out a low chuckle as she and her allies began to circle Roc. “Oh, you don’t need to know that. After all, you’ll be dead soon enough…” she told the Branwen.

One of the other intruders, a massive man with a giant battle axe infused with lightning dust, narrowed his hazel eyes at Roc. “Say…that’s Raven’s brat, isn’t it? Oho!” he laughed as he stomped the ground in preparation. “If we take him with us, we’ll have the entire Branwen tribe under our control!”

The intruders began closing in on the young Branwen as he sighed and rolled his eyes. Pulling out his sword, he began twirling it with one hand in a casual manner. “You guys REALLY don’t want to do this…” he said, but they did not heed his warning. “Well, your loss.” As the members of the Hearth began to close in on Roc, the young bandit leapt high into the air, avoiding the combined attack from his attackers.

Roc landed a few feet away from them and pulled out his sword, gripping the black and red handle tightly. As his black aura began to surround him, he closed his eyes and began to focus. As the attackers scrambled to their feet, they realized that something was off about Roc’s weapon. His aura seemed to extend from his body to his weapon. This wasn’t uncommon, as this was something a lot of aura users could do, but Roc’s aura seemed to completely engulf the steel blade of his sword, turning it into something new. A scythe. ‘Why mom chose to teach me how to use a scythe like my uncle, I’ll never know’ Roc thought as he twirled his scythe a few times.

The assassin woman narrowed her eyes. She could tell that Roc wasn’t a normal bandit. “A kid like you shouldn’t know how to use aura like that. Even the most experienced of huntsmen and huntresses can’t pull something like that off easily!” she exclaimed before turning to each of her allies. “Stay sharp, this kid isn’t normal!”

‘Oh, you have no idea how right you are…’ Roc though as he grinned and twisted his weapon. He plunged his scythe’s blade into the dirt and dragged it across the ground, creating a fissure. From the fissure, multiple black birds with glowing red eyes emerged from the fissure and began swarming 2 of the other Hearth members. Both cried out as the birds swarmed around their bodies. The big Hearth man tried to help his allies, but Roc charged forward at incredible speeds, using his momentum to deliver a powerful upwards swipe that the man couldn’t move away from in time.

The axe man cried out as Roc’s attack heavily damaged his aura. It even managed to cut into his skin, which caused some blood to flow out. The man jumped back and held the spot where he was bleeding with one hand. The Hearth gladiator glared at Roc with anger. “You damned brat!” he shouted, gripping his axe tightly as electricity crackled around it.

Roc just smirked in response to this. As the big man leapt into the air and raised his axe to slam it down, a big black wing emerged from the back of Roc. The wing curled around Roc’s front, shielding him from the axe. Sparks flew around the area as the gladiator tried to push past Roc’s shield, but it was not use. Roc unleashed a yell of power and pushed the man back a good distance. Roc, seeing an opening, made his wing vanish into nothingness before closing the distance between himself and the Hearth member. Roc delivered a flurry of quick kicks to the man’s gut before jumping up slightly and delivering an aura-infused spin kick to the man’s face, causing the man to lose a few bloody teeth as he was knocked to the ground.

Roc quickly turned to the assassin woman, who used her incredible speed to attack with a flurry of jabs using her knives. She tried attacking his face first, but Roc used his quick reflexes to move his head away each time she tried to stab him in the face. The woman grunted in annoyance and backflipped away to gain some distance before slamming her knives together. The ice dust within her knives shattered, unleashing a wave of ice shards at Roc.

Roc sprouted two wings this time and used them to jump high into the air, avoiding the ice shards that were now lodged into a tree. Roc used his wings to boost himself past the woman before changing his position in the air and using them to quickly land on the ground by flapping them at the right time. The assassin was so shocked by his ability to suddenly sprout wings that she didn’t have time to react to Roc delivering a few quick slashes with his scythe, damaging her aura greatly and leaving a few gashes. Roc tripped her up before grabbing her by the leg, spinning around, and throwing her into the tree with the ice shards, shattering it.

The assassin woman groaned in pain as she felt her aura shatter upon impact with the tree. She struggled to her feet as she heard Roc slowly approach her from behind. Before he could get too close, she threw a couple of smoke bombs his way. The bombs exploded, clouding Roc’s vision, but he reacted quickly, sprouting his aura wings again and spinning around, using the force his wings generated to blow the smoke away. Roc sighs and looks down at the now smirking assassin. Roc kneels down a bit with his scythe in one hand and looks directly at her. “I take it that was supposed to do something. That smirk on your face makes it clear that you have a plan” he told her.

The assassin woman laughs as she spits out a bit of blood. Some splinters and ice shards were puncturing through her arms and legs, but once Roc was taken care of, she could tend to her wounds. “Yeah…I do. Those weird aura tricks you have must use up a lot of aura. After those smoke bombs, you have to be running low” she guessed.

Roc just let out a low chuckle in response. “Oh, that’s what you think? You couldn’t be more wrong. My aura reserves are above average, and even if they weren’t, I already have a solution to that” he told the assassin. Roc points his finger at the two other thieves from the Hearth. The assassin turned to look at where Roc was pointing, only to gasp in absolute horror when she saw what happened to her allies. The birds that had been swarming them were gone, and two large black orbs were floating in their place. As for her allies, they were completely still on the ground. They were deathly pale, and they looked as if their soul had been taken from them.

The gladiator from earlier got up from his last beating. He groaned in pain before he gasped as he saw what happened to his allies. The black orbs flew past the gladiator and went straight to Roc. The orbs went straight inside of Roc’s body, causing a black outline to briefly appear around it. Roc’s smirk only grew as his aura began to expand, causing the gladiator to take a step backwards in response. “W-What did you do?!”

Roc just shrugs as his aura continues to expand a bit. “Eh, it’s just my semblance. Despite its name, it’s WAY more versatile than it appears” he said casually before getting into a stance. His scythe returned to its normal sword form as Roc pulled out his other sword, which was double-edged. Roc’s irises began to glow as his aura swirled around him. “But neither of you will EVER get to experience all that I’m capable of.”

The steel of Roc’s swords began to glow black as some of his aura transfers to his blades again. He raised both blades above his head in an x formation and turned to the gladiator. The gladiator gasped and activated his semblance, which put a yellow barrier around him. Roc slashed forward and unleashed an X-shaped wave of energy from his blades that hit the barrier. The gladiator grunted as he dug his feet into the ground. The force of Roc’s attack not only greatly damaged his barrier, but it also nearly sent him tumbling to the ground.

When Roc saw the barrier, he smirked and sheathed both of his swords. “Wow, nice semblance you have there. I bet it annoys a lot of people too. Let’s fix that.” Suddenly, black talons appeared around Roc’s hands and feet, which the gladiator and the still weakened assassin were not expecting. First wings, now talons? Who the hell is this kid?

Roc charged towards the gladiator, who used more aura to reinforce his barrier’s defenses. That wouldn’t matter in a minute, as Roc unleashed a rapid onslaught of talon slashes upon the barrier. His hands and feet were blurred as he unleashed a wave of attacks upon the barrier that left visible scratch marks. Oddly enough, the gladiator felt as though he was losing more aura the more Roc attacked his barrier, but that couldn’t be the case, could it?

Roc latched onto the barrier with his talons before using it as a platform to leap onto a tree. Roc leapt from the tree and landed a powerful slash on the barrier before bouncing onto another tree and repeating the same process again and again. As this happened, Roc moved so fast that he looked like a black blur of motion.

The Hearth gladiator tried to sustain his barrier, but it was no use. His aura flickered as his barrier was destroyed, allowing Roc to deliver a talon swipe across the face of the gladiator, who cried out in pain as he felt those aura talons rip through his flesh like a hot knife through butter. Roc dismissed his aura talons as he watched the gladiator drop his axe and use both hands to cover his face in order to stop the bleeding. “Bad move!” Roc shouted as he knew the gladiator was now completely open.

Roc delivered three powerful gut punches that knocked the wind out of his opponent before delivering a spin kick to his side. The sickening crack of a bone could be heard the moment Roc’s kick connected. Roc then performed an aura infused somersault kick to the gladiator’s jaw, breaking it and sending the man high into the air with far less teeth than he previously had. Roc used this chance to jump up high and follow the man, delivering a few helicopter kicks before finishing with an axe kick out of a frontwards somersault that sent the poor gladiator flying to the ground at high speeds, leaving a lot of dirt in the air.

Roc landed gracefully as he observed the damage he had done. The dust cleared as the gladiator slowly got up. His face was a bloody mess. His jaw was displaced and the three gashes on his face were probably gonna scar. Roc chuckled a bit as he raised an eyebrow. “Need some ice for that? If so, there’s some right behind me” Roc jabbed as he pointed at the assassin woman behind him, who was looking absolutely horrified by what she saw Roc do so casually.

The gladiator coughed out blood as he fell on one knee, exhausted and breathing heavily. “What…are you…?” the gladiator heaved.

Roc shrugged and started walking towards the defeated Hearth member. “Ah, just a bandit with a crazy family situation, no one special” he said as he lifted the man up by his shirt collar with surprising strength. Roc’s red eyes stared deep into the gladiator’s terrified hazel ones. “As tempting as it is to take that semblance of yours for myself, I can pretty much do the same thing with my aura alone.”

That caused the eyes of both Hearth members to widen. ‘He can take semblances?!’ they exclaimed in their minds. The gladiator’s pupils shrunk as he realized that he never stood a chance against Roc. Mercifully, Roc released him, and the gladiator used what little strength he had left to limp away from the area, leaving his assassin ally behind.

Speaking of the assassin woman, she was currently trying to crawl away from the area by dragging her body across the ground. This was obviously painful thanks to the ice shards still inside of her body. Had she pulled them out, she would be dying of blood loss. Before she could get too far, she saw a pair of boots in front of her. Looking up, she saw Roc standing in her way. The assassin sighed and accepted her fight. “Go ahead…finish it. You won.” She closed her eyes, waiting for the end to come, but it never did.

Roc just stared down at her with this slight look of confusion on his face. Both of his blades were out, but they weren’t poised to strike her down. “You do realize your pal left you to die, right?” he asked. He was simply stating a fact. To his surprise, he received a simple nod. Roc expected a bit more of a reaction. “You don’t seem too upset” he observed.

The assassin let out a weak chuckled as she wiped off some blood dripping from her mouth with her arm. “Listen kid, the Hearth is like family to me. They were all I had after my old huntsmen teammates left me to die on a mission. I owe them my life. Family is family, no matter what.”

Those words resonated with Roc. His eyes widened slightly as her words triggered a memory from long ago.

It was about 8 years ago. Roc had been fairly curious about his father. His mom had never given him any clear answers. So, he went searching for them on his own. Now, there was one rule you ALWAYS abided by in the tribe. Unless it was something important, NEVER enter Raven’s tent. If you do, the consequences were quite…severe. Not even Roc was immune to this rule, although the consequences for him only resulted in a scolding.

Roc looked around the area outside of the tent from behind a tree, making sure nobody would see him. Once he knew the coast was clear, he quickly snuck behind a tree stump and waited to see if his mom would exit her tent. Sure enough, she did. Roc held his breath and waited for her to get far enough so he could sneak in. A spider started to crawl across his hair, but he remained absolutely still as his mother walked into another part of the camp. Roc let out a relieved sigh as he quickly shook the spider out of his hair.

Entering the tent, he took note of some of the objects in the room. A lot of the objects were trophies from raids, like that one family crest. Roc had to admit, his mom had some unique tastes in decoration. Still, he wasn’t here to sightsee. He began looking around the tent for anything that might tie back to his father, but he found nothing.

Just as Roc was about to give up, he noticed something off in the corner of the tent. It was a framed picture of 4 people. Roc picked up the small frame and analyzed it with his red eyes. The only person he recognized was his mom, but the other three were a complete mystery. One of the 2 males reminded him a bit of his mom. In fact, they had the same eyes. The other female aside from his mom had this white cloak and silver eyes. Roc found her hair to be a bit cool. Black with red tips. Maybe he should dye his hair a bit someday. The final person, the other male, was blonde with blue eyes. ‘Who are they?’ he thought to himself.

Before Roc could ponder any further, he jumped when he felt someone grab his shoulder and turn him around. Roc began to panic when he saw his mother with a not-so-happy look on her face. “M-Mom?!” he exclaimed.

Raven was obviously not happy at all. She loved her child dearly, but she was NOT about to tolerate him sneaking into her personal quarters like this. “Roc Branwen, what in the name of the brothers compelled you to commit such a foolish act?!”

Roc tensed slightly as he showed his mom the picture. “I-I just wanted to know who my dad was, and I found this…” he said nervously, looking away from his mother to avoid her harsh gaze.

When Roc showed her the picture, any desire to scold him vanished. She gently took the picture into her hands and sighed. “I see. You really want to know about your father, don’t you?” she asked Roc, receiving a small nod. Raven hesitated for a brief moment before putting the picture down on a small table. “There is a lot more that you won’t understand right away. That’s why you aren’t ready to know the full truth yet. But…I will tell you a few things.”

Roc sat down immediately, eager to hear what his mother had to say. Raven sat in front of him and pointed at the three people in the photo. “The woman with silver eyes was our leader back when I was a huntress. Her name was Summer Rose.” There was a brief look of grief on her face before she continued. “The man that shares our red eyes…he’s my brother and your uncle, Qrow.”

Roc’s eyes widened as he heard the news. He had an uncle? Mom never mentioned him. Still, Roc continued to listen to what his mother was telling him.

Raven let out a long sigh as she pointed at the final man in the picture. “The man with the blue eyes and blonde hair…is your father, Taiyang Xiao-Long” she revealed before explaining the type of person he was. As she did so, she couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a lot like him in many ways. You care deeply for those you’re close with, especially your family…” Raven lets out a long sigh as she looks away with a look of shame. “I hope you turn out to be better than me in regard to family…”

Roc frowned at his mother’s statement. Did she have a falling out with her team? Why? Roc shook his head. He didn’t need to know that. “…Mom, I didn’t sneak into your tent because I wanted to meet dad, I just wanted to know who he was” he revealed, causing Raven to perk up a bit with confusion in her eyes. “I love you mom, and I wouldn’t mind meeting dad one day, but I’m more than happy with you and the tribe. I know it’s not the most traditional lifestyle according to most, but I don’t care” he said firmly.

Raven was about to speak before she gasped as she felt Roc wrap his arms around her. Instinctively, Raven hugged him back. “I don’t deserve you…” she whispered.

“Don’t worry mom. Family is family, through thick and thin. No matter what happens, I’ll always protect you and my family” Roc said.

Roc stared at the assassin for a moment. There was this blank expression on his face. The assassin thought he had blanked out before she was knocked unconscious by a swift kick to her face. Roc sighed as he grabbed the woman and carried her to another part of the camp. “Better make this quick, or mom will kill me…” he muttered under his breath.

The assassin stirred as she tried opening her eyes. She blinked in realization when she realized the shards had been removed from her body, which was now somewhat wrapped in a few bandages. “Wh-What…?” she questioned as she got up and observed her surroundings. She was in a decently sized tent with some books about aura and unique ways to use them.

Roc, who was sitting in the corner, perked up when he saw her wake up. “Ah, you woke up. Good, I was worried I might have accidentally killed ya” he said before getting up and walking over to her, handing her the weapons she had.

With a look of confusion on her face, the assassin reluctantly took the knives she had back and placed them in their holders. “W-Why are you giving me back my weapons? And why didn’t you kill me?” she asked. It was a fair question. After all, she was attacking him not too long ago.

Roc just shrugged and walked out of the tent, with the assassin soon following. “Eh, you just reminded me of a philosophy I share with you. I also think that family is family no matter what happens. It’s just something I’ve believed in ever since I was a kid. Anyway, the rest of the tribe will be here soon, so I recommend you skedaddle” he warned before turning to her with a small smirk. “After all, mama bird isn’t too keen on me bringing strangers into the tribe.”

The assassin couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This kid takes out two of her allies, sends another running off, and decides to spare her simply because they share a similar view on family? She wasn’t sure if this kid was insane or just naïve. Still, she wasn’t about to just deny herself a chance to live another day. Still, she couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks kid. Trust me, I won’t forget this.”

Raven stood across from Roc as he finished explaining why the area looked like a battleground. Thankfully, Roc was careful not to damage any of the tribe’s stuff. Raven sighed as she placed a hand over her eyes in disbelief. “Let me get this straight…people from the Hearth came into the tribe and tried to kidnap you. You took out two of them, spared another after tending to her wounds, and let another one run off. Did I miss anything?”

Roc shook his head with a smile on his face as the other tribesmen continued to pack up and get ready to move. “Nope, that’s pretty much it.”

Vernal, who was standing next to Raven, facepalmed at the sheer stupidity of Roc’s actions. “You absolute IDIOT!” she screamed. Before Roc knew it, he was tackled to the ground by Vernal, who was trying to strangle him. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STUPID THAT WAS?! FOR ALL WE KNOW, SHE’S GOING TO GO AND TELL HER PALS TO SEND AN ENTIRE ARMY AFTER US!” she yelled in Roc’s face as Roc tried to pry her arms away from his throat. He was starting to turn blue at this point.

Raven, the calmer of the two, quickly pulled Vernal off of her son. “Enough” she commanded sternly as she released her hold on Vernal. Vernal just let out an annoyed grunt before leaving the mother bird and her son alone. Raven sighed and helped Roc to his feet. “Why exactly did you spare that woman?” she asked. Raven understood that Roc could be pretty unpredictable at times, but this was certainly something even she wouldn’t have expected from him.

Roc just shrugged his shoulders in response. “Eh, we had something in common, so I spared her. Besides, it could pay off in the future.” That was no guarantee of course, but a guy could hope. Roc cleared his throat before speaking again. “By the way, I wanna head into Mistral for a bit.”

Raven blinked at this. “Why? We’re about to move out” Raven inquired. Why did Roc suddenly want to go off on his own? Did he forget something?

Roc reaches into his left pocket and pulls out his scroll. He opens it and activates the search feature. Raven waits patiently for him to pull up whatever he’s searching for. When he does, he turns his scroll’s screen towards her so she can see it. Raven narrows her eyes slightly when she see’s what Roc wanted to show her. “A restaurant?”

Roc sighs and puts his scroll back in his pocket. “Mom, I’ve NEVER been out like this before! And besides, the place has foods that aren’t served anywhere else! And it’s not like it’s too expensive!” he told her. “Come on, I won’t be long!” he pleaded. Roc REALLY wanted to get out of the tribe for a bit. It had been a while since he had some quality time to himself.

Raven thought about it for a moment. ‘He has been doing well recently, and he DID handle the Hearth on his own…’ she thought. ‘But then again, he could cause some trouble for us if he’s not careful.” She thought long and hard on this one. It’s not that she didn’t trust her son, it’s just that he could be a handful at times. Still, what could possibly go wrong with a simple outing to a restaurant? She sighs deeply, hoping she won’t regret this. With a stern look in her crimson eyes, she said, “Fine, but don’t be gone for long.”

Roc pumped his right fist in excitement. “Hell yeah! Don’t worry, I’ll call you when it’s safe to use your semblance. See ya!” he said before running off and disappearing into the trees. Raven watched with a small smile as she watched him run off. He’d be back. She knew he would.

Chapter Text

You’d think that living in a manor would be great. You have servants that can bring you anything you want at any time, and you don’t have to lift a finger. You have rags and riches at your disposal. Unfortunately for Whitley Schnee, this kind of life could get dull and boring. Don’t get him wrong, he loved parts of his life, but even HE needed to get out. He would ask his sisters if they wanted to go out and bond, but one was busy with military duty, and the other was off in Vale training to become a huntress.

‘It’s not like we’d have much to bond over anyway…’ Whitley thought to himself with a small frown as he sat up from his bed and looked out of his room’s elegant window, gazing out at the wintery skies of his home kingdom. It was rare to see Atlas’ true beauty. The true beauty of Atlas could only be witnessed when you throw away all of its troubles. Remove those, and Atlas truly is the greatest of the 4 kingdoms.

Whitley sighed and got out of his bed as he continued thinking about his sisters. "They never paid much attention to me unless it was necessary. And now that they’re both gone, there’s no reason for us to try and ‘reconnect,’” he said before scoffing in disgust. As far as he knew, there was no connection between the three of them to begin with. It’s not for a lack of trying on his part, but he learned at a very early age that they didn’t care as much as he wished they did.

That was, of course, thanks to their father, Jacques Schnee. Whitley knew the type of man his father was. He was a shrewd, racist, and abusive father. The man would do just about anything to turn a profit. If he saw an opportunity, he took it. If he could exploit his workers for a profit, Jacques Schnee would do it. The man had completely tarnished the Schnee name, though it wasn’t like Whitley cared for the family name all that much. In his mind, those who looked at the Schnee name and only did surface level research were fools. ‘If those fools in the White Fang realized that father was to blame for all of the exploitation in the mines, then perhaps I wouldn’t have to worry about any attempts on my life…’ Whitley thought bitterly. He wasn’t like his father; he had nothing against Faunus as a whole, but he wasn’t exactly going to say he liked them either. In fact, most of Whitley was indifferent to their suffering. Was it cruel? Perhaps, but Whitley couldn’t bring himself to care all that much. After all, HE wasn’t responsible for their suffering, nor was it his responsibility to end it.

Still, despite all of the things his father has done, Whitley couldn’t bring himself to hate the man. Dare he say it, he loved his father. Most people would call Whitley insane for this, but those people truly didn’t understand the mind of Whitley Schnee. Unlike his sisters, Whitley held no interest in slaying the grimm. Rather, he had much bigger ambitions. While his sister Weiss was currently the heir to the SDC, Whitley had plenty of plans to remedy that issue. All of those plans revolved around his father.

It was actually fairly easy to earn what little care Jacques had. Just do as he says and prove your worth to him, and he’s fairly lenient. This is what Whitley’s been doing for years. He’s listened in on every meeting, he’s researched everything Jacques wanted him to, he studied as much about business and politics as possible, and he’s learned a lot because of that. But he didn’t just learn, he acted. Whitley offered solutions to problems in the SDC multiple times. He’s talked to other important business tycoons on his father’s behalf. He’s even suggested policy changes that not only benefit the SDC publicly, but also benefitted the lower class secretly, Faunus included.

Make no mistake, Whitley did NOT want to “redeem” his family name, nor was he doing this all to help the Faunus. Whitley simply refused to be a fool. Atlas thrived on the secretive exploitation of the poor, but he planned to gain more power without such shadowy tactics. He just needed to play the long game. He understood that if he publicly helped the Faunus, his father would put a stop to his plans immediately. Not only that, but key allies of the SDC would also potentially turn against the company, and Whitley couldn’t have that. So, he needed to make it seem like he was becoming exactly what they wanted him to be.

As for his reason for helping the lower class, it simply benefited him more in the long run. If he gained more allies after taking down the ones that were no longer useful, that meant less enemies like the White Fang when he eventually took over. He simply needed to show them that, at least in secret, he wasn’t truly their enemy. People like Robyn Hill would certainly be good allies in the future.

Back to his father, Whitley enjoyed whatever time he got to spend with the man. Most of their talks were about business, but Jacques always seemed to be invested in what Whitley had to say. Occasionally, they’d even get to talk about politics and even history. And shockingly enough, despite his appearance, Jacques was a master at fighting games. Whitley still has not won a match against the man, but he would one day.

Eventually, this led to something pretty interesting. Now, even at a young age, Whitley knew he was going to become a target for extremists like the White Fang. Even though he COULD rely on his father using his wealth to provide some protection, Whitley wasn’t taking any chances. So, he did something drastic…

Whitley flinched as he heard his father slam both palms onto the desk very loudly. ‘I knew this would happen’ Whitley thought with a small wince before clearing his throat and trying to appeal to his father. “Father, it is simply the best option!” Whitley exclaimed.

Jacques shook his head and glared at his son, getting up from his desk and walking over to the youngest Schnee child. “Absolutely not! Winter has already run off to the military, and it’s only a matter of time before Weiss follows in her rebellious sister’s footsteps! I will NOT have all three of my children run off playing hero!” he barked, almost spitting in Whitley’s face.

Whitely remained calm though, already used to his father’s outbursts. “Calm yourself father. I have no intention of running off like my sister. I simply wish to ensure that I do not experience an early demise. After all, those animals will stop at nothing to tear down the SDC” he said, referring to the White Fang as “animals” in order to appeal to his father a bit, not that Whitley viewed the White Fang as animals, or any Faunus for that matter.

Jacques glowered at Whitley’s words. “We will simply hire the most well-trained specialists to protect you. For you to undergo any sort of training would simply distract you from your true destiny. You will not train, and that’s the end of it!”

Well, that plan failed. Time for plan B. Whitley shifts his tone into something more dramatic. “But think about it for a moment, father. Imagine it: I, the secretly trained Schnee, successfully defend myself from a potential attack launched by the White Fang. Just imagine the publicity!” he said to his father.

Jacques’ expression immediately shifted from anger to contemplation. Whitely could already see the gears turning in his father’s head. ‘Too easy and too predictable…’ Whitley thought. He wasn’t wrong. It was honestly terrifying how easily his father’s greed could be manipulated. Whitley planned to never become that easily manipulated.

“Hmm…indeed, defending yourself from those filthy animals could increase our standing within the public eye…very well, I shall arrange for your training to begin” Jacques conceded, bringing a small smile to Whitley’s face.

Whitley wasn’t about to make his training public though. He didn’t want his sisters thinking he was going to become like them. Would making his training public have given them something to bond over? Possibly, but Whitley needed people to think he was just a weakling in order to catch any potential enemies off-guard.

To say Whitley’s training was a closely guarded secret would be an understatement. The only people who knew about it were him, his father, and his trainer, one of the Atlas military’s top specialists. Jacques did hire a few people to work on the AR room in the manor, but they never really learned what the purpose of the room was. And so, for years, Whitley would train as hard as he could to become as strong and skilled as he is now.

Whitley sighed and pulled out his scroll, searching for anything interesting he could do inside or outside of Atlas. ‘Father won’t mind too much as long as I use the right words…’ he thought to himself. Continuing to scroll through is, well, scroll, he eventually landed on something interesting. On a news site, he learned about a new restaurant opening up in mistral.  The headline read, “New Restaurant with Exclusive Dishes!”

‘Not exactly anything exciting, but at least it’s something’ Whitley thought before closing his scroll and began getting ready. Rather than wear something more formal, Whitley pulled out some tactical clothing from his closet. The clothes were a gift from the specialist who trained him. For tops, Whitley wore a white undershirt underneath a light-blue tactical jacket. Across the sleeves of the jacket were inverted white snowflakes arranged in a spiral pattern. For bottoms, all that was needed was a pair of black pants and he was golden. After finishing it all off with a pair of black combat boots, Whitley left his room.

Navigating the long hallways of his home was never one of Whitley’s favorite pastimes. It’s not that he got lost, it’s just that it always took so long to get somewhere. ‘Would it kill you to possibly invest in teleportation research father?’ Whitley thought with a groan as he continued towards his father’s office. The chandeliers above him seemed to dim slightly as he came across a family painting. Whitley frowned as he saw his smiling face among the neutral face of his father, the stern face of his mother, and the frowning faces of his sisters. ‘Not once were we ever truly all happy to be around each other…’ Whitley thought with slight disdain as he shook his head and continued on his way. That painting was a painful reminder of his family life.

“Ah!” Speaking of family…

“Oh boy…” Whitley groaned as he heard a small scream from an adjacent room. Quickly opening the door using the second master key his father had given him, he expected to find a certain someone stumbling on the ground because she was intoxicated, but to his surprise, all he found was his mother making sure a small portrait of him didn’t fall. He blinked in surprise at this, looking around her room to see photos of him and his sisters. ‘Wasn’t expecting this…’ he thought before stepping into the room. “Mother?”

Willow nearly dropped the portrait of Whitley out of her hands when she heard her son’s voice come out of nowhere, but she managed to hold onto it. She sighed in relief and placed the small portrait of a younger Whitley back on her dresser before turning and giving the actual version of her son a tired smile, but Whitley could see behind that smile. There was guilt and sorrow behind that mask she was wearing. “Ah, Whitley. I’m sorry if I startled you. How have you been?” she asked, sounding somewhat sincere despite the emotional mask she was wearing.

Willow was the only other person in his family that Whitley somewhat cared about. She actually did look after him a lot during his early childhood, though that’s something she did with all three of her children, but she did it the most with him because he was the youngest. ‘Thank the Brothers that there are no embarrassing pictures of me around anymore…’ Whitley thought. Of course, she became far more distant after Jacques revealed his true colors. It is rare to see her without a bottle in her hands nowadays. Plus, she hasn’t done anything about her husband’s multiple amoral acts, though neither has Whitley really, mostly because he still needed his father in power, but also because Whitley barely cared for the amoral acts of his father. He wasn’t responsible for them, so why should he feel guilty? No, seriously, what sense does it make for him to feel guilt over something that isn’t his fault? Why would HE have to make amends for something he didn’t do?

Now, did Whitley hate his mother for not taking good care of him for years? No, he didn’t. Unlike his sisters, Willow WAS occasionally there for him when she needed to be. Plus, Whitley was the one who put the most effort into trying to be there for his mother because, despite him never wanting to admit it, he knew she was hurting too. Whitley had a relationship with both of his parents, but he had NO relationship with his sisters, even prior to the moment his father revealed he only married Willow just to gain access to the Schnee fortune. Then again, perhaps he did have some relationship with his sisters, but he was just too young to remember any of it.

Seriously, Whitley couldn’t think of a time when Weiss or Winter EVER wanted to spend time with him outside of family dinners. At first, his younger self just assumed that they would come to him instead of the other way around. When he finally did start asking to spend time with them, he was either ignored or brushed off. Granted, this was all after that impactful dinner, but still.

Regardless, now wasn’t the time to talk about the many, MANY issues their family had. A brief talk, and Whitley would be on his way. “I’ve been well, all things considered. I am actual leaving Atlas for a bit. There’s a place in Mistral I want to check out” he told her.

Willow’s eyes widened slightly. He was actually leaving? “T-Truly? I-I’ve never seen you interested in leaving Atlas, even for a short period of time…” she gasped as she leaned against a table slightly.

Whitley shrugged in response. “Well, I haven’t exactly been too interested in other things that I couldn’t already find in Atlas. After all, with the wealth our family has, we could have anything we wanted shipped directly to us. But this new restaurant has exotic dishes you won’t experience anywhere else. It’s not the most exciting of adventures, but at least it gets me out of the house for once” he said casually. Whitley had no intention of becoming a permanent shut-in for the remainder of his life. Granted, he had no friends whatsoever, but perhaps that could change in the future.

Willow gained a small smile as she looked away from her son slightly. “I would join you, but I think it’s best if you did this on your own. I’m-“ she stopped for a moment before a shameful look glossed her features. “I am not the most…stable woman in the world…” she admitted, sounding genuinely regretful as she recalled all of her failures.

Whitley didn’t really know how to respond to this. He wasn’t one to beat someone while they were down unless they really deserved it. Still, he would try his best. “That’s alright mother. Besides, we all need some me time now and then.”

Willow couldn’t help but snort at her son’s words. “Whitley…how long have you been cooped up in your room today?” she asked, turning to face him with a knowing smile on her face. That smile only grew as Whitley just stared at her like he had been caught sneaking into the kitchen to grab a cookie at night. “Mhmm…that’s what I thought” she said, feeling somewhat better after seeing the embarrassed look on her son’s face. She savored the rare moment of being able to embarrass her son like this. It was something she couldn’t help but enjoy as a mother, even if she hasn’t always been that for any of her children.

Whitley cleared his throat and straightened his jacket to regain his composure. “Y-Yes. Anyway, I should be off. If I do not want to miss the bullhead before it leaves. I do have a long ride ahead of me after all. I suppose I should wait for you to say something along the lines of, ‘Stay safe my son?’” he said, only to blink when his mother shook her head.

Willow gave her son a knowing smirk. “Whitley, I know you can handle yourself. Who do you think gave you those tips for using your semblance?” she told him, causing Whitley’s eyes to widen in surprise and realization. “Sweetie, I know a lot more than you think.” Those hidden cameras she installed were the entire reason for that.

Whitley had no clue how to respond to the fact that his mother knew about his training, but he had no time for that anyway. “Right. Well, I shall be off.” As he began to walk out of the room, he stopped in the doorway and turned back to face his mother. “And mother…it is good to see you in better shape” he said before leaving and reentering the halls.

Willow couldn’t help but watch her son leave with a sad and tired smile on her face. His words about her condition warmed her heart a bit, knowing that her son wasn’t entirely like his horrid father. Had she been better, she could have done a better job raising him and the rest of her children, but Weiss and Winter were long gone, and she knew that Whitley did have an attachment to his father that was somewhat reciprocated. Still, she knew that there was hope. She looked at the portrait of her son, one from when he was only 6. She smiled warmly. ‘I hope you become better than both of us…’ she thought.

Jacques Schnee was NOT having a good day right now. He was swamped with piles of paperwork that needed to be done by tomorrow. He let out a weary sigh as his mustache drooped slightly. “Sometimes I regret taking over this company…” he groaned as his right hand continued writing signatures and notes on the papers he had to finish. What he would give for even a momentary break…

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

Jacques was certain that the Brother Gods heard his call. Immediately dropping his pen, he answered the knock. “Come in!” he said a bit too fast. To his surprise, his own son was the one who entered the room.

Whitley quickly refamiliarized himself with his father’s study. It had been quite some time since he was last here. Usually, he would keep himself busy by reading the many books Jacques had on his bookshelves. If they were in the same room, the pair would have a game a chess on the coffee table. He took particular note of the piles of paper on his father’s desk. From Whitley’s viewpoint, the papers were covering the photo Jacques had of him on his desk. Whitley always knew he was the favorite. “Did I come at a bad time?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, almost raising them both when he saw another stack of papers in the corner of the room that was almost as tall as himself. He mentally hoped that he wouldn’t have to experience that much paperwork in the future.

Jacques shook his head and straightened his tie. “No, of course not. What is it that you need?” he asked in that same neutral tone that Whitley had come to know and sometimes love.

Whitley nodded and began to explain what he wanted. “Father, I am rather bored and need some time to myself that does not involve me staying in my room all day. A new restaurant has opened in Mistral that has exclusive dishes that cannot be found anywhere else. I wish to try some of them for myself. If all goes well, I may be able to convince the owner to sign a deal with the SDC and bring their dishes to Atlas” he said. That last part was added just to appeal to his father’s greed.

Jacques thought about his son’s request for a moment, tapping his fingers across the desk rhythmically as he did so. ‘Whitley has been doing well in his studies…and having a restaurant like that under our belts would indeed add more and more revenue…although we would have to build a chain eventually.’

Whitley waited for his father to finish his thoughts, impatiently tapping his foot on the hardwood floor. When he saw that usual look of approval on his father’s face, Whitley hid a small smirk. “I take it that you have approved?” he asked, though it was completely rhetorical.

Jacques nods as he briefly glances out of the window, wondering where he should build a new division should Whitley’s plan come to fruition. “Yes, I shall allow your little excursion. However…” he turned back to face Whitley with an extra stern look on his face. “I will not have you going off by yourself. You will need a trained professional by your side. As ashamed as I am to admit it, someone like Winter-“

“NO!” the youngest Schnee exclaimed, completely catching his father off-guard. Jacques had to blink a few times. Whitley NEVER did something like this whenever Jacques was around. You’d think Jacques would have harshly reprimanded his son, but the surprising level of affection he had for Whitley prevented him from doing so. Instead, he chose to listen.

Whitley sighed as he mentally scolded himself for his little outburst, even though he felt it was somewhat justified. Straightening his jacket, he looked at his father with a somewhat pleading gaze. “No, I wish to go alone. I’ve trained for quite some time, and I do NOT need Winter’s help or anyone from the Atlas military. Please, let me do this alone” he pleaded, hoping his father would listen.

Jacques eyes softened a bit. He himself knew full-well the role he played in the strained relationship between Whitley and his sisters. Did he regret it? Somewhat, though mostly because 2 of his daughters ran off. Then again, part of him does wish that Whitley had a somewhat more affectionate upbringing. Again, Jacques wouldn’t admit it, but he knew he played a massive role in that. With a long sigh, Jacques sat back down in his office chair and returned to work. “Very well…but do be careful.” You could tell by his tone that he was being genuine, which was a rarity.

Whitley sighed in relief and turned to walk out. “Do not worry, I will be fine. Farewell father.”

Now, most people would take a cab or just walk to the bullhead station, but Whitley wasn’t like most people. He decided to be a bit flashier, using his training and glyphs to leap from rooftop to rooftop. Under most circumstances, this would be seen as delinquency and potentially even illegal, but in Remnant, it was common knowledge that people with semblances and other skills preferred to get around in a more unique way. As long as no damage was done and no people were hurt, you weren’t doing anything wrong.

Whitley had to admit, this was great. Flying through the air and letting the wind flow through his hair was such a pleasant feeling. ‘Far more pleasant than being cooped up in my room all day’ he thought as he used another set of glyphs to leap onto another rooftop.

But of course, there’s no way his little stunts would go unnoticed. Luckily, his training had taught him to pick up on anything hurtling towards him at high speeds, such as a dust round. Whitley quickly summoned another glyph to block the projectile, causing it to harmlessly vanish. Whitley sighed in annoyance. He probably should have done things normally.

Whitley landed in a spacious alleyway. It was better to fight on the ground than in the air or on a rooftop. Of course, Whitley knew the alley was already occupied by none other than the White Fang, who were pointing pistols and rifles directly at him, ready to fire. Whitley raised his hands in a surrendering motion, even though that’s not what he planned to do. “I take it you either want me dead or alive?” he asked.

Some of them laughed at his words, clearly amused by what he said. A taller one with a fox tail showed off a grin as he took a few steps closer. “I gotta admit, this Schnee’s one who understands the situation he’s in. It’s a terrible shame it won’t save him from what’s coming.”

Another member of the White Fang, a crocodile Faunus with green scales, pointed her pistol at Whitley’s face, relishing at the fact that a Schnee was now completely helpless. Oh, how wrong she was. “Poor little Schnee. What’s wrong? Is your daddy not here to save you?” she said with a twisted level of joy that Whitley couldn’t help but find creepy.

Whitley shook his head at the sheer stupidity of what he was hearing. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to hear it for much longer. “All of you do realize you are blaming the wrong person for your troubles, yes?” he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow, waiting for one of them to get closer so he can enact his plan.

One of the shorter members, a lion Faunus with a black mane, stomped forward and pointed his spear just inches from Whitley’s eye. “Shut up! A Schnee like you could NEVER understand what the Faunus go through on a regular basis!” he yelled, completely ignoring Whitley’s question.

‘Well, so much for de-escalating the situation. Time for plan B’ Whitley thought as he summoned an avatar of a beringel grimm and commanded it to grab two of the fang. Everyone aside from Whitley began to panic as two of the Faunus were lifted into the air and slammed into the ground by the summon.

With the spear-wielder in front of him now distracted, Whitley kicked the Faunus away while backflipping. Gaining some distance, Whitley pulled out an ornate-looking scimitar with a blue blade and a hilt that rotates between different types of dust. Luckily, Whitley always made sure to keep a steady supply of dust on him. Plus, with the SDC being responsible for so much of Remnant’s dust supply, he had some access to some of the latest technology regarding dust, including a device inside his weapon that made his dust usage minimal despite being able to use large attacks.

Whitley flicked the device, causing it to rotate and switch to a fire symbol. The blue blade glowed with fire dust as Whitley prepared his attack. With one slash, Whitley unleashed a wave of fire dust that hit the ground near the White Fang, sending them all flying in multiple directions and hitting the alley walls.

Whitley turned on his heel in order to deal with the fang behind him. Switching to lightning dust, he held his scimitar in front of him, unleashing a torrent of non-lethal lightning bolts their way. He could switch to more lethal methods if needed, but Whitley would rather avoid any needless bloodshed. ‘I have SOME restraint’ he thought to himself as he watched the enemies in front of him be thrown back onto the ground. Their bodies twitched involuntarily as electricity continued to linger through their bodies.

Some of the fang that had been blasted away by the fire attack earlier soon recovered, though there were singe marks on their masks and uniforms. Whitley turned back to them and gave them a cocky smirk as he twirled his scimitar with one hand. “What’s wrong, can’t keep up with a mere SCHNEE?” he taunted, saying that last word with extra emphasis. The taunt worked extremely well, as the lion Faunus and crocodile Faunus screamed out in rage as they blindly attacked him. Whitley deflected the bullets from the crocodile fang’s pistol using a glyph as a barrier while he danced with the lion Faunus. His skill with a spear was nothing compared to Whitley’s skill with a blade. The gap in skill was clear, as evidenced by Whitley’s skilled and refined sword slashes clashing against his opponent’s sloppy and blind spear jabs. Blade met blade, but one blade was simply better than the other.

Whitley ducked under a spear jab and countered with a powerful gut punch that made the lion Faunus kneel in pain. Whitley delivered a side kick to his head to knock him out cold before propelling the crocodile Faunus his way using a glyph he made appear behind her. The White Fang member yelped in surprise as she felt a force push her towards Whitley, who used another glyph to propel her into the air. Whitley switched to gravity dust and used a gravity glyph to hold her in place before switching to ice dust and spawning two more glyphs at her sides. Both glyphs fired a torrent of ice projectiles, which caused her aura to eventually shatter and break before being hit with the full force of Whitley’s attack.

Whitley watched the scene with interest. ‘It seems she was the only one to have her aura unlocked…’ he observed as his attack ceased. The final fang member fell to the ground, unconscious. Whitley sighed and put his weapon away before he placed his hands in his jacket pockets and began to leave the alley. “I don’t have any more time to waste on you.”

Chapter Text

You’d think a massive bullhead flying through the skies above Mistral would be immediately noticed. Unfortunately, that’s not the case thanks to the cloaking device the bullhead was equipped with, courtesy of one of the lead scientists who ordered it to be used.

The pilot sighed as he flew through the air. It was hard to believe that he was currently carrying a bunch of scientists, robots, mutated grimm, and one project that most would think only appeared in cartoons and movies. He didn’t know much about that project. After all, he was just a pilot. Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. So, he turned to the other person in the cockpit, one of the scientists he was carrying. “Say, what’s the big deal about that ‘secret project?’ It sounds pretty damn important.”

The hooded scientist saw no harm in telling the pilot. “While I do not know the reason behind his creation, I can tell you that he is not normal by any means. He’s an artificial human of sorts, although that’s only because he was born through less than natural means.” Seeing the confused look on the pilot’s face, the scientist sighed. “The project, or ‘Victor’ as he has chosen to name himself, is the genetic amalgamation of 3 individuals…”

In another part of the bullhead, scientists were going about their business. A supervisor made sure that everything was in its proper place. Walknig through the halls of the bullhead, which was essentially just a mobile research facility, the supervisor used a pen to check off multiple things on the list he had in his hand. “Let’s see…the mutated grimm are all locked in their cages, the new drones and modified knights are all ready to be deployed should something go wrong, and last but not least…” he trails off as he looks in front of him. A massive, sealed door is blocking his path. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his keycard and shows it to the scanner.

Mechanical hisses could be heard as the door slowly began to open, revealing a massive chamber filled with control consoles and many other devices. Automated turrets on the walls all concentrated on a particular point in the center of the room. In a container was a man of about 19 years of age. He was fairly tall and had black hair in a quiff hairstyle. Tan skin, a somewhat bulky build, and he had complete heterochromia, meaning one eye was green and the other was violet. His full-body lightweight armor was the finishing touch on this man.

The scientist took a good look at the man in the container. He spoke into a microphone on one of the control consoles. “Good day Victor. How’s our little experiment doing today?” he taunted, but all he received was a blank stare. The scientist sighed. “Of course…I forget that your creation had a negative impact on your soul and emotions. You’re nothing but some silent protagonist with no personality whatsoever.”

 The pilot had to do a double take after hearing what he just did. “I’m sorry, WHAT?!” he exclaimed.

“That’s right. Victor is, in terms of genetics, the offspring of three individuals. The general of Atlas, the leader of the Happy Huntresses, and the headmistress of Beacon Academy…” the scientist said as he tapped a few things on his scroll. “It was all Dr. Sas’ idea. He wanted to see if a human being could possess multiple semblances. Victor was his attempt, but it ultimately failed. His soul is so weak that he had no aura and no semblance, and his emotions are mostly dormant because of that, although the doctor has theorized that proper care could resolve that issue.”

The pilot raised an eyebrow at this. “So…give the guy an actual life and he could become normal? Why not just do that?” the pilot asked, receiving an “Are you kidding me?” look.

“If he had done that, he would have been arrested on the spot for unethical experimentation. Besides, he had other uses for Victor. While he lacks aura and a semblance, he more than makes up for it thanks to his enhanced physiology. Super-strength, superspeed, and a level of durability that compensates for his lack of aura. Aside from that, dust is constantly flowing through his body like blood. Dr. Sas had attempted multiple times in the past to create a way for dust to be reused infinitely, so he made a device within Victor that can regenerate any of the dust his body loses” the scientist revealed.

“So…he’s an infinite dust generator? Sounds awesome, but how is he not dead?” the pilot asked as he turned the bullhead somewhat.

“Dr. Sas had to alter many of the properties of dust to make them less harmful. Victor’s regeneration could take care of the rest” the scientist replied.

The pilot thought about what he heard a bit more before he realized something. “Wait, if he doesn’t have aura, how can he use dust?” It was a well-known fact that dust required the use of aura and intelligence. Victor had the latter, but the former was definitely an issue.

The scientist couldn’t help but chuckle. “Dr. Sas specialized in all sorts of fields, not just genetics. He’s one of the most knowledgeable in the world when it comes to dust. It was he who discovered that dust is useless outside of Remnant’s atmosphere. What makes you think he wouldn’t experiment on dust and find a way for it to be activated without the use of aura?” was the answer the pilot received. The scientist couldn’t help but smirk as he took a look at some of the notes on Victor. “He’s Dr. Sas’ greatest creation yet in my opinion. It would be a shame if he escaped.”

“Alright, let’s go through the routine. Part 1-“ The supervisor stopped when he noticed Victor banging on the glass keeping him contained. Panicked, the supervisor began to tap a few buttons on the control console. “Damnit, put him in stasis!” he cursed. Unfortunately, it was too late.  With a swift kick, Victor shattered the glass keeping him trapped. Alarms began to blare as the turrets began firing upon Victor. Victor switched to gravity dust, an easy feat for him since dust was always flowing through his body. Using the dust, created a field around himself with incredibly heavy gravity. The bullets fell through the steel floor as the increased gravity forced them to do so.

Before the turrets could fire again, Victor raised both arms out and used the dust in his body to create a magnetic field around the room that disabled the turrets. This was done by mixing gravity dust and lightning dust. With the turrets disabled, Victor turned to the supervisor, who was trying to slip away. “I don’t think so” were the words that came out of his mouth. Lightning dust crackled around his right arm. Raising it upwards, he blasted the supervisor with a torrent of lightning.

“AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! S-STOP, PLEASE!!!” the supervisor screamed out as he felt the lightning coursing through his veins. The pain was almost unbearable as lightning engulfed his body. Victor didn’t listen, showing little emotion as he killed the supervisor. After a few more moments, the supervisor’s eyes exploded out of his head, leaving bleeding eye sockets. Victor stopped electrocuting the scientist, watching with no emotion as the body twitched involuntarily. At this point,

“What’s happened?!” the pilot yelled as alarms began to go off inside the cockpit.

The scientist ignored him and pulled up some security footage on his scroll. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Victor break down the steel doors and blast his way through the halls. “FUCK!” the scientist exclaimed as he leapt out of his seat. “KEEP THIS THING IN THE AIR, AND CLOSE ALL OF THE EXITS!” he barked at the pilot, who did exactly as he was told.

As Victor ran across the halls of the flying facility, dodging a few laser beams and turrets, he looked ahead to see that the next wall was filled with even more laser beams and turrets. Victor leapt up into the air and surrounded himself in a thick layer of ice dust that formed around him in a ball shape. Victor, using the momentum he had gained from running, rolled past the lasers and turrets, allowing the ice dust to shield him from any damage.

“Where is he?!” one scientist asked in a panic as multiple scientists began running in a frenzy, fearing for their lives. The scientist got her answer when a giant ice ball broke down one of the facility walls and crashed into multiple scientists. She screamed out in agony as she felt her legs explode into a bloody mess. She slowly tried to crawl away, but it was no use, and everything slowly began to fade. The last things she saw were the crushed and mangled bodies of her fellow researchers. ‘What…have we created…?’

Victor broke out of his ice ball and looked around. His heterochromatic eyes analyzed the room he was in, taking note of the many mutated grimm locked up in cages. A few mutated Beolwolves growled at him as he slowly walked past them. ‘No need to agitate them. Besides, I have more important things to take care of’ he thought as he ignored the many glowing green eyes watching his every move.

As he made his way to the end of the large room, he narrowed his eyes in concentration. Standing in front of him was a red android with some blue highlights. It was a slightly bulkier model with a different type of weapon, but the logo on its chest was all Victor needed to see to know who made it. ‘One of Merlot’s…but it looks like Sas made some modifications…’ he observed, taking note of the extra armor and different weapons. ‘Batons? No, there must be more…most modern weapons are able to shift into another.’

Before he could think any further, the android’s mechanical eyes opened. It lunged at Victor with no hesitation. Victor’s eyes widened slightly as he raised his fists to block the baton swing heading his way. Had he not blocked the strike, he would have taken a massive blow to the head. Still, the impact was enough to send him back a good distance. Victor backflipped into the air to avoid a downward strike that left a large crack in the ground.

Victor’s left arm was surrounded by fire as he unleashed a crescent wave from his arm that would have sliced the android in half had it not put its batons next to each other and poured dust into them. A wall made of hard-light dust appeared between the batons, allowing the android to block the wave of fire, causing it to bounce off harmlessly. Victor landed and analyzed the weapons the android was holding. ‘Those weapons are interesting…perfect for someone like me’ he thought as he used fire dust on his feet to blast forward, rolling like a ball as fire dust surrounded him.

The android deflected the human fireball into the air, but Victor rolled out and blasted himself downward by raising his arms into the air and blasting the air with fire dust. With a powerful stomp, Victor shattered the hard-light dust shield and landed a powerful blow to the android’s head, exposing some of the circuitry by breaking off a panel.

The android grabbed Victor by his leg and began to spin him around with one arm before throwing him at one of the cages containing a mutated grimm. The cage was broken open by the impact of Victor hitting the bars. The mutated creep immediately bit harshly into Victor’s arm, causing Victor to cry out in pain before he grabbed the creep by its jaw and viciously ripped it off, causing the monster to unleash a primal roar of pain as it pulled away from Victor. Victor grabbed the monster by the sides of its head and began crushing it. Its mask began to crack as it thrashed about and tried to escape Victor’s grip, but it was no use. With a sickening crack, Victor crushed the head of the mutated grimm, causing it to fade, leaving only pieces of the shattered mask behind.

Victor sighed in annoyance, ignoring the slowly fading pain in his arm that was bleeding not just blood, but liquified dust. Victor’s wound began to close thanks to his enhanced regeneration. Turning back to the android, Victor watched as the mechanical menace clicked a button on each baton, turning them into a pair of revolvers. Knowing what was coming next, Victor created a shield of his own using hard-light dust as the android fired a wave of dust rounds at Victor.

The hard-light shield could definitely last. All Victor had to do was continue to pour dust into it, which he had plenty of. The thing is, while he may have an unlimited supply of dust flowing through his veins, that didn’t mean he had infinite stamina. He would get tired eventually, and he needed to go on the offensive. Running forward with the shield still up, Victor slammed into the android, who pushed back by trying to shoulder tackle Victor. The two were like a pair of bulls trying to overpower the other, but Victor had something the android didn’t, a brain. Quickly thinking of a plan, Victor used more fire dust to propel himself forward, slamming the android into one of the steel walls of the room. Victor got rid of his shield and began to pummel the android with his fists. Thanks to his durability and insane physical strength, punching metal didn’t really hurt all that much. Then again, the android’s metal shell wasn’t really that thick, otherwise it wouldn’t be as agile.

As Victor dented the upper body of the android, he plunged his fist into its circuitry and pulled out a large number of wires, hoping that it might disable it. That wasn’t a good idea, as the android began to attack much more viciously. It headbutted Victor, sending the man back a bit and off of the android. The android threw its weapons away and got behind Victor, delivering a German suplex with such intensity that they both made a hole in the floor, sending them downwards into a new room.

Victor was thrown away again, smashing hard into a wall and leaving a large imprint behind. As he groaned in slight pain, the android’s weapons landed in front of him. Victor’s eyes widened slightly. ‘I could use these’ he thought as he grabbed the revolvers and gripped them tightly in his hands. Looking at the android, he glared the android lunged at him. Victor quickly raised one revolver and channeled dust into the weapon. A gravity dust round was fired, throwing the android back into a wall. Not wanting to let up, Victor switched to ice dust, aiming at the legs of the android.

The android’s legs were soon covered in ice dust. It tried to use its arms to break the ice, but Victor fired more ice dust that left its arms stuck to the wall. Victor, seeing his opportunity, switched his revolvers into batons and lunged forward. Aiming for the head, he swung one baton horizontally, knocking the faceplate of the android away, exposing its circuits even more. With one stab, he plunged the other baton straight into the android’s circuits.

Sparks flew from the android’s head as it began to shake violently for a few moments before going limp. Victor took a long breath as he pulled his baton free from the android’s head. “Finally…” he muttered as he looked up into the hole he and the android made. Using gravity dust again, he leapt back into the other room and continued his escape.

“DAMNIT, WHERE IS HE?!” another supervisor yelled as alarms continued to blare throughout the facility. They’d been searching for Victor but couldn’t find him.

One of the scientists accessed the camera system and began flipping through various rooms. It was a large facility, so it took a while before he finally found Victor. “Found him! He’s heading towards one of the exits! Is it sealed off?!”

“Does it matter?! He’s strong enough to break through anyway!” A fair point, so it was a wonder why they even bothered locking the bullhead down. Fear can cause people to act irrationally, so maybe that was why.

Victor continued running through the facility, trying to get to the cargo bay area. More androids stood in his way, but he dealt with them quickly by firing ice dust rounds that left them stuck in place. His new weapons were really coming in handy. Sure, he didn’t really need them to fire projectiles, but the baton feature was nice as well. Really, it was handy to have a weapon in case he didn’t have enough stamina to use dust anymore.

Victor ducked and weaved to avoid the lasers being fired by the androids. Using gravity dust, he altered the gravity around himself to run across the ceiling. He was getting close to the cargo bay. Firing a dust round at the door button, it slowly began to close. Victor returned gravity to normal and slid underneath the door just before it closed, leaving him safe from any more threats.

 Victor looked around the area. There were drones and other androids ready to be shipped. As for other things, there were also mutated grimm as well. ‘Merlot’s been busy. I’ve never seen these types of mutant grimm before’ he thought as he took note of some mutated nevermores and ursas. Looking around the cargo area a bit more, he finally found what he was searching for. Pulling the red lever in front of him, the doors leading outside began to open. ‘Finally…freedom…’ he thought, though there wasn’t much of a smile on his face.

The cold air hit him head on, providing him with an experience he thought he’d never receive. Taking one last look behind him, swearing to never end up in a situation like he was in for years again, he leapt off of the bullhead.

“HE’S ESCAPED!!!”

This was not good. They were specifically supposed to make sure he never escaped. Now, he was free, and if he found someone like a huntsman, they’d all be screwed. One of the scientists turned to another and began barking out orders. “ACTIVATE THE DRONES. WE NEED TO CAPTURE HIM AND MAKE SURE HE TELLS NO ONE ABOUT US!”

The other scientist nodded and quickly tapped a few things on his scroll. All around the facility, drones and other androids were quickly being activated. Armed with advanced weaponry, they were a force to be reckoned with.

When Victor landed in Vacuo, he did his best not to make a scene. He needed to hide. One wrong move, and it’s back to being a human experiment. So, he used the alleyways of Mistral to stay hidden from everyone. Anyone who did see him assumed he was some kind of huntsman trying to stay anonymous. It wasn’t uncommon for this to happen, as there were all sorts of huntsmen that liked to remain hidden from the public eye.

Of course, he needed to eat as well. The dust flowing through him didn’t negate his need for nutrition. Quickly pulling out his scroll, one of the few things he was actually allowed to have, he found news about a new restaurant opening up nearby. Since it’s the grand opening, they’re offering food for free. ‘How convenient’ he thought as he put his scroll away and made his way to a new destination.

Chapter Text

Humans and Faunus…they the most intelligent beings on Remnant. And yet, despite that intelligence, they were also very irrational. They pride themselves on being rational, but in truth, they are all driven by their emotions. It begs the question: what type of person is truly embodying their humanity? Was it person who controls their emotions and makes “rational” choices? Was it the person who gives into their emotions entirely and lets them drive their every action, no matter how destructive? There was no right answer here, despite the fact that many would believe that a rational person was far more human than an irrational person.

People certainly were paradoxical. They want multiple things at once despite many things contradicting each other. They want to live, but they also know they will eventually die. They want order, but they want to be free to act as they please without any restraints. Plus, they require unity to survive despite the fact that their own demise is still inevitable. They fear being harmed, but some still actively leap into danger regardless. Why did the God of Light and the God of Darkness make such paradoxical beings? Why give them contradictory desires?

“I suppose we’ll never know…” a young teen of about 17 years of age muttered as he sat in Mistral’s grand library. The library was one of Mistral’s greatest achievements. It was one of the largest libraries in Remnant. It’s also where the teen spent most of his time whenever he was living in society. Currently, he is reading a more modern take on the tale of the 4 maidens.

The teen couldn’t help but chuckle as he finished the tale, shutting the book and getting up from his chair to put it back where it belonged. ‘It’s funny…I know this story already, and yet I can’t help but get a little invested whenever I read it. Still, unlike most, I know the real story’ he thought as he put the book back on the shelf he got it from and started making his way to the exit.

Before the teen could leave, the librarian, an old jackal faunus, gave him a small smile as she passed by him. “Ah…Malak. Enjoying yourself as usual?” she asked.

Malak chuckled and ran a hand through his spiky silver hair. His green eyes glowed with an almost magical aura as he met the eyes of the kind librarian. “Ah, you know me. I’m always one for reading. Well, and painting” he said. He recalled a portrait he made of himself a while back. His green eyes and spikey silver hair that extended down to his chin were the easy parts to paint. The rest wasn’t so simple, but art never really is. His pale white complexion required him to use a darker canvas. Luckily, he also wore bright colored clothing. He typically wore a pair of stripped sneakers, jeans, a long and bright-green jacket with cool white flames along the sleeves, a maroon tunic, and black necklace as an accessory.

The librarian patted Malak on the shoulder in a comforting way. “Poor lad…a child such as yourself has so much potential…” she said with a solemn look. From what Malak could tell during his talks with her, she’d seen plenty of orphans and likely viewed him as such, though Malak himself wasn’t really an orphan per se. He lived on his own, yes, but his parents weren’t dead. He knew they were alive, and he knew exactly where they were, he just never met them personally. All he said was that he never met his parents and never lived on his own.

Malak gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll manage. I’ve survived in very dangerous environments” he told her. He wasn’t lying either, as he was more than capable of handling himself.

As Malak left the library and entered the bustling streets of Mistral, he couldn’t help but wonder how people could still go about their daily lives knowing everything they hold dear could be destroyed in a single moment. Sure, some would argue that was why it was important to cherish the things you’ve gained, but people are people, and naturally, not all of them subscribe to that belief. Some things are just too precious to let go of. Letting go isn’t easy, and some things you can never truly let go of. It’s like having a friend screw you over, and while you may forgive them eventually, you’ll always remember what happened. ‘People may forgive, but they certainly don’t forget…I can’t tell if that’s a good or a bad thing…’ Malak thought as he pulled out his scroll to check the news.

One of the headlines read, “White Fang found unconscious in one of Atlas’ alleys. No word on who was responsible.” Malak couldn’t help but sigh. This whole debacle between humans and the Faunus confused him. The White Fang are currently using violence to achieve equality, but that’s unlikely to work forever or at all because most people don’t like rewarding what they consider to be bad behavior. Plus, the White Fang’s violent methods only fuel and spread the racism they hope to stop. The confusing thing about this whole situation to Malak is that humans are so focused on being proven right and not rewarding bad behavior that they choose not to address the issue. Ego perhaps?

‘If they’re so worried about the violence anyway, why not fix the root problem? Who cares if bad behavior is being rewarded? Fix the issue and make amends for any and all mistakes made. And if future generations try the White Fang’s approach first, that’s simply a matter of teaching those generations the importance of context and making sure society is proactive enough to fix a problem as quickly and carefully as possible. But then again, what does someone like me know?’ Malak thought. He isn’t sure if he’ll ever fully understand the humans and Faunus around him. He may technically have much more experience than most people on Remnant, but that experience wasn’t even his.

“I should get something to eat…I hear a new restaurant is opening. I should try it out.” Malak broke off from the crowd by passing through an alleyway, putting his hood up to remain a bit more anonymous. Once he was out, he looked around to see if there was anything that would get him there faster. Luckily, there was.

Malak was always glad to ride the train to places he was too lazy to walk too. Of course, he had other methods of getting around, but he would rather not draw too much attention to himself. As he sat between a businessman on his way to work and a mother and her Faunus child, he looked at the ceiling of the train in contemplation. ‘One wrong move…and everything I’ve done to remain anonymous would all be for nothing. Those two…they can never find out about me, no matter what’ he thought to himself.

He often wondered what it would be like if either of “them” had found him. He also wondered what would happen if both of them had found him. Would they be able to put aside their differences for his sake? He doubted it greatly. ‘They’ve been at each other’s throats for too long…and I doubt learning about me would make things better’ he thought. As he continued to contemplate, he raised an eyebrow when he felt the train begin to slow down. ‘That’s odd…we shouldn’t be near any other stops.’ He would know, as he’s taken this route on more than a few occasions.

Just then, he could hear screams coming from another car. His eyes narrowed as he knew something was definitely wrong. Looking out of the window, he saw what the problem was. Surrounding the train were a bunch of people from the Hana Guild, one of Mistral’s many crime families who deal mostly with weapons and narcotics. But they weren’t the only ones here either, as they had a few from the White Fang with them as well. “A temporary alliance at best, because I’m not seeing any humans from the Hana Guild” Malak murmured.

It wasn’t long before they began entering the car he was in and grabbing multiple humans. Malak remained calm as they began getting closer to him. The mother to his left was holding her child close, whispering comforting words into her child’s ear to keep him calm. ‘Probably for the best. Mistral’s been having grimm sneak in pretty frequently now. All of this negativity is bound to attract a few’ Malak thought as a White Fang grunt came up to him and pointed his rifle at Malak’s face.

“Human, get up and join the others!” the faunus barked. Malak didn’t move. He didn’t even pay that much attention to the faunus. He just wore this blank look on his face, almost as if he wasn’t even there.

Angrily, the faunus pressed the barrel of his gun onto Malak’s forehead with his finger on the trigger, ready to fire. “I SAID GET UP AND JOIN THE OTHERS YOU WORTHLESS HUMAN!”

Just then, everything came to a stop. They world was almost grayscale. No one moved. No one could move. Well, no one except for Malak, who still had his color. Malak got up from his seat and lifted his fingers up. Red sparkles formed between his fingertips before a wave of energy was unleashed. The wave cut straight through the rifle. Using an incredible level of speed, Malak moved around the train car and did the same to any other weapons in the area. He also made sure to quickly remove any hostages and get them out of the train. ‘Gotta hurry it up, my aura won’t hold for much longer’ he thought.

Once he was done, he deactivated his semblance, causing time to resume. The fang and the guild both looked around in confusion before panicking as their weapons were suddenly sliced in half. “What the hell?!”

A member of the Hana Guild turned to Malak, glaring at the teen. “Was that you?! Are you some huntsman-in-training or some shit?!” he yelled before lunging at Malak, who blocked the attack by raising his left arm upwards. The train was too narrow to dodge, so he had to get a bit more creative, especially since his aura was low. ‘At the same time, that won’t be a real issue…’ Malak thought as he kicked the guild member in the gut, sending him flying into the next train car.

Almost immediately, Malak was under attack. One faunus lunged at him, only for Malak to grab him by the neck and knee him in the gut before throwing him out of a window and out of the train. Malak was about to go for the rest when something tore open the train car’s roof. Malak looked up to see a bulky bear faunus looking down at him. ‘Probably a strength-enhancing semblance’ Malak thought in response to the train roof being ripped off.

Malak sighed and started to levitate high into the air, surprising the Faunus and the citizens. The thought running through their minds was, ‘Does this guy have multiple semblances?’

Malak floated above them all as some of the White Fang began firing dust rounds from their rifles. Malak surrounded himself with a blue dome-shaped barrier, allowing the rounds to harmlessly bounce off. Malak rolled his eyes and slowly floated down to the next train car. Multiple members of the fang and the guild climbed up onto the top of the train car Malak was standing on.

Like a horde of bulls, they all charged towards him. One guild member with a blade powered by fire dust leapt into the air and tried a diving stab, but Malak somehow created a javelin made of lightning and threw it at his attacker. The guild member cried out as the javelin pierced through his body, causing him to be engulfed in lightning. Malak leapt up and kicked him away, knocking him out and onto the ground below.

Two faunus from the White Fang fired more dust rounds, but Malak snapped his fingers, and a gray sphere appeared around the dust rounds, freezing them in time. The faunus were looked at each other in confusion before Malak snapped his fingers. The dust bullets reversed direction, hitting the grunts that fired them. ‘Okay, that took some of my aura, and it’s still really low. I’m gonna have to rely on something else now,’ Malak thought as he noticed his aura beginning to flicker.

Malak’s instincts told him to duck under a swift punch thrown his way. One of the White Fang, a female hyena faunus that was clearly competent in hand-to-hand, was doing everything in her power to avenge her fallen comrades. Malak ducked and weaved to avoid two quick jabs thrown at his face before he blocked one jab with his left arm and countered with a clothesline. With the grunt on the ground, Malak grabbed her legs and began to spin at high speeds.

Any foes that were coming his way stopped in their tracks and began to run in the opposite direction to avoid the spinning wheel of doom coming their way. Unfortunately for them, Malak was far faster, so it was only a matter of time before multiple of them were launched off of the train and onto the ground.

‘I gotta admit, as fun as this is, this is making me dizzy,’ Malak thought as he continued to spin around at the speed of…you get the joke. So, with one final throw, he launched the hyena faunus and another member of the Hana guild off of the train by forcing them to collide with each other. Malak stopped spinning and rubbed his head to ease the dizziness he felt from spinning. ‘Thank the brothers I didn’t puke.’

“YAAARRRGGGHHHH!” A yell of anger snapped Malak out of his thoughts as he was punched in the arm with such force that it was torn off, leaving Malak without his left arm. Red blood splattered across the top of the train as Malak was thrown off of it along with his arm. The bear faunus from earlier had taken him by surprise. With a smirk, the faunus slowly walked over to the edge and looked down, hoping to see Malak on the ground writhing in agony. To his shock, all he could see was some lingering black smoke and Malak’s mangled arm that was spewing blood onto the concrete below. ‘How the hell?!’ the faunus thought before his ears picked up the sounds of something moving behind him. Turning around, all he was met with was someone attacking him across his face. Something as sharp as claws almost tore his face in two. “GRAGH!” he screamed as he stumbled back, grasping his face with his palm to stop the bleeding, but he stumbled back too far, falling off of the train.

“And you say that the young man who saved you was nowhere to be seen after losing his arm?” a police officer asked the mother, who was holding onto her crying child. All of the White Fang and Hana Guild members were being taken away to be detained. Somehow, all of them survived being knocked off of a train. The only person unaccounted for was the teen who helped save all of these people. Was he a huntsman-in-training, a vigilante, or just someone who knew they could help and chose to do so?

The mother nodded as she held her child close. “Yes, but I wasn’t able to see his face because he was wearing a hood the entire time. I owe him my life for saving me and my child. When I saw his arm get blown off, I saw him fall before there was this black smoke that surrounded him. All that was left after the smoke cleared was his arm.”

‘A semblance perhaps? But other witnesses said he used different abilities. Who was that kid?’ the officer wondered. Looking back at where Malak’s arm would be, it was gone. ‘What the hell?!’

Malak sighed as he hid in a dark alley far from the chaos down the street. “That was close…I didn’t see him coming. I need to be more careful” he said aloud as he straightened his jacket with both hands. “I should get out of here…” he started before he heard the sound of something perching on a steel pole behind him. Malak slowly turned his head to face whatever it was. He sighed at the sight of the small nevermore staring at him like prey. ‘Oh please…’

The nevermore leaned forward, ready to attack what it saw as an enemy, but then it stopped. It stared deep into the eyes of Malak as Malak met its gaze. A dark aura was surrounding Malak as all of this was happening. After a few more moments of staring, the nevermore squawked and flew off, leaving Malak alone in the alley. Malak sighed and removed his hood as the aura surrounding him vanished. “Glad that’s over. Now, where’s that restaurant?”

Chapter Text

Victor had done well to keep himself hidden. Moving from alley to alley was a smart move on his part. Still, he needed to get to his destination. No one batted an eye at his presence, thankfully. Emerging from another alley, he began to blend in with the large crowd of people. Pulling out his scroll and checking the map to his destination, he wondered if they were all going to the same place.

One of the people in the crowd turned to a cow faunus beside her. “Hey, are you also going to that knew restaurant?” she asked.

The cow Faunus nodded as the crowd continued on. “That’s right. Practically everyone in this crowd wants to try the food there.”

‘That answers my question,’ Victor thought as he put his scroll away and continued along with the crowd. ‘Hopefully, nothing bad will happen,’ he thought. Little did he know he was being watched by some of the very same people he had just escaped from.

“Found him!” a scientist said, looking though the camera installed on one of the drones.  The drone was peeking out from behind a corner, using bio scanners to keep track of Victor thanks to his unique biology. “He’s in that crowd!”

Another scientist turned to a large screen that was used to communicate with someone obscured by dark shadows. “Doctor, what should we do?” the scientist asked.

The person on the screen leaned forward in their seat and linked their fingers together like a typical supervillain. There was enough light on their face to reveal a bearded chin and their lower face as a whole. The person chuckles slowly and gives them all an evil grin. “Keep an eye on him for now. The time to strike will come.”

‘Man, am I glad I thought to do this. This is amazing!’ Roc thought excitedly as he flew through the sky. It gave Roc a great view of Mistral. The kingdom really was beautiful. The more traditional and somewhat religious architecture beat all of the forests and small villages he’d been to throughout most of his life. And the amount of people was just staggering. He’d definitely have to come back here sometime. Roc flew down and landed in an alley, returning to his human form and walking out of it. ‘Alright, here’s the plan: Eat, call mom, have her warp me back, and then move on with the rest of the tribe. Easy peasy,’ Roc thought as he looked around and saw a large crowd over to his left standing across a building with a sign across the top saying, “Grand Opening!”

Whitley, wearing a bit of a disguise as to not be noticed, was already eating inside of the restaurant. He had to say, he loved everything he was tasting. The meat, the vegetables, the fruit salad he had personally requested, all of it was absolutely delicious because of how it was all cooked. ‘My compliments to the chef…’ he thought as he continued to enjoy his meal. He was definitely gonna be coming back here. Actually, he should make sure to follow through on what he told his father. ‘Just a bite of this food and he’ll be practically BEGGING for them to sign whatever contract is offered.’

Whitley raised an eyebrow as a teen a little bit older than him walked in. That green jacket and the flames on it really stood out. ‘An odd but not terrible choice,’ Whitley critiqued as he turned back to his meal.

Malak eyed the menu as he waited in line so he could order. He hummed in amusement at some of the highlighted items on the digital screens. ‘These guys have no clue that some of these dishes had already been invented a long time ago…’ he thought. ‘I even know some personal favorites that my-‘ he stopped that line of thought as soon as it came up. He frowned, not wanting to think about any what ifs anymore. It would only add to the pain he already felt deep down.

When it came time to order his food, Malak ordered something that was actually completely new to him. It was a seafood dish that looked absolutely scrumptious. Shrimp was always something he enjoyed, and this dish relied on it.

It wasn’t long before Roc got to eat his food as well. ‘Most people would probably be wondering how the hell a bandit was able to go out in public like this. Luckily for me, mom made sure to never take me on any raids, leaving me on guard duty. It does get annoying, and it makes me feel like she doesn’t trust me, but I know she’s only doing it so the old wizard doesn’t find out about me. Can’t blame him for trying to seek me out if he DID know about me though. After all, a semblance like mine is pretty valuable,’ Roc thought as he savored each bite. It was rare to have meals that tasted as good as this, as Raven never normally cooked. How she even learned such culinary skills is beyond Roc, but he wasn’t gonna complain.

As he enjoyed his recently ordered meal, his eyes focused on a new individual entering the now almost packed restaurant. Most people would mistake him for a huntsman, but Roc had met plenty of huntsman before, and this man didn’t carry himself like one. He seemed fairly out of place. ‘I wonder who he is…’

Victor didn’t really have any specific tastes. He’d only been given food for sustenance, not out of a desire to find out what he actually enjoyed, and considering his unique circumstances (especially when it came to his emotions), he didn’t really care what he ate as long as it didn’t kill or harm him. So, he just ordered a random item on the menu. The staff had been pretty prepared, so they had a lot of dishes cooked and ready in advance, knowing they’d have to be ready for the onslaught of customers.

Victor just got a special salad and some cake. Honestly, he couldn’t even comment on the taste simply because it didn’t matter all that much to him. Having a soul like his can have really intense effects on your emotions. He often wondered why Sas didn’t do anything to fix that issue. Was it simply better to have a nearly emotionless soldier, or was it sheer laziness? Did the author simply not come up with a good enough explanation and is now using this paragraph to apologize to the readers?

Victor blinked at that last one. He had no clue what came over him there. Regardless, he continued to eat while trying to find out what his next move should be. His best option would be to find a huntsman or other government official and tell them the truth, but that had a few problems. Firstly, him showing up out of nowhere and proclaiming himself to be the “son” of 3 well-known hunters, one of which being the general of Atlas, would immediately be ignored. Sure, Victor could just do some sort of blood test to prove his claims, but that would take time, and time wasn’t on his side as he didn’t doubt that his former captors were hunting him down. ‘It’s only a matter of time before they find me…’ he thought to himself.

“Sir, the subject is currently stationary. We’ve hacked into the restaurant’s camera feed. How should we proceed with the extraction?” a scientist asked as they all observed Victor on the large screen.

The shadowy man on the screen leaned back in his black chair, retreating further into the shadows. All that could be seen of the man was his mechanical hand on his armrest. His fingers gently raked against the arm rest as he let out a small hum in response. “There is no avoiding it now. By capturing him, we will reveal ourselves, and if we harm any civilians, our plans could be compromised. Regardless, Victor is too valuable to abandon, so we will have to take the risk. Prepare for extraction and bring any other key persons of interest with him as well. It never hurts to have a few more test subjects…”

Whitley was the first to notice something bad was going to happen. The obvious reason for that was the drone hovering just outside. He was staring at it through one of the large side windows that allowed anyone on the outside to peak in and see what was happening inside of the restaurant. ‘Something tells me this isn’t a publicity stunt…’ he thought as he felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. It felt…dangerous. Remembering his training, Whitley scanned the room for any potential people he could get help from. After all, it never hurts to have allies. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to spot any huntsmen or huntresses. One person, a man in his early adulthood, could potentially be a huntsman, but Whitley wasn’t too sure. Then there was the red-eyed teen who seemed pretty confident in his abilities based on that smirk of his. A huntsman-in-training perhaps. The silver-haired teen in the corner of the restaurant didn’t seem like a huntsman, but the look on his face told Whitley that he too knew something was about to happen. ‘Well, I’ll have to take what I can get,’ Whitley thought as he prepared for whatever happened.

All of a sudden, waves of dust rounds sprayed into the restaurant, shattering windows and causing immediate panic. The staff and customers all dropped to the floor out of fear, while Whitley kicked the table and used it as cover. Whitley analyzed the situation. People were holding each other out of fear, while one brave staff member immediately began calling for help on his scroll. ‘I doubt help will be able to arrive soon enough…’ Whitley thought pessimistically as he summoned a glyph at the window, using it as a barrier.

“Okay, things went to shit pretty fast!” Roc exclaimed as he too hid behind a table to avoid being hit. He had just spotted the drone before it started firing into the restaurant. When he saw a glyph appear and block the bullets, he was a little surprised. Searching around the room, he saw a teen a little younger than him with snow white hair. ‘A Schnee? I’ll be damned,’ he remarked mentally as he pulled out one of his swords. ‘Why the restaurant owner didn’t ban weapons is beyond me, but I’m not complaining,’ Roc thought as he waited for an opportunity to make his move.

That chance would come pretty quickly, as the drone soon ran out of bullets to fire. Seeing his chance, Roc flipped onto the edge of the table before launching himself off of it and leaping out of the broken window. With his single-edged sword, he sliced the drone clean in half. Landing smoothly, Roc turned to see the sliced remains of the drone emitting a few sparks before the lights on its body dimmed out. Roc sighed and sheathed his sword. “Damn, that was close.”

Whitley appeared from behind the table and walked over to Roc, being mindful of the glass on the floor. With a small smirk, he nodded at the older teen. “Well, I wasn’t expecting things to be so easy. I must thank you. May I have your name?” Whitley asked, maintaining formalities even though he was mostly neutral when it came to them.

Roc, seeing no harm in telling the Schnee, as he doubted that anyone would ever find out who he really was. “The name’s Roc,” he started before returning Whitley’s smirk. “I gotta say, I never expected to find a Schnee here, let alone one that knew how to use their semblance like that,” he commented, praising Whitley’s usage of his semblance.

Whitley scoffed, turning his head to the side a bit. “Oh, quit with the flattery. My elder sisters and our mother all know how to use the family semblance to one extent or another. Of course, neither of my sisters are aware of my skills…” he commented, sounding a little angry for some reason Roc couldn’t pick up on.

‘Does the guy have family issues? From what I know, the Schnee’s aren’t exactly one big happy family…’ Roc thought, recalling what he had heard from other tribesmen and his mother.

Malak and Victor, who had gotten out of their hiding spaces alongside the other citizens, looked pretty impressed. Well, Malak did, Victor just had this blank look on his face. Of course, Victor knew things weren’t going to end that easily. ‘There have to be more…’ he thought to himself as he scanned the area for any more drones or even androids. It wasn’t long before he found another hovering right outside the opposite window. “EVERYONE GET DOWN!” he yelled as another wave of hellfire rained down upon them.

Whitley quickly summoned another glyph to shield himself and Roc. Malak, seeing that things were getting really bad, decided to intervene. Using his semblance, he stopped time entirely around himself. The dust rounds all froze in midair as everything aside from Malak turned dull gray. Everyone and everything were completely frozen, aside from Malak. Malak leapt up on top of the drone and ripped off its turrets. Returning to his original position, Malak ceased using his semblance, causing time to return to normal.

Roc blinked a few times as he watched the drone fall to the ground in sparks. He didn’t understand why, but he felt as though something had happened. He shrugged it off, not really caring too much, especially since another drone had just appeared, but before it could even fire, it was fried to ashes by a bolt of lightning. Roc saw Victor with his right arm outstretched. Electricity crackled around it as Victor fired more and more bolts of lightning at more arriving drones.

Victor grunted as he blasted a wave of drones into the air with wind dust before using his lightning dust to create a ring of lightning around them. Multiple balls of lightning fired from the ring, destroying all of the drones inside. Victor sighed and looked around him. Everyone was giving him varying looks, but he didn’t have time to care about that. He needed to leave before more drones showed up.

“So…that drone was taken out because of your semblance?” Roc asked Malak as he, Whitley, and Victor left the trashed restaurant. Most of the other civilians had already left, but the staff and a few curious passersby decided to stay behind. After all, they needed to inform the authorities about what happened.

Malak nodded as he and the others stood just across from the door. “Yeah, I can manipulate time to a certain degree. My name’s Malak by the way,” he said, introducing himself with a small smile.

“Roc,” was the response he received from the Branwen bandit. There was no way Roc was telling anyone his last name.

Little did he know, Malak already knew plenty about Roc. Malak raised an eyebrow in intrigue. ‘So…he’s the one Raven took with her when she ran off. Well, he certainly does resemble her a lot more than he does his father,’ Malak noted before turning to the one that really didn’t need an introduction. “So, what exactly is a Schnee doing here? Are all three of the Schnee children aiming to become hunters?”

Whitley rolled his eyes and scoffed at the idea. This guy clearly had no clue what he was talking about. Crossing his arms and tapping his left foot against the ground in annoyance, Whitley responded to Malak’s question. “I would appreciate it if you did NOT compare me to my elder sisters. I do not intend to run off and join an academy like them. I have my own plans that do not involve me becoming a huntsman,” he proclaimed quite boldly. Malak and Roc looked at each other and shrugged before all three of them turned to face Victor, who wasn’t even paying any attention. All he did was look around the area constantly.

Roc put a fist to his hip and raised an eyebrow. “Hey, quiet guy, why not speak up and tell us who you are? I mean, you’ve been scanning the area like one of those drones we trashed for a few minutes.”

If Victor could, he would respond by saying, “Shut up, I’m not interested in talking to you,” but he couldn’t thanks to his emotional issues. Besides, for all he knew, these 4 could help him out of this mess. ‘After what they pulled off, they’ll definitely be considered people of interest…’ he thought before he finally turned to them and responded. “My name is Victor, and those drones were sent by my creators. They’re here to bring me back and more could be on the way. We need to be ready.”

There was a collective confusion among the three teens. Even Roc, someone who knows and has witnessed things like magic, couldn’t fully bring himself to believe what Victor had said. He blinked and waved his hands in front of him while shaking his head. “Woah there, back the fuck up. What kind of sci-fi bullshit is this? Are you saying you were born in some kind of tube?” Roc asked in absolute disbelief. (A/N: Oh yeah, forgot to mention that, like his inspiration, Roc has a bit of a mouth on him. Expect to see this become more common).

“Yes,” was the immediate and blunt response from Victor. Again, this did not make any of the three teenagers believe him.

‘I’ve witnessed and possess knowledge about many things, but THIS is absurd!’ Malak thought before he sighed and remembered something. ‘No, I should not be talking about absurd when I’ve no different…’

Whitley, who was getting tired of all of the absurd nonsense he’s had to deal with today, pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and let out a long and loud sigh. “This is unbelievable…” he muttered before he started walking off, only to let out a loud yelp as he was snatched into the air. An android had snatched him and was now dragging him upwards. “HELP ME!” he screamed as he was dragged into the air.

Roc and Malak took a step back out of shock. “Oh shit!” Roc exclaimed as Victor immediately went to follow the android that had captured Whitley. Running up to the building, Victor created a pillar of ice beneath his feet to launch himself upwards.

Roc and Malak looked up and thought about intervening. This wasn’t exactly their mess, but they still had the option to intervene if they wished. Roc put a hand to his chin and thought about it. ‘Okay, I can either call mom and have her bring me back to the tribe, or I can stay and potentially get something out of this that I wouldn’t have otherwise…’ Roc’s mind had already been made-up. He rarely got to experience fights that didn’t involve grimm or other people, and now he has the chance to face robots for the first time. With a confident smirk, Roc sprouted his wings and flew upwards, following Victor’s lead.

Malak was left completely by himself aside from the civilians taking pictures and videos of what just happened. This was a big risk. If he went up there, his secrets could be exposed. At the same time, he didn’t want to just leave those three to fight on their own. Malak clenched his fists and groaned loudly. “Damnit all…this better not backfire!” he complained before using his magic to fly into the air, quickly catching up to Roc, who is surprised to see him catch up so fast.

‘How in the hell did he do that?! I thought his semblance was time manipulation!’ Roc thought. He was a little suspicious of Malak right now. The only person he knew who could fly like that was his mother, but that was only because it was something all maidens could do. ‘How can Malak…no, I need to focus,’ Roc thought, dismissing any suspicions he might have temporarily to focus on what was more important. He and Malak flew faster, catching up with Victor, who was using wind dust to fly on his own.

Whitley, having enough of all of this, summoned a glyph above himself and the android. The android, being the taller of the two, bashed its head into the glyph, stopping its flight and causing it to drop Whitley, who used another glyph to propel himself onto a nearby rooftop. At the same time, the other three finally caught up to Whitley, with Victor pulling out one of his revolvers and firing a powerful fire dust round at the android’s head. The blast burned the side of its head open, revealing more circuitry, but didn’t destroy it.

Roc gave a confident smirk as he saw his chance to finish the job. Pulling out both of his swords, he turned to Victor and Malak before confidently saying, “I’ve got this!” before flying past them and up to the android. Malak, almost on instinct, used his semblance to freeze time around the android, making it unable to move.

Roc stopped his flight and hovered a little bit away from the android, unsure of what he should do. There was some kind of field around the android that kept it in place. Roc wasn’t sure if this would work, but he would try it anyway. Combining his semblance with his aura, he created a unique type of barrier that would shield him from the effects of Malak’s semblance. With blinding speed, Roc sliced the machine apart, though this wasn’t exactly visible thanks to the machine still being frozen in time. When Roc was done, he flew back and landed next to Whitley as Malak stopped using his semblance, allowing them all to witness the android being sliced apart by some invisible force.

Roc sighed, noting how that could have gone slightly better had Malak not done that. ‘We really have no clue how to actually work together…’ Roc lamented as Victor and Malak also arrived on the rooftop.

Whitley scoffed and crossed his arms, looking pretty annoyed. “What took all of you? In the time it took you all to get up here, I managed to free myself from the clutches of that android,” he half-bragged half-complained. Malak looked a little bit sheepish while Victor looked about as apathetic as ever, something that annoyed Whitley. “What is your problem? Do you not have any empathy?!” the Schnee exclaimed.

Victor’s response was as blunt as it was shocking to the other three. “The process of my creation resulted in my emotions being mostly diminished to the point where they are almost non-existent,” he revealed.

There was a long silence as the three teens tried to understand what they had just heard. Was Victor implying that he wasn’t a normal human? Whitley let out a loud groan and threw his hands up into the air out of sheer frustration. “Oh great, now things are becoming even more ridiculous! What’s next, a cyborg clone of a younger sister Roc might have showing up out of nowhere, screaming about how she wants to kill him while acting very obsessive?!”

Roc couldn’t help but feel like that scenario felt VERY familiar. He didn’t know why he felt that, but he just did. For whatever reason, an image popped into his head. It was of him, but he was dodging multiple swords thrown his way. He shook his head, trying to regain his focus. “Look, we can worry about any weird origins later. Right now, we need to get ready for more of those guys to show up,” he said.

“You mean like right now?” Whitley deadpanned as he pointed a finger at the incoming mini fleet of androids wielding all sorts of weapons. Victor, Whitley, and Roc gripped their weapons tightly while Malak reluctantly created a battle axe made from ice, which confused Whitley, barely intrigued Victor, and only made Roc more suspicious, as there was only one person he knew that could create weapons like that.

Regardless, they’d have to ask questions later, as the android fleet arrived and trapped them in a circle. The quartet of fighters all stuck close as the androids all prepared their weapons. One of them spoke using a speaker somewhere on its body. “Main subject found. Acquiring target as well as other hostiles,” it spoke in a robotic and monotone voice.

Malak gripped his battle axe tightly as he glanced back at the other three. “What are our odds of getting out of this?” he asked. Internally, he was scolding himself for not training harder. Then again, he had his reasons to not do so.

Victor analyzed their current situation. His harsh tactical training while in captivity came in handy. “The odds are not entirely against us, but none of us really know anything about each other. We’ve barely seen each other’s abilities at their fullest, and our coordination is severely lacking due to our lack of teamwork. This is truly our first time fighting together,” he answered, getting a groan from Whitley.

“So, we’re going to lose and potentially get kidnapped, correct?” he asked fairly rhetorically, as if the answer was totally obvious. He gripped his scimitar tighter, almost cursing at his current predicament. “Why don’t we just give up now?” he asked sarcastically.

Roc channeled his aura into his swords, turning them into scythes. Twirling them, he confidently smirked. “Well, if we are gonna get kidnapped, we can’t go down without a fight!” With that, he charged forward, going for the androids. Victor soon followed, going for his own set of androids. Malak and Whitley, seeing no other option, eventually did the same, and now, all 4 of our protagonists were on their own.

Roc leapt up and swung both of his scythes diagonally downwards, slicing through two androids. 3 of the androids fired dust-infused arrows at Roc using their mechanical crossbows, but Roc backflipped away a good distance to avoid them. Unfortunately, he backflipped into Victor, causing both of them to tumble, much to Roc’s annoyance. “Ow! Watch where you’re fighting!” Roc complained before getting up and going to attack more androids.

Victor ignored Roc’s comment, focusing on a bulkier mech that wielded two massive maces. Victor, being faster, avoided the mace that was swung downwards. The mace left a large dent on the roof as Victor fired two bolts of lightning dust from his revolvers. Upon impact with the android, electricity crackled around the machine as it became paralyzed. Victor turned his revolvers into batons and used the rock dust from his body to make his batons hit quite a bit harder. ‘While I could just create my own weapons using dust, that is unnecessary, and it would only take more of my stamina,’ he thought to himself before moving to attack his mechanical opponent.

With a powerful swing, his left baton left a massive dent in the android’s mechanical leg, causing it to buckle a bit. Victor wasn’t done yet, as he flipped over the still paralyzed android and spun around while swinging both batons, delivering a powerful blow to the torso of the android, causing it to fall to the side. Victor jumped high into the air and slammed both of his batons onto the head of the android, crushing its head with vicious force.

On another part of the roof, Whitley used his semblance to summon multiple Ursa to hold back a large majority of the androids. His summons grabbed each android and held them in place while Whitley summoned orange glyphs above each android. Beams of fire rained down from above. Whitley used extra dust to make the flames so hot that the androids slowly began to melt into nothing but liquid metal. With one set of robots down, Whitley turned to face another, only for him to duck under a thrown piece of a robotic arm that had been ripped off. This distraction allowed one of the androids to bash Whitley in the side, causing his aura to flicker from the force of the blow.

Roc was holding back the blades of another android when Whitely suddenly crashed into him, causing both of them to nearly fall off of the roof had Roc not turned his arm into a talon and dug the points into the ground. Whitley was lucky enough to grab Roc’s leg in time as both of them dangled off the edge of the roof.

“What the hell?!” Roc exclaimed in annoyance as he slowly climbed back up. Beside him, Whitley got back to his feet and dusted himself off. “Whitley, what the hell was that for?! You nearly made us fall off!”

Whitley glared at Roc in response, not feeling guilty whatsoever. “Do not blame me for what happened, blame the emotionless brute that’s recklessly throwing mechanical arms like a fool!” He pointed over at Victor, who was busy using his sheer strength to rip off the arms of the other androids and throw them away without considering his surroundings.

Malak, who was off on the left side of the roof, used his semblance to hold 3 androids in place before slicing off each of their arms with his battle axe. Hearing the clanking of metal footsteps behind him, he swiftly turned and threw his ice axe straight into the head of the android, causing sparks to fly out as it fell to the ground, disabled. Deciding to check on the others, he was not all that surprised to see that, while they were capable of handling themselves on their own, as a team, they were failing. ‘Then again, I probably wouldn’t do much better,’ he thought to himself before he was knocked away by the sledgehammer of one of the androids. His aura flickered from the intense blow, but as he was sent flying, he quickly recovered by spinning in the air and propelling himself back into the fight by flying over and dive kicking the robot straight into a few of the others, causing them all to fall onto the ground.

Fire gathered and swirled around Malak’s arms. He threw his arms to his side and cupped them together, ready to fire a blast of fire that would obliterate the androids, but before he could throw out his attack, he noticed something flying their way out of the corner of his eye. ‘More drones or is it something else?’ he thought as he threw his attack at the androids, creating a plume of flames that reached decently high into the air, unleashing a wave of heat that surprised even Roc.

Roc had to lift an arm in front of his face to shield himself from some of the heat. Beside him, Whitley puts an ice glyph in front of himself to stay cool, while Victor remained unbothered by the heat. While Roc would have questioned Victor’s resistance to heat, he was more concerned with the power behind Malak’s attack. He stared at the plume with eyes full of suspicion. ‘He’s definitely using magic, but the power behind it is almost exactly like mom’s. But…why does it seem weaker? Is his magic separate from that of a maiden’s?’

These questions plagued his mind so much that he failed to notice Whitley and Victor both diving out of the way of a sweep attack from an android. Roc was hit hard on his left side and was knocked right off of the roof, but he quickly sprouted his wings and flew back up while groaning and holding his side in pain. “Son of a bitch…! That’s the second time I’ve dropped my guard. I’ve really gotta stop getting lost in my own thoughts…” he said before he began to spin himself around really fast. He and the scythes he was holding became blurs of black with a hint of red.

Victor and Whitley, who had just gotten up, watched as the black cyclone known as Roc Branwen sliced through the android that had knocked him off of the roof earlier, leaving it in multiple pieces that fell to the ground neatly. “Impressive,” Whitley complimented while Victor remained silent.

Roc, after taking care of the android, glared at Whitley and Victor, stomping over to them with his weapons by his side. It was almost as if he was about to attack them, but that wasn’t the case. “Why the hell didn’t you guys warn me?!” he exclaimed.

Victor remained silent and impassive while Whitley looked as if he had been insulted. He jabbed a finger Roc’s direction, giving him a snarky reply. “Excuse me?! I am afraid that YOU are the one who got lost in his own thoughts! Do not expect me to warn you about every-“

Before the Schnee could continue any further, something suddenly shot into the side of his neck. It was a dart. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the ground. Roc jumped back in a bit of shock as Victor looked around for where the dart came from. The walking dust generator narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but another dart had hit him in the back of his neck, causing him to fall unconscious as well.

Roc, now very worried, quickly looked around to see where the darts were coming from. As he looked around, his eyes went wide as he saw Malak on the ground, unconscious just like the other 2. Hovering above Malak was a small dome-shaped drone with a small cannon in its hands. “Oh shi-?!” Roc couldn’t even finish his sentence, as he too was hit with a dart, one that came from behind him.

Roc fell to the ground, trying his best to stay awake. But it was no use. He began to lose feeling in his body. The last thing he saw before his eyes fluttered shut was an android slowly walking over to him and reaching down to grab his head. And then, darkness.

Chapter Text

“Breaking news, as amateur footage captured from the rooftop of a nearby building revealing the kidnapping of 4 individuals has been released online,” Lisa Lavender said as footage of the battle on the rooftop was shown next to her on the news feed. “As you can see, 4 young individuals were engaged in combat with a mysterious group of androids. While similar in model to the Atlesian Knights, it has been confirmed that Atlas is not responsible for what transpired.”

The screen to Lisa’s left changes what it’s showing. The screen reveals a past event that took place inside of the restaurant. The footage of Roc, Whitley, and Victor taking out the smaller drones and Malak’s position suddenly shifting ever so slightly after another drone was destroyed. “According to witnesses and this footage, these 4 were seen defending the people inside of the restaurant from these mysterious attackers,” Lisa continued as the scene changed again to just after the battle. Roc, Whitley, Malak, and Victor were all carried off into the sky by the androids after they were knocked out.  “While the identities of 3 of them have not yet been confirmed, we can confirm that Whitley Schnee, the third child of the Schnee family, was one of these individuals. We will keep you all updated as more information comes out.”

Schnee Manor…

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T FOUND ANYTHING?!” Jacques Schnee yelled into his scroll as he furiously slammed a palm onto his desk.

On the other side of the scroll, the general of Atlas let out a long sigh. “Jacques, Atlas currently has no jurisdiction in Mistral. I assure you; we ARE working with the authorities to find out where they took your son, but I need you to be-“

Ironwood didn’t even get to finish as Jacques yelled in fury and threw his scroll into the wall, where it shattered into pieces upon impact. The man may not be a huntsman, but he’s still not to be underestimated. Jacques breathed heavily for a few moments, his breaths of anger being the only sound in the room. Jacques finally closed his eyes and sat down in his chair, placing both hands on the side of his head. “Whitley…” he muttered as his eyes gazed at the portrait of his son on his desk.

When he first married Willow, the plan was always to have an heir that would continue the legacy HE would leave behind. If not that, at the very least, that heir would turn the SDC into something Jacques would approve of. Winter, his first attempt, was an utter failure. Weiss, despite being the heiress, is also a failure in Jacques eyes. He had constantly considered revoking her status as the heiress of the company. But Whitley? Whitley was different from both of his sisters. Jacques knew Whitley was his best shot, but as the boy grew older, things began to change.

Jacques rarely admitted this, but he genuinely enjoyed some of the time he spent with his son. Not only was Whitley a good listener, but he always asked questions and wanted advice. He offered ideas, he did as he was told, and not once did he ever show that rebellious spirit his sisters had. And when they weren’t talking about business, he and his son would play chess or even fighting games. They enjoyed one particular fighting game the most. Whitley would always play as either the crazy blonde with an ice sword and an obsession with his brother or as the young puppet master with a mad scientist for a father. That mad scientist was Jacques’ main.

The more he thought about those moments, the more Jacques worried about his son’s well-being. For the first time in a long time, Jacques prayed to the God of Light and the God of Darkness, wishing that they’d keep his son safe.

*SHATTER*

When Willow saw the news, she had just assumed she was hearing things. She had just assumed that the alcohol in her body had been messing up her mind. When it finally wore off and she realized the truth, she slammed her room door shut and began to sob loudly. All of her instincts as a mother were screaming at her to go and find her boy, but she knew there was nothing she could do was wait and hope for the best. And that made the pain even more intense.

Willow sat at the foot of her bed, clutching a portrait of her son tightly against her chest as the tears continued to flow. “Whitley…*sobs* please…come back to me…” she heaved as she thought back to one of the first times, she and Whitley were truly able to bond as mother and son.

Schnee Manor Garden, 2 years ago…

“Mother?” a 13-year-old Whitley asked, catching Willow by surprise. She was simply taking in the beautiful garden of the Schnee manor, and for once, she didn’t have a glass of wine in her hand. Honestly, she was surprised that her son would ever visit her after everything that’s happened.

Willow sat up from her position in her chair and gave her best smile at the young boy walking over to her. “Whitley? I thought your father had you cooped up in your room studying…” she said before she noticed the book he was carrying. “Oh? What’s that?”

Whitley held up the book in front of him, revealing the cover, which had a bunch of exotic animals on it. “I was interested in why you kept so many exotic animals here. I wanted to know why you have them. I found this in library and learned why,” he answered as he flipped the book open, flipping through multiple pages before landing on one with information regarding the bear in the garden that had a black stomach. “This bear was commonly found in Mistral, but over time, the toxins it secreted from its body started to kill so much of the necessary wildlife in the area. Mistral called in the Atlas military to help eliminate the bears, but one was left alive and transported to Atlas at the request of Nicholas Schnee…”

Willow looked away. She remembered that time period. “Your grandfather didn’t want to see an entire species become wiped out like that, so he promised that he would do everything he could to keep them away from the population. Hard-light dust works wonders for blocking out toxins,” she revealed, motioning towards the toxic bear roaming around a miniature forest that was blocked off by a massive hard-light barrier. “When he passed, I couldn’t bring myself to have them put down.”

Whitley just nodded and turned towards the multi-colored parrot that was perched next to Willow. It was one of the few non-threatening animals, so it was allowed to roam free outside of a cage. “And is it true that this parrot not only lives as long as humans and faunus but is also the only animal that can have perfect conversations with them?” he inquired.

Instead of Willow responding, the bird did. Twisting its head to meet Whitely’s surprised gaze, it opened its mouth to speak. “SQUAWK! That’s right, and I would prefer it if you called me by my given name.”

In response to this, Whitley stumbled back before falling onto his back. Willow covered her mouth to hide her giggles. She couldn’t help it. Seeing her son’s shocked reaction was a little funny, even if it was at his expense. “Yes…they can honey…and her name is Rain,” Willow said in between small laughs.

Whitley frowned and dusted himself off after getting up. “It’s not that funny…” he muttered.

Willow sighed and regained her composure. “Whitley, why are you so interested anyway?” she asked. She had assumed that Whitely would be more interested in the things his father was interested in, which was worrying to Willow. She wanted to make sure he never turned out like his father, but she was…scared.

Whitley closed the book and turned to face the garden, taking in the sights alongside his mother. “I…wanted to know more about you. And I wanted to make sure you weren’t lonely,” was his response.

Willow blinked a few times in surprise. She…wasn’t expecting this level of compassion and care from her son. She felt touched…but also saddened. She felt she didn’t deserve it. “Whitley…why do you…?”

Whitley’s expression turned into something a lot more serious. She’d seen her son’s expressionless gaze before, but this was something she’d never seen from him. “Mother, I may be 13, but I am no fool. Do you think I am blind to our family’s troubles?” he asked her in a low tone. Leave it to Willow to underestimate her own son’s intelligence. He always did take after his father in that respect. “Do you think I don’t realize why both of my sisters left?” When he said that, she saw his fists clench slightly.

Willow frowned. She knew full well that Whitley and his sisters didn’t get along. She couldn’t even remember the last time the three had truly been siblings. Sure, Whitley did TRY on occasion but suddenly stopped after many attempts. She understood why he hated them, but she couldn’t understand why he didn’t hate her as well. She failed him, in more ways than one. “My son…I don’t understand…why do you want to spend time with ME? I fai-“

Whitley immediately cut her off, taking a large step forward and looking her dead in the eyes. “I don’t care! You may have been absent for a large portion of my life, but I’m not dumb enough to not understand the reasons why! I don’t WANT to hate you mother!” he said before he realized how he raised his voice at her. He backed away, looking a little regretful. He rubbed one arm with his hand before giving her a small, “I’m sorry…”

Willow didn’t know how to respond at first. This was completely out-of-character for the son she had expected to become exactly like his father. Then Willow thought about what was going on through her mind. She scolded herself for such thoughts. ‘No, Willow…you don’t get to pretend that you know who your son truly is.’

“…I should leave,” Whitley said, but as he turned to walk away, a hand gently grabbed his. Whitley’s head turned back towards his mother, who was looking far older than she actually was. The minimal number of wrinkles on her face only seemed to increase the longer he looked at her. It was almost as if she was getting older with every second that passed.

Willow shook her head at Whitley’s guilt. “No…I should be the one apologizing. I…have not been as active in any of my children’s lives as I should have been. But…if one child wants to try and fix what was broken so many years ago...then who am I to deny him that,” she said, forming the smallest of genuine smiles on her face.

Whitley seemed…surprised and almost happy, though he didn’t show it. Instead, he looked back towards the garden and eyed all of the many animals there. “Mother…can you tell me things about these animals that aren’t very well-known?”

Willow’s smile only grew as her son took a seat in the chair next to her. “Of course I will.”

That had been the start of repairing their bond. It was slow, and even though 2 years have passed since then, the bond had yet to be fully repaired. Even so, things were far better between them than they had been before. She even managed to peek in on one of Whitley’s gaming sessions with his father. Seeing Jacques and Whitley not doing anything related to the SDC had brought a wave of warmth to her heart that she hadn’t felt in years. And now…that may never happen again.

Willow’s thumb grazed over the smiling face of her son on the portrait of him as tears continued to flow from her eyes. “Please…come back to me…” she whispered.

Beacon Academy…

The academy had been in somewhat of an uproar after every had heard about what happened in Mistral. Everyone from the first years to the third years were talking about it. If you wandered through the halls of Beacon, you’d be guaranteed to find a group of students making up their own theories as to what had happened to the four kidnappees. Obviously, when it was revealed that Whitley Schnee had been kidnapped, there were mixed feelings amongst the faunus students and anyone with a thing against the SDC. Some felt happy, while others felt concerned, as those people were smart enough to understand that Whitley was still an innocent civilian that had been kidnapped. As hunters-in-training, they’d need to save anyone in danger, regardless of their family name.

Speaking of family, there was one individual who was absolutely mortified by what she had learned. In the dorm room of one Team RWBY, Weiss Schnee sat on her very unstable bed, looking like she was about to break down into hysterics. Her pupils were as small as pinpricks as she stared at the footage of her brother being kidnapped.

Her teammates, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao-Long, were all very concerned for their teammate. She hadn’t said a word since she saw the news.

Ruby was the first to speak up. “Weiss…? Are you okay?” she asked, concerned for her partner. She received no response.

Yang, normally the energetic one, wasn’t feeling so energetic right now. Her lilac eyes met Blake’s amber ones. “Hey…that Schnee kid…is he…?”

Blake nods slowly, while internally wondering if all of this was concocted by the White Fang. It made sense, as they had it out for the Schnees. Still, kidnapping someone who couldn’t be any older than 15? That was a new low, even for them. “Yeah…he’s not as well-known as Weiss or their father, but it’s not hard to find any information on him. He’s the youngest, and he’s been mostly kept out of the public eye for many years.”

Weiss’ arms shook with worry and concern. Ruby walked over to her partner and sat next to her, grabbing her free hand and squeezing it gently. “Weiss…you can talk to us…” Ruby said quietly.

Weiss turned to face her silver-eyed teammate with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Weiss had never looked so…distraught before. She’d never felt so distraught before either. “I…I’m worried about my brother. I wasn’t-“ she stopped herself. She was going to say, “she wasn’t a good sister,” but she didn’t want to feel any more horrible than she already did.

Before learning about what happened to her brother, she had always felt that he was a carbon copy of their father, the man that ruined their lives and so many others. She made no effort to bond with him as they got older. Any affection she had towards her younger brother had vanished a long time ago. At least, that was what she assumed. When she saw her brother in battle, she’d been surprised to learn that he could actually fight fairly well. And then she saw the kidnapping. Any apathy or downright hatred she had towards her brother vanished the moment she saw him get taken away. All she felt now was horror, concern, and above all, guilt.

She tried to think of any moment in her life where she truly told Whitley that she loved him. She searched everywhere in her memories to find anything, but she found nothing. As she slowly realized just how horrible of a sister she had been to her brother by ignoring all of his attempts to bond with her, the tears finally began to flow. She desperately wanted to go find him and tell him that she was sorry. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him and tell him that she loved him, but she knew she couldn’t do anything.

Ruby wrapped her arms around her partner as Weiss gently sobbed. “I’m sure he’ll be fine…someone will definitely find them all…” she whispered soothingly, but that did little to help the distraught heiress.

“I wasn’t good enough…I left him…” Weiss sobbed, letting out all of her regrets in this very moment.

Yang frowned. She knew Weiss’ family was broken in many ways, but she never expected something like this. Still, she couldn’t be mad at Weiss. Honestly, in her position, she would have left too. Yang looked down at her own scroll to look at the rooftop fight again. Her eyes focused on the black-haired teen that, for some reason, looked so familiar to her. She didn’t know why, but when she saw him, she felt this odd longing that she couldn’t understand. It was like something that had been missing from her life for so long was suddenly within reach, only for it to be gone again. His eyes were peculiar as well. They almost looked like Uncle Qrow’s, but her uncle’s eyes were pale red. The teen’s eyes were the same red as hers whenever her semblance was active and the same red as her-

Yang’s thoughts immediately shifted elsewhere. Her birth mother, Raven Branwen. The black-haired teen looked so much like her, far more than even Yang did. It was almost as if…no, that wasn’t possible. She refused to believe it. ‘It’s not true…I don’t have a brother,’ she thought, although something deep inside of her was screaming at her otherwise.

Atlas Academy…

The grayish blue halls of the academy were filled with multiple commanders and specialists scrambling to find any information about the androids that kidnapped the 4 civilians. There was a lot of pressure, especially since many conspiracy theorists were already spreading their nonsense online about how this was all caused by the Atlas military. Anyone with a brain would realize that this made no sense, especially since one of the kidnappees was the youngest child of one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet, but most people tend to focus on what they WANT to hear instead of the harsh truth. One specialist in particular was very distressed, and for good reason.

Winter, despite remaining in Atlas after she left to become a specialist in the Atlas military, hadn’t ever bothered to check up on her family aside from Weiss. Weiss was the one she looked after, and she had good reasons. With Weiss becoming the heiress after she left, Winter felt she had to do everything she could to make sure their father didn’t completely mold Weiss into what HE wanted. Of course, she couldn’t always be there for Weiss, but Winter tried her best.

In her efforts to focus on Weiss, had completely neglected looking after the youngest and most vulnerable of the Schnee siblings, Whitley Schnee. Winter gripped the edges of her desk tightly. Her grip was so strong that the desk threatened to break under the pressure as Winter mentally berated herself for not doing enough for her younger brother. “I should have…” she breathed, struggling to hold back her tears.

The general and even the Ace Ops did a lot to assure her that everything would be fine, but it did little to help. She couldn’t bear to just stand around and do nothing while her brother was gone. For all she knew, Whitley might already be dead. She hoped that wasn’t the case.

With a grim look, Winter stood up and walked out of her office. As she reached for the doorknob, a family portrait in the far corner of the room caught her attention. When she saw the young and naïve Whitley’s smiling face, a small tear fell from her eye. “Whitley…I’m sorry…”

Beacon Academy…

The sounds of gears turning were always calming to Ozpin. He couldn’t particularly understand why that was, but the gears always had a strange calm about them. It’s why he had the tower fashioned around them to begin with.

The headmaster of Beacon Academy wasn’t under that much pressure. If anything, Lionheart was under far more pressure than he was for once. After all, the kidnapping was a Mistral incident, not a Vale one. Despite that, Ozpin still had a particular reason to look further into this. Well, multiple actually. For one, the logo on the androids reminded him of only one person, Dr. Merlot. Ozpin had never been very fond of the scientist even before the Mt. Glenn project failed. The doctor was too ambitious for his own good, always spouting nonsense about how Grimm were the future.

Ozpin had assumed that the man was dead for a long time, but after watching the news and reviewing the footage over and over again, he began to doubt that. Either someone was using his technology, or Merlot had survived. Regardless, Oz had to find out what happened to the 4 individuals that were kidnapped.

Being on the Vale council gave Ozpin a wealth of information about people from just about all 4 of the kingdoms, but unfortunately for him, Whitley was the only one who had any public records. The other three had absolutely nothing. Even so, Oz couldn’t help but take an interest in the three of them. The black-haired teen resembled a former member of his inner circle, one that had run off 17 years ago and still hasn’t been found. Oz put a fist on his chin as he leaned in a bit further to observe Roc. “He looks to be around the age of a first year at Beacon…that lines up perfectly with that ‘incident’ from 17 years ago. I should have Qrow find out more about the boy,” he murmured before turning to observe the footage of Victor.

The resemblance to James Ironwood wasn’t exactly noticeable at first unless you really paid attention, but Ozpin dismissed this as a mere coincidence. He was more focused on the abilities he seemed to possess. Ozpin was no expert on dust, but he was absolutely certain no person could just export an unlimited number of different types of dust from their body. Of course, there WAS one person who had theorized that it was possible, but Oz didn’t want to think that he was involved. “Then again, if Merlot IS involved somehow, his partner in crime, Dr. Sas, won’t be far behind,” he thought aloud before he finally turned to the person who interested him the most.

Ozpin stared at the image of Malak for about a minute. There was something about the boy that just triggered something within him. Ozpin hadn’t felt it in so long that he couldn’t quite name the feeling, but seeing Malak just brought it out. It didn’t help that the boy greatly resembled a past version of himself, but Ozpin dismissed the idea. As shocking as it would be, the idea running through his mind was simply impossible. ‘I never had anymore after…them…’ Ozpin thought as he felt a bit of grief before refocusing on his task.

It would be easy to assume that, like Victor, Malak was using dust for his attacks, Ozpin had many reasons to believe that wasn’t the case. For one, he had already figured out that Malak had some form of time manipulation abilities. From the footage captured from inside of the restaurant, one of the drones was suddenly destroyed, and Malak was suddenly in a slightly different position than before. Besides, he’s seen similar semblances throughout his many lives.

What really interested Ozpin was Malak’s other abilities. The lad possessed magic, that much was clear to the headmaster. What wasn’t clear was why the lad’s magic was so similar to that of the maidens. Sure, it was noticeably weaker, but it was still nearly the same. The boy could fly and created a battle axe made from ice. That was something only the maidens could do. Was he an agent of Salem? Had she found a way to grant the boy magic even though most people in this era could not use magic?

So many thoughts ran through Ozpin’s mind. He took a sip of his hot cocoa to ease his worries. With a small sigh, he looked out of the window in his office. “Whether or not he IS allied with her is irrelevant, as he will no doubt be on her radar….”

Unknown warehouse in Vale…

“Come on! Hurry it up already!” a certain orange-haired thief barked as multiple Faunus with masks began to carry crates full of dust between various locations within the warehouse. Some are even being loaded up via forklifts. The man shook his head and sighed heavily. “Roman Torchwick…one of the most dangerous and stylish of thieves out there, reduced to stealing dust. Damnit all to hell…” he complained as he went off elsewhere, leaving the White Fang to deal with all of the heavy lifting.

Moving over to a smaller and quieter section of the warehouse, Roman used his keys to unlock a blue door. When he opened it, he sighed in annoyance. “Oh great, the fire lady and her two stooges are here,” he said, referring to his three “allies.” Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai.

Emerald, not taking kindly to being called a stooge, growled and almost stomped over to the thief had Cinder not held her back by grabbing her arm. “Emerald, that is enough,” Cinder commanded. Almost immediately, Emerald’s angered gaze vanished, being replaced by obedient neutrality. Cinder released her grip on Emerald’s arm before turning back to Roman. “Roman, surely one such as yourself keeps up with the news.”

Roman just scoffed and threw his hands into the air. “I WOULD if I wasn’t busy collecting so much dust for a plan you have yet to tell me about!” he ranted.

The gray-haired assassin just smirked as he turned on the TV in the room. “Well, you might as well check it out now,” Mercury said as the 4 all watched the rooftop battle.

Cinder focused mainly on Malak. The other three seemed to be very impressive fighters, sure, but Malak was the one that interested her the most. The magic within her; the stolen half of the fall maiden’s magic was giving her this feeling. Just by looking at Malak, she could sense that something about him was…off. He was definitely using magic, that much Cinder knew, but she didn’t understand why. He wasn’t one of her master’s agents. If he was, she would know. So, why the hell did he have magic so similar to the maidens? ‘If he does somehow return, I will have to keep a very close eye on him…’

As for Roman, he looked pretty bored at first until he spotted Roc. He gripped his cane tightly as he watched the bandit get taken off. “Oh no…” he murmured. ‘Okay, stay calm Roman. There’s no way she found out yet-‘

*CRASH*

At that moment, the door slammed open, and a body was sent flying into the room. Cinder and Emerald quickly moved out of the way as the corpse of a White Fang grunt collapsed onto a table. There was a puncture wound at the center of his neck. Roman recognized this style. He sighed, knowing exactly who was responsible. “Neo…”

Sure enough, the silent thief walked into the room. The blade part of her parasol was dripping with blood, making it clear that she was the one that ruthlessly murdered the White Fang grunt. Tears were flowing down her heterochromatic eyes as she recalled her first meeting with Roc Branwen.

Kuchinashi, 2 years ago…

Neo always enjoyed going to Mistral. It was a lot different from Vale, but it also had so many things that were, at least from her point of view, better than anything Vale could give her. Kuchinashi, one of the most dangerous places on Remnant because of the sheer number of criminals and killers here. The Wave, a crime syndicate infamous for their selling of stolen equipment from the Atlas Military and even magical artifacts (Neo doubted that last one was true), were the ones who really controlled this place. She knew this because Roman had a few connections within the Wave, though he himself wasn’t a huge fan of them because of a little mishap between him and a past leader.

As for why she was here, Neo just felt like she needed to get away from Vale for a bit. She needed to be around people who were a lot more like her. Ruthless, sadistic, and downright evil. Of course, as she made her way through a small town filled with low lives of all kinds, something peculiar. Some kind of fight was going on in the streets. Neo couldn’t help but smirk as the beaten body of one of the members of the Wave landed right in front of her. The poor fool had cuts and bruises all over his body, but he was still breathing. She decided to fix that.

She pulled out her parasol and extended the thin blade at the end of it. The poor Wave grunt’s eyes widen in horror as Neo plunged her blade straight into his eye socket. Neo took great pleasure in the man’s screams of pain as blood poured out of his eye. When he finally stopped thrashing about, the silent thief pulled out her blade and flicked the blood off of it. Still, she had to wonder, who was responsible for putting the man in the state he was in?

“COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU GUYS HAVE GOT?!” came a somewhat youthful male voice. Neo turned her head, and what she saw brought a curious smile to her face. The person beating up and sometimes killing the grunts attacking him was actually a kid in his mid-teens. She had to admit, the kid was pretty good at fighting. Was he aiming to become a huntsman, or was he just a good fighter?

She watched with intrigue as the young lad grabbed a grunt and threw him into the air. Somehow, the teen sprouted wings and flew up to meet the grunt and knee him in the gut before grabbing him by the neck and throwing him into a bunch of his own comrades. Other grunts fired multiple rounds of dust at the teen, but the boy was simply far too fast for them to hit. Pulling out one of his swords and turning it into a scythe using his aura (which Neo found to be incredibly impressive), the boy swiped his weapon at his foes, unleashing a crescent shaped wave of black energy that sliced the grunts in half, leaving their torn bodies to bleed out on the ground.

Neo watched the spectacle from afar on a black bench. She had to admit, the boy interested her. ‘Maybe I should take him under my wing…’ she thought to herself. He seems pretty capable. She could mold him into the next version of her. Maybe she could even have him become something better. She smirked at the thought. Well, she might as well introduce herself.

She made her way over to the teen as he sheathed his sword. She tapped him on her shoulder with her parasol, causing him to turn around with a smirk on his face. “Oh, are you a friend of theirs?” he asked as he pointed at the dead or unconscious members of the Wave. “If so, you’re gonna end up just like them if you try anything.

Neo giggled silently at the bandit’s attitude. ‘He sure is confident,’ the mute woman thought as she shook her head. She just smiled at the boy and pulled out her scroll, typing something on it.

Roc crossed his arms as the smirk left his face. He tilted his head in confusion. “What? You can’t speak?” he inquired, and Neo simply gave him a nod before showing what was on her scroll. Roc let out a small chuckle after reading what was on it. “Sorry, but I’m not looking for a master and apprentice relationship right now. I appreciate the offer though.”

If Neo could, she would sigh very loudly. This kid clearly didn’t understand that she wasn’t offering, she was demanding. Well, time to teach him a lesson. Without warning, she thrusted her parasol at his face, only for Roc to react almost instantly, moving his head to the side before grabbing Neo’s wrist and spinning her around before throwing her. Neo quickly activated her semblance, Overactive Imagination. She smirked as she conjured an illusion on herself to make it seem like she shattered into glass.

Roc seemed genuinely confused, which was exactly what Neo wanted. While she couldn’t alter people’s minds with her illusions, she could still use them to disorient and trick them. Currently, she was actually completely invisible, and was silently sneaking up on Roc, who was still looking around to find her. Poor boy. ‘A real shame. I think we could have had a lot of fun causing chaos,’ Neo thought before she jabbed her weapon forward, going straight for his heart. To her shock, it was stopped by Roc’s hands. ‘WHAT?!’ she exclaimed mentally, not understanding how he even knew she was there.

She looked up at Roc and then noticed something off about his eyes. There was aura covering them. Roc smirked as he looked Neo in the eyes. “Yeah, you aren’t the first person I’ve come across with an illusion semblance, so it wasn’t hard to figure out what you were doing. Unfortunately for you, with a bit of concentration, my semblance lets me see through any illusions if I use it right. But that’s not all I can do with it…”

Roc’s arm turned into a talon as he grabbed Neo’s arm. Neo felt something she never thought she’d experience. Her illusion completely shattered against her will. She tried to use it again, but she couldn’t. Her multi-colored eyes widened in horror as Roc’s chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. “HAHAHA! Sorry, but no more semblance for you! It’s been negated!”

And just like that, the tides of battle quickly turned (though as Neo would later realize, the battle was never in her favor to begin with). Roc delivered a clothesline to Neo, causing her body to be flipped over as her weapon fell out of her hand. As she was flipping, Roc’s talon grabbed her by her throat. He slammed her into the ground, causing the wind to be knocked out of Neo.

“Now…” Roc started as he leaned in closer to Neo, “would you mind telling me exactly who you are?”

And so, after a bit of negotiating for her life and explaining who she was, she and Roc would go out to get ice cream. Turns out, the kid hated chocolate ice cream, which was something Neo didn’t expect. But he was a sucker for strawberry or caramel. That’s something they had in common; they were suckers for their favorite treats. As she ate a spoonful of her Neapolitan-flavored ice-cream, she slides her scroll over to him after typing something on it.

Roc reads her message, and after doing so, he shrugged. “Well, while your semblance is cool, I myself don’t know the true limits of my semblance. Even now, I’m still discovering what it can and can’t do. I’m not sure how many semblances I can actually hold onto. Plus, I haven’t really taken that many semblances. The ones I do have are so situational that I don’t have any reason to use them. For example, I DO have a semblance that can make me literally invincible, but this can only be paired with another semblance, one that allows the user to turn themselves into literal light, but only when paired with the semblance I mentioned earlier. The person with that light semblance died before I could take it.”

Neo shook her head in disappointment. That was a damned shame. Still, she had to admit, this kid had an incredibly powerful semblance.

Neo had to admit; the kid was pretty fun to be around. He may not be as ruthless or as sadistic as she is, but he knows his stuff. She enjoyed the few days she got to spend with him. The amount of chaos they caused together brought a wide smile to her face. Plus, they were able to rob a few rich folks as well, with Neo using her semblance to ensure that nobody would recognize them. Of course, Roc had to stay close to her in order for both of them to remain disguised, but it all worked out in the end.

As Roc walked over to the edge of town, she tapped him on the shoulder. Roc raised an eyebrow as she handed him a piece of paper. It was her scroll number. “Ah…you wanna do this again sometime?” he asked, receiving a nod from the silent thief.  Roc chuckled and added her number to his scroll. Once that was done, she typed a message on her scroll before sending it to him. Roc read the message after hearing a small *ding* on his scroll. Roc chuckled and shook his head before saying, “Sorry, but I gotta get back to my family. I’ve been gone for a few days, so I need to head back,” he said before turning and sprouting his black wings once more. “Still, I had a lot of fun with you Neo. Let’s hang out again sometime.”

And that’s how their bond formed. Over the years, the two would meet up all over Remnant and cause a bit of mischief. Roc would do his best to keep Neo in line. He may have been a bandit, but he wasn’t about to just massacre civilians for no reason. Then again, something told Neo it was more to keep any heat off of him rather than any morals.

Regardless, as the years went on and they got into more trouble together by stealing, taking out other criminal gangs for fun, and eating ice cream together, Neo began to realize just how much she valued Roc. He wasn’t just someone she could get into some trouble with whenever Roman wasn’t available. No, Roc was someone she enjoyed being around and wanted to protect. Neo wouldn’t admit it, but she saw Roc as a little brother, and now, her little brother may be gone forever. As tears fell from her eyes, she gripped her parasol tightly. If she ever found the person responsible, she would slaughter them and paint all of Remnant in their blood.

Evernight Castle…

The dimly lit violet halls of the home of the Queen of the Grimm were as silent as always. Not many people roamed these halls, and for good reason. Very few knew of her existence, but that would change in time. Salem would make sure of that.

In her throne room, she sat alone on her archaic black throne made of Grimm flesh and bone. You’d think that the Queen of the Grimm, a being so ancient that she was older than the vast majority of people living on Remnant, would be very old school and would detest modern technology. Anyone who thought that was nothing but a fool in her eyes. She wasn’t a fool. If she planned on achieving her goals, she’d need to keep a very close eye on society from afar.

Aside from that, she enjoyed the convenience of modern technology anyway. If there was an event she could take advantage of, she could simply look it up for more information. One event that definitely interested her was the recent kidnapping of one well-known individual and 3 unknown individuals. The Schnee was uninteresting to her, as that family was fairly insignificant, though perhaps she could manipulate Jacques in the future. The older of the individuals who seemed to be relying a lot on Dust did intrigue her slightly, but not as much as the other two.

Salem stared at the image on her scroll with glowing red eyes, analyzing the two individuals that did interest her. ‘Interesting…one of them is definitely related to that Branwen woman. Her son perhaps?’ she wondered, recalling an event from a little over a decade ago. She chuckled darkly, remembering the look of fear and hopelessness in that woman’s eyes. ‘Poor fools…if only they had never come after me. Perhaps both of them would have survived that day instead of only one. Oh well, at least another Silver-Eyed warrior is out of my hair. Now, as for the other child…’

This one was easily the most intriguing. She analyzed the way he fought, and when she saw him using what was clearly magic, her eyes widened. Her grip on her throne’s armrest tightened as her mind tried to comprehend what she was witnessing on her scroll. ‘That’s…not possible! Only the 4 maidens should be capable of that type of magic now. How could that child possess that magic?!’ It truly boggled her mind.

What was even more intriguing and even somewhat disturbing was just how much the young lad resembled someone she was once very close to thousands of years ago. Salem sighed as she recalled THAT event. “He was almost as strong as he was when we had our first bout. It is a shame his many reincarnations have weakened him,’ she murmured as she continued to stare at the image of Malak. Something within her blackened heart began to swell as she looked at him. It was a feeling she hadn’t felt in so long. It reminded her of-

Salem shook her head and immediately shut off her scroll. “No. That was a long time ago. They’re gone…” she said regretfully as she stood from her throne. She needed to clear her head.

Anima, Branwen Tribe camp…

“RAGH!” Raven roared as she tried once again to use her semblance, only for it to fail once again. She was resting when Roc got kidnapped, so her semblance wasn’t able to warn her that he was in danger. She had been worried when Roc didn’t call her, but she had assumed that he was just taking longer than expected or he found something that made him want to stay a bit longer. When one of the tribesmen showed her the news, she panicked.

Raven did everything she could to get to Roc, but no matter what she did, her semblance wouldn’t work. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she began to lose control of herself. Wind began to pick up as her magic began to react to her emotional state. There were only 3 situations where the bond her semblance created with an individual could be broken. The first was if she, for whatever reason, no longer cared about that individual. The bond is one-sided, so only she needs to care about the individual, not the other way around. This option wasn’t possible, as she deeply loved her son. Sure, she could be tough on him, but it was all done out of love.

The second situation was if her semblance was being blocked. This wasn’t impossible, as Roc could definitely use his semblance to block off the effects of her semblance, but what logical reason would he have to do that?

The third, and easily the worst possible option, was that the person she had bonded with was dead. After the death of Summer during that failed secret mission, the mission where she realized just how pointless fighting against Salem was, she learned about this third scenario. She wasn’t able to feel that person dying, just that they were in danger. Regardless, she was deeply concerned about her son’s safety. Did the kidnappers decide to kill him because he was useless to them? Did that dart kill him, and they just carried his body off to use it for something else? The possibilities only made her worry even more.

As she continued to try and force a portal open, Vernal sat against a tree with her legs hugged against her chest. She gripped her legs tightly with her arms as she worried for Roc. ‘He has to be alive…Roc’s strong, so he’s alive…’ she kept repeating to herself in her mind to try and remain calm, but this was anything but easy.

Anyone who knows anything about the Branwen tribe knows that she and Roc are pretty damn close. Sure, she could get mad at him for his actions sometimes, and she may tease him with a few backhanded compliments, but she deeply cared about the son of her tribe’s leader. In fact, Roc was the entire reason she became a member of the tribe she cared for so much in the first place.

Anima, 4 years ago…

“Ugh…damned bugs!” a younger Vernal cursed as she swatted away a few flying insects with her hand. The forest she found herself in was full of them, and the plants were so thick she had to force her way through them. She wished she had come kind of weapon to kill the bugs or traverse the forest easier, but she had practically nothing on her person at the moment. She was starting to regret running away from home without some sort of actual plan.

Vernal threw her arms into the air in exasperation as she yelled at the blue sky in frustration. “THIS IS A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT!!!” The volume of her voice caused a bunch of smaller animals to either run or fly away. She sighed and sat on a nearby tree stump. “This was a stupid idea…”

“What was a stupid idea?” an unfamiliar voice asked her from above. She looked up to see a boy the same age as her looking down at her from a tree branch. He waved his arm with a small smirk on his face. “Hey there!”

Vernal had no clue how to react. Was he one of those forest kids that guard the forests of Anima? Vernal scoffed at the idea. ‘Those are just old stories our parents told us to keep us out of the forests…’ she thought bitterly as she recalled her life back in her village.

The boy leapt from his position and landed in front of her. Vernal met his red, almost crimson gaze with a gaze of her own. “What’s a girl like you doing out here on your own? You aren’t with some other bandit tribe, are you?” the boy asked cautiously. Vernal could have sworn she saw black feathers emerging from his body for a brief moment.

She considered his words for a moment. ‘”Other bandit tribe”? Does he think I’m a bandit? Is HE a bandit?’ she wondered. If so, she could be in trouble. She had to remain calm. Shaking her head, she stood from her position to meet his height. Well, she tried to, but annoyingly, he was a good deal taller than her. She mentally fumed at her short height. “I’m not a bandit, I’m just…um…” She didn’t want to tell him that she was lost and had no clue where she was going.

The boy raised an eyebrow and gave her the most shit-eating grin she had ever seen on a person’s face. “Lost and have no clue where you’re going?” he finished, taking the words she refused to say right out of her mouth.

A visible tick mark formed on her face. She’s gonna make him regret doing that. “RAHHH!” with a yell, she leapt forward and tried to tackle him to the ground, but the boy seemed to vanish from her sight. Her eyes widened in shock before she fell on her front, with her face meeting dirt.

She could hear the boy laughing behind her, which made her livid. She grabbed a small rock next to her head and got up. With a grunt of effort, she spun around and threw the rock at full force, aiming directly at the black-haired boy’s head. Vernal’s eyes went wide when she saw his black aura bounce the rock away. The boy just tapped his foot against the ground and looked at an invisible watch on his wrist with that same shit-eating grin on his face. “Hey, you mind hurrying it up? I got a schedule to keep,” he taunted.

Vernal’s response to his taunting was to let out an almost ear-piercing shriek of rage that caused the boy to cover his ears. Vernal took her chance and tackled him to the ground before throwing wild punches at his face. She landed blow after blow, but annoyingly, his aura was keeping him from taking any actual damage. She really didn’t think this through.

After she exhausted herself trying to pay him back for his insults, she rolled off of him and said, “Damnit…you win…”

As Vernal lays on the ground, utterly exhausted, the boy simply hums and sits on the tree stump she was on earlier. “So,” he started, looking down at her with a curious expression, “how did you wind up here? I mean, you’re probably the same age as me, so why run off into the forests of Anima?”

Vernal gave him a weak glare in response. “I…could ask the same question…” she wheezed, still exhausted.

“Touché…” the boy replied as he pulled some water out of the black sling pack he was carrying on his back and handed it to Vernal, who eagerly drank it, not really concerned about it being poisoned or anything. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Vernal took a deep breath after she had her fill of water. She didn’t really see any harm in telling him. “I left my village not too long ago. It wasn’t anything too special, just a bunch of regular village folk,” she explained as she sat up and faced towards him. “My dad was the leader, and my mom was a huntress who decided to stay in the village after she met my dad.”

“Wow…” the boy responded, looking genuinely surprised. “Sounds like you had a good deal. I mean, your dad’s the leader and your mom must be pretty strong since she’s a huntress.” From the look on his face, he didn’t seem to understand that was the problem.

Vernal groaned loudly as she threw her hands into the air. “That’s the problem! I was the daughter of the mayor, who’s done nothing but help them ever since he was put in charge, and my mom’s a huntress who’s saved the village countless times from the Grimm and bandits! Everyone thought I was gonna turn out like one of them when I didn’t want to be a huntress or a leader!” she exclaimed, venting out more of her pent out frustrations.

The boy’s crimson eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly. He slowly ran a hand through his messy black hair. “Is that why you left? Expectations?”

Vernal could only nod as she crossed her arms and glared at the ground beneath her feet. “Yeah…and I made sure to leave a letter behind telling them why I was leaving too. *Sighs* But now I don’t know where else to go…” she said quietly, lamenting her current position.

She perked up in surprise when she felt the boy put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up from the ground and saw him wearing this genuine smile on his face. “You could come back to the tribe with me,” he suggested.

Vernal narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ‘Why the sudden shift? Is he trying to trick me?’ she thought as she removed his hand from her left shoulder. “Why exactly would I do that? How do I know you won’t just kill me?” she asked.

The boy began to count off the reasons using one hand. “1. This entire time, I could have killed you, but I didn’t. 2. You managed to get me on the ground despite the fact that I’m a better fighter than you. That alone is impressive. And 3. The tribe could always use some extra hands,” he said before he pointed at Vernal’s stomach. “Plus…you’re probably starving.”

Vernal was about to deny it, but then her stomach began to growl. With a hint of red on her cheeks, she sighed and looked away. “Fair point…fine, I’ll come with you.”

The boy gave her a thumbs up in response. “Nice! Mom’ll be thrilled!” he exclaimed.

Vernal couldn’t help but smile a bit at his excitement. She didn’t have any people that were her age to hang around with, and this boy shows up out of nowhere and offers her a place to stay, to belong. She held a hand out towards him, waiting for him to take it. “I’m Vernal. It’s not my real name, but it’s the name I chose for myself after I left. What’s your name?” she asked.

The boy shook her hand with a firm grip as he finally introduced himself. “My name is Roc Branwen, and you’d better not forget it Vernal.”

‘Roc Branwen…I like it,’ Vernal thought to herself with a smile as Roc took her hand and led her to the place that would become her new home.

Chapter Text

Unknown…

Roc’s red eyes slowly opened. His body felt…weightless, almost as if he was floating in some sort of void. Roc’s eyes snapped open fully when he realized he WAS floating in a void. His eyes scanned the void for any source of light, but there was nothing. All he could do was allow his body to float along the path he was following. “Where…am I…?” he wondered, his voice echoing throughout the void.

“…Awaken….”

Roc’s body trembled at the voice. No…it wasn’t a voice, it was a bunch of voices all jumbled together, and they were all voices he didn’t recognize. The power behind those voices…it made him feel something he rarely ever felt. Fear. “Who’s there?!” he exclaimed, trying to search for where the voice came from.

“…Awaken…power…”

‘It’s coming from…everywhere?!’ Roc thought as he heard the voices again. “What’s going on?! Awaken what power?!” he asked, demanding to know what was happening to him. He’s never felt like this before. He hasn’t felt this confused in so long. It made him feel…helpless.

“…Power…Blood…Dormant…”

‘My blood?’ Roc wondered. The voices suddenly ceased, and Roc was left there to float in silence. “H-HEY!” he yelled, only to receive no response. Roc just continued to float, contemplating what was happening to him. Was this all a dream, or had he died and this was his journey to whatever afterlife awaited him? ‘Or is the afterlife a myth and the only thing that awaits me is the void?’ he thought as he continued to float, not able to control where he was going.

Suddenly, he heard another voice. This one was clearer, more feminine, and a lot more powerful. “You must awaken it…” she said. At least, he thought it was a woman. Once more, he looked around for the source of the voice. Unlike the other voices, this voice actually seemed to be coming from somewhere. Roc’s body turned around on its own against his will. His eyes widened when he saw someone floating alongside him

Her face was mostly obscure, but her glowing red eyes, the same color as his own, provided enough light to reveal some of her features. Her face was about the same shape as his own and there were markings on her face. The markings resembled the same features birds would have such as wings and beaks.  Her hair was probably as black as his own, but it was slightly longer and straight. “Awaken your power…” she whispered before her body became a bunch of multi-colored feathers. She vanished before Roc could reply.

Roc didn’t know what to say. What could he say? What was going on. Then, he heard the flapping of wings behind him. His body involuntarily turned around again, and he saw the bird he always saw in his dreams. It was the same bird he was named after, but in spectral form like always. It first manifested when he unlocked his aura for the first time, and it had been a part of him ever since.

The giant bird opened its abnormally large beak. Roc expected it to eat him, but instead, it spoke. “Wake up…”

“Wake up…”

Roc stirred as the voice reached his ears, but he didn’t wake. He only let out a few mumbles.

“Wake up…”

The voice was a little louder, but still, Roc didn’t awaken from his slumber. He continued to mumble in his sleep. And then, without warning, a burning pain in his back woke him up with a scream. “AHHHHHH!!!!!” Roc comedically flew into the air before landing hard on his face. Thank the gods for aura.

Whitley turned to Victor, whose hand was engulfed in fire dust, and smirked. “Ah, that was quite the wake-up you gave him Victor. I am impressed.” Victor just nodded as his hand returned to normal.

Roc let out a pained groan against the steel floor as he got up and rubbed the part of his back that was burned by Victor. “What the hell was that for…?” he whined.

Malak, who was standing a little farther away from Whitley and Victor, was the one to respond. “Well, after we all got kidnapped, Victor was the first to wake us all up. I tried waking you up, but all you did was mumble something about infernos and dividing your enemies into pieces. And then, a while after that, you began mumbling something about blood and power.”

Malak’s words forced something within Roc’s mind to trigger. The dream he had…what did it mean? Who was that woman, what were all of those voices talking about, and why the hell did his own aura-made bird appear to him like that? Roc sighed and shook his head, ‘I’ll worry about it later. Right now, I need to find out where we are,’ he thought before he turned to Victor. Roc crossed his arms as Victor’s gaze met his own evenly. “You said those drones at the restaurant were sent by your creators. Where did they take us?” he asked, sounding a bit more serious than normal.

Victor shook his head, much to Roc’s disappointment. Victor walked over to the side, where Roc was able to see a wall made of hard-light dust. They were in a cage of sorts. “I don’t know. I don’t know everything about Merlot and Sas’ operation,” he said. His mannerisms made him appear far more like an emotionless soldier than a human in Roc’s eyes. Roc REALLY wanted to know just what Victor was.

Malak’s eyes widened when Victor revealed the names of the two scientists. “Wait, you know Merlot and Sas?” he asked, only to immediately regret it. The other three stuck in the cage with him all gave him suspicious glares. Malak could have sworn he saw Roc’s eyes become more bird-like for a second. ‘Damnit, I shouldn’t have said anything…’ Malak thought to himself.

The sound of Victor’s combat boots was subtle, but the intensity behind his steps made it feel like they were much louder than they actually were. Victor stood only a few feet away from Malak as the rogue experiment narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. “How exactly do you know about those two?” The unspoken part of that was, “Answer carefully.”

Malak’s response was a little delayed, but when he spoke, he managed to remain calm under Victor’s intimidating gaze. “I found out the same way everybody else did, by researching. Merlot and Sas were practically partners-in-crime. When Merlot industries’ desire to draw in more Grimm to experiment on caused the Mountain Glenn expansion project to fail thanks to the place being overrun, they both supposedly died.”

Whitley’s suspicious gaze slowly faded as he nodded slowly. “Indeed, the events caused quite the stir in Atlas, especially since both scientists were highly respected at one point in time. At one point, both had the idea to combine their research. Mutated Grimm that could use dust. It would have been quite the achievement; I will admit that.” He wondered if his father ever met the two. He didn’t doubt it. If he could profit from it, he would.

Roc wasn’t convinced as easily, but he knew none of them had any time to press for more answers. He sighed and pulled his scroll out of his pocked, only to frown when he saw the “No signal” warning on the top right corner of the screen. “Well, calling for help is a no-go. There’s no signal here,” he told the others.

Whitley pulled out his own scroll and sighed loudly when he saw that Roc was right. “Great, we’ve not only been kidnapped, but we have absolutely zero contact with the outside world!” he complained before going over to the wall and banging his head against it in frustration. “I leave Atlas to eat exotic foods, only to wind up kidnapped by mad scientists and forced to mingle with a bunch of strangers!”

“Speaking of strangers,” Roc started as he gave Victor and Whitley glares, “what the hell was all of that?! You guys kept getting in my way!”

Victor crossed his arms and walked past Roc to try and analyze what was going on outside of the cage. It was completely dark, and nobody could see anything outside of the cage. Roc didn’t take too kindly to being blown off like that, so he stormed over and grabbed Victor’s shoulder firmly, turning him around so they could talk face-to-face. Malak was the one to force the two apart before things could escalate. “Enough! We’re all stuck in this situation, and we all need to work together to get out of here!” he exclaimed as he used his right arm to hold Roc back. Roc looked like he wanted to strike Victor, but after having a small stare-down with Victor, the Branwen child reluctantly backed off.

“Fine…but I’m not wrong,” Roc said as he gave them all an annoyed look. Crossing his arms, he said, “We absolutely sucked at working together back there. If we plan to get out of here, then that’s practically impossible because we aren’t an actual team.” Plus, mom hadn’t used her semblance to get him out of here, which Roc found to be very concerning.

Whitley opened his mouth to speak up when suddenly, bright lights illuminated the area. All 4 of them were forced to cover their eyes to shield themselves from the intense lights. “ARGH! What the fuck?!” Roc exclaimed as his eyes stinged a little bit from the bright white lights.

Victor was the first to recover from the bright lights. When he finally opened his eyes, he wasn’t surprised to see dozens of captured and/or mutated Grimm of all kinds. They seemed to be in some kind of cave. Raw dust ran along the dark cave walls. “It seems like the doctors have taken us to some old mine,” Victor assumed.

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong!”

Victor’s eyes narrowed at the familiar voice. He and the others looked to the left to see a massive monitor come down from above. On the screen were two old men. One had disheveled gray hair, a red robotic eye, and a robotic right arm. The other old man was very clearly balding, and he didn’t even have eyes anymore. They had been replaced by green mechanical eyes powered by dust.

Whitley stood next to Victor as the group stared at the two scientists with aggressive intent. “Dr. Merlot and Dr. Sas. I demand you release us all at once! If you do not, the full might of the Atlas Military will-“

Whitley got cut off by the two scientists laughing manically, as if they had heard something truly hilarious. Merlot shook his head and wiped an invisible tear from his eye before speaking through a speaker on the monitor. “Oh…would you look at that. The rich brat thinks his dear-old-dad can just pay the entire Atlas Military to come and save him!” Merlot’s expression then turned from one of amusement to one of maliciousness. “Pathetic!” he spat.

Dr. Sas was the next to speak after his partner. “Listen here you fools. We initially wanted Victor and Victor alone, but after seeing what all of you were capable of, we decided to alter our plans. The 4 of you will be perfect to test out our new Grimm.”

Roc growled and slammed his fist against the hard-light wall. “Hey, assholes, we aren’t your damned lab rats! Let us out of this!” he yelled as he fruitlessly tried to shatter the wall, only for nothing to work.

Sas chuckled as he crossed his arms and gave Roc a smirk. “Come on Branwen. Don’t you want to test your skills? Isn’t that what your little tribe is all about? Strength?”

Whitley’s eyes widened slightly when he heard Sas mention Roc’s last name. ‘”Branwen?'” Isn’t that the last name of the drunkard of a huntsman my sister supposedly despises so much?’  he thought as he turned to Roc, who looked a little annoyed. During Whitley’s first and only visit to Atlas Academy, he heard that his sister got into a physical bout with an older huntsman named Qrow Branwen. Perhaps he and Roc were related…

Roc narrowed his eyes at the two scientists before pointing an accusatory finger at them both. “And how the hell do you guys even know who I am? Were you spying on me? Are you just a bunch of peepers?” he asked/insulted, wondering if he might have failed to be discreet sometime in the past.

Merlot chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “Oh no, of course not. It’s just that your mother and I go way back. Back before the failure of an expansion that was Mountain Glenn, your mother was sent by a certain headmaster to keep an eye on me. She never found anything, obviously, but I could never forget eyes as red as hers. When I first saw you, I knew you had to be her child. Which is why this island is emitting a field that blocks all outside semblances.”

‘Well, that explains why mom hasn’t saved me yet,’ Roc thought, feeling a little insulted that they copied him. It was unintentional, sure, but he still felt insulted, and he was gonna vent. “Hey assholes, how about you come down here so I can beat the shit outta you!” he challenged.

Sas shook his head and wagged his finger. “Oh, we will meet us in due time. For now, enjoy your little vacation. It may be the last one you’ll ever have,” he said ominously as both he and Merlot began to laugh maniacally before the screen shut off.

The hard-light dust keeping the group trapped faded, allowing them to go free. Whitley, who had taken to leaning against the wall, yelped as he stumbled onto the ground, falling on his back. He winced as he sat up and began rubbing the back of his head. “It seems those two have become far less civilized thanks to their evil planning…” he commented.

“I don’t think those guys were civilized to begin with,” Malak said as he left the cage and helped Whitley up. Meanwhile, Victor began to walk off on his own, but a wall of ice created by Malak’s magic stopped him in his tracks. Malak glared at the stoic fighter, not amused by his attempt to bail on them. “Oh, not a chance in hell. We don’t have the luxury of doing this by ourselves. We need to stick and work together,” Malak stated.

Roc stepped out of the cage and stood across from Malak with his arms crossed. “How the hell are we supposed to do that? In case you don’t remember, our teamwork sucks because we kept getting in each other’s way!” he reminded, still not happy about what happened. If he had been on his own, he wouldn’t have had any problems. In Roc’s mind, these guys were dead weight.

Whitley, who was standing beside Malak, couldn’t help but agree. “He’s correct, unfortunately. Our performance on that rooftop was utterly abysmal. If we were huntsmen-in-training, they’d give us an F, maybe even a D if they were generous,” he said as his icy eyes scanned the cave. Luckily for them, the Grimm weren’t released from their cages like they were. ‘If they were, we’d be in hot water.’

Malak facepalmed and began muttering under his breath, saying something the others couldn’t’ hear. With a sigh, he began his attempts to bring them all together. “Then that’s exactly what we need to change. We have to turn that F into an A, or at the very least a C. If we don’t, we’re screwed!”

Victor, who was now standing next to Roc, shook his head lightly. “We barely know anything about each other and our abilities. We also have no clue how the other fights, so our synergy will be incredibly lacking,” he argued. Sure, Whitley’s semblance was easy to grasp, as everyone knew exactly what the Schnee semblance could do. Even Victor knew, and he was mostly isolated.

Roc narrowed his eyes at Malak, still very suspicious of the other teen.  “And besides, you haven’t exactly proven to be very trustworthy. How the hell can you have magic?” he asked, causing Whitley and even Victor’s eyes to widen. They didn’t think that Malak was using magic, but from Roc’s tone, he wasn’t kidding around. Magic was potentially real, which was a revelation neither of them expected to receive today.

Roc took a step forward, almost menacingly. He and Malak stood inches apart from each other, both of them looking more serious than ever. “My mom taught me to question everything, so I need you to answer me right now. How can I trust you when you’re probably working for someone incredibly dangerous?”

Malak wasn’t backing down despite Roc’s intimidating gaze. “I have my reasons,” he said firmly. The tension between the two continued to rise to the point where Whitley took a step back to avoid being hurt in case the two came to blows. Malak’s gaze softened slightly as he took a step back and held his hand out for Roc to shake. “But you’re right, you can’t trust me, not yet. But you can definitely trust the fact that I want to get out of here just as much as you do. We share a common goal, and once that goal is completed, we’ll go our separate ways. Deal?”

Roc looked at Malak, then down at the hand, then back to Malak. Everything his mother taught him would have made him reject the offer, but Roc was pragmatic enough to understand that it would be better to go along with it, at least for now. He took Malak’s hand and shook it firmly. “Deal, but I’m keeping an eye on you, got it? Don’t betray me, or you’ll regret it, just like those two old maniacs are gonna regret kidnapping me.” Those guys were dead, and Roc was gonna make sure of it.

Malak nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t betray you.”

Whitley sighed loudly, shaking his head. “Well, I suppose I should agree to this little team-up as well,” he said, getting a thankful nod from Malak.

All three of them turned to Victor, who remained completely stoic like always. The three expectant looks he was receiving made it clear that they expected him to say yes as well. Victor thought about it for a moment. ‘I don’t know this island at all, and I can’t account for everything. If I want to stop Dr. Sas and Dr. Merlot, I will have to work with them.’

The alliance would be sealed with a simple nod from Victor, which relieved Malak. A small bead of sweat dripped down his face. ‘I thought they wouldn’t agree for a second there. Thank goodness they did,’ he said before giving everyone a smirk. “Well, if we’re gonna work together, we need to know more about each other’s powers. Anyone wanna go first?”

Chapter Text

Beacon Academy, Ozpin’s office…

“Still no word on the 4 individuals James?” Ozpin asked as he, General Ironwood, and Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart were in a 3-way call.

Ozpin could see Ironwood shaking his head on his screen. “I’m afraid not. While we have been able to confirm that the androids were indeed made by Merlot and Sas, we’ve not yet been able to track them down.”

Lionheart nodded his head slowly. “There is nothing on our end either. While witnesses did give the authorities a general direction as to where they went, it was too late, as they were already gone,” he said, sounding a bit exhausted, but Ozpin waved it off. That was nothing new for Leo.

Ozpin clasped his hands together and sighed in disappointment. “I see. What about the identities of those who were kidnapped? Whitley Schnee needs no introduction, but what about the others?” he asked. He had a sneaking suspicion that one of them was definitely the child of a certain ally who flew the coop many years ago, but the other three were a complete mystery.

Leonardo looked at something off-screen as he spoke. “There’s nothing about them. I don’t doubt that the black-haired one is Raven’s son, but there’s nothing on record that we have. There was this librarian who did know the magic user. His name is Malak. No known last name, and no parents either, but we haven’t been able to find him in any orphanage’s database. As for the last one, there is absolutely nothing on him at all. From what the authorities could gather, that was his first day in Mistral.”

That was deeply troubling. 3 individuals with no official pasts, and they’ve been kidnapped alongside the son of the wealthiest man on Remnant. This was starting to become troublesome. Ozpin sighed and shook his head. “Well, thank you regardless. Keep me updated if anything changes.”

As the call ended, Ozpin thought deeply about what was happening to the 4 people who got kidnapped. ‘Merlot and Sas wouldn’t just kill them. The fact that they were kidnapped means that they are seen as valuable. I wonder…are they being tested?’ Ozpin questioned. He looked back at the footage of their battle on the rooftop for a moment before sighing. ‘If so, then they need to learn to work better as a team in order to survive…’

Beacon Academy, Dining Hall…

Like always, the dining hall of Beacon Academy was abuzz with chatter and rumors. The kidnapping of Whitley and the others was still the talk of the school, with many students coming up with their own ideas as to where they went and why they were kidnapped. This didn’t help Weiss at all, as she was still deeply concerned about her younger brother.

The rest of her team as well as team JNPR all tried to cheer her up as they all sat together at a table. Pyrrha gave the concerned heiress a gentle smile, her green eyes conveying a sense of empathy. “Don’t worry, I’m sure your brother is fine. Don’t forget, the other three with him seemed pretty strong as well,” she said, trying to reassure the heiress.

This helped Weiss a little bit, but there was still a large amount of concern. Her brother could fight, as could those that helped him out, but their teamwork was…lacking to say the least. Even her team had better synergy when they first started out.

Nora, who had just finished snacking on some pancakes, leaned forward a bit. “So…are you sure you had no clue your little brother could fight? I mean, he was pretty good from what I saw.” Nora had toned down her hyper activeness a bit, knowing Weiss didn’t need anything to annoy her.

Weiss shook her head in response to the hammer maiden’s question, barely even focused on eating at this point. As she poked her steak with her fork, she let out a long sigh. “No…I never knew. He was never interested in the huntsman life. If anything, he seemed to hate it. In his mind, huntsmen and huntresses are barbaric.”

This caused some of the students to frown, particularly Ruby, who idolizes huntsmen and huntresses like her mother and uncle. “That’s not exactly fair…” she mumbled.

Ren, having a bit of knowledge on the subject, spoke up. “Not everyone views huntsmen and huntresses as heroes Ruby. Some people fear how strong we are. Others are grieving families who’ve lost children or siblings to the Grimm. And plenty more that live outside of the kingdoms haven’t had us to rely on. They have to deal with bandits and the Grimm on their own.” He and Nora would know, as they witnessed what would happen if no huntsmen were around to protect them.

“Plus, not everyone is in it to help others. Some just want more freedom to use their powers. Others are just in it for the money. Speaking of money, more inexperienced huntsmen and huntresses tend to leave a lot of damage behind on their missions,” Pyrrha added with a small frown. It was always something that never sat right with her. Sure, she understood that not everyone shared the same desires, but to her, it was the duty of a huntsman to always protect the innocent, even if it meant losing their lives.

The atmosphere darkened a bit. The students had learned some harsh realities about the world they lived in and their occupations. Jaune, wanting to drift away from this dark topic, shifted focus to Whitley. “But…why would Whitley train if he hates huntsmen, and who trained him?” he asked.

Weiss tried to think of an answer. Honestly, it was fairly difficult because she couldn’t fathom the idea of her brother actually learning how to fight. Luckily for her, Blake gave a good answer in Weiss’ stead, looking up from her book to speak. “Well, he’s a Schnee, and they have more than a few enemies. Maybe he wanted to protect himself in case he was attacked,” she suggested. Behind her bow, her ears drooped slightly. It was only a few days ago that she and Weiss were able to patch things up. Though, looking back on it, Blake was honestly surprised that when Weiss found out who she really was, she wasn’t absolutely terrified of her. Blake knew full well that the White Fang’s actions against the SDC, despite being somewhat justified, had harmed a lot of people that weren’t even at fault for what Jacques and his closest allies did. Weiss was right, she was a victim, just like the Faunus, all for things beyond her control. Blake had to wonder how Whitley would react if she ever met him.

Weiss couldn’t help but smile sadly at Blake’s words. “That makes sense. Even when he was little, Whitley was intelligent. He’d always pick up on the things Winter and I never could.” She gripped her fork a bit tighter as she recalled the old days. “I never saw it myself, but I always heard the staff and our father praising him for his intuition despite being so young. He was curious, that’s for sure. I don’t doubt that he was fully aware of everything that was happening within our family, and I’m pretty sure he’s fully aware of the SDC’s business practices, but I’ve never been able to learn what his true thoughts about all of that were.”

Yang raised an eyebrow. For someone the same age as her sister, Whitley certainly seemed a lot older. “Did he not have a real childhood or anything?” she asked. When Weiss gave her a dark look, Yang almost shrunk in her seat. “Sorry…” she apologized.

Weiss sighed and shook her head. “Forget it. Regardless, I should contact someone and learn as much as I can. I know it wasn’t Winter who trained him, as Whitley more than likely despises the both of us.” Weiss paused for a moment, her eyes softening as she remembered the fact that she had no real relationship with her brother. “…And he has every right to…”

Unknown Island…

“Geez, how long have we been walking?!” Roc complained as he and the other 3 found their way into an open field with many containers and equipment. The place looked fairly abandoned, and the machinery was in disrepair. Whatever this place used to be, they had no use for it anymore.

Whitley, walking alongside Victor, looked at his wristwatch. “About 20 minutes and counting…” he replied before he looked at the old map they had found after they left the cave. Unfortunately, the map was mostly destroyed, and he couldn’t find where they were. “Do we have any clue where we are?”

Malak shook his head as he mindlessly kicked a rock into one of the containers. “No, but Roc and I could probably fly up and see.” It was always a good idea to have an understanding of your surroundings in situations like this.

That’s when Victor, the stoic one of the group, spoke up with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Why don’t the both of you just fly off the island and while carrying us? That way, we can return here with backup.”

The other three stopped dead in their tracks. There was a long silence between the group, with the only other sound being the wind blowing through the open air. Roc facepalmed incredibly hard to the point where his aura had to shield him from the damage. “We are so fucking dumb…” he muttered.

Malak was also completely dumbfounded. His eyes were wide in disbelief at their stupidity. “Why didn’t we think of that before?!” he exclaimed before he grabbed Whitley. Whitley was surprised by the sudden gesture and yelped when Malak suddenly started flying with both of them now rising into the air.

Roc sprouted his own black wings, which caused Victor to raise a curious eyebrow. Before leaving the cave, the team had already discussed most of their capabilities, but now that Victor got a better look at Roc’s wings, he noticed that they looked…incomplete. Before he could comment on it, Roc grabbed him and started to fly upwards.

As the 4 rose high into the air, they heard the sound of a loudspeaker turning on. “Sorry, but all flights are being cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience.” It was Merlot. Suddenly, lasers began firing upon the group.

“SHIT!” Roc cried as he and Malak were forced to awkwardly maneuver around the lasers. With how fast the lasers were and the fact that both of them were carrying Victor and Whitley, it was almost impossible to avoid the lasers. Roc was the first to be shot down, causing him to drop Victor in the process.

Malak, seeing this, quickly reacted. He used his semblance to freeze everything except for himself and Whitley. The laser fire ceased, giving Malak enough time to set Whitley back onto the ground. Flying back up, he grabbed Roc and Victor by their arms. The frozen fighters returned back to normal as Malak set them down as well.

Malak sighed and deactivated his semblance. The 4 looked above them as the lasers began firing at nothing for a while before they finally stopped. “Well, flight’s a no-go,” Malak said.

Whitley crossed his arms and gestured towards Malak. “Are you sure you cannot keep your semblance up long enough for us to just fly out of here without being fired upon?” he inquired. From what Malak told them, his semblance could not only freeze, slow down, or speed up time, but he could also alter how a person or object experiences time. Essentially, he could cause a person to get older or younger if he wished.

Malak shook his head at Whitley’s question. “No, my aura won’t hold out that long,” he said before he checked up on Roc and Victor. “Are you guys good?” he asked.

Victor nodded as Roc gave a small thumbs up as his wings vanished. Malak took notice of how Roc’s wings looked. “Roc…what’s up with your wings?” he asked.

Roc put a hand to his hip and tilted his head in slight confusion. “Didn’t we already discuss this? It’s a part of that bird that manifested when my mom unlocked my aura,” he answered, although, thinking back on it, Roc never took much note of his mother’s surprised expression when the bird manifested.

Victor shook his head and pointed something out. “Roc, aura can’t just do that. No person in recorded history has ever had anything other than a semblance manifest when they unlock their aura, and even that is rare from what I could gather,” he explained.

Roc’s thoughts drifted back to that dream he had. ‘Wait…is it not connected to my aura? If my bird isn’t connected to my aura, then what is it?’ he thought before shaking his head. “We don’t have time for that right now. We need to find our way outta here before they send something after us.”

“You mean like them?” Whitley said with an annoyed look as he pointed at something behind Roc. Roc blinked and turned his head around to see what the youngest Schnee was pointing at. Emerging from behind the containers were a couple of Grimm, but they didn’t look normal. The Beowolves, Death Stalkers, and Nevermores all looked…off.

Malak felt a chill go down his spine as he stared at the Nevermores. “Are those…dust crystals on their wings?” he asked hesitantly. Sure enough, the flying Grimm had dust crystals on the end of their wings. Ice, fire, lightning, the whole elemental tree.

Victor immediately drew his weapons, shifting them into their revolver forms. “Merlot and Sas must have combined their knowledge. They haven’t just mutated the Grimm; they’ve given them the power to use dust!” Without any hesitation, he begins firing upon the mutated creatures of darkness with ice dust rounds.

The flying Grimm were able to avoid the attacks while the others were frozen in ice. One of the Nevermores flapped its wings, unleashing a torrent of fire at the newly formed team. Everyone performed dive rolls in order to avoid the searing flames that burned away the grass they were standing on.

Whitley’s eyes were somewhat wide as he looked at where they all once stood. There was nothing but a scorched area. “Well…that’s swell.”

Roc drew his longsword and prepared himself for a fight. “You guys remember what we talked about, right?” he asked the others.

Fire swirled around Malak’s arms and formed into a glaive. Malak gripped his weapon and twirled it as he too got ready to throw down. “Yeah, fight on your own, but be aware of each other and be ready to help out.” That was what they had discussed before leaving that cave. Despite knowing each other’s abilities, they still didn’t have good synergy yet. It was better to just keep an eye on each other instead of sticking with each other.

Malak was the first to go on the attack, going for one of the two Death Stalkers with ice and wind stingers and pincers. The mutated beast roared as it tried to snap Malak in half with its pincers, but Malak leapt onto its head and plunged his flaming glaive right into it, piercing through its bone plate and causing a part of it to shatter. The giant scorpion thrashed about as it tried to throw Malak off. Its tail whipped around wildly before it finally smacked Malak away, knocking him into one of the containers.

Malak could feel the wind get knocked out of him when he felt his back hit the hard steel of the containers. As he slowly slid onto the ground, he spat out some blood. ‘Damn, I should have paid more attention to the tail. My back was turned so I didn’t notice,’ he thought with a small grimace as he felt the lingering pain from the surprise attack. Aura may shield you from damage while it’s up, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still feel the pain.

Malak saw both Death Stalkers raise their stingers. This confused Malak, as they weren’t in range to sting him. Then he saw the stingers begin to glow orange and icy blue. Acting on instinct, Malak created a green barrier in front of himself as the two mutated Grimm fired beams of fire and ice from their stingers. The barrier was able to block the attacks from hitting him, but Malak was still able to feel the intense heat and chilling cold. ‘What the hell?! Since when could Death Stalkers do THAT?!’ he thought before he activated his semblance. Time seemed to rewind as the beams began to retract into the stingers of the two Grimm. This took up a decent chunk of Malak’s aura, but it was worth it. Time returned to normal and before he could be fired upon again, Malak used his magic to fire two giant yellow webs of electricity that immobilized and electrocuted the two monsters.

Knowing he’d need to warn the others, he turned to his team and shouted at the top of his lungs as they fought the other Grimm a good distance away from him. “BE CAREFUL! THE DEATH STALKERS CAN FIRE BEAMS OF DUST FROM THEIR STINGERS! THE OTHER GRIMM COULD HAVE NEW TRICKS TOO!!!”

Over with Roc, he heard Malak’s warning as he sliced off the head of a Beowolf with his right blade before somersault kicking another into the air. To Roc’s surprise, the Beowolf slashes its claws while in the air, unleashing a wave of wind dust that launched him into the air. “WOAH!” Roc exclaimed as he was launched so high into the air that the automatic lasers began to fire at him yet again. “SHIT!” he shouted as was blasted with laser fire. Luckily, his aura took the brunt of it, but it still hurt like hell, and now there were laser marks on his armor.

To make things worse, one of the Nevermores grabbed him with its talons. Roc grunted as he felt the sharp talons dig into him a bit. The Nevermore was about to fly off with Roc, but a blast of ice dust hit the giant bird in the air, causing it to screech and release Roc. Roc was about to use his wings to recover and land safely, but Victor appeared in the air beside him and used his powers to create a slide made of ice for them to ride on. Roc chuckled as he slid down the ice next to Victor, giving the stoic fighter a small smirk. “Nice job ice maker.”

Victor just nodded in response as the pair leapt off of the slide, landing next to each other as all of the Nevermores hovered above them, ready to unleash a wave of dust feathers. Roc eyed the flying monsters for a bit. ‘If only we could take them all out at once…’ he thought before his eyes widened slightly. He had an idea. He turned to Victor and asked, “Hey, do you think you could hold those guys down with gravity dust?”

Victor had no clue what Roc was planning, but he nodded regardless before gesturing to the multiple Beowolves closing in on them. “I can, but we should get rid of THEM first.”

Roc smirked and sprouted his wings, making them a lot larger and longer than usual. “Not a problem. DUCK!” he warned. As Victor ducked down, the Beowolves all charged in, but Roc spun around multiple times, smacking them all away with such force that they were thrown hard against multiple surfaces, disappearing into black smoke upon impact. Roc stopped spinning and backed away to let Victor work. “Do your thing!”

Victor’s eyes narrowed in focus as he stood up. He raised both of his arms and created a hard-light shield to block the feathers the Nevermores threw at them before trapping them all in a gravity field. Victor lifted his arms up before throwing them down, causing the Grimm to fall to the ground, unable to move. They all screeched and tried to fly up, but it was no use. Victor, holding the Grimm in place, turned to Roc. “Now what?!” he asked.

Roc smirked and put one of his swords away before gripping the other with both of his hands. “Watch this!” he exclaimed as he poured his black aura into his weapon. The blade became hidden by his aura, being replaced by a black scythe, but this scythe was almost abnormally long and had a very wide blade. Roc leapt in front of Victor, and with a single horizontal swipe, he beheaded all of the Nevermores, ending them once and for all.

As the dust settled, Roc put his weapon away and turned to Victor with a triumphant smile on his face. “Not bad for our first team attack. Up high!” Roc lifted his hand up for a high-five, but Victor just eyed the hand with a stoic glance. Roc deadpanned and put his hand down. “Alright, you’re apparently not one for celebrations…”

Back with Malak, he had been joined by Whitley to deal with the two Death Stalkers. While Malak dealt with the fire Death Stalker, Whitley dealt with the ice one. Whitley dive-rolled a good distance away from the stinger of the ice Death Stalker before it could stab him. Whitley fired a wave of fire dust from his scimitar, aiming straight for the stinger. ‘Maybe I could melt that annoying appendage,’ he thought.

It didn’t melt the stinger, but it did cause the giant scorpion a ton of pain to the point where it began to thrash about, attacking its ally as it tried to put out the fire on its tail by slapping it against any surface it could. Malak took this chance to get away from the fire Death Stalker to give himself some time to recover his stamina. Malak ran over to Whitley and the two watched as the ice Death Stalker continued its rampage. The arachnid accidentally hit a large shipping container, causing it to go flying towards Whitley and Malak.

“Oh crap!” Malak shouted as he and Whitley both moved to avoid the container. Whitley used a bunch of glyph platforms to get above the container while Malak simply used his magic to fly up and avoid it. As the two remained in the air, they looked down at the two mutated scorpions that were in a bit of a skirmish. Malak turned to Whitley and asked, “Why don’t we bombard them with everything we have?”

Whiltey shook his head at the idea, giving his current teammate a look that said, “Are you a fool?” With a sarcastic tone, Whitley said, “Oh sure, waste a ton of dust eliminating two Grimm with a bombardment attack. That will certainly not have any consequences in the future.”

Malak, despite being annoyed by the Schnee’s sarcasm, couldn’t help but agree. Sure, Victor was basically a living dust mine, but they had no clue if he could form actual crystals for them to use. Roc didn’t even use dust, and Malak had no need for it. Whitley had to conserve his ammo. Malak put a hand to his head and began to think. “Hmm…how about you hold them in place while I go for the kill?” he suggested.

Whitley shrugged in response. “It is worth a shot. Do what you must,” he said before firing precise shots of ice dust at the legs of the Death Stalkers, holding them in place as Malak flew down, summoning a large axe made of lightning. Gripping the axe with both hands, he swiped off the stingers first, rendering them useless before cleaving the fire Death Stalker in half. The beast cried out as it was sliced apart before fading into black smoke. Malak wasted no time in finishing off the other by throwing his axe straight into its skull. Electricity engulfed the monster before it exploded in a flash of yellow.

Malak looked up at Whitley and gave him a thumbs up. Whitley just gave the magic user a cocky smirk as he leapt down from his position. The pair then walked over to Victor and Roc, who were looking a little beat up, but nothing Roc’s aura and Victor’s regeneration couldn’t fix. Whitley, feeling a little smug, couldn’t help but boast a bit. “It seems that you two had a harder time than us.”

Roc rolled his eyes in response. “Yeah, yeah, soak it up ice prince,” he jabbed, annoying Whitley with the nickname. Roc sighed and crossed his arms. “I gotta say, that went a lot better than our last team up. It was a good idea to talk about what we could do before leaving that cave.”

Malak rubbed the back of his head in response to that. “Actually, I think there were some things we missed. Hey Victor, can you create dust crystals or powdered dust?” he asked, causing everyone to turn to the stoic fighter.

Victor nodded and raised his hand, creating a fire dust crystal. “Yes, I can. Why do you ask?”

Whitley sighed in relief. “That is good news for once. I don’t have to worry about running out of dust if you can help me refill the vials…” Whitley wouldn’t admit it, but his fighting style relied on dust a lot, and he needed as much of it as he could carry.

Roc smirked and elbowed the younger teen a bit. “Well, would you look at that, the Schnee’s pockets aren’t as deep as they say,” he joked, causing Whitley to fume a bit while Malak couldn’t help but snicker. Victor remained a stoic as ever.

Whitley, not about to take that lying down, to a shot a Roc in return. “Oh, don’t act like you don’t have your own flaws you uncouth bandit. That semblance of yours would have been really helpful if it worked on the Grimm.”

When the team learned about Roc’s semblance, they couldn’t help but be amazed and somewhat terrified. Malak and Whitely both backed away from Roc when they heard what he could do to their powers, including Malak’s magic. While Victor wasn’t too affected by the revelation since he didn’t even use aura or a semblance, even he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Roc frowned at Whitley’s comment. “Hey, it’s not my fault my semblance doesn’t work on anything without a soul! Trust me, if I were going up against actual people, I’d cream them into oblivion!” he proclaimed, seeming very confident in his abilities.

At that moment, the sound of a speaker turning on could be heard, causing some of the team to flinch at the loudness. From the speaker, Dr. Sas’ voice could be heard. “Oh, is that so? Well, if you’re so confident in your abilities, perhaps we should put them to the test,” Dr. Sas challenged.

The team saw a tower light up like a beacon, as if it was a sort of waypoint. “Go to that location, and we’ll see if you can back up your claims Roc.” And with one final maniacal laugh, Dr. Sas’ voice was gone.

Whitley knew full well this was a trap. “Seriously, he lit up a tower like some sort of waypoint in a video game,” he muttered.

Roc, wanting to prove himself right, began running off along the path, causing the rest to run after him. “Roc, wait up!” Malak said as he, Victor, and a reluctant Whitley ran after him.

Chapter Text

Haven Academy, Lionheart’s Office…

“L-Lady Salem, please, I tried my-ACK!” The poor headmaster didn’t even get to finish his sentence, as the Seer Grimm’s red tentacles wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply and lifting him into the air.

Salem, being projected as an astral image thanks to the Seer, looked at the struggling headmaster with disappointment, and disappointment was not something you wanted Salem to feel. “Trying your best is not enough Lionheart. I want information, and I want it NOW,” she said before commanding the Seer to slam Lionheart into a wall, taking out a good chunk of his aura. “Now…tell me…what have you found?”

As the Seer released him, Leo crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. “Hah…Hah…I told you, there was almost nothing! Aside from Whitley Schnee, there’s almost nothing on the 4 individuals that were taken! The black-haired one may have a connection to Raven and Qrow Branwen! He may be the missing Roc Xiao-Long that vanished alongside his mother 17 years ago! For the dust user, there’s absolutely nothing on record! No family, no history, NOTHING!” he said in a panicked tone of voice.

Salem’s gleaming eyes narrowed as she stared down at the headmaster of Haven. “I see…and the last child? Have you found anything regarding him?” she inquired. To her, Malak was the top priority. He was a maiden, yet he was not. She needed to know why that was.

Lionheart barely managed to steady his breathing as he stood to his feet and dusted himself off. “I’m sorry, but I could not find much on him either. The old librarian that seemed fairly close to him said that she believed he was an orphan, but we haven’t found any records of him in any orphanage. The only other things I could find were reports of him being involved in stopping a joint operation between the Hana Guild and the White Fang, but he vanished soon after the police arrived.”

Salem looked very disappointed. This wasn’t what she was hoping for. ‘Nothing? How can there be nothing? Has Ozma already found this boy and hid everything about his existence? No…if that were true, then this worthless little lion would know,’ she thought before sighing. “Do not stop searching. If you find ANYTHING, you report it to me.” And with that, she vanished.

Leo sighed in relief. “Gods…I am getting too old for this…”

Mistral, Miss Malachite’s Bar…

Today was not a good day for the leader of the Spider crime syndicate, who was currently hiding behind a table. Everything was going well today until the last person she wanted to see showed up. There were very few individuals Malachite feared. The bandit queen currently tearing through some of her best fighters was one of those individuals.

Raven backhanded a man through the glass window, using her superior strength to send him flying out at high speeds. Two other fighters tried to attack her from behind with daggers, but Raven quickly turned around and grabbed one wrist from each of them, breaking them with a sickening crack. The two goons cried out in agony as they dropped their daggers and fell to the ground, clutching their broken wrists with their unharmed hands. Raven lifted one up by the neck and threw her straight into the back bar, shattering many bottles in the process. As for the other, he was smart enough to run out of the bar when he realized how outmatched he was.

Raven’s crimson eyes were practically glowing with rage behind her mask as she turned to the table she saw Malachite hide behind when she started her reign of terror. ‘Oh no, you’re not hiding information that could save my son from me.’ She slowly stalked over, boots clacking across the ground menacingly. One idiotic goon screamed and ran at her from her right side, but the moment her head snapped his way, he yelped and ran off.

Malachite thought she could hide from Raven. She was proven wrong when a hand gripped her hair incredibly tightly and lifted her up from behind the table and threw her into another, causing it to shatter into pieces. Malachite groaned in pain, rubbing the back of her head, but the moment she saw Raven moving her way, she waved her hands in front of her. “R-Raven, stop this! I told you, I don’t know anything! I’m sorry about your brat, but-!”

Raven wasn’t having any of it. She grabbed Malachite by the collar of her dress and lifted her up, slamming her into a nearby wall. The mask Raven wore did little to hide her fury, but it did make her a lot more terrifying. She leaned in, inches from Malachite’s face, and spoke with a threatening whisper. “Listen to me carefully. My son just got kidnapped by androids, and those androids were made by Merlot, a man I know very well. But he couldn’t have gotten that kind of funding through normal means, especially since he’s considered a dead man alongside his partner in crime…”

Raven did know Merlot and a bit about Sas. During her time as a huntress, many were fearful of Merlot’s ambitions, so Oz made her a watch dog of sorts. Or a watch bird. In fact, Raven was the one who warned Oz about Merlot’s plans for Mountain Glenn. Raven wasn’t there for what happened after, but she, like many others, assumed that Merlot and Sas had died with their failures. After what happened to her son, she knew that couldn’t be the case.

Malachite’s heart was pounding in her chest. Raven was terrifying because you couldn’t threaten her, not with anything. At least, not with anything Malachite knew would actually work. “L-Listen, I didn’t supply anything! Even I wouldn’t trust those bastards! They came to me first, but I refused! He and Sas must’ve gotten it all from another crime family!” she squealed, not wanting to die an early death.

Raven slammed her into the wall again, which would definitely leave a mark. “WHERE?!” she demanded, raising her voice as high as it could go.

Malachite, dazed from the pain, managed to say, “I DON’T KNOW! I SWEAR, I DON’T KNOW! PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO ALREADY!” she begged/yelled. Raven looked her dead in the eye for a few seconds, searching for any hint of deceit. When she found none, she dropped the crime lord to the ground and walked out of the now ruined bar. Seriously, tables and chairs were out of place, windows were broken, there were a few dead bodies, the place went to shit in less than 5 minutes.

Mistral, outside Malachite’s bar…

“Welp…this day just got interesting…” muttered one Qrow Branwen, professional huntsman and bad luck charm (something he always hated). He came here on a mission, as he needed some very important information regarding the 4 kidnappings that happened very recently. Oz wanted him on this ASAP, and Qrow knew the only place to get the best information was from Lil’ Miss Malachite. Unfortunately for him, someone got to her first. That person was his twin sister, who he saw walking outside of the destroyed bar. ‘Like mother like daughter…’ Qrow thought, remembering his niece’s stunt before her first term at Beacon. She was very lucky that very few people were willing to mess with huntsmen or huntsmen families, otherwise, she’d be in big trouble.

As much as Qrow would just love to walk away, he needed information, and if Raven had some, he was going to get it out of her. So, he waved and called her over. “Hey, old hag! Up for a little reunion?!” The moment Raven stopped dead in her tracks, Qrow knew he had her. It was always easy to get under Raven’s skin if you commented on her age.

Raven turned to face her brother. Just hearing his voice gave her a migraine. She clutched the side of her head and sighed behind her mask. ‘I do not need this right now…’ she thought. As she heard Qrow waltz over to her, she removed her mask and gave him a glare. “Why the hell are you here? Did the old man send you on another mission? What, is he finally trying to come after me after all these years?”

Qrow took a quick sip from his flask before sighing and shaking his head. “As much as I’d love to tell you ‘yes,’ that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because you definitely have info I need.” He pointed at the destroyed bar Raven just left. “I’m willing to bet that you’re behind that, and I’m pretty sure I’d win that bet, even with my bad luck.”

Raven rolled her eyes before crossing her arms. “Don’t bother. There’s nothing valuable that I’ve learned,” she said before starting to walk off, only for Qrow to grab her by the shoulder.

Qrow’s expression turned stern. “Don’t even think about it Rae. You know something, and you’re gonna tell me. What did you learn?” he asked, his tone leaving no room for debate.

Raven thought about it for a moment. If she slipped up, Qrow might figure out that Roc had been taken. The fact that he didn’t even bring Roc up made that clear that he didn't know Roc had been kidnapped in the first place, or if he did, he didn't know it was actually Roc. If he did find out, what would happen after? Would Qrow go back to Oz and have him send everything they have at her tribe? That would not end well, for multiple reasons. Firstly, if Roc somehow returned and learned what happened to her and the tribe, he’d go berserk, hunting down the ones who took them out or arrested them. Either way, if he planned on doing that, he’d have to reveal his semblance, and the moment he did that, he would be on Salem’s radar, and she would stop at NOTHING to get her hands on him. His semblance was simply too powerful. If Salem didn’t get to him, Ozpin certainly would, and while that was the better outcome, as Roc WOULD be around the rest of his family, she doubted Roc would be able to get along well with them, especially if he met his sisters…

“Don’t worry mom. Family is family, through thick and thin. No matter what happens, I’ll always protect you and my family.”  Roc’s words from years ago echoed through her mind, reminding her of just the type of person her son was. There was no way he would ever hate his family, it just wasn’t possible. Regardless, she couldn’t tell Qrow about Roc. She had to be careful.

With a long sigh, Raven relented and told her brother a bit about what she learned. “I’m sure you and Oz already figured out that it was Merlot and Sas. Unfortunately, the Spider’s weren’t involved in it. Some other crime family was funding everything, but I don’t know who, and neither does Malachite,” she explained.

Qrow facepalmed in annoyance. He came all this way for basically nothing. That information wouldn’t help him or Oz at all. “Great…just my luck…”

Raven couldn’t help but smirk at her brother’s signature misfortune. “You should have brought some clovers or dreamcatchers with you little brother. Maybe then you would have gotten something good,” she joked, causing Qrow to deadpan. With nothing left to say, Raven turned to leave when Qrow asked her something else.

“Where’s Roc?”

His question caused her to stop in her tracks for the second time. She didn’t say a word. Qrow, not happy with the lack of a response, asked again. “Where’s Roc? Where’s my nephew Raven?” he asked, reaching down to grab the hilt of his weapon, ready to fight if he needed to.

Raven responded with more intensity than she intended, but it didn’t really matter now. She turned to him with a harsh glare. “That’s not your concern!” She wasn’t about to reveal anything that would put her son on Ozpin’s radar.

Qrow wasn’t going to let up. He returned Raven’s glare with an equally harsh one, one that could only be understood by siblings with a bitter relationship. “Don’t bullshit me! That’s my nephew, the nephew YOU took away when you bailed on us! I have EVERY RIGHT to know what happened to him!” he yelled, taking a threatening step forward.

Raven took a step forward as well, her hand going to Omen’s hilt in preparation. “Why the hell would I tell you shit?! I’m not going back, and I’m not letting Ozpin get anywhere near him!” she yelled in return.

If there wasn’t a tick mark on Qrow’s face earlier, there certainly was now. “Raven, for the last time, Ozpin’s trying to save the world! It’s his duty, just like it’s yours, but unlike you, he didn’t run from it when shit got tough! We HAVE to win this!”

Raven wanted so badly to throttle her brother. How could he still not get it?! “Damnit Qrow, THERE IS NO BEATING SALEM, AND I REFUSE TO GET ROC INVOLVED IN ANY OF IT! HE ALREADY SAID HE WOULDN’T GET INVOLVED IF HE COULD AVOID IT!!!”

Qrow’s eyes went wide in response to Raven’s words. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. It couldn’t be. ”You…you told him?” he breathed.

Raven’s eyes widened slightly when she realized her mistake. Without a word, she caught Qrow by surprise and knocked him away with a kick before using her semblance to open a portal, using her link with Vernal to get her out of there.

Qrow grunted as he landed hard on the ground. He got up quickly and tried to grab Raven before she could get away, but just before he could, she had already walked through the portal, quickly shutting it behind her. Qrow cursed his luck for the third time today. “Damnit…this ain’t good…”

Beacon Academy, Ozpin’s Office, 1 hour later…

“She what?!” Glynda gasped. Qrow had just started a call between him, Ozpin, and herself, and she didn’t exactly like what he was telling her.

“I know, I don’t like it either, but Roc knows, and that means he’s not gonna be siding with us anytime soon. Not that his mom would allow it anyway,” Qrow said over the scroll. The look on his face made it clear that he wasn’t too happy with the revelations he received from Raven.

Ozpin clasped his fingers together and sighed. He wasn’t surprised that Raven would reveal information regarding Salem to Roc. Honestly, he’d be more surprised if she didn’t. But why? Did she truly love her son and wanted to protect him? If so, why leave with just him and not both of her children? What was the reason? The headmaster shook away those thoughts for the time being. “Did you learn anything else from her?” he asked.

Qrow shook his head with a small frown. “Sorry Oz, but she already got plenty of info out of Malachite, and none of it was useful. Merlot and Sas DID ask the Spider’s to fund them, but for whatever reason, they were turned down. They got it from some other crime family, but I don’t know which one.”

That was peculiar. The Spider’s weren’t normally ones to turn down such powerful allies. ‘Then again, I suppose even THEY wouldn’t like the idea of working with those two mad scientists…’ Ozpin thought.

Glynda sighed, feeling tired already. It was already fairly late, and she needed to rest. Turning to Ozpin, she said, “Headmaster, we can discuss these events in the morning. I believe we could all use some rest after such a long day.”

It was a fair point. With everything happening so fast and such speedy information gathering, it was starting to take a toll on everyone. “Agreed. Go on ahead you two, I will finish up here.”

Qrow ended the call with a nod and Glynda bowed before leaving through the elevator. Ozpin sighed and looked out at the night sky with a worried gaze. The shattered moon provided an almost eerie atmosphere with its light. ‘Those 4…will they be able to make it through their harrowing journey?’

Unknown Island…

Despite the fact that they had a literal beacon to guide their way, the journey to their new location was taking them hours to complete. Everyone was getting tired, including Victor, and he had the most stamina out of the group by far. They ended up finding themselves in a fairly sparse forest with no Grimm or enemies in sight, thankfully.

Whitley, who was practically dragging himself along the ground, started to complain. “Roc…for the love of the gods…we’ve been trudging along this path for HOURS…!” he heaved, exhausted from all of the walking he’s been doing.

Malak, feeling a bit concerned about the youngest and definitely most inexperienced member of their team, nodded in agreement and looked around the area. “He’s right Roc. It’s getting late, and this place looks like a good spot to set up camp. It’s not like anything is going anywhere since we can’t just leave,” he stated.

Roc, who was a bit further ahead, turned to face them a nodded as a bead of sweat dripped down his face. “Yeah, alright, we can get some shut eye. Let’s gather some wood,” he said.

Whitley wasn’t exactly happy about this arrangement. He wanted to rest in a bed, as he wasn’t used to this sort of situation. He practically slumped against the closest tree he could find. “Why…would we sleep all the way out here…?”

Roc rolled his eyes and began cutting down a tree with his double-edged sword. That one was better for cutting down trees. “Because,” he started before grunting as he began chopping away at the tree, “we have to make an actual camp AND a fire to keep ourselves warm. Besides, we need to get some food as well. It’s not gonna be a home-cooked meal or anything, but it’s the best we’re gonna get, so don’t go complaining about the lack of fancy or proper meals,” he told the Schnee.

Victor began following Roc’s lead silently, using his baton and some hard-light dust to make a makeshift axe. Malak did the same using his magic, and Whitley sighed before relenting and joining in the woodcutting, using his scimitar to do so.

After about half an hour, the group had made camp. Thanks to Roc’s survival skills, it was actually pretty well-made. Plus, Roc and Malak had gone hunting for food and were lucky enough to find some actual wildlife. Now, all 4 of them were sitting around the campfire, eating roasted deer and bear meat.

Whitley, though reluctant, managed to find the strength to eat his share. “I’m honestly surprised that there is wildlife still roaming this island. I thought that they would have been cleared out,” he thought aloud.

Victor, swallowing a piece of deer meat, shook his head. “Merlot and Sas aren’t going to waste resources clearing out wildlife needlessly. Besides, they’ve clearly been here for a while if they’ve been able to set up so much equipment already.”

Whitley nodded in understanding before turning to face Roc, who was currently munching on some cooked deer. “Roc, I’ve been meaning to ask…”

Roc swallowed his meat and looked at Whitley with a raised eyebrow, wondering what the Schnee could want. “Yeah?” he asked, letting Whitley take the floor.

“Do you happen to know an old drunkard of a huntsman who shares your last name? From what I could gather, he frequently annoys my sister and the general of Atlas to no end,” he questioned, causing Victor to look up from his meal at the mention of his “father.” It was rare to see him so invested.

Malak listened silently, wondering why Whitley was so curious. ‘From what I know, the Schnees aren’t exactly known for their familial bond. Why would he be so interested in who his sister associates with, and by extension, their family?’ he questioned, not really getting what could possess someone to ask a question under those circumstances. Despite his knowledge regarding many things, Malak knew there were some things he might never understand. ‘I really need to interact with more people…’ he lamented before shaking his head slightly, remembering why he tried to avoid people whenever he could.

Roc thought about how he should answer. He doubted Whitley and Victor knew about the bandit tribe he was from, but he wasn’t too sure about Malak. ‘It’s not like it matters. After all, we’d still have to all work together in order to get out of here,’ Roc thought before finally deciding to answer Whitley’s question carefully. “You’re probably thinking about my uncle, Qrow Branwen. I’ve never personally met the old guy, but from what you’ve described, he’s exactly how mom described him. A drunk, and an annoying one at that.” Not that he was any better, really. He could be really annoying when he wanted to be. His many incidents with Vernal were proof of that. He couldn’t help it; he liked annoying her sometimes.

Whitley’s eyes widened slightly. He leaned forward a bit, crossing one arm over his knee as he did so. “Truly? You’ve never met him? Is your family…separated?” he wondered. More often than not, he wondered what his life would have been like if his family split apart. He wondered who would go with whom.

Roc couldn’t help but snort. He had no reason to indulge in Whitley’s curiosity, but he saw no harm in doing so. “Basically. I never really met my dad or my uncle. I know who they are, but I haven’t spoken to them once in my life,” he said before sighing and laying on his back, looking up at the stars in the sky. “The only blood relative I know and see frequently is my mom. She raised me from birth. In fact, she probably just got done maiming and killing a few criminals in order to intimidate big crime lords into giving her any information that may lead her to me.” That last part was oddly specific, and the other three had no clue how to feel about that, though Malak looked the least surprised.

Victor, normally not bothering with his, couldn’t help but grow a teensy bit curious to learn more. “Hmm…odd…most families tend to stick together unless a death occurs,” he commented, making Roc shake his head a bit.

“Nah, there’s plenty of reasons for families to split apart, and I know exactly why mine did.” When he briefly took a glance at the curious looks on their faces, he frowned. “Hey, don’t think I’m gonna go and reveal EVERYTHING. I just met you guys, and I don’t think we’re close enough to go revealing family secrets and all that.”

Malak frowned slightly and decided to call Roc out on his hypocrisy. “Hey, weren’t you the one grilling me earlier for not telling you the full truth? Do you not see the hypocrisy there at all?” he asked rhetorically, referring to when they first woke up in that cave.

Roc just shrugged off Malak’s criticisms. “Yeah, I do, but at least I KNOW I’m a hypocrite like everyone else. You won’t see me calling out hypocrisy anytime soon. I mean, no human or Faunus can ever be 100% consistent. Nobody’s immune to hypocrisy,” he said.

The others, especially Whitley, couldn’t disagree. Whitley facepalmed and let out a tired sigh. “I cannot disagree with you Branwen. I’ve met many hypocrites, and even I know I can be inconsistent and contradict myself.”

Victor and Malak just nodded in agreement. After a while, the 4 finally went to sleep, using leaves as beds. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best they could do. And so, the quartet would drift off to sleep, but Malak didn’t fall asleep so easily. He was deep in his own thoughts.

‘These guys…should I trust them with my secrets? What’s gonna happen if we’re forced into a situation where I’ll have to reveal the truth?’ he thought before sighing. ‘Now I know how HE feels…’

Chapter Text

Evernight Castle, Salem’s throne room, about 1 year ago…

Salem looked down at the three kneeling before her with slight disappointment. Emerald was visibly sweating bullets while Cinder and Mercury seemed to be managing their fear a bit well. Salem let out a slight sigh as she leaned forward in her throne a bit before speaking. “I send you three to acquire the magic of the Fall Maiden, and you only come back with HALF of what is required?” She didn’t raise her voice, but it was clear to all three of them that she wasn’t happy.

Emerald foolishly spoke up first, probably not thinking straight because she was panicking. With slightly dilated pupils, she said, “W-We tried our best, but-“ A harsh glare from Salem was enough to get the green-haired thief to shut up and wither back a bit.

Salem rose from her throne and strode down the steps so she could get closer. “Your best clearly wasn’t good enough. If I were a lesser woman, I would kill you all right now…” Her tone was laced with clear malevolence, and they all knew she wasn’t lying. Even if they fought back, they couldn’t win. “But I am no fool. At the very least, one of Ozpin’s pawns is out of commission, and Cinder will be able to acquire the rest of the magic soon enough.”

The three pawns of Salem all breathed slight sighs of relief. Cinder looked up into Salem’s dark gaze. “My mistress, what will you have me do?” Cinder asked, hoping that whatever it was would allow her the chance to gain more power.

Much to Cinder’s delight, Salem gave her exactly what she wanted. Salem turned her gaze to another door before speaking. “You have much to learn Cinder. Even though you only have half of the Fall Maiden’s magic, it is imperative that you learn how to harness it regardless. Now that you have acquired magic, it is time that I teach you how it works…”

Unknown Warehouse, Present Day…

Cinder sighed as she used her magic to conjure three orbs of fire and use them to destroy three more holographic Grimm. It was early in the morning, but Cinder had gotten use to early mornings, especially for these training sessions using a training program Watts had developed. She may hate him, but Watts’ technological prowess was definitely useful. She basically had a portable training room she could store in her scroll. She wondered why he didn’t just use his talents to make a living selling portable items. ‘Ego, I suppose,’ she thought before tapping a few buttons on her scroll, ending the training program. ‘As Salem said, I need to find time to use it as much as possible, as that is how it will grow. If I don’t, its power will start to wane. Though, based on what she said, I COULD grow strong enough with it to the point where I don’t need the other half…’ she trailed off before shaking her head. No, she wanted ALL of the power. She NEEDED that power.

When she heard the steel door open, she turned her head upwards to see Mercury walking into the room using the walkway. There was a serious look on his face, which meant whatever he said was very important. “What is it?” she inquired, leaping up to meet him on the walkway.

“It’s Salem. She’s called a meeting. Apparently, that psycho has something to say,” Mercury answered, jabbing a thumb at the door behind him. “She said to hurry it up.”

Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald all stood before the Seer Grimm. They always kept one on hand in case they needed to communicate directly with Salem. Luckily, they came in small sizes. Salem, Hazel, Tyrian, Watts, and Lionheart were all visible thanks to the Seer’s astral projection capabilities.

Salem turned her gaze to Tyrian, who had the same psychotic grin he always had plastered onto his face. “Tyrian, you said you had important information?” the Grimm Queen inquired, gesturing with her hand for him to speak.

Tyrian giggled slightly, more than eager to please his goddess. “Yes, my queen. You see, unlike SOME people,” he started before he creepily tilted his head towards Lionheart, who visibly shuddered, “I managed to find some information about one of the poor fools who got themselves kidnapped.”

That was something worth talking about alright. Despite all of their efforts, none of them could find much regarding Roc, Victor, and Malak. Salem let out a small, but genuine smile. “Excellent work Tyrian. Tell us, what have you found?”

Tyrian’s grin widened when he saw the pleased look on Salem’s face. Hazel rolled his eyes at Tyrian’s fanaticism, and Cinder didn’t blame him. It really could get annoying. “Of course, my goddess. See, I was just minding my own business in Anima when I came across some old friends of mine from the Hearth that I used to kill with.”

‘He had FRIENDS?!’ was the thought that ran through nearly everyone’s mind.

Tyrian continued, his tail curling slightly. “As we were catching up, they told me of a little incident that happened not long ago with the Branwen Tribe. They tried to attack them, but nobody was there except for one young warrior. They didn’t get his name, but he IS the son of Raven Branwen.”

That intrigued everyone greatly. Raven was always a bit of a problem prior to her vanishing from Ozpin’s group. From what Lionheart told them, she left with one of her children, named Roc Xiao-Long at birth, though he more than likely used his mother’s surname instead of his father’s. Watts scratched his beard in thought. “He took down members of the Hearth on his own? Even if they were grunts, that is still an impressive feat,” he observed/complimented. Even Watts could give credit where credit is due.

Hazel crossed his arms before replying. “Considering what we know about his mother, this shouldn’t be a surprise.” Hazel had a brief encounter with Raven prior to joining Salem. It wasn’t long but considering the rumors about her and the Branwen Tribe as a whole, it wouldn’t surprise him if she personally trained Roc. That meant he was probably stronger than the average huntsman-in-training. Perhaps third-year level. “Is there anything else of note about him?”

“Oho…there is,” Tyrian started with a wicked smile. “When I first learned about it, I didn’t believe it, but I talked directly to the people that were actually there. They were the only two survivors. Raven’s little bird has a semblance that lets him steal aura from others!”

Everyone with an aura visibly tensed. That…wasn’t possible. Sure, there were devices that could suppress aura, but never drain it from others. That would mean their semblances were useless as well as their defenses. Lionheart chuckled nervously, internally praying that Tyrian was lying. “T-That has to be a joke, right?”

Unfortunately, the scorpion Faunus wasn’t joking. “Oh no, he spared one of them and let her go. She told me herself. One of her gladiator friends bailed on her after bird boy drained his aura. Not only that, but two of the other grunts they brought with them?” Tyrian let out a maniacal cackle as he recalled what he heard. “They looked absolutely soulless after he attacked them! The boy can drain souls too!”

Lionheart went as white as a sheet. The others weren’t too far behind. It was one thing to take someone’s aura, but to take someone’s soul?! Nobody noticed, but Salem’s expression shifted to something you’d never find on someone who couldn’t die. ‘That’s…not good,’ she thought before asking, “What happens to those souls? What does he do with them?”

Tyrian shrugs. “I don’t know, sadly, but who knows? Maybe he’s stored them in some sort of void, waiting for the right moment to use them.”

As the Faunus explained more of what he knew, everyone began to realize one thing. Roc was too powerful. The boy had implied that he COULD take semblances, though this was unconfirmed. Still, if he could, then what else was he capable of taking? Could he take magic as well? Cinder almost shuddered at the thought. If he wanted, Roc might be able to take her magic and use it for himself. ‘No, it’s not possible. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to use it,’ she reassured herself, remembering who could and who couldn’t become a maiden and use their magic.

She turned to her left and saw Mercury looking notably uncomfortable. “Mercury?” she asked. Not out of concern, but simply intrigue.

Mercury sighed as he clenched his fists. His expression was a mixture of anger and fear. “He…might actually be able to take semblances. My old man, he could do the same, but he couldn’t use them himself or give them back. If the kid said his semblance was THAT versatile, he may be hiding more than we think,” he said in a low tone.

Marcus Black was no stranger to the group. In fact, Cinder had been sent to recruit him, but she found that he had been killed by Mercury. Mercury knew him best, so it was best to consider the possibility that Roc COULD take semblances and potentially use them for himself. That meant it would be VERY difficult to defeat him.

Salem’s expression sharpened. She gave everyone a glance before speaking. “Find out more about this boy. He and the magic user are your top priorities. The Schnee and the older one are of little use to us. Find Roc and the other boy, and bring them to me ALIVE,” she ordered.

Hazel was about to protest, but Salem cut her connection to the Seer, which made him sigh. There was a frown on his face, though it wasn’t uncommon for that to happen. ‘They are both children. They shouldn’t be involved in this…’ he thought, giving Mercury and Emerald a brief but sad look that went unnoticed. He sighed before ending the call himself, as did the others.

Emerald turned to Cinder, unsure of what to say. “I…” she started, but trailed off, thinking about what she had just learned. Someone like Roc actually existed. “I-If he doesn’t join us, what do we do?”

Cinder, for once, had no response. Sure, she could plan an attack like she did with Amber, but what could you do against someone that could rip out souls and steal aura and potentially semblances and magic? Cinder shook her head. She had other things to worry about. “We have other plans. Leave Roc and the boy to the rest.”

Merlot and Sas’ Island, 3 hours later…

“You can WHAT?!”

Whitley’s shriek was not surprising to Roc at all. As the team continued on their journey, Roc had decided to remind them of what his semblance could do as well as a few other tidbits of information he didn’t tell them. “Yep, I can take someone’s soul.”

Malak visibly shuddered at the idea. “That’s pretty messed up. I mean, it’s one thing to take someone’s aura, semblance, and magic, but their souls?!” Malak wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. Having your soul taken is pretty harsh. Most people would prefer an afterlife to nothingness, and you’d need a soul to move onto the afterlife.

Roc frowned as the group used a bridge to get across a large lake. “Hey, I don’t get to control what my semblance can do, okay? Like, even I’m not sure how far I can push it,” he countered, not happy with the sudden hostility, even though that’s not what it was.

Victor, who was a bit closer to Roc than the others and fairly unbothered by the idea of having his soul taken, raised an eyebrow. “So, despite having your semblance for years, you still don’t know all it can do?” he asked. “If you were trained by a former huntress, surely you’d know the full extent of your power.” After all, most hunters were trained to master their semblance.

Roc shakes his head. “Sorry, but considering how little I got to use it over the years, I never got enough real experience. My mom told me that I need to experiment with it regardless though.” She was VERY hands-on when it came to that part of their training. Seriously, she would scold him if he didn’t use his semblance as much as possible. Roc stopped and turned to face the others. “And with her help, I DID learn I can do this,” he said he snapped his fingers, opening up a swirling black portal beside him. Whitley and Malak took a step back in shock while Victor remained stoic. A shadowy figure emerged out of the portal, but they looked…incomplete. The shadow had no face, and their limbs were in the wrong places. Its right leg was sticking out of its stomach, and its arms were on its back.

Whitley looked a bit horrified and disgusted by what he saw. “What in the name of the gods is THAT abomination?!” he exclaimed, pointing a figure at the incomplete living shadow. If that were an actual human or Faunus, he would have thrown up almost instantly.

Roc dismissed the shadow, causing it to vanish, bringing relief to Whitley. Roc rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish look on his face as he explained himself. “So, the souls I take from others; they don’t necessarily vanish unless I want them to. Yes, I can destroy the soul or anything tied to it with my semblance, but more generally, I prefer either turning them off or taking them, though most of my stolen semblances aren’t that useful right now.”

That made some sense. If Roc could take something, that meant he could give it back or send it somewhere else. Malak, hoping to learn more, spoke up. “So…do the souls talk to you or something?” he asked, only to receive a shake of the head from Roc. “Wait, so they’re just…silent?”

Roc facepalms, cursing himself for not clarifying further. “No, they CAN talk, but I don’t let them. Plus, I don’t let them linger for too long. I mean, they might take over my body if I do. So, generally, I let the part of their soul that contains their consciousness go off into the afterlife at some point. The part of the soul that contains their powers or semblances stays with me. Plus, I can turn that part of them into living shadow soldiers.” He blinks before remembering how that turned out.  “Or I can at least try…” he said sheepishly.

The other three looked at each other with various expressions before turning back to Roc. Victor spoke up first. “It seems you still have a lot to work on,” he said before walking ahead of them.

Roc frowned at Victor’s brief comment. “Hey, you could at least offer some words of advice!” Victor didn’t respond, he just continued walking. Roc sighed and turned back to Whitley and Malak. “I know he has problems with his soul and all, but he could at least TRY…” he complained.

Malak just shrugged and continued onward while Whitley noticed something in the lake. He leaned over the bridge to see what it was before he gasped in shock as a manta Grimm leapt out and tried to attack Whitley with its stinger. Malak was quick to turn back around and fire a spear of lightning into the Grimm’s body, paralyzing it and allowing Whitley to slice it apart.

While Whitley went to thank Malak, Roc took note of Malak’s attack. It was slightly bigger than before. He caught up with the others before he asked Malak, “Hey, your little spear was bigger than before. You noticed, right?”

Malak internally sighed. He was afraid this might happen. ‘I wasn’t hoping it would happen THIS soon…’ he thought before responding as the group came across a crossroad and took the left path. “Not really. I didn’t pay too much attention.”

Whitley, curious to learn more about magic, turned to Malak with a curious expression on his face. “Malak, how does magic work exactly? You said that it requires no aura to use, but you never explained any more than that,” he said, recalling their previous conversation in the cave regarding magic. Whitley still found it incredible that magic was real.

Malak shrugged in response to Whitley’s question. “Sorry, but I don’t know much. I haven’t met any other magic users.”

Roc frowned, knowing full well that Malak was lying. He was WAY too good with magic. Someone had to have trained him. When Whitley turned to him for an explanation, he sighed, recalling an event from a few years ago.

Branwen Tribe Camp, a few years ago…

Roc grunted as he dodged another wave of ice shards thrown his way. Training with his mom was always difficult, but during the rare occasions where she was actually using her magic, it was absolute hell. He ducked behind a large tree stump and used it as cover from the ice shards. ‘Damnit, mom’s not letting me get near her so I can’t shut off her magic!’ he thought as he poked his head out from behind the stump to see his mother using her magic to stay airborne while bombarding his position with ice shards. It was no secret to Raven that her son could shut off any of her abilities, including her magic. ‘Mom’s no idiot. She’s playing it smart. I need to make some sort of contact with her for my semblance to work. Maybe…’ Roc thought for a moment before he slammed his palm into the ground, summoning multiple bird-like projectiles that flew around the ice shard barrage and towards Raven, but his plan was doomed to fail because she summoned lightning from the skies to take them out. “Shit!” he exclaimed.

Suddenly, the barrage of ice stopped. Roc blinked a few times and looked for his mother, only to realize that she had vanished. “Mom?” he questioned, more to himself than anyone else. No response. Then, he felt something sharp gently graze his neck. He sighed, knowing he had fallen for another one of her tricks. She had used her semblance to get to him without him noticing, as shown by the red portal closing behind her. “You win…” he said reluctantly.

Raven sheathed Omen and helped her son to his feet. She sighed, sounding a little disappointed. “Roc, you need to learn how to use your environment better and not wait too long to attack,” she criticized before gesturing to the many trees around them, all of which were fairly thick. There were some that were destroyed thanks to Raven, but plenty remained. “You could have used your semblance to enhance your speed and use the trees as cover to get behind me and catch me off guard. Remember, your semblance works on yourself as well.”

Roc sighed as he listened to Raven’s criticisms. She was the most experienced of the two, so she knew what she was talking about. “Alright, alright…” he muttered before crossing his arms. “So, why use your magic this time? I mean, sure, we’re away from anyone that might notice, but why use it on me now?” It was rare for her to use the Spring Maiden magic she acquired during training.

Raven briefly glanced around to check if anyone else was around. There wasn’t anyone around, thankfully. Her gaze softened slightly as she met her son’s curious gaze. “I never gave you the basic rundown of how magic operates, did I?”

Roc shook his head and sat down on the tree stump he used as cover earlier, crossing one leg over the other. “No, you just told me that it exists and that there are different types,” he responded. He never understood why she never went into further detail like she did when she told him about aura and semblances.

“Well,” Raven started, raising her right hand and conjuring a small flame in her palm, “as I’m sure you saw with the last Spring Maiden, being a Maiden doesn’t automatically make you stronger than someone like a professional huntsman the moment you get that power. Your many one-sided spars against her are proof of that.”

Roc nodded, recalling his bouts with the late and now former Spring Maiden. She was already fairly weak. Seriously, even someone from Signal could beat her despite being a Maiden. He barely even tried! “Yeah, I remember.”

Raven nodded slightly before she continued. “The reason for this is because there are rules that govern a magic user’s strength and the strength of that magic itself. For one, females have a greater affinity for magic than men do, so by default, females have an advantage, though there can be exceptions,” she said before pulling out an old photo of her and Qrow, with Qrow looking like he had just been through hell.

Roc blinks at the photo before glancing up at his mother. “Do I even WANT to know what happened?” he asked rhetorically, receiving a negative shake of the head as a response.

“No, you don’t. Anyway, according to the old man, twins are one of the exceptions to the rule. If a male and female are both born, the male twin’s affinity for magic will match his sister’s, which is why Qrow and I were always even when it came to our Corvid forms,” Raven explained.

Roc frowned slightly, a little confused. “But…isn’t turning into birds all you can do? I mean, I don’t see what power would have to do with that.”

Raven nodded at her son’s inquiry. It was always good to ask questions and seek more information. “Even magic like that has its quirks. If your uncle and I weren’t twins, he’d be a smaller and physically weaker bird that couldn’t fly as fast,” she explained, receiving a nod from Roc. “Next, when it comes to magic like the magic Maidens possess, consistency is key. The more you use magic, the stronger it AND the user will get. The last Spring Maiden wasn’t consistent enough, even before she came to us, which is why she was so weak. That, and the fact that she wasn’t even a fully trained huntress,” Raven explained.

‘So, her bird magic doesn’t grant her normal powers a boost? Why do I get the feeling there’s something she and I are missing regarding that…’ Roc thought before dismissing it and asking another question. “So, someone’s strength and their magic are intrinsically linked, which is why Maidens like you get a boost to your other skills, right? What happens if you stop using magic for too long? Would your normal power get weaker as well?” he asked, only for Raven to shake her head.

“Not necessarily,” she started, “If someone like me were to stop using magic, the magic itself would grow weaker and any strength acquired from the magic itself would also be gone, but my other abilities would remain intact. If I stopped using magic, I would just return to my old state of power. It would take a long time and a lot of hard work to restore the power that was lost,” she finished, dismissing the flame in her palm.

Roc nodded, understanding things better now. It did also explain “Okay. Anything else?”

Raven nodded as she pulled out her scroll and began typing something. Roc assumed it was her texting Vernal and letting her know they were on their way back to camp soon. Once she was done, she put her scroll away. “Yes, just one thing. Magic doesn’t just require power, it requires knowledge. If you already have an understanding of what magic you have, you’ll be better off right away. For example, I already knew what the Maidens could do, so I was fairly powerful right off the bat.”

Roc nodded as he watched his mother open a portal using her bond with Vernal. “A training session and a lecture in one day.” Then, he smirked, raising a single eyebrow at his bandit queen mother. “Was this daily life for you back at Beacon?” he teased.

Raven rolled her eyes at her son’s antics, running a hand through her hair as she walked through the portal. Roc shrugged before following after her.

Merlot and Sas’ Island…

“Roc?”

When Whitley called his name, Roc was jolted out of his memories. The Schnee, the stoic Victor, and the secretive Malak all looked at him with varying degrees of concern, though it was hard to tell when it came to Victor. Roc wasn’t even sure if he COULD feel concern for others with how emotionless he was most of the time. “Sorry, just remembering some things my mom taught me about magic,” he said, rubbing the back of his head with some slight embarrassment. He hadn’t meant to blank out like that.

Whitley gave Malak the side-eye before turning back to Roc. “Well, perhaps YOU could do us all a favor and explain what you know about magic? After all, it is imperative that we know as much as possible in case we encounter others with magical capabilities,” he said.

Both Malak and Roc highly doubted they would encounter other magic users, let alone fight them. After all, magic was very rare. Roc glanced down the path they were going on. They were still a good distance away from their destination and Roc’s challenge. ‘Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to explain as a way to pass the time…’ Roc thought before he and the others continued onwards. “Well, I suppose I should start with affinity…”

Mistral, Hotel Room, 1 hour later…

When Qrow got back to his temporary room, he had hoped to take a break from everything and get some sleep. He had just gone through an entire hour spent searching for information, only to receive NOTHING. Unfortunately, he had to have another meeting with the inner circle. Lionheart had apparently acquired some new information. Qrow pulled out his scroll and entered the group call. Theodore was, once again, missing. He always had something preventing him from joining in on these meetings. “Leo, this better be good. I was about to get some well-earned rest,” he complained, ignoring the eye rolls from Glynda and Ironwood. He was used to them at this point.

Leo cleared his throat, sounding a bit more nervous than usual, though Qrow ignored it. “I do have some news. Through an anonymous source, we have been able to identify one of the three unknown captives.”

That made everyone, including Qrow, perk up. Which one was it? Was it the swordsman, the magic user, or the dust generator?

Leo, once he knew he had everyone’s attention, continued. “Apparently, not long before he was taken, the young man was involved in an incident with the assassin group known as the Hearth. He was attacked, but he defended himself, killing two of their members while letting the others escape,” he said before pausing, as he knew what he said next might set off some mental alarms.

Ozpin leaned forward in his seat, narrowing his eyes slightly as he could sense his fellow headmaster’s hesitation. “Leo, continue,” he urged.

Lionheart nodded and spoke up once more. “Yes. The young man was incredibly skilled, potentially on par with, if not stronger than a professional huntsman, as one of the assassins was the former huntress, Nava Grace. What really set the boy apart from other prodigies like Miss Nikos and even Ruby Rose is his semblance,” he revealed.

Qrow let out a low whistle, impressed. He knew the kid was strong, as he saw the footage, but taking on guys like the Hearth and even a former huntress? That was no easy feat. “Damn, the kid must have had some serious training to become THAT strong. You don’t get many young ones that are as strong as pros nowadays…” he praised. The only people he could think of right off the bat that could pull off something similar were himself and his team in their younger days. The only foes that could keep up with young fighters like that would be androids or some kind of mutated Grimm, but Qrow doubted anyone was making the latter.

Glynda nodded in agreement with Qrow’s assessment, pushing up her glasses slightly. “Indeed. Perhaps he will even grow to the level of Omega-Level huntsmen,” she said. Omega-Level huntsmen were huntsmen that far surpass the threshold of typical professional huntsmen. Very few people on that level existed. Team STRQ was one group with others being legends like Maria Calvera. “Leo, what exactly is this young man’s semblance?”

Leonardo internally sighed, knowing what was about to happen next. “While we still do not know the full extent of it, we CAN confirm based on our current information that the young man can take someone’s aura as well as their soul to make himself stronger and faster. Two of the Hearth members were apparently killed using the latter method to boost himself,” he revealed.

There was a very loud and tense silence the moment those words left his mouth. Nobody wanted to believe it, it just wasn’t possible. Even Ironwood looked a bit worried. “L-Leonardo, surely you are exaggerating. Only machines are capable of siphoning aura from others, and even then, this is fairly new technology! Surely a mere semblance wouldn’t be capable of such a thing, let alone taking someone’s soul!” he exclaimed, refusing to believe a semblance like that could exist.

The implications of this semblance weren’t lost on the others, especially Ozpin, who looked notably concerned. How would that semblance affect him? Would it disrupt his reincarnation cycle, or even end it altogether? There were simply too many unknowns.

Leonardo shook his head before replying with, “I am sorry, but it is the truth. The young man DID imply he could do far more, including taking semblances and using them for himself, but that has yet to be confirmed.”

That raised a lot of alarm bells. Taking semblances wasn’t out of the question, as there were rare individuals like Marcus Black that were capable of the same thing, but no person could take a semblance and use it for themselves. They’d always simply take it and store it, and they couldn’t give it back or use it at all. Qrow narrowed his eyes. ‘Damn…if this kid really CAN do all that and a lot more, then we need to find him and the others and fast. The last thing we need is someone like him ending up in Salem’s grasp…’ he thought before asking the obvious question. “What’s the kid’s name?”

Leonardo notably frowned, looking directly at Qrow. Qrow had seen Leo wear many expressions, but the one he was wearing now sent a chill down Qrow’s spine. It was as if he could sense that whatever the lion said next would be an earth-shattering revelation. The headmaster of Haven cleared his throat before speaking, his tone somewhat quieter. “The Hearth…the reason they attacked the young man was because he was affiliated with the Branwen Tribe…and while we cannot truly confirm it at this moment, they explicitly mentioned that he was Raven Branwen’s son.”

Qrow nearly dropped his scroll when he heard that. His pupils dilated almost immediately, and all he could hear was a long ringing. He couldn’t even focus on the rest of the conversation, as what he heard was just…shocking. ‘No…it can’t be…it’s not possible…’ he kept telling himself, wanting to deny the truth.

Qrow wasn’t the only one stunned by this revelation. Everyone was shocked as well, though Ozpin remained the least surprised. He hummed slightly before saying, “From the video, the boy does greatly resemble Raven. It seems that the missing Roc Xiao-Long has been found, and now, he is missing once more,” he said, giving the still stunned and slightly mortified Qrow a concerned glance. He knew this must have taken a toll on the grizzled huntsman. After all, this was his nephew they were talking about.

Glynda’s eyes were wide with shock as she tried to comprehend what she just learned. “I-Impossible! If it IS him, how would they even know he was Raven’s child?! They’d have no way of knowing that!” she proclaimed.

Ironwood shook his head, disagreeing with Glynda on that one. “The Hearth are assassins Glynda. They always have access to any information they desire,” he started before looking to the side slightly. “I don’t doubt that Raven would do everything she could to cover her tracks and hide Roc’s existence, especially with a semblance as powerful as his. Unfortunately, something must have slipped through the cracks.”

Qrow, still in his stunned state, thought back to his encounter with Raven yesterday. He knew something was off about her, but he dismissed it as her just being annoyed by seeing him again. When he asked her about Roc, she suddenly became…protective. It was rare to see Raven act like that. Then it clicked for Qrow, and he finally spoke up. His words were quiet but still audible enough for everyone to hear as he clenched his shaking fists. “That’s why she was at Malachte’s base…she couldn’t get to Roc, not even with her semblance. She must have been searching for any other way to get to him…” he said before his expression turned to one of rage, and that rage was directed towards himself. “DAMNIT!” he shouted as he slammed one fist onto the bed, almost breaking it with his strength. “I should have known! I should have recognized him!” he yelled to himself. He probably caught the attention of the staff, but he didn’t care.

Glynda was shocked to see Qrow acting like this, and even she couldn’t hide her concern. “Qrow, don’t blame yourself! The last time you saw him was when he was a baby! You couldn’t have-“

Qrow didn’t even let her finish. He shut his scroll off abruptly and set it down before placing his face in his hands. It’s been a long time since he felt this emotional. The last time he felt this way was when Summer died. ‘Damnit all...I couldn’t help Summer, and now I can’t even help my own nephew…’ he thought to himself, feeling totally helpless for the first time in years. How could he tell Tai that his missing son was now in the hands of two mad scientists and potentially dead?!

‘Tai…” Qrow thought. He hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks. Maybe…

“No…” Qrow muttered. “He doesn’t need this right now. Still…” It wouldn’t feel right to hide this from Tai. Both of them already felt a lot of guilt hiding Roc’s existence from his sisters. Still, Qrow was really conflicted. Should he tell Tai or not? Would he freak out and wallow in worry and grief just like he did when Summer died? Qrow removed his hands from his face and looked down at his scroll. He knew that he had an important decision to make…

Patch, Xiao-Long Residence…

“ZWEI! FOOD’S READY!”

A black and white corgi barked happily as he entered the house through the little doggy door on the front door. The little pup ran up and almost tackled his owner, Taiyang Xiao-Long, who chuckled and set Zwei’s food bowl down before petting the tiny dog. “You must have been hungry boy. Don’t worry, I filled it with your favorite this time.”

As the little pup began munching on his meal, Tai sat down to eat some left-over steak from yesterday’s dinner. “Who says you can’t have steak for breakfast?” he said, mostly to himself. Before he could chow down, his scroll began to ring. Looking at the caller, he was surprised to see that the call was coming from Qrow. Raising an eyebrow, Taiyang answered the call, putting his scroll up to his ear. “Qrow? It’s rare to get a call from you. How’s it going?” he asked, a bit happy to hear from his old teammate.

“Tai…there’s something you need to know.”  Taiyang frowned. Qrow’s tone was different, far different. Whenever he spoke like this, something was definitely wrong. “I…I’ve found Roc.”

Taiyang’s body froze almost completely. His whole reality had been shattered with a few simple, but nonetheless shocking words. Zwei looked up from his meal, sensing the multitude of emotions running through his owner. The corgi whined slightly and went over to the frozen father of three, leaping up onto his lap as a way of comforting him.

“Tai? Tai, are you there?” Qrow went unanswered, as all Taiyang could do was think about that day; the day Raven left him and took Roc with her.

Chapter Text

Patch hospital, 17 years ago…

This was officially the happiest day of Taiyang’s life. He’d gone through a lot to get here. School, Grimm, criminals, and of course, marriage. But now, he had made it. He was now the proud father of two healthy twins, a boy and a girl, both of which were in the arms of his loving wife, Raven. The doctors had just given them their children after making sure everything checked out okay. Raven still looked exhausted from giving birth, but she seemed genuinely happy. “Tai…I’m so glad we lived long enough to be here for this…” she heaved, smiling warmly at her two children.

Taiyang was next to his wife, watching as their son and daughter rested in Raven’s arms. The girl was still fussing a bit, but the boy was calm. His eyes were as red as his mother’s while his sister’s were the same lilac color Taiyang had. “Oh, by the brothers…this is the happiest day of my life…” Taiyang said with a slight sob of joy.

Raven couldn’t help but chuckle at her husband, giving him a tired smile. “Wasn’t the happiest day of your life when you married me?” she teased as she watched her husband wipe a tear from his eye.

“Okay…both of them are the happiest days of my life…” Tai conceded.

At that moment, an excited Summer Rose and a tearful Qrow Branwen finally entered the room. Summer had stars in her eyes, and when she saw the twins, she let out a loud gasp and was almost immediately at Raven’s side. “Oh my gosh!” she squealed. “They are so precious!”

Taiyang laughed a bit at Summer’s enthusiasm. “You’re in good spirits as always Sum,” he said before looking at Qrow, who was very obviously trying not to cry. “Come on Qrow, you can let the tears flow.”

Qrow sniffled a bit and shook his head. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about man. I just…there were some onions I walked past on my way here, okay?” It was obvious he was overjoyed to have a niece and nephew, despite his best efforts to hide it.

“Have you thought of names? PLEASE tell me you thought of names!” Summer exclaimed. Tai could have sworn the stars in her eyes had gotten bigger. This woman was always the oddest out of their team. How she did that, he would never know.

Raven gave her husband a look as he started to look a bit smug. He stood up and placed his fists on his hips in pride. “We already decided that I would get to name one of them first! And I chose the perfect name. Yang.”

There was a brief silence as the other members of team STRQ couldn’t help but deadpan at their teammate. Even Roc, who was less than a day old, was noticeably uncomfortable. All Taiyang did was take the “Tai” out of his name and give it to his daughter. Yang apparently liked it though, as she stopped fussing. “See? She likes it!” Tai pointed out.

Qrow deadpanned at his teammate. “I am now officially worried that my niece will end up too much like you,” was his dry response, which earned him a roll of the eyes from his brother-in-law.

Summer, turning her attention to the younger twin, cooed as she watched him attempt to reach out to his sister. “Oh, he’s so tiny yet he’s trying so hard to get to his sister! Raven, what’re you gonna name him?”

Raven looked down at her newborn son, who’s staring up at his mother with the same crimson red eyes he got from her. Raven smiled gently at her little boy before she spoke. “Well…I want my side of the family’s naming tradition to continue on. So…I shall name him ‘Roc,’” she answered. Roc seemed to shift slightly, snuggling a bit closer to his mom in response. He seemed to like the name.

Qrow scratched his chin at the name. “Wait…isn’t that some old bird from ancient times? It means stuff like ‘strength’ and ‘unknown’ sometimes. Didn’t old tribes use that bird to symbolize how they conquered many of their enemies?”

Taiyang chuckled at Qrow’s knowledge. “Since when did YOU take an interest in history and mythology Qrow? What, you go to Ozpin for all that?” he teased, making Qrow groan, Raven smirk, and Summer giggle. Qrow was always fun to tease simply because it was too easy.

Qrow put a hand to his head in exasperation. “No, I didn’t…I just hear a lot of stories on missions, okay?” he explained, not that it saved him from the embarrassment he was feeling right now.

Raven, despite feeling a little vindicated after watching her twin get a little embarrassed, decided to answer his question as she stroked both of her children’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Well, Qrow, I believe that Roc is…different. I don’t know why, but when I look into his eyes, I see someone with unlimited potential; someone who will be able to conquer anything in his path…” Her voice was softer than ever, something the rest of Team STRQ never thought they would see.

Taiyang gave his wife a loving kiss on her cheek. “Wow…you’ve really mellowed out, haven’t you Rae?” he teased, making his wife roll her eyes. She’s really come a long way from the woman she was when they first met.

Branwen/Xiao-Long Residence, 4 months later…

Taiyang expected parenting to be very difficult, and in many respects, it was. He had to stop going on missions to keep an eye on his kids. Luckily, Raven was able to pick up the slack for him alongside Summer and Qrow. ‘Probably for the best too. I just can’t see Raven as a typical housewife,’ he thought. Thankfully, she and Summer were both here to help out today. Qrow was off on another mission for Ozpin, though Taiyang had his suspicions that Qrow’s using the mission as cover for trying to get a date. Knowing Qrow’s luck, it probably wasn’t going well.  As he sat on the couch and held a fussing Yang in his arms, heard both Summer and Raven gasp very loudly from Roc and Yang’s room.

“TAI!” both women exclaimed, which made Yang fuss some more. Taiyang, worried that something might have gone wrong, gave Yang her little yellow pacifier to try and calm her down before making his way to where his wife and teammate were, making sure to be careful with his daughter in his arms.

When he entered the room, he was reminded of how different his two children were. While Yang actively enjoyed the toys and plushies she was gifted, Roc seemed almost indifferent. One time, Tai set a teddy bear between the two children, and while Yang babbled happily, Roc just gave the toy a blank stare before looking back up at him with that same stare. He was definitely Raven’s child.

As a result, Roc’s side of the room was fairly barren aside from the necessities. Yang had a lot of toys, most of which were actually meant for Roc.

“What’s wrong?” he asked when he saw Raven and Summer staring down at something. “Has something happened to the little guy?” He hoped not. He was sure the doctor’s said everything about Roc was perfectly healthy aside from the occasional blank stares.

Summer turned to her friend with wide eyes. “Tai…Roc’s crawling.” Her tone was filled with pure disbelief, but also a hint of seriousness. It was clear that this was definitely a big deal.

Taiyang didn’t believe her at first. As much as he trusted Summer, he highly doubted that Roc was crawling at only 4 months old. He sighed and shook his head, leaning in to get a closer look. “It’s only been 4 months. How could he be…doing…that…?”

Sure enough, his little boy was crawling, and with quite a bit of effort at that. Roc’s tiny little face was scrunched up, as if he was focused on one singular thing. And that thing was making it to the other side of the room. His pace was a bit slow, but he had proper form. One arm and one leg at a time. The further he got, the louder his little sounds of effort became.

“Ga!” Yang exclaimed in Tai’s arms, as if telling her younger twin to “go.” And go he did, managing to make it to the other side of the room. And impressive feat for a 4-month-old baby.

Taiyang couldn’t help but look at his son in shock. “I-I don’t…how?!”

Unlike her husband, Raven was filled with nothing but pride. She went over to her little boy and lifted him up and held him close. “Oh…my son is already growing strong. Mama’s so proud of you!” she praised, giving him a kiss on his head as he laughed in what appeared to be triumph.

Summer was about to congratulate the little bird’s victory when her scroll dinged. She opened the scroll and looked at the message. Her silver eyes dimmed slightly as she read the message. “It’s from Oz. Qrow’s in trouble,” she said before looking to Raven, who had a noticeable frown on her face. “Raven?” Summer asked, a little concerned.

Raven gently set Roc back down in his crib before turning back to Summer. “Are we sure it’s that bad? Are we sure Ozpin isn’t just overexaggerating or underestimating my brother’s abilities?” she questioned with a hint of resentment, and neither Taiyang nor Summer could understand why that was.

‘Where did that come from?’ Taiyang thought as he set Yang in her crib, allowing her to rest up. Once that was done, Taiyang turned to his wife with a small frown. “Raven, Oz hasn’t steered us wrong yet, and he wouldn’t lie about Qrow being in danger. Besides, that’s your brother. It’s nice that you have faith in him, but even he has his limits. We all do.”

Raven stared at her husband for a moment, not saying a word. Then, she sighed before walking past him. “Let me grab my weapons. After that, I’ll warp us to Qrow,” she said before leaving the room.

Summer and Taiyang watched the Branwen woman leave with a bit of apprehension in their eyes. This was odd for Raven. She hasn’t questioned Ozpin or his goals in years. Why start doing it again. ‘Maybe she’s just a little stressed from being a mother. It happens,’ Tai thought before turning to Summer. “Hey, would you mind staying with the kids until we get back? It shouldn’t take us too long,” he asked.

Summer smiled and nodded. “Of course! I’ll look after the cuties while you help Qrow,” she answered before going over to Yang and lifting her out of her crib, making the blonde baby laugh with enjoyment. “Oh, you happy to see your aunt Summer?” she teased as she played with the little baby.

Taiyang chuckled at the sight before turning to Roc, who was making some quiet baby noises. Tai leaned down and gave the baby a gentle pat on his head. “I’m so proud of you little guy. Crawling at your age? Your mommy was right; you ARE going to become strong,” he praised, causing Roc to look up at his father with a look of what seemed to be happiness, though the smile was pretty small.

20 days later…

Taiyang didn’t know what was going on with Raven recently. She had been more reluctant to go on missions for Oz, always asking questions about Oz’s motives. Sure, she had done this during their early days working for Ozpin, but this was on a whole other level. At one point, she even got physical and was about to throttle Ozpin and beat the answers out of him. Glynda had to use her strength to physically restrain Raven.

Right now, Team STRQ were in the living room, with Roc and Yang in their shared playpen. Roc had mastered the art of crawling, and he was crawling circles around his stationary sister, who was giggling slightly as she watched her brother circle her.

Of course, that did not distract from the tense atmosphere in the room. The 4 team members sat in a circle using 4 chairs, with Tai sitting directly across from his annoyed wife. Raven, with her arms crossed, spoke first. “What is this, an intervention?” she scoffed.

Summer, looking a little apprehensive, shifted her eyes over to Qrow, who just shrugged. With a sigh of reluctance, Summer spoke. “Raven, we’re just worried. Something about you has changed, and you haven’t told us why. We just…we want to know if you’re okay.” The concern in her voice was evident. She was hoping that Raven wasn’t going to do something drastic. She had already nearly attacked Ozpin.

Raven’s gaze sharpened when she turned to Summer, making the silver-eyed warrior flinch a little. Even after spending so much time together, Raven still intimidated Summer at times. “I don’t know that you’re talking about. Nothing about me has changed.”

Qrow narrowed his eyes at his sister’s response. He leaned forward a bit, linking his fingers together. “That’s a lie, and you know it. You’ve changed, and for the better in my opinion. Both of us have,” he said before taking a brief glance at the two babies in the playpen. “The Raven from back then; the girl who came to Beacon alongside her brother to learn how to kill huntsmen and huntresses? That girl would never have ended up as a wife or a mother,” he argued.

Raven scoffed at Qrow’s attempt to appeal to her softer side. With a roll of her eyes, she straightened her posture a bit more. “That girl was also smart enough to question everything, something I seemed to lose in my adulthood. Hopefully, both of my children will manage to learn from my mistake.”

Okay, what was going on with Raven. Taiyang was starting to get annoyed with his wife of 2 years. He managed to keep his cool though. “Raven…what’s with all of the questions and doubt? Ozpin has always helped and guided us. We have to trust him,” he argued softly.

Raven wasn’t having any of it. Her eyes narrowed even more as she looked her husband in the eye and gave him her rebuttal. “Trust? Are we sure we can even give him that anymore? What else is he hiding from us? Ever since our team formed, he’s given us special treatment. Every time we got into trouble, he bailed us out! Sure, Summer has her silver eyes, but what if there’s more to it? What else is he hiding from us?”

Summer, one who rarely got mad, was starting to become very upset. She didn’t understand why Raven was acting this way. “Raven, that doesn’t matter! What matters is that he is helping us stop Salem! It’s our duty; it’s what we signed up for!” she stated, raising her voice.

Raven responded by raising her voice in return. “No, he is helping us STALL Salem! Think about it for one second Summer! Put aside your naivety and blind hope and think! He’s had thousands of years to come up with something to kill Salem, but he’s done nothing!” she exclaimed before raising her hands and using her fingers to count off her arguments. “He has countless huntsmen, he has almost unlimited knowledge, AND he has contacts within the strongest and most technologically advanced military force on Remnant, yet he hasn’t used ANY of those to find Salem and deliver a full-frontal assault to end this once and for all! It’s always the same thing with him! Guarding the relics, protecting the maidens, defeating the Grimm! When does it all end?! WHEN?!”

Summer shot out of her seat and began to yell at Raven. If Summer Rose was yelling, you know things are getting seriously heated. “Damnit Raven! Ozpin’s been at this for far longer than ANY of us! He MUST have a plan! We just need to trust him and have hope! We HAVE to keep fighting no matter what! We can’t just give up!”

Raven shot out of her own chair and stomped over to Summer with an almost livid expression. “Maybe we should! Ozpin clearly knows something about Salem that WE DON’T! All he’s told us is that she’s the queen of the Grimm, and yet he’s given us nothing beyond that! Someone like him wouldn’t have only the bare minimum of knowledge regarding someone like her! He KNOWS something Summer!”

The two women were practically in each other’s faces, with Summer trying and failing to convince Raven that Ozpin must have a plan. Qrow and Taiyang just sat silently, watching the pair argue. If Taiyang was being honest, Raven did have some points. They’d been at this for a while now, yet none of their efforts seemed to do much good. The Grimm were still a problem, the Maidens were of little help because they had to remain in hiding, and Salem always had agents around. Maybe it was the fact that he was a father, but he was starting to think that maybe he should take a step back for a bit and focus on his kids. It was selfish of him, sure, but he wanted to be around and in his children’s lives, and that desire was constantly at risk because he was always on high-risk missions.

Speaking of his children, Yang had started crying from all of the yelling and high emotions. Qrow sighed and walked over to the playpen to pick her up and rock her in his arms. “Easy there firecracker, easy…” he said in a hushed tone, but it barely worked. Yang was still wailing in Qrow’s arms, something that finally snapped Summer and Raven out of their heated argument.

Summer looked a bit disappointed in herself for losing it like that when there were children around. She rubbed her arm with her hand in shame. “I…I guess things got a little heated between us…” she said softly to Raven. Raven didn’t say a word, but she did seem a bit regretful for losing her temper so easily like that. Taiyang had to wonder if one of both of their children would inherit Raven’s temper. He hoped that neither of them would, but he knew it might be unavoidable.

Taiyang went over to pick up Roc, but then he let out a small, “Ah…” in response to Yang’s crying. The blonde baby looked down at her brother, tears still streaming down her eyes. Roc tried reaching for her, but he was too weak and small. “Ah…” Once again, he tried reaching out, but something was different this time. There was a brief flicker of something. It only appeared for a second, but a black aura outlined his tiny body. Taiyang and the others took a step back in absolute shock.

Raven put a hand to her mouth in amazement while Summer let out a loud gasp. “I-Is he…?” Summer breathed, not believing what she had just witnessed.

Qrow, still holding the crying Yang, blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. He turned his head towards the others and asked, “You guys saw that too, right?” When he received three nods, he turned back to his nephew in amazement. “How the hell is that even possible…? Babies can’t just unlock their aura on their own, right?” He knew that, at this point, he shouldn’t be questioning anything anymore, but Roc was a BABY!

When Roc scrunched his face up, Raven went over to her son and tried to pull him out of the playpen, but stopped when she saw him use his tiny little legs to get up. “R-Roc?!” she exclaimed, feeling mixture of pride and concern. “W-What’s happening?!”

What happened next would shock everyone to their core. Roc let out a wail of effort, and they could see his hair become outlined and shrouded in a dark tendril-like aura. And then, he jumped, and he jumped high.

Raven acted purely on instinct, catching Roc before he could hurt himself. As she held him close to her chest, she noticed the effects around his hair fading before he went unconscious in her arms. “ROC!” she screamed, worried that her son might have hurt himself badly or worse.

Taiyang and the others were immediately by her side, with Yang wailing in Qrow’s arms. She may have been a baby, but even she knew that something was wrong. Summer used the medical knowledge they learned at Beacon to check if Roc was okay. She checked his pulse first, and luckily, it was still there. Summer breathed a heavy sigh of relief before saying. “Oh, thank the gods he’s alright…”

Qrow wasn’t exactly sure about that. He looked to Summer with incredulity in his eyes. “Uh, no, the kid is NOT alright! First, he starts crawling after 4 months of being alive, and now he’s unlocked his aura and maybe even his semblance?!”

At the mention of aura, Summer quickly pulls out her scroll and uses it to read Roc’s aura. Now that it was unlocked, she could read it. When she saw the number, she was stunned. “H-He used 62% of it! That’s dangerously high!” she exclaimed. Her concern from earlier had returned.

That was concerning. Aura exhaustion itself wasn’t too harmful to most, but Roc was a baby, so the fact that he came close to exhausting his aura was definitely something to worry about.

Taiyang looked at his unconscious son with fatherly concern. “His semblance…maybe it boosts him somehow? It’s not an uncommon semblance,” he theorized.

Before anyone could think on it more, Roc’s aura outlined him again before it seemed to retreat back into his body fully. Summer looked back at her scroll, and the screen said, “No aura to be read.” She blinked a few times before saying, “It…went back inside of him? It locked itself up again?”

Okay, that was the final straw. They needed to take Roc to a hospital and call Ozpin. With his experience, surely he’d have answers.

Vale, Hospital…

Patch’s hospitals didn’t have the necessary equipment to handle whatever was going on with Roc. Aura specialists and equipment that analyzed aura, even when dormant, wasn’t exactly used in smaller and less funded hospitals. Luckily, Vale wasn’t too far from Patch, and Ozpin had agreed to meet them there.

Everyone sat outside of the room where the doctors and specialists were taking care of Roc. Yang was fussing in Raven’s arms, concerned about what might happen to her brother. It seemed that the two had already formed a bond at an early age. Yang cried a little bit more, and Raven rocked her gently, trying to keep herself calm for her daughter. “Don’t worry…your brother will be fine…he’s strong…” she said softly to Yang, though it might have been more to reassure herself than her daughter.

Nobody could blame Raven for being concerned. Hell, her husband was just as concerned as her, if not more so. Tai’s foot was tapping the floor impatiently. No parent should have to worry about their child so much this early, yet here he was, desperate for some answer that would satisfy his desire for Roc’s wellbeing.

Summer patted Tai on the shoulder to help him out. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll have answers soon enough. Oz should be here any minute.” At that moment, they could hear two sets of footsteps and the sound of a cane coming from their right. “Speaking of…”

A younger Headmaster Ozpin made his way over to them, with a younger Glynda Goodwitch in tow. While Ozpin wore the same attire he usually did, Glynda wore far more casual clothing, and her usual stern expression was replaced with a look of concern. “Any news on Roc?” Glynda asked.

Qrow shook his head in response. “No. They’ve been in there for a while now, and they still aren’t done. We’re just hoping for the best at this point,” said lowly, wishing he had something to take his mind off of all this stress.

Ozpin placed both hands on his cane before looking through the window and into the room Roc was in. “They seem to be taking this very seriously. Now,” he started before turning to his former students. “I would like to know exactly what happened.”

After giving a brief rundown of the situation, Glynda was a little skeptical. Pushing her glasses up with a finger, she said, “This is all quite strange. I can believe that the boy was able to crawl at only 4 months old, but unlocking his own aura AND his semblance? Impossible,” she declared before turning to Ozpin, who had a slight smile on his face. She knew that smile and what it meant. “Headmaster, don’t tell me you’ve seen this before…”

Ozpin couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Glynda responded. Taiyang was fairly certain the reincarnating wizard got a kick out of moments like these. Did he just like surprising people with his knowledge? “Indeed I have Glynda. You see, that baby is very special. Children like him only have a 1 in 30 million chance of being born. I’ve only ever witnessed this three times, and each time never ceases to amaze me. Throughout my many incarnations, I have seen the children of close friends unlock their auras and semblances from a very early age. It is only for a brief period, as they are inevitably locked up again, but that is always a sign that the child will grow up to be very powerful, possibly on the level of an omega-level huntsman.”

That was not the answer they were expecting. Essentially, Roc was a very gifted baby. Okay, “gifted” may be the understatement of the century. Roc’s basically the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack!

Taiyang looked over to the others, gauging their reactions. Qrow looked like if he had a drink, he would have spat it out in a comedic manner. Summer’s eyes were sparkling with amazement. She was probably wondering how strong Roc could become, what his semblance would be, and what kind of weapons he would use. Summer had a bit of an obsession with weapons. ‘If she ever has kids, they’ll probably become weapon nuts just like her,’ Taiyang thought with a small smile.

“As strong as an omega-level huntsman…?” he heard Raven gasp beside him. He didn’t even need to look at his wife to know that she had a smile that was filled with pride and joy. He couldn’t blame her. After all, their son was destined to become incredibly powerful, and Raven always liked powerful people. Strength had always been her thing. That had been the case ever since he met her years ago.

“Really? Headmaster, were these people…close allies of yours?” Glynda asked. That was what she asked, but the real question was, “Ozpin, were these people a part of your inner circle once?”

Ozpin nodded as he turned back to Roc, who everyone could see was being prepped to leave. “Yes, I have. With some effort, I managed to convince them to join me. They were valuable assets and great friends of mine. With my many connections throughout each of my incarnations, as well as a few suggestions and guidance, I was able to help them become great huntsmen. With their help, we were able to push ‘her’ back far more than ever before.”

Qrow let out an impressed whistle. “Damn, those guys helped you push her back that much? It’s a damned shame they aren’t around now,” he commented. Taiyang agreed mentally. If those three were around now, they would be very helpful. They might actually make some more progress against Salem.

Ozpin chuckled as he and the others watched the doctors begin to finish up with Roc. “Well, perhaps another can fill the void left behind. It would be a shame to let such potential go to waste after all. Rest assured, there will always be a place in Beacon for Roc.”

Taiyang hadn’t really considered Roc would want to be a huntsman. It wasn’t impossible. ‘Maybe he AND Yang could become pros…’ he thought. He looked at Raven again, but she had this frown on her face. She looked…worried, but not for herself. Why was that? How long had she been frowning?

Before Taiyang could ask his wife what was wrong, the lead doctor left the room with a sleeping Roc in his arms. Yang babbled happily at the sight of her brother.

The doctor handed Roc to Taiyang before saying, “Everything checks out. It’s not the first time this has happened in history. It’s unlikely he’ll unlock it on his own again. He’ll be perfectly fine going forward,” the doctor said, making everyone breathe a sigh of relief that Roc would be okay.

Taiyang gave his sleeping son a playful frown. “You gave us a scare little guy. Don’t go giving your old man a heart attack so early,” he scolded playfully. Roc must have sensed his father’s words, as he awoke from his slumber with an annoyed look on his baby face. “Oh, don’t give me that…” Taiyang continued, but Roc just continued to narrow his eyes at his father. Taiyang sighed. “You’re way too much like your mom, you know that?”

2 hours later, Xiao-Long residence.

You would think that the trip back would be uneventful, but it was not. The entire time, Raven had been adamant that Roc wouldn’t become a huntsman under any circumstances. Not only that, but she was even going as far as to say Ozpin could NEVER go near her son. This, combined with the earlier arguments regarding the war against Salem, was starting to get on everyone’s nerves.

Luckily, Roc had been tuckered out from the ride home, so he and Yang were back in their shared playpen. Yang had whined when she wasn’t able to be near her brother, so Tai made the decision to put her back in the playpen with Roc. Now, she was lying right next to her brother, sleeping peacefully with her tiny hand linked to his. It was a cute little moment between the pair.

How the twins managed to sleep through this next part was anyone’s guess.

Summer, once again getting a little fed up with Raven, nearly lashed out when she said, “Raven, what the hell is wrong with you?! First you start doubting Ozpin, now you think he’s planning to force or manipulate Roc into becoming some kind of soldier to use against Salem?! Where did this even come from?!” Keep in mind, Summer Rose was a woman who rarely got angry, especially towards the ones she cared about. Leave it to Raven to be the one who got under her skin on a consistent basis.

Raven, sitting in the same chair she used earlier before Roc unleashed his semblance (they hadn’t put the chairs back yet), crossed her arms and kept her gaze even with Summer’s. “Summer, you heard the old man. He ‘convinced’ three omega-level huntsmen to join him. They hesitated Summer! And besides, maybe Oz had kept an eye on them in their youth, grooming them to-“

Qrow got up and slammed his fist into the table. Thankfully, it didn’t break or wake the kids. Qrow stormed over to Raven and grabbed her by her kimono’s collar and nearly throttled her. Normally, he wouldn’t do this right away, but Raven had been acting like this for a while, and he was starting to get sick of it. Honestly, Taiyang couldn’t blame him. Qrow’s pinkish-red eyes bore deep into his sister’s crimson ones. “Damnit Raven, enough with this shit! Ozpin has ALWAYS guided us on the right path. He NEVER forced us to do anything we didn’t want to. We ALL accepted the risks when he told us the truth!” he yelled.

Raven forced herself from her brother’s grip and pushes him away with a harsh glare before pointing an accusatory finger at their team leader. “No, Summer over there unlocked her damned ‘gift’ by accident and Ozpin was FORCED to tell us everything! Then, SUMMER went and decided for all of us that we should get involved!”

Taiyang winced. What Raven said wasn’t wrong. Summer didn’t really ask for anyone else’s input, she just said she was willing to help Ozpin, and they just went along with it. Thinking back on it now, it was fairly obvious that Raven truly wanted no part of it. She had tried to give Summer her opinion, but Summer was too good-natured and stubborn to listen to any objections Raven had. In fact, the more he thought about it, Raven had always seemed distant whenever they were on missions for Ozpin that directly or indirectly disrupted Salem’s plans. It was like she never cared to begin with. ‘Damnit, we should have noticed.’

Summer Rose, who looked livid at Raven’s accusations, went up to Raven and smacked her finger away with a furious swipe. “How dare you say that, Raven?! You could have left at any time!” Summer argued.

At that point, Raven had finally snapped. The rage that had been building up had finally consumed her and she looked like she was ready to kill someone, which was never a good sign. “YOU WOULDN’T HAVE FUCKING LISTENED YOU IDIOTIC BITCH! IT’S ALWAYS ‘THE DUTY OF A HUNTRESS’ WITH YOU OR SOME OTHER EXCUSE! YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO BRING ME BACK NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE YOU’RE A SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED BITCH WHO’S SO FOCUSED ON SAVING THE WORLD THAT SHE CAN’T EVEN CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF HER TEAMMATES!”

Silence. That was it. Silence. Summer looked genuinely hurt by Raven’s words. Summer opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Tears started to flow down from her eyes as she slowly began to go upstairs. As for Raven, she was huffing heavily as she tried to reign in her anger, but it wasn’t exactly working all that well. So, she turned around and went outside. Taiyang wanted to say something, but he knew full well there was nothing he could say to make the situation any better.

“Well…shit,” Qrow muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ll admit, this was NOT how I expected things to go…”

Taiyang lets out a tired sigh as he falls back against the couch. “You and me both…”

4 days later…

Taiyang wasn’t sure how, but Summer and Raven had managed to patch things up. Maybe. He honestly wasn’t sure. Summer promised that she’d be more open to other’s opinions going forward, but she still believed that Raven should stop questioning Ozpin and should focus more on the missions. Raven simply said she would “do what needed to be done.” Taiyang didn’t like the look on her face when she said that.

To everyone’s surprise, Raven had requested to stop taking missions entirely to spend more time with her children, which was definitely something they weren’t expecting. Ozpin had granted it, and Taiyang personally took on Raven’s missions. It was far more difficult for him because he couldn’t turn into a bird, but it was worth it. After all, when he came home, he got to see the smiles of his wife and two children.

Strangely, as the days went on, Taiyang began to notice something strange going on with Raven. She’d spend most of her time with Yang. Sure, she’d spend plenty of time with Roc too, but she was more focused on Yang for some reason. Heck, when Taiyang came back home after getting groceries, he saw Raven cradling a sleeping Yang, muttering. It was hard to make out, but he could hear phrases like, “I love you,” and “I’m so sorry.” He was even sure he saw Raven crying a bit from time to time too; looking regretful every time she looked at Yang.

Taiyang got a bad feeling in his gut. Something was going to happen. The problem was, he didn’t know what that thing was.

2 weeks later…

Taiyang entered his home, drenched from the rain outside. “Damn, the weather ain’t letting up anytime soon…” he muttered as he shut the door behind him. He was a bit pissed that the weatherman didn’t accurately predict a freaking thunderstorm. Oh well, it’s not like the weather’s right all the time.

He peeked into the living room, expecting to see his kids and his wife, but they weren’t there. “Huh…that’s weird.” He checked the kitchen but found nothing. Then, he decided to check Roc and Yang’s room. As he got closer, he could hear light sobbing coming from within. “Raven…?” he muttered to himself.  He slowly approached the door, which was slightly ajar. He peeked in silently, searching until he found Raven, holding Yang in her arms and cradling her with tears flowing down her eyes. For some reason, Raven had her weapons on her.

“I’m sorry…I’m…*hic* so sorry my daughter…” he heard his wife sob quietly to Yang. The poor blonde baby was more confused than anything else. Yang couldn’t properly understand why her mother was acting this way. She’d been so happy before.

Raven gave Yang a small kiss on her forehead before looking at her with a look of…guilt? “Yang…grow up strong…grow up well…and survive. I…I won’t be around as much as I want to, but know that I love you so much, and I want you to become stronger than me in as many ways as you can…” she sobbed before gently placing the now crying Yang back into her crib.

Taiyang wasn’t sure of what he was hearing. Was Raven…leaving?

Taiyang opened the door fully, causing Raven to jolt in surprise. She turned around, and he was better able to see her tear-stained face. That wasn’t normal for Raven at all. Taiyang slowly shut the door behind him before going over to his wife and wrapping his arms around her. He looked into her eyes with concern. “Raven, what’s going on? Why did you say all of that to Yang? You can’t seriously be considering leaving, right?!”

He waited for her to say she wasn’t leaving. He waited for her to say it was just a joke. He waited for her to say she just needed a break from everything. Unfortunately, none of those things happened. All Raven did was look at her husband with a look of self-hatred and guilt. Taiyang grabbed his wife’s shoulders and began to shake her desperately. “You can’t leave! You can’t! We’ve been through so much! Why would you want to leave us all behind?! Summer, Qrow, Roc, Yang, they need you, I NEED YOU!” he yelled, feeling a mixture of confusion and sadness. He couldn’t fathom why his wife would want to abandon them. Even he began to cry.

Raven, still crying herself, lifted her right hand and gently caressed the side of her husband’s face, wiping away a tear with her thumb. “Tai…” she said softly, more vulnerable than she had ever been in a long time. Taiyang looked his wife in the eyes as she spoke. “When I first met you, I thought nothing of you or even Summer for that matter. But over time, I began to enjoy the time my brother and I got to spend with you. I was and still am so happy that I got to marry you and start a family…and I wish things could stay that way forever…” she said with another sob, nearly breaking down into tears.

Taiyang watched her force the tears to stop before she looked over to Roc, who was still asleep in his crib. Raven looked at her son with the look of a mother who would do anything to protect her child. “But…the lack of progress with Salem, Roc’s potential, and Ozpin STILL hiding things from us. I…I can’t risk it. Yang, she’ll be safe. She’ll become strong, I don’t doubt that, but she’s far less likely to get into whatever Ozpin has planned. Roc…he won’t get that choice!” She turned back to her husband. “I’m sorry Tai, but I can’t risk our son becoming a pawn in this damned war!” she cried, her voice filled with anguish.

Yang’s cries continued in the background as Taiyang began to consider what Raven was saying. Then it all made sense. Her no longer going on missions, her spending so much time with Yang, the muttering to Yang. Raven had been planning this for weeks! “Raven, you can’t just-!”

Raven silenced her husband with a kiss. Taiyang was caught completely off-guard. He hadn’t expected any of this to happen. But…he couldn’t push her away. Even with everything that was happening, he couldn’t bear to push his wife away. So, he returned the kiss, making sure to pour every ounce of love he had into it. This moment was painful for the both of them, that much was clear.

Raven pulled away, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder before whispering in his ear. “I love you…”

Taiyang’s eyes snapped open as he felt a sharp pain run through his gut. He kneeled in pain and clutched his stomach with both hands. Raven had kneed him in the gut, taking advantage of his guard being down. “R-Raven…!” he wheezed in pain as he watched his wife give him one final sad look before going over to Roc and lifting him out of his crib. She immediately ran out of the room as Yang’s wails began to echo throughout their home. She had sensed a great pain in the air, and that pain was the loss of her mother and her brother.

Taiyang managed to force himself onto his feet, running out of the room with one arm still clutching his gut. “R-RAVEN!” he screamed. He heard the front door slam open, and he panicked. He moved as fast as he could, but it was too late. He saw Raven’s red portal close, and just like that, he had lost his wife and his son. Taiyang felt his body go numb. He fell to his knees, unsure of how to react to what just happened. Then, he did the one thing he could. He screamed. He screamed in anger, pain, sadness, and anguish. His family had been broken, and there was nothing he could do about it. He screamed into the stormy sky for as long as he could, knowing that he might never see his wife and son again.

Xiao-Long Residence, Present Day…

“A-Are you sure it was him?! It could have been someone else!” Taiyang yelled into his scroll. Qrow’s revelation that Roc was not only alive but also kidnapped had triggered a wave of memories he had done everything in his power to bury because it was those memories were just too painful.

On the other end of the line, Qrow said, “Sorry Tai, but it’s him. Leo managed to get some info from a few assassins. Some of their members had been taken out by Roc, and they even mentioned the fact that he was Raven’s kid. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s him.”

Taiyang could feel his heart clenching in his chest. His son was alive this whole time, and now he’s probably in great danger, or even worse, he’s already dead. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing another family member. Raven leaving hurt him badly, Summer’s death nearly sent him down a dark and lonely path, and now, the son he never got to see grow up was in the hands of two mad scientists! He slammed his fist into the table, causing a few glasses to fall to the ground and shatter. “DAMNIT ALL!” he yelled.

Zwei did his best to try and cheer his owner up by licking his hand, but it did very little. Still, it was the thought that counted.

“Tai, calm down! Jimmy’s working on finding a way to get Roc and the others to safety! We just have to wait!” Qrow said, having heard the sound of glass shattering. Qrow knew he couldn’t make any guarantees, but it was better than just letting his teammate break everything in the house. “Tai…I promise…Roc will be okay…” Qrow said, a bit softer this time.

Taiyang took a few breaths to calm himself before getting up and walking over to the middle of the living room. For a moment, the image of Roc crawling around Yang in their playpen filled an empty space in the room. “How can you be sure…?”

Qrow chuckled on the other end of the line. “From what Leo told me; those assassins didn’t stand a chance against him. Besides, for all her faults, Raven wouldn’t be stupid enough to give Roc subpar levels of training. Not to mention the other three managed to handle themselves pretty well too. He’s not alone out there Tai. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”

That did reassure Taiyang a bit. Raven was a bit of a different type of teacher, as shown by the times Team STRQ had been asked to mentor and train a few younger huntsmen-in-training, but despite her slightly harsher and stricter methods, they were definitely effective.

Taiyang sighed as he went to get a broom to clean up the glass, using his head and his shoulder to hold the scroll up to his ear. “You said the assassins didn’t stand a chance. Was it just pure skill, or did his semblance play a role?” He had always wondered exactly what his son’s semblance was. Ever since he briefly unlocked it, he and the others had theorized that he might be able to siphon his own aura for a physical strength boost or something similar. After all, a baby isn’t strong enough to jump out of their playpen.

Taiyang heard Qrow chuckle again. “That’s the thing, even WE don’t know the full extent of it. It’s…kinda scary to be honest. Apparently, he can take aura from others and use it to boost his strength. Not only that, but he can take people’s souls too…”

If Taiyang had a drink in his mouth, he would have spat it out. He almost dropped the broom and scroll out of sheer shock and amazement. “W-What?! That’s insane! I thought he could only take aura from himself to do that!” he exclaimed. Honestly, it was a pretty terrifying semblance the more he thought about it. I mean, taking someone’s aura? Almost everyone used that, so anyone with an aura would stand no chance against Roc. Not to mention that fact that he was LITERALLY ABLE TO TAKE SOMEONE’S SOUL!

Qrow nearly laughed when he heard Taiyang’s very justifiable reaction. “Trust me, Oz and the others had the same reaction. We don’t know if he can do more with it, but according to one of those surviving assassins, Roc implied he could take someone’s semblance too.”

Okay, Taiyang was fairly certain he was losing his mind. His son was just…overpowered. He wasn’t sure if he should be terrified of his son’s semblance or proud of the fact that he has such a powerful semblance. “Well…looks like Ozpin was right. Roc could definitely have become an omega-level huntsman if things had gone differently.” Most people on that level of power were able to reach it because of their semblance, high levels of potential that allowed them to break traditional limits, or a combination of the two. No doubt Roc had that last one. Apparently, this phenomenon was because of some weird mutations in someone’s aura when they are born.

“Well…thanks Qrow. I…I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and went to clean up the glass. A lot of things were going through his mind right now, but after Qrow reminded him of who raised Roc and who Roc was with, he was able to have a bit more faith and hope. Things would be fine. And hopefully, he would get to see his son again and tell him how much he loved him. Sure, his son was a bandit and possibly killed and stole from innocent people, but they’d cross that bridge when they got to it. ‘Then again, considering how she acted back then, I doubt Raven would want Roc going out and potentially revealing his semblance to all of Remnant…’ he thought.

As he finished sweeping up the glass, he heard the doorbell ring. Zwei immediately bolted towards the door to try and meet what he thought would be a new friend. Taiyang sighed and walked over to the little corgi as he began to bark at the door. “Zwei, calm down boy! Remember what happened last time?!”

Taiyang grabbed Zwei and set him to the side, making sure to give him a stern look to make sure he stayed put. Once he was sure Zwei wasn’t going to do anything stupid, he opened the door. When he did, his heart stopped. Standing there, wearing the signature mask of her tribe, was his ex-wife, Raven Branwen.

Taiyang took multiple steps back in shock, not sure if what he was seeing was even real. He wasn’t even sure what to do. Should he attack her? No, he never won against Raven whenever they sparred. Why the hell was she even here after all these years? “R-Raven…?” he asked hesitantly.

Raven remained silent as she stepped into her old home and shut the door behind her. She gave the place a good look, allowing her mind to remember all the good times she had here with her ex-husband and her children. A hand slowly reached up to remove her mask, revealing a face that had clearly become more desperate. “Tai…we need to talk.”

Chapter Text

Hi there. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have a lot of other commitments, and I have to focus on those as well as my gaming too. My current planned updates are for A Beast makes a Miracle, Team RVWM, and a reboot of The Scourge of the Goddess (Yes, I am rebooting that story for the third time). I can't say WHEN these will all be up, but I assure you all that I AM working on them and I WILL get back to all of my other stories. Just be patient. Thank you.

Chapter Text

The Island, Control Tower Number 1…

The inside of the control tower was exactly what you’d expect when it’s being run by mad scientists. Computers and control panels everywhere, holographic images related to future plans and experiments, and a bunch of machines connecting to various different parts of this area on the island. The various scientists typing away on their computers and taking notes all stopped what they were doing when the elevator dinged, opening up to reveal Dr. Merlot himself stepping out with his arms behind his back.

Merlot walked past them all and went over to one of the security staff, who was watching the team using the various cameras installed on the island. With a sinister grin, Merlot asked, “How close are they?”

The security staff member tapped a few buttons, revealing a holographic map. The green dot on the map represented the team while the red dot represented the control tower. “They have made decent progress, but there is still a ways to go. We have already prepared Roc’s test opponents Doctor,” the staff member responded, making Merlot chuckle as he steepled his fingers.

“Excellent. It won’t be long now. If this first test goes well, then surely the next 3 will be successful as well!” he proclaimed boldly, causing some confusion amongst everyone in the room. They hadn’t been informed of any future tests.

One of the scientists turned to the evil doctor and asked, “Sir, what other tests are you referring to?”

An hour ago…

Merlot and Sas were drinking some tea together in one of the break rooms. You’d expect two scientists like them to be doing anything else, but even evil geniuses needed a break sometimes. Tea always calmed their evil minds. 

Merlot sighed in relief as he put down his teacup, setting it on the table the two were sitting at. “Ah, nothing but a refreshing cup of tea to soothe the mind and prepare it for future scientific endeavors. Isn’t that right my dear partner in crime?” he said to Sas.

Sas chuckled, agreeing with his partner. “Indeed Dr. Merlot, it is quite refreshing to be able to relax after such an exhausting morning of testing and research. I can only hope Raven’s boy is as refreshed as we are. After all, we need him at his best if we want to see the true extent of his capabilities.”

Ah yes, it would be quite an interesting experiment. After all, Merlot had an odd interest in testing Roc. ‘Could it be because he is Raven’s son? Perhaps,’ Merlot mused before he had a great idea pop into his mind. “My dear friend, perhaps we shouldn’t just stop at him. Perhaps we should give each member of their little team individual challenges…” he suggested.

Dr. Sas remained silent for a moment, his eyes shifting between various emotions before he landed on simply being intrigued. “Go on…” he urged.

Merlot stood to his feet and began performing exaggerated motions with his hands as he described his idea. “Think about it! We push them to their limits, learning as much as possible about them, and then, when the opportunity arrives, we snatch them up and use them for future experiments! Can you imagine it, Sas?! Imagine what we could do! We could potentially give the Schnee semblance to Grimm and so much more if we just knew exactly what Whitley was capable of at his fullest!”

That WAS a good idea. Studying the capabilities of this newfound team and potentially giving them to Grimm? It would be an incredible scientific breakthrough! Of course, they couldn’t just scan footage and feed the data into a Grimm or something like that, as that’s not how it works. Not to mention the fact that Grimm are inherently soulless and can’t use semblances at all, but perhaps they could find another way to do it. Perhaps further experiments that allow the Grimm to mimic the properties of semblances and aura simply by taking them from others. Of course, they’d need Roc and his friends captured in order for Merlot’s idea to happen.

“I see…” Dr. Sas grinned before standing to his feet. “I like your idea my friend. I shall go to the second control tower and make preparations. Victor shall be next. After all, it would be foolish of me not to test my greatest creation yet…”

Back with Roc and the others…

*BOOM*

The trees in the semi-open forest almost had their leaves blown off from the shockwave the explosion left behind. 4 figures leapt out of the smoke left behind by the explosion. Roc, Whitley, Victor, and Malak landed and started running as fast as they could. It was a good idea too, as from the smoke, a stampede of Boarbatusks stormed out, charging towards the team.

As the team continued running for their lives, Whitley turned to glare at Roc. “YOU ABSOLUTE FOOL! ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” he yelled over the sound of a raging stampede as the group leapt over a fallen tree that would later be crushed by the horde of Grimm.

Roc, somehow managing to balance running with arguing, turned to Whitley with a gob smacked expression. “MY FAULT?! ALL I DID WAS OFFER UP A NAME FOR OUR TEAM! YOU’RE THE ONE THAT GOT MAD AND ATTRACTED THAT HORDE OF BOARBATUSKS!” he argued. It was at times like these that he cursed the fact that his semblance didn’t work on the Grimm. They were soulless beings, so it made sense.

The argument broke off for a bit as the path they were taking split into two paths. Roc and Victor took one path while Malak and Whitley took the other, with the stampede behind them splitting apart to follow both duos. On their path, Roc and Victor leapt from tree to tree to avoid the water that would only slow them down if they ran through it. Victor boosted Roc over one tree before covering himself with rock dust and breaking a few trees upon colliding with them.

As for the other two, both of them had different methods of getting around. Malak had taken to flying around the trees using his magic. He curved around three trees before blasting a few into bits using a fireball. As for Whitley, he had taken to using his glyphs and ice dust to freeze the ground in front of him. By creating a glyph above him that constantly fired a beam of ice dust, he could constantly skate across the ground. Skating was much faster than running after all, which he used to perform long leaps above a few chasms. ‘They must have been trying to find something down under the island,’ he thought as he continued skating around trees and leaping across chasms.

Whitley and Malak looked back to see that their portion of the Boarbatusks had stopped following them because of the chasms. The two teammates gave each other a smirk before moving to reunite with the other two members of their team.

As the paths converged once more, the team reunited with each other. “How’s things?!” Roc asked as he ran alongside his allies.

“Could be better!” Malak responded as he and the others began firing various projectiles at the Grimm. It was very difficult to do, as they had to both attack and run at the same time, which is something none of them were used to doing.

Roc cursed as he fired a swarm of birds using his aura-

‘No, it can’t be that…’ Roc thought, remembering what Victor said about aura earlier. Nothing other than semblances can manifest when someone’s aura is unlocked, and that’s very rare, as most people don’t unlock their semblances at the same time as their aura. Well, aside from those with the potential to become omega-level hunters according to something Whitley told him earlier. He wondered if his mother ever met someone on that level…

Even though Roc SHOULD be focusing on running, he couldn’t get Victor’s words out of his head now that he remembered them. Why did his aura manifest that bird? For that matter, why can he form talons whenever he tries to take someone’s abilities using his semblance? Why can he fire bird-like projectiles? Is something else trying to manifest through his semblance? Those dreams…were they trying to tell him something?

“ROC!”

Roc’s expression shifted to one of confusion and shock. He had been so deep in though that he never realized that he had slowed down. Malak’s warning came just in time, as he was probably inches away from being trampled to death by a Boarbatusk stampede. Roc acted purely on instinct, and his team watched in slight surprise as Roc’s appearance briefly changed for a split second before he leapt so far ahead that he was ahead of them all.

Victor thought back to their conversation about their abilities in the cave. Out of all of them, Roc was the one that didn’t reveal everything. He didn’t even reveal that he could take souls. ‘Was that leap another part of his semblance?’ Victor thought before he and the others caught up with Roc. “What’s the plan?!”

“Well, maybe-“

Roc’s suggestion was cut off by the ear-piercing screech of some unknown creature. The sound could be heard all across the island. Even the Grimm are forced to briefly stop because of the screech. Roc and the rest fell to their knees and covered their ears.

“GODS, THAT’S LOUD!!!” Malak shouted as he tried to dampen the noise, but it was no use. Whitley thought his ears were about to bleed, and even Victor couldn’t hide how uncomfortable the sound was. But Roc? Roc was…acting strange. This sound was causing him intense pain, so much pain that he was writhing on the ground, trying to fight the pain off. 

“A-ARGH!!! W-WHAT’S HAPPENING?! A-AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Roc’s agonized screams caught the attention of his teammates, and they were able to see him writhing on the ground. Then, Roc’s talons began to form again, but they looked far different. They looked more…solid. They looked like natural bird talons instead of spectral ones. Malak could have sworn he even saw Roc’s eyes changing for a brief moment.

The screeching only became more intense, and all within the area fell to the ground. All of them struggled against the noise. The Boarbatusk stampede gave out first, as the power behind the screech was enough to kill them. Victor, with a lot of effort, slammed his hands into the ground, using rock dust to create a makeshift shelter that completely blocked out the noise. 

Whitley sighed in relief as he stood back up and dusted off his clothes. “That was…unpleasant…” he said before he realized just how dark it was. “Oh, perfect, now I’ve gone blind!” he complained before Malak and Victor used fire magic and fire dust respectively on their hands to provide some much-needed light. “Much better.”

Unfortunately, things weren’t entirely okay, as they could still hear Roc screaming. Malak, Victor, and Whitley ran over to Roc, with Malak and Victor allowing Whitley to check on him while they provided light. “What’s going on?” Victor asked.

“How am I supposed to know?! I’m not a doctor!” Whitley responded harshly. He reached out to Roc, only to flinch when two wings sprouted out of the bandit’s back. Like the talons, these wings looked far more solid and natural than they did before, but nobody could understand why that was. “Roc, calm down you fool! The noise is gone!” Whitley yelled, but it was no use. It was as if the noise was specifically designed to affect Roc even though it could no longer be heard. “Roc! ROC!!!” 

It was no use. Roc couldn’t hear them. Things only became more dire as red lightning began to crackle around his body, and the three of them were blown back by a fierce wind. All three of them hit the rock walls hard. There was nothing they could do now other than watch.

???...

Roc has never felt such pain in his life. Sure, he’d been wounded by some Grimm and other bandits and had more than a few close brushes with death in his younger years, but the pain he was feeling wasn’t just physical, it was mental and spiritual. Some mysterious force was trying to force something out of him and take control. This feeling was so painful…

“G-GET OUT!!!” he yelled in between his screams of pain. The force was only getting stronger, and he could feel something beginning to wrap around him in this dark void he found himself in. It felt like bird wings, but the wings didn’t feel soft like feathers. No, they felt sharp, painful, and agonizing. “P-PLEASE, STOP! LET ME GO!”

Roc could feel it. He was losing himself. But he couldn’t give up. Not now, not when he had his family waiting for him. “I-I said…GET OUT!!!” 

Roc gritted his teeth as he steadied himself. He thought about his mother, Vernal, and the friends he had back in the tribe. The people who raised and took care of him. He couldn’t let them down. They were all waiting for him back home. He couldn’t stop here. “I…I AM NOT WEAK! I AM STRONGER THAN YOU!”

He was starting to fight back. It was tough, but he was starting to force this power away. He felt the invisible wings slowly unwrap from him. At the same time, the voices he’d been hearing in his dreams began to pop up again, encouraging him.

“…Fight her…You need to fight her…”

Roc still didn’t know the full story, but he knew he needed to win. His efforts began paying off even more as he felt himself unleashing his spirit bird. The bird manifested in front of him, with the only visible sign of its presence being the glowing eyes. The bird let out a screech of its own that overpowered the other screech.

Unknown Island…

Back in the real world, Roc’s team all had to cover their ears yet again as Roc let out an ear-piercing screech that was more birdlike than human. “OH REALLY?!” Whitley complained, though it was almost impossible to hear him over Roc’s inhumane screeching.

Thankfully, it only lasted for a few seconds, as Roc’s writhing stopped, and his body returned to normal. The wind from Roc stopped forcing everyone back, the sparks around his body vanished, and his wings and talons returned to their previous spectral state before vanishing as well, and his eyes returned to normal.

Everyone aside from Victor breathed a sigh of relief. The stoic fighter opened the rock shelter just a bit by removing some rocks. He couldn’t see much, but he was able to hear the distant sounds of wings flapping. ‘Whatever caused that is now gone…’ he thought to himself before turning back to Whitley and Malak, who were on either side of Roc, helping him to his feet. 

Roc groaned in pain as he got up. “Oh…that was pain in the ass…” he said, not feeling too well at the moment. He heard Whitley scoff beside him, and he wasn’t in the mood. “Don’t. I get it, we all had a bad time just now. Please, just shut up for a bit and let me rest…”

5 minutes later…

Thankfully, it didn’t take them too long to recover, as they didn’t take any real damage. The screeching had left them disoriented, and Roc’s little episode left him a bit winded, but now everyone was back to full health. Still, Victor had a few notable questions for Roc, such as what the hell even happened to him.

As the quartet tried to find their way back to where they were before being chased by the stampede of Boarbatusks, Roc responded by saying, “I couldn’t really tell you. Whatever made that screech was trying to do something to me. I was able to fight it off, but it hurt like hell.”

Victor could tell that Roc was serious. He hadn’t known the bandit for long, but he knew Roc wouldn’t lie about something like this. As the group made their way into a more open area of this forest, Victor asked another question. “That leap you did before. Was that also a part of your semblance? Was it a way of boosting yourself?” he asked as he stepped over a half-eaten squirrel. Poor thing.

Roc briefly looked behind him and met Victor’s stoic gaze before saying, “Yeah, it was, but you’ll learn more about it once we get to the tower,” he said, and while that satisfied Victor, Malak and Whitley weren’t so satisfied.

Malak walked so that he was in front of Roc and was able to face him. With a stern look, Malak let out his feelings regarding Roc hiding something. “You didn’t tell us you could take souls, and you didn’t tell us you could do whatever THAT was with your semblance!” Malak knew he was being a hypocrite because he wasn’t being entirely honest either, but Roc still could have told them.

Whitley was about to speak up in agreement before Roc turned and said to them, “Because I knew those old bastards might still be listening.” The other three looked at him with confusion. Roc sighed and stopped walking so he could speak. “I didn’t think about it all that much at first while we were talking, but when I was starting to explain how my semblance worked, I saw that screen still up there in the cave. I realized that they could still be listening, so I stopped before I could reveal too much.”

The others seemed to be placated by his explanation. Victor put a hand to his chin and looked down in though. “I see. Since you were the last to go after all of us, that means they have much less information about your semblance,” he said before turning back to Roc. “Of course, it’s not like it matters anymore since they’ll be testing you soon anyway.” Which meant stronger and more deadly opponents should Roc pass his “trial.”

“On the topic of that test,” Whitley started before spreading his arms wide and gesturing to their current area. “I do believe we are unlikely to get there anytime soon thanks to those annoying Boarbatusks throwing us off the path.” You could tell how frustrated he was by the snarling expression on his face. Despite being the shortest and youngest member of their group, Whitley’s expression when mad could scare off even the biggest opponents that make the mistake of underestimating him. Roc just assumed it was a Schnee thing.

Malak looked around them and considered their options as he leaned against a tree. “Maybe Roc and I could fly us high enough to get back on the path? Or we could just fly straight to the tower?” he suggested. It wasn’t a bad plan. After all, flying in a straight line was much faster than following a path that wasn’t straight.

Roc shook his head in disagreement before pointing up at the sky with his right index finger. “Not a chance. Remember what happened when we tried to fly off of the island? Those lasers nearly fried us to death. Besides, even if we flew low, they might spot us and fire those lasers anyway just by shifting their aim,” he said. 

The group frowned as they remembered how their first attempt at escaping failed miserably. They really didn’t have a lot of options. Whitley sighed and went to bang his head against another tree as the others tried to think of another plan. After a few minutes, Roc’s eyes shifted to the left. He let out a loud and excited gasp that caught the attention of his friends. “HELL YEAH BABY!” he exclaimed before running over to what he saw.

Whitely, having stopped banging his head against a tree, turned to see where Roc was going. When he saw what it was, he was almost certain Roc was insane. “Branwen…that’s just a stupid log!” he exclaimed. Malak and Victor shared a glance, with Malak showing a little bit of concern for Roc.

As for Roc himself, he slammed his hands onto the object that was wide and long enough for all 4 of them to fit on. “This isn’t just a log, Whitley! It’s a trunk! This baby’s gonna get us right back on track and to that tower in no time!” he shouted before hopping onto the front of the tree trunk and sitting like he was riding a motorcycle. “Hop on guys!”

Victor did so without hesitation despite how ridiculous this all was. Malak shrugged and joined him, sitting right behind him. Whitley cursed because he was not only unable to tell the difference between a tree trunk and a log, but also because this entire ordeal was stupid. “Are you fuc-Argh!” 

Whitley reluctantly made his way to his team and sat behind Malak with a scowl on his face. “Roc, this is not a motorcycle! Your hands and feet are touching nothing but air! I don’t see how-“

*VROOM! VROOM!*

Malak, Whitley, and even Victor had one though going through their minds. ‘How the hell is this happening?!’ The tree trunk was ACTUALLY a motorcycle?! There’s no way this is possible!

Roc smirked as he revved the “engine” a few more times. “Oh…listen to this baby roar!” he shouted before hitting the gas and sending them all flying in one direction. Whitley held on for dear life as he felt the G-force hitting his face head-on. 

Malak felt genuinely shocked, which was obvious by his mouth hanging open. ‘H-How the hell is he doing this?!’ he thought as he held on tight to avoid being thrown off. ‘I know a lot of weird things exist in Remnant, but this is absolutely insane!’ he thought before yelling at Roc, which was necessary because of the noise the tree trunk was somehow making. “Hey, is this some sort of weird family thing?! Can all Branwens do this?!”

Roc stared straight ahead as he steered them around various trees. He even used a smoothed-out rock as a ramp to jump over a ravine, causing Whitley to let out a high-pitched scream. When they landed, Roc responded to Malak by saying, “I don’t know! I never asked my mom if she could do this! I only found this out a month ago!” he responded as he found a path that would take them straight to the control tower. “On the topic of family, let’s discuss our own to pass the time!”

Discussing family while driving at dangerously high speeds? Was Roc getting bored already, or was this just something that he wanted to do? Whitley was the most skeptical of the bunch, obviously. “Why would we do that?!”

Roc rolled his eyes. ‘Damn, that kid can be a stick in the mud sometimes,’ he thought before yelling back. “To pass the time, obviously!”

A fair point. Despite how fast they were going, they still had to get back on the right path AND get to the tower. Malak looked behind him at the others. Victor wasn’t against the idea, though Malak could tell that was only because he didn’t really care. As for Whitley, who was still holding on for dear life, he was slightly uncomfortable. ‘Personal knowledge about each other can build stronger bonds…’ Malak thought before turning back to Roc. “You start; I’ll go next!”

As Roc made a few twists and turns that nearly threw Whitley off of the tree, he began to discuss his family. “Welp, I grew up with my mom and our tribe in Anima! Never knew my dad or my uncle! From what I know, they’re hunters like my mom was!” he revealed.

Malak frowned slightly. “A tribe?! So, you ARE a part of the Branwen Tribe?!” he exclaimed. He wasn’t sure what to do about this knowledge. Still, he had to admit, Roc was so different from what he expected from someone associated with bandits. 

Malak didn’t need Roc to face him to know there was a slight frown on his face. His tone made it clear. “Is that a problem?!”

Malak thought for a moment before he shook his head. Roc may be associated with killers and thieves but compared to what he knows about the Branwen tribe, Roc is actually pretty tame. “No, it isn’t! Not to me at least!” Malak responded. Besides, they needed to work together if they were going to get out of this, and Roc’s semblance would definitely come in handy if they came across another powerful semblance. 

Roc briefly looked back to look at Victor’s and Whitley’s reactions. Victor’s expression remained stoic as he said, “I have no reason to believe you are untrustworthy at the moment!” That was honestly what everyone expected from Victor.

Whitley, still holding on for dear life, responded almost immediately after Victor did. “Despite the fact that you will more than likely be the death of me as we all ride on this deathtrap, you have never tried to steal from me, a Schnee! Aside from that, you ARE the strongest of us thanks to your semblance, so it would be foolish of me to either turn on you or leave you behind!” 

Roc smirked when Whitley said he was the strongest. It was a nice boost to his ego. “It’s nice to know that you acknowledge it! Anyway, like I said, I never knew the rest of my family, but I was never mad about it! I grew up with a lot of people that became important to me! My mom, Vernal, Shay, and a couple more! They taught me everything I know, especially the older members of the tribe!” he explained as he went past a cave. He didn’t even want to know what might be in it. Hopefully, not more Grimm.

“You seem pretty intelligent for a ruffian!” Whitley pointed out as he managed to finally regain his bearings. “I assumed that bandits like yourself lacked basic educations!”

Roc couldn’t help but chuckle. Oh, if only people knew. “That’s nothing but a myth! Most of the tribe came from all sorts of backgrounds! While some like me and my mom were raised in the tribe, most of them just found their way into the life of a bandit! We have former scientists, philosophers, bakers, and even hairstylists!”

Malak looked a little confused about that last one. Why would bandits need hairstylists? “Uh…”

Roc answered right away without even needing to be asked. “She doesn’t show it often, but my mom is OBSSESSED with her hair!  She goes out of her way to make sure it’s always looking good. Trust me, if you touch it or something worse, you are dead meat!” He shuddered when he recalled an incident with one of the older tribe members. He had to wear a cast for months. 

Victor raised a slight eyebrow. Why would anyone be obsessed with their hair? It can grow back. “Well, it appears YOU did not inherit your mother’s obsession with her hair,” he pointed out. For a moment, the other three assumed that Victor made a joke. Then they all shook their heads at the idea. He was probably just pointing out the obvious.

Roc sighed as he finally managed to get them back on the right path. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the tower. “Well, anyway, my mom is many things, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without her! If something happened to her or the tribe, I’d go ballistic!” he finished.

Malak nodded in understanding. Honestly, hearing Roc’s own personal experience with the Branwen tribe and his mother gave him a new perspective on the group. Normally, you’d be conditioned to view such people as heartless monsters, but actually hearing about them from someone who was raised by that group gave a more nuanced view. ‘Humans and Faunus…we never truly know each other, or even ourselves for that matter. I suppose even killers and thieves have loved ones, and if Roc is actually acting like what most would consider to be a decent person, then they can’t be all bad…’ he thought.

Everyone perked up when they saw the tower. They were almost there. Roc turned his head back to face the others. “Alright, lightning round! Describe your families as fast as possible!”

Well, why not?  Roc shared some information about his family. It’s only fair that they do the same.

Whitley started first, and he didn’t hold anything back. “My father is the only person who ever paid THAT much attention to me growing up, so my bond with him is the strongest! As for my mother, we’ve actually started to repair our relationship with each other! I just hope she’s not at the bottom of a wine bottle again!”

Roc and Malak shared a look of concern. That last part was something that neither were expecting. ‘I guess the Schnees aren’t as happy as most think they are,’ Roc thought before speaking up, making sure his voice was still loud enough for them to hear. “Uh, anything more POSITIVE?!” 

Whitley shakes his head with a bitter expression on his face. “No! Aside from my father and my mother, there is NOTHING positive to say about the rest of my family, ESPECIALLY when it comes to my sisters!” It still stung to think about them. He really didn’t want to talk about them. In Whitley’s mind, there was nothing to talk about when it came to the Schnee sibling trio.

Realizing that Whitley wasn’t going to reveal more about his obviously negative relationship with his sisters, Roc decided Victor should go next as he made a slight turn around a curve. “Okay, Mr. Stoic, you’re up!”

If you looked VERY closely, you could see that there was the hint of a deadpan expression on Victor’s face. “What exactly is there to tell?! I’ve never met any of my ‘parents,’ if you can even call them that. Aside from that, what reason would I have to get to know them on a personal level?! It’s unlikely I will ever meet them!” he responded, causing the group to show small hints of sympathy for their stoic and nearly emotionless ally. The saddest part about all of this is that he didn’t seem to care about the fact that he may never meet them.

‘Dude REALLY needs to lighten up more,’ Roc thought before he decided to just end this conversation. “Malak, make this one quick! This is starting to get depressing!” Roc REALLY wanted Malak to tell him that he had a positive or at least A relationship with his family. 

Unfortunately for Roc, he didn’t get that. Malak remained silent for a few seconds, and you could even see the light in his eyes darken for just a moment before he spoke. “I know who my parents are, but I’ve never met them, and a large part of me never WANTS to meet them!” he exclaimed. Roc wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Sure, Malak probably knew a few things about his parents that may make them undesirable to meet, but the fact that he never wanted to meet them at all was kind of shocking. Sure, you can know OF someone, but how can you really know them if you’ve never personally met them? It didn’t really make much sense. 

“What about any siblings?” Whitley said, no longer having to yell as they had finally arrived at their destination. Roc “parked” behind a few large cylinders containing some kind of green liquid that they DEFINITELY didn’t want to touch. 

Malak stepped off of the tree trunk and shook his head slightly. There was a slight sadness in his gaze as he spoke. “If I have any, they probably aren’t around anymore.”

None of the other three asked any further questions. Victor simply didn’t care all that much, and both Roc and Whitley possessed enough empathy to understand when to drop such a touchy subject. While both were curious, they wouldn’t let it get the better of them. Besides, they have other matters to attend to.

Roc whistled as he took in the outside of the control tower. Atlesian technology and even some of its architectures were nothing to scoff at. While white could normally be a bit bland, Atlas combined a few other bright colors to go along with it. The tower itself had no defenses oddly enough. ‘They must not expect anyone to attack the place with an army or something,’ Roc assumed before he and the others covered their ears. A loudspeaker had turned on.

“Hello there! We’re so happy to have our guests of honor arrive! Come in, come in! We’re all DYING to see young Roc in action!” Merlot announced before the speaker cut off and the sliding doors opened to reveal…an elevator. Yeah, just an elevator. No red carpet, no trap, no enemies, just an elevator, which was weird, as this was a control tower. Speaking of, why was the control tower’s base so tiny? 

Whitley said what they were all thinking. “Why in the name of the Brothers would a control tower have only one entrance and have it be just an elevator?” 

Victor gave no response as he entered the elevator first and waited for the others. Not having any other options, Whitley and the other two followed Victor into the elevator, which was admittedly fairly cramped. “Are any of us claustrophobic?” Malak asked.

“No/Not at all/Nope,” were the responses he received from Victor, Whitley, and Roc respectively as they all tried their best to avoid being smushed together in the cramped elevator. Malak, being the closest to the elevator button, went to press up when he made quite the discovery.

Malak blinked a few times before saying, “We can only go down.” Understandably, this confused the rest, as elevators shouldn’t have this problem, especially if it was a part of a control tower. 

Roc managed to get a better look at what Malak was seeing, and sure enough, the elevator buttons only listed their current elevation and a singular lower elevation. Roc looked absolutely taken aback. “What the-who the fuck would design a place like this?!” he exclaimed, with Whitley’s expression behind him making it clear he was thinking the exact same thing. 

Malak shrugged in response and pressed the down button. “I have no clue, but-AHHHH!!!!!!” All at once, things went from calm to absolutely chaotic. The floor beneath them split apart, revealing a wide teal tube that sucked them all in. The team was completely caught off guard by the sudden fall, but Roc’s shocked expression quickly turned into an excited grin as be shifted positions and began sliding along the tube. 

“WOOHOO!” he exclaimed as the group entered the lower area. From inside the tube, they could see various scientists running various tests on various types of Grimm and making new androids. These guys were clearly busy working hard on whatever Merlot and Sas wanted them to. Malak shivered in disgust as he saw one group of scientists pumping that green liquid they saw outside earlier into a Deathstalker. Its stinger and pincers began to glow green as greenish-blue crystals began to form on the outside of its body. 

‘Boy, am I glad that’s not me…’ Malak thought before he looked down and panicked.  “GUYS?!” he exclaimed. The other 3 looked down to see that the tube was starting to split into 4 other paths. There was no way they were going to all fit into a single tube.

Roc gave his team a two-fingered salute before shifting himself into position. “See you on the other side!” he exclaimed as everyone else aligned themselves with the tube closest to them. Whitley barely managed to make it in time as the 4 were split apart. Whitley cursed his situation verbally, but nobody could hear him as they all looped and twisted around various underground rooms and machines.

Roc, unlike the others, was having the time of his life, treating the tube like a giant slide. Roc’s tube eventually came close to Malak’s, and Malak gave him a look that said, “What the hell are you so excited about?!” All Roc did was shrug before the two tubes curled upwards along a pillar before going down different paths.

“I HATE THIS SO MUCH!” Whitley screamed as he was launched out of his tube before being sucked into another in less than 2 seconds. Then, he was shot out of his tube again, being sent flying over a room filled with various mutated Grimm that could use Dust. Whitley, in the midst of his panic, wondered if these control towers were where they were making these monsters. If so, then these were more than just control towers.

“WATCH OUT!” Whitley heard. He looked up and yelped when he and Victor suddenly crossed paths in the air, similar to two anthropomorphic rival hedgehogs. Victor aligned his body with the next tube as he slid down it. If it were possible for him to feel excitement, he’d probably be having as much fun as Roc. Unfortunately, that currently wasn’t possible.

Victor’s expression remained focused as he kept himself ready for anything. His tube sent him downwards in a spiral, giving him a view of the various Grimm and machines being transported underground via other tubes. ‘They might even ship them all across this island,’ he thought before he was thrown out into an open area with a red carpet and a large door. The others soon landed behind him, with Roc looking like he had just gotten off the world’s greatest rollercoaster while Whitley looked sick to his stomach.

Whitley pressed a hand against the wall to steady himself as he tried his best not to vomit. “Never-HURK,” he gagged before letting out a long sigh. At least the worst was over. He turned to Roc and gave him a glare. “Just to be clear…I will not be helping you if you get in trouble during this escapade…”

Roc patted the Schnee on the back with a slight smirk on his face. “I got this. Just sit back and watch what I can REALLY do,” he said with confidence before turning to Victor with a blank expression. “And Vic? I know there’s a reason for all the emotionlessness, but at least TRY to enjoy it. Maybe focus anything OTHER than your next plan or out next move and just enjoy the show, okay?”

Victor gave no verbal response and continued onwards. Roc muttered something under his breath before following along with the rest. The large door opened on its own, probably reacting to their motion. Inside was large arena that looked like it had been put together at the last minute. ‘Not exactly what I was expecting, but I’ll take it,’ Roc thought as he walked onto the large white arena. On the other side of the arena was a large mechanical door with the Merlot Industries logo at the center. The others stood outside of the ring, as they knew this test was for Roc only.

Show lights from above turned on in sequence, lighting up the room and revealing Merlot and a few other scientists in their own seating area covered by a hard-light dust barrier. The seating area itself was ornate with a bunch of white and blue chairs and decorations usually reserved for the elite of Atlas. Victor was tempted to go up and attack, but a second glance at the seating area stopped him in his tracks. It was hard to make out, but Victor was able to pick up on multiple glowing eyes hiding in the darkness behind Merlot and his scientists.  ‘It’s too dangerous to attack. We don’t know what kind of Grimm they have with them up there. It’s amazing that they’ve learned to somewhat control the Grimm,’ Victor thought, noting how the Grimm in the booth weren’t attacking at all. Maybe some kind of device that hides negative emotions and aura from the Grimm? Knowing Merlot and Sas, the possibility was there.

Merlot tapped his microphone before speaking into it. “Greetings young ones-“

“One of us is an adult, you moron!” Roc yelled, pointing at the 19-year-old Victor. Whitley couldn’t help but snicker alongside Malak.  The insult may have been fairly minor, but it was nice to hear the man who helped kidnap them being insulted. If there was a position in the SDC for an “Insulter,” then Roc would be an immediate hire. In the time Whitley has known him, Roc has shown to be capable of coming up with some brutal insults.

Merlot, obviously, wasn't amused. Clearing his throat, he tried to speak again. “I do believe that-”

Once again, Roc cut him off, tapping his foot impatient before saying, “Bro, we already know why we’re here! You wanna test out my semblance and all that! Are you so old that you’re starting to forget shit you already know?!” He knew full well that wasn’t the case, he just wanted to piss off the scientist that kidnapped him. ‘Kidnap me, and you’ll regret it, you old fart!’ There was a hidden viciousness in his eyes as that thought ran through his mind.

Again, Whitley and Malak couldn’t hide their amusement, with Malak’s shoulders shifting up and down in response to his snickering. ‘I know that most individuals wouldn’t find insults funny, even if the insults are not directed at them, but I suppose it’s okay when it’s someone like Merlot being insulted,’ he thought.

Even Victor could feel something akin to amusement, even though he was standing with his arms crossed and his expression blank. He didn’t know why he felt such emotions. He shouldn’t even be able to. ‘Am I actually able to feel them?’ he thought to himself before shaking his head dismissively. ‘No, it’s not possible. The process of my creation ensured that it would be difficult, if not outright impossible for me to feel such emotions. Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me.’

Up with Merlot and his group of scientists, the good doctor was anything but pleased with the insults being thrown his way. His human and mechanical hands both curled into shaking fists as a fury began to build within him. ‘That damned brat…he’s just like his mother!’ 

Merlot would never forget his first encounter with Raven. She mocked him, calling him weak and pathetic. He would make sure this boy paid dearly for his mother’s sins AND for acting so much like her! He slammed his fist against the control panel before yelling into the mic. “You insolent brat! If you want to face your foes so badly, then here, YOU CAN HAVE THEM!” 

Merlot slammed his fist onto a giant red button, causing the large door in the arena to begin sliding open. Red alarms across the room began to light up and swirl around the room like fire alarms. 

Roc did a little preparation dance by bouncing his toes against the arena while stretching his arms out and moving his hips from side to side. Once he was done, he drew his broadsword and held it at his side, shifting his stance slightly in case something came at him and he needed to dodge. The rest of his team just stood back, as this wasn’t their fight. The blaring sound of the alarms faded away, and then…

THUD, THUD, THUD

The silence left behind by the alarms gave way to the loud and thunderous sound of footsteps, footsteps that definitely didn’t belong to a human. The stomping footsteps sent a wave of vibrations through the ground that Team RVWM could easily feel, and they knew that something big was coming. Roc’s eyes narrowed in focus, anticipating some kind of large Grimm or giant gladiator. “Okay…let’s do this…” 

But to his and everyone’s surprise, his opponent wasn’t a gladiator, it was a woman with striking blue hair in a bob cut and one green eye. The other eye was covered by a white patch. You’d think that with the loud footsteps she was making earlier, she’d be wearing a bunch of heavy-duty armor, but no, she was wearing a dark blue battle dress with some silver leggings and black combat boots. Roc had this expression on his face that said, “What the hell is this?”

The woman was holding a massive double-headed warhammer with lightning and lava dust crystals embedded around each hammerhead. The lava dust was definitely a cause for concern. ‘Oh boy…I remember when Vernal tried adding that type of dust to her weapons. Any weapon powered by that dust could spew out or summon lava from beneath the ground. Better avoid that,’ Roc thought as he prepared himself, balancing excitement and caution. “So, how’d you get wrapped up in this mess? Are you a mercenary or something?”

The woman twirled her massive weapon with one hand as she moved closer. “That’s right. Mercs like me live and die fighting for Lien. Merlot’s paying me to test you or whatever. It’s nothing personal, just business,” she answered. Spoken like a true mercenary. “By the way, the name’s Vera,” she said before clenching her hand tightly around her weapon as she gave Roc a glare. “Remember it kid, because it’s gonna be the last thing you remember.”

*DING*

The sound of a bell rang throughout the room, and Roc took that as his chance to start. With impressive speed, he charged towards his opponent. Vera got into a defensive stance, expecting a frontal assault, but to her surprise, Roc faked her out and darted to the right, circling around her before going for a thrust with his broadsword so he could-

*CLANG*

Roc looked down at his sword in disbelief. He thrusted it forward and it just fell! “W-What the hell?!” the bandit exclaimed as he tried and failed to lift his sword up. It’s as if there was some invisible force holding it down. 

“Like that?” he heard. Roc looked up from his sword to see Vera giving him an arrogant grin. “It’s my semblance. I can alter the gravity of anything around me. How much gravity there is and where things are being pulled. Like this!” Vera stomped her right foot onto the ground and Roc felt himself become almost weightless as he was lifted into the air with his sword still stuck on the ground.

The rest of his team was safely outside of the arena, unaffected by Vera’s gravity-altering semblance. Malak looked up at the floating bandit before looking back down at Roc’s sword. “She must have a lot of control over her semblance if she can selectively choose who and what it affects,” he mused. 

Whitley nodded in agreement, not looking worried for Roc at all. “Yes, but our bandit ally still has this, correct?” he asked, though it was mostly a rhetorical question.

Malak snorted before replying with, “Oh, definitely. He could easily end this if he wanted to.” But they knew Roc wouldn’t do that. Roc said it himself; he wanted to enjoy this. ‘From what I’ve seen, most people would try to finish the fight as soon as possible, especially when their life is at risk. I suppose Roc isn’t like most people, even bandits…’


As for Roc himself, as he floated higher into the air, he started to smirk. ‘You know…the funny thing is…I could end this anytime I wanted to with my semblance…but where’s the fun in that?!’ he thought before his black, shadowy aura engulfed him. Vera’s semblance immediately stopped working on him, causing him to fall, but he backflipped midair before landing gracefully. ‘After all, it’s rare for me to face actual people nowadays. I don’t wanna end this too fast,’ he thought before grabbing his sword and channeling his semblance through it, causing it to be freed from Vera’s semblance as well.

Vera looked absolutely gobsmacked as she saw her opponent casually free himself from her semblance. She blinked furiously before stuttering out her response. “H-H-How did y-you…?”

Roc lifted his katana up and twirled it a few times with one hand before replying with, “I’m guessing your boss didn’t tell you what you were getting into. A dick move if I’ve ever seen it.” Then, he threw his sword like a javelin. Vera moved to the side to avoid the sword before turning to look at where it landed. Big mistake, as she was unable to see Roc leaping forward and spin kicking her in the face. Spittle shot out of her mouth as she was knocked to the right, but she rolled over to recover back onto her feet before using her semblance once more.

Roc, now knowing what her semblance could do, took a quick glance at his broadsword. He quickly drew his second sword and parried his broadsword, which had just tried to skewer him after Vera altered the gravity to send it his way. As he jumped around the arena and rolled to avoid his broadsword, Roc made sure to shield himself and his katana using his semblance so that he wouldn’t be left vulnerable. 

Vera gritted her teeth as she tried shifting the gravity around Roc, but it was no use, as Roc was just completely immune at this point. Even if gravity around him had changed, he himself was still shielded from the changes. With an annoyed growl, she lifted his broadsword into the air and threw it back down. Roc dodged and grabbed the hilt, using his semblance to free his broadsword from Vera’s hold. Roc spun around as he channeled his aura through his swords, shifting them into scythes long enough to reach Vera even though she was in the middle of the arena and he was at the edge of it.

“HOLY-” Vera screamed as she ducked to avoid the two black scythes that had been swung her way. Roc wasn’t done, as he spun again and swung his scythes down. Vera used her semblance to quickly pull her to the left to avoid being sliced into 4 pieces. Roc’s scythes pierced the arena floor, but he quickly stopped channeling his aura through them, turning them back into swords.

Vera began to float and hover high in the air. With her seemingly out of reach, she pressed a button on the handle of her warhammer, causing one of the heads to flip open, revealing a glowing beam of electricity. Roc’s eyes widened as he barely managed to avoid a stream of lightning. Vera fired another beam that Roc had to jump over, only to be blasted back with another bolt.

Roc grunted in pain as he landed hard felt the electricity coursing through his body for a moment. “Ow…” he groaned before he yelped as Vera nearly smashed him into oblivion with a hammer smash from above. Roc barely managed to jump out of the way, but the shockwave that resulted from Vera slamming her hammer into the ground where he used to be sent him flying across the arena.

The rest of RVWM could feel the ground beneath them shake slightly from the impact of Vera’s hammer, which made Whitley stumble a little bit, but Malak used one hand to keep him steady. Whitley gave his teammate a respectful and thankful nod. “Thank you. I was not expecting such a powerful attack from her,” he said before looking back at where Vera and Roc were, with Roc having sprouted his wings to help him recover in the air and swing around, kicking Vera in the gut and sending her flying out of the arena. Vera bounced off of the wall and straight into a sledgehammer from Roc.

Victor analyzed what he was seeing and came to a conclusion. “She must have some kind of huntress training, or at least something on a similar level. Giving herself an opening by forcing Roc to focus on dodging and not her is a smart move that nearly paid off, as he didn’t have a lot of time to react. That’s not a strategy most mercenaries can pull off,” he said aloud.

“Maybe,” Malak responded as he and the others watched the battle begin to heat up. Roc’s blades clashed with Vera’s hammer before he flew back into the air and summoned spectral birds that began to swarm Vera. Vera tried to swat them away, but a few managed to get a few good pecks in, causing orbs of her aura to fly out of her and into Roc, refilling his own aura by a decent amount. 

Roc frowned as he felt a slight change within him, but the change went away. ‘Yeah, that’s still a very temporary thing. I have to rely on THAT to get stronger with my semblance,’ he thought before he felt his birds being launched into the air and smashing into the ceiling thanks to Vera’s semblance. He smirked when he saw Vera looking slightly disheveled, with her hair being a bit messy now. “Oh, you look like you could use a hairstylist. If my mom were here, I’m sure I could ask her to take care of that for you,” he taunted, knowing his mother would either try to recruit Vera or outright kill her depending on the circumstances.

Vera was really annoyed with the bandit. She was one of the best mercenaries out there, and she was having trouble with a teenager?! And now he was taunting her?! Her eye twitched with annoyance as she turned her hammer around so that the other side, the one with lava dust, was in front. “TRY DODGING THIS YOU LITTLE SHIT!” she yelled before slamming her hammer into the ground, causing the lava dust crystal on her hammer to glow. Multiple panels on the arena began to glow a bright orange color.

Roc, still using his wings to stay in the air, felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. Excitement because things were about to get serious, and nervousness because he’d seen this before, so he knew how much danger he was in. Swiftly, he twisted his body and flapped his wings in front of him, sending him to the left almost instantly. Just in time too, as a plume of lava emerged from where he was before. 

“ACK!” Roc yelped in surprise as he nearly flew into another plume of lava. Then, he flew diagonally right to avoid another. Then he dodged another. And another. At this point, plumes of lava were spewing all around the arena, and Roc had to move as fast as he could to avoid them. He looped and twisted around various lava plumes, trying to get closer to Vera while hoping his aura wouldn’t run out. He had a lot of it, but it wasn’t infinite. Besides, he’d constantly been using his semblance to make sure hers couldn’t affect him again, and he didn’t have time to check how much he had left. He chuckled a bit at the realization. ‘Damn, holding back is more fun and challenging for me than I thought it would be.’

Merlot observed the spectacle below, analyzing every detail and move Roc made. Scratching his beard, he hummed. ‘Impressive. Loathe as I am to admit it, he fights well for a mere brat, especially for a child of Raven Branwen,’ he thought as his peers took notes on their scrolls and various computers.

Back on the ground and outside of the arena, the other three looked on with various degrees of concern. Whitley, the dust expert of the group, gritted his teeth. His fingers twitched slightly in concern as he watched his team member try his best to close the distance between him and his opponent. “Lava dust…one of the rarest dust types out there, and one of the most dangerous,” he said aloud.

Whitley never carried lava dust with him. Not only was it incredibly rare, but even someone like him, who’s easily one of the most well-knowledgeable individuals when it comes to dust, knows just how dangerous it is even WITH proper care and training. Weapons have to be specifically made so that it didn’t go out of control and melt the entire area, which is exactly what has happening with the arena. White tiles turned into white hot liqui ‘It really makes you wonder where she got that AND who trained her…’

Victor, who was showing a hint of something other than stoicism, hummed. “He’s actually doing pretty well.” Being able to use and generate lava dust himself, he had to admit that Roc, even when intentionally holding back, was doing a good job lasting this long. It was almost…enjoyable to watch. Watching someone else fight was…an experience, he’d say that at least.

Malak raised an eyebrow at Victor’s tone. It wasn’t as dull as before. If anything, it seemed the tiniest bit lighter. ‘Maybe he’s taking what Roc said seriously?’ he thought before turning back to the fight.

At this point, the arena had completely melted, leaving a deep hole in the ground that ran deep into the earth. It was an aerial battle at this point that was illuminated by the lava in the earth below. Roc mentally patted himself on the back for lasting this long, but now, it was time to end this. Roc met Vera’s furious gaze and smirked. “It’s been fun, Lady, but I think it’s time we settled this.”

Vera just grunted and started switching back to lightning dust. As she did so, Roc used the opening she gave him to close the distance between them. Vera’s eyes widened and she tried swinging her warhammer, but Roc ducked under the swing, shifting his right arm into a talon and plunging it right into her gut. 

Vera let out a loud and pained gasp as sharp talons bypassed her aura and sunk deep into her flesh. With Vera in his grasp, Roc flew her into a wall before dragging her across it at high speeds. The sounds of the arena walls being torn apart traveled around the room as Vera’s face was dragged across the drywall. Vera’s skin was bombarded with dust and debris, causing burns and tears to form on her skin, but it was nothing her aura wouldn’t heal. That’s what she thought at least.  After doing a complete loop around the room, Roc grabbed her neck and drained her of her remaining aura. Vera screamed in agony as her bright-blue aura transferred from herself to Roc via the hand around her neck.

Whitley sighed as he watched the spectacle. “Well, it looks like-” Whitley didn’t get to finish his sentence as he watched Roc throw Vera out of the arena before he stabbed her downed body with his sword. Whitley vomited onto the floor as Roc’s sword seared through warm flesh, splitting the top of Vera’s body wide open, revealing her blood and insides. Even though her face was split in half, you could still see her final look of horror and fear.

Roc sighed as he flicked the blood off of his katana before he realized something. Vera had a powerful semblance, and he got so caught up in the thrill of battle that he never thought to take it for himself. “Oh, son of a bitch! I’m such a fucking idiot!” he cursed himself. His mother would kill him if she found out about this.

Malak was helping Whitley through the gruesome scene, patting his back gently as the Schnee spilled his guts onto the floor. ‘Poor guy…he’s probably not used to bloodshed,’ Malak thought. He was used to it for reasons he’d rather not go into, Victor was unfazed by almost everything and was probably trained to kill, and Roc was a bandit, so of course he’d be okay with killing. Whitley wasn’t like most of them. 

Victor, not too concerned for Whitley, looked around the arena. It was completely destroyed. ‘How’s Merlot supposed to continue his tests without an arena?’ he thought as Roc landed in front of them, blood covering his face slightly. 

Roc let out a tired but content sigh as he used his sleeve to wipe Vera’s blood from his face. “Ah…that was a good warm-up. Who’s next?”