It's been a while since the big climax last chapter. I had been hoping to get this out in December, but you know how hectic holidays are. We couldn't get this reviewed in time and had to wait until January. A lot of people had been wondering when I would update this, and I am glad I could finally get this chapter up. Now that the battle occurred, there's going to be quite a bit of difference from canon events. Roman, Neo, and Pyrrha have all lived, Ozpin is still dead, and a dragon is on the loose. There's a lot of potential here for so much fun and excitement. I hope everyone enjoys it.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
The people of Remnant were a tenacious group.
No matter how dire the circumstances, humanity always found a way to push forward, grow, and fight against impossible odds. After the Battle of Beacon, the people of Vale united as one to rebuild the school and express their gratitude to the Huntsmen and soldiers who had stood valiantly against the tide of darkness. In just over a week, Beacon was nearly fully restored. Atlas had lent its support as well, deploying robotic soldiers for construction rather than security. However, most of their forces had been recalled to Atlas for reasons unknown.
Despite both Vale and Atlas depleting large amounts of ammunition and even losing a few ships to the Grimm, there was one crucial factor that gave them room to breathe: they no longer needed to defend the city.
The Grimm were not coming anywhere near Vale or Beacon.
The reason was unknown to most, but there were plenty of people who liked to speculate about it. The most talked about reason was that the Hero of Vale had blessed the city with his light to protect them all. Yes, Accelerator could not escape that name, even when he refused to do interviews and locked himself in Beacon. Everyone in Vale now knew his name, much to his chagrin. The human who could create wings of light that repealed all Grimm. A single person shredded as many enemies as a fleet of battleships. After saving the city from the Black Dragon, many religious fanatics began to spread the rumor he was an angel sent by the gods.
Speaking of the 'Grimm' dragon, since the creature was never defeated, rumors about where it went or what it was doing varied greatly depending on who you asked. Most people thought it was a new type of Grimm that struck fear into people just by being near them. It wasn't the first type of Grimm that could affect emotions, so that wasn't too far fetched. However, after Lisa Lavender showed her video of the dragon tearing apart the Grimm Wyvern, even Atlas had trouble explaining it. The most popular theory was that two ancient Grimm battled for dominance.
They couldn't say it was on humanity's side, though, as the Black Dragon destroyed one of Atlas' largest battleships without remorse and fought the Hero of Vale above the city.
One might think that, after the entire population of Vale witnessed the threat Grimm posed—even to the capital of a kingdom—they would put aside their differences to face their true enemy. But that wasn't the case. As Sienna had predicted, Adam's actions had deepened the populace's distrust of the Faunus. The White Fang's attack on Beacon using smuggled Grimm, combined with their alleged involvement in the Coliseum bombing, had left the Faunus across Remnant bracing for backlash. While they were met with suspicion and fear, the actual violent attacks remained surprisingly minimal.
Thanks largely to Sienna Khan herself—and Lisa Lavender's dedication to accurate reporting—the world was paying attention.
Sienna's fight against Adam had been broadcast across Vale, though the CCT tower remained out of commission. Atlas technicians were working tirelessly to restore the network, but for now, the rest of the world relied on secondhand updates relayed from Atlas. Fortunately, Lisa had captured the moment. Sienna working alongside Beacon students, fighting for their lives, and delivering a heartfelt message about the need for real progress. Her words rang so genuine that even skeptical newscasters struggled to dispute her sincerity. Instead, their focus shifted to the troubling reality—Sienna was no longer in control of the White Fang, and further terrorist attacks loomed on the horizon.
Something that really upset Ruby as she had been monitoring the news every day, but for another reason.
"Don't they understand that saying things like that just makes the tensions worse!" Ruby grumbled, disappointed there was still no rumor of Touma and Blake. She and Yang were sitting in their room, both tired and stressed.
"Chill, Ruby." Yang put a hand on her shoulder. "Freaking out isn't going to help anyone."
"I know…" Ruby sighed and slumped down on her bed. "But we haven't heard anything from Weiss or Blake OR Touma. I know you miss them too!"
"Yeah, Blake hasn't sent anything since her message right when she left." Yang's eyes flashed red for a moment. "No matter how many times we tell her… at least she let us know this time… it's a start." The girl took a couple of deep breaths. "Why don't you spend some time with Jaune and his team? Cooping up inside isn't healthy."
"I don't want to intrude," Ruby muttered. "Things are awkward between Jaune and Pyrrha."
"Awkward?" Yang tilted her head. "Sorry, I've been busy helping out and concentrating on… other stuff." The girl had also been worried about Blake and how her partner was fairing mentally after meeting Adam. The last time she remembered seeing them up close beside at meals, the two of them had kissed upon reuniting. "Are they being super lovey-dovey?"
"No, I guess things are awkward?" Ruby rubbed her fingers together. "You have to promise not to tell anyone I told you! Jaune told me this in secret."
"I promise, now tell me." A little juicy gossip was just what Yang needed to help keep her mind off Blake.
"Well, before Pyrrha confronted Cinder, she shoved Jaune into a rocket launcher to send him to safety since the Wyvern was working with Cinder," Ruby explained quickly. "They still love each other, but Pyrrha feels guilty, and Jaune's frustrated with himself. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew he wouldn't be much help."
"Ah…" Yang sighed, a bit disappointed. She'd been hoping for some lighthearted gossip, not more emotional drama. "I can see why things would be awkward between them. It'll pass soon enough. Those two are totally into each other—they're basically Ren and Nora level obvious."
"I really hope their relationship lasts," Ruby said with a small nod. "We need more happy endings nowadays."
"There, there, Rubes." Yang slung an arm around Ruby's shoulders, pulling her close. "We'll get through this. Team RWBY will be back together before you know it."
Ruby sniffed softly, leaning into Yang as she tried to hold back tears.
At least Cinder and her group had been identified. They were now the most wanted people in all of Remnant. Unfortunately, Atlas had also put out a wanted poster for Touma. While he wasn't accused directly of terrorism, his connections to Neo, Roman, and the Grimm dragon painted a suspicious picture. Touma had become something of a celebrity—his status as a Dragon Faunus and his connection to the dark dragon had stirred up both fascination and fear. Everyone assumed the two were related, which Ruby knew was true.
Then there was the other dragon—its image still burned in her memory.
Ruby had told the others about it after she woke up, describing the white, angelic dragon she saw just before passing out. She couldn't explain how, but it felt entirely different from the black dragon. Dangerous in its own way, but distinct. Touma's wariness of both dragons made sense now. These creatures couldn't be controlled, not really. In the past, they had always vanished after defeating their enemies. This time, the black dragon had broken away from Touma and attacked Vale. It was only thanks to Accelerator that it had been driven off, disappearing into parts unknown.
"Why don't we go see Jaune and the others?" Yang suggested, standing and gently pulling Ruby to her feet. "It'll do you some good to get out of the room."
"I guess…" Ruby hesitated but allowed herself to be led. She couldn't look sad in front of the others—not when they needed strength and reassurance. She had to keep her head up, her smile steady. Her friends were fine, just laying low. They had to be. "Okay, maybe they've heard something, too."
"That's the spirit." Yang grinned as they crossed the hallway and knocked on the door.
"Anyone home?" Yang called out.
The door opened, and Pyrrha stood there, offering a small smile.
"Hello, Yang. What's up?"
"Can we hang out?" Yang asked. "Talk about any new updates?"
"Sure, we were actually about to do just that," Pyrrha added, stepping back. "Since there's been new developments."
"There has?!" Ruby's eyes widened in excitement as she zipped into the room. "What is it? Has anyone contacted you?" She quickly scanned the room and saw everyone in Team JNPR and Last Order. However, her brain did process someone missing who had still been at Beacon. "Wait… where's Accelerator?"
"That's the new development…haha." Jaune rubbed his neck. "He's going to be gone for a bit…"
"Him too?!" Ruby gasped. "Who's next? Are you and Pyrrha leaving?"
"I'll be going to Vale to do some appearances," Pyrrha admitted, trying to smile reassuringly but coming off more of a grimace. "Being seen in public seems to be doing some good as of right now. It's keeping the people calm."
"Though there hasn't been any Grimm anywhere near Vale, so all the repairs are on schedule," Jaune added. He had been going with Pyrrha as emotional support. Even if they had their rough patches, neither of them wanted to go on without the other in their life.
"Where is the string bean going?" Yang asked the important question.
"Atlas," Nora answered immediately.
"Atlas?!" Ruby and Yang repeated in unison.
"He's going to find Weiss since she's not returning his calls, MISAKA explains as MISAKA is having a hard time containing her happiness." Last Order was bouncing on the bed. "MISAKA wants to know when she will return too."
"I thought Atlas had closed borders." Ruby was looking among her friends. "You mean we could have visited Weiss any time we wanted to?"
When Atlas withdrew most of their troops back to their kingdom, many people at Vale were upset because it felt like they were abandoning them after fighting side by side. Then the closing of borders shocked and confused the public even more. It felt like Atlas was showing their true colors.
"No, the borders are still closed." Ren reported. "I reminded Accelerator about that and his response was that he didn't care and would work something out."
"He actually said, 'I'd like to see them try to stop me.'" Nora hunched over and gave her best Accelerator impersonation. She couldn't help but snicker at her own antics.
"That sounds more like him." Yang laughed. "The fact he waited this long without hearing anything from her was a miracle in itself. I never took him as the patient type."
"It's not funny!" Ruby pointed out angrily. "Won't he get in a lot of trouble? Atlas closed the borders to stop Cinder's group from traveling there!"
"Yeah, that seems to be the main reason." Pyrrha agreed. "My mom said Mistral is the same way, with everyone coming into the kingdom being vetted. I assume Vacuo is taking similar steps themselves."
"We promised to watch Last Order while Accelerator is gone too," Jaune added, sitting down next to the girl. "Goodwitch said she'd help too if we need to assist anywhere outside Beacon." The boy smiled for a moment. "After everything Accelerator did to protect Vale, it's the least we could do."
"I really want Atlas to see what would happen if they try to stop Accelerator." Nora laughed, leaning backward and plopping down on her bed. "So many explosions."
"We do not want to start an international incident." Ren pointed out. "And he might be able to enter due to his status as the Hero of Vale, along with working with Atlas tech. There are rumors online that Atlas is pushing forward more Portable Dust Shield Generators for their troops."
"Then…?" Ruby asked hesitantly. "Are they preparing for a war?"
"Cinder was willing to destroy Beacon and Vale to achieve something, and they think she's going to do it to the other kingdoms," Yang explained to her again. "The question is why? There has to be some sort of logic, otherwise, why destroy what keeps you safe from Grimm?"
"That's… not what she's after." Pyrrha pipped up after sharing a look with Jaune.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, turning toward her. "You know something?"
"Remember when you asked about the Maiden when we fought against Cinder?" Pyrrha asked. "And I said I would explain later? Jaune and I talked, and we decided you all should know the situation, even though it's a secret."
"What Maiden?" Ren frowned, looking between them.
"Please bear with us," Jaune sighed and looked nervous. "Ozpin told us it was one of Remnant's greatest secrets, but after everything that happened… and Ozpin gone…" There was a moment of silence remembering the headmaster lost his life against Cinder. It was why Glynda had taken over.
"Do you all know the story of the four maidens?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah, I read that story to Ruby a lot when we were kids," Yang spoke out. "An old wizard who had given up on humanity lived alone in the mountains. Four sisters visited him and showed him kindness that he hadn't experienced. The wizard then gives the four sisters great powers in return for their kindness, and as the embodiment of the four seasons, they go through Remnant spreading their gifts."
There was a slight pause in the group. Why would they bring up a fictional children's story?
"It's just a fairy tale though," Nora said. "They aren't real."
"Well… it seems some of Remnant's fairy tales have some sort of fact in them…" Pyrrha mumbled.
Everyone stared at her.
"Then… Cinder on the tower… that power was…?" Ruby stumbled with her words.
"Yes, Cinder has the power of a Maiden," Pyrrha confirmed.
"Only because she stole it!" Jaune spat out bitterly.
"What do you mean stole? MISAKA asks as MISAKA tilts her head." Last Order was curious about this too. "Can your powers be stolen?"
"Maiden powers are inherited by other young females when the current vessel of the power passes," Pyrrha told them all. "The last woman, Amber, was severely injured by assailants months ago, which I now am positive was Cinder's group. She was hidden under the school in a medical pod with Ozpin and Ironwood trying to stabilize her." Everyone was hanging on her every word. "She was dying and the plan was to try to pass it to me with the Aura transfer pod. Before we could, Cinder broke in and killed Amber, inheriting the power. Then she killed Ozpin and joined the Wyvern on the clock tower."
"We still don't know why the Wyvern was following her orders," Jaune added. "There's just too much that we don't understand yet."
"So CInder had that fire power because she's a Maiden now?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, that's why she was so powerful." Pyrrha shook her head. "That power is not the same as Aura or Semblances, so we could call it magic. If it wasn't for Touma, things could have gotten bad. And that light you generated from your eyes."
"And I can't remember any of it," Ruby reminded her. "So I have no idea what that was."
"So what are we going to do now?" Jaune asked. "We can't just wait here, can we? We're some of the only people who know what's happening."
"Qrow told us to stay put," Pyrrha stated firmly.
"Uncle Qrow?" Yang and Ruby chimed in.
"Yeah, it seems he knows about the Maidens too," Jaune admitted sheepishly.
"Wow, there's an entire secret society around the Maidens!" Nora gasped. "Maybe there's someone else in the center of all this. Like the wizard!"
"If the Maiden power is passed on from generation to generation, the wizard would be the oldest person on Remnant."
"Pssh, wizards can be immortal."
"Did you tell Accelerator this?" Ruby asked them.
"No, he left before we could," Jaune answered. "But even if he and Touma knew about magic from their world, what are the odds they would know about magic from our world?"
"Ah, good point," Ruby said, a bit dejected.
"Speaking of, have you heard any news about Touma or Blake?" Nora asked Ruby and Yang. "We've been listening to the news, and there's nothing even to hint where they could be."
Instantly, Ruby bit her lip and hung her head, causing Yang to pat her back. Of course, they knew Nora didn't mean to cause Ruby depression. She was just as worried about their friends as they were. Shaking her head, Yang guided the conversation back to the mysterious power Cinder now possessed. That woman was Remnant's most wanted fugitive, but knowing about her power, there probably weren't many people who could stop her.
And none of them knew who the other three Maidens were.
"You okay?" Blake asked, leaning on the railing next to Touma. They were on a ship crossing the sea toward their destination. "Seasick?"
"Just… thinking," Touma replied after a moment, turning to look at her. "Things have been hectic and we were moving so fast… it feels like I finally have time to stop and think."
It had been anything but easy. With Roman teetering between life and death, no access to a hospital, and only an emergency first aid kit to rely on, every moment had been touch and go. Touma couldn't help but think of his doctor back home, the Heaven Canceller, whose extraordinary skills had kept him alive through countless battles against superpowered enemies. Without that expertise now, it fell to Blake and Neo, whose knowledge of first aid seemed to be enough to stabilize Roman. After a tense few days, Roman was finally back on his feet and as chatty as ever. Aura played a significant role in speeding up his recovery… Touma envied Roman, strangely. But that was just the beginning of their challenges.
The Bullhead they had escaped in didn't have enough fuel to make it all the way to their destination. Refueling presented a major problem. There wasn't anywhere they could land without attracting attention. Both Vale and Atlas were on high alert, hunting for Roman, Neo, and Touma. Landing an unauthorized Bullhead would have been as good as putting the cuffs on themselves.
So, they came up with a different plan. They landed just outside a small town under the cover of night and slipped in unnoticed. Surprisingly, infiltrating the city had been the easiest part of the ordeal. With two seasoned thieves and a former White Fang agent, sneaking in was a breeze. From there, they paid for a ride to the port and took a boat to their main destination to lie low for a bit. Now, all they could do was plan their next move.
Touma found himself standing next to Blake, both staring out across the sea. He honestly wished he had the courage to speak to her more sincerely. Yet, strangely, he felt it easier to speak to her then anyone else.
"How long has it been since you've been home?" Touma asked.
"Too long." Blake sighed. "I didn't want to leave Menagerie, but I felt like I had to help the White Fang fight for equal rights."
"What's Menagerie like?"
"It's a beautiful place…" Blake smiled fondly out toward sea, as she brushed a strand of hair back over her ear as the breeze blew it out of place. Touma found himself staring at her more than he would care to admit. "At least the coast is. Palm trees, golden sand, crystal clear waves." Her eyes got a little teary. "I just hope my parents don't hate me for leaving."
"They won't." Touma patted her back softly with his left hand. "I'm sure they won't. No parent would."
"...Thank you." Blake's voice was barely above a whisper as she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel better with you here."
Touma wasn't sure what to say to this. He wasn't used to being part of anything like romance. The poor boy was used to sheer misfortune… or a girl trying to electrocute him. His only experience dealing with a girl was with his idiot friends or when they were actually focused on a task. Well that, or when they bossed him around like a slave, demanded he cook for them… Normal things like that. So what did he do now?
Touma slowly raised his arm and put it across Blake's shoulder.
She looked… happy. Touma had a feeling that he had done something right.
Until someone small came in between them, causing the two to separate.
"Uh… hey, Neo," Touma greeted, doing his best to hide his disappointment at her timing. She had interrupted the moment before he could make a move. As he looked her over, he almost didn't recognize her. Her signature pink and brown hair was now a plain, dark brown. The ice cream-themed outfit she always wore had been swapped out for simple shades of tan, brown, and white. Even her heterochromatic eyes were gone, replaced with a bright green hue. But the most striking change sat atop her head. Two large bunny ears that made her appear like a real Faunus. Touma knew they were fake, a product of her illusion abilities, yet he was still in awe of it.
"We'll be there in an hour or two," he said, trying to focus.
His gaze shifted to Blake, who was glaring at Neo, her scowl unmistakable.
"I think she's more upset about you ignoring her," a drawling voice chimed in from behind.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Touma snapped, spinning around, only to sigh as his eyes landed on Roman.
Roman looked far from his usual self. His pristine white suit had been replaced with a plain blue T-shirt and a pair of jeans they'd managed to scrounge up. His bright orange hair was now dyed black to avoid drawing attention. He still carried his signature cane weapon, but he leaned on it more heavily than usual.
While his Aura levels seemed strong, his movement clearly showed he wasn't feeling great. Roman was visibly exhausted, and he desperately needed rest. Unfortunately, rest wasn't something they could afford, not when they had to keep moving.
"Fresh air does wonders for recovery." The man assured him.
"As long as no one recognizes you," Blake stated flatly.
"Even if they did, I'm not wanted in Menagerie." Roman pointed out with a grin. "They also don't really work with the other kingdoms, so they won't capture me and ship me back. In fact, I haven't set foot here in over a decade. Humans aren't welcomed here since it's the Faunus safe space."
"I thought you said we could come here?" Touma raised his voice in shock, as he turned to Blake. It was easy for her since she was a Faunus, and Neo could disguise herself as a Faunus. As for him, well… people might recognize him as a Dragon Faunus from the news if they got it out here. Roman was obviously human and even if he wore a cloak, he might eventually get discovered.
"You can," Blake assured him. "Humans aren't banned from the island. It's just… they tend not to visit. A few humans do work the ships that trade with Menagerie. A lot of Faunus here just want to be left alone and don't get involved. They might not trust you two, but as long as you don't cause trouble, there won't be any problems."
"That's good," Roman nodded sagely. "I have never been in trouble before in my life." Neo snorted loudly as Touma and Blake glared at him.
"And trouble follows me." Touma sighed. "Such misfortune…"
"Eh, trouble's everywhere on Remnant." Roman laughed and slapped his back. "You get used to it."
"For once, he has a point." Blake slowly nodded. Neo snickered and poked Touma's side to get him to cheer up.
"If we get in trouble, I'm blaming you three." The boy grumbled.
"Sounds fair," Blake told him with a smile on her face.
"At least we don't have to worry about Grimm thanks to you," Roman added, pointing at Touma's right arm quickly. "Even without one of those dragon creatures of yours." They had time to talk about what happened as Neo had seen it all. So now all three of Touma's companions knew about the multiple beasts behind his hand. "Still no idea where it went, huh?"
"Not a clue." This really upset Touma more than anything. Since he unleashed the black dragon, any damage it caused was his fault. People could die because he was careless. "As soon as I hear something, I'm going after it."
"We're going after it." Blake corrected him.
Neo huffed and wrapped her arms around his waist to show she was in. To say Blake had an amazing poker face was an understatement.
"Once things cool down and I can get back to Vale, I'll probably have a contact or two who might still be willing to talk with me," Roman added unhelpfully.
"I'd bet money they will hang up on you before the call rings twice," Touma said, scoffing at the former ginger's remark. Blake and Neo both gave Touma an affirming smile to show him his joke landed.
Eventually, the ship reached the large island and the palm trees came into view. The sun was high in the sky, shining down on them all. A warm breeze gently blew across the ship and carried the salty smell of the sea. The Faunus on the board were coming up, ready to disembark once they arrived. Besides Touma and Roman, only a couple of the workers on the ship were humans. The captain was included and he was an aging man with a large thick white beard. The guy seemed nice enough and even when the Faunus looked at Roman and Touma with suspicion, they seemed to be okay with him.
"Don't see humans coming here often," The captain commented as they began to depart at the port. "Business I assume?"
"Pleasure, actually," Roman answered before anyone else. "Fresh air, gold beaches, good food. My kids here needed a vacation and I did promise them one." Blake and Touma kept straight faces during all this, while Neo pulled Roman's sleeve and pointed off the ship. "And she's anxious to go."
"Have fun and don't cause any trouble," The captain laughed and then leaned closer, face now stoic. "Seriously, don't do it." The last sentence was a whisper. "Things could get dicey if you do." Those words made Touma suspicious the man recognized Roman.
"I have no intention of causing any trouble and my kids are very well-behaved." Roman brushed off the captain. "Thanks for the tip though."
The four of them left the ship, with Blake leading the pack.
"So where are we going?" Touma asked.
"We'll go around the market in the center of town," Blake replied. "We're in Kuo Kuana, which is the largest settlement on the island. It gets really busy this time of the day, so I rather not fight through the crowd."
"You're missing an important lesson there, kitty." Roman admonished. "It's Thieving 101! Use the crowd to your advantage to hide. If you sneak along the back streets, you stand out more."
"It doesn't matter if we're seen," Blake crossed her arms as she turned around. "It's just going to be slow pushing our way through the crowds. People here converge together in the towns, so the market is dense. We'll most likely get separated."
"Well it's your hometown, so I'll follow your lead," Roman shrugged. "Do you think your parents will have some cigars? If not, can I pick some up somewhere?"
"Seriously?" Touma raised an eyebrow. "You just recovered from the brink of death and you want to smoke?"
"Seeing my life flash before my eyes made me realize the joys of the little things in life," Roman told him. "Sometimes. even if it's bad for you." He patted Neo on the back with a grin. Because associating Neo with 'little' regardless of the reason, earned you a whooping. Even Roman wasn't completely immune. "Oomph!"
Neo had elbowed him in the stomach.
"You deserved that." Blake and Touma laughed in unison. Neo didn't seem upset at Roman though, and the force of the blow was obviously weaker than it could have been. No matter what happened between those two, to Neo, Roman was an irreplaceable parental figure to her.
The crowd, while annoying, wasn't nearly as bad as Blake made it out to be. The worst thing that had happened while walking was Touma getting randomly stepped on four times by people twice his size.
"We're almost there," Blake informed them after they had been walking for about fifteen minutes.
"Which house is yours?" Touma asked and then made a small joke to lighten the atmosphere. "No wait, let me guess. It's the big one up that hill."
SIlence followed and Blake's eyes didn't even flicker over to him for a moment.
"You're rich?"
In the back of Touma's mind, something had snapped. What exactly? Not even he knew at that moment.
"Looks like the kitten here has been hiding things from all of us," Roman smugly identified, his eyes examining Blake for more hints. When none came, he decided to poke and prod her a bit. "Should we call you your Highness, or is princess enough? Do we need to curtsey?" Neo was snickering at this while Touma frowned.
"Knock it off," The boy cut Roman off before he could put his foot further into his mouth. "She has her reasons."
"If he's going to keep it up, maybe he can sleep outside." Blake glanced over at Touma, her expression grateful. "The rain here can get pretty heavy."
"You like me too much for that." Roman grinned back.
"Oh, I didn't know you were a comedian now, Roman?" Blake replied with the fakest amusement even Touma had ever heard.
Neo was snickering uncontrollably, and Touma was doing his best not to laugh. He wasn't sure how serious the tension between Blake and Roman was, but he wouldn't put it past Blake to have Roman sitting out on the porch at night with nothing but a blanket—and maybe a book for a pillow. Given they were heading to Blake's parents' house, she could probably convince them to go along with it. Taking in a criminal was already a big ask. Taking in a criminal Blake didn't like? If Roman weren't still recovering, Touma might have been on board with the idea himself.
The group trudged along the road until they finally arrived in front of a large, multi-level house with wooden siding and brown roof tiles. The house had a spacious forecourt that looked like it could comfortably host meetings or even a party. It was eerily quiet, and with the afternoon sun shining brightly, it was impossible to tell if anyone was home. Touma, Roman, and Neo stopped a few paces back as Blake ascended the front steps and stood before the door.
For once, the normally stoic girl looked nervous. She hesitated for a moment before raising her hand and knocking on the door.
The silence stretched until the faint sound of footsteps echoed from inside. A moment later, the lock clicked, and the door swung open.
A young female Faunus stood in the doorway. She had cat ears like Blake's, though hers were larger, adorned with gold piercings. Her short black hair framed her sharp features, and her outfit was striking. She wore a black hakama paired with sandals and white tabi socks. Over the hakama, she had a sleek black shrug with a long right sleeve and a short left sleeve, accented with intricate gold-leaf trim along the opening. Around her waist was a black-and-gold sash that trailed behind her, ending with a gold flower-shaped buckle that added an elegant finishing touch.
"B-Blake?" The woman's eyes went wide.
"Hi?" Blake waved awkwardly.
The next moment the woman gripped Blake in a tight hug before anyone could react. Blake's face went red and her ears stood straight up, before she relaxed and returned the hug. Touma was looking between them when the question escaped from his mouth.
"Blake has a sister?"
The two cat Faunus froze and turned to look at him. Both of their eyes widened in surprise like the boy had just appeared out of nowhere. Then Blake's eyes narrowed while the woman's expression turned amused.
"I like him." The woman whispered to Blake.
"This is my mom," Blake stated firmly.
"Oh, shit."
Touma hadn't even realized what came out of his mouth before Roman gave him a massive slap on the back.
"Real smooth there, Casanova." Roman laughed as Neo joined Blake in scowling at Touma.
The air was noticeably colder as Accelerator stepped out of the Bullhead. He couldn't help but miss the days when his reflection ability was always active. Maintaining a constant, comfortable temperature no matter the environment had been incredibly useful, especially when traveling or fighting opponents with elemental powers like fire or ice. Now, wrapped in a white jacket with a thick hood, he stepped into the chill. While his Aura protected him from most of the cold, it wasn't particularly strong yet. He'd only recently unlocked it and, given his lack of physical strength, it made sense that it wasn't especially effective.
"So this is Argus, huh? Seems pretty normal."
Argus was a port city located in the northern region of the Kingdom of Mistral. It served as a critical trading hub between Mistral and the Kingdom of Atlas, making it one of the largest non-capital cities in all of Remnant. The cobblestone streets gave the city a historic charm, with a transit system of streetcar-like hovering vehicles gliding smoothly along grooves in the road. Most of the buildings were made of brick, rising only a few stories high, their architecture reminiscent of Victorian-style houses from Accelerator's own world.
From where he stood, he could see the city's southern boundary: a massive stone wall towering over the area. A single, imposing gate broke the wall, serving as the only visible entrance and exit. Its sheer size and fortification hinted at the importance of keeping Argus secure, both from external threats and whatever lay beyond the city's borders.
"I can't believe I had to come all the way out here." Accelerator sighed. "Seriously. What's with their crappy intercontinental communications? One tower caused a blackout over an entire kingdom? Whoever designed it needs to be shot."
The boy began to leave the airport and made his way further into the town. Of course, Accelerator ignored the stores and other people on the street. He was here for a very particular purpose. If he had his way, there wouldn't have been a reason to be here in the first place. Atlas had declared martial law and brought back most of their forces to their main cities up north. The only personnel left around Remnant were the non-military forces helping Vale pick up the pieces and the ones at the military base in Argus.
Trade was still essential for a country that lived in a tundra.
Martial law also closed the borders except for authorized travelers and Accelerator wasn't able to find a ride to Atlas, so he had no choice but to come to Argus and go through their military base. Even with his power, flying across the ocean separating the continents was too risky. There hadn't been time to fully test out his new power over long distances and his endurance was still much lower than even a beginner Huntsman. Still, Aura made him feel much stronger than he ever had before. Traveling alone wasn't out of the question.
His hand pulled out his Scroll and looked at it.
The only message from a while ago was from Last Order giving him a thumbs-up emote along with the words 'Good luck!'
Yet, there had been nothing from Weiss.
"Seriously, you're high maintenance." Accelerator muttered to himself. "Is a single message too much to ask for? Last Order is worried sick about you." With the Vale ICC tower being down, the Mistral one should still be working and any old messages should be going through.
Yep, Accelerator, the most powerful Level 5 of Academy City, the Hero of Vale, and self-described loner, came all the way here to see his girlfriend. Or as he told the others back at Beacon, to figure out what happened to her because of Last Order hounding him about her. Weiss was strong and Accelerator didn't think she was in any life-threatening trouble, but the fact she didn't reach out meant there was some kind of trouble.
No one really paid him any attention, but he kept his hood raised up anyway. White hair wasn't unheard of, but it was unusual enough that someone might take notice of a teenager with it. Accelerator wasn't sure how far and wide his appearance as the angel and Hero of Vale had spread. The last thing he needed was crowds of people bothering him about it. He couldn't leave Beacon for that very reason and no matter how many cameras he destroyed of noisy reporters, they wouldn't stop.
Based on his research, the military base was in the northern part of the city by the coast and when he reached there by traveling the cobblestone roads, he had no difficulty finding it.
"Huh? The base isn't within the city. Pssh, should have realized that since Atlas has a superiority complex. They probably want to make sure everyone knows there's a line between them and the other kingdoms."
Several small islands near the shorelines were being used as the Atlas base. They were connected to the mainland by a large suspension bridge. Two sections of the base were the most important to Accelerator. One island seemed to be the airport as several airships were docked there and there were landing pads. The second one had a large rock spire that the base seemed to have carved into with several larger buildings built below it. Stone walls surrounded both Islands with metal gates blocking the entrance to them. Guards were stationed on either side of the bridge near the gates. Out in the water, there were metal devices that looked like someone had started to make a fence out in the water but only put in the posts.
Then of course there was the one gate blocking access to the bridge from the mainlands with a couple of guards.
"Halt!" One of the guards held out a hand as Accelerator approached. "This is a restricted area and closed to the public. Authorized personnel only! State your business!"
"I need a flight to Atlas," Accelerator answered.
"All flights to Atlas have been grounded without authorization." The soldier informed him. "No civilian transport for the foreseeable future. Atlas will announce when they are accepting tourists."
"Yeah, I can't wait that long." Accelerator pulled back his hood. Might as well try using his new identity. "Don't you know who I am? Let me pass."
He had probably said that first part multiple times before to all the foolish people who had tried to take him down in Academy City, yet it felt weird this time. There was a different connotation to those words now.
"Nice try," The man scoffed. "You think you're some sort of big deal? Even if you were, you're not authorized to pass. Leave now kid, or we'll have to use force."
A snort escaped from Accelerator.
"Do what you have to." The boy told him. "And so will I." He began to walk forward.
"Halt!" The man stepped in front of him and held out a hand. "Don't make me use force."
"You wouldn't be the first one to try." Accelerator rolled his eyes and swiped his hand. A blast of wind knocked the man to the side as the teen continued forward. He reached the thick chain gate but didn't stop. Accelerator kept walking through it. Literally through it. Metal twisted and bent out of the way without slowing him down for a moment. A humanoid-shaped outline was in the fence as the boy kept walking forward.
"Sound the alarm!" The guard shouted to the second one, who was momentarily stunned at what just happened. Those words snapped him out of his stupor. He rushed inside the small guard outpost and pressed a big red button.
Alarms began to sound throughout the station.
"Annoying." Accelerator grumbled, sticking a finger in his ear at the loud noise. "At least they know I'm here, maybe the person in charge will see reason."
As he walked across the bridge, a welcome party awaited him. On the far side, a line of uniformed soldiers stood ready, each armed with Dust Rifles. Behind him, more soldiers ran up to flank him, cutting off any retreat. On either side, a pair of gunboats began to draw closer, boxing him in. It was a solid defensive strategy for the base. Anyone attempting to siege it by land would find themselves easily surrounded as soon as they stepped onto the bridge.
For most people, it would be an impossible situation.
But not for him.
Accelerator didn't stop walking.
"Whoever you are, you are trespassing on Atlas property!" A woman's voice boomed from a megaphone. "Surrender now! If you do not stop, we will be forced to open fire."
He continued forward, now close enough to see the woman barking orders. She was short and elderly, with short silver hair and sharp brown eyes that blazed with authority. She wore the standard Atlesian uniform—white and gray with black gloves and a dark gray belt—her crisp appearance marred only by the anger etched into her features. Despite her small stature, her commanding presence made it clear she was no ordinary soldier. Her rank must have been high, given her position at the forefront of the operation.
Arrogant. Irritated. A woman used to being obeyed.
Not that any of that mattered to Accelerator.
"I'm here because I need to get to Atlas!" Accelerator replied, stopping to put the others at ease. "Let me through."
"You were warned!" The woman shouted back. "Atlas is closed to visitors. Now surrender or we will fire!"
"Let me talk to your superior!" Accelerator crossed his arms. "Maybe they won't be so stubborn."
"Time's up!" The woman lowered the megaphone. "Fire!"
Gunfire rang out though some of the soldiers hesitated. An entire squad opening fire on some random man? There would be nothing left of him after the dust settled.
Accelerator knew that none of them realized just how fucked they were. Dust Bullets were nothing new and the moment they collided against Accelerator, their vectors were altered and reflected. This time, Accelerator was careful to make sure each bullet went directly back against the gun that fired it. He wasn't trying to seriously injure any of the soldiers, though not for any noble reason. First, it would just cause more problems with Atlas if he accidentally killed their people. Second, Weiss would be upset with him if she found out. So that left the more complicated, annoying way.
"Ahhh!"
Several cries of pain rang out as guns were hit by their own bullets. The people holding them felt the impact, a couple exploded partially, and others dropped the guns. Accelerator continued to walk forward, closing the gap quickly as the soldiers were still reeling from the sudden counter. The woman seemed shocked at first but quickly gathered her wits. A testament to her position perhaps.
"Gunboats, fire!"
Several loud booms came from the boats on either side of the bridge and small explosives collided with the boy. They detonated and engulfed him in flames, along with debris from the bridge that had been torn off from the weapon. Smoke blocked him from view and the woman smirked, confident that they had stopped him. Maybe a little excessive for a single boy, but anyone who attacked Atlas would be shown no mercy. Vale had already shown weakness and lost the CCT in their city. Then they nearly lost their kingdom. Atlas had used a lot of resources to keep them safe when it could have been better utilized with their own kingdom.
"Serves you right." The woman huffed and was about to turn around. There would be paperwork to fill out. She didn't get very far when a vortex of wind blew the smoke cloud away. "What the…?" Her men could only gape at what they were seeing.
Light exploded upwards in roughly the shape of two giant wings. Their point of origin was the boy's back as he continued to walk forward. A small ring of light in the shape of a halo hung above his head. Truly the depiction of an angel. It was obvious to all of them who they were dealing with. The soldiers lowered their weapons and the woman grabbed her walkie-talkie after a moment of stunned disbelief.
"WHY IS THE HERO OF VALE HERE?! DID YOU KNOW THIS?!"
"But… he's just a kid…" The man stammered on the other end. "There's no way…"
"YOU IDIOT!" The woman threw the device against the concrete below her, causing it to shatter. "Hold your fire!" She directed the others. "I'll take it from here. Fall back, everyone." The soldiers began to retreat as she walked forward to meet the intruder.
"Done wasting time?" Accelerator asked, stopping in front of her. His halo and wings flickered and vanished as quickly as they appeared. Almost as if they never really existed. Despite his life being threatened, the Hero of Vale seemed unmoved.
Not that his life was actually threatened, at least.
"I am Special Operative Caroline Cordovin, commander of Argus Military Base." The woman introduced herself. "What brings you here, Hero of Vale?" Do you realize trespassing will cause a diplomatic incident?"
"Call me Accelerator. I dislike that title."
"Very well, Accelerator. Now tell me, why are you here invading Atlas territory?"
"I need a ride to Atlas," The boy answered. "I asked the guard up front nicely, but he was rather unhelpful."
"Your status does not give you the right to invade Atlas." Caroline warned. "If you aren't careful, this could lead to a war between kingdoms."
"Don't worry about small things," Accelerator gave a bark-like laugh. "I'm here purely on my own. Vale has nothing to do with it. If you all hadn't withdrawn all your troops and closed the border, I wouldn't even be here. So really, it's Atlas' fault. Now, if you military types are sooooo uptight about the rules. Contact Ironwood and let me talk to him. I'm sure he'll see reason."
"And what makes you think you're authorized to talk to him?" Caroline crossed her arms.
Caroline realized the mistake she had made the moment she finished speaking.
"Who's going to stop me?" Came the simple counter. "Or are you going to waste more Atlas resources?" One hand gestured to the small crater in the bridge.
"You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors, and what do we get in return? People think they can walk in and call all the shots."
"Glad to know what you think of other kingdoms." Accelerator's glare hardened. "But again, I don't care what peons think." He started walking past her. "The control center is this way, right?"
The old woman could do little more than growl in frustration as she reluctantly complied with his demands. Caroline was known for being strict and a bit arrogant, but she wasn't entirely ruled by her temper. While her bitter attitude and impulsiveness occasionally clouded her judgment, she was mature and pragmatic enough to recognize when the situation demanded a different approach. With age comes wisdom, after all.
She had seen the footage of Accelerator's fight against the Grimm. It had been enough to convince her that the current forces in Argus were woefully unprepared for someone of his caliber. For now, it was better to appease him than risk escalation.
"It's handled," Caroline told the soldiers briskly as they passed. "Get this mess cleaned up and have maintenance repair the bridge. We can't have trucks driving over it in this condition."
The control room was bustling with activity, though at least the alarms had been silenced—they'd been giving Accelerator a headache. Technicians glanced up nervously as he entered but quickly averted their eyes when he ignored them. The room was filled with holographic displays monitoring the surrounding area. Camera feeds showed various parts of Argus, while a radar display tracked anything large heading toward the city before it could even be seen.
Rows of computers lined one side of the room, each workstation clearly serving a specific purpose. Accelerator, however, paid no attention to any of it. His focus was on the long-range communication system, which Caroline was currently activating.
"Special Operative Caroline Cordovin requesting General James Ironwood. A situation has arisen in Argus and needs his immediate attention."
"One minute." Responded the female on the other end of one of the large screens in front of them. Some unknown person Accelerator didn't care about. After what seemed like forever, which was probably only less than a minute, the screen flickered and changed to show the familiar tall and muscular middle-aged man. He had a thin beard starting to grow, indicating he hadn't shaved lately.
"Specialist Cordovin?" Ironwood asked. "What is the situation?"
"We have somewhat of an intru-..." Caroline began to explain, but Accelerator wasn't going to let her dictate this. That short granny didn't earn that privilege. Pushing her out of the way, he stepped into view.
"I'm the situation." His voice had a hint of amusement as a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Accelerator?" The general looked surprised. "What are you doing in Argus?"
"Trying to get a flight to Atlas, but your men have been rather unhelpful… and idiotic." Accelerator sneered.
"You insolent brat!" Caroline snapped.
"I see…" Ironwood frowned. "Atlas' borders are closed and will not be reopened for the foreseeable…"
"I don't care." Accelerator interrupted, his red eyes narrowing. "I am getting there one way or another. Asking is just doing you a favor for her."
Ironwood's eyes widened as he understood what was happening. His confused expression softened slightly, before becoming firm.
"Even so, someone with your intelligence understands the law. When the travel ban is lifted, you are more than welcome…"
"I'm not going to wait that long." It wasn't actually a threat, more of a statement, but everyone there stiffened up as if it was one.
"He tore through the front gate and invaded the base!" Caroline blurted out.
"You did?" Ironwood raised an eyebrow.
"To be fair, they are the ones who opened fire, but yeah… security was pretty lax."
That got several glares from Caroline and her staff in the room.
"Accelerator… if you were anyone else…" Ironwood rubbed his nose. "No." His eyes glowed for a moment. "Regardless of your position, you willingly and knowingly broke into an Atlas base. That is a felony and I should have you arrested." Soldiers in the control room reached for their weapons.
"Do you even hear yourself? Good luck with that." Accelerator shook his head slowly side to side. He never fully trusted military types. Penny's dad was a scientist who seemed okay, but Accelerator always knew Ironwood would turn on him at some point. "But it won't go so well and you'll lose a lot of men. Then I'll walk out of here and head to Atlas anyway."
"Do you really want to start an all-out war against Atlas?" Ironwood asked, stone-faced.
"Let me ask you a better question…."
Accelerator smirked, his eyes gaining a dangerous, crazed look in them as he held out his hand.
"How long would you survive a war against me?"
Silence followed the boy's retort as he stared directly into the eyes of the general of the most powerful military in the world. The other Atlas personnel stood flabbergasted at the sheer balls on the kid. Caroline gritted her teeth and her hands curled so tightly into fists, that her knuckles went white. While the soldiers in Argus only knew about Accelerator's fight at Beacon, Ironwood knew specifics about Accelerator's ability. What it was capable of. His mind ran through the possibilities before he finally spoke up.
"Very well, Accelerator. You're a special case and I can grant you an exception. Specialist Cordovin will schedule a shuttle to Atlas, where you will be escorted to me so we can talk face-to-face."
"W-what?" Caroline gasped. "Sir! You can't be serious!"
"That's fine." Accelerator agreed and was rather proud of himself. He was able to get what he wanted without violence. Far too many people were too stupid to realize how outclassed they were against him. Ironwood wasn't an idiot and realized that making an enemy of him wouldn't be to Atlas' benefit. The man also realized who Accelerator wanted to visit and decided to let him go.
At least Weiss won't be too upset with him for doing things diplomatically.
"Specialist Cordovin," Ironwood turned to the woman. "Schedule transport for him immediately."
"But-...!"
"That's enough." Ironwood cut her off this time. "Accelerator is now a guest of mine and shall be treated as such." The screen went dark as the man signed off. Caroline could do nothing but follow the direct order given to her.
"See?" Accelerator put a hand on her shoulder as he spoke in the most condescending tone he could muster. "Talking is much better than fighting?"
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
I thought about adding something with Salem, but I'm still working out a few things about how I want to lay it out. Let's just say she is aware of Touma summoning giant Dragons and isn't happy about it. So for now, enjoy the good guys having fun.
Wishez: Dark owes me $1,000.00 USD in editing fees. He's lucky that I'm so incredibly nice to still look at all his work.
Darkbetrayer: I have a Pat reon for this reason.