[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

It had been foolish of Arslan. She had lost control. Seeing Jaune hurt so badly... She had seen nothing but red. Nothing but raw rage had filled her.

In that moment she had forgotten that her Semblance didn't work if she lost emotional control. Her incredible Aura control and power? Useless if she didn't keep herself calm.

Cinder had struck her down and everything had gone black. She wondered for a moment if she was dead. If she was about to reach the Table Breaker's Country at last.

Instead, she awoke in a cell in Aura suppressing cuffs. A cage in some run down warehouse in Mantle, below the flying city of Atlas.

It was filthy, dark, and deserted. She was still in pain.

Still... She would manage.

She got up onto her knees, and bowed her head. Her hands were bound in front of her, so that made things easier.

Oh Emperor above, please, hear my prayer...

"You're awake."

Arslan opened her eyes and turned her head calmly. Cinder stood there, a sneer upon her ruined face. Arslan studied her for a moment, before turning her head back and closing her eyes again.

She could feel Cinder's derision from here.

"You know, I could have killed you then and there," the terrorist went on, "But I chose not to. You know why?"

"Because you wish to use me as bait for my friends," Arslan said quietly. Cinder was quiet, then snorted.

"You can do nothing about it."

"I can. And I am," Arslan replied.

She heard Cinder stalk in front of the cage and crouch down. No doubt to glare at her right in her face.

"What are you doing, hm?"

"Praying," Arslan said simply. Cinder laughed mockingly.

"To your made up god? What good will that do? You hoping he'll save you?"

"My hope is that He will save both of us," Arslan said quietly. She could feel Cinder gape at her in disbelief.

"Save both of us?!" She demanded. She slammed the bars of the cage, making them rattle. "What kind of shit is that?! I'm your enemy! I'm your nemesis-!"

Arslan opened her eyes and stared into Cinder's.

"And why do you not seem happy about that?" Arslan asked. Cinder sneered at her.

"Your god's a fake. A fraud. What power has he given you? What reward? What reason to believe?"

"I do not always recognize His will, for no one can discern it fully," Arslan said, "But He has given me many things. A loving family. Friends. A man I wish to spend the rest of my life with. And opportunities to help and save people. The power He has given me is to do good. The reward is that good is done. The belief is that my actions matter and will make a difference."

"Your life has made no difference!" Cinder sneered.

"Your defeats and the lives you have failed to take speak otherwise," Arslan countered. Cinder seethed.

"You're up against the power of an immortal witch! She is the true god here-!"

"And you seek to usurp her power," Arslan surmised. Cinder glared, then smirked.

"So what if I do?"

"It will not change what happened to you," Arslan said softly, her eyes filled with compassion. Cinder's eyes narrowed.

"You don't know anything about me-!"

"The orphanage," Arslan said coldly, "The Glass Unicorn. Rhodes. Your stepmother and stepsisters."

Cinder reared back as though Arslan had struck her. She shook her head rapidly.

"Y-You can't know-How could you-?!"

"I know. It is enough," Arslan murmured. She shook her head.

"You have been through Hell, Cinder Fall. I do not dispute that. I do not deny you have suffered much. Was killing your abusive stepmother and siblings justice? I cannot say. Only He can judge you. I do know that the actions you have taken in Salem's service will not bring you peace."

"I don't want peace!" Cinder spat, "I want power! I want revenge!"

Arslan slowly shook her head.

"You want to feel safe," she stated, "You wanted love. So badly. But you decided it was not worth the risk. How could you? After how badly you were hurt when you trusted? It is the hardest thing in the world to trust, to open yourself up-"

"SHUT UP!"

Cinder flared her flames in her hands. Arslan remained stoic, staring back at Cinder. Cinder meanwhile was panting angrily.

"You can't pity me... You don't get to pity me! We're enemies and I'm going to kill you, your fucking boyfriend, and the rest so I can rule! Your prayers won't change that!"

Arslan closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Perhaps not," she said, "But I will still try."

Cinder was silent for a moment.

"Even if there was a God, He wouldn't..." Cinder hesitated, "He wouldn't forgive me for what I have done."

"He would," Arslan said softly, "Even if I cannot... He would. If you sought redemption."

"So you can't forgive me," Cinder smirked. "You're not perfect, huh?"

"I am not, nor did I claim to be," Arslan said, sounding tired, "But I still try to do the right thing. No matter how hard it is. That includes praying for my enemies in the hope that they will turn away from evil. It is a faint hope... But it is what must be done."

Cinder glared at Arslan in silence for a bit. Arslan continued to pray.

"You're a fool," Cinder spat. She stood up. "I'm going to kill you in front of your boyfriend. The one I crippled! How does that make you feel?"

"Sad," Arslan said quietly, "For you."

Cinder seethed. She turned and stalked away.

- - -

A bit random but while this story is very Jaune-centric, no reason we can't show glimpses that showcase the other characters in more detail.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Always hate how thick Cinders plot armor is.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Always hate how thick Cinders plot armor is.

Click to shrink...

Don't worry, she died in ten out of eleven of the future timelines.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Don't worry, she died in ten out of eleven of the future timelines.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like an idea for a short, most of Jaune's future kids revealing how Cinder goes down in their timeline.

Also, thanks for more warrior nun Arslan!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Dvipa, near Mistral

- - -

Dvipa was a small collection of about seven islands about halfway between Pandu's southernmost shore and Menagerie's northernmost point. It was one of thousands of small island chains that dotted the sea between Animus, Vale and Menagerie. Law and order could only be brought to so many of them, even with the reach of Atlas' military. So among the petty almost-kingdoms and islands where people toiled unaware of the larger world outside, there sat Dvipa.

Once it had been an outpost of the great Pandavan Empire at its height, and so the cities that dotted the archipelago featured Pandavan architecture: White and tan walls with graceful arches and turban-like tops. Wide fountains and boulevards going through dense jungles. Yet its allegiance was neutral, and it had no extradition laws.

This suited Colonel Sebastian Zaroff, late of Her Majesty's Vytalian Army, just fine. He rode on his horse through the jungle, tall, broad and strong despite his long years. His hair was a fading orange, with black and silver stripes running through it. With his bushy mustache, fearsome scowl and golden eyes, one covered by a monocle, he resembled a fearsome tiger on the prowl. His khaki uniform was still filled out well by his muscular body. He held his double rifle in one hand, keen eyes and senses scanning the underbrush.

He tugged on the reins and his horse obediently slowed to a stop. Nothing but the wind waving in the leaves and the sounds of birds and monkeys could be heard.

The colonel sniffed the air carefully. He looked to his south. He held up his rifle, eyes narrowing through the scope. He took aim, his heartbeat slowing as he went still as a statue.

He licked his lips free of sweat, revealing his Faunus fangs just for a moment-One replaced with a golden replica.

His Aura surged... And he fired!

The first round from the double rifle flew straight and true, the sonic boom ringing through the forest. There was a cry of pain-Human.

Colonel Zaroff turned his steed towards the sound and galloped after it. He crashed through the undergrowth, disturbing several beasts who hadn't scurried away with the sound of the shot.

At last, the colonel and his horse broke onto a wide shallow stream. A single figure lay in the water, dragging himself onto the rock. The figure looked back in terror, a White Fang mask upon his face. He gasped loudly, desperately, as the Colonel dismounted and slowly approached him.

"N-No... I-I'm... I'm a Faunus... Like you!" The terrorist begged. He coughed, holding his side-A hole had been shot clean through, and blood poured out of the wound into the river.

The Colonel snorted.

"Such a trivial bond we share," he huffed. "I fought the Mantlians and the Mistralians, a loyal soldier of Queen Arturia herself! Well before you were a glint in your no good father's eye. I slew Grimm, man, and Faunus. There was no challenge I could not overcome!"

He shook his head sadly, and cocked his double rifle. His sorrow was so deep it made the big man sag almost completely.

"Then the Empire ended... And I was left without a purpose," he sighed. "Without war, what use is a warrior?"

He brightened at a happy memory, which made the Faunus cower even more.

"Then... Oh, then... Ol' Duryodhana, he had a plan! Overthrow the Sarkaras! Put the Kauravas back on top! Beat drinking myself to death in a bar, telling stories of my old glories to unappreciative youths. Aye lad, was that a great battle! And so many others besides! Now those were heady days! I was fighting again! Killing again! The most dangerous prey you can imagine!"

He sighed and slowly shook his head, regret coming over his face.

"Then... Bah. Arjun retook the throne. I lost it all. Even that little shite Karna betrayed us. I had to flee to this spit o' land, retired and bored again."

He gave the White Fang terrorist a scowl.

"I had hoped hunting you down would have given me some excitement! But you... You didn't even take an hour."

He held the rifle up with a shrug.

"Still! Better than nothing. I'll put you down clean and put your head somewhere nice on me wall, I promise-"

"Colonel!"

Zaroff growled and looked away from his injured prey. A Pandavan man in white clothing with a red turban dashed through the trees, his youthful face filled with anxiety.

"Yes Asok?" Zaroff asked impatiently. "I'm in the middle of something-"

"Lionheart is calling!" Asok said quickly, skidding to a halt in the middle of the stream. He held up the holocommunicator. Zaroff's annoyance changed flavor-No longer with his aide but with the caller.

He took his time, quite deliberately rubbing his chin. He then shrugged.

"Very well."

Asok activated the projector. The tiger Faunus glared at the lion Faunus outlined in blue.

"This had better be important, Lionheart. I was in the middle of-"

"Ozpin knows I'm a traitor," Lionheart stated flatly, the rotund Faunus's voice level but the sweat on his brow betrayed his fear.

Zaroff huffed.

"And?"

"And you owe me," Lionheart growled.

"Feh," Zeroff scoffed, "For what? Sending me to retire in exile?"

"Would you have preferred I left you to Arjun's tender mercies?" Lionheart sneered. Zaroff shrugged and thought about it.

"Hmm... A glorious end might be preferred, I'll be honest."

Lionheart growled, then sucked in a deep breath. He regain his composure.

"I helped you escape and got you prey to hunt from time to time. Now... I need something more of you. I need you to go to Vale."

Zaroff raised a bushy eyebrow. He was too old a hand at this to betray his full interest though.

"Oh really? In handcuffs? Trying to save your skin?"

"Offering you would not be enough," Lionheart stated flatly. Zaroff chuckled.

"That's true. I believe you had a hand in murdering the entire Sarkaran family. My life wouldn't buy yours. So why should I go?"

"Because there's something much more valuable to be had," Lionheart stated, "A shot at Team AARN."

Zaroff paused.

"They're back together again, are they?" He asked softly, a glint returning to his eyes.

Lionheart nodded.

"Family issues... You would have a shot at them and what's left of team STRQ. All you need to do is take them down... And retrieve these two people, alive and unharmed."

An image of a blond young man, around 17, with blue eyes and white and black armor appeared alongside a boy of the same age whose features shifted almost constantly. Zaroff scowled.

"The hell is wrong with that one?"

"Long story," Lionheart said, "I'll be sending you in along with a team. They'll be hard to manage... But I have every confidence you can do it."

Zaroff hummed. Granted... He was tempted. Severely, in fact. Yet...

"And what else will I get if I go along with this little hunting expedition of yours, Lionheart? My services were never cheap."

"If you achieve this," Lionheart said, "You'll get to name your price."

Zaroff stared at him. Lionheart didn't so much as blink.

"You're serious?"

"Deadly serious," Lionheart stated.

Zaroff laughed. He shook his head and rested a hand against his hip.

"Well... I suppose I may as well hear you out," he decided. "We'll talk more back at my manor."

"Agreed," Lionheart said, before the hologram winked out. Zaroff chuckled again, nearly jumping for joy.

"Hahaha! A good old fashioned hunt! Ahh... Against the greatest of prey! Suddenly, everything is looking up!"

The White Fang member coughed up blood. Zaroff looked down at him, all smiles.

"Ah, yes... Almost forgot about you. Seems I've got a change of plans, son! I've actually got some real entertainment at last!"

"So... Are you going to let me go?" He asked hopefully.

Zaroff held out his hand. Asok pulled out a shotgun. Zaroff, still smiling, took the the shotgun then held it up to the face of the White Fang terrorist.

"You should have been a comedian, son," Zaroff chuckled, before he pulled the trigger.

- - -

Colonel Sebastian Zaroff is based upon Colonel Sebastian Moran, an associate of Moriarty's in "Sherlock Holmes" who was a British Army Officer and tiger hunter, and General Zaroff from "The Most Dangerous Game", a Russian aristocrat and big game hunter who hunts people on his private island.

Asok is named for the Indian intern from "Dilbert".

Zaroff will be the first of the Four Emperors: Four mercenaries Salem's agents will gather to counter the adults and assist her Maiden Candidates as part of her larger plans in Vale.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Zaroff is gonna die screaming

 

[Thamerlin]

Zaroff is gonna die screaming

Click to shrink...

For a man like him? A better curse: "may he die an invalid."

 

[Electrotechman]

For a man like him? A better curse: "may he die an invalid."

Click to shrink...

Make him an imprisoned vegetable.

With all four limbs chopped off and the wounds seared closed.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Just wait until you meet the other Four Emperors.

 

[Gur40]

Just wait until you meet the other Four Emperors.

Click to shrink...

oh~ i remeber you talking about a 'hunter of the dangerous game' kraven style character before and he does not disappoint
will the Crown of Vacuo be one of the emperors? Adam a false/deluded king? Tyrian a devoted priest ? Arrowfell guy[literally can't remeber his name] Merlot the destroyer of Glenn? so many epithets and titles and so much fun!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

oh~ i remeber you talking about a 'hunter of the dangerous game' kraven style character before and he does not disappoint
will the Crown of Vacuo be one of the emperors? Adam a false/deluded king? Tyrian a devoted priest ? Arrowfell guy[literally can't remeber his name] Merlot the destroyer of Glenn? so many epithets and titles and so much fun!

Click to shrink...

No, you have only seen one of the Four Emperors before. His theme is Dragon, in keeping with the four Cardinal creatures of Chinese mythology: Tiger, Dragon, Tortoise, and Phoenix/Crane.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Moses' nap had lasted only a little bit longer than Ozpin had needed to tell Weena all the truly pertinent details of Salem's and his own immortality. He was certain they would revisit the topic at some point the the near future once the experimental physicist had mulled over what he had shared and questions had the opportunity to properly percolate. But conversations about the deep past would happen later; Moses awakening from his nap had refocused them on the now.

And so the three of them had made their way to the Odette Swan Ballroom to reconvene with the others involved in this paradox. Ozpin held the ballroom door open for his son and... girlfriend? Fiancee? They had agreed to try courting while there wasn't an official engagement yet, so girlfriend fit best. He hadn't had to put a label on a relationship in quite some time; the nature of his curse meant he had woken up already married to most of his past wives, with the remaining handful being rare stubborn souls who'd pursued him. A mutual pursuit hadn't happened since Salem millennia ago, so it would take a while to shake the rust off. In any case he held the door open for them before following them inside.

Their arrival did not go unnoticed. Glynda's daughter Dorothy was looking their way when the ballroom doors opened and almost immediately made a beeline for Moses as soon as she saw them.

"Moses!" Dorothy grinned as she seemed to float with each step, "You're feeling better, right? I mean you were in bed all day yesterday but you gave us a semblance demonstration earlier so..."

"How am I feeling?" Moses gave her a strained smile before he waved his right hand in the 'so-so' gesture, "I mean I can do stuff but my head's pounding with all the memories that are actively shifting about."

"Actively shifting?" Dorothy asked with a concerned frown, "What do you mean by that?"

"Right, so you see Julian over there?" Moses pointed.

Dorothy looked over her shoulder for a moment to confirm that she could see the silver eyed boy, "I do."

"So when I'm looking right at him the memories I have of his timeline are really fuzzy and hard to pull up," Moses explained with a grimace. "I can still do it, but it's a bit of a fight. When I look away from him the memories I have of his timeline become sharper and easier to bring to the surface."

Ozpin and Weena shared a look silently agreeing that sounded quite strange, both of them would have expected the opposite to happen. Weena discreetly pulled out her scroll and made a note of the oddity.

"Wait," Dorothy started wringing her hands together, eyes widening like someone watching a car wreck in progress, "That means with me right here talking to you... do you remember our timeline at all?"

"Sorry," Moses apologized as he winced, "It's all an indistinct blur."

"O-oh." For a moment Dorothy sagged like a child who had just been told that Yuletide had been canceled this year and they wouldn't be getting any presents. Then she rallied, squaring her shoulders with a look of absolute determination on her face. "Moses, I want to make something unquestionably clear to you."

"Alright," Moses allowed, only for a look of confusion to grace his face as Dorothy's left hand clamped onto his shoulder. "Wait, what are-" his words died as her right hand cupped his chin before her head shot forward and her mouth latched onto his. The contact only lasted a few seconds, but Dorothy did her best to push every ounce of her feelings into it.

"Mwah," Dorothy pulled back with a coy twinkle in her eyes. "I hope that cleared some things up."

"Huba da wah," Moses managed.

"You're my boyfriend, we've been dating for six months, things have been getting pretty serious," Dorothy clarified with a small smile.

"Have they now?" Weena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Dr. Nebogipfel!" Dorothy squeaked as her eyes suddenly grew wide, as if she hadn't realized Moses' parents were standing right there the whole time.

"It appears we need to have to have a nice long talk young lady," Ozpin chuckled with touch of mischief in his voice.

As Dorothy stammered all flustered like and Moses' brain rebooted Ozpin could see August getting up from where he was sat. The tallest of Jaune's children grabbed his grandfather Arjun's arm and with a few whispered words pulled the royal archer away from the dramatization of the Kraken hunt that had just concluded. The two approached with a purposeful stride and a look that meant serous business on their faces.

"Dr. Nebogipfel, can we borrow Ozpin for a moment?" August asked once they were close. "Our topic is cloak and danger politics."

"You can borrow him," Weena allowed with a wave of her hand, "I'll be learning all I can about this young lady while you talk about things I lack the context to comment on."

"Don't be too harsh with her," Ozpin smiled as he stepped away. "She's Glynda's daughter so Moses could do worse."

"Glynda's daughter huh? In that case I know exactly where to start."

Dorothy gulped.

Leaving the young woman to her fate Ozpin lead August and Arjun to an unoccupied corner of the ballroom where they could have a private enough conversation so long as they kept their voices down.

"What do you need to tell me August?" Ozpin asked in a low voice.

"Well, me and the rest of the firstborn had a little meeting before we went to church," August explained. "We talked a bit about potential threats to keep an eye out for, and in doing so we realized nobody thought to mention to you that Professor Lionheart is a traitor: he's been working with Salem for a while now."

Ozpin heaved a mighty sigh as a flood of disappointment filled his heart and soured his good mood. He really wished he could say he was surprised, yet he couldn't. This lack of surprise didn't stem from anything overtly suspicious on Lionheart's part, the old wizard had simply been betrayed by close allies and friends enough times over the centuries that such an event couldn't feel like a surprise no mater how unexpected it ended up being.

"What has Leonardo done?" Ozpin inquired as he started to drum his fingers on the handle of his cane, each little impact adding a bit of his frustrations into The Long Memory's potency. "I know you have no reason to lie about this, but I still need something actionable to cleanly remove him from his position."

"Where do I even start?" August muttered as he brought his hand to his chin. After a moment of thought he decided where to begin; "Alright, so from a completely objective standpoint the most insidious thing he's been doing is giving the majority of students at Haven deliberately shoddy training. He then takes this a step further by making sure the teams that were decent in spite of their poor training aren't able to effectively coordinate with each other, and if a team still manages to thrive with that going against them he'll make sure they don't get the support they need once they've accepted a high-risk mission. Basically Mistral's higher than normal attrition rate for huntsman is the result of his machinations."

"I see," Ozpin scowled as he considered August's accusation. The attrition rate for Mistrali Huntsmen had been noticeably higher than the other kingdoms for a while now, but the situation was complicated enough there didn't really seem to be a direct cause. The idea that Lionheart was a traitor changed those variables drastically and Ozpin was sure that if he looked over that data again with that idea in mind he could find enough correlation to imply causation. Pinpointing the timeframe where the attrition rate started to rise could also give him a general idea of when the man went turncoat, but perhaps August already knew? "Do you know how long Leonardo's been a traitor?"

"That's something the people writing the history books are still debating," August explained in an apologetic tone. "He helped the Kauravas overthrow my great-grandfather," Arjun's eyes narrowed dangerously as his time-displaced grandson continued; "However the political clique that controlled the central government of Mistral at that time thought having the Kauravas ruling Pandu again was in their best interests, so it's argued Leonardo didn't start working for Salem until later. Some people even think the Kauravas actually introduced him to Salem in the first place."

"I'm not sure which option's worse," Ozpin grit his teeth as the bitterness he felt bled into his tone. "One means he was turned by Salem near the very the start of his tenure as Haven's Headmaster. The other means he betrayed the spirit of his position all on his own." The old wizard's drumming of his fingers on The Long Memory grew more forceful. "In either case I've failed to notice something amiss, and the people I've worked to protect have suffered for it."

"Who exactly is this Salem I've heard mentioned a few times now, and why would Lionheart take orders from her?" Arjun asked with stormy eyes that promised violent retribution. "I've gathered she's a villain Jaune and his brides defeat in their futures, but that doesn't tell me who she is or why she would have a connection to the Kauravas."

"Oh, right, you need to be told about her," August sheepishly grimaced as he looked away from Ozpin to his grandfather.

"The Dark Mother," Ozpin chose to answer the royal archer's question instead of leaving the task to the boy. Arjun's eyes widened in recognition of that name, and so Ozpin continued; "That's the title the Kauravas use for her. She's born other titles you might recognize; The Phantom Queen, The Lady Of Shadows, The Bone Sorceress, The Death Caller, The Ash Bride, and so on."

"Those titles all belong to the goddesses revered by different Grimm worshiping cults," Arjun observed with knitted eyebrows. "So this Salem has somehow convinced these cults that she's their goddess?"

"That is technically correct," Ozpin noted before elaborating as his fingers quietly drummed faster. "Salem can control the Grimm just like the goddesses the Grimm cults worship. She also possesses other esoteric powers so vast and overwhelming that anyone who hasn't met a real god can be forgiven for thinking she was one. On top of that she is unageing and has been alive since before the Moon-Shatter, orchestrating the collapse of more than one civilization from the shadows. In other words Salem is able to convince the Grimm cults that she's the goddess they worship by virtue of actually being the goddess they worship."

Ozpin sighed as he finished drumming out his frustrations with his fingers, "Me and my fellow Academy Headmasters are the leaders of a secret society that's been fighting Salem and her followers long before the Academies were even founded. We've kept her agents from burning down civilization as we know it for centuries. Lionheart's betrayal isn't just against any one country or institution, it's a betrayal of all man and faunus-kind."

"The man needs to die," Arjun concluded with a dark intensity in his voice.

"He does," Ozpin agreed as he warily eyed the King of Pandu. "But you shouldn't be the one running off to do it."

"His betrayal started with my kingdom, and my family," Arjun's hands clenched and unclenched as if he was imagining something breakable within his grasp. "It is my duty as King and patriarch to bring him to justice."

"It will be difficult to find out what secrets Leonardo shared with Salem if he dies before we can interrogate him," Ozpin reasoned. "Can you honestly guarantee that you'd aim to capture and not execute if you were to head out and confront him now?"

The King remained silent, the dark intensity of his gaze was answer enough.

"Aside from that there's your daughter to consider; you've literally just reunited with her and you've yet to establish a real relationship that could survive you running off right now to take care of this," Ozpin pointed out. "Now is the time to delegate. Qrow's available and capable; I'm planning on sending him. He could easily meet up with Karna and a few other men and women you can trust. They capture Lionheart and bring him here; I learn what I need to know from him and then I hand him over to you to stand trial for his crimes. Is that acceptable?"

The King's brow creased in thought, and after a long moment Arjun spoke; "I can live with it."

"Good, good," Ozpin adjusted his glasses, "When brunch is over let's take Qrow up to my office and make a few calls."

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Man the upcoming events are gonna be fun.

 

[Reader548]

It's kind of wild that no one mentioned Lionheart but I can 100% believe it given the circumstances

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Solitas, Kingdom of Atlas, Republic of Balto, Nome City
- - -
Like all the other kingdoms, Atlas was not simply one gigantic nation. It was composed of many smaller republics, most of them founded as colonies by Vale, Mistral and Vacuo but over time became independent nations-Then voluntarily united together into a larger Kingdom, Atlas, with Mantle as its capital. In the prelude to the Great War, Mantle's legitimate rulers were overthrown in a coup and the new leaders launched the Great War across the planet. Yet all the while they were resisted by half the continent, who had won their freedom from foreign rulers and would not tolerate domestic tyranny. With the overthrow of the cabal that had taken over Mantle at the end of the conflict, aided by the Allied Nations of Vale, Vytal, Vacuo, and many others, Atlas was rebuilt into a free country once more and became the leader in economics, technology, and military might.

It was a harsh continent that made strong people. A strength Corporal Maroon Polo certainly hoped was in his veins as he nervously stared down his rifle. His squad was holding the only exit out of their military depot. Something had torn its way into the top secret storage facility and was heading for them. The alarms rang loudly as his squad stood ready, guns all pointed down the darkened hallway into the base.

"Reinforcement ETA is five minutes, boss," his comms tech, Mora Carnis, said as she tapped her earpiece. She stared back down her rifle. Polo nodded.

"All right. Nothing gets past us," he ordered, keeping his voice even.

There was a creak and a groan of metal in the darkness ahead of them. Polo tightened his grip on his rifle. Sweat dripped down his brow onto his pointed nose.

Silence fell, the most terrible silence he had ever heard... Then something red ignited in the darkness beyond. Scarlet lightning crackled up and down a huge claymore, held by a gigantic man in black armor. He was covered head to toe in it, all plate, his face obscured by a tinted visor. Silver highlights were here and there, like stars shining in the blackest night. Curled horns jutted from either side of his helmet, and a great silver cape waved behind him. In the dim light, they looked like bat wings.

"OPEN FIRE!" Polo screamed, and the loud percussion of their heavy HAR-2004 assault rifles filled the air. The armored figure advanced, every Dust enhanced round vanishing into the man as he walked through the barrage.

Impossible...! Polo thought, They're just bouncing off! HOW?!

It was then the armored man lifted his sword and swung. A great blast of Red Aura erupted, and the squad was blown off their feet and slammed into the walls.

Corporal Polo groaned, his Aura broken. The black knight walked right through them. Polo tried to reach up, tried to grab onto the man... But his armor expanded out and slammed Polo into the wall. The dark figure then swung his blade, and flames erupted all around the warehouse.

As the smoke choked him and flames blinded him, all Polo could do was gape in disbelief at the figure just plodding along. As though unbothered by the pain and anguish he had inflicted.

Not noticing a damn thing.

What was that...? Polo thought to himself, before he passed out.

- - -

The trek out to the base fence wasn't too arduous. The fire he had started was providing sufficient distraction, and his employer had disabled the security systems.

He hopped over the fence and dashed out into the pine trees. He dropped into a gulley, making his way to an old railroad station that had seen better days long ago.

He pushed through the rotting timbers that were once a door and through the wrecked, mold covered interior. He broke through the other wall, revealing a cave.

He hurried through it, down the wet cavern, the sounds of dripping water haunting his steps.

Finally, he reached a hidden lake. Sitting on the lake was a small automated cargo barge, one of thousands across Atlas' waterways. He stepped onto the deck and into the cabin. Inside was an elaborate life support system, integrated into a large metallic frame chair. The man sat down and leaned back. Robotic arms and needles activated, attaching themselves to him. The man sighed quietly as the barge got underway.

A holoscreen activated, and a familiar leonine face appeared.

"I trust you have completed the mission, Lord Caliban Testoasa?"

Testoasa turned his masked face towards the holoprojection. One might imagine a frown was on his face.

"Why you? Why not Watts?" He inquired in a deep, booming bass.

"Watts is busy with something else," Lionheart stated, almost impatiently, "Did you complete the mission?"

Testoasa reached into his belt, and pulled out a single metallic cylinder. He set it down on a table in the cramped cabin.

"Yes. The nanite core has been retrieved," Testoasa stated. "I trust I will receive my payment?"

"Yes... And an even greater reward," Lionheart said.

Testoasa scoffed, his breathing low and mechanical.

"To be Watts' slave and errand boy for longer? How wonderful to hear."

Lionheart scowled.

"He is the one who dug you out of your collapsed castle. He is the one who rebuilt you, after your folly-"

"That does not make me a slave to you parasites," Testoasa seethed. "I am a warrior, a count. Twenty generations of my family were warriors, knights of Hispania."

"And now you have nothing but the title," Lionheart returned. Testoasa's fists clenched as his impassive visor stared at Lionheart. The headmaster of Haven shook his head.

"But you could get back what you have lost."

"I have heard that before," Testoasa snorted.

Lionheart switched to an image. An image that Testoasa stared at with a frightening intensity.

It showed four people-Older than he remembered, but all too familiar.

"Team AARN has become a problem for my employer," Lionheart stated, "A big enough problem that we will require a great deal of strength to end them. I believe you have some... Personal interest in this?"

He had been young, handsome. A great count and warrior heir to a noble dynasty. He had had it all...

Save for a woman he desired.

Isabel Arc. She had brains, beauty, and talents that would have let him rise to the top of Hispania's aristocracy. Maybe become their Councilman, and then? Rule all of Vacuo.

He had used the old arts to try and entrance her. His natural charm. Yet still she insisted on that bumbling oaf!

He would not have it. He found a way to get her to agree to marriage: Blackmail.

He had used his mother's ancient lessons in medicine and alchemy to addict the townspeople to the old potion. Without it, they would die. He had lowered
the dosage, slowly, and made it look like a plague had struck. He told Isabel if she did not cooperate, he would put the potion into the general water supply.
It would hook everyone in the province. If she married him, she could help him refine it, make it so they could rule together!

She obeyed. She had told her friends to their faces she was abandoned them for him. That she never wanted to see them again. Arjun, the Exiled Prince and his little maid? They had seemed convinced...

But not the imbecile. He stubbornly refused. He'd thrown the idiot off a tower into the river and driven the others off with his troops.

Isabel was his. All his. He'd put an explosive collar around her neck, just in case. But he was confident he would get her to see things his way eventually.

But then Team STRQ got involved. Helped the imbecile, Arjun and the maid get into his castle. Defeated all of his men. Freed Isabel, who had proceeded to
fight him. He'd used his powerful Semblance, absorbed all their energy to become stronger and more durable than the strongest steel! His endurance was second to none, he fought that blond moron until his castle was on fire and collapsing around them!

He had vowed to make his death the worst of all of them!

Yet... The idiot had beaten him.

Nick Arc had slashed off his arm and legs and sent him falling into the depths of his collapsing castle. He and everyone else had escaped... And he was left for dead under thousands of tons of rubble.

Only his Semblance had kept him alive... Until Watts had found him...

Testoasa's fists clenched. His mechanical breathing sped up.

"... The reward?" The black knight demanded.

"Full regeneration of your flesh," Lionheart said, "We have a man who can do it. As well as enough money to rebuild your castle."

Count Caliban Testoasa stared at the image. He slowly nodded.

"We have a deal."

He was still a slave, this was true. A slave to these bastards.

But once he had his revenge and his body back? No one would enslave him ever again.

- - -

Caliban Testoasa's name means "Black Tortoise": "Caliban" is Romani for "Black" or "Blackness" and Testoasa is Romanian for "tortoise.". His Semblance, Reinforcement, allows him to absorb kinetic energy and reinforce his body to the point he is nearly impervious to physical attacks. He's also a master swordsman. But if you hit him hard enough with enough Aura energy or in the right way? You can beat him, which is what Nick Arc did.

He's our Black Knight, very Darth Vader-like. He's been used as hired muscle by Watts to pay off all the cybernetics Watts put in him to keep him alive.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Honestly dude sounds flimsy even with such a cool semblance. Perfect against Grimm but potentially not good against Huntsman. Not to mention Pyrhha wrecking his shit.

 

[Bev]

Balto and Nome? Is there also Nenana?