Mission 02 - Initiation: Players 'n' Pieces
"I hope you have a landing strategy!" My eyes opened as I heard Alphonse's cheeky voice, no longer did I feel like I was being torn apart atom by atom. Yet, I felt distinctly different as the wind rushed past my head. "Wait, I'm falling?" My voice was different, everything was different. I felt like I was myself yet at the same time I was not. It was a strange dichotomy, of feeling exactly like yourself, and like you aren't the same person you were 5 minutes ago. I had this… Profound sense of weightlessness as I watched the blue sky grow farther and farther from me. My arms and legs in front of me, looking like they weren't my limbs, but I knew they were.
Then I fell through a cloud, the water sticking to my skin, hair and clothes. And it felt like I was floating in a deep under the ocean for a moment. Nothing mattered as I was accepted by the calm. Then sound returned to me as I exited the cloud, the rustle of my clothes, the sound of wind rushing past my ears. Birds, Bees, Monsters and Humans, Weapons slicing through and blasting apart whatever their owners fought.
I tilted my head back, and watched in fascination as the ground grew closer. Hurtling towards me. "Oh shit, that's the ground." My brain faintly caught up, adrenaline spiking as panic creeping up and over my shoulder when I realized that I would be slamming into dirt.
Ideas raced across my mind as I tried to come up with a solution, anything to prevent my death by splat. Then, time seemed to stop, the world turned grey as I was frozen midair, then came blinding pain. Once more, my head was splitting as I tried to keep it together with my hands, I could hear my voice roar out. My body burned as I learned more and more about it, about the history given to me. Of the legacy I know carried with me.
Time seemed to resume as I calmed down, no longer was I panicking as I analyzed my situation. I sucked in a deep breath, the pain of not breathing finally leaving as I reached for my lower back. I didn't even need to look to know I was holding Ebony & Ivory, the guns of my presumed Uncle. Dante's signature pistols could keep him in the air for some time, so why couldn't they slow my descent?
*BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG*
My fingers moved faster than I could react before met that fucktard Alphonse, round after round, bullet after bullet fired to keep me in the air. A cloud of dust formed from how much destruction I wrought into the ground with pure Magic bullshit. My descent started to slow more and more as I continued to fire, but it wouldn't be enough to stop myself from hitting the ground.
Hard.
My arm moved faster than ever, something I will have to thank that asshole for, allowing me to add a rotational force and angle my body more. I aimed for a rather thick and high branch, and right before I passed it, I grabbed.
I spun up and around the tree, lashing out with Rebellion, which I pulled from my right shoulder. It found purchase in the thick trunk of the old tree, slowing me down as I spiralled around it, bleeding off speed until I left go of the sword.
My efforts paid off as my hand lashed out, Rebellion finding purchase in the thick trunk of a tree. I spiralled around the trunk as I descended, bleeding off speed until my feet lightly touched the ground.
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Meanwhile, on the cliff where everyone in the Beacon Academy Initiation was launched from.
"Sir? We seem to have an intruder." Glynda Goodwitch spoke up as they watched their students fly from the cliff. She moved her scroll to show Ozpin the active video feed from the cameras that captured a young woman, one who was not supposed to be on their property. She was free-falling through the air.
"Hmm." He hummed while taking a sip from his trusty #1 Principal mug, his eyes roaming over the young woman as she fell through a cloud. "It has been quite some time since we've had someone sneak into initiation… Do send them up to my office afterwards, Glynda." He raised a brow, getting a nod from his trusty second in command.
"Very well."
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"Haaah, I really didn't think that would work." I scratched the back of my head as I turned to view the trunk, which conveniently tipped backwards, snapped with a loud CRACK and landed with a loud THUD. Rebellion sat tip down in its stump, giving me a great view of the massive longsword gifted with a heavy double-edged blade. The surface was so cleanly polished I could see my reflection in the blade clearly, not a speck of dust or damage on the blade from it's ravaging of a probably 100-year-old tree. It was kinda surreal how the light descended in a beam on the sword, illuminating it in an enchanting view like it was the master sword.
*BOOM* My head whipped to the left, Rebellion already in had to fight whatever was coming at me. *BOOM* The pounding thud of something stomping on the ground sounded once more as I took another deep breath, focusing, readying myself for a battle against an unknown enemy.
…
An Ursa rushed past me, it seemed to move in slow motion as my eyes tracked the orange haired girl riding on it's back. Another slam of her Warhammer, forcing it to move out of the way of a tree. "YEAHHHH~!" Time seemed to resume as the Ursa carried the Warhammer user further into the woods… "What in the?" Clearly, I just watched Nora Valkyrie ride on an Ursa past me- "NORA!" A young black haired boy wearing a dark green, diagonally buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat rushed past me. Heavy breaths leaving him as he chased desperately after the lone Valkyrie lost in the ride of her kind.
"The fuck?" My breath was taken away from the sheer dumbfounding sense of confusion I felt as the trail of destruction continued through the forest onward. Because if it wasn't Ruby's ' Birdie no!' Or Nora slamming her shit into an Ursa, it was Lie Ren that confirmed it for me.
I was in RWBY…
"Might as well…" Rebellion comfortably rested on my shoulder as I started to follow Nora's trail, only going a few steps before-
*Grrrr*
I barely turned to look over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of a small pack of Beowolf's approaching me from behind. "Hmm." I fully turned to face the growling pack of six, disgust welling in me. "Pitiful." Beowulf's, the foot soldiers of Salem's army… An Empusa rank enemy.
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"Quite skilled with that blade." Ozpin observed the young women. She moved with the same speed he expected from veteran Hunters, and with just as much skill to boot. Her blade sliced through the Grimm with ease, no matter how light or heavy she used her blade. She approached the first three slowly, a confidant gait that one might take for cockiness. And then struck the three that pounced in sync. Truly, she was someone he needed on his side. "I wonder how you'll handle the rest."
With three left, she stored the blade over her shoulder, somehow having it stick to her back and not get in her way whatsoever. Swipe after swipe came, all seeming to pass within an inch of her body. Yet the contempt her face held seemed natural, as if it was the very law of the world for these beings to be beneath her.
And then she reached behind her, under her coat, and pulled two pistols. If it wasn't for the fact that Ozpin has the experience he does… He doubts he would've kept up with how the fight went from there. She honestly wielded the pistols with more grace than he thought would be possible. Dispatching two of the in rapid succession, quite literally reducing them to Swiss Cheese with how many shots she let off.
"Something that shouldn't be possible considering the size of the guns." He muttered to himself, His interest was piqued, and his need to bring this young woman to his side of this shadow war was cemented.
While using her blade, she employed a number of different techniques, from spinning it around her fingers like a pen, to launching her enemies into the air and meeting them there as it diced them up. But with her Pistols? She walked forward, completely ignoring any recoil and spewing hot lead faster than he thought would be possible from anybody else.
He watched as she backflipped away from a swipe of the last Beowolf, a condescending smirk now splayed across her lips. Midair, her guns met, forming an L shape. "Jackpot." Throughout the fight, she kept calm and collected, but never staying still. Always on the move and for some reason forgoing efficiency with style.
"A rather contradictory thing." Ozpin grimaced, the young lady was acting like a Civilian who had just gotten their hands on their first taste of real power…
"But your skills cannot be denied."
Something he has seen too much of, and something he hoped he could
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I felt, weird. Power. It wasn't just a word to me anymore, not when I could feel and exert it upon others like this. And I wanted more. It was an intoxicating feeling when I proved how superior I was to those Beowolfs, my body wanted to feel it again… The rush of exerting the power, of crushing those beneath it… Indescribable.
But my mind was confused, everything had moved so slow, been so predictable. All too easy for what I thought would be more… Troublesome. I rolled with the punches and used them to my advantage to add extra power and speed to my attacks… I wanted to know more about what I could do.
My soul? It acted. Acted on instinct, teaching my mind katas and forcing my body to use them. It gently guided my hands and feet during the fight, proper stance and power. And yet, it also pushed for style more. And despite never having used a sword or gun in my life before now, I was wielding them like I was The Legendary Devil Hunter himself.
I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know what to think. All I knew was what I wanted to do, so I walked. Restlessly stalking forward, an itching feeling in my hand. And when I gave into it? I retrieved a book from my coat… A very important book to my family.
I stopped for a second, before continuing on, flipping open my father's book. "Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained;" An excerpt from 'The voice of the Devil' so, too, is the quote V says to Miraggio Angelo.
I put the book away and finally inspecting my outfit, completely ignoring anything that might arise from that book of poems… I do like this Purple overcoat and black slacks, and while the straps make me cringe a little from the edginess… I can't deny the comfort of them and my outfit…
If I had to pick where this outfit came from, I would say that Alphonse stole this from the Nero concept art. Specifically, second of the third row in his prototype art. Nice taste, and C-cup? Can't complain.
"NORAA!"
Looking up at the yell, I'm on the edge of the clearing to where the relics are. Watching Nora skip with the rook, and Phyrra running from the Death Stalker. Honestly, Yang looks like she needs to calm the fuck down. "I Can't take it anymore!" Yang erupted, "Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again!?" She yelled, her arms wildly moving around as she expressed her rage. No, my eyes didn't get glued to her chest, I have no idea what you are talking about.
I should probably make my over there now. Damn, Pyrrha's got some legs on her, outrunning a death stalker like that… Oh, Weiss, the useless lesbian has arrived and crushed Jaunes back. "Great! The gang's all Here! Now we can all die together." Sarcasm really didn't do you well, Yang.
"Not if I can help it!" And that's my cue to intervene. "Not so fast, little Flower." My hand grabbed the back of her hood, her legs flailing in the air as I lifted her. "Let's not rush into battle half cocked and then get our capes stuck to the ground." Yang was already reaching for my hand, anger clear on her face, before I let go, allowing Ruby to turn around and face me.
"Who are you?" Yang asked, Ember Celica already locked and loaded. Easily falling into the protective older sister that she was. "Easy fire-cracker, we've got a death stalker and Nevermore after us." I pointed to the incoming Grimm, ya know, I just noticed, I sound a lot like Trish and my grandma's VA, Wendee Lee.
"If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise." It felt right to quote William Blake's 'Proverbs of Hell'. "This is the time for combat, not poetry, lady!" Yang basically barked at me. "That may be true, but one must always be prepared."
It was at that moment I felt my skin heat up, my right arm specifically, it felt like something moving, begging to be released from its cage and I just… Went with the flow, saying the first thing that came to my mind.
"Praise to my father, Blessed by the water-" I started, the ink leaving my skin and seeping down to the floor into a pool. Those by me all took a step back, "Black night, dark sky" Splotches of purple light mixed with it. "The devil's cry~" Finally it bubbled and blasted forth. "Is that your Semblance? What is a pile of Ink going to do to that death stalker." I stared Weiss down, putting a finger to my lips for a moment before refocusing on the beast. I don't know why, but I do know this will hurt like a bitch.
"Gintarou, is not my Semblance per-say, just a part of it… It's hereditary, like yours. Except it's just a little different for each of us." I can't say I dislike sounding like Trish, honestly people might have mistaken her for my mother if My voice is anything to go by. We stood, watching the puddle of ink slowly growing larger and larger as it approached the rushing beast. "And what's a giant puddle of ink going to do?" Jaune asked sheepishly, finally joining the rest of us. "Something quite simple." I brought my hand to my eye, copying Aki as best I could as I set the Trap. I could taste my blood as I said the words. "Kon"
My voice was resolute as Gintarou's maw rose from the ground, larger than even the Death Stalker, and covered it on both sides. I felt time seem to slow as everyone reacted differently, but the taste of blood in my mouth only grew stronger, the iron scent lingering into my nose.
"That'll hold for a bit, you all should retrieve your Relics." I turned and started to walked away, if any of them saw the limp in my walk, they didn't say a thing.
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"A truly… interesting Semblance." Ozpin's eyes narrowed as he watched the young woman turn and walk away from the group of eight students. "I wonder… Do you create the Ink or is it tattooed upon your skin?" He questioned the air, the camera turning back to the trapped Grimm struggling in a cage of inky teeth.
Ozpin tensed as it seemed the head and eyes of the Death Stalker seemed to follow this unknown piece that entered the board. He grabbed his scroll as he walked away from the cliff edge, "Glynda, dispatch Port and Oobleck to retrieve our guest." He paused, turning back to look out over the edge. "It would appear that our new player has attracted the attention of Her." He nodded before hanging up, giving a heavy sigh as he continued his walk back to his office.
"Another Pawn for our game, Ozpin? And one with an ability all too similar to my pools…"
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*PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE SECTION!*