The Deacon
His Airship soared across Vale, heading for the Legion's Headquarters.
He was sitting in the cockpit as he flew with Eryka, sat in the back seat, twiddling an arrowhead in her hand, staring at it as she thought about what she was doing. She sighed, closing her eyes as she continued to ponder.
What're you doing Eryka?
These are your friends... Winter doesn't even know what you're doing right now... is this really worth it?
Hell, is the Deacon just lying to me? Wanting to use me? We know next to nothing about the dude and all of a sudden I'm supposed to believe he's one of them?
But... what if he's Neptune? Or at the very least knows if he's dead or not?
... I can't keep living like this... the not knowing?
It's killing me.
She opened her eyes and looked out the window of the Airship, staring across Vale in all its glory, seeing the ruins of Beacon Academy still standing, mostly shrouded with vegetation and woodland, but it still stuck out like a sore thumb, even after all these years. And in one area she could spot the rusted remnants of the Black Gallows Dreadnaught that was crashed into the ground a few miles away from Vale's border.
"You can speak your mind, Eryka." The Deacon said to her as they made their approach. She glanced at him and scoffed.
"What do you even want me to say? That I don't wanna hurt my friends? I don't wanna ruin a happy family?" Eryka replied, sliding her arrow back into her quiver.
"If all goes well, nobody is going to get hurt." The Deacon said.
"You seem pretty prepared for the opposite outcome." Eryka stated, narrowing her blue eyes.
"I have to be. After Salem... there were so many after-effects. The Grimm, the Followers of Salem, the Feral Ones? They were the expected ones... it was all the other factors that we struggled with." The Deacon explained.
"Rebuilding society?" Eryka assumed, making him chuckle.
"More like building a whole new one from the ground up. We were in a new world with no established government, with the U.G.R gone. And the world was divided between their loyalties. Fear was everywhere. Employment was shattered, economy tanking and crime skyrocketing. At first, all I did was focus on the obvious things, the ones that were killing people. But when I started the Legion... and it grew even larger? I learned a lot about planning for any potential outcomes. We've come a long way and accomplished a lot, but I'd hardly say we're even halfway there yet." The Deacon explained.
Eryka nodded her head. "Politics..." She sighed.
"Politics..." He agreed with a similar sigh. "So yes, Eryka. I'm prepared for things to become violent, but in no way do I want things to go down like that. I'd rather just arrest Jaune and be done with it. But Dutch won't give me his address. He keeps that very close to the chest. I've even seen footage of their daughter's friend on her way to theirs for a sleepover in the past, hoping to track her movements? Then... poof... nothing. He leaves no stone unturned. So we have to do it the hard way..." The Deacon explained.
"And you really do just want him to be arrested? You just want to talk to him... right?" Eryka asked in a very serious tone.
"Yes. That's all I want." He promised.
Eryka sighed. If anything, she kinda wished he would just say no and admit he wanted to kill Jaune. At least then she knew who the real enemy was. But the situation... it was so grey and confusing. She never handled the grey area of morality very well, even at the best of times.
Wints... I hope you can forgive me for this...
... hell who am I kidding?
I doubt I'll ever forgive myself...
The Airship descended to the landing pad on top of the skyscraper which watched over Vale, landing on it. They both exited and walked down the steps to the Deacon's Office, which was near to where President Amara Zure had her office placed, on the same floor, in fact. Eryka followed him across the pristine landing pad, and entered his office, seeing the perfectly clean room. Windows did not have a stain on them, and not a speck of dust anywhere.
Eryka couldn't help but whistle. "Dayum. I'd hate to live in a place like this... I'd be scared of making a mess." She joked.
"You know I don't live here, right?" The Deacon laughed.
"Oh? A man as busy as you? I'd thought you'd be buried in work up here." Eryka chuckled.
"Well... some nights are like that." He admitted. "Honestly, it's a bit much for me, too. I requested a more modest working space, but... they gave it to me as a gift." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Definitely more of a president's thing."
"Ugh, you have to see her too?" She asked.
"Gods don't get me started." He groaned.
As they walked further in, Eryka saw Cardin looking out the window, his arm pressed against the panel. "Crazy how much smaller everything looks from up here... think I understand why politicians and C.E.Os get such big egos when they're cooped away up here." Cardin said, turning to see Eryka behind him, greeting her with a welcoming smile.
She smiled back as she approached him. "Hey, Cardin." She greeted him, giving him a warm hug.
"Been a while, Vasillias. How've you been?" He asked her.
"Hanging in there... until this one came along." Eryka said as she looked at the Deacon, who was leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed.
"He tell you?" He asked.
"Mhm... honestly, I don't like this. I only agreed because he said he knows what happened to my brother... I wish he'd just say it, but I guess he needs a bargaining chip, right?" Eryka assumed.
Both of them stared at the Deacon, making the masked man lower his head shamefully. "It's not like that."
"Isn't it? Because it definitely feels like it." Eryka said, crossing her arms, pressing her back against the window.
"Sorry dude, but I get what she means." Cardin sighed.
"Would either of you really help me with this if I told you?" He asked, both fell silent. Cardin sighed and shrugged.
"Yeah... I would. I was there, remember? I know what he did." Cardin reminded, but Eryka sighed as she paced back and forth.
"No... I'm sorry. They're still our friends." Eryka said.
"Your friends." Cardin reminded, getting her attention. "Not one of them cared enough to see how I was doing. Never called... not one. I may not wanna start something, but I'm not gonna pretend like I'm buddies with them. None of them really ever forgave me for my past mistakes all those years ago." Cardin stated.
"C'mon you don't know that." Eryka said, looking at him.
The Deacon stepped away from the pillar as he approached something he had in the corner of the room. "Look... I know you have your doubts, Eryka. And I understand... but I can't stand by and let him get away with this any longer. But nobody is forcing you to stay here. If you feel this is too much for you, you can go. I won't stop you, and I won't judge you for it. I know what I'm asking of all of you." The Deacon explained.
Eryka shook her head as she stood there, burying her face in her hands. "Fine... I'll help you. But like I said... only if we do this peacefully. If they start something and we have to defend ourselves, then... okay. But we will not be the ones to throw the first punch." Eryka stated, and the Deacon nodded his head.
"I give you my word." He promised.
That was going to have to be enough, so Eryka sat down on the sofa in the leisure area of the Deacon's Office. "Cardin, I have something for you. Just in case if they do attack us... and also a reward for helping me." He assured, Cardin approached with a curious expression.
"Colour me intrigued." Cardin said as he approached the large metal case, which was glowing blue. The Deacon unlocked it and it opened, transforming outwards and revealing a large suit of armour inside. It was like an Exo-Suit, similar to what the Ebony Sabres once used, but far more advanced. The helmet had glowing gold visors, and it sported silver and gold colours all across it, with a bronze shoulder cloak.
Alongside... a brand new Cybernetic Arm.
"I saw your old kit. It was good. But this? This is top of the line. I commissioned my best engineers to build this for you. Advanced thrusters, this will now give you full flight control now, alongside weapons built into it. Like a missile launcher on your shoulder and machine guns on this arm." The Deacon explained, pointing out the only sleeve it had.
Then he picked up the cybernetic arm. "And this? Well... this is something special. The old Executioner could only use fire dust. Hell, you had to just conduct the metal of the mace with that lightning when we fought each other. But now? This has full dust compatibility, meaning you can change up your style whenever you want. And yes, the chain is still built in." The Deacon assured.
"Well... goddamn. I'd be lying if I wasn't impressed." Cardin chuckled. "And you're just giving this to me?"
"It's the least I can do." The Deacon shrugged, making him excited.
"I wanna try it on right now!" He giggled, taking it and scampering away to find somewhere to change, making Eryka chuckle.
"Never thought I'd see such a big burly man like that start giggling like a kid on his birthday." Eryka chuckled.
"What can I say? He was always a sucker for presents." The Deacon said as he sat down on the opposite side of the sofa with her.
"Really? Even back in school?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah... the amount of times that guy would go from big tough guy into tiny fluffy puppy the second someone gave him a gift. He always talked a big game, but deep down, he was always a softie. I think he was afraid of that fact when he was a kid..." The Deacon said as he sat there.
"Many people are afraid to just... be themselves. He always felt like he had to be this... scary guy. Like his father." Eryka said, and the Deacon nodded.
"I hope he can find a way to improve things for himself. I can tell he's hurting. Just like us." The Deacon said.
Eryka looked at him. "And what about you?"
He turned to her. "After all this is said and done? Jaune's put in prison... you traumatise and destroy a family? Break a little girl's heart? What happens then?"
The Deacon stared at her and he sighed, clasping his hands together. "I don't know..." He answered honestly. "I hope I can find a path forward..."
"We fought men and women with visions like that. Get their payback at all costs... but then what happens next? They never, ever seem to know. Because it's never enough..." Eryka stated.
"But doesn't Oriana deserve to know the truth? The whole world believes that Jaune Arc is just some nobody that Pyrrha Nikos married and had a daughter with. That kid has no idea of what monstrous acts her father did." The Deacon stated.
"It wasn't Jaune... it was Thaddeus." Eryka stated. "I know I haven't seen him over these years... and believe me, I feel guilty... it's just..."
"Knowing he played a part in the torture your brother went through makes it impossible to look him in the eye?" The Deacon asked her, and she closed her eyes with guilt, because that was the truth. "Believe me, I've tried to believe that whole Thaddeus story... but I find all that very hard to accept."
"Doesn't matter, because it's the truth. I saw him, okay? That wasn't him... it seemed to share his memories, but that was not the guy we knew." Eryka explained. "I just... Pyrrha is a good person, Oriana is an innocent kid... and Jaune is a different person now. Is it really worth going after him after all this time?"
He suddenly turned. "If Killian turned over a new leaf and got away with everything he did, would you be able to let it go?" He asked her.
She fell silent.
"I... can't... let it go. I wish I could. I've tried for twenty-five years... but it keeps... eating away at me. Knowing that he gets to get away with it whilst all my friends lie in empty graves." He explained, his metal hands shaking. "No... I'm sorry, but time won't fix this problem."
Eryka gave up, knowing there was no way to convince him.
Should I just go?
But if I go... I'll be abandoning the answers I've been looking for... for twenty-five years...
The door opened, and they both turned to see Cardin walking into the room, clad in his new armour. It was far more impressive than his old armour, and he seemed to be far less burdened thanks to the way the armour plating was placed, giving him perfect manoeuvrability. "This shit's crazy, holy moly!" Cardin laughed, using his neural link to activate his helmet. Plates of metal climbed over his head and it connected together, the golden visors activating with a piercing glow. "This is so coooool!" He laughed, making both of them laugh.
"I'll be sure to let the engineers know their work is appreciated." The Deacon chuckled.
"Alright then, what's next?" Cardin asked as he kept examining his new threads.
The Deacon hesitated to answer at first. "There's one last team member we need... one I've been tracking for a while, and one I know neither of you will be thrilled about being around." The Deacon warned, and that statement surely got their attention.
"This whole thing was already making me feel all kinds of wrong. Surely this can't be worse." Eryka sighed, crossing her arms.
The Deacon stood in front of them both. "Neopolitan."
Silence filled the room as they stared at him, and Cardin's helmet collapsed back into the collar, and he was staring at him. "Now hold on..."
"I know, I know..."
"No, you don't." Cardin quickly responded. "That chick is a lunatic. I've seen the reports, hell I've seen the crime scenes. I was helping some people in Mistral track her down. The bodies she left behind? The Black Cells sent her off the deep end."
"Okay... that's a whole other level. What the hell?" Eryka questioned.
"I didn't save Ruby's life all those years ago from that bitch for her to just go and kill the girl now." Cardin reminded.
"It won't come to that. I'll keep her on a short leash. Believe me, I'd rather just shove her in another cell. But... her semblance? Her skills? If Pyrrha retaliates, we're gonna need all the help we can get." The Deacon stated, Eryka scoffed.
"Seriously? A Fully Realised Winter Maiden and a renowned Gladiator, plus you isn't enough?" Eryka questioned.
"It's Pyrrha Nikos." The Deacon replied. "The woman came back from the dead. She can literally control the iron in your blood if she needs to. She's one of the most powerful people left on the planet."
Neither Cardin nor Eryka argued against that fact.
"Still though... this is Neo. Her illusions were already pretty powerful back when we were kids. Who knows how much it's evolved since? She could just escape without you noticing until she's all the way in Mistral." Cardin warned.
"Not if I make a deal with her." He said. "If I promise her Ruby, that will keep her in line. And once we get what we want, her ass is going right back into a cell. She won't get anywhere near Ruby." He promised.
Cardin shook his head. "You seriously think it'll be that easy? The girl's as slippery as they come." Cardin stated.
"She's been on a warpath, wiping out anyone who wronged Roman Torchwick in the past, and there were many people on that list, alongside Black Gallows survivors who she remembered the faces of. I know exactly where she will be. There's only one group left on her list. The Valerian Bikers. Right here in Vale." The Deacon explained.
Cardin sat down, and he really looked like he was about to quit this whole thing. "Look... this plan doesn't work without her." He admitted. He turned and walked towards the door to the Landing Pad. "Remember what I said. If you don't want to play a role in this... nobody will stop you from leaving. I'm going to find her, and bring her into the fold. Whether you two are still here when I return? That is entirely up to you." The Deacon stated, before getting into his Airship, and departing from the Legion's Spire.
Leaving a very conflicted Cardin Winchester and Eryka Vasillias behind.
Oriana
"Ow." Oriana dryly complained as the School Nurse helped stitch up the cut above her brow, now that she was done with Misty's injuries. Oriana refused to receive any medical aid until Misty was patched up. She always had a pretty high pain tolerance, after all, but the main thing that stuck in her mind was the activation of her semblance.
"You'll be fine. Stop whinging." The nurse joked.
"I'm dying over here." Oriana dryly replied, which made Misty laugh. Jaune shook his head with his arms crossed.
"That's how I can tell you're my daughter... beaten up and you're still cracking jokes." Jaune chuckled.
"You get beat up sometimes, too?" She asked him.
He scoffed. "You're kidding right? I got beat up all the time. I was a loser at school. Never had the skills you had." He said as he sat down next to her. The Nurse finished sewing up her cut then put her things away.
"Okay, just wait here for a moment and I'll get the last bits and pieces. Be right back." She said, leaving the room. Jaune waited for the nurse to go, then he looked at Oriana.
She sighed. "Say it."
"Say what?"
"That it was stupid of me to get into that fight?"
He chuckled. "If you ask me, that girl had that coming. What you said to me? About her saying those things to Misty and starting that fight just because of her being a Faunus? She deserved everything she got. And besides... they threw the first punch." Jaune reassured. He then turned to Misty, who was sitting close to Oriana. "What about you, sweetheart? Are you okay?"
"It's okay... I know things are better for the Faunus now, but... it upsets me that there are still people like that." She said, wringing her fingers nervously. He gave her a warm hug, and she melted into his embrace.
"Oh gods, I'm gonna have to explain this to mom somehow..." Oriana groaned.
"Oh, she already knows. I called her." Jaune answered, which lead to Ori's eyes widening with fear.
"You did what?"
"And she's already on her way. I think she's on a warpath." Jaune calmly answered.
"Oh, gods... Misty, I think we're gonna need to transfer to a new school. There's gonna be nothing left." Oriana said, making Misty giggle.
"Ugh, I'll have to get a new job, too." Jaune groaned, making both the girls giggle as well.
They could hear the clacking of her heels getting closer and closer, then the door suddenly burst open, and they saw a worried Pyrrha Nikos stood on the other side. "ORI!" She gasped, immediately wrapping her arms around her precious daughter, so tight she couldn't breathe.
"Hi... Mom... Can't... Breath!" Oriana wheezed. Pyrrha swiftly released her and lifted her chin, looking at the stitches and bruises.
"Who did this? Was it that Janice girl?" Pyrrha questioned with a fire in her eyes.
"Yep... she started picking on Misty again, racist comments. Her and her goons started beating her up and Oriana let the girl have it." Jaune explained. Pyrrha noticed Oriana's bloody knuckles. Then she sat down and turned to Misty, seeing her battered and bruised.
"Oh honey, come here. I'm so sorry." Pyrrha cooed as she hugged Misty warmly.
"Thank you, Mrs Nikos." Misty softly replied.
Pyrrha sat down and looked at Oriana. "Okay, what's being done to punish that little bitch?" Pyrrha asked, making both girls gasp.
"MOM!" Oriana gasped with a laugh mixed in.
"Oh no, bitch is what I meant." Pyrrha reaffirmed.
"Well, they're probably getting one hell of a scolding right now. And they're gonna be excluded from the school for a few weeks." Jaune answered. Pyrrha's eyes widened.
"A few weeks?" She questioned in disbelief.
"Believe me, I demanded worse. I demanded a full-blown expulsion. But... the school's higher ups deemed that to be unnecessary." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. Pyrrha pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek with frustration, shaking her head.
"The nerve... hurting my little girl... hurting Misty... saying those things and they just get a slap on the wrist?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "I hate bullies so much." She growled.
"It's okay, Mrs Nikos..." Misty softly said.
"No, it isn't. We're supposed to be past that crap, the hatred... we fought so hard to make things better but..." She sighed and pinched her brow, shaking her head. She calmed herself down, then held both their hands. "At least you're both okay."
"It would've been a lot worse if it weren't for Ori." Misty admitted.
"How badly did you let her have it? Just curious." Pyrrha asked.
"I nearly broke her jaw." Oriana answered, making Pyrrha smile.
"Good girl." She agreed.
"Ori..." Jaune said as he looked at her, then Oriana raised her knees, wrapping her arms around them.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked Jaune.
"I was there when she finished the fight... I think she activated her semblance." Jaune revealed Pyrrha's eyes widened, and she looked at her. She shuffled closer to her daughter and held out her hand. "Honey? Hold my hand." She asked her.
Oriana hesitantly did so, and Pyrrha closed her eyes. Her red aura glowed, and it formed a faint red glow around Oriana. "I can feel it... you've activated something in you..." she said with a small smile.
"Why didn't you use your aura, Ori?" Misty asked. "You could have easily won that."
"People are scared of it... same with Semblances. You saw how everyone looked at me after I did that... even after everything, people still don't want the Huntsmen or Huntresses reinstated. I guess not having it be common knowledge anymore... it's making people be scared of it now." Oriana said, hugging her knees again.
"What was your power?" Pyrrha asked her.
"I... I don't really know. I just saw them kicking Misty, and I got really, really angry... and when I punched, this orange electricity erupted out of me. It sent Janice flying across the hallway... I felt really strong when I did that. And that scares me." Oriana admitted, and Pyrrha nodded her head.
"Sounds similar to Yang's semblance... linked to anger, amplifying attack power. Maybe we can ask her if she can come visit sometime? Help you control it?" Pyrrha suggested.
"I can't just... ignore it?" She asked.
"Not once it's activated. Who knows when it could be activated again? You need to learn how to use this power, so then you know when and how to use it. Plus... every power is unique, with unique properties. Could come in handy in more ways than just winning a fight, y'know." Pyrrha explained with a supportive smile.
She got up and helped Oriana up from the chair, just as the nurse came back in. "Okay, got the rest of the things you'll need. You two take it easy, okay? Neither of you have done anything wrong. You were the victims here. The school is okay with letting you both have the rest of the week off to recover." The nurse explained.
"Thank you... I'm sorry if I scared a lot of people on my way here." Pyrrha apologised, but the nurse just chuckled.
"Don't worry, I think everyone here thought it was cool seeing Pyrrha Nikos in their school like that." The nurse reassured.
Oriana looked at Misty, who looked so sad though, then she bumped Pyrrha's arm, glancing at Misty. Pyrrha quickly caught on, remembering what Misty told her about how lonely she always felt. So she caressed her back, smiling down at her. "Hey. Wanna stay with us for a while? I can go to your place and get anything you need?" Pyrrha suggested.
Oriana held Misty's hand. "You don't have to be lonely." She promised. Misty looked at Jaune and he just smiled with a kind now.
She smiled with tears in her eyes. "Yes, please... thank you so much." She sniffled, hugging Pyrrha and Jaune tightly.
Together they left the school, and as they walked Oriana stared at her fist, still feeling the power in her veins. She felt so different now... like a whole new chapter of her life just opened.
And it was unclear whether or not that excited or frightened her.
Pyrrha
A few hours later, Pyrrha drove to Misty's house.
Her parents were still not home, of course. Misty had given Pyrrha the keys to her place, and she walked up the drive after parking there, unlocking it. She looked at the list that Misty gave her. It was mostly some simple things; some blankets, her gaming device, her favourite plushy, things like that. She closed and locked the door behind her as she explored the house, finding the things she asked for. It seemed so empty in this house, hardly any photographs on the walls, in fact hardly anything that seemed to indicate that Misty had parents to begin with.
They were that detached from her life, that even if they were here, they would be more like strangers.
It saddened Pyrrha to her core to see Misty's home like this, imagining how lonely it must have been. A loneliness she was more than familiar with, even if it was a very different form. One by one she found the things Misty asked for, carefully putting them in the duffel bag for her, and once she was done, she prepared to head back home.
Until... she heard muttering voices outside of the door.
She stared ahead and immediately recognised the voices.
It was the bullies.
Janice, in particular, was a name she heard muttered. She stood there and clenched her hand into a fist.
You're kidding me?
They've come to her home to harass her even more because they know she lives home alone?
No... no more.
She walked towards the door and opened it, glaring at Janice directly. The girl had stitches all over her face, her eyes widened and all the kids gasped when they saw Pyrrha Nikos. Renowned Huntress of Legend, the Invincible Girl, stood before them. She slammed the door shut behind her, locking it with her polarity.
"Fuck this!" A kid scampered away, only for Pyrrha to slam the metal gate shut, locking it so they could not leave. The bullies had no way out, and Pyrrha quietly walked towards them, glaring at them.
"Look... Mrs Nikos... your daughter didn't have to get involved. She wasn't the one I was –" Janice stammered.
"Not. Another. Word." Pyrrha warned, setting the duffel bag on the floor. "I know my daughter is the one who gave you all those stitches... and I'm proud of her for standing up against people like you." She growled, glaring down at Janice.
"So let me make myself perfectly clear. Misty is very important to my daughter, so that makes her very important to me. If you ever lay a finger on her, upset her, so much as look at her the wrong way ever again? You will... sorely... regret that." She promised.
"We're just kids... you wouldn't hurt us." A bully said.
"Now, who said anything about that? You think I'd stoop to your level?" She asked them. "No... there's worse things than a few stitches." She promised. "I was bullied as a child, once... a girl called Dandelion. And my mother found out... do you know what she did?"
The kids were silent with fear.
"She bankrupted her entire family, forcing them to owe some terrible people a lot of money... so much money that Dandelion is probably still paying that money off even now. For a long time, I was terrified of my mother for what she did, believing she overreacted and that she was dangerous. But now that I'm a mother? I understand why she did it now... when you have a child? They mean everything to you, meaning that you would do anything for them." Pyrrha explained, and all the kids stared with fear at her.
She now stood right in front of Janice. "I am not my mother. Who am I?"
"... you're P-Pyrrha Ni-Nikos."
"And what do they call me?" She asked her, fury in her eyes.
Janice paused as she trembled. "The Invincible Girl..."
"And why... do they call me that?" She grilled.
"... because you're the girl who came back from the dead..." Janice stammered. Pyrrha glared at her. Once that title meant she could not be beaten, but now it was simply tied to the old stories of Pyrrha Nikos seemingly coming back from the dead after being confirmed dead from the Inhumane Necessity. Posters were everywhere, news outlets talking about her return, calling her Red Omen, and that she would bring about the death of Queen Salem.
She may not have done it... but she played an important role in it, a role which would never have been filled if she hadn't returned.
Janice was shaking. "... but those are just stories. You didn't really... right?"
Pyrrha just glared at her. "How do you think legends and fairy tales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." She recited. The bullies were silent with fear, then Pyrrha stood a bit closer, glaring at Janice. "Do I make myself clear?" She asked her.
"Y-Yes... Yes Mrs Nikos." Janice stammered.
"Say it." Pyrrha demanded.
"We won't go near Misty or Oriana ever again. We promise." Janice answered.
Pyrrha was unnervingly motionless as she stared them down.
"See to it that you don't. Remember... I have a very good memory." Pyrrha warned.
"C'mon guys... let's get out of here." Janice stammered. The group of bullies all retreated, and Pyrrha exhaled, releasing the gate and letting them leave, leaving the rungs bent. Her fist was shaking, but she sighed, letting the rest of that anger out.
Hopefully now, they won't come anywhere near her family ever again.
The Deacon
He walked through the Valerian streets with his hooded cloak wrapped around his armour, shielding himself from the rain which fell on him as he walked. These streets were where the shadier dealings happened, Black Market goods being sold, drugs and illegal dust trade. People were constantly keeping their heads down, expecting to see a Legion Patrol fly overhead. But the Deacon was not here for them, he was here for Neo, and this was the best lead he had on her in years. He turned a corner and found the place he was looking for.
It was an old Valerian Biker Bar.
He could smell the stench of smoke for a few moments before it disappeared, but he still walked inside, opening the double doors and pulling his dark, drenched hood back. The Bikers were all inside, clad in leather jackets and all sporting the same symbol tattooed on their necks, that of a Hissing Cobra.
He passed by them as they talked, and one by one they all stared at the Deacon as he approached the bar, sitting next to a hooded figure. The bartender stared at him and raised his brow. "What can I get ya?" He asked.
"Not here to drink, here for information. You see, I'm looking for someone." The Deacon explained.
"Lots of someones. Doesn't matter who, so long as you got the money for it." The Bartender said, and the Deacon slammed down a load of Lien Cards.
"How's that?" He asked.
"That'll do. You got a name for this certain someone?" The Bartender asked.
"Neopolitan." He answered.
The Bartender froze, everyone froze. The Deacon looked around at everyone, seeing how they all became... unnaturally... still. Suddenly the door to the kitchen opened and someone walked out, whistling as he spun Melodic Cudgel around his finger. "Well, well, well... if it isn't the famous Deacon himself!" Roman Torchwick laughed as he approached, smirking at him. The Deacon stared with disbelief at Roman, sitting back on the stool, figuring out he already got his answer, sliding his lien back into his hand.
"Roman Torchwick. You're supposed to be dead... thirty-five years dead, actually. Looking good for a corpse." The Deacon said with a chuckle.
"Well, these are crazy times. Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc dying and coming back from the dead? A Queen who supposedly could not be killed, murdered by a Fall Maiden who changed her ways? Death doesn't seem to have the same meaning as it once did, does it?" Roman asked, leaning against the bar and taking a drink, sipping it.
"You'd be surprised." The Deacon snarled, clenching his metal hand into a fist. "Where are you, Neo?" He called out, knowing Roman was an illusion.
Suddenly a Cobra appeared on the bar where he was sitting, hissing aggressively at him, until the Hooded Figure suddenly stabbed it through the head. The girl turned her head, and he saw a pair of glowing pink eyes staring at him. "I wonder... what pretty face hides underneath that mask?" Her voice was beautiful but unfamiliar... and she pulled the hood down, revealing purely pink hair... and she looked almost identical to Neo, just missing the brown eye and hair.
The Cobra crumbled into glowing pink shards of glass, then the glasses, and the bar itself... and the Bartender. The Deacon slowly looked around as the entire bar was an illusion, shattering away and revealing the dark truth. Flames burned inside of here, and every single biker inside was butchered, blood splattered all across the floorboards. Leaving only Roman and the Pink Haired Girl behind.
As the Deacon followed the crumbling illusion, he heard someone land on the balcony above, and he looked up to see her stood on it, resting Hush across her shoulders as she smirked at him. Her pink and brown hair had faded over the years, and looked very unkempt, tied back into a ponytail. Wrinkles had formed in places, but she was still the same Neopolitan he remembered back when she tried to kill Ruby.
"There you are... Neo." The Deacon greeted.
She stared at him, then glanced at the girl. "The famous Deacon... We know you've been tracking her. So how about to cut to the chase?" The girl asked.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked her.
"Oh, me?" She asked with a gasp, covering her smiling lips, spinning Hush through her fingers and resting it on her shoulder. "I'm Neo... Trivia's oldest, dearest friend... and I will always be there for her. As will he." She promised, as Roman also circled the Deacon.
Neo sat on the railing as she watched, and the Deacon activated the Grave Dust in his arms. "I'm not here to fight you, Neo." He said to her, staring up at her.
"Shame... because she is." Pink Neo hissed, suddenly launching from the bar towards him. She opened her umbrella and pushed him backwards towards Roman, who fired Melodic Cudgel into his back. The Deacon grunted as he stumbled forward, suddenly forming Pilgrim and Hallshott. He jumped into the air and fired the gun of his sword down at Roman, and swinging the enormous sword down at him.
He jumped backwards, then extended his hook, wrapping it around the blade of Hallshott and yanking it from his hand. Suddenly Pink Neo appeared out of thin air, through shards of pink glass, and she roundhouse kicked him in the head. The Deacon dragged Pilgrim across the ground, staring ahead at the two illusions.
Trivia?
Who the hell is Trivia?
Roman walked forward, firing a missile from Melodic Cudgel at him, but the Deacon deflected it with Pilgrim, then charged forward, sliding underneath Pink Neo as she slashed Hush at him, then he jumped and kicked Roman in the chest, swinging the huge sword down at the illusion, cutting across her chest. She shattered into thousands of pieces, only for Roman to kick him in the back with a smirk.
"Wow, I expected better from the leader of the Legion." Roman scoffed, spinning his cane again. The Deacon gritted, suddenly forming Ruyi Jingu Bang, firing the Gun-Chucks repeatedly at Roman. The old enemy deflected the shell fragments and dodged them. Then he switched to Hook and Darling, firing the grappling hook around Roman's throat and yanking him forward, slashing through his throat, beheading the illusion.
He looked up at where Neo was just stood, and he sighed, looking around for her. Suddenly the Real Neo erupted from the smoke and she thrusted Hush's pointed blade at him. He gasped and reached towards her, grabbing onto her arm and throwing her into the air. She opened the umbrella and gracefully descended onto the bar, flames roaring behind her. "I came here to talk to you." The Deacon stated.
She suddenly kicked a plate at him, shattering against his helmet, then she jumped at him. She stabbed at him repeatedly, then smacked Hush across the side of his head. He growled in anger, suddenly printing Shortwings, and swinging the daggers aggressively at her. She dodged them with a bright smile, holding Hush behind her back, and sticking her tongue out at him. She suddenly flipped backwards and kicked the Deacon up the jaw, launching him backwards. Then she vanished into thin air again, leaving shards behind.
He looked around for her, only for her to suddenly appear once again, kicking him in the back and throwing a knife at him. He deflected the knife with his metal arm, but she immediately lunged forward once again. The pointed blade constantly thrusted at his throat, but he dodged and blocked them, sparks flying as the blade met his steel arms. Then he formed Pilgrim and swung it at her. As she dodged it, she landed on the sword's blade, only for the Deacon to launch her up in the air again, aiming Scarlet's gun at her and firing it at her.
He shot up towards her as she floated, but she kicked at him, then wrapped both legs around his neck and flipped through the air, sending him crashing through one of the burning desks, crushing a corpse underneath him. He quickly got out of the flames, before Neo ran across the wall towards him, and as she jumped he finally landed a good hit on her, punching her in the cheek. She tumbled across the floor, sliding on her feet, staring back at the Deacon. He jumped into the air, using his thrusters to give him extra height, flipping forward and slamming his heavy boot down at where she was standing.
He swung his fists, but she blocked and parried all his swings with Hush, smacking the hooked handle against his head, then twice with the rest of the Umbrella. She jumped and kicked off his back, suddenly shooting the hook towards him and wrapping it around his throat. He snarled, grabbing onto the cable and launching her through the wall. The plaster crumbled as she bounced out and slid across the floor. The civilians gasped in shock, then fled as they saw the Deacon emerge from the flames.
"Aw crap! Run!" One of the criminals screamed as they fled. The two stared each other down as everyone cleared out.
"Well, you've definitely gotten stronger. Looks like the Black Cells really did a number on you, huh? Bringing Torchwick back from the dead with your illusions? Impressive, I'll give you that." The Deacon said as he stared at her, forming Tri-Hard in his hand.
She smirked at him.
And suddenly the Pink Neo appeared on top of one of the small houses, kicking her legs. "She's barely even breaking a sweat." She giggled.
Neo smirked and held out her hands as Grimm formed out of thin air. They all roared savagely at him, a pack of Beowulves and an Ursa. The Deacon gasped as he saw them again, but he just focused, remembering they were just illusions. The beasts all charged towards him but he beheaded the first Beowulf with the Trident, then throwing into the Ursa's chest, impaling it. With each Grimm he killed, they shattered into the same pink shards of glass, like the other illusions did.
He caught another Beowulf by the throat and snapped its neck, then printing Shortwings once again, brutally stabbing another Beowulf in the chest, and finishing the last one off by driving the blade up its jaw, killing it instantly. He looked around for her, when she suddenly charged towards him with Roman and the Pink Neo at her side. Neo jumped and kicked him twice in the face, and Torchwick walked behind her, firing another explosive projectile at the Deacon.
The explosion launched him backwards, and the Pink Neo landed on his chest, cooing as she sat on him, sliding her fingers across the mask. "Show a girl your handsome face, honey?" She teased, reaching underneath it.
The Deacon growled with fury, grabbing her wrist, crushing it and making the illusion scream in pain, then stabbing her through the chest with Hallshott. He rolled backwards and immediately raised his forearm to stop Roman from striking him in the head. Torchwick smirked at him, but the Deacon growled and blasted upwards, kneeing Roman in the jaw, then drive Hallshott through his head, killing the illusion.
"How many times I gotta kill your lover for you to listen?" The Deacon asked, only for Neo to suddenly reappear, and the Deacon spun around, and punched at her...
... only for that Neo to shatter as well... just like the other illusions.
Only then did he realise...
... that Neo wasn't real, either.
He looked around and finally saw her emerging from the burning bar, seeing her walking out. The only telling difference? She was wearing Roman's Hat. She stared at him as the building collapsed behind her. "I am not here to arrest you. I am here to ask for your help. You've been killing everyone who ever wronged Torchwick... and I am your best shot to get the person who you think murdered him." The Deacon promised.
She still attacked, swinging repeatedly at him, but he refused to attack, just deflecting and blocking her blows. "You think you're the only person who wants justice?" The Deacon asked as he held her back.
He kicked her in the chest and she stumbled backwards, but she still went for him, but he stood his ground, pointing Ruyi Jingu Bang's Gun-Chuck at her. "Damn it, LISTEN!" He yelled, his distorted voice echoing through the street. She stopped, still pointing the extended blade of Hush at his throat, both face to face.
"I want Jaune imprisoned for what he did to us... and you want Ruby for Torchwick? We can help each other... we can both get what we want, and find a path forward together." He promised, staring at her. She gritted her teeth as she stared at him, then she shuddered, and the Deacon could see both the Pink Neo and Torchwick illusions appearing over her shoulder.
"Don't you want to avenge me?" Roman asked her.
"Don't listen to him. He wants to put you in a cell." The Pink Neo hissed.
He pressed her hand against her head as she gasped, shaking her head to hold the hallucinations back, but of course... her semblance was making her nightmares become very real.
"Neo..." The Deacon softly said, and she looked up at him. "We can end this." He promised her.
He let the Grave Dust weapon crumble away, and the dust returned to his arms. He slowly raised his hand to her, and Neo exhaled, retracting her blade. And she looked at him, and over her shoulder the Pink Neo appeared, crossing her arms.
"She helps you get Jaune... you help her get Ruby?" The Illusion questioned, clearly acting as Neo's voice.
The Deacon nodded his head.
Neo sighed, then slowly took his hand, shaking it.