The Deacon
His personal airship soared across the city of Vale towards the central skyscraper that was the Legion Headquarters, flying above the compound beneath where the main bulk of their military force was located, protecting all Legion Operations, and of course, the President of Remnant itself.
The Deacon banked around the tower until descending upon the landing pad connected to their office, where they left Cardin and Eryka. He exited the airship, walking down the ramp whilst it was still folding out, and behind him trailed Neopolitan. The rising sun shone across her face as she looked around, smirking with the illusion of Roman standing beside her. "Finally hitting the big leagues, Neo." Roman said with a chuckle, crossing his arms, before crumbling away into pink shards as Neo followed the Deacon inside.
He didn't know what to expect, given how their last conversation ended. Would either of them still be here after getting Neo to join this team? He knew in his bones that they hated Neo for the things she's done, especially Cardin, considering he saved Ruby's life from her back when the Black Smog was their greatest concern.
He entered the office, and saw Eryka sat down, looking at a picture of Winter on the day they got married. She looked so beautiful in her white dress, and she never saw her look so happy. It was always something that helped her feel better whenever she felt down, just seeing that face.
She looked up and saw the Deacon standing there. Then he walked down the steps, and Neo walked into her cone of vision. She did not hesitate. She immediately picked up Constantine Damascus and drew the bow, aiming her arrow directly at Neo's head. "Stop." The Deacon calmly commanded.
Eryka refused to say anything. Her eyes said everything she needed to communicate, glaring at Neo with anger. Neo planted her hands on her hip, smirking as she stared at Eryka, when the pink-haired illusion stepped out from behind her, giggling like a little girl. "My, my... look how you've grown!" She laughed, tilting her head and resting her arm on Neo's shoulder. Eryka narrowed her eyes with anger, then they ignited with blue flames.
That took Neo back for a moment. Her pink and brown eyes widened, and she gasped. "Whoa... that's familiar." The Pink Haired Illusion recounted, stepping backwards with Neo. "You're the Last Maiden..."
"Yeah... not out of choice." Eryka stated as she scowled.
"She heard about what Cinder did... it was all over the news for weeks when she was set free." The illusion said, gesturing to Neo as she spoke. "Didn't think she had it in her. Guess she must have found something worth fighting for, something more important than her lust for power."
"You could say that." Eryka confirmed, choosing not to mention Amber by name, if only to keep her safe. At the end of the day, Neo was hunting and butchering anyone who wronged Roman, or anyone remotely connected to those people. Which would mean that Amber would be in danger, since it was Cinder that roped her and Roman into the whole mess with Salem in the first place.
"Sooo... what're we gonna do now?" Neo's illusion asked, just as Neo held out her arms with a smile. It was like she used that Imaginary Friend given life as her voice.
"That all depends on you." Cardin's voice suddenly appeared behind her, and she turned to see him stood in a dark corner, his helmet over his head and visors glowing gold. He walked out and pointed his Mace at her face, towering above the girl. Then his helmet deactivated, clambering back into his collar and revealing his face. Neo's illusion laughed as they stared at Cardin.
"Cardin Winchester... We remember you very well. You were the one who stopped Trivia from getting the revenge she so desperately wanted." The Illusion chuckled.
"I don't know any Trivia, but I'll tell you this." He snarled, staring at her. "You try anything? I will crush your skull without a second thought." He promised.
Neo scoffed. "I'd like to see ya try, big man."
He gritted his teeth, snarling at her whilst she just grinned maniacally at him.
"She's fucking batshit, Deacon." Cardin stated.
"Alright, that's enough. We're all here for our own reasons, some more similar than others, but we can all help each other. So please... enough fighting. I've got an awful feeling there's gonna be plenty of time for fighting in the future, so save your moves for those fights, please?" The Deacon requested.
Cardin and Neo kept glaring at each other, then Cardin sighed, letting his mace retract back inside of his new cybernetic arm. "Sure. I can wait." Cardin answered, walking away from Neo. The short assassin cracked her neck, then stretched her arms, following the Deacon to the large table in the office, where the Deacon sat down at the middle of one side, Eryka facing him, Neo and Cardin taking opposite ends of the table as well.
The silence was agonising, as Eryka stared at the Deacon with her heart focusing on her morality, and unwillingness to hurt people she cared about. And Cardin, having no trust in having Neopolitan being in the group, and on top of all of that, Neo's internal madness could just be sensed by everyone in the room. Something deep inside her soul was broken, smashed apart from her time locked in that Black Cell.
And there the Deacon sat, waiting to find the words to speak.
"The plan is simple. Tonight, the C.C.T is scheduled to go offline for maintenance. In the time it is down, we will meet with Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long in their home, and we convince them to give up Jaune and Pyrrha's address." The Deacon explained, until Roman suddenly appeared in the corner, scoffing.
"Why so complicated? You can't just look up with all your contacts where the great Invincible Girl lives?" He questioned. The Deacon ignored the hallucination and looked right at Neo.
"She has Dutch on her side, and he's damn good at hiding things. He's not just Ex-Black Gallows, he was Killian's Right-Hand for a very long time. No matter how much I tried digging, he covered every inch. But there are people that he and Pyrrha trusted to give their location to... and Blake and Yang are in that group." The Deacon explained, bringing up a holographic map of Remnant, and he highlighted Menagerie.
He crossed his arms as he spoke. "As we speak, the two of them are fighting the remains of the Feral Ones, stopping a train. I have no doubt that they'll succeed, and they'll be home in time for bed. That's when we face them." He explained.
"And when Yang inevitably takes the first swing? We need some way to keep it quiet." Cardin stated.
"Well, I expect Yang will attack. So it may come down to you fending her off for us. Have fun, basically." The Deacon said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I always did wanna spar with Yang back at Beacon." Cardin chuckled, cracking his neck.
"Whilst I'm talking to Blake, Eryka will keep the storm raging so that the authorities don't hear our intrusion until we're long gone. And Neo? I need you to find their terminal and access it and find their address." The Deacon explained.
"And what if Belladonna doesn't fall for it?" Roman asked. "Chick's pretty sharp, even without her eyes."
"We'll come up with a counter plan along the way... I'd rather not let it come to that. But if we have to threaten them, we do." The Deacon explained.
"Gods..." Eryka scoffed, burying her head in her hands. "They're innocent in all this. Can't we just sneak in and do it? Without confrontation?"
"No chance, not with Blake in there. She'll hear us before we even get inside the Manor." Cardin stated.
"Believe me, I considered that option, but Cardin is right. We need Blake distracted and kept in one place. Now, if we're lucky, they will still be fighting the train or cleaning up after it. So if that's the case, then it'll be a quick in and out operation. But... I have a feeling it's not going to be so simple." The Deacon explained, closing the map of Menagerie and switching to Vale.
He continued to explain the plan to them all. "Once we have their location, we leave immediately. With the C.C.T down, Blake and Yang will be left with no choice but to either wait for the Network to come back online, or they'd have to go there as well. Either way, we will get there first." The Deacon explained, and Neo nodded her head.
"Then we kill Jaune? Then you give me Ruby?" Neo's illusion asked.
"Nobody is killing anybody." Eryka reminded the Deacon was quiet for a moment, then he answered.
"She's right. We're not going there to kill anyone. Jaune needs to face justice, but his family are innocent of his crimes. Especially his daughter. She doubtfully even knows the full truth." The Deacon explained, making Neo roll her eyes. "And once it's done? I'll help you get Ruby." He lied.
Neo glared at him, her eyes narrowing, filled with doubt.
Yet... she still agreed with the plan.
The Deacon knew Neo was no fool. She wouldn't have avoided the Legion and the Cops across Remnant for twenty-five years if she was stupid. That worried him all the more. She was unpredictable by nature. Who knows what she was planning to do?
He sighed, and sat down in his chair, and clasped his steel hands together, looking at them all. "For so long I've helped people recover from their past, their traumas... help them find forgiveness for their enemies. To teach them to move on... and grow. Some do." He said, then he looked at each of them.
The anger of Cardin Winchester.
The depression of Eryka Vasillias.
The madness of Neopolitan.
"... but not us."
"If we move on, then it's forgotten. And he just gets away with it." Cardin stated with a growl in his voice, clenching his fist. Neo glanced at Roman, who was quietly standing in the room's corner with his arms crossed. And Eryka's lip trembled, unable to argue against that logic either.
"So... are we gonna do this?" The Deacon asked them.
And nobody raised any further objections.
"Then let's get going... and pray that when this is done, we can finally begin to heal as well."
Blake
The tracks vibrated more and more, and grains of sand rose into the air when the rails glowed purple, Gravity Dust flushing through them. Blake could feel it across her entire body, with Yang stood beside her, holding her hand as they waited. Ilia was bouncing on her toes, hearing the roar of the train growing louder every second.
Then blinding white light flooded through the canyon. "Here we go!" Yang called out, and just as it roared past, the three of them jumped onto the rear carriage, only just making it on. Ilia yelped as she tumbled towards the edge, but Blake threw Gambol Shroud, and Ilia caught onto the ribbon, being pulled back onto the trailer. She tumbled across the floor, laughing nervously.
"That was a close one!" Ilia giggled. The three of them turned to the sound of the doors being opened suddenly, and the Feral Ones were standing there, guns in hand. Their clothes were tattered, held together by duct tape and loose stitches in some places, using out-of-date guns which have gathered rust in places from a lack of proper maintenance.
"We've been boarded!" One of the Feral Ones yelled, firing his assault rifle at Blake, but whilst he fired, the gun jammed, and he started smacking it to fix the issue. Blake launched forward and kicking the soldier in the chest with both feet. She rolled backwards and fired her pistol at the other, blowing holes in his body before nailing him through the head with a precise shot. Another Terrorist rushed towards her with an axe, screaming with rage, until Yang suddenly smashed her fist into the side of his face, breaking his jaw and knocking his teeth from his mouth.
He screamed, bouncing off the floor and falling over the edge of the train, tumbling away as the train roared ahead, its horn blaring like a Megoliath's trunk. Yang ducked as the last terrorist aimed his shotgun at her head and fired, narrowly missing, only for Ilia to wrap Lightning Lash around his body and shock him with electrical dust until he was unconscious. "Come on, we need to reach the controls and try to stop this thing!" Blake yelled, getting up and rushing ahead with her wife.
Yang punched the next door flat off its hinges, sending it flying ahead and smashing through rusty Atlesian Knights, which had been covered in Feral Ones Graffiti. Their bodies broke apart, then the rest of them turned and started firing their rifles at the intruders. Blake dashed ahead, vanishing after activating her semblance, suddenly reappearing in front of a drone, and cutting through its neck with her Katana. Sparks flew from its cables, and it stumbled around before she kicked it in the chest, and it exploded.
Yang slid across the floor, firing multiple shells into the drones which fired at her, then she ran ahead, crossing her arms together to block the incoming hail of bullets. They bounced off her metal arm, then she jumped off the floor, blasting herself into the air, then as she came careening down, she punched her metal fist into the titanium floor. The entire carriage shook from that powerful strike, sending the Knights into the air. She spun around and juggled one in the air with Ember Celica's shotgun shells, blowing it limb from limb until nothing remained.
One drone landed behind her, and it swung its electrified baton at her, but she dodged its incoming swings, blowing its leg off, then punching it in the head so hard that the metal skull caved in, sparks exploding through its face. Ilia rushed past Yang, slashing Lightning Lash across the legs of three Knights, then drawing her gun as she jumped off a crate, flipping overhead and firing the pistol down at the machines, leaving them all shattered. She landed and smirked confidently.
They all turned and their eyes widened as a Feral One burst through a door, wearing what looked like a repurposed Ebony Sabre Exo-Suit. The armour was not working like it used to, but they clearly were able to use the armour itself to make something new. The Feral One wielded a minigun and opened fire on them, spraying bullets towards them all. Blake flipped backwards, casting a shadow of rock behind her, which she took cover behind. Yang and Ilia both ducked behind the crates that were scattered across this train. The wooden crates splintered as bullets tore through them. Thankfully, these crates did not have the explosives on them. These looked like boxes left behind by the company they stole this locomotive from. The Juggernaut stomped out, the barrels of the minigun still spiralling with a deafening drone.
Ilia looked at Yang and nodded, her skin changing colour to black, and using the darkness of the night to sneak up behind the terrorist. Yang jumped out and fired multiple shells at him, but they just made him recoil slightly. Using her second sight, Blake could see Ilia sneaking around the back of the Juggernaut, then drew her gun and joined Yang, firing bullets repeatedly at the huge soldier. He started firing once again, forcing them both behind cover once again.
Ilia suddenly jumped behind the Juggernaut, wrapping her whip around his throat and electrocuting him. He screamed and suddenly spun around, smashing the gun across her chest and launching her through the door he closed behind him. The door broke open, and she slid across the floor, eyes widening as he aimed at her. Only for Blake to wrap Gambol Shroud around his throat as well and yanking him towards her.
As he stumbled and turned, his eyes widened to see Yang blasting forward with a defiant yell, swinging her metal fist against his helmet so hard it broke apart, the visors shattering and knocking him unconscious. His body bounced off the floor, then off the ceiling, before slamming against the ground. "Not exactly what I planned, but, hey. That worked." Ilia chuckled.
They all kept moving on, running across the next train carriage, and as they moved, Blake stopped as she smelt the scent of explosives. Yang and Ilia looked at the crates and opened them, their eyes widening to see the different payloads being carried here. "Some of these are old Black Gallows explosives... and the rest were raw fire dust... or home-made bombs. If all these black crates have this kind of stuff in there, it'll definitely destroy Menagerie." Yang explained.
"Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen then." Blake said, spinning Gambol Shroud through her fingers. They approached the next door, which connected to the other carriage.
And Blake froze.
Even without her vision... she heard the same sounds as that day, the sound of Atlesian Knight-130 drones. The black drones were hooked up to the walls, being charged up. Then their optics started glowing red, being activated by someone in the next carriage. "This bringing back memories, Belladonna?" The White Fang Lieutenant asked her with a disdainful laugh.
"Blake?" Yang asked.
"The day I abandoned Adam? All those years ago? We fought these drones... I guess the Lieutenant thought this would stop me." Blake chuckled.
"I don't even have to ask." Yang said with a proud smile, and Blake walked to her wife's side, listening to the sound of the drones activating. Their visors shone with a piercing red light, and they detached from the walls, pulling themselves from the charging cables.
"Contacts." One droid said, suddenly extending blades from their arms, and visors sliding down to protect their internals. Three attacked all at once, and Blake suddenly swung her sword, deflecting the incoming blades with grace, sparks flying and her black ribbon rippling behind her black hair as the shockwave shot past her. She suddenly rushed forward and cut through four of them in seconds, leaving their remains behind, breaking apart.
More of them activated, and they rushed their enemies. Yang jumped and blasted off the wall, punching through the blades of one and grabbing it by the face. She dragged it across the floor, smashing it repeatedly, before swinging it around and tossing it against one which tried to sneak up behind her. The active one stared ahead, only to see Yang tear a pole from the wall and launch it straight through its head, pinning it to the wall.
Yang grinned, slamming her fists together.
Ilia charged towards more Atlesian Knight-130s, and she jumped over one of them and extended Lightning Lash. The pointed blade stabbed straight through its head as she flipped overhead, throwing it against the wall. Its body shattered like glass as it collided with the wall. Then she ducked, narrowly dodging the blades of the next. The outdated robot juddered, stuck in the stabbing motion, unable to move, so she flipped backwards and kicked it in the head as she rotated, breaking its head from its shoulders. She landed on both feet and wrapped her whip around the throat of the next, pulling it towards her and pushing her gun up its chin.
"Nighty night." She whispered, firing the gun and blowing its lights out, finishing it instantly. Behind her, Blake jumped into the air and spun like a discus blade, slicing a drone through the middle with both her sword and the sheath, sending chunks of sparking metal everywhere. She landed and swung the sword on its ribbon around her head, beheading the last five in one quick motion, before catching her blade and spinning it through her fingers.
Together, they approached the door and opened it to find the last section of the train left. And stood waiting for them was the White Fang Lieutenant, his Chainsword held tightly in his cybernetic hand, staring at the trio through his old damaged mask. His black hair had grown very long, blowing in the wind, his armour shrouded in a black cloak as well, and scars covering his old body. "It's over, Lieutenant. Drop your weapon and stop this train." Blake commanded.
"There is no stopping this, Belladonna. You may have abandoned our cause, but I will see to it that it is finished." He snarled.
"Abandoned it? The cause is finished, we have what we wanted! Equality for all!" She yelled, then she scoffed, shaking her head. "But no, that was never what people like you wanted. People like Adam. You wanted to flip the tables, and have the Faunus pressing their boot on Humanity's throat instead, and just continue the cycle of hatred. All you ever wanted... was an excuse for violence." Blake explained.
He growled, his hand tightly clenching the handle of his chainsword, the weapon revved louder and louder. His Ursine Blood ran through his veins, increasing his aggression and strength at the same time. Yang turned, her eyes widening as she saw some Airships departing with the Feral Ones' logo on the side of it. "Looks like your buddies are ditching you. Some leader they see in you." Yang scoffed.
"All according to my plan... human." He growled. "Look at what you've done to our cause, marrying a Human and letting her fight our battles? The Faunus must be ashamed to call you their High Leader."
"Not at all actually... because the greater majority wanted this peace, this acceptance." Blake stated.
"So, we gonna keep chatting here? Or are we gonna fight?" Yang challenged. Blake tapped Ilia's side and leant over to her.
"Get to the controls. See if you can stop this thing. If not, contact our allies to bring the bridge down." Blake ordered.
"You got it." Ilia whispered.
The White Fang Lieutenant roared with rage, spinning his chainsword through his fingers, then sprinting towards them. Blake and Yang both took on the huge warrior, whilst Ilia sprinted past to get to the controls. He jumped into the air and spun around, bringing the huge chainsword down towards Blake, and she raised Gambol Shroud, using the sheath to support the back of her blade. He snarled savagely as he forced her to one knee, turning to see Yang blasting through the air, flipping forward and firing a missile towards him.
The rocket exploded against his shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards, then he reached his metal hand out and grabbed onto a box, launching it towards her. Yang grunted in pain as the box shattered against her body, crashing against the floor. Blake jumped and slashed her sword across his body, only for him to reach his hand out towards her throat. He clenched his hand into a fist around the fading shadow, and Yang suddenly threw Blake towards him. She spun and roundhouse kicked him across the face, launching him backwards, but he drove his sword into the floor before he could be thrown overboard.
Whilst they fought, Ilia ran into the control room of the train, but her eyes widened when she saw every single control was destroyed. Torn to shreds by the Lieutenant's Chainsword, no doubt. "Shit... well, good thing we planned for this." Ilia said with relief in her voice, pulling out her scroll and turning to see Menagerie in the distance, getting closer and closer.
Back outside, Yang slid across the floor then blasted upwards, uppercutting the Lieutenant with a sudden hard punch. He grunted, but spun around and slammed his chainsword downwards, grinding the teeth of the blade across her black and yellow metal arm. Sparks flew and so did chips of paint. Yang pushed her muscular arm up against her metal one, holding the Lieutenant back.
Blake suddenly formed a Fire Dust Shadow behind him, detonating it with an enormous explosion, and once she landed, she threw her grappling hook and wrapped it around his leg, pulling his leg back. He fell forward and Yang grabbed onto the side of his head and, with all her might, she smashed her metal fist directly into his mask. Cracks spread across it and he growled with anger, roaring with berserk fury, and he jumped towards Yang and punched her relentlessly in the face and gut, and after his wild flurries, he grabbed her by the throat and jumped into the air, pummelling her against the train with great force.
Yang grunted in pain, then her eyes flushed with orange colour, focusing her semblance into a singular burst of fire in her hair, a pulse which pushed him back, and gave her a singular but powerful hit. The punch sent him hurtling towards Blake but she jumped overhead and wrapped her grappling hook around his waist and swung him over her head, and directly into the cart beneath her. The impact shattered his aura and nearly derailed the train, and then one of the heavy crates crashed onto his back, pinning him to the spot.
He growled from the pain, feeling his legs break under the weight. Blake landed beside Yang, and they both nodded at each other.
And just as they planned, they heard a nearby explosion; it was deafening, and an enormous cloud of fire and smoke rose into the sky. Ahead of them, the huge bridge buckled and crumbled, plummeting into the ravine below them. "The Feral Ones... will never die, Belladonna. You beat us down, again and again... but we always return. The world you wish to build is a dream, nothing more!" He yelled in anger.
"Maybe... but some dreams do come true, Lieutenant. I just think it's a shame that you chose your dream to end in fire like this." Blake said, standing tall and walking away from him.
"Let's get out of here!" Ilia called out as she ran across the carriage they were on. The Lieutenant stared ahead and sighed, accepting his fate and closing his eyes as the train got closer and closer towards the coming fall. Ilia jumped first, then so did Yang.
Blake kept running as the train tumbled over the edge of the felled bridge, and the echoing howl of the White Fang Lieutenant echoed behind her, dying like the berserk beast he lived as. She jumped at the last second and rolled across the ground, watching as the train fell into the chasm. They all jumped and covered their ears, preparing for the deafening bang. The train exploded at the bottom, sending a horrifying plume of fire rising up the ravine, cracks spreading across the side of the mountain, and the explosion's shockwave made trees for miles shed their leaves.
But after a few moments... only crackling flames and a tall spire of thick black smoke remained.
Blake stood tall with Yang and Ilia beside her, and she exhaled.
Some Feral Ones got away, but they lost their leader.
This Civil War was so close to the end... they just needed that one last push to finish them once and for all.
Ruby
Unaware of the victory in Menagerie...
Ruby, Penny, Oscar, and Winter continued to follow the odd trail of the Hound that was spotted. Ruby looked at the tracks, and she narrowed her silver eyes with concern, shining her flashlight on them as she crouched down amidst the trees. "What is it, Ruby?" Penny asked.
"The way this thing is moving... it's really weird." Ruby answered, resting her hand on her knee, then she stood tall, and looked back across the miles they have been walking. "It hasn't changed direction once."
"You know, I was thinking the same thing." Oscar commented.
"Me too, Grimm usually wander around. But this thing has been in a straight line for ages now. Hasn't wandered at all." Winter agreed.
"And not just that, look at the prints themselves." Ruby said as she crouched down again, and as she examined it, she could see where the claws on its paws had torn through the dirt. Scattering leaves everywhere. "It's not walking... it's sprinting, full pelt."
Penny looked at Ruby as she stood up again. "This thing is going somewhere. It knows exactly where it's going... even Hounds weren't like that, not without Salem, anyway. They were lost and confused." Ruby explained.
"Please don't tell me you're thinking the same thing as me, right now." Winter begged.
"I don't know what I'm thinking right now... but something isn't right here. Grimm haven't acted like this since they've had an actual leader. After Salem died, they lost their coordination. They became as normal as your average predator in the wild, like a wolf. But this one is on a mission." Ruby explained, looking ahead and sighing.
"We should keep following before we jump to any... worrying... conclusions." Penny suggested.
"Yeah..." Ruby agreed, looking down at the prints again.
But in her head, she couldn't get the question out of her mind.
Where's this thing going?
Blake
After a hectic night, Blake and Yang finally could get some sleep.
Their children were back home asleep as well, and Taiyang was sleeping comfortably in one of the spare bedrooms after looking after their kids whilst they stopped a potential terrorist attack. Emotions were high and cheers were echoing for days, but finally... things were peaceful and quiet again.
More or less, anyway, for the sound of a storm outside was sparing the pure quiet they hoped for, but it was close enough.
Blake was wrapped up in Yang's arms, comfortably asleep in the arms of the love of her life, but her feline ear raised slightly, hearing a footstep downstairs. She lifted her head, woken by the sound, and she sat upright, holding the bedsheet close to her chest. She exhaled when she couldn't hear the sound anymore... but... she knew what she heard. Her ears never deceived her.
"Mmm... hun? You okay?" Yang asked her, seeing Blake sat upright, looking ahead into the darkness. She gently stroked Blake's back, her thumb stroking across the clip of her black bra.
"Someone's in the house..." she whispered. Yang remained calm and sat upright beside her.
"Can you see their aura?" Yang inquired.
"... no... I can't see anything... and that's the weirdest part. I only heard one footstep, and I can see the kids and Tai... they're all asleep." Blake stated, looking at the bedrooms where she could see the faint glow of their sleepy silhouettes in bed through the walls. It wasn't as clear as Yang was right now, but it was still something.
Meaning... if someone was downstairs, she would definitely see their glow. No intruder could hide that.
"Okay... be quiet, I'm gonna go downstairs and just act like I don't know someone is in here, and see if they slip up." Blake suggested, slowly getting out of bed and picking up her dark purple dressing gown, wrapping it around her body and tying it up. Yang carefully put on her clothes and put on Ember Celica.
"Shit... I left my arm in the garage, I was gonna fix it up after the Lieutenant damaged it with his Chainsword..." Yang whispered.
"It's probably just an intruder. We've handled worse." Blake assured, then she acted as groggy and helpless as she could, using her mobility cane exaggeratingly to find anything in her way. She made her way downstairs, and she kept listening, but she could not hear a thing anymore. She found her way to the kitchen, and approached the fridge, all whilst Yang was on the landing, waiting for Blake to give her the signal.
She fumbled her reach, and grabbed onto the handle of the fridge, pulling it open to pick up a pint of milk.
And as she closed the fridge... she heard it.
Metallic breath exhaling.
"It's funny. You acted as a human for so long, and your own team never even noticed the truth... and yet you couldn't act like a helpless civilian if your life depended on it." The Deacon's voice spoke. That sent a shiver down her spine, for he was the last voice she was expecting to hear. She turned and stared toward where she would expect to see an aura, but she couldn't see anything, for his aura had been permanently corrupted by Tyrian's poison.
Yang stared into the darkness, and saw his helmet's visors and grill activate as he breathed, glowing bright green in the shadows. "Deacon? What the hell are you doing? Breaking into my house?" Blake questioned, but Yang did not come down yet, since she never trusted him... for he was just another man who hid behind a mask... just like Raven... just like Valravn... and just like Adam.
The Deacon was sitting in Yang's favourite chair, too.
"Is Yang going to join us?" The Deacon asked, slowly standing up from his chair. "Or is she going to stay up on the stairs? Like a child who is supposed to be in bed?" The Deacon asked.
Blake sighed, then Yang got up and walked down to Blake's side, pointing Ember Celica at the Deacon. "You never trusted me, huh?" The Deacon chuckled.
"Yeah, I wonder why?" Yang scoffed.
"What are you doing here?" Blake questioned.
"Because I am the sole survivor of that night. When you tried to save us, but Tyrian butchered us..." The Deacon revealed, and Blake gasped when she heard those words, and Yang immediately had flashbacks of what she saw. So much blood... Tyrian and Adam... of all the messed up things she had seen in her life, that one always stuck with her.
"Prove it then." Blake did not sound convinced.
"Jaune played a part in our torture. Not only did he let Tyrian do the things he did to us... for six years... but he played the same games. He acted like he was our friend and lured us into a trap where we were attacked by Abductors, and all of us bar Cardin were subjected to horrific torture. And all the while as they suffered... Jaune held my eyes open, laughing... telling me to always watch." The Deacon explained, his hands shaking as he remembered it all like it was yesterday. He trembled as he spoke again. "That proof enough for you?"
Blake was quiet as she stared at the Deacon. "Sun? Sun... is that... you? Are you here because you're angry at me for..."
"No..." He did not answer whether or not he was Sun. Blake caught onto that part. "You moved on. You did better than I did, than any of us did. I'm happy for you, for both of you. Really, I am. And if I'm going to be honest, I wish it hadn't come to this, but it's the only way." The Deacon explained.
Suddenly, there was a heavy pounding on the door. "Can we speed this up?" Cardin asked from outside. The Deacon sighed, then Blake nodded at Yang. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing Cardin outside, and so was Eryka, stood in the rain with her eyes aflame. "Getting pretty cold out here." He said, walking inside, towering above Yang. As Eryka walked in, Yang stared at her with disbelief.
"Eryka? What the hell is this? Why are you..."
"I'm sorry, Yang... I don't want this but... let him explain, please." Eryka begged, hoping to keep this whole ordeal peaceful. Yang sighed, then turned to face the Deacon.
"Alright, make your point." Yang commanded, crossing her arms. "And keep it down? Our kids are sleeping. They've had a long day."
"As have you." The Deacon agreed, holding his arms behind his back. "You have access to something I need, something Dutch will not give me and has worked hard to hide from me. The Nikos Residence. I need its address."
Both Yang and Blake immediately caught on.
"Now hold on a minute... Jaune is innocent." Blake stated.
"Tell that to my friends... and tell that to the scars on my back and all my nightmares." He replied.
"No, I mean, it wasn't him. He was controlled by Thaddeus Rex Arc, his batshit ancestor and one of Ozma's reincarnations. But it wasn't him." Blake explained.
"Yes, yes... I've heard that story plenty of time, but I don't believe it. Maybe this Thaddeus story is true, but if that was the case, how come Jaune was himself when he was messing with us? Remembering us? Even his demeanour was the same, Blake. I know it's hard to accept... but part of Jaune was not gone in there, and he enjoyed the things he did. Meaning he is just as guilty as the other guy." The Deacon explained. Blake shook her head and sighed.
"Jaune is not a psychopath." Yang stated. "And he has a family now. He's a different man. Just leave it be, take a vacation and heal."
"I have spent the last twenty-five years trying to let it go, Yang. I've tried, we all have... but we can't. Cardin's in the same boat as me, and Eryka needs to know the truth. The questions are killing her. Once this is done, I will face whatever consequences are waiting for me and I will give these answers without hesitation. But Jaune Arc must face justice for what he did." The Deacon explained.
"All we need is that address. Give it to us, and we'll go." Cardin explained.
"How do we know you're not gonna just go there and kill him?" Yang questioned. "I haven't forgotten the things you did to those followers, Deacon."
"They were fanatics who thought Salem was right." He defended.
"And you butchered them, almost as bad as the bodies Tyrian left behind." Yang commented. He glared at her.
"Careful." He warned.
"We're not gonna just stand by and let our friend be hurt because you've been struggling. They've had their struggles too." Yang stated.
Cardin scoffed. "Yeah, bills and deciding what to have for dinner each day. Really serious problems, huh?" He sarcastically mocked.
"You haven't a damn clue of how hard things have been for that family." Yang snarled, her eyes turning red for a few moments there. Although despite his anger, he couldn't help but catch that anger in Yang's eyes, since he did not know what she was talking about.
"I'm sorry, but no. We're not giving Jaune up." Blake stated, crossing her arms.
The Deacon sighed, and he hung his head. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." He said, and Yang clenched her fist, ready for a fight. But then he pulled out his scroll and clicked a button, revealing a live feed... from the bedroom of their daughter Ava.
And Neo was in there, a knife hovering over her throat whilst she slept, completely unaware of the crazy assassin in there. Yang gasped, and she went to stop Neo, only for Cardin to stop her with his hand.
"Don't move a muscle. You don't wanna risk Neo thinking you're gonna try to stop her." Cardin warned.
"Yang? Did he just say Neo?" Blake's voice dropped, and she started trembling. "What's happening?"
Yang swallowed her fear to answer her. "... Neo is in Ava's bedroom... with a knife pointed to her throat." Yang described, and Blake gasped sharply.
"I didn't want to threaten you. The two of you deserve better than that. But you're both forcing my hand. Give us the address, and this can stop here." The Deacon ordered.
"You dare come into our home and threaten our children..." Blake growled. "Do you want to risk a goddamn war?"
The Deacon stared at her. "No, I don't. Because I don't want to undo all the good work you've done for Humanity and the Faunus. But I will do anything to get to Jaune." He warned. Blake gritted her teeth, then she hung her head.
They contemplated if they should do it just to protect Ava, but then... Blake had a brainwave.
Is he bluffing?
The Deacon may be extreme at times, but he's no monster and all this seems so out of character, especially if he is who he says he is.
He still cares about us, that's obvious, otherwise he would have destroyed us by now.
Does that mean...
She slowly looked up to the bedroom where Ava was whilst they spoke to Yang, and she could see Ava's aura, still sleeping soundly.
But Neo's aura was not there.
It was just a harmless illusion, done to scare them.
"So... what do you say?" The Deacon asked them, his arms behind his back.
Blake looked at Yang, who was staring at her. And all Blake had to do was nod, because she knew Ava was safe.
That was all Yang needed to know. Seeing Blake so calm and certain?
She knew it was all a bluff to scare them.
She turned and stared at the Deacon, and gave him her answer. "No. We will not give Jaune up." Yang answered. The Deacon stared at her, completely motionless, then he sighed, walking towards Cardin, looking up at him.
"Looks like you get your wish." He said, walking towards Blake.
Cardin laughed sinisterly, turning his back to Yang. "Finally."
Suddenly the Executioner extended from his metal arm and dropped into his hand, and he swung it upwards, smashing it across Yang's face, and sending her crashing up through the ceiling, through the next floor and through the roof.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Eryka yelled. "She... she didn't swing first..."
As Yang soared through the stormy sky in a concussed daze, suddenly Cardin flew up towards her, his helmet closed around his head as he grappled onto her. "Oh, I've been waiting for this clash for so goddamn long! The Winchester Versus the Last Branwen! Let's see what you got, Yang!" He laughed.
Hearing that surname used made Yang's veins be set ablaze with anger, and she punched at his face repeatedly. The two flew towards the outskirts of Menagerie and crashed through palm trees, landing in a field outside the town, lightning crashing all around them. Cardin rolled across the ground, collapsing his mace and just using his fists. That was when Yang gasped, staring at her stump, and realising her arm was too far away to get there any time soon.
But it was coming thanks to her pressing the button on her scroll to summon it.
She just needed time.
Back home, the Deacon stood with a panicked Eryka, and a surprisingly calm Blake. "Now that those two are off butting heads... how about a more civilised conversation?"