Chapter 15

Bear Witness

The sun hung high in the sky on this beautiful day on the coast. The sky was clear of any obstructive clouds that would mar the endless blue of the sky, the sea green water crashing onto the beach before retreating back, leaving behind foam. Seagulls flew above, calling to each other, while various marine life scurried the white sands of the beach. It was a very beautiful sight that one would notice in taking a walk through here. The person strolling through, however, did not take in the sights. He didn't care for the birds and their annoying calls, didn't care for the blazing sun, whose heat beat down on him, and he didn't especially care about the sand getting in his shoes. All that mattered was one sentence, tumbling in his mind.

'What am I going to do?'

Those six words have caused Jaune much grief over the past few weeks. Beacon Academy was currently accepting applications, until the deadline at the end of next month. It would have been pointless for Jaune to apply, despite his family's insistence. There was no chance that he will be able to get in. Jaune didn't go to a combat school, he's not that great academically, his gear was hand-me-downs, and he didn't even have his Semblance or Aura unlocked.

Jaune supposed he could be a farmer, or something as humble for a profession. If that's the plan, then he needed to figure how he was going to deal with the disappointment when he tells his family. His father would probably be the most disappointed. His only son, not even willing to try, was going to walk away from his family legacy.

Jaune continued to walk, his mind drowning in such troubling thoughts. Before they could get any darker, Jaune felt a pressure under his shoe. He had stepped in something that was not sand, too pointy to be a rock that belonged to this part of beach, and too hard to be a seashell. Jaune moved his foot and knelt down to see what he had stepped on, and what he saw was a blue crystal buried in the sand. Digging it out until its full shape was revealed, the mystery item looking like an Ash crystal. As Jaune continued to gaze at the azure thing, he began to feel angry.

Hateful.

Jaune hated his family for having a legacy, a line of great Hunters. They couldn't be anything else, or even average Hunters. No, they had to be noteworthy! He hated this pressure bearing down on him, making Jaune feel trapped, desperately looking to lift this burden. Most of all, Jaune hated himself, how he didn't do better in the past, how he should have prepared better instead of waiting to do for a tomorrow that never came, for a fortune or blessing, until it was too late. This weight was his own fault, and he knew it.

Snatching the crystal from the sand, intent on throwing it into the dark waters, he felt a shock run down his arm, snaking through his body. Jaune dropped the crystal, and collapsed, face impacting the sands.

Mephisto was finally free from the Black Soulstone shard, but there was something odd. He was bonded to a soul, that much he knew. Deciding to explore the soul of his host, he looked through his memories, learning as much the demon could about this new world that he been in for the past years, at the mercy of its ocean currents. While slimming the memories, he learned about his new host, Jaune Arc. He learned about what he could about this place, the abilities of its residents, but most importantly, Mephisto learned about his host hate for himself. The Lord of Hate could subvert this mortal's mind, make this body his own in a couple of days. Even with his current state, Mephisto was confident that he could easily take control.

But... There was something about this mortal, potential that has yet to be unlock, strength untapped, power to be unleashed. If Mephisto were to take this mortal as he is, then it would be a pathetic body, weak and feeble. In order to make a vessel that is proper for a lord of the Burning Hells will take some magic, and resources that may not even exist. If Mephisto were to aid this mortal in training this body, then it takes out most of the busywork of the transformation, as well as give more power and strength to compound on. It will take some cunning, some restraint, and plenty of patience, but those are two qualities that Mephisto has an abundance of, especially in comparison to his brothers. The Lord of Hatred prepared his power, and shaped an image and a persona. Something that will make this boy trust him, something that will make him want to be taken under his corruptive wing.

Jaune awoke after sometime, head throbbing, and lips tasting the sand. He spit the micro bits of rock, running his hands thoroughly on his face and hair to wipe the rest off as he rested on his knees. Jaune racked his brain, trying to remember how he got knocked out. The blonde lad saw the crystal, picked it up, and remembered. Meanwhile behind him, his shadow began to take form. Jaune remembered the anger and hate, and wonder where it came from. While it wasn't baseless, which Jaune felt guilty about, it was still sudden.

"Ahem." someone sounded from behind the blonde lad. Jaune quickly jumped to his feet and whipped around to see an elderly man in a robe. "Calm yourself, boy. I mean you no harm." the old man said.

"Who are you? Where do you come from?" Jaune asked, looking suspiciously at the elder.

"I am Mefis. A warrior of a far away land." Mephisto said, "And you are Jaune Arc." The blonde lad was confused as to how this man knew his name. the elder continued, "As for where I came from, well..." the demon to give the answer some thought, "The short answer would be from that crystal you're holding, though now I traded that container for a much nicer one."

Jaune looked down at the crystal in his hand, then back to the old man, "Wha...?" the blonde lad stammered, then took a moment to collect his wits and form a proper sentence. "What do you mean by that last part, and how do you know my name?" Jaune asked.

"Well, the answer to both those questions is that I dwell in your soul, dear boy. What you see before you is a merely a projection, a shaping of shadow." the elder explained. Jaune took as step back at the words. "As a result, I read some your thoughts and memories. Do forgive me, I needed to know more about where I am."

"But how?" Jaune asked, wanting to write off that this man was crazy, but he just knew that wasn't true.

"Oh that is some I will tell you in due time, but right now, I want to offer something to you, in return for saving me from being trapped in the earth, beneath the ocean until the death of the world." Mephisto said, "Something that you are desperate to achieve." the demon paused for dramatic effect.

"I can help you become a hero."

/

Jaune continued to walk down the streets of Vale, doing what her can to distance himself from Beacon. The blonde lad soon stopped at a dinner for a burger where the waitress attended to him very rarely. 'Must be the smell.' Jaune thought, as he didn't shower in quite a long while. He must smell like the dead.

After paying for his meal, and getting back onto the city streets, he lad pondered where he should go. Maybe Vacuo, or perhaps Minstrel, if it comes to fleeing the continent becomes an option. Atlas is out entirely as Jaune doubted he would even fit in the military nation.

'Do not worry, my boy. Things will get better.' Mephisto said, silently scoffing at his own assurance, 'We will train elsewhere. Once you are strong enough, you will be able to take down the cad, Deckard Cain.'

Jaune didn't answer, but the Lord of Hate could see the doubt the nagged in the boy's mind. Doubt of leaving everything behind without a explanation or even a goodbye. Doubt that what he was doing was the correct way. Mephisto didn't let it concern him. All he needed was for his vessel to obey.

/

Later

Ruby walked down the streets, trying to think of where else she could go looking. Her team, and the leaderless JNPR have been looking for hours, but still haven't seen hide nor hare of the blonde lad. Well, Team RWBY had been doing other things than just looking. The seven of them decided to split up, citing that it would be better for them to try and comb the city individually, and for the four girl not to be discovering in their other investigation. Ruby herself had been heading into old bookstores, antique shops, thrift stores, and other shop they would even hint at a strange and ancient item on their shelves.

So far, nothing. Nothing, but old fairy tales of kings, knights, socrocesses, and monsters. This was getting frustrating to the possessed victim.

'Why do you persist?' Diablo said, sensing his keeper's stress, 'I will take your body sooner or later. Why continue this futile chase? Your end will come quicker if you just surrender.'

'I will never give up when I know there is a chance, no matter how slim it is, to be forever rid of you!' Ruby replied. Diablo only scoffed in response. This was becoming tiresome for him. However before both could go any further in this discussion, the two souls perked at the feeling of magic in the air. Ruby followed the scent to what looked to be a stage that was already gathering a crowd. Ruby moved through the crowd, ducking and waving in between the mass of bodies. The spectacle was starting before Ruby could find an open and unobstructed spot. What she saw on stage was a man, and behind him were some the Atlesian robots hat she has read about in her mechanical readings, standing in front of some crates bearing the crest of the Kingdom of Atlas.

"-done a fine job would you agree?" A spokesperson in a military uniform said as he spoke into the microphone, as the machines bowed. Ruby and her unwanted companion both could feel the magic that has been bound to the robots 'They have enchanted these machines.' Diablo stated.

"Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, always striving to push things to the next level. As such, 'fine' is no longer an acceptable standard." the speaker continued as the doors to the large crates opened up, revealing more robots within, and overwhelming Ruby with the amount of magic embune within them. These robots were a lighter shade of grey, with a Y-shaped black visor, no doubt containing cameras and other sensory equipment. If the previous robots were simply enchanted, these bots must have entire parts made with magic.

"Presenting the Atlesian Terminator T7!" at those words, the robots within the crate activated, moving forward and tore their inferior counterparts to pieces. Many gasped at the sight, watching one kick the back of the knee, causing the now outdated model to buckle and fall, only to for its head to wrapped in the arm of the newer model while its arm was was in an iron grip. The Terminator squeezed and twisted, cracking the lenses of the older model, then ripping the head off. Arm still gripped, the T7 held up the limp metal body to the audience. The others did similar actions, one punching a hole, then using that hole as leverage to tear the robot in two. They all held up their work, what remained, to the shocked audience causing the uniformed speaking to continue.

"See how these Terminators tore through the already tough T6s? Think of how durable the T7s are. These machine will be the first line of defense for the Kingdoms, saving the lives of professional soldiers and militiamen the world over." the spokesman said, receiving applause. He waited for the clapping to taper off before continuing, "These androids will not be alone, for even the Terminator needs some heavy support against the larger Grimm. Atlas Research and Development is proud to unveil the Predator T1!" the speaker said excitedly, as a holographic display showed a three dimensional model of the a giant mechanical giant.

'If those robot were made with magic, that thing must be enchanted to the moon and back.' Ruby thought to herself, gazing upon the beast of metal and wires. The speaker continued, "There will also be autonomous flying drones in the near future, combining arms to beat back the Grimm threat and take the heavy lifting from those fighting them, be they Hunter, or the person who fights to defend their home." Once the spokesman started to talk about the application these droid could have outside the battlefield, Ruby decided that was enough, and turned around the leave the crowd, only to run into a familiar ginger haired girl.

"Hi Ruby, I haven't seen you since that night." Penny smiled, happy to see her friend again. The feeling was not mutual however.

"Oh... Hey Penny," Ruby said taking a step back, then moved around Penny, "I can't talk right now, I gotta go." However, Penny moved to follower her.

"Wait Ruby, what happened that night? You suddenly attacked your teammates, spoke a weird language with that flying, gold guy, and fought him." Penny questioned, netting the two them old looks from strangers, prompting Ruby to walk faster. The two soon left the crowd, and were walking briskly down the streets, Penny matching the keeper in pace. "Please talk to me Ruby. I'm just worried. Won't you tell me what's going on?" Ruby turned into an alleyway, then used her semblance to quickly scale the building, landing on the roof. Ruby hoped it would cause Penny to give up.

The orange haired girl arrived a moment later, leaping to the roof in a single bound. "Why are you running away from me?" she asked, concern and hurt growing in her expression. Ruby didn't care for that look and with her semblance leapt from rooftop to rooftop, but Penny was close behind.

'Why won't she leave me alone?!' Ruby thought to herself, looking back at her pursuer. Her foot missed the edge of the roof, and Ruby found herself falling. It would be fine, as she was close enough to the wall to jump from there to the opposite wall, bleeding momentum as she makes her way to the ground, her Aura absorbing any excess shock. Before the silver eyed girl could enact that plan, she felt a hand clamp around her wrist. "Don't worry, I got you!" Penny said. Ruby grit her teeth in annoyance.

As the ginger haired girl pulled Ruby up, the host started to heat up her skin enough to cause Penny to let go. However, Penny continued to hold on, puzzling Ruby. She cranked up the heat, to almost unbearable levels, but Penny still held her wrist. Ruby poured more of her power into it, causing the hand to sizzle and pop, the skin blackening to a crisp.

Penny pulled Ruby up, a grunt escaping her mouth as she toss the silver eyed girl onto the black floored roof. Ruby got up and started to yell, "Damn it Penny, why didn't you let go?! I would have been fiii..." Ruby tapered off as she saw the glowing red metal within the charred skin. "You have a prosthetic?" Ruby asked slowly. Penny sighed, and fully turned to face the other girl.

"No, to tell you the truth, I'm a cyborg. My entire body is mechanical." Penny revealed. "Wait, how can that be, if you're a robot, then how can you have Aura, or do that telekinetic Semblance?" Ruby questioned.

"I'm not a robot, I was a person, but I was dying. My soul was transferred to this body." Penny explained, unbuttoning the top buttons on her blouse, and opening it to reveal a pale disk embedded in her chest. The light within brightened and dimmed every so often, like a slow heartbeat. Ruby could help but stare at it. Silver eyes locked onto it, and like a moth to fire, she wanted to get closer, licking her lips unconsciously. "Ruby, you're starting to creep me out here." Penny said, closing her shirt. Ruby snapped out of her trance, and put her hand against her head.

'It looked so enticing, so... Delicious.' her demonic thoughts sounded, 'I want to know how it tastes.' Ruby shook her head. "Sorry, this is just a lot to process."

"Is that why you ran from me? Because you suspected that I was a robot or something." Penny asked, bringing Ruby back to why they were on the roof.

"No, I didn't run from you because you were a cyber-android whatever." Ruby said, "I ran because you don't seem to care that you killed several people!" the silver eyed girl said, her voice slowly rising in volume, "You butchered people that night, you have blood on your hands Penny!"

That surprised the ginger girl, "But... They were bad people." Penny simply retorted.

"And that is suppose to make it better?!" Ruby yelled. "Did you think for a moment that those people had families, friends, that are sadden by what happened to them? Why someone would hack them to pieces, with uncaring precision? Do you think death has no consequence?!"

Penny flinched and took a step back, her eyes shifting to the ground, "I... I thought we were friends."

"Friends?!" Ruby screamed incredulously, "I watched someone die in front of me, Penny! Killed by you!" Ruby then took a deep breath, and walked to the edge of the roof, "I'm am not your friend." Ruby stated, then dropped to the alley below, leaving Penny to weep, even if no tears would flow out.

/

The club was mostly empty, as is was the afternoon, so it wouldn't be open for another few hours. The other occupants being just the few people that knew the owner, and as such, are allowed to come early for a drink. They were minding their business, sipping their poisons of choice. Yang seats herself at her usual seat, and almost immediately is approached behind the counter by a tall man with close cropped dark hair, with a beard and mustache. "Well, if it ain't my favorite blonde haired lady. Haven't seen you in a while. What will it be Goldie? Strawberry Sunrise?"

"No thanks Junior, I think I'll need something stronger today." Yang said with a weary smile. Yang had been searching for hours, but she only came up empty handed. With the frustration of finding nothing, along with her little sister getting worse, she really needed to something.

"Alright Goldie, Old Fashion it is."Junior replied getting to working the whiskey based drink. "So, how's Beacon?" he asked making small talk.

"Not what I expected." Yang answered absentmindedly. She thought about Ruby's earlier words, about how Ozpin has a book in his office. They could have tried to steal it, but it probably wouldn't have as easily done, plus breaking into the headmaster's office to steal a book would open an entire can of worms. "How are the girls?" Yang asked.

Junior placed the finished cocktail in front of the yellow brawler, "They are staying out of trouble, for the most part. Putting a dent a dent in my wallet with their shopping trips, however."

Yang took a swig of the drink, and sighed once she put the tumbler glass on the counter. "Hey Junior, I don't suppose you know anyone that has any very old books? I'm talking 'older than dirt' old." she asked, deciding that there was no harm asking.

"Hm..." the dapper man sounded, stroking his beard. "I might know a couple of guys, a fence and an art restorer, but I gotta tell you Goldie, it's a stretch."

"Better than nothing, Junior." Yang said, finishing off the drink. She then hopped off the bar stool, and started digging in her pockets for the payment due. She pull the lien need plus a good tip, for the info, and for her friend. "Send me their addresses and I'll go talk to them. Thanks." Yang said, making her way out. Junior called out to her as she walked.

"You still having those nightmares, Yang?" Junior asked. Yang stopped mid stride, pausing for a long moment. She continued on, but Junior notice that her head hung a little lower than before.

/

Blake waked into the gathering place of the White Fang, some time after she had found a flyer for small time band. Blake had recognized it for what it truly was, a encoded sign to a secret rally. Of course, the entire purpose of the encoding is prevent government stooges from raiding these gatherings. Anyone who has gone through the trouble of finding the cypher, and locating the place obviously has interest in joining their ranks. As such, anyone who comes through the doors, after being clear that they are not spies, are to give their names, and in return they are given the bone white mask of the White Fang.

This is fine for Blake as her name is already an alias, and the mask keeps her from being recognized at a distance from any... Old acquaintances of hers. Blake walked with the others, gathering in front of a stage. After a couple of minutes of hushed conversations, a silence falls upon the crowd as a amphibian Faunas strolled on, his skin having a slight green color to it, and his mouth being too wide for his face, while his eyes were spread a little farther from each other. He wore the more fancy dress uniform of the organization.

"Fellow Faunas of all walks of life, I welcome you! The White Fang welcomes you!" the Frogman began, what followed, what the usual pitch for Blake. The Humans or Dullards and Blunts are terrible, how the White Fang will win in the end, avenging all those who have been wronged. It was the same old song and dance for Blake, having heard it many times in the years with the group. The catgirl considered sneaking out, when she heard something different in the speaker's presentation.

"Please welcome, our grand leader, Mister Daimion Ponzi!" At that, out walked a vulpine Faunus in a sharp, black suit that had a crisp, orange tie. Just as the Faunus appeared a low hum seemed to set in Blake's ears.

"Thank you, Mr. Benoit." Ponzi said, the frogman bowing and exiting off stage. The leader of the White Fang then turned to address the gathered crowd. "Friends, fellow Faunus, I will not tell what has already been said, for I come here with a purpose." Ponzi said, spreading his arms wide in a grand fashion. "But first, an introduction. Comrades, please met Gerald." the leader said, as a large, hairy man with L shaped horns on the sides of his head, and what looks like a permanent scowl wearing the simple uniform of the White Fang, sans hood and mask. He was a buffalo Faunus.

"In his youth, Gerald's mother was killed in a lynching. After his father tried to have his small town law enforcement do something about this heinous act, he was arrested for 'false accusations.' After a mockery of a due process, he was sentenced to prison, where he was stabbed by human supremacists, and left to bleed by indifferent guards." Ponzi said, finishing this man's story. What struck Blake as odd, is that this Gerald didn't react in anyway, no sadness, nor anger. He simply stood as a statue, as the White Fang Leader told his tale. The cat Faunus broke from this chain of thought when Ponzi produced a small vial. "When I heard about this, I sought this poor soul, and offered him a choice! I would offer the best way to strike back at the human who shun him and let his family die. And now," Ponzi said handing the vial to the large buffalo man, "I make good on that promise!"

Gerald looked at the vial for a second, then drank it all in one gulp. The effect were almost immediate, as Gerald fell to his knees, hands placed on the stage. His already sizable bulk grew even larger, straining his uniform to the point of tearing at the seams. His horns grew even larger, and his entire body grew thick shaggy hair. The process soon ended, and the hulking Faunus stood, his form much more hunched than before. Ponzi began to speak again, "No longer will he be a Faunus, now he shall be what the humans fear of us. Behold!" the fox man presented, Gerald letting a very animalistic bellow, "The first Beastman!" The crowd could only gasp at what they had seen. For Blake, she has had enough of this. She leaped onto the stage, tossing aside her mask while doing so, and brought Gambol Shroud to bear.

"Ponzi! What have you done!" Blake shouted, and was very soon beset by arm guards, even the buffalo shifted his gaze, and began to move, only for the vulpine man to raise a hand, stopping him, and causing the guards to lower their weapons, though they were still trained on her. Another figure walked to his master's side, a man that made Blake's blood run cold. "Adam." she muttered. The redheaded bull Faunus didn't say anything to the yellow eyed girl.

"Well isn't this a surprise." the leader said, then turned back to the gathering, "Brothers and sisters, the prodigal daughter has returned! Child of our beloved Maurice, Blake Beaumont!" Ponzi presented, causing the crowd to mummer amongst themselves. "Once she was a proud member of the White Fang, avenging the death of her father. But now, she sides with the humans, going against her own kind!" Ponzi venomously spat.

"Shut your mouth, Ponzi!" Blake shouted back, "It is you who has lead my father's organization astray! Terrorizing the kingdoms, killing innocents, and now, turning our own people into weapons?! This is not what my father wanted!" Blake cried out.

"Blake," Ponzi started his tone much softer and patronizing this time, "It is the humans who have brought this on themselves. As much as I admire Maurice's ideals, his way was not going to change anything. It is only through force, that we will make change the world for the betterment of Faunus kind!" he finished, a sad smile on his lips.

"No, you are wrong. It doesn't have to be this way!" Blake countered, thought she could hear the whispers of the crowd, how even her fellows seem to be turning against her. What's more this damned hum only seemed to grow, giving Blake a terrible headache.

"My dear," Ponzi started, his smile seemed to grow cruel, his violet eyes glinting in the light of the setting sun, "It does indeed does have to be this way." See herself, surrounded and outmatched, Blake jumped to the wall behind the stage, and bound through a nearby window, arms shielding her face from the shards of glass. Once on the roof, she ran.

"Bring her to me." Ponzi ordered, and the Beastman jumped to the outside in a single bound, and began to make chase. Ponzi began to walk off the stage, grabbing his Scroll, and began dialling in a number. All the while, Adam following by his side.

"What will you do when she is captured, my lord?" the masked Faunus asked.

"Why, simply make her see the error of her judgement, and bring her back to the fold." the fox grinned. Adam said nothing more after that, as Ponzi brought the device to his ear. "Torchwick, there is going to be a change in plans. The subject is out, so find him and make sure everyone knows about him."

"It will be done, Lord Belial." Torchwick replied, before hanging up.

/

Ruby continued her search, but came up with nothing. Ever her search for Jaune has yielded no results. This was getting depressing for the young girl, but hopefully when Ozpin gets back, he could let Ruby read through his book, though she wonders if the possessed victim will have to reveal her predicament. Feeling her Scroll vibrating and sounding off its tune, Ruby took it from one of her pockets. When she opened it up, she saw that it was a group call. When Ruby pressed the button to accept the call, it was clear that she missed the first part.

"-onster! I say again!" The person on the other side was Blake, "The White Fang have created a monster! It is chasing after me, I need help!"

"Where are you?" Weiss asked.

Blake took a moment to answer, no doubt trying to figure out that answer herself, "I'm near the river, coming up to the border of the Residential and Industrial Districts."

"I can get there soon. Find an open place where you can stand you ground for a couple minutes." Ruby commanded, shutting her phone. Sure, the others might have more to say, but right now Ruby's teammate was in trouble. With a running start, Ruby activated her semblance, and speeding through the streets. After crossing a bridge to the other side of the river did Ruby slow down, looking for where Blake and this monster could be.

Ruby soon spotted Blake dodge the charge of some kind of misshapen creature between the concrete pillars of a larger bridge. The cat Faunus fired upon the beast, but the Ash rounds don't seem to have any effect. Perhaps a high caliber was needed. Ruby jumped into the darkening skies, and once she was the apex of her jump, arcing towards the pillars, did Ruby pull out her rifle and extent it partway. The red hooded girl shouldered the weapon once she began to feel herself fall, and with a squeeze of the trigger fire and fell toward the battle.

Blake was definitely taken by surprise by this former Faunus. Despite his bulk the Beastman was surprisingly quick. The thing that had formerly been Gerald, only shook his body, like it was shaking off the gnats that had been Blake's shots. A loud gunshot sounded and the Beastman soon stubbled as large bullet slammed into the side of his head, causing him to stumble in a daze. Soon Blake felt a familiar fear in her soul.

Ruby landed beside her sister's teammate, cocking her rifle and ejecting the spent casing. "What is that and why does it reek of corruption?" the leader of RWBY asked.

"The leader of the White Fang gave him some kind of serum that turned him into this." Blake quickly summarized, "And what do you mean by that last part?" Before her leader could answer, the buffalo man bellowed, and began to charge the two girls on all fours. Quickly realizing that this wasn't the time, Ruby and Blake dodged the stampeding buffalo. The two girls continued to unload their magazines into the beast's hide to little effect. Ruby stepped toward the Beastman, extending Crescent Rose to its full shape. The silver eyed girl skidded to a stop when the buffalo lifted an arm and slammed it in the place that she was suppose to occupy, now becoming a crater in the ground.

'What was in that serum?!' Ruby thought to herself. Ruby jumped back, landing near Blake. From the corner of her eye, Ruby could that Weiss had arrived along with the still leaderless team JNPR. With the six of them, this Beastman will stand no chance, no matter how tough. However, as the new arrives began to brandish their weapons, a golden spear embedded itself into the dirt.

"*I thought the smell of corruption will bring me to you, Diablo!*" a golden figure high above said, his words lost to all present to all except one. An idea struck Ruby, however there was something she had to deal with first.

'Now this fool returns!' Diablo sounded, and immediately Ruby mentally prepare herself for what was about to come. She felt Diablo push against her will, but Ruby was determined not to let the red devil take control this time, and certainly not for a petty squabble. 'Damn you Ruby Rose! Release me! I will fight this annoyance of an angel!'

'No, you will not!' Ruby rejected, and turned her attention to the Archangel. "*Imperius, my name is Ruby Rose!*" Ruby called out in the same language, surprise those present. "*I carry Diablo within me and I want to know if you will hel-*" Ruby said before dodging a thrown Solarion. The group of Hunters in training scattered. Imperius soon appeared, reclaimed his spear, and walk his way toward Ruby. "*What was that for? I was going to ask if you could help me-*"

"*I will never help you demonspawn.*" the Archangel of Wraith interrupted, silencing Ruby. "*I do not care what you have to say, nor what you did, do, or will do. All I care about is that you harbor Diablo within you own soul. It is that reason that I will exterminate you and anyone who gets in my way. And this time, no matter what form you take Diablo, I will not underestimate you again!*"

"Ah... Well then." Ruby stated. Weiss appear beside her.

"So, what happened?" the white clad girl asked.

"I tried asking if this guy could help with my problem. His answer was death for me , and anyone who gets in the way."

"Ah." Weiss sounded, "So what are we facing here?"

"The best fighter of his kind." Ruby deadpanned.

"Marvelous." Weiss grunted, her eyes narrowing slightly. Then Ruby was hit by a beam of burning light.

Meanwhile, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora all land nearby each other, and as soon as they try to get their bearings, they hear a loud bellow. Determined not to be excluded, the Beastman charged Team NPR on all fours. Pyrrha was the first to react, morphing her spear in its rifle form and firing away. Ren and Nora soon followed suit, Ren firing a barrage of bullets, while Nora explosive shell after explosive shell. However it became apparent that only Nora's grenades were having any effect, which cause buffalo man to shift it course slightly and barrel his way toward the ginger girl. Seeing the Beastman closing in, Nora switch to her weapon's hammer form, and waited for the monster to come just a little closer.

At the right moment, Nora pulled the trigger, causing an explosion on on side of her hammer, rocketing it to incredible speeds in just a second, hammerhead arcing to hit the creature. The buffalo man raised its large arm, overly large muscles flexing and tensing in anticipation of the strike. The hammer connected, stopping the monster's charge, the momentum causing the beast to make a divot in the dirt with his hoofed feet. Once the Beastman stopped, it let out a breath out of its nostrils, the hot puff visible in the cool night air, unnatural eyes glinting in light, full of anger and fury.

The Beastman pushed off the hammer, and with the other hand, grabbed Nora by the leg, lifting her up over his head, and slamming her back into the dirt with such violent force. He did this two more times in different directions, before someone intervened.

"Nora!" Ren yelled, jumping on the monster's back, embedding the blade's of one his pistols into the beast's back, and with the other, unloaded the full clip into buffalo's face. Quite bothered by this, the thing formerly known as Gerald bucked and shook, trying to get this green clad boy off, but Ren stubbornly held on, embedding the emptied pistol so he could do the same thing with the other one. The Beastman stopped his bucking, and fell on his back. The roll off the indent he made, revealing an imbedded Ren, groaning in the dirt, a cloud of dust emitting from the impact.

The Beastman reach down, only to be attacked by Pyrrha, slashing and thrusting with her spear, retribution in her strikes.

Meanwhile, Ruby patted the singed ends of the hole that was now in her outfit, where her belly was. 'If you are going to be this unobservant, then relinquish your control to me, else you will get us killed.'

'Oh shut up!' Ruby yelled at her charge. Blake and Weiss soon appeared by her side, the latter trapping Imperius in some kind of stone cone, giving them hopefully enough time to plan. "We have to keep Imperius on the defensive. There's no way any of us can stand against him in a head on fight, so we have to keep him off balance."

"Ruby, is there any chance that Diablo will take control of you like he did last time?" Blake asked her leader. The cone rumbled, its occupant trying to get out with what little the Angel has to move.

"He's probing, but this isn't like last time. I'm not going to let him take control without a fight." Ruby answered. Weiss and Blake look to each other, and decided to trust their leader on this. A beam of burning light burst from the cone of stone, cutting through one of the sides, where it stopped. A golden gauntlet broke through side of the now weakened stone. Imperius soon freed himself from the prison.

"*Enough of these games, Diablo! I will end your damnable existence, as well as those of your minions!*" the Angel of Wrath yelled, surging forward, spear at the ready to skewer his foe. Blake and Weiss moved out of the way, leaving Ruby standing right in the path of attack. Ruby then suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a flurry of rose petals that blew past him. Imperius was confused as to how his enemy could escape, only to be struck from behind. Ruby once again used her Semblance to move out of the way before the Archangel could retaliate. As Imperius tried to futilely attack the young girl, a red glyph appeared under his feet, shooting up a pillar of fire.

Imperius moved out the flames, only to be set upon by Ruby and Blake, slashing and swinging at him, blades sparking against Imperius' golden Angel of Wrath, stabbed at the closest target, being Blake, only for her form to dissolve into black shadow when the spearhead connected. A hail of bullets hit the Angel of Wrath.

Growing irritated with this, Imperius reached out with the glowing tendrils of his wings, two of the wrapping around Blake and Ruby. While Blake could feel the sting of the bright appendage, Ruby instead felt like it was burning her skin, and let out a cry. They were flung away, bouncing on the hard dirt. Weiss was soon there, helping the two pick themselves up. Imperius' armor began to glow white, then disappeared from sight.

"Weiss," Ruby called out, getting her partner's attention, "When I say, put a lightning glyph in front of me. Hopefully this will cause that damnable Angel to retreat. Blake, keep your ears open." Ruby directed, as she focused her concentration, trying to not let Diablo's probing interrupt it. In truth, Diablo was curious as to whether or not his keeper could actually fight his age old enemy. So far, the red devil is not impressed.

Blake's eyes went wide, "Behind us!" Immediately after, in white hot armor that was rapidly cooling down, stood Imperius, Solarion above his head as he sought to bring down on the girls.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out, as she spun on her heel. With a motion of her hand, a white glyph crackling with energy appeared before her leader. The silver eyed girl thrust her hands before the symbol, and unleashed the Red Lightning Hose. Crimson arcs of energy flowing through the glyph, amplifying its power, and colliding with the Angel of Wrath. Imperius felt himself being moved, feet being dragged through the dirt, but he continued to weather the onslaught. Ruby continued to pour into the attack, but she felt herself becoming drain, and soon stopped.

Imperius stood up straight, the empty blackness underneath his helmet peering at the three of them in utter contempt. "*Is that all Diablo?*"

Meanwhile, Pyrrha was having a difficult with her fight. Since the Beastman wasn't using any weapon, she couldn't manipulate his attacks. Instead, the redhead used her Semblance to enhance her own attack, striking faster and harder, bringing her shield up to bear quicker, as well as use the metal of her armor to make her reactions more precise. However, this was a battle of attrition, one that Pyrrha could not keep up in. Her ears picked up the sounds of sirens. It appears the police have finally decide to show up, though she was pretty sure they won't be able to handle this. The sound of another motor vehicle reached her ears, this one much more shrill. Yang soon arrived, airborne on her bike, probably by some unseen ramp. Jumping off her motorcycle, as it impacted the buffalo man, tossing him away from Pyrrha.

Tossing aside her helmet and sunglasses, the blonde brawler turned to the champion. "What did I miss?"

"We need to bring in some actual Hunters here. This is getting to much for us." Pyrrha said, as she took deep breaths. "That monster won't quit, and it doesn't look good for your team." the redhead continued, pointing to how Yang's teammates, were barely holding their own, as the golden figure, dodged and blocked their attacks. The two heard a noise of rending metal as the Beastman pushed off the totaled remains of the bike, off it.

"Go help my sister, I got this clown." Yang said as she stepped towards the buffalo man. Pyrrha nodding, trusting Yang to fight the monster until help can come. Yang broke into a run as the Beastman got to his feet. Yang leap forward, winding her fist, and smashing it into the beast's deformed head. Yang didn't let up, giving the buffalo punch after shotgun enhanced punch. He was able to get his own punched in, but Yang stood her ground and retaliated in kind, her strike stronger than before. The two combatants turned the exchange into a slugfest, trading one impactful fist after another. Yang hair started to emit flames as the fight continued, eyes turning red.

Blake and Weiss did their best to fight the Archangel, but soon they were out maneuvered, as they batted aside. Ruby tried firing what bullets she had left at the golden figure, even as her labored breathing, caused her not to alway hit where she intended. Her clip soon ran dry, and Imperius was approaching. Just as he was about to bring his spear to bear, he was stopped in his advance. Imperius was then heard grunts as he was forced to his knees. Ruby turned to see Pyrrha, face in deep concentration, hands in front of her, looking like she was pushing something to the ground. Ruby connected the two, and readied her scythe. However, Imperius let out a roar of defiance as his armor glowed white and disappeared from view.

Ruby turned to where her older sister was, only to see that she was on the ropes. While the Beastman definitely looked worse for wear, he looked better than Yang who took another punch. While she can deal more damage to her opponent, she can keep it up forever if they continued to dish damage to her. And with Imperius still about, things were getting desperate.

'Give me control and I will end this! I will make quick work of these fools.' Diablo demanded, not sounding like he would actually help them. 'Or would you prefer to continue to watch your friends suffer?' a thought crosses the Lord of Terror's mind, causing him to grin within his host Within his host's mind. 'Do you wish for me to aid you instead? I would be willing to give some of my power to my dear daughter.'

'Don't you ever call me that again!' Ruby hissed at the devil. It would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted. Power to end this fight, defeat these two foes, and save her team. Whatever Diablo is offering though, will never be worth it. Ruby then saw Imperius reappear near Pyrrha, striking her face with the shaft of her spear, knocking her down in a daze. Imperius then stood over her, spear pointing down to end the emerald eyed girl's life.

"*You will pay for force me to bow before Diablo with your life.*" Imperius said.

"PYRRHA!" a familiar voice called out, as the Angel of Wrath brought down his spear, only to be deflected by a shield. There stood Jaune, eyes aglow with an unnatural light, full of unending hatred for the enemy standing before him.

The Police Captain stayed outside of the fighting, not willing to risk his men, even with their riot gear and armed with fully automatic rifles, into a battle where they would be way over their heads. Whatever those two things were sure able to take on six, then seven, and now eight Hunters in training. He already called Headquarters informing them on the situation, who must now be calling Ozpin by now. What those kids need is an experienced Hunter on their side to tip the scales. His men are here to contain this fight, and avoid any collateral damage.

However a new decide to show itself. The Press. "This is Lisa Lavender reporting live, at the border between the Residential and Industrial Districts." The reporter began to summarize what was going to her viewer. The Captain leaned over to his Lieutenant, "Make sure they stay clear of any dangers." his subordinate nodded in acknowledgment.

Yang continued her fight, even while she herself was very bruised and battered. The Beastman was definitely hurt, though not to the extent that Yang would like after her efforts. "Why won't you fall?!" Yang out in frustration, however the buffalo man didn't pay the blonde any mind, as it seemed his focus was elsewhere. It let a hot breath, and charged towards the police.

"What in Kingdoms is that?!" one of the officers cried out. "Captain! Permission to open fire!" the Captain prepared to give the order, only for Ruby Rose to to jump the beast, and grabbing it by the horns, forcing it down, the buffalo's man's chin and chest skidding along the ground. Ruby then jumped away, and readied herself for a fight.

As Jaune fought Imperius, shield blocking strikes from the holy spear, sword charged with demonic lightning, Mephisto fretted within his host's mind. 'Damn it all! First Cain, now Imperius! My plans are falling apart!' Mephisto forced himself to calm down, try to figure out if he can still salvage something of this plan. 'I should have anticipated this! At the very least, it will not be hard to convince this fool that Imperius is in league with Cain.' the Lord of Hate thought to himself. It was so tempting to just possess his host, the hate and anger Jaune was exerting made it too easy. However now is not the time, not when Imperius and maybe other opponents present. Not when Diablo could take control and face him.

Mephisto's train of thought came to an abrupt halt when Imperius parried Jaune's sword out of his hands. Jaune rolled away from the Angel's follow up attack, anger and hate building up inside him. Fingers crackling with electricity, the blonde lad thrust out his arm and blue lightning surged from it, stinking with great force. Imperius tried to waid through the attack, but the accumulating fights had drained him, and Mephisto's lightning was much more potent than Diablo's. Tossing aside his shield, and quicking building up the power in that hand, Jaune unleashed another torrent of hellish energy upon the Angel of Wrath. Imperius cried out in pain, as Jaune moved closer, upping the intensity of his output. The golden Angel soon found himself on his knees, then on his back as the pressure of the attack forced him lower to the dirt. Imperius let out cries of agony, as he rolled on the ground in pain. Jaune ceased his attack, Imperius laying on the ground, armor smoking, the light of his wings dimming until they disappeared.

'Is this guy dead?' Jaune wondered to himself, stepping forward and nudging the downed golden figure. 'It doesn't even have a face. What is this guy?'

'That, boy, is an Archangel.' Mephisto answered, 'This particular Angel has been a thorn in me and my brother's side for a long time. Quick boy, kill him, before he awakens!' the Lord of Hate commanded his host. Jaune channeled his lightning into his hand once more, ready to extinguish the life of this being that laid before him, helpless, defenseless, and know going to see the better end. A coward's kill.

'No, I won't kill him. He can't do anything now.' Jaune putting his hand down, and letting the energy dissipated.

Mephisto restrained himself from letting out a roar of frustration. 'Boy listen to me! That Archangel with get up and do this over again! He will not stop until my brothers and I are dead. Anyone who gets in the way will also be killed! Is that what you want?!' Mephisto yelled, intending to get the message into his host thick skull.

'If that's the case then I will kill him in a fight, not when he down and out.' Jaune retorted, turning around to retrieve his sword and tend to his team. Mephisto was just about at wits end with his host.

Ruby let out a deep sigh. For the past few moments, she had dodging and striking where she could against this hulking buffalo man. She has to end this now. Readying herself, Ruby launched forward at great speeds with the aid of her Semblance. With the force of a cannonball, the silver eyed girl hit the Beastman dead center, causing him to crash on his back. Taking advantage that the monster was dazed, Ruby grabbed his horn and start to punch his deformed face repeatedly. The Beastman soon gain his bearings somewhat, and tried to strike back. Ruby avoided the punch with ease, and grabbed the large arm. With a quick surge of power, the arm all its joints began to spasm out of control for a second, before Ruby let go of it. It collapsed on the ground, limp with the occasional twitch. The beast tried to lift his other arm, but the red cloaked girl, stomped on his arm, and continued to add pressure until she heard bones break.

The buffalo man let out a roar of desperation. It grated on Ruby's ears. She pondered ending it here, stepping off the monster, and letting the authorities handle it. However her cruel thought popped to the forefront. 'This monster, this thing has brought so much pain to my friends. Why should I allow it to live?' Ruby thought, as the frustrations and pains of the day entered her mind. The search that yielded nothing, her encounter with Penny, and now this mess. One final thought entered Ruby's mind.

'Hunters kill monsters.'

Within that second, Ruby shoved her arm into the Beastman's maw, silencing its cries. "Burn." Ruby simply said, releashing torrents of Hellfire inside the monster. The Faunus who had once been Gerald died, but the fires continued to rage. Ruby withdrew her hand, watching as the eyes became dried up marbles that soon turned to ash, a tiny explosion erupting in the corpse's belly, rupturing it open and letting out noxious fumes. Ruby stepped off the body that burned from the inside out, and was hit with the full brunt of what she had done.

'Why did I do that? Why didn't I stop myself?!' she thought. Ruby looked up and saw the Police force, stand there, weapons shaking in their hands, wide eyed and shock painted on their expressions, especially two individuals, one of them holding a camera pointing its eye directly at Ruby.

'All will know what you truly are.' Diablo laughed.

/

Finally.

Until Next Time, My Friends