Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
On an unrelated note:
KOKUSEN KOKUSEN KOKUSEN KOKUSEN KOKUSEN KOKUSEN KOKUSEN
-Story Start-
Pyrrha's untied red hair swayed gently as she walked through the hallways of Vale Hospital's twenty-first floor. Arriving before Room 249, she heard once more the muffled sounds of a television and light conversation emanating from its interior.
She sighed in relief at no shouts or arguments ongoing inside as she extended her hand and opened the door with a click, followed by a creak.
She was met with a relieving sight and voice:
"Hey Pyr-pyr," Nora, now awake, smiled weakly as she addressed the new arrival.
Pyrrha reciprocated the smile with her own as she approached and lowered herself to eye level with Nora, "How's your abdomen?"
"Bette-ugh," Nora's expression and entire body jerked in pain at the attempt to speak.
Ren, who lay in the bed adjacent to her, frowned with genuine anxious worry as he chastised sharply, "Don't speak. Rest, please, Nora."
Turning her head slowly to face Ren, the girl smiled with slight affection as she nodded silently.
Pyrrha could only watch with a bitter smile as she rose up to face the others in the room, her eyes immediately noticing the boy who sat in a chair at the corner of the room, a brilliant sword huddled beside him.
Whilst a fighting game was being played on the television, he was busy doing something...
Perplexing.
"Alex, what are you doing?" Pyrrha genuinely inquired.
"I wouldn't bother asking if I were you, I've had enough of everything for the next... I don't even know." Weiss snarkily retorted with a visible exhaustion and pain on her face.
Shaking her head as her gaze lingered for but a moment at her partner's cast leg, she admitted, "You're probably right."
Even so, she turned to curiously observe Alex's actions.
Alex's massive Aura was fluctuating as he was trying to manually control it to do... something.
Whilst his left hand repeatedly attempted to sink into his chest, as if he was trying to dig into his very heart, into his very soul, to draw out something.
Every second, with each heartbeat, he attempted to strangely dig into his chest.
In, then out.
In, then out.
No result, but he hadn't stopped yet as his expression was of stoic concentration with barely simmering frustration.
Normally, it would be quite the unnerving sight for all those present, but given the circumstances and the depressive, melancholic air surrounding them all, no one batted an eye.
Pausing in his strange act, Alex lifted his head to respond, only to pause as a voice called out before he had the chance to speak up.
A tall blonde adult who sat beside Yang's bed rose up, "Good, I'm guessing everyone from Teams RAWP & YRBN is here?"
He made no effort to adjust the Team names, accounting for the now deceased member, even if it had hurt everyone's chests at the reminder.
His steps echoed loudly in the now-silent room, as the game on screen had been put on pause, all eyes gravitated towards this imposing man who stood at the center of the room.
His features hardened into a serious countenance.
He introduced himself, "My name is Taiyang Xiao Long. Ruby and Yang's father." He turned to look every present member in the eye with a bitter smile, "I had hoped to meet all of you properly under better circumstances, my daughters have told me a whole lot about you."
Shaking his head, he elaborated, "I am not here to lecture you on what you did right, nor what you did wrong. That will come, Ozpin will see to it, he assured me of that much." A hint of distaste at the man resonated from Taiyang's lips.
"But I am here to tell you, as a member of the former team of STRQ, an experienced professional Huntsman and Teacher of Signal Academy..."
His face aged considerably, and a cruel coldness replaced the warmth in his eyes.
"That this won't be the last time you lose a comrade, a friend, a teammate, a lover."
Fists clenched collectively, as the urge to lower their head and despair once more crossed everyone's minds, but they held on, keeping their eyes on the man in front of them.
Taiyang continued, "This is coming from both personal experience and something inevitable in the life of a Huntsman. I have lost numerous dear comrades in arms to the Grimm, to criminals. I have failed numerous times, leading to even the destruction of an entire town, I have seen entire villages butchered in front of my eyes, I have even lost my Leader and Wife, never to recover her body for a proper burial..."
He turned to look with a melancholic smile at his frowning daughters, "As my little girls can attest to, it took me years of constantly drinking my pain away to pick up the pieces and move on. I have almost lost them as well as a result of my despair, I owe their Uncle my life and more for saving the two of them."
"A fuck up of a fathe-"
""YOU'RE NOT!"" Ruby and Yang simultaneously yelled with pained dismay, not wanting their father to bring himself down any longer.
A snort escaped him as he shook his head with a small, genuine smile. "I know, thank you." He turned to look at everyone once more, "But I'll repeat a lesson that I have learned through my own blood and pain, a lesson I repeat over and over again to the kids in Signal. A lesson no one comes to realize until it is too late, until they experience it firsthand."
"Loss is inevitable. What's important is to learn to pick up the pieces, take responsibility, learn from it, and move on."
A profound silence enveloped the others once more, as they contemplated his words of wisdom forged out of his own pain.
Ren voiced out himself, "Nora and I lost our parents to a Grimm attack on Kuroyuri, and we've been training alone ever since, wandering the continent of Anima."
Yang's eyes widened at the information, It seemed this was news even for the jaded Leader of YRBN.
Yang could only admit with a frown, "That... must've been difficult."
Nora nodded and weakly voiced out despite her pain, "But Renny and I were unstopp-ugh."
Shaking his head, Ren mentioned, "We almost lost our lives dozens of times, and relied on the goodwill of others. In that, we were lucky. Other than that, I've never lost anyone close to me ever again."
"It almost happened again." He turned to gaze in genuine anguish at the reassuring smile of Nora.
Taiyang nodded and gave his final words of advice as they processed his words, "To those who are lost, the greatest gift you can give is to carry their memory with you, immortalize them... because eventually, you'll have to be immortalized as well when your time comes."
"Death and Time reach us all."
"No exceptions."
A sudden realization crossed Alex's features at those words.
He, himself, would readily admit he wasn't a very long-term thinker.
In fact, he hadn't ever considered the notion.
Until now.
An uneasy, almost disturbed frown found its place on Alex's face, his hand once more attempting to dig into his heart, his soul with no clear result.
'With Avalon... how long will I live?' He asked himself, a touch disturbed.
[Forever.]
At that question, the clawing at his chest grew in intensity, in simmering desperation.
Deep in his psyche, he wished he hadn't voiced that question.
Even so, he knew there was a way.
He was certain of it; he had seen it before.
Hope, which stood by his side, had yet to abandon him.
-----------------------------
It was following Taiyang's harsh lesson that time slowly trickled by, with nary a word exchanged.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours as the sun had begun to rise once more over the horizon, a new dawn greeting Vale once again.
The former darkness was replaced by light, as the sun's rays pierced through the window and lit up the whole room.
In that time, some distracted themselves by taking turns playing video games, even Weiss, who wasn't a fan of video games, had requested to play only to distract herself from the depressive atmosphere.
Some fell right back to sleep in their sorrow, like Ren and Nora, only to wake up later as a nurse arrived with a meal.
Some exiting and leaving the room like Taiyang, whilst Pyrrha had on occasion needed to help Weiss with the bathroom.
"You know... she took the blow for me, it's what got her... killed." Ruby's voice weakly reverberated in the room as she sat beside Alex.
Nodding, Alex replied transparently, "That's admirable of her."
Smiling sadly, Ruby's silver eyes traced all her friends and teammates present in the room, "I'm sure it's going through everyone's heads right now, but I can't help but ask... what now?"
Alex huffed and replied simply, "It's just like your father told us - we pick up the pieces, learn our lesson, and move on."
Yang mentioned offhandedly with a continued dispassion, albeit she sounded better than before, listening in on the conversation, "Ozpin told me Blake's funeral will be delayed until her parents arrive."
Nodding in gratitude at Yang's words, Ruby fixed her attention back to Alex.
"'Our' lesson, huh... You weren't the one in the wrong. It was me, the Leader, and the rest of us who messed up; we should've listened." She shook her head, looking into Alex's amber eyes as she pointed at herself.
"I've made my own fuck ups. Things I could have handled better, faster." He readily admitted.
Ruby paused, a shiver running down her spine at the reminder of how Alex had... cleaned up the mess.
His bloodied figure, the brutalized White Fang Leader, the splatter of blood formerly belonging to living, breathing people.
"I... don't want you to do that ever again." She requested selfishly, not willing to accept any answer.
He agreed with a sigh and a nod, "Me neither."
Pausing once more to take in the silence, Ruby's figure shivered as she voiced out her feelings:
A sudden admission she seemed to have held back for a while, "I think I killed someone..."
Alex's lips pursed, "You think?"
Her lips twitched uncomfortably, "It, it was all so messy, so chaotic. So many enemies and some stronger than me, we were overwhelmed. I did what I did to neutralize them, a few White Fang members I shot at had their Aura shattered as blood sprayed, and when you came back, I was still-"
Alex cut her off from her distressed rant with a palm, "What are you trying to say?"
She wavered, her body language screaming discomfort and regret, "How do you deal with... having killed someone?"
"I don't know. This was my first time as well, I think this is a question you should ask your father when he comes back here."
"How are you dealing with it?"
"I'm not a good reference."
"Even so, I want to know."
...
Nodding, he relented, confessing the truth, "Honestly, I'm less bothered by it than I thought I'd be, especially that idiotic White Fang Leader, who is being kept alive for no good reason." Adding, "What bothers me is accidentally killing those three individuals... would you believe me if I told you I don't remember what they looked like?"
Ruby blinked, as she hesitated, "Wow, that's..."
Alex cut her off, "Yeah, it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth. So, the least I can do is figure out who these people were, apologize to their loved ones, and be off with it. At least, that's what I think is right. Especially if I wasn't intending on killing them in the first place. Otherwise, why should I bother?"
"I'm not planning on repenting for their deaths by letting those families take revenge on me, nor am I going to go too much out of my way to apologize. I don't regret it that much."
His relatively calm amber eyes met her searching silver, "Don't take my advice as correct, reach your own answer. But I think as long as you were defending yourself, it's fine. You didn't intend to kill anyone, but if you did, that's that. It's self-defense."
"Killing isn't right, nor is it wrong. I think everyone has a story, right or wrong, it doesn't matter.
"So if you want to use their background as teen-kidnapping terrorists to make yourself feel better, then do it. But killing is just that, a part of nature."
Ruby smiled sadly after contemplating Alex's words, "Doesn't sound very heroic, does it?"
"I am not the person you look for when it comes to 'Heroic' advice. You signed up to be a Huntress, not a Hero. Welcome to the real world."
She dismissed his words with a determined shake of her head, "Even so, I want to be a Huntress and a Hero."
Alex could only hum momentarily at her words, turning to her with a genuine admission, "I'm sure you'll succeed. Just keep being yourself." His words held no sarcasm.
"...Thanks, it means a lot." She lowered her head to look at the grand beauty of Excalibur, its light oddly resonating with the wishes lingering deep in her heart.
[Didn't you just lecture them that you won't be their trauma-dump? How dishonest of you, Alexander.]
For once, Alex responded, 'I listen to who I want to listen to. I am not their anchor, I am their equal.'
[Wow... excellent answer. Truly, I am proud of you. However, one distinction, Master. You'll never be anyone's equal, get that notion out of your head.]
-----------------------------
The door opened once more, as yet another visitor visited the simmering pot of melancholy known as Room 249.
This time, however, it was the expectant and perhaps dreaded figure to all those present.
Headmaster Ozpin with Glynda Goodwitch at his side.
Both of them were donning a grave expression and bags under their eyes, as Ozpin greeted all present with a stern and weary tone.
"Afternoon, Teams RAWP & JRNY."
His eyes scanned all those present, as eyes widened considerably at the strangely named team he mentioned, "Miss Valkyrie, how are your injuries?"
"Getting better. The doctor said I've gotta stay here a week, Headmaster... but what's with the team-"
Nodding, Ozpin ignored the wide-eyed looks and inquiry as he replied, "I am aware, that's fantastic news."
"What of you, Mister Lie?"
"Cleared for tomorrow."
"And you, Miss Schnee?"
"...Two weeks, even with Aura." She bitterly and disdainfully mentioned.
"Miss Xiao Long?"
"Just perfect... but, that team name-"
Ozpin asserted with a steely look and tone that shut her up, "I'll get to that."
He turned to Glynda, to whom she coughed and explained, "All of you will be moved to Beacon's infirmary; there is no need for you to stay in this hospital any longer for questioning. Miss Nikos had answered all questions at length with the Police and, alongside me and the Headmaster, had pleaded a pardon from any continued rather unnecessary processes."
All eyes turned to look at Pyrrha with gratitude, to which she just smiled and waved awkwardly.
They didn't have time to express their gratitude, given the heavy atmosphere and Glynda's continued words:
"Those cleared of any further treatment will, of course, return to the regular curriculum whilst rest and treatment will continue in the infirmary."
Turning to look at Ozpin, he nodded and stepped forward, "Now, for your punishments."
It was at that moment that all held looks of accepting their fate, something Ozpin acknowledged.
"You all have seen, experienced, and have certainly heard from the News the gravity of the incident you rashly intervened in and certainly worsened with your involvement. Acting against my clearorders."
He paused as he continued, "I'll be speaking at length with everysingleone of you once we arrive in Beacon, but allow me to give you a rundown of the proceedings of the usual punishment."
"Were you to be licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses. Your license would be revoked in an instant, and there would be an astronomically high chance of you even meeting a lengthy prison sentence for your rash disobedience that had led to an utter disaster."
Sweat trickled down the foreheads of all those present, as Ozpin pressed on, "Given you are not Professional Huntsmen, but students, however. The obvious choice would be to expel all of you."
"Most professors in Beacon, Glynda here included, had preached for that decision for your irresponsibility." He gestured at Glynda, who held no hint of shame at the idea; in fact, she felt incredibly justified as she stared down dangerously at all of them.
"But they don't make the decisions in Beacon, I do. And much like how I took a risk letting you attend two years earlier, Miss Rose." He looked at the sheepish and ashamed Ruby in the eyes, who, surprisingly, kept her head up and met his gaze, "I will be taking yet another risk by ignoring the advice of my peers and letting all of you stay."
A collective relief echoed through the students in the hospital room, to which Ozpin added, "Please, do not make me regret this decision. Your failure is my failure, ultimately, and I, myself, have been punished as well, as I am sure you know."
Nods met his plea, to which he continued, "Which is not to say you will not be punished."
"With the exception of the coming Vytal Festival. You are all on house arrest in Beacon. No one gets to leave without special permission from me or a Mission. A probation period, with any misbehavior or failing grade leading to your immediate, inarguable expulsion."
"Am I clear?"
"Yes, Sir/Crystal!"
...
"That house arrest includes you, Mister Andrite - but you're not on probation."
Alex nodded and gave a thumbs-up, "Fine by me."
Nodding at the agreement of the mourning teams, Ozpin continued, "As for the next set of news, as I had mentioned to some, Miss Belladonna's funeral will commence upon the arrival of her parents, given the distance from Menagerie, will occur within a month or two, I will keep all of you in touch."
Turning to look at Team YRBN, Ozpin finally answered the lingering trepidation of a question, "Team JRNY, formerly Team YRBN. Miss Xiao Long, I have heavily considered retracting my decision of giving you the role of Leadership, however, you are all on your last chance. Do not fail yourself or me."
He continued without pause, "As a replacement for Miss Belladonna, Mister Jaune Arc will be your partner and the 4th member of the new Team JRNY - Journey; he will move in with you within the month, that is all."
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Yikes, a lotta yap.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter tho!
Love ya and bu bye!