Sorry for the wait. #AvengeAuburn (A few might get the reference. If so, spread the word)

     I sat on the edge of Beacon cliff, recalling the events of the last hour or so. The mood in the air was sour, such as it should be. It's just that I could no longer stand the arrogance of the people. Weiss was one such person. When she brought up her father, it brought back some memories. Some of which are better left buried. "I don't know what you were thinking." "We have a son!" "You should have thought about the consequences before joining the enemy." "Your only enemy is yourself." I winced and shook away the memories, not in the mood to relive more.

     It was then that I heard large thundering footsteps behind me. The identity didn't require a look. There was no one else on campus of that size and weight, and my suspicions were quickly confirmed when my titan, OS-1415, sat on the edge with me. "You look upset, pilot." He said.

"Oh? And whatever gave you that idea?" I asked sarcastically.

"Several changes in brain activity have informed me that your mood has decreased to a more unhappy demeanor."

"Hmm..."

"Is it something you wish to talk about, (Y/N)?"

"If you wanted to talk, why didn't you just use the helmet radio?"

"Human psychology studies have shown that direct, personal contact, often yields better results in the long run." I sat quietly. Stop it already! You're acting like a child! "I heard the dispute. It would appear that you need time apart from them, however, I would not have been so rough."

"Maybe..."

"Pilot, I would also like to inform you that I saw Ms. Belladonna running through the courtyard approximately five minutes ago. Mental signatures expressed signs of distress."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"It may prove beneficial to speak with her."

"Thanks, but I'm done dealing with children for now." It was now my titan's turn to be silent.

"Would you like me to play *that* video, pilot?"

"That video?"

"That video." My mouth formed a smile as I embarked into his chassis. Rather than displaying the outside, a recording started to play on the big screen.

"This is commander Davis of the 6-4. We are currently under siege by the terrifying Gate Monster, and-"

"Davis. What are you doing?" Asked an English accent from off-camera.

"Quick, Droz! Get down! It's coming!"

"The hell's goin' on, Davis?"

"Someone! Please help me!" The two turned to look through an open doorway. Though they could not see into it due to the angle. The voice was easily recognizable as Bear, their squad leader. "She has me! She has m-" His voice was cut off by the sound of glass breaking.

"Davis, what happened?" Droz asked.

"I told you we should have kept that harmonian liquor in a locked cabinet," Davis whispered.

"Wait a minute, you don't mean..."

"Oh yes." Droz facepalmed when he said this. The two created a small cover using tables. It was then they heard a new voice.

"Commander... Commander, calm down. it's ok- Commander! Commander, sto- OH SHIT!!!!" You came flying through the doorway, crashing into a few tables in front of Davis and Droz's barricade. "She's gone nuts!" You yelled as you vaulted over their table, landing between Droz and Davis. What came through the door next was a heart-stopping shock, even though everyone knew what it was. Through the mysterious doorway came Section Commander Gates... In nothing but her undergarments and her helmet still on. One hand held a large liquor bottle, and the other held a wet wrapped up towel.

Across the room was a bar. The counter for this bar was empty, but it didn't stay that way long, as Gates had stepped on top of it and started to dance around, waving the towel and bottle. "Whoo! Partay... DAVIS! Whaar... ded yooo... poot teh acahouul???" Her English accent was slurred, signifying her intoxication.

"Davis why?" You muttered. "Ah, fuck it. We got time right?" You asked.

"Uh... Time for what, exactly?" Droz nervously asked.

"You already know what I mean."

"(Y/N), no."

"Oh yeah, cause the IMC is going to come and attack us now." You said. As you said this, the wall to your right was destroyed as your titan broke though it.

"I detect sarcasm, pilot."

"Well, if you can't beat em', you join em'!" You yelled, getting out from cover and running to get the commander's liquor.

At this point, I was laughing my ass off so uncontrollably that I think I was worrying my titan. Even if it wasn't that funny, the video brought back the times I spent in the 6-4. To be honest, I missed them. Davis was a complete retard when it came down to it, but he was still fun to be around. I wonder if they think I'm dead? Ah, who am I kidding, everyone probably thinks I'm dead. I was knocked from my thoughts when a loud banging sound rang through the cockpit. The video stopped as the external screens came into view. For the second time that day, Ruby stood at my 'door'. "Can I help you?" I was annoyed, to say the least.

"Uh... Yeah. You wouldn't happen to know where Blake went would you?"

"No." She looked down, saddened. "She'll come back, Ruby."

"How do you know?" She asked, not really paying attention.

"Well, one, you're all dramatic teenagers. Two, you're teammates who had a fight. You'll make up." I said.

"But how? How can you know that?" She looked up with a pleading look on her face.

"Because you need each other. You just haven't realized it yet." Ruby looked out into the forest when I finished, most likely pondering my words.

     The next day or so went by uneventful. At least for the remnants of team RWBY. I, on the other hand, was constantly working. Whether it was studying, or trying to modify my weapons. I'd learned how to use the school's workshop, so ammo was becoming less and less of a problem. I still hadn't figured out how to infuse it with dust, however. Projects for a later time.

     After the trip to the Forest of Roses (as I like to call it), I had reported to Ozpin what I had found the previous night. Or what I fought, rather. He made sure to get the information to the right people. In the meantime, I decided to do more investigating of my own. It was midday, and I was checking my Smart Pistol and Wingman, getting ready to go. I figured the police would be good to start since they generally have the information on this kind of stuff. None of the robberies were being committed in broad daylight, so I would have time (assuming the police cooperate) to check security footage, street cameras, witnesses. Anything that could get me a lead.

"Pilot, I advise caution when traveling alone. Despite your superior combat skills, directly attacking Roman Torchwick and his associates may draw unwanted attention to us."

"That's true, though what I'm more concerned about is how good of a fighter Roman himself is."

"Police reports suggest he is exceptionally skilled in hand to hand combat. Direct statistics unavailable. Comparison: not possible."

"Wonderful. Nothing like running into a fight head first."

"Do what is necessary, pilot." I nodded. Holstering the pistols on either side of my hips. My flatline was slung on my back, and the data knives were on my chest.

"Let's get to work!" I said in mock enthusiasm. Upon opening the door, I was met with the afternoon blue sky. Students walked around, either talking or studying. It was a short walk to the bullhead docking station, but when I arrived, I witnessed the wonderful sight of Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, walking to the station from the other side.

"Hey, (Y/N)! You're heading to the city too huh?" Ruby asked, running up to you. That fact that not Weiss nor Yang made any kind of effort to greet me didn't go unnoticed. Yang had a scowl and Weiss, well, Weiss just wasn't bothering to look. Snobby bitch, I thought.

"What of it?" I responded.

"Oh, well, we were just going to look for Blake." I wished the bullhead would get here sooner, though until then I didn't really have talking in mind. When I didn't respond, her mood darkened. "You wouldn't happen to want to join us would you?" She asked awkwardly.

"Ruby! No!" Weiss whisper yelled, tugging on the girl's shoulder. I don't know why it is she thought I couldn't hear her.

"Somehow, I don't think your teammates would take too kindly to that," I stated. "Besides, I've got other things to do.

"Oh... ok," Ruby said. The bullhead then landed, and I climbed on and sat down, ignoring her saddened look. When we got to Vale, I started making my way to Vale's central police station. It was a big building. Two large glass double doors were placed out front, with large granite walls and pillars. Officers walked in and out of the building, some carrying different items. I walked in and made it to the front desk. The receptionist was busy with something. Or so it seemed. Upon further inspection, it appeared she was reading something called "Paint and Flame." Whatever that was. After a minute of waiting, I tapped on the desk to get her attention. "Oh! Sorry. What can I do for... you?" She trailed off when she got a good look at my helmet.

"Yes. I'd like to see the police chief."

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but unless you have the proper credentials or permission to be here, I can't let you up."

"Please. I'm trying to help the city." I tried playing nice. She snorted.

"Oh yeah? Like, what are you? Some kind of vigilante?"

"I'm working for Ozpin." She started laughing harder.

"Oh," *laugh* "yeah" *snort* "like I've never heard that before" *melodrama*. She continued to sit there laughing. Guess I'll have to do this my way. I cloaked before walking away to a nearby elevator. Nobody else was inside, allowing me to recharge the cloak. On the right wall, there was a guide. Each of the twenty floors had different labels. It was on the last floor, that I found what I was looking for. Unfortunately, the ride up was not as smooth. On floor twelve, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened to reveal a male officer.

     No one had really seen the armor before, so when he saw its alien design, he panicked. Not letting it happen, I put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his head before yanking him into the elevator with me and smashing his head against the wall, knocking him out. This happened again on floor sixteen. Now on floor twenty, I stepped over the two unconscious bodies and into the hallway. It was thankfully deserted for the time being. Other than the camera of course.

     So one long walk and several hidden sleeping bodies later, I found myself at the chief's office. Still cloaked, I opened the door and stepped inside. "I swear to god, Fester! If this is about the damn sauce then I will END YO-..." He cut himself off when he looked up to see nothing. It was then I uncloaked my self. Before he could panic, I spoke.

"Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you."

"W-Who are you?" Despite the attempted reassurance, he was still reaching for his gun.

"I'm a colleague of Ozpin." His breathing slowed, and his hand began to follow suit.

"O-Ozpin?" I nodded. "Oh. You must be that Atlesian crime studies student that was sent to help in Vale." 

"Uh, yeah. Sure." I said.

"Well, I just want to thank you for coming all this way. The city is nice but things are getting a little out of hand."

"Yeah, about that." He gave me a questioning look."I was wondering if you had any information on Roman Torchwick? I hear he's the top brass for the criminals around here."

"Ah! Getting right down to business. I like that, but are you sure you can handle it. I was planning on letting some of my officers show you around."

"I know my way around. Don't worry about it. I just need the information."

"If you say so. I'll have one of my men get the full file for you."

"Thank you chief."

"No, thank you, young huntsman." I sat in his office for a little bit while one of the other people retrieved Roman's file. When they got it to me, I picked up and left the station. I was going to go back to Beacon so I could start looking through the various documents on the "Infamous Roman Torchwick," but stopped when I heard a familiar voice. 

     "Blake?!" 

"Blake?!"

"Blake?! Where are you?!"

"Blake!" The two sisters took turns yelling out her name, though Ruby's unusually high-for-her-age voice made my ears bleed. Suddenly, Ruby turned towards Weiss. 

"Weiss, you're not helping!" She whined. 

"Oh, you know who might be able to help? The police." The heiress said. 

"Weiss!" Ruby growled. 

"It was just an idea." Weiss waved her arms through the air, trying to emphasize the 'just an idea' part of the statement. 

"Yeah, a bad one." Their leader finished. 

"Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions." Yang tried to reason with her. 

"I think when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right." The only thing I've ever realized about you is how little I want to be around you, I thought. 

"And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" The three spun around to see Penny walking behind them. 

"Ah! Penny! Where did you come from?!" Ruby yelled. 

"Hey, guys! What are you up to?" Penny asked with a wave. 

"Uh..." Ruby started. 

"We were looking for our friend, Blake," Yang explained. 

"Ohhhhh" She dipped her head back, before looking at them again. "You mean the Faunus girl."

"How did you know that?" Ruby raised a brow. 

"Uhh, the cat ears." Penny pointed at the top of her head, her smile still never leaving her face. 

"What cat ears? She wears a.... bow." Yang trailed off as the wind picked up and blew a tumbleweed past them. 

"She does like tuna a lot," Ruby whispered. 

"So, where is she?" Penny put her hands in her pockets and looked around. 

"We don't know. She's been missing since Friday." Ruby said sadly, causing Penny to gasp, walk over, and grab her by the elbows. 

"That's terrible! Well, don't you worry, Ruby-My-Friend. I won't rest until we find your teammate." The ginger bobbed her head with the last three words. 

"That's really nice of you, Penny, but we're ok, really. Right guys?" The girl looked over, only to see Yang and Weiss were already gone. 

"Some friends you have," I said, walking up to them. 

"(Y/N)! What are you doing here? I thought you said you had 'better things to do'."

"I said I had 'other' things to do. Besides, it looks like you could use all the help you can-" I cut myself off when something came up on my HUD. Osiris had found something in one of the files that he thought would be useful for me to investigate. "Actually, never mind. Now I do have better things to do." I was out of earshot before she had the chance to protest. 

*Several Hours Later*

     "What a waste of time." (Y/N) said as he walked through the streets. 

"I am sorry, pilot. I did not mean to mislead you."

"I know." The pilot said. "I just hope we find a better lead soon. With my luck, we won't find any traces of Torchwick until some-" He was cut off as the sound of an explosion was heard. (Y/N) turned around to see a cloud of smoke against the night sky. "Something like that." 

     Next thing he knew, the pilot was flying over rooftops towards the docks. "Don't die yet you damned kids." He muttered to himself. When he got to his destination, the site was interesting. The monkey faunus was fighting a fuck ton of White Fang on his own and Blake was hiding behind a nearby forklift, watching him. And right in front of them was god forbid- Roman fucking Torchwick. Without a second thought, the (Y/N) jumped off the rooftop to assist the two faunus. 

     In the few seconds it took him to get there, monkey boy had already taken care of the grunts that had been attacking him. Blake had emerged from cover and started to attack Roman. (Y/N) was still airborne when another large group of soldiers jumped from a bullhead hovering overhead. The pilot came in from behind them, slid, and then flew over the crowd, throwing a cooked fragmentation grenade into the middle of the group. Landing in front of the faunus, you said nothing to him as you charged the recovering White Fang. Sun took this as his opportunity to go help Blake, who looked like she needed it. 

     When the shooting started, let's just say that if any of them had survived, they'd have PTSD for the rest of their lives. (Y/N) immediately sprinted into the bundle of terrorism, drawing a data knife in one hand, and the Smart Pistol in the other. Then began the dance of death, as the pilot spun around, blowing off heads and cutting throats. Ducking under a sword swing before aiming the pistol behind him, putting decent sized holes in three heads all at once before standing back up and stabbing the knife into the head on the original attacker. This continued till there was basically no White Fang left. Their mistake. 

     Blake and Sun were having quite the time with Roman. He seemed to counter them both without much difficulty. The fight was finally decided however, by Blake. She had charged the exposed criminal, but made the mistake of looking over at (Y/N). Or, rather the pile of faunus bodies that was laying around him. No. She paled, not used to, or expecting this much blood. Unfortunately, the sight caused her to slow down. Enough that Roman saw her coming, and she didn't have the time to make a clone. The ginger pimp raised his cane and fired at Blake, point-blank in the chest. "Blake!" Sun called out, immediately abandoning his fight to run after his friend. This would have been a fatal flaw, had a boot not slammed into Roman's shooting arm. The criminal looked at the challenger and was displeased with what he saw, though he tried not to show it.  

     You gave Roman no time to recover, holstering your empty pistol and drawing your other knife. You stabbed at his stomach, which he blocked, allowing you to take a slash at his right arm. Much to your surprise, he broke the lock and blocked the other blade before you could hit him. You jumped back, rethinking the strategy, before charging him not a second later, knowing well that he was more than ready to take advantage of a pause. You went for a mock lunge with your right knife before stabbing with the left, only to be countered by means of a grapple throw. You were bent over and stumbling in front of him, which you used against him by performing a backward spin kick, nailing him across the face with your heal. 

     You then ran up to him and power slid, a move he didn't expect, allowing you to trip him. You got up before him, though he turned and fired his cane from the ground, forcing you to phase shift at the last second. When you exited the alternate dimension, the criminal was already up and ready. Luckily for you, he wasn't ready for you to reappear in a flying jump kick. It landed in his stomach, sending him hurtling back. The sound of loud splashes was heard to your right as two bullheads that had been vertically cut in half went soaring into the harbor. 

     You only looked for a few seconds as Roman had charged you again. Blocking an overhead strike with both knives, you attempted a jump kick, which he dodged, allowing him to throw you head first. Rolling to your feet, you spun to block his own hick with your forearm and blocked a cane swing with your right knife. Knowing most normal attacks wouldn't phase him, you boost jumped forward and kneed him in the chin, sending him reeling back onto his stomach. He was then met with the grappling hook. Though he partially dodged, the line still caught his arm, which sent him shooting at you. He's expecting a punch. You boost jumped over him and front flip kicked the back of his head as he went under you, before turning upside down and throwing a gravity star at where he would land. 

     When the explosive went off, Roman was caught in the blast, suspending him in mid-air long enough for you to get a running start while he was distracted. He snapped his head forward as the gravity ball exploded, not managing to raise his cane in time to stop your fist from flying into his face, sending him into a backflip. Then there was the sound. The terrible, terrible sound you had learned from legion's predator cannon. This sound was the sound of a gun revving up. You looked back in time to see a bullhead was hovering behind you, its cannon starting to spin. You started to run but were immediately stopped as an explosive shell hit the ground at your feet, flying you back first into a storage container. The stun was long enough for Roman to get on the bullhead and escape. "Ugh... Fucker!" You said quietly. 

     A few minutes later, Ruby, Penny, Blake, and Sun were sitting together on a few crates while the Vale PD walked around, collecting evidence and taking custody of the knocked out, or in your case dead, White Fang. They said nothing until Weiss and Yang made themselves known, walking up to the group. Ruby was the first to get up. "Weiss! It's not what you think she explained the whole thing you see she doesn't actually wear a bow she has kitty ears and they're actually kinda cute." She said without any kind of pause. The white-clad girl ignored her and walked up to Blake. 

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with-" 

"Stop." Weiss cut in. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you? 12 hours. That means I've had 12 hours to think about this. And, in that 12 hours, I've decided..." The moment seemed to become dramatic as everyone looked at her. "I don't care." Well shit, you thought.  

"You don't care?" Blake asked, a little skeptical. 

"You said you're not one of them anymore right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"

"Ababababab I don't wanna hear it. All I want to know is the next time something this big comes up, you'll come to your teammates, and not some..." She stopped to look at Sun. "Someone else." Blake wiped a tear from her eye before responding. 

"Of course." There was a smile on everyone's face. At least until you showed up. Appearing behind Ruby, you spoke. 

"I told you. You just didn't know it yet." Ruby looked up at you and smiled, but when Blake heard you, her reaction was quite the opposite. 

"You!" She said darkly, walking up to you. 

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" You gave her a confused look, not that she could see it.

"What do you think you were doing!? Killing all those faunus?!" Everyone else seemed to shift uncomfortably.

"Blake, what are you talking about?" You held up your hand to silence Ruby. 

"What of it?" You asked. 

"What do mean 'what of it'?! You killed them like a bunch of animals!" 

"Yeah, animals with guns and swords who were trying to kill me."

"SO?! How does that justify what you did?!"

"They were trying to kill me! What else did you expect me to do?!"

"You didn't have to end their lives!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll play nice next time someone has a gun pointed at my head. We'll see how it works out."

"I never said you had to play nice, but you didn't have to put a hole through their heads! What about their families?!"

"The families of the enemy don't concern me." You said calmly. 

"How?! How can you be so inhuman as to take lives without any consideration of the consequences?!" 

"Listen here, Blake. I'm a soldier. A mercenary. I'm not paid to knock people out. I'm paid to put them down. When someone aims a gun at me, the first thing that goes through my mind isn't how to stop them with minimal harm. My first thought is to kill them before they kill me. That's how real life works."

"Then I don't know what life you're living ."

"A Pilot's life. The life of someone who's not scared to pull the trigger, because they know who the important people are. Who the ones that matter are. And the ones who's lives are worth saving. Everyone else is just a target. That it war, Blake." 

"Well, we aren't fighting a war!"

"Aren't we?! Terrorist groups openly stealing large amounts of supplies and gunning down civilians. Not all wars are on a battlefield."

"And not all wars require killing!"

"Maybe. But this one does. You can argue all you want, but when the time comes, you'll be faced with a choice. And may God help you if you don't have the stomach to make the one that saves you... And the ones you love." You began to walk away before speaking to Ruby. "This is what I meant, Ruby. There are no heroes. There's just you... And them. Someone has to pull the trigger. I just hope you have what it takes. Otherwise, you won't last a day outside of that glorified castle you call a school." 

     Ozpin watched all of it unfold from his scroll back at Beacon tower. With a sigh, he tapped the 'mail' icon. On it was a message he received from a contact called 'Qrow'. There were three words on the screen, with all of his team name and basic information redacted. The message read: "Queen has pawns." The headmaster responded with a simple "Hmm." Before closing the device and looking out into the city. 

Time-23:36 Location-Classified Authorization: Unknown

     The figure closed their scroll, the whole incident recorded and documented. The figure chuckled to themself before looking out their own window. "So, (Y/N). You managed to take on all those men and killed them without hesitation. You proceeded to shock me even more in the heated argument afterward. You say you know who's worth saving. Very well then. Let's see how strong your loyalties truly are."

https://youtu.be/NttqH_mBAa0

Ok! Volume one is done! I just wanted to take the time to say how grateful I am for everyone's support. This story picked up speed way faster than I ever thought it would, and I got my dead profile of eleven followers to a full 75. I owe this to all of you. Knowing people enjoy this makes me want to write it more! So thank you, everyone. Especially to the 10% of my readers who are girls. It's good to know I have a little to offer for everyone. I look forward to the faithful return of When Titans Fall in VOLUME 2! Which should be started no later than the end of the week (it will still be this book though). See you all then. Thanks again.