RWBY: The Laidback Hero

Chapter 13: Fighting Gold

We see the street and stops just short of the camera, showing Yang Xiao Long behind the handlebars in her matching helmet on her bike. Y/n pulls up next to her as he turns to her, in his own cycle, much like a vehicle from Tron.

Y/n: Nice bike? So where's your Friend? 

Yang: Come on, my friend's right in here!

Yang gets off the bike to reveal Neptune sitting right behind her, hair and goggles messed up with a look of terror on his face.

Y/n: she's an crazy driver, you'll get used to it

Y/n walks past as Neptune contemplates his life. 

Neptune: Cool... And where exactly is... here?

The music from Junior's Club gets louder once inside to show Junior behind the bar adjusting his cuffs as his Henchmen stock the bottles, carry boxes, and otherwise stand around on the dance floor, until...

Henchman 1: Hurry, close the door - she's coming!

Junior: What are you two idiots doing?!

The Henchmen shout incoherently until an explosion knocks them to the ground and forces the doors open, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke.

Yang: Guess who's back!

Yang continues to smile and pose as guns are pointed in her face with an equal number of angry Henchmen behind them. Though this doesn't faze her, she stops and glares at the recording studio where the track is messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ takes the needle off the record and retreats back under the table. Y/n steps out from behind Yang.

Neptune: Yeah, so could you define "friend" for me?

Junior: Stop, stop! Nobody shoot. Blondie, you're here! ...Why?

Yang: You still owe me a drink. And my friend here one too.

Neptune: Whoa-ho-ho-ho, what a woman...

Neptune Breaks from his lovestruck staring to see the twins Melanie and Miltia Malachite standing beside him.

Neptune: Sup?

Melanie and Miltia: Whatever.

They walk away, noses in the air, but turn their attention to Y/n as they wink and giggle, and walk off. Y/n waves.

Neptune is dumbfounded. 

Neptune: How? You didn't even say anything?

Y/n; you don't need to say anything if you've got the skills.

Y/n walks off. 

Neptune: But you didn't even know they existed until now!

Meanwhile, Blake's fingers trace three scratch marks on a wall before peeking around its corner and seeing a pair of horned Faunus as they are ushered into a building by a man. She turns to Sun next to her.

Blake: This is it.

Sun: You sure? Y'know, I'm just gonna take your word for it.

The two walk inside the building to a hallway filled with cases, seeing another man announcing "New recruits, keep to the right!" at the young pair as they follow.

Sun: I don't get it. If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?

Blake: The masks are a symbol. Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters.

Sun: Grimm masks... That's kind of dark.

Blake: So was the guy who started it.

Sun: Always sunshine and rainbows with you...

The new recruits to the White Fang are moving in a line to the side of the stage, a mere few dozen compared to the hundreds of white-vested, black-hooded soldiers to their left and up above in the balconies. Blake and Sun look around themselves when they stop, and a fully-masked man with tattoos standing starts speaking before the large sheet emblazoned with the bloody wolf and claw marks.

White Fang Lieutenant: Thank you all for coming. For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for for so long!

The dark pants and brown shoes step forward before the orange tip of the Cudgel taps on the stage. It's none other than Roman, smiling confidently even as the crowd starts protesting.

Roman: Thank you, thank you! Please, hold your applause!

Antler Faunus: What's a human doing here?!

Roman: I'm glad you asked, "Deerie"! Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the worst. Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, killed!

Sun: So, is he going somewhere with this?

Roman: But, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy: the ones in control, the people pulling the strings, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms! Government, military, even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life! And they're all pests that need to be dealt with! Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around... No offense to any rodents in the room.

With a snap of the fingers, the curtain falls, and the whole mass of Faunus applaud at the sight of the Atlesian Paladin-290 behind it, the mark of the White Fang painted on its shoulder.

Sun: Whoa, that's a big robot...

Blake: How did he get that?

Roman: As some of you may have heard, this right here.....is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my "employer", we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, "hit the shelves". Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?

Blake: We should get out of here.

White Fang Lieutenant: Will all new recruits, please come forward!

Sun: Welp!

Back at the Club, Junior puts down his glass as he sits behind the bar separating him from his interrogator.

Junior: I don't know!

Yang: How can you not know?

Junior: I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here. He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back.

Neptune Rushes to Yang's side to raise a question of his own.

Neptune: So where did they go?

Y/n After a long pause

Y/n: What kind of stupid question is that?

Junior: They never came back! Who is this guy?

Yang: Don't worry about him; worry about me if I don't find out what I want!

Junior: I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is something I can relate to!

Yang: Come on, Y/n Neptune.

Neptune: We get everything we need?

Yang: Well, we got everything we can. Hopefully the rest of the team is having better luck.

The White Fang is still cheering loudly as the recruits are marched to the stage, with Blake and Sun having no choice but to follow along.

Sun: What are we going to do?!

Blake: I'm thinking...

Sun: He sees us...

Blake Notices the junction box on the wall.

Blake: He can't see in the dark.

With that, Blake unsheathes Gambol Shroud, transforms it into a pistol, and shoots at the box, making the lights go out for the whole building and turning everything dark

Roman: Don't let them get away!

Blake: Sun! The window!

Roman: Stop them!

Before the two student Huntsmen crash through the window and start running as fast as they can, the mechanized sound of running power signals the Altesian Paladin's activation, and it crashes through the wall of the building in pursuit of the runaways, who leap off of a car and manage to get on the roofs. The Paladin follows beside them on the street as Blake and Sun run, jump, and flip from rooftop to rooftop.

Sun: So you wouldn't happen to have... oh, I don't know... some form of backup?!

Blake: On it!

Weiss Schnee is seen leaving the Cross Continental Transmit tower's elevator when she grabs her own Scroll and listens to Blake's message.

Blake: Everyone! If you can hear me, we need back-

Sun: HEEEELLLLP!

Weiss rolls her eyes and starts running out the door, a little smile on her face as she does so.

Ruby is still beside the dumpster, staring at her Scroll.

Sun: Big robot! And it's big! Really big!

Ruby: (Excitedly) Oh, I am not missing this!

Yang is back on the motorcycle in her helmet and sunglasses with Neptune looking at the Scroll in her hand over her shoulder Y/n is next to them

Sun: That Torchwick guy is in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it or something!

Yang: Where are you guys?

Right on cue, behind them, Blake and Sun can be seen running through the street with the Paladin hot on their heels before they all disappear from view.

Sun: HURRYYYY!!!

Y/n: well we got our answers, let's go!

Neptune: I think that was them.

Yang: Yeah, We got it.

Yang And Y/n Circle and race down.

Y/n: I'll catch up with ruby and Weiss. Can you hold him off?!

Yang: Psh! Definitely!

Blake and Sun somehow make it to the highways, jumping down into the busy street and continuing their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin follows them by pushing vehicles out of the way. Sun pauses to look at their pursuer's path of destruction and offer a quick "Whoa!" before leaping onto more cars, much to the anger of Roman inside the robot, his face surrounded by blue holographic screens.

Yang and Neptune are able to follow the mech suit on their ride, coming up next to it as it runs.

Yang: We've gotta slow it down!

Neptune: Got it!

Neptune reaches for his gun, but Roman notices the pair on his sensors and crashes into a multitude of cars with the Paladin's strong bulk, sending them flying towards his chasers.

Yang: Hold on!

Neptune: Wuh-oh...

Yang swerves, leaning her bike to the side in avoidance of flying debris while Neptune flails in a panic. Back on two wheels again, Neptune unslings his weapon, aims as sparks start flying, and fires several bolts of blue electricity at the Paladin, causing Roman to grimace from the force of the attacks.

Switching strategies, Neptune flips the gun and it grows a shaft and an energy blade at the end, then jumps from Yang's bike as the spear's head splits in three and drives it into the top of the Paladin. Sun and Blake pause in their car-hopping to look back.

Sun: Neptune, hang on!

Neptune is trying his best, but the mech keeps bucking and threatens to make him fall. Closing his eyes, Sun smashes his palms together, and from the golden Aura around him, his Semblance creates two glowing outlines that copy their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front. They explode into blinding light upon contact to let Sun leap forward with Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang held high, but Roman finally turns enough to send Neptune flying off and knocking into his leader, sending both of them off the highway.

As Blake looks on from her spot, she hears a voice from her Scroll:

Weiss: Blake! I'm in position!

She is seen twirling over a highway and landing in the middle of the road, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching Roman. He smiles as his robot charges the girl, but Weiss spins and plunges her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that causes the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress and falling off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form, from the rubble. A blue cycle lands as Y/n stops his bike and leaps off. Drawing Liberator for a final battle.

The Paladin stands back up, and the rest of Team GRWBY falls beside their leader to take up positions. Roman chuckles, moving the robot slowly towards the Team.

Ruby: Freezer Burn!

Ruby and Blake jump back out of the way as Weiss performs her same ice-circle trick, but backs out of Yang and Y/n's way when she jumps into the air and hits the epicenter with her Ember Celica, has Liberator Act I! creating a wave of mist that surrounds Roman. Immediately, the Paladin activates its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely sees the afterimage of Blake and narrowly misses the dashing Yang. A gun manages to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast comes Ruby, who slashes the metal with her blade, causing it to falter. Y/n at its backs as he stand the mech. Leaping back with Liberator.

Ruby: Checkmate!

Blake and Weiss go in this time, each girl going for the feet until Weiss jumps up and stabs a sensor before leaping off of a white glyph. Roman lifts the Paladin's foot to crush Blake, but Weiss summons another glyph under her teammate to launch her backwards before the crushing blow can land. Roman growls and fires off the missiles, but Weiss and Blake flip backwards as the explosions merely hit where they were.

Finally, Weiss jumps up too high, and Roman fires a double energy blast at her. Myrtenaster absorbs the damage, but Weiss is thrown back, so she casts a beam of light from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that's absorbed into the Faunus girl and lets her slice through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes.

Ruby: Ladybug!

Ruby shoots herself forward and cuts at the robot's legs, then turns as Blake aims herself at the giant's feet as well. They both dash forward and attack at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launch themselves into the air and come down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.

Yang doesn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Y/n dashes in with Liberator act 2! Icy slacked that stall the mechs movement! Roman is knocked around in the cabin, but seeing as he can't reach her with his remaining mechanical arm, he runs backwards through two columns and leaves her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her. Just as she is falling down, the remaining arm extends a closed fist, and attend to crush her, Y/n leaps in the way and when it punches her, they fly through the column and don't get up.

Blake: Y/n! Yang!

Ruby: They're fine! Y/n took the brunt of the attack! But it's time! For the final act! Yang! Y/n!

Ruby : FIGHTING GOLD!

Y/n and Yang Rise together, Her hair burning white! Her eyes red as Y/n's Liberator is on act 5! All the elements bursting from his blade

fighting GOOOOOLD!

Y/n charges in in His blade cuts the metal effortlessly! As he slashed a major system in the mech!

MY SOUL SHIIIINES!

Yang blasts the other arm of the robot off. Final attack!

Ruby: Ice Flower!

Twirling their weapons so they both point at Roman, Weiss creates a series of glyphs in front of the scythe's sniper barrel, and a single shot through the circles creates a dazzling spiral of energy that creates large icicles upon impact with the Paladin. Ruby continues to shoot as Weiss freezes the fire, and as the ice completely envelops the robot's body, Blake swings her partner around in a circle one more time, and launches! Y/n. Turns to Weiss as she nods. Using her rapier she creates a fire Glyph, to erupt! Y/n lands on it as it launches him into the air! Liberator on act 5! but with Roman unable to move, the Paladin is hit by the speed and power of Yang's and Y/n's Final Attack! Fighting Gold!, flying into the air before crashing down in a hundred pieces and a defeated criminal.

Roman: Just got this thing cleaned...

He looks up just in time to see Yang, still burning with her absorbed power, fire a single shot at the defenseless thief, but he's saved at the last instant when the two-toned girl seen before drops in front of him and merely opens her pink umbrella, deflecting the blast entirely. The new arrival hangs the weapon over her shoulder as Roman addresses the victors.

Roman: Hunters, Ice Queen...

Weiss: Hey!

Roman: Always a pleasure! Neo, if you would...

The pink-and-brown girl curtsies her enemies with a bow, but Yang will have none of it, charging forth with fists raised to strike the outlaws... only to break their image as if made out of a mirror and turn just in time to see them escape in a Bullhead. The rest of team GRWBY runs up to Yang's side, now cooled down with the end of the fight. Y/n's Liberator calmed.

Yang: So I guess he got a new henchman...

Weiss: Yeah, I guess she really made our plans... fall apart!

Y/n: Boooooo, Boooooo Weiss.

Blake leaves. 

Yang: No. Just... no.

Weiss: What- But, you do it!

Yang: There's a time and a place for jokes.

Yang Follows, with Y/n. 

Weiss: Was this not it?

Yang: No, it just wasn't very good.

Weiss is upset Walking with her teammates.

Weiss: Well, at least I'm trying!

Y/n: well try harder, ice queen~

Weiss: now you're calling me that?

Ruby: Wait... Where are Sun and Neptune?

Y/n: who cares!

Sun and Neptune are sitting in the middle stools of the "A Simple Wok Noodle House" eating their plates of noodles with the Shopkeep behind the counter and their weapons leaning on the other two stools.

Neptune: They're probably fine, right?

Sun: Probably.