The night air in Vale carried a chill, the kind that cut through even the brightest streetlamps. Hyunwoo walked with his hands in his pockets, heading toward the secluded holding facility where Roman Torchwick was being kept temporarily for interrogation . The guards gave him tired glances but allowed him through — Ozpin's clearance went far.
Inside, the cell block was dim. Torchwick sat cross-legged on the chair, hat tilted forward like he had all the time in the world. His hands were cuffed, but his smirk remained untouched.
"Well, well," Roman drawled as Hyunwoo approached. "If it isn't my favorite uninvited guest. You're starting to make this a habit, kid."
Hyunwoo didn't rise to the bait. His eyes stayed steady, voice low. "Last time, you avoided the real question. I'll ask again: do you want to cooperate, or not?"
Roman tilted his head back, feigning thought. "Cooperate. Such a fancy word. You mean 'snitch on the people scarier than me' in exchange for... what? A pat on the head? A shorter sentence? Don't insult me."
Hyunwoo stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "You're boxed in. No more Dust runs, no more White Fang muscle covering your back. Cinder won't lift a finger for you now. You're expendable."
For a moment, Roman's smirk faltered — just slightly. He leaned forward, his voice lowering to match Hyunwoo's. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't see the writing on the wall? She got what she wanted, and I'm rotting in here. Typical."
Hyunwoo's gaze sharpened. "Then prove you're smarter than that. Work with me. Tell me what you know about her next move."
The silence stretched. Roman's green eyes searched Hyunwoo's face, weighing something.
Finally, he leaned back, chuckling under his breath. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts don't keep you alive in this business. Here's the deal, kid — I don't cooperate. Not unless I see a reason I'll actually walk out of here breathing."
Hyunwoo folded his arms, eyes narrowing. "Then tell me what reason you need."
Roman's grin returned, sly and sharp. "Prove you're more than just another Huntsman-in-training. Show me you can actually survive what's coming. Then maybe... maybe I'll start talking."
Hyunwoo didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened as he turned, walking back toward the door.
Then he stopped right at it, he turned his head towards Roman.
Hyunwoo folded his arms, his green eyes narrowing. "How?"
Roman tilted his head, the smirk never leaving his lips. "Since you're so persistent..." His voice dropped low, conspiratorial. "There's a warehouse. Dockside, near the east storage yards. You didn't hear it from me, but rumor is... the Fang got their hands on a Paladin-290."
Hyunwoo's eyes hardened, mind already racing. An Atlesian mech in White Fang hands? That was no small theft.
Roman grinned wider at the reaction. "See? You get it. Oh, and—" he tapped the side of his nose with a gloved finger. "You won't be alone if you poke around. A little friend of mine has been keeping watch there. Sweet girl, quiet type. Likes umbrellas."
Hyunwoo's stomach sank. Neo.
He said nothing, only turned toward the door, his boots echoing against the cold floor.
Roman's voice chased him out of the cell, light and taunting.
"Better hurry, Green Eyes. Tick-tock. The party's just getting started."
Before Hyunwoo could press him further, the ground suddenly trembled. A deep, metallic roar echoed through the city, followed by the unmistakable shriek of tearing concrete.
Roman's grin spread ear to ear.
"Ahhh... there it is."
Through the narrow slit of the cell window, Hyunwoo caught sight of chaos unfolding across Vale's distant skyline. Cars skidded to a halt, civilians screamed, and above the highway, a hulking figure rose — an Atlesian Paladin-290, its steel frame tearing through traffic like toys. The sound of grinding metal and collapsing asphalt thundered into the room.
Roman chuckled, leaning casually against the wall. "Looks like the boys couldn't wait to play with their new toy. Can't blame 'em. Who doesn't love a giant robot rampaging through rush hour?"
Hyunwoo's jaw clenched, green eyes narrowing.
Roman tipped his hat, his voice low, almost daring.
"Here's my advice, Green Eyes — finish this Paladin business quick. Then maybe we'll talk again, properly. Oh, and do me a favor..." His grin sharpened. "Bring Neo with you next time. She probably misses me."
He chuckled darkly, his green gaze gleaming.
"...That is, if you can defeat her."
The sound of another explosion rattled the cell walls. Hyunwoo didn't waste a second longer. He turned and bolted down the corridor, already reaching for his weapon.
The war for Vale had just taken its first real step.
___
The highway shook again as the Paladin-290 tore through another stretch of asphalt, headlights shattering under its steel feet. Civilians were long gone; only silence and the distant wail of sirens remained.
Hyunwoo landed lightly on a tilted streetlamp, balance unshaken despite the metal creaking beneath him. His eyes narrowed, glowing faintly as he caught sight of the group below.
Team RWBY. Team NOVA. Sun. Neptune.
All of them stood together in a rough semi-circle, weapons drawn, determination hardening their faces as the Paladin loomed over them. Even in the heat of the moment, Weiss's stance was textbook perfect, Ruby's Crescent Rose hummed with deadly anticipation, and Jaemin twirled his bladed tonfa like he'd been waiting for this moment all day.
And in the cockpit of the beast—Neo. The girl with the smirk that could cut sharper than a blade. She leaned forward lazily, tapping the controls like she was playing a game, mismatched eyes locking on Hyunwoo the second she noticed him.
Hyunwoo exhaled through his nose, the corner of his mouth curving ever so slightly.
"...What a reunion."
The Paladin's visor gleamed red, Neo grinned, and the machine's arm cannon charged with a deafening vrrrm.
"Everyone!" Ruby's voice cut through the tension like lightning. "Get ready!"
Weapons snapped into place. Aura glow like clothes covered their body. The battlefield was no longer Vale's highway—it was a war zone.
And at the center of it, Hyunwoo knew one thing for certain.
This wasn't just another fight.
This was personal.
The Paladin-290 roared as Neo drove it forward, pavement splintering under the weight of its metal frame.
Ruby darted ahead in a crimson blur, Crescent Rose snapping into rifle mode mid-spin. She fired a round into the Paladin's joint, the recoil launching her up high where she swung her scythe down like a thunderbolt. Sparks flew—but the armor barely dented.
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy..." Ruby hissed.
"Ruby, left flank!" Weiss's voice rang sharp. Myrtenaster slashed a glyph into existence, and Ruby landed perfectly onto the shining platform. Another glyph flared beneath Yang's boots, launching her upward like a cannon shot.
Yang's gauntlets erupted with fiery bursts as she hammered her fists into the Paladin's chest plate.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike shook the cockpit, Neo grimacing but smirking anyway, tilting the controls to swing the machine's massive arm.
"Yang, duck!" Blake's shadow clone exploded into smoke as the Paladin's arm swept through it. She reappeared behind the mech, Gambol Shroud's ribbon wrapped around a vent. With a violent tug, she yanked herself upward and slashed deep into its back plating. Sparks burst out, but the machine kept moving, relentless.
"Ugh, this thing's tougher than an Alpha Beowolf!" Yang growled, flipping back down to the road.
Weiss landed beside her, glyphs spinning around her hands. "Then we dismantle it piece by piece. Ruby—eyes on the joints. Blake—cut away the armor. Yang—"
"Punch it 'til it stops moving. Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." Yang grinned, shaking out her gauntlets.
The Paladin charged forward again—straight into Team RWBY's coordinated strike.
The Paladin reeled back from Team RWBY's assault, but Neo's smirk inside the cockpit showed she wasn't worried. She flicked the controls, the mech's arm swinging down in a wide arc meant to flatten the huntresses in one go.
"RWBY—scatter!" Ruby shouted, petals scattering as the team broke formation.
Just as the Paladin raised its other arm to follow up—another voice cut in:
"Need a hand?"
Team NOVA burst onto the scene.
Jisoo shot forward first, her chakram spinning in her grip. With a flick, she hurled it, the weapon blazing with fire dust as it ricocheted off the Paladin's shoulder plating, sparking on impact before snapping back to her hand. Her semblance—Step Burst—flared, giving her sudden bursts of speed with each pivot. She blurred around the mech's feet, chakram slicing at weak seams in the armor.
"Got your attention, tin can?" she yelled, darting away just before a massive arm smashed into the ground where she had been.
Jiwon followed with measured calm, extending his collapsible staff. A snap—and it split into twin short blades, gleaming under the streetlights. His eyes half-closed, his semblance—Echo Sense—flared, sending out faint waves that rebounded off the Paladin's frame. In his mind's eye, its weak points lit up like red dots. He adjusted his stance, voice steady:
"Armor's thick, but the joints... they're weak . Aim there."
He dashed in, blades flashing, carving sparks from the reinforced knees.
Jaemin came last, his bladed tonfa in hand. He spun them once, then locked them together into a short glaive, planting his feet as the Paladin's arm came crashing down toward him. His semblance—Momentum Shift—triggered, aura flaring as he redirected the crushing force, twisting his glaive to roll the impact aside. The ground cracked beneath him, but Jaemin stood firm, grinning.
"Not so scary when you can't hit me, huh?"
With a sudden pivot, he redirected the Paladin's own weight, shoving the arm wide open for Weiss's glyph-enhanced fire strike.
Ruby blinked mid-swing, watching NOVA weave into the fight almost seamlessly. "They're... actually good."
Weiss scoffed, but her lips twitched upward. "Tch. Barely coordinated, but... useful."
The Paladin staggered, its hydraulics hissing, sparks flying from its damaged joints. Yet Neo only leaned further into the controls, a playful smile on her lips as new weapons systems unfolded from the machine's chassis—missile pods sliding open, cannons humming to life.
The air grew tense. Both teams braced.
And still, Hyunwoo remained above on the lamppost, his green eyes glinting, waiting.
____
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