The Paladin's chest whined with power, cannons humming until the air itself vibrated. Neo's smirk sharpened as she pulled the trigger.
A storm of missiles fired out, tearing through the night sky. The ground erupted, shockwaves tossing rubble and dust in every direction. Weiss' glyphs strained to hold, Ruby dashed across the chaos in blurs of rose petals, Yang threw herself in front of Neptune to absorb a blast, while Blake and Sun darted through fire to keep the barrage distracted.
Team NOVA wasn't spared either. Jisoo's Step Burst blurred her between explosions, chakram carving apart warheads midair, while Jaemin braced his glaive against a crashing shockwave, redirecting rubble away from Jiwon. Jiwon, calm even under fire, shouted quick directions as his Echo Sense painted the battlefield through sound.
But even with both teams, the Paladin loomed unstoppable, its cannons charging for a final, annihilating beam.
Then—
A green spear of scarlet light streaked down from above.
Hyunwoo landed in front of both teams, eyes glowing green, his hand gripping the familiar shape of his weapon . The crimson aura wrapped around the spear, twisting with that strange unnatural flex that only he could command.
"Hyunwoo...?" Ruby breathed, half in relief, half in awe.
He spun the weapon once, the red energy spiraling like a cyclone around the tip, then leveled it at the Paladin. Neo's expression flickered in surprise for the first time.
"You've had your fun," Hyunwoo muttered. His voice was calm, steady, but it carried like steel cutting through the chaos. "Time to end this."
He crouched low, aura flaring, then launched forward in a single devastating throw—
"Gáe Bolg."
The spear struck true. A piercing shockwave ripped through the Paladin's chest plate, bending metal inward before the entire frame exploded outward in a cascade of fire and shattered steel. The ground quaked as the giant crumpled and collapsed, smoke billowing up into the night.
Silence followed. Only the crackle of flames and the hiss of dying hydraulics filled the air.
Hyunwoo stood at the center of the wreckage, his spear dissolving back into green, his eyes dimming back to normal green. He exhaled slowly, turning to the others with the faintest smirk.
"What a reunion, huh?"
Both teams—RWBY and NOVA—stared at him, speechless.
___
Up above, on the distant rooftops, Emerald and Mercury watched with sharp eyes, while Cinder's shadowy figure remained calm. Neo vanished into the smoke, slipping away from the battlefield with a glare shot back at Hyunwoo.
The fight was over.
The Paladin lay in pieces, its blackened frame sparking weakly against the night. Shards of steel and broken hydraulics littered the cracked road. Everyone was still catching their breath.
Hyunwoo pulled his spear back to his side. The crimson glow faded until it was nothing more than a faint shimmer along the weapon's edge. He let it rest against his shoulder, expression unreadable.
Ruby swallowed, her silver eyes wide with awe. "That move you did at the end... what was it?!! That's so cool!!"
Weiss, brushing soot off her sleeve, shot him a sharp look. "Indeed. That strike wasn't just enhanced strength. It's far more powerful for any power up I know. Weapons don't do that."
Yang leaned against a slab of wreckage, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, and wasn't your Semblance just... copying? Since when do you pull off attacks that destroyed machine in one go?"
Jisoo pointed with her chakram, still twirling it in her hand like she was half-nervous, half-excited. "Seriously, I thought your whole thing was mimicking others. That wasn't mimicry. That was... something else."
Even Jaemin, usually more laid-back, couldn't resist. He stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Hyunwoo... that spear moved like it already knew where it had to strike. That's not normal technique."
Jiwon's calm voice cut in, steady as always. "And if you've been hiding techniques of that caliber, you should tell us now. In a real fight, surprises like that can kill your allies as easily as your enemies."
The weight of everyone's eyes pressed down on him. Ruby, though, spoke again, quieter this time. "Is it... even your Semblance? Or is it something else you copied?"
Hyunwoo looked at her for a moment, then gave a small, humorless smile. "You're right. My Semblance is copy. But that wasn't something I stole."
Blake, who had been silent until then, tilted her head, her voice low. "Then what was it?"
He paused, gripping the haft of his spear a little tighter, as though considering how much to reveal. His gaze drifted across the ruined battlefield, then back to them.
"...A technique," Hyunwoo said finally. "Something I learned—not through aura, not through copying. Just... through training. And it's mine alone."
That answer didn't sit cleanly. Weiss frowned, unsatisfied. Yang's smirk faded into something more serious. Team NOVA exchanged quick looks, each interpreting his words differently.
Ruby, however, let out a small breath of relief and smiled faintly. "Then... it's really yours. That makes it even cooler."
Hyunwoo exhaled softly, almost amused at her simple conclusion. But his tone hardened as he turned toward the smoking wreck of the Paladin. "Don't get too caught up in the technique. This was just one stolen war machine. The White Fang will have more. And Roman being locked away doesn't change the fact that his allies are still moving."
That sobered everyone immediately. The awe turned back into grim focus. They attention turned to the aftermath of the destruction.
Ruby tugged on her cape, her usual brightness dimmed but not gone. "...Tomorrow, then? Training ground? You can show me how you pulled that off?"
Hyunwoo didn't answer right away. He looked at her for a long moment, then turned away, starting down the cracked road.
"...Sure, Tomorrow," he said at last, his voice carrying over the smoke and silence.
___
The night air was sharp with the stench of burning steel. From the broken windows of an abandoned warehouse overlooking Vale's industrial district, Cinder Fall stood with her arms crossed, the faint glow of her amber eyes reflecting the chaos far below. The Paladin's carcass still smoked on the highway, its failure visible even from here.
Emerald shuffled uneasily at her side. "We lost it. Just like that. A prototype worth millions—scrapped in minutes."
Mercury smirked, leaning back against a crate with his hands in his pockets. "You mean scrapped by a bunch of kids. Honestly, I thought the robot would last a little longer."
Emerald shot him a glare, but Cinder silenced both of them with a raised hand. Her smile was calm—too calm.
"Don't mistake a setback for defeat," she said, her voice smooth as glass. "The Paladin was never the endgame. Just a piece on the board."
She stepped closer to the open window, eyes narrowing at the direction of Beacon. "But..." She lingered on the word, letting it sharpen into something cold. "I didn't anticipate him."
Emerald blinked. "You mean the spear guy? The one with Team NOVA?"
Mercury tilted his head, finally looking intrigued. "That finishing blow... didn't look like Aura, and it wasn't standard weaponry either. Whatever he did, it cut through the Paladin like paper."
Cinder's smile tightened. "Hyunwoo." She said his name as though testing it. "He's more than a copycat. That technique—Gáe Bolg, was it?—defies even the rules of Semblances. Dangerous."
From the shadows at the far end of the room, porcelain-white boots clicked softly against the floor. Neo strolled forward twirling her parasol, a mischievous grin painted across her mismatched eyes. She tilted her head, mockingly imitating Hyunwoo's last throw with a theatrical spin.
Cinder glanced at her briefly. "Yes, Neo. I saw. He's the reason your toy lies in pieces out there."
Neo's grin vanished in a sharp pout.
Emerald crossed her arms. "So what's the plan now? If he can do that again, we can't just throw machines at him."
Cinder turned back to her, her tone sharp enough to cut. "Of course not. That would be wasteful. Hyunwoo Kim is an unknown factor—one we will dissect piece by piece."
She let the words hang before she continued, softer now, almost a whisper.
"The Vytal Festival is coming. The White Fang is already in position. And Beacon..." Her smile curled again, serpentine. "...is wide open. All we need is patience."
Mercury smirked. "So we let him play the hero a little longer. Sooner or later, everyone slips up."
Cinder's amber eyes glowed faintly, locking on the city lights outside. "Exactly. And when he does... we'll be waiting."
Neo twirled her parasol once more, her smirk returning as though the thought of seeing him again amused her.
The shadows of the warehouse seemed to thicken around them, swallowing their laughter as Vale's skyline flickered in the distance—blissfully unaware of the storm drawing closer.
___
The clang of boots echoed down the narrow hall of Vale's holding facility. Hyunwoo's presence was calm, steady—yet the guards exchanged tired looks before reluctantly unlocking the barred door again.
Inside, Roman Torchwick sat on a bench, orange hair slicked back and hatless for once. He looked up with a lopsided grin.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite spear-throwing nightmare. I was wondering when you'd come back. What's next? Another lecture about my life choices?"
Hyunwoo stepped closer, the steel door closing behind him. His gaze was firm, cutting through Roman's playful tone.
"I handled your toy. The Paladin's scrap on the highway. But it seems your Neo didn't want to meet me—ran off before I could say hello."
Roman's grin faltered just slightly, but he leaned back, feigning nonchalance. "What can I say? She's got trust issues. And a thing against guys who blow up multi-million lien projects."
Hyunwoo's eyes narrowed. "I proved my worth. Now I'm giving you a choice."
Roman raised a brow. "...Oh? Let's hear it."
"You can stay Cinder's helpless dog, get used, and die stupidly." Hyunwoo's tone was low, deliberate. "Or you can help us—and run successfully to Vacuo. Start over."
For a moment, the room was still. Roman's smirk flickered, but he quickly covered it with a laugh. "Vacuo, huh? Dust storms, heat, no rules. Sounds like paradise. But here's the problem, kid—Cinder doesn't let people walk away."
Hyunwoo folded his arms. "That's why you need me. With me, you're not just walking away. You're escaping. And if you keep helping her... she'll toss you aside the moment you're inconvenient."
Roman's eyes hardened at that. For the first time, his easy smile seemed strained. He knew it was true.
He tapped the bench, muttering under his breath. "Helpless dog... huh? You really know how to kick a man when he's down."
Hyunwoo didn't answer, just watched him with that unyielding calm.
Finally, Roman sighed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Alright, spear boy. Let's say I bite. What exactly do you want from me? Names? Hideouts? Cinder's big bad plans? Or you just want me to wag my tail in a different direction?"
Hyunwoo's lips curved faintly. "Information. Cooperation. And when the time comes—your loyalty. You help us, you get to Vacuo alive. Simple."
Roman chuckled dryly. "Simple, he says. Kid, nothing about this city, this game, is simple."
But despite his words, his grin carried a spark of reluctant intrigue. He was listening now.
Roman's grin wavered as Hyunwoo stepped closer, voice calm but sharp enough to cut through his defenses.
"Give me a name. From your mouth. And then I will make sure you live happily—" his gaze sharpened, "with Neo."
The words landed heavier than steel. Roman's jaw tightened, but he forced another smirk.
"You don't play fair, do you? You already figured out I don't give two shits about Vale, or Cinder, or her little firebird games. You hit where it hurts—her."
His tone dipped, quieter now. "Neo doesn't care about your crusade, you know. She just wants me out of this mess alive."
Hyunwoo said nothing, only waited.
Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair. His green eyes flicked up, meeting Hyunwoo's with a sharpness that betrayed the mask. "...Fine. You want a name? Cinder's keeping her toys in a warehouse down by the docks. Dock twelve. She calls it her staging ground. That's where the next shipment's headed. Weapons, Dust... and maybe something bigger. Better fast, before they sent it to another place."
He leaned back, smirk returning, though weaker. "There. That enough to buy me and Neo a vacation to sunny Vacuo?"
Hyunwoo's expression didn't change. "It's a start. Keep talking, and maybe you'll make it there."
Roman chuckled low, shaking his head. "Kid, if anyone can piss Cinder off enough to make her slip, it's you. Just don't get us both killed, alright?"
Support my stories on p*treon.com/Jujukaka0 and get early chapters,