Beacon Academy - Dorm Rooftop
The night sky stretched endlessly above Beacon Academy, a sea of stars twinkling against the void. A gentle breeze swept through the air, rustling Onyx's coat as he sat on the rooftop with Team RWBY and JNPR, the glow of Vale's city lights shimmering in the distance.
Laughter filled the air as Nora dramatically reenacted Hemera's glorious takedown of Cardin Winchester, much to everyone's amusement.
"-AND THEN, SHE WENT BOOM!" Nora threw herself onto the floor, flailing exaggeratedly. "AND CARDIN DIED."
Jaune groaned. "He's not dead, Nora."
Ren, sitting beside him, took a sip of his tea. "Not physically, no."
Weiss smirked. "His dignity, however, is another matter entirely."
Onyx chuckled, shaking his head. His amethyst eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
But as the conversation shifted, his gaze drifted toward Vale, thoughts pulling him elsewhere.
That night...
The fight in the streets.
The Paladin prototype.
Roman Torchwick and Neo.
He remembered everything.
---
Flashback - Vale Streets, 5 Weeks Ago
BOOM!
The night air was shattered by an explosion. The stolen Atlesian Paladin rampaged through the city, its massive frame crushing pavement with every step. Streetlights flickered, alarms wailed, and civilians fled in terror as the hulking war machine unleashed a barrage of missiles.
Inside the cockpit, Roman Torchwick leaned back casually, a wicked grin plastered on his face as he guided the Paladin like a toy.
"Well, well, well," he mused, firing another shot at the scrambling huntresses. "I gotta admit, you brats are tougher than I thought."
Ruby barely dodged, rolling onto the pavement as the explosion rocked the street behind her.
"Okay," Yang growled, shielding her sister. "This is bad."
"You think?!" Weiss snapped, pressing a hand on her arm as her Aura repaired the damage.
Blake gritted her teeth, Gambol Shroud gripped tightly. "We need a plan!"
Roman just laughed. "Aw, you kids are adorable-"
Then-
A voice cut through the chaos.
"Torchwick."
Roman froze.
That voice.
That cold, familiar voice.
A shadow descended from above.
BOOM!
Something landed-no, crashed-onto the Paladin's shoulder. The impact made the entire machine shudder.
Roman barely had time to react before-
CRACK!
A fist plunged through the cockpit's glass with terrifying force.
Roman's cigar dropped from his mouth.
"...Oh," he muttered.
Through the shattered glass, he locked eyes with a pair of glowing amethyst irises-cold, calculating, and utterly unimpressed.
Onyx Thorn.
WHAM!
Before Roman could even think, Onyx ripped him out of the cockpit with one arm, hurling him toward the pavement like he weighed nothing.
SLAM!
Roman skidded across the street, groaning.
The now-unmanned Paladin staggered, sparking-then toppled over, crashing into a building.
Silence.
Ruby and the others stared.
Roman groaned, pushing himself up. "You've gotta be kidding me..."
A shadow loomed over him.
Onyx landed gracefully, his coat billowing behind him. His wolf ears twitched, his amethyst gaze locked onto Roman with cool finality.
"Torchwick," Onyx said, voice even. "You're done."
Roman scowled, reaching for his cane. "Yeah? And what makes you so-"
SHINK!
Darkness surged.
From Onyx's outstretched hand, shadowy chains erupted, wrapping around Roman's entire body before he could even blink.
"-confident...?"
The chains tightened.
Roman let out a strangled grunt.
Onyx tilted his head slightly. "Hmm. That was easy."
Then his nose caught something.
A scent.
Sweet. Familiar.
Neapolitan ice cream.
A blur of pink and white shot toward him-Neo.
Her blade gleamed under the city lights, aimed directly at his throat.
Fast. Silent. Deadly.
But Onyx was faster.
His wolf ears twitched. His sharp nose flared.
He sensed her before he even saw her.
Neo's blade cut through the air—only to meet nothing.
Onyx twisted at the last second, sidestepping with fluid precision.
Neo's eyes barely had time to widen before—
SNAP!
Onyx's hand lashed out, catching her wrist mid-strike.
Neo barely reacted, instantly pivoting to break free.
A feint.
She twisted, her free hand reaching for a concealed dagger—
No chance.
Onyx moved before she could even unsheath it.
A flick of his wrist. A shift of his weight.
With almost insulting ease, he redirected her own momentum, sending her crashing onto her back with a forceful yank.
Her blade flew from her grip, clattering onto the pavement.
Neo gasped, her heterochromatic eyes darting to her lost weapon—
SHINK!
Dark chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around her wrists and ankles before she could blink.
She struggled—silent but furious—as the cold shadows constricted her limbs, pinning her in place.
Onyx crouched beside her, his amethyst gaze studying her with quiet amusement.
"You rely on silence," he murmured.
Neo froze.
"But you forgot something important…"
He leaned in slightly, just enough for her to feel the weight of his presence.
"I could smell you."
Neo's pupils shrank.
Onyx smirked.
His gaze flicked toward Roman, who was still struggling against the chains.
"You two are coming with me."
Roman groaned. "Yeah? And what if I say no?"
Onyx gave the chains a single sharp tug.
Roman wheezed. "Alright, alright! Point taken!"
Onyx sighed. "Idiots."
---
Present - Beacon Rooftop
Onyx blinked.
The memory faded, replaced by the present-the sound of his friends' voices, the distant hum of the city.
Ruby tilted her head. "Onyx? You okay?"
Onyx exhaled slowly. He looked at her-and the rest of them.
He saw their injuries. The exhaustion in their eyes.
And he frowned.
"You guys were reckless that night," he said, his tone even but firm.
The mood shifted.
Weiss crossed her arms. "We handled it."
Onyx arched a brow. "Handled it?" He gestured toward Ruby. "You nearly got crushed by a Paladin."
Ruby winced. "I-I mean-"
"You," he turned to Blake, "were barely standing at the end."
Blake looked away.
Yang scowled. "We survived, didn't we?"
Onyx narrowed his eyes.
"You got lucky."
The weight in his voice settled over them.
"You weren't trained for this," Onyx continued. "You're students. Not Huntsmen."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I get it. You want to help people. But next time? If I hadn't shown up, you could've died."
Silence.
Onyx softened slightly.
"I don't want to lose any of you."
Ruby's expression faltered. Yang bit her lip. Blake's ears drooped slightly.
Weiss sighed, rubbing her arm.
"...We'll be more careful," she admitted.
Onyx studied them for a moment, then nodded.
"Good."
---
Flashback - Noodle Shop, 5 Weeks Ago
The neon lights of Vale cast a soft glow over the quiet streets. The battle against the Paladin was over, Roman was in custody, and Onyx had ensured his friends made it back safely. But before returning to Beacon, something caught his attention.
A familiar scent.
Two idiots slacking off.
Onyx sighed, rubbing his temples as he approached a small outdoor noodle stand tucked between city buildings.
At the counter, Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias were comfortably seated, completely unaware of the chaos that had unfolded just a few blocks away.
Sun, hunched over his bowl, eagerly slurped down noodles while Neptune leaned back against the counter, chopsticks twirling lazily in his fingers.
"I'm just saying," Neptune mused, "if we're gonna do recon, we might as well do it in style. Sneak in, smooth talk our way past security-"
Sun nodded between bites. "Or just, you know, not sneak at all. Make a big entrance, take down a few bad guys, then grab the info."
Neptune smirked. "Flashy. I like it."
A heavy presence settled behind them.
Both boys stiffened.
Slowly, Sun turned his head, mid-noodle-slurp.
Neptune followed, a bead of sweat forming as he recognized the glowing amethyst gaze of Onyx Thorn.
"..."
A long, silent pause.
Then-
"...Oh, hey, Onyx," Neptune greeted, slipping effortlessly into his usual charm. "Didn't see you there."
Onyx's stare did not waver.
Without a word, he reached into his coat and pulled out his Scroll.
Turning it around, he pressed play.
Sun and Neptune watched as security footage of the battle filled the screen. The wreckage of a destroyed Paladin. The cratered streets. Police securing the area.
And then-Roman Torchwick, groaning as he was dragged into a transport.
Neptune let out a low whistle. "Wow. That, uh... looks intense."
Sun swallowed his noodles hard. "Uh-huh."
Onyx narrowed his eyes. "Would either of you like to explain why, while my students-who are also my friends-were nearly crushed to death, you two were here stuffing your faces?"
Sun pointed at his bowl. "Noodles?"
Neptune sighed, shaking his head. "Dude."
Onyx pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course.
Sun cleared his throat, trying again. "Look, man, in our defense, we didn't know that was happening! If we had, we totally would've been there!"
Neptune nodded quickly. "Absolutely. Hundred percent."
Onyx arched a brow. "Is that so?"
Sun grinned nervously. "Uh... yeah?"
Onyx exhaled. Deeply.
"...You two are idiots."
Neither of them argued.
"Finish eating," Onyx said, turning away. "Then meet me back at Beacon. Now."
Sun and Neptune exchanged nervous glances.
"...We're in trouble, aren't we?" Neptune muttered.
Sun slumped. "Yup."
And with that, Onyx disappeared into the night, leaving two very regretful Huntsmen-in-training behind.