[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

General James Ironwood's temporary office at Beacon Academy was a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of the campus, its sleek metal walls and holographic displays exuding cold efficiency, tinged with the faint scent of polished steel and coffee. Ironwood sat behind his desk, his cybernetic hand tapping rhythmically, his blue eyes narrowing at a series of flickering holograms showcasing a masked vigilante in a red cape, dubbed "The Huntsman," thwarting petty crimes in Vale's streets. Winter Schnee stood at his side, her white hair impeccable, her ice-blue eyes scanning the images with a small frown.

"Sir?" Winter prompted, her voice crisp but curious.

Ironwood's scowl deepened, his voice gruff. "Ozpin says this vigilante is not a threat to our operations. But he has told us nothing else about him."

Winter sighed, her tone dry. "That seems to be typical of him, sir."

"Indeed," Ironwood muttered, leaning forward, his gaze locked on the holograms. "Your impressions?"

Winter's frown softened, her voice measured. "Well… he seems to be doing his best to help the citizenry. They do like him, and it seems to be improving morale."

"True…" Ironwood conceded, his jaw tightening. "But his actions are rather disruptive as well. He's a rogue element. He cannot be trusted unless we know more." His eyes bored into the image of the Huntsman swinging from a rooftop, his red cape billowing. "Who are you, Huntsman? Hmmm… Get me all the files you can on him, Schnee."

"Yes, sir!" Winter saluted, her boots clicking as she exited the office.

Minutes later, she returned, a tablet of files in hand, only to freeze in the doorway. Ironwood, now clad in a red mask and cape over his uniform, stood atop his desk. He was striking a dramatic pose, his cybernetic arm raised heroically.

"Halt, evildoers! I, the Huntsman, have come to stop you!"

Winter blinked, her voice flat. "…Sir?"

Ironwood didn't flinch, his composure unshaken, his voice steady. "I had thought that by imitating the Huntsman, I might gain some kind of insight into his character and motivations."

Winter's eyebrow twitched, her tone carefully neutral. "I uh… I see, sir."

Ironwood adjusted his cape, his expression serious. "Perhaps if you dressed up as Wonder Zwei, we could—"

"No thank you, sir," Winter cut in, her voice firm, her face a mask of professionalism hiding a flicker of exasperation.

Ironwood cleared his throat, stepping down from the desk, his cape swishing. "Yes, well… that is understandable."

Winter handed him the tablet, her voice resuming its crisp efficiency. "The files, sir. Limited data—mostly eyewitness accounts and grainy footage. The Huntsman's identity remains unconfirmed, but his combat style suggests Huntsman training, possibly Beacon-trained."

Ironwood scrolled through the files, his scowl returning, though his cape remained draped over his shoulders. "Keep digging, Schnee. If Ozpin won't tell us who this man is, we'll find out ourselves."

As Winter nodded and turned to leave, the office door creaked open, revealing Jaune Arc, his, his blond hair mussed. He froze, staring at Ironwood's cape and mask. "Uh… General? Am I… interrupting something?"

Ironwood's eyes widened, but his voice was steady. "Not at all, Arc. Just… strategic analysis."

Winter's lips twitched, suppressing a smirk. "Indeed, sir."

Jaune blinked, his blue eyes confused but polite. "Right… uh, I'll just… come back later." He backed out, the door clicking shut.

Ironwood sighed, removing the mask, his voice low. "This stays between us, Schnee."

"Of course, sir," Winter replied, her tone betraying nothing, though her eyes glinted with amusement as she exited.

- - -

More Huntsman chapters are coming!

 

[Freeze046]

I am not sure if anyone else is having these issues, but your images for Thanh and the colonel are broken.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I am not sure if anyone else is having these issues, but your images for Thanh and the colonel are broken.

Click to shrink...

Razzam frazzam freaking forum copy paste bullshit... Check them out here:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheGreatTemporalStepSiblingWar

 

[AndrewJTalon]

• Name: Count Caliban Testoasa
• Allusion: Darth Vader from Star Wars, Scarpia from the opera Tosca, and Don Juan from the classic story.
• Naming Process: The given name Caliban derives from Romani origins meaning "black," evoking darkness, monstrosity, and unrelenting shadow—a nod to his implacable, fear-inducing presence. The surname Testoasa is Romanian for "tortoise," symbolizing armored resilience and slow, inexorable advance, aligning with his group's thematic inspiration from the Four Gods (specifically the Black Tortoise of the North, guardian of endurance and winter's unyielding cold).
• Age: Mid-50s (appears ageless and mechanical beneath his armor due to extensive cybernetic reconstruction)
• Background: Born into the decadent nobility of Hispania, Vacuo as a count of a minor but wealthy desert holding, Caliban Testoasa embodied the kingdom's cutthroat aristocratic culture—ruthless, entitled, and obsessed with legacy. His swordsmanship skills were second to none and with his Semblance, made him a feared mankiller. He grew up into a playboy womanizer, and he got into the drug trade in secret. Coveting Isabel Arc for her beauty, strength, and connection to Vale's prestigious Arc bloodline, he orchestrated a vile Scarpia Ultimatum when Team AARN came on a mission to his town: drugging the water supply of his entire town and holding its inhabitants hostage, demanding her hand in marriage to "save" them. Isabel accepted, pretending to send her friends away while secretly she was held hostage. Her team figured out the truth and returned to rescue her. When Nicholas Arc intervened to rescue his future wife, the ensuing duel was cataclysmic: Nicholas's overwhelming skill and power shattered Caliban's defenses, severing all four limbs and leaving him broken on the brink of death in the collapsed ruins of his castle. Though dead by everyone, Caliban was discovered and rebuilt by the brilliant but amoral scientist Arthur Watts, who transformed him into a cyborg—fusing advanced Atlesian prosthetics, life-support systems, and experimental Dust conduits into his ravaged body. Reborn stronger and more machine than man, Caliban now serves as an enforcer for Watts, hunting enemies with mechanical precision and harboring burning hatred for the Arc family. His resurrection has made him a figure of terror: an implacable black-armored juggernaut who strides through gunfire and explosions unmoved, slaughtering opposition in mook horror shows that cement his mythic dread.
• Race: Human (heavily cybernetically augmented; original organic body largely replaced below the torso and limbs)
• Emblem: A stylized black tortoise shell cracked by crimson lightning veins, set against a void-black shield—representing unbreakable defense pierced only by overwhelming force, and his vengeful rebirth
• Weapon: "Furia de Sangre" (Blood Fury): A massive two-handed montante sword with a broad, serrated blade infused with experimental Lightning Dust conduits. The sword crackles with red electrical arcs on activation, capable of discharging devastating shockwaves, parrying projectiles with electromagnetic fields, or channeling bolts for ranged kills. Its weight and reach make it a terror in close combat, augmented further by Caliban's cybernetic strength.
• Semblance: "Tortuga"
  • Caliban can absorb incoming kinetic energy (impacts, blasts, strikes) and redirect it to reinforce his body's durability or cybernetic systems—hardening his armor, amplifying servo strength, or even venting excess as explosive bursts. This made him notoriously tank-like even before reconstruction; post-cyborg, it synergizes with his mechanical frame for near-indestructibility. Only Nicholas Arc's legendary prowess found gaps to overwhelm the absorption threshold.
• Appearance: Towering and broad-shouldered at over seven feet in full armor, with a hulking, mechanical silhouette that radiates menace. Beneath the helmet (rarely removed), his original face is pale and scarred, with cybernetic optics glowing red and a respirator mask concealing burn damage. His limbs are sleek black prosthetics with exposed red energy conduits pulsing like veins.
• Outfit: Full-body black cybernetic armor resembling heavy Spanish knight plate fused with Atlesian power suit aesthetics—matte obsidian plating, a flowing dark cape, reinforced pauldrons etched with tortoise motifs, and an imposing helmet with a skull-like visor and built-in respirator that emits rhythmic mechanical breathing, with his remaining white hair flowing out the back. Red Lightning Dust glows along seams and joints, flaring during combat.
• Personality: Cold, aristocratic, and consumed by entitlement turned to bitter rage, Caliban speaks in a deep, modulated voice (augmented by vocal synthesizers) laced with cultured disdain. He views himself as a tragic dark lord wronged by fate, justifying atrocities as the privileges of superiority. Implacable and patient, he crushes opposition methodically, savoring fear in others. Only the hope of revenge on the Arcs, Nicholas in particular, has kept him some succumbing to despair at being Watts' slave.
• Notes: As the "Black Tortoise" enforcer among antagonistic circles tied to Grimm Cults and Salem herself, Caliban embodies unyielding defense and slow-burning retribution. His cybernetic enhancements require periodic maintenance by specialists like Watts, making him vulnerable if isolated from tech support. Despite his power, Nicholas Arc's victory haunts him as proof of mortal limits.. A walking engine of terror, he inspires dread in underlings and allies alike, his mechanical breathing a harbinger of doom.