The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Continuation

Now that the levels of Monstrosity and Metamorphosis were so high, reversing the transformation was a simple as willing it to undo itself. Plates of white armor shimmered around me before withdrawing, sinking back into my flesh like a stone being consumed by a pond. Then, my blackened skin began to clear in patches, reverting to my normal coloration as it did until all traces were gone. When I'd returned fully to normal, I calmly walked back over to the place I'd been standing prior to the Time Stop and waited.

Cinder's reversal was much the same, with Dust crystals retracting one by one. In case it needed to be said, they didn't actually withdraw into her body—I checked even though basic logic dictated that she'd need a noticeable amount of room to store that much Dust inside her. Instead, the Dust just seemed to fade out of existence, pulling back through either the same portals that the Grimm normally used or something akin to my Inventory, Either way, they were almost entirely gone in moments and then the black markings on her skin, leaving behind nothing but a pair of spikes on her shoulders.

"Three," Cinder said, straightening her dress absently. "Two. One."

The time crystals slipped into her flesh as well and time resumed as if nothing had happened. We picked up our conversation precisely where it had left off.

"I can't say I ever agreed with that saying," I answered, smiling at her easily. "I've always believed in the power of knowledge—you of all people should understand that. You know what I'm after, Ms. Fall."

I emphasized the name lightly and noted that the look of annoyance she shot my way wasn't entirely faked.

"Perhaps I do," She replied nonetheless. "But for you to be willing to push so hard for it…Dr. Rhodopis' work must be of great interest to you indeed. Assuming that I did, in fact, know something…what reason would I have to tell you? Am I to believe that you would truly forget everything you know, simply because I gave you what you wanted? Do you honestly think I'd believe you'd cast me aside why I was still your only way to get it?"

"Certainly, it is good to be self-confident," I mused. "But don't you think that you might be overestimating its value? Or…perhaps yours?"

"No," She said simply, giving me a slight and cold smile. "Whatever you may think, I know my own worth—and it's. But if you do not, then feel free to strike me down here and now. You won't find it on your own."

"…Hm," I mused, making the sound in the back of my throat as I smiled quietly at her. "To say those words with such conviction…perhaps I am a little interested, after all."

"Then if that is all, I'll be taking my leave," Cinder said, closing her eyes for a moment before walking past me with a smirk on her lips. "I have worked to do."

For a moment, as she turned her back towards me, I considered taking a shot at her here and now. Her crystals had been withdrawn and she was vulnerable, however briefly. It was even possible that if I turned Tachyon's power upon her now, she wouldn't be able to break free while under its effects the way my Semblance had allowed me to. If I unleashed everything I had on her, I might have a at winning shot, however long.

Of course, if I took that shot and missed, I was a dead man. If I failed to kill her, failed to overcome the still unknown limits of her abilities, then I already knew I couldn't withstand what would follow—and neither could any of my allies. I wouldn't be simply gambling with my life, but also with theirs, and the odds weren't remotely high enough for me to dare take that chance.

The moment passed and I closed my eyes. Better to err on the side of not being brutally murdered and try again when I actually had a chance in a fight. There was still a lot to be gained from this ruse besides, even if there was no way to know for sure how long it would be able to last. Cinder was perhaps the first in I had into the enemy camp and one of the few people who could tell me what I needed to know, if I played my cards right.

"Then I wish you luck, Ms. Fall," I replied, snapping my fingers once, gauntlets making the sound metallic. "Raven, if you would."

There was a moment of hesitation as my friend blinked beneath her mask on the other side of her surveillance portal, surprised by the blatant request—but then a swirling red gateway opened up before my eyes. I saw Cinder pause behind me and glance over her shoulder, but I didn't bother with anything so obvious myself, instead walking confidently through the opening and letting it fade behind my back.

The second it did, however, I heaved a deep sigh. I didn't relax, primarily because I'd had to force myself not to tense in the first place, but that had been a type of strain in its own right. Had I been anyone else, I might have collapsed to the ground out of simple relief from being away from Cinder. But I was myself and instead I just gave Raven a rather bleak smile when I saw her looking my way.

"What happened?" She asked immediately. "I saw Cinder suddenly change position slightly."

Trust Raven to notice such a thing, I thought. Indeed, Cinder hadn't returned to her precise position before the Time Stop end and to an outside observer it must have been like a sudden change—but while she hadn't been as exact as me, she'd been fairly close. For Raven to be able to pick out the differences instantly at night and from a distance was…well, more than a little impressive, especially given the type of eyes she was using. The mere thought was enough to make my smile a bit more genuine.

"Ah, that…" I shook my head. "It seems I overstep my bounds…and underestimated Cinder. When I pushed too hard, she stopped time for several minutes."

Raven's eyes widened at that, as did Adam's. Being a dog, Gou's face wasn't very adept at making human expressions, but I could feel his surprise as well.

"Stopped time?" Raven breathed. Her eyes flicked over me once. "Are you…?"

"I'm fine," I assured her. "I managed to avoid a fight, or else I wouldn't be. If I hadn't been able to retain my mind even when time was frozen, I would most likely be dead."

I felt another flash of surprise flicker through my friends, though whether because of what I'd said or simply because I was admitting to weakness, I wasn't sure. It wasn't as if I hadn't done so before, though, I just didn't like to do it out loud. Oftentimes, the appearance of strength was as useful as strength itself, both to myself and my allies. Even if I had no idea what to do, it made more sense to appear as if I did to reassure them while I tried to figure something out rather than say I was clueless and add to their worry. I did my best to appear like I was ready for anything, especially when I wasn't; sometimes just looking like I was strong and in control could save lives.

Like it probably just had with Cinder.

But even so, this situation was too dangerous to risk leaving them in the dark. Cinder was a massive threat to all of us, even if I'd managed to temporarily remove us from her path—we all needed to prepare ourselves now. Rare as it might have been for me, this wasn't the time for secrets.

And as it happened, there were several that I was overdue on revealing.

"Time manipulation," Raven mused under her breath, brow momentarily furrowing in frustration. "Why does it always have to be time manipulation. Is she like Ozpin?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "She uses Dust—as I expected, Famine's power seems tied to it. She grew crystals from her very skin and seemed quite skilled at using them. Which, sadly, means that this isn't the full extent of her abilities. She tried to kill me with a spatial attack before I stopped her and it seems safe to assume that she's capable of a great deal more."

Raven exhaled sharply, clenching her teeth as she did. I could all but see her going through the possibilities in her head—the same ones that I'd sadly already reviewed several times—and she knew it wasn't good. That she didn't swear was a testament to her own self-control.

Adam, meanwhile, started swearing enough for all of us put together.

"We'll need to think of countermeasures," Raven said, not acknowledging her son's swearing fit but making no move to stop it either. "I assume you came up with something for time manipulate, just in case Ozpin proved to be a threat, but the rest of it will need to be—"

"Raven," I interrupted, halting her with a word. "Before that, there's something I need to tell you."

Raven tilted her head slightly and looked at me carefully.

"What?" She asked, tone serious. She knew I wouldn't be bothering with it right now unless it was important.

"Everything," I admitted.

Raven took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Adam and Gou had wandered off and were very deliberately not paying attention, so it was just Raven and I for now.

"So," She said. "You were never Jian Bing?"

"No," I admitted. "I'd merely mastered his martial arts style and assumed his form."

"So instead of being a reincarnated Faunus King, you're a reincarnated Angel from Babel pretending to be a reincarnated Faunus King," She asked to clarify.

"Right," I answered, nodding as I did. "The reincarnation stuff is still true, it's just that as far as I know, this is my first body since Babel fell."

"I see," She murmured, looking at me carefully for a long moment before exhaling another breath. "Okay."

"Okay?" I asked.

"It's no more outlandish than anything else you told me," She stated. "Simply more confusing and elaborate. I assume you had a reason?"

"Truthfully, it was simply fear," I admitted. "While I grew into my power very quickly, when I first met you I realized immediately that you were significantly more powerful than myself and considered you to be an enemy. After that, it was simply difficult to unravel the lie and I feared your reaction to the truth and what might happen."

She was silent for a moment.

"I know something about that, I suppose," Raven whispered, reaching up to touch her mask. She held her hand there for a moment before removing it from her face. "Given the circumstances, I suppose I can't blame you for that. Why tell me now, then?"

I imagined she was probably thinking of the family and team she'd left behind and never returned to—not even when I'd given her a chance to do so. As she said, she probably did know something about the difficulty of revealing hidden truths and explaining oneself.

"I'd always intended to," I said with a sigh. "Though I admit that I was putting it off. As for the reason…I suppose the simplest is that I consider you a friend and don't want any lies hanging over our heads. Beyond that, however, I just scenes in movies and such where the liar is revealed while something important is happening and it makes everyone turn on him and doubt. I'd hate for us to be fighting Malkuth or the Riders just to have them reveal my identity to you and distract you in a crucial moment, so I vowed I'd tell you the moment things began to move, even if I was still nervous about it."

"And they have?" She guessed.

"They have," I confirmed. "When Cinder stopped time and tried to kill me, I was forced to think on my feet to protect all of us. Not to doubt your abilities Raven, but if Cinder proved willing to kill Jian Bing, who would have been the public face of the White Fang in her eyes, then it stood to reason that she might target his known associates and allies. I assumed you'd rather go without such attention."

"Dealing with a time manipulating assassin would be very inconvenient," She agreed, hand falling to the hilt of her sword. "I have a blade of Time Dust in case of emergency, but it's a limited supply meant for a worst case scenario. In a prolonged fight, the risk of it running out is great and I'd be unable to switch to another blade without being left vulnerable; in that situation, would likely be pressed just to escape."

It was a quiet admission and no doubt a hard one for her to make, but there was no denying it—Cinder was a force to be reckoned with and one we'd have to approach with caution.

"To keep that from happening, I was forced to think on my feet," I said. "Even once I managed to stop her and gain some measure of her trust, the fact remained that if she was willing to assault me in the first place, there was nothing to guarantee your or Adam's safety—so I was forced to imply and admit to several things. In Adam's case, I simply revealed—as Jian Bing—the true identity of Jaune Arc as Keter while also making her believe we were separate people. In your case, I simply stated that you were important to me and that I needed you."

Raven raised an eyebrow at that, giving me another long glance.

"And how did you make her believe any of that?" She asked.

I sighed again.

"That's part of why I wanted to get these secrets out of the way," I began. "If I'm making sure there are no misunderstandings, it only makes sense to go all the way, right? In order to make her trust me, I told her I was Conquest."

Raven blinked at that, frowning at me.

"And she believed it, obviously," She mused. "Why?"

"Because I gave a fairly convincing impression," I stated, lifting a hand. "Before I do anything to alarm you, this also a fairly good time to tell you about the nature of my Semblance. The only reason I hadn't told you already was because…well, frankly, it's annoying to do so as it's extremely complex both in how it looks and how it functions beneath the surface. When I allowed you to attack me several months ago to show that I wasn't injured by it, I implied that was healing myself rapidly—which, in fairness, I was. That is not why I didn't seem injured, however. Instead, that's a basic application of my Semblance which redefines how my body interacts with the world. Even without healing, I'm not injured by attacks in any obvious or physical sense, though I suspect that's because I replace any parts of my body that are altered instantaneously. This is the main protection for my body which does a variety of things that I'll get to shortly as they're simply easier to demonstrate than explain—but there's also a level of protection for my mind."

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Protected how?"

"My thoughts are shielded," I answered. "No matter what happens, my power insures that I remain calm and able to think things through, while at the same time, they're protected from external influences. Semblances and other things that would affect my mind are simply stopped outright thanks to my Semblance. The mechanics of it are rather complex and even I do not understand them in full, but to put it simply, my mind—or perhaps my soul, though it's possible they amount the same thing in this case—is stored safely in a higher dimension. Things that try to affect my mind through my body are ineffective because my mind isn't in my body and is well defended besides."

Raven frowned, mulling over that.

"So it's similar to the difference between the memory and storage of a computer, then?" She guessed. "Our physical body retains only the active part of a much larger system?"

"No," I shook my head. "That's not quite it—if anything, this body would be nothing more than the display, while my shielded mind is the memory that determines what is displayed and the storage would be contained on a higher level, in my soul. Or, it's possible that I'm further divorced from it than that and what I truly am is the user operating the computer that displays my body, and the memory and storage would be what connects us."

"That sounds complicated," Raven mused, blinking at me mildly.

"It is," I said with another sigh. "As I said, even I don't fully understand how it works. Somewhat ironically, my Semblance didn't come with an instruction manual. But what matters in this case is simply this—that I can retain myself even while infected by Conquest."

Without moving, I willed the infection to spread over my hands, turning my flesh black. The beginning of armor began to form as well, starting with my nails, but I stopped it from progressing any further when I saw that I'd made my point.

Raven was already on the other side of the clearing, drawing back in a single step.

"Even if it reaches my brain, it makes no difference," I said, speaking to her in precisely the same tone as before with Levant's aid. "I can eve reverse the effect , though that took some work to figure out."

To demonstrate, I returned my hand to normal and dropped it back to my side.

"I'm still me," I continued. "Captain of my soul and all that."

"In fairness, that would most likely be what someone who wasn't in control would say," Raven pointed out, knowing I'd be able to hear her easily despite the distance. "Under the circumstances, one might wonder as to whether or not Cinder caused such an infection while stopping time."

"If I were Conquest, I'd have already had a number of opportunities to touch and infect you," I replied dismissively. "And no real reason not to do so. The simple fact that we are having this conversation should prove that I'm who I say I am."

Raven stared at me quietly, emotions tumultuous—and I was a little surprised at what I sensed. She was worried, maybe even afraid, but not for herself. For me?

After a moment, however, the storm inside her seemed to settle and blinked her eyes closed.

"I suppose that's true," She admitted, believing me. Or, at the very least, wanting to believe me.

"If you'd like to confirm it, I could go to sleep," I offered. "I know for a fact that the process removes all traces of the infection from my body, along with anything else I might be suffering from. If I had to guess how that process works…I most likely just discard and replace this body in its entirety?"

"You don't sound particularly certain," She noted, making me smile.

"I'm reasonably clear on what my power does, most of the time," I replied. "How it works, I'm figuring out as I go along."

Raven pursed her lips for a long moment and took another deep breath, glancing around me as if the air itself was a danger—which it would be, if I were Conquest. But after a moment, she approached with slow steps, eyes rising to meet mine when we stood before one another again.

"It doesn't seem as if I'm turning into a monster," Raven mused. "Which is almost always a good sign."

"Transformations have their uses," I disagreed. "It's why I'm still alive right now, after all."

"Granted," She allowed. "Well then. What now, Ji—"

She stopped herself, pausing as she looked at me.

"Go ahead," I said at once. "Names are like shirts for me these days. Jian is as real to me as the rest of them."

And apparently I couldn't risk telling myself my 'real' one. Which seemed to be because it'd hold value to me, which was all I could really ask from a name, I guess.

"Jian, then," She murmured. "For now, just until I get used to this. What do we do now?"

"Now that I've told you my secret, there's no problem revealing this," I answered, absently bringing up a window. "To strain the computer analogy even further, this would be my computer's GUI—my Semblance, 'The Gamer.'"

And with that, I invited Raven to join my party.