RWBY: Innocence

Till The Last Man Stands

Kenzo took a leap backwards as Torchwick swung at him, gaining some distance from his opponent. Darting forwards, Kenzo delivered a brutal upwards slash into Torchwick's chest, stunning him for a second. Activating the Aero-Gauntlets, Kenzo then struck his enemy with a vicious uppercut that cracked a few of Torchwick's teeth. He flew up into the air, did a complete somersault and fell down flat on his face.

Torchwick scrambled to his feet and fired a flare straight at Kenzo's head. Activating his Semblance, Kenzo dodged the flare that was now moving at a Snail's pace. Rapidly making his way towards Torchwick, Kenzo drove his knee into his stomach and slammed him to the ground, nearly burying him in dirt. But as he was about to deliver a second attack, Kenzo groaned in agony as Torchwick delivered a nasty kick to his groin. Kenzo stumbled backwards and quickly fell to his knees, grabbing his crotch in a weak attempt to numb the pain. He regretted this instantly as this gave Torchwick the opportunity to rush him and strike his jaw repeatedly.

"Die! Die! Die!" Torchwick chanted with each strike.

It was at that moment that Kenzo briefly lost all sense of control as a vile and murderous surge took over him...

As Torchwick delivered one more strike to his jaw, Kenzo opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on the Melodic Cudgel. Torchwick desperately tried to yank his weapon free, but Kenzo's jaws held firm. Just as Torchwick pulled at his weapon one more time, Kenzo lunged forwards and delivered another shattering uppercut to Torchwick's face. The impact staggered Torchwick for a brief moment, allowing Kenzo to dart in and deliver a flurry of punches to Torchwick's gut, nearly mashing his insides into pulp.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kenzo roared.

Spinning on the spot, Kenzo then delivered a roundhouse kick to Torchwick's back, sending him flying into the dirt and crumpling on the ground like paper. Jumping up once more, Torchwick was about to fire off another flare, but he was quickly hit by a Red Dust Blast from EMZ, sending him careening into the dirt once more. He then looked up through his bruised eyes to meet Kenzo's piercing glare and shivered at the sight of his bloodshot eyes. It was like looking up at a ghoul that had risen from the depths of Hell...

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!?" Kenzo screamed.

Through heavy breaths, Torchwick was able to muster up a legitimately confused:

"Huh?"

Kenzo stomped down hard on the ground and let out a cry of rage as Torchwick cowered in fear.

"From the moment we met, I didn't do anything to you! It was Lazarus who had foiled your crappy plans, not me! When will you learn!? Why won't you understand that it wasn't me!? When!?"

Torchwick slowly tried to back away from Kenzo, but a well aimed stomp to his stomach stopped him dead in his tracks. Rain began to storm down from the skies, soaking both Kenzo and Torchwick.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through!? Do you honestly care for anyone else, aside from yourself!? Do you even care that people are trying to save the world from you!?"

Trying to muster up a response, Torchwick opened his mouth, but quickly closed it as Kenzo cracked his knuckles.

"I have grown up all on my own, been through Hell and you will never understand what it was like! But then again, a psychopath like you could never understand! But now..."

Kenzo knelt down on one knee before Torchwick and slid his tongue across his teeth in a menacing manner. Torchwick began to shake and shake his head in fear, begging for mercy. The wet mud had dirtied and soaked Torchwick's clothes, but only Kenzo's boots and right knee were muddy. Thunder struck hard and loud across the skies as Kenzo raised his fist once more.

"I'LL MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE PAIN I'VE BEEN THROUGH!"

"Kenzo! Stop!"

Snapped out of his delirious and savage state, Kenzo felt the tight grip on his shoulders and whirled around to see Yang with a desperate look on her face.

"It's alright! I've called the Atlasian Forces! Just calm down!" She reassured him.

A sudden splitting ache hit Kenzo's jaw as he groaned in pain. Rising up and balancing himself on Yang's shoulder, Kenzo slowly hobbled away from Torchwick. Kenzo and Yang walked onwards into the forest, leaving Torchwick to grovel in his defeat. They saw three massive Helicopters fly overhead, each bearing the Atlasian Flag and brightening up the forest with their spotlights. They later heard the sounds of Torchwick screaming in protest, signifying that the Soldiers were taking him back to prison where he belonged...

********

The rain had finally stopped and Kenzo and Yang were almost at the camp. Kenzo had been holding up for quite some time now and Yang was starting to become concerned about his healing process.

"I hope that...they reinforce the security...and the strength of the cage...that they throw him...into..." Kenzo managed to get out through his coughing.

Yang nodded and examined his jaw. The marks were barely noticeable; a clear sign that his Aura was working as normal. Blood trickled from a cut on his bottom lip, but she could see that his was quickly healing up. She saw him wince when she brushed her finger over the cut, but Yang knew that Kenzo was a big boy and he could handle it.

"Looks like you're healing up..." Yang commented.

Kenzo nodded and let out a pained cough.

"If Torchwick wanted something done right, he should have just done it himself..." Kenzo muttered.

Yang quirked her brow and squeezed Kenzo's shoulder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

Kenzo cleared his throat with some effort and explained:

"Torchwick used the Grimm to try and destroy Beacon, when he would have had a much better chance on his own...The Grimm were much more interested in the students..."

Yang nodded and patted Kenzo on the back, trying to be as gentle as possible to avoid hurting his healing body. She took a look at her lover and smiled. He was a man who was kind, compassionate, caring, intelligent, funny and a very unique person. He had grown so much in the past few months and had really come out of his shell. Yet inside of him, there was a monster that was just waiting to break out and spread chaos across Remnant...

She ignored her thoughts about Kenzo's Mutation. She loved Kenzo and that was that.

"Hey, Yang?" Kenzo asked, "I just wanted to say thank you for coming with me. You really didn't have to-"

Yang pushed a finger to his lips and hushed him.

"Of course I had to come! I wasn't just gonna stand by and watch my boyfriend walk to what could have been his death!" She argued with a smile.

Kenzo scoffed and let out a mocking laugh, playing around to cheer up the grim atmosphere.

"Ha! As if I, the great and powerful Kenzo Blanc Zanshi, would fall to a rapscallion such as Roman Torchwick!" He cried out in a heroic voice.

Yang stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait...Your middle name...is Blanc?"

Kenzo turned, now finished with his hero act.

"Yeah...Why?"

Yang burst out into fits of laughter, clutching at her stomach with a massive smile spread across her face.

"Oh my God! Your initials sound like a really weird sandwich! KBZ! Haha!"

Kenzo couldn't help but laugh as well.

"A sandwich!? How does KBZ sound like a sandwich!?"

"It just does!"

Kenzo and Yang laughed outside the camp, unbeknownst to them as students watched with joy. Ozpin stood at the wooden gate, proud to see his nephew return victorious...