Josh Whitman was raised on the periphery of gilded chambers and the bright lights of fame. It came with the territory, being the son of the one and only Vanessa Whitman, THE greatest Huntress in Mistral’s history (in his humble opinion, of course. Her story one that Josh had heard a hundred thousand times, and one that he wouldn’t tire of if he heard it a hundred thousand more.
“Honoured Guests!” his father’s voice echoed throughout the hall. “We cannot thank you enough for being here today.”
His father continued on, speaking to the dozens of Atlas nobles who had gathered for the twentieth anniversary of Henry Burgundy and Vanessa Whitman’s union. A marriage that had produced him, Joshua Whitman, the greatest of the next generation of Huntsmen. The bulwark against all evil.
“Believe me, if you had told me twenty years ago, fresh into my job in Atlas’ base in Argus, that I would be lucky enough even to meet Vanessa.” His father continued, “I probably would’ve laughed in your face.”
Josh knew the story well. A low-level analyst assigned to assist an up-and-coming Huntress. Soon, Argus found itself an unstoppable team of heroes that turned back countless Grimm invasions, saved the city multiple times, and fell in love. And from that love, Josh Whitman was created. Born gifted with the blade, a natural affinity for combat with a bottomless well of aura, and two renowned mentors from birth? Everyone knew it, Josh Whitman was going to do great things.
“-so of course, no amount of Grimm could stop her. If you’d been there… she was like an angel, coming down from heaven to stop the flocks of Nevermore single-handedly.” His father continued. “I would’ve died that day, if not for her.”
Not to to say that Josh was infallible, in any sense of the word. Having such famous roots got to his head, or so people said. Of course, Josh would always retaliate with his tried and true comeback – he was just that good. Why would he need to lie in an effort to be ‘humble?’ It is said that pride comes before the fall, and Josh was the most prideful of all.
“-me! The director of Argus Base? I could hardly believe it. Even so, it was only the second greatest thing I received that day.” The story was almost finished. Josh always loved the ending. “Because later that night, when I got down on one knee and-“
Josh didn’t hear the end of the story, not that time. Somewhere, a window shattered, and in a moment, all hell broke loose. The guards’ firing began abruptly and stopped just as quickly, as masked man breached the doors of the dining hall. Arrows filled the air, and every impact was an explosion of fire or ice.
Josh’s mother, sitting on a chair on the stage at the end of the hall, glanced over to her weapon, out for display in a glass case by the foot of the stage. His father bolted to the side of the stage and slammed his hand down on an emergency alarm. Sirens sounded, entire sections of the roof collapsed, and Josh stayed tightly clinging onto his mother.
“Josh, sweetie,” his mother whispered. “Everything is going to be alright. Just, try to hide, ok?”
“Are you fighting the baddies?” Josh asked.
“Yes, we’re fighting the baddies.” Josh’s mother replied. “Don’t move, your mommy and daddy have it handled.”
Josh’s father arrived at his wife’s side. “Found the ringleader. Swan Faunus, functional wings, east window.”
Josh glanced at the shattered window. Lo and behold, some thing wearing a black jumpsuit and mask that looked like a Grimm. It wielded a bow. He repeated the word that his father used under his breath. “Faunus.”
Henry Whitman’s attention snapped to his son. “Josh, hide yourself behind the stage curtains. Don’t come out until we say so.”
Josh, to his credit, hid like his father said. For all of about ten seconds. After all, his mommy and daddy were heroes, and he wanted to watch them stop the Faunus baddies!
His father leapt off the stage picked up a chair near the front, swinging it around and smashing the glass display case. Vanessa dropped down next to him, and quickly grabbed her weapon, a sky-blue crystal crossbow.
Three of the attackers got close. “Death to humans! Glory to the White Fang!”
Henry swung his chair at the nearest one, and then threw it at one running to him from the other side. Both went down, and then a bolt of ice from Vanessa knocked down the third.
The archer must’ve noticed his mother retrieve her weapon, because their attention immediately focused on her. Two arrows successively, blue and purple respectively, flew towards her. Ice and Gravity.
“Mother!” Josh shouted, jumping out from cover to warn her mother. Of course, his mother already saw the arrows coming, and was already midway through diving behind an overturned table to shield herself.
“Joshua! Get back behind the curtain!” She shouted. “I’ll be fine!”
But then, something strange happened. The arc of the arrows changed, turning almost ninety degrees in a matter of seconds and flying towards Vanessa Whitman again. Henry’s eyes widened, his wife didn’t see that the threat still remained. He dashed forward into the path of the arrows, and both hit their marks.
The ice arrow landed just by his feet, freezing everything below his thighs. The gravity arrow hit the stage behind him. A gravity well of purple dust opened up behind of him, and he felt his body pulled immediately towards it, even though his body below his knees were incapable of movement.
Even from a distance, Josh could see his father’s body bend backwards unnaturally.
He could almost hear the snap.
Josh supposed that there was more fight after that, but the rest was a blur. Explosions, screaming, sirens, but all he could remember was running down from the stage to his father’s side.
Even as the battle wrapped up, and the attackers were pushed out of the hall, Josh stayed by his father’s side.
As midday turned to midnight and then midday again, he stayed by his father’s side.
As that doctor said that his father may never walk again, he stayed by his father’s side. And he cried.
These Faunus, who he’d later learn belonged to a group called the White Fang, would pay. They would pay with their lives. He was Joshua Burgundy Whitman and he would make those creatures pay for what they did to his family!
=======================================================================
“So… The Argus Base director still lives?”
Without even having to look up, The Swan felt Sienna Khan glaring at her through her scroll. “Yes ma’am. B-but, he’s no longer in fit to run Argus Base. My sources say that his replacement is one of Argus Base’s low-level special operatives, an ineffectual buffoon named Caroline Cordovin. If anything, her idiocy will only impede any investigation White Fang operations in Argus.”
“So, at least it’s not a complete loss…” Sienna Khan said.
“On that contrary, ma’am,” The Swan said tentatively. “I spared Special Operative Burgundy-Whitman for another reason. His wife, famed huntress Vanessa Whitman, has announced her resignation to take care of her husband. The biggest opposition to White Fang involvement in Atlas will be predisposed, long enough for us to truly establish ourselves. This was, in fact, the best outcome to this mission.”
“Very well.” Sienna said, sounding deep in thought. “I’ll leave you to your planning then, Serena. Do not disappoint me.”
The Swan let out the breath she’d been holding as the call with Sienna Khan ended. Good, Khan didn’t see through her excuse. She thought back to how easy it would’ve been to kill Whitman and his wife, while both were distracted. How a simple fire dust arrow could’ve ignited the entire building. But she also thought back to the reason she didn’t.
That boy. No child deserved to go through life without knowing their parents. Especially this one, who reminded her so much of-
She shook her head. Hopefully her actions wouldn’t turn that child against the Faunus, just like so many of her fellow White Fang operatives who’d been turned against humanity in their youth. She supposed only time would tell.
“Honoured Guests!” his father’s voice echoed throughout the hall. “We cannot thank you enough for being here today.”
His father continued on, speaking to the dozens of Atlas nobles who had gathered for the twentieth anniversary of Henry Burgundy and Vanessa Whitman’s union. A marriage that had produced him, Joshua Whitman, the greatest of the next generation of Huntsmen. The bulwark against all evil.
“Believe me, if you had told me twenty years ago, fresh into my job in Atlas’ base in Argus, that I would be lucky enough even to meet Vanessa.” His father continued, “I probably would’ve laughed in your face.”
Josh knew the story well. A low-level analyst assigned to assist an up-and-coming Huntress. Soon, Argus found itself an unstoppable team of heroes that turned back countless Grimm invasions, saved the city multiple times, and fell in love. And from that love, Josh Whitman was created. Born gifted with the blade, a natural affinity for combat with a bottomless well of aura, and two renowned mentors from birth? Everyone knew it, Josh Whitman was going to do great things.
“-so of course, no amount of Grimm could stop her. If you’d been there… she was like an angel, coming down from heaven to stop the flocks of Nevermore single-handedly.” His father continued. “I would’ve died that day, if not for her.”
Not to to say that Josh was infallible, in any sense of the word. Having such famous roots got to his head, or so people said. Of course, Josh would always retaliate with his tried and true comeback – he was just that good. Why would he need to lie in an effort to be ‘humble?’ It is said that pride comes before the fall, and Josh was the most prideful of all.
“-me! The director of Argus Base? I could hardly believe it. Even so, it was only the second greatest thing I received that day.” The story was almost finished. Josh always loved the ending. “Because later that night, when I got down on one knee and-“
Josh didn’t hear the end of the story, not that time. Somewhere, a window shattered, and in a moment, all hell broke loose. The guards’ firing began abruptly and stopped just as quickly, as masked man breached the doors of the dining hall. Arrows filled the air, and every impact was an explosion of fire or ice.
Josh’s mother, sitting on a chair on the stage at the end of the hall, glanced over to her weapon, out for display in a glass case by the foot of the stage. His father bolted to the side of the stage and slammed his hand down on an emergency alarm. Sirens sounded, entire sections of the roof collapsed, and Josh stayed tightly clinging onto his mother.
“Josh, sweetie,” his mother whispered. “Everything is going to be alright. Just, try to hide, ok?”
“Are you fighting the baddies?” Josh asked.
“Yes, we’re fighting the baddies.” Josh’s mother replied. “Don’t move, your mommy and daddy have it handled.”
Josh’s father arrived at his wife’s side. “Found the ringleader. Swan Faunus, functional wings, east window.”
Josh glanced at the shattered window. Lo and behold, some thing wearing a black jumpsuit and mask that looked like a Grimm. It wielded a bow. He repeated the word that his father used under his breath. “Faunus.”
Henry Whitman’s attention snapped to his son. “Josh, hide yourself behind the stage curtains. Don’t come out until we say so.”
Josh, to his credit, hid like his father said. For all of about ten seconds. After all, his mommy and daddy were heroes, and he wanted to watch them stop the Faunus baddies!
His father leapt off the stage picked up a chair near the front, swinging it around and smashing the glass display case. Vanessa dropped down next to him, and quickly grabbed her weapon, a sky-blue crystal crossbow.
Three of the attackers got close. “Death to humans! Glory to the White Fang!”
Henry swung his chair at the nearest one, and then threw it at one running to him from the other side. Both went down, and then a bolt of ice from Vanessa knocked down the third.
The archer must’ve noticed his mother retrieve her weapon, because their attention immediately focused on her. Two arrows successively, blue and purple respectively, flew towards her. Ice and Gravity.
“Mother!” Josh shouted, jumping out from cover to warn her mother. Of course, his mother already saw the arrows coming, and was already midway through diving behind an overturned table to shield herself.
“Joshua! Get back behind the curtain!” She shouted. “I’ll be fine!”
But then, something strange happened. The arc of the arrows changed, turning almost ninety degrees in a matter of seconds and flying towards Vanessa Whitman again. Henry’s eyes widened, his wife didn’t see that the threat still remained. He dashed forward into the path of the arrows, and both hit their marks.
The ice arrow landed just by his feet, freezing everything below his thighs. The gravity arrow hit the stage behind him. A gravity well of purple dust opened up behind of him, and he felt his body pulled immediately towards it, even though his body below his knees were incapable of movement.
Even from a distance, Josh could see his father’s body bend backwards unnaturally.
He could almost hear the snap.
Josh supposed that there was more fight after that, but the rest was a blur. Explosions, screaming, sirens, but all he could remember was running down from the stage to his father’s side.
Even as the battle wrapped up, and the attackers were pushed out of the hall, Josh stayed by his father’s side.
As midday turned to midnight and then midday again, he stayed by his father’s side.
As that doctor said that his father may never walk again, he stayed by his father’s side. And he cried.
These Faunus, who he’d later learn belonged to a group called the White Fang, would pay. They would pay with their lives. He was Joshua Burgundy Whitman and he would make those creatures pay for what they did to his family!
=======================================================================
“So… The Argus Base director still lives?”
Without even having to look up, The Swan felt Sienna Khan glaring at her through her scroll. “Yes ma’am. B-but, he’s no longer in fit to run Argus Base. My sources say that his replacement is one of Argus Base’s low-level special operatives, an ineffectual buffoon named Caroline Cordovin. If anything, her idiocy will only impede any investigation White Fang operations in Argus.”
“So, at least it’s not a complete loss…” Sienna Khan said.
“On that contrary, ma’am,” The Swan said tentatively. “I spared Special Operative Burgundy-Whitman for another reason. His wife, famed huntress Vanessa Whitman, has announced her resignation to take care of her husband. The biggest opposition to White Fang involvement in Atlas will be predisposed, long enough for us to truly establish ourselves. This was, in fact, the best outcome to this mission.”
“Very well.” Sienna said, sounding deep in thought. “I’ll leave you to your planning then, Serena. Do not disappoint me.”
The Swan let out the breath she’d been holding as the call with Sienna Khan ended. Good, Khan didn’t see through her excuse. She thought back to how easy it would’ve been to kill Whitman and his wife, while both were distracted. How a simple fire dust arrow could’ve ignited the entire building. But she also thought back to the reason she didn’t.
That boy. No child deserved to go through life without knowing their parents. Especially this one, who reminded her so much of-
She shook her head. Hopefully her actions wouldn’t turn that child against the Faunus, just like so many of her fellow White Fang operatives who’d been turned against humanity in their youth. She supposed only time would tell.
