Tales from the Remnants

Episode 1: Big Trouble In Little Atlas

This fanfic adapts to the majority votes of the audience for choices the protagonist makes.


Different.

That's pretty much how I would have described the past couple weeks: Different. Now, it wasn't all bad. I mean, the adventure had it's good times but there were some times where I thought "I'd rather cut off my genitals with a rusty bread knife than be doing this right now"

As I'm looking back on the events that have transpired, my inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the big man himself, professor Ozpin. There was something about the way he walked, like he was swaying a bit just to throw people off. I wasn't entirely convinced he even needed that cane he carried around.

The interrogation room was all but secure, in fact it was basically just a classroom with a table and two chairs. Now, I know you may think that a table and chairs are the only components of an interrogation room but that's not the case. The room was just a repurposed classroom by the looks of it, you could faintly see the markings of where a chalkboard used to be before it was obviously taken down. What made this situation more unnerving was the fact that Ozpin's right hand (wo)man Glynda Goodwitch was not present. I had heard the stories, the stories of-

"Are you quite done with your inner monologue?"

"Hm? Oh, yesyesyes sorry. Ah... What is it you wanted to ask me, sir?"

Now that was the first if many questions to be asked between the two individuals today. The headmaster and the (recently pardoned) enemy of the kingdoms.

'Now, enemy of the kingdoms sounds impressive, but in reality-

"You're doing it again, aren't you?"

"doing what?"

"Please focus on the task at hand please."

"Well, I was waiting for you to ask what you wanted to ask me but then you did that whole

dramatic pause thing and I kinda got bored."

Ozpin sighed "Mister Maroon, could you please detail the events that have occurred over the past two weeks involving yourself, your criminal friends and my students?"

Maroon looked at Ozpin in confusion and asked "Where exactly would you like me to start? I mean, there was some stuff that happened before your kids showed up."

Ozpin's eyes were now fixated on the former criminal "From the beginning..."

"Very well"


I grew up in Atlas. Now, I know it's believed that the whole kingdom is very militaristic, and they'd be right. However, every beauty has its flaws, every rose has its thorns, and in this case every stronghold had an underworld. So yeah, that makes me the bad guy in this story because that's where I begin, the underworld.

Never was that much of an achiever, raised in an orphanage, learnt to look out for myself and my friends. It was actually not that difficult once you got the hang of it. Of course, I never had shown as much potential as those I called my brothers and sisters, the minute they began showing signs that they had a semblance was the minute that the government took them away. So where did that leave me? Alone again with very little skill to show other than my cunning.

I remember signing up for various jobs for various individuals. The work was almost never legal but it was always an honest job. I worked hard at what I was assigned to do. Of course, most of the hired help were much more physically improved than myself, so hired muscle wasn't exactly what people thought when they saw me. I was usually hired as a messenger, roper, technician, etc. I was just about to carry out a job for a local conman to rope a greedy Atlas government official into a fake property deal, but that was when he... Um...


"Mister Maroon?"


His head... Exploded. Shot off. Boom. Gone.

Now, I saw who did it. Who killed him, but I really wasn't sure what to do then. The guy who did it, he had silver hair and wore these boots with guns in them. I mean, I've heard of hunters and huntresses having unique and crazy weapons but guns in boots was just unexpected on my part. Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

In the firefight that ensued, I ran for the nearest ship I could find. And as luck would have it, a bulkhead was primed and ready to launch, it probably belonged to the government official now that I think about it. I had to make my way through what I could only guess turned into a turf war. The second one guy dies, the rest of those degenerates jump at the opportunity to spill blood.

And that's when I met... Her

A small woman. You could easily mistake her for a young teen but it was clear to me that this was an adult. I could always roughly guess the age of someone by their eyes. For example, you Mr Ozpin, have a face so young but eyes so old. Your hair may be grey but clearly it's just for show-


"Back to the story please, Mr Maroon"


Right...

This woman had pink and brown eyes. I didn't really know what to think of it ar the time but the more I look back, the more her clothing complimented her eyes and hair. Almost like she was trying to carry the style of Neapolitan ice cream. Odd, don't you think?

Anyway, she was trying to steal the bulkhead as well. I could see her trying to hotwire it but so far nothing was working for her until I made myself known.

"Um... Excuse me"

And just like that, I had a sword pointed at my throat. The woman's look of anger quickly turned into one of contemplation and just as quickly, a look of happiness. She pointed at me, then towards the pilot's controls, she then pointed to herself and the onboard weapons system.

"You… want me to drive?" I asked with a drop of sweat falling down my nose. To which she simply smiled and nodded.

I nervously laughed and said "Well, let's see. A pretty little lady wants me to drive her away from a turf war while she's pointing a sword at me? Hehe how can I refuse?" And with that, her smile widened and she jumped on the gun controls.

The fight that ensued was nothing special, I couldn't really maneuver such a large vessel through the suburbs without causing damage. The lady in pink however, was mowing down anybody shooting up at us, honestly it seemed too easy. That's when that silver haired guy was following us in an Atlas military gunship, I don't know where he could have acquired it, yet he was hot in pursuit. The small woman managed to shoot down the gunship but that guy just wouldn't give up. He jumped out last minute and used those gun bot things to kick himself onto the Bulkhead. She and him got into a scramble behind me while I was trying to drive and before I knew it, he had her defeated and was carrying her to the cargo bay door. I felt like I had to help her, we both helped each other to get away from the mess that assassin started, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to control the ship and we'd have hit a residential area.

"So what did you do?" Ozpin asked, eyes slowly glaring.

Maroon froze "I… I…"


Save Neo

Or

Save the residents

End