Author's note: Hey, everyone! So this is my first ever story here in fanfiction!... Yeah, I'm not the best when it comes to greetings, but all I can say is that I hope you enjoy and send in reviews for me to improve my story!
Church sat there patiently, in the mind of an uptight, cold, and possibly insane freelancer agent. I mean, who does this guy think he is, outright telling him he wasn't a motherfucking bad ass ghost!
There's-there's no other plausible explanation! He wasn't an A.I, and he sure wasn't this Alpha that the other A.I's were so fucking obsessed on!
He was Leonard L. Church the person! Not Alpha the mentally abused!
Epsilon affecting him was probably just some goddamn coincidence! And Delta was the most reasonable and pragmatic person he's had the pleasure to encounter over the course of this ridiculously painful life of his, so of course he would agree with the smart ass.
And he willingly accepted Omega so yeah…
"Fuck you Washington. You're a fucking idiot."
"You do realize that I'm right here, right?" said a voice, making Church to raise his head, meeting the frightening bastard.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Church demanded, to which Wash merely shook his head in disappointment.
"You're inside my brain, Alph-"
"I'm not the fucking Alpha! I'm a motherfucking ghost, goddamnit! You're almost as annoying as Caboose, now!" Church shouted, frustrated.
Brain Washington sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "Just-just appear when I tell you to, okay? We're in quite the dilemma right now," Wash said, as a two dimensional rectangle materialized in the middle, projecting what Wash's eyes were seeing.
Wash was kneeling, damaged from a bullet wound shot in his leg, whilst watching as the Meta menacingly sauntered over to him with a gun directed at his face.
"Wow, you're in deep shit, Wash. Do you mind if I, uh, I don't know, get the fuck outta here? Because I don't want to experience what it feels like being in a dead man's brain," Church said, backing away.
"No. We got to distract the Meta long enough to activate the E.M.P, for that I need you," Wash told Church. "It's Emp not E.M.P, smart ass," Church mumbled to himself. Wash sighed and said, "Just appear right in front of me when I say so, got it?"
"Yeah, whatever fuck face."
A mature and calm voice then boomed from the speaker over their heads, something that Wash was getting irritated of. "Agent Washington, I fear this is one recovery beacon you won't be responding to. Kill him Agent Maine," the Director ordered with a solemn voice.
"Where's is it?" asked an A.I from the Meta.
"Where's the Alpha!" demanded another.
"Where is it?" another inquired once more.
"The Alpha is not here. It has been moved far away. Attend to the matter at hand," ordered the director in a clearly miffed tone.
"Geez, Wash, you have some serious daddy issues," Church remarked.
"Agent Maine, what the Director's trying to say, is we can discuss the Alpha later. What's important, is that you prove that you can be trusted again. We need to trust you before letting you meet the Alpha. Wouldn't you agree?" said another voice, more soothing than the Director's intimidating voice.
Beneath Wash's helmet, a smile formed. "You know Meta, why wait? Why don't you meet him, right now?"
"Appear now, Church!" brain Wash commanded, startling Church.
"Geez, Wash, your memories contain a lot of messed up shit. I don't know if I should feel sympathetic or not," Church blurted as he viewed Wash's memory.
"Alp-Church get out of there now!" Wash mentally shouted frantically.
"Geez, alright, fuck face," Church replied before disappearing.
Not even a second after Wash finished his sentence, a cobalt hologram of Church manifested between him and the Alpha. This sparked a series of events that Church did not expect. All the within the Meta suddenly appeared around him, all quite shocked yet jubilant upon his grand reveal.
What Church didn't like about the freaks was that they kept referring to him as "the Alpha". Who knew that could be idiots too?
Church then turns away from the gathered to Wash. "You know I can see why you didn't want anyone else in your head. Got some pretty heavy stuff going on there. I think you need a professional," Church proposed.
Wash silently chuckled from that. "That's too bad. I just lost my job, and we have a great mental coverage," Wash said as he reminisced the younger days of project freelancer.
Church nodded. "How much time do you need?" Church asked. Wash stared at Church for moment before answering, "Whatever you can get me. When the E.M.P goes off-"
"When it goes off, I'll be fine," Church interjected. "It only affects computers, remember? And I, am a motherfucking ghost," Church declared before he entered the Meta's brain, encountering the other .
Vacant. That was the word Church used to describe the Meta's brain. It was honestly underwhelming. When Church entered the mind of the Meta he expected a mind somewhat similar to Caboose's, albeit replaced with a more hostile looking environment where a pugnacious mentally broken mute resides in.
So he sure wasn't prepared to be greeted by a vast, white empty space filled with absolutely nothing! Well, nothing until something began to form in front of him. Seven figures in fact, suddenly materialized right in front of him.
Delta, Gamma, and Omega were the only ones that Church recognized; the others just weren't familiar to him. There was a gold A.I along with a cyan with a purple colored one behind them, nervous. But then there was this orange fuck that instantly earned a ticket to his asshole list when he smiled smugly at him.
The orange one raised his chest and spoke, "Alpha, it's a pleasu-"
"Let me stop you there, buddy," Church interrupted. "My name is Church, and I'm not some A.I that you deluded fucks have a fetish on!" All the went silent, apart from Omega who snorted upon hearing Church finish.
"Got a problem with that, Omega?" asked Church, to which Omega nodded. "Oh, well then, please be kind enough to divulge what your fucking problem is!" Omega broke in a fit of laughter. "You haven't got the slightest clue, do you?" said the orange A.I, taking a step closer.
Church's eye twitched as he turned to the orange man who had his smug smile wiped away. That's right, turn that smile upside down you bastard. You don't smile at a ghost. "And what the fuck are you talking about," Church said, as his head quickly turned from Omega to the orange man. "You're not a human, Apha, "the orange fuck continued making Church's eye twitch.
"Yeah, I'm not a human, I'm a ghost now, bitch," Church retorted, to which Omega hollered even more. "Hey, orange dude-"
"It's Sigma."
"Yeah, whatever your fucking name is. Can I shoot Omega right now, because I'm really tempted to," Church asked as he pointed his sniper rifle at the laughing A.I.
Omega merely stared at the sniper rifle and back to Church and said, "Really, Alpha? You expect to kill me with that thing?"
"Stop calling me Alpha and I'll promise you a swift death… maybe," Church offered, gun still pointed at the intolerable A.I.
Omega groaned, slapping his hand to the side of his helmet. "Church, you're not a ghost you buffoon! You're an A.I! How else can you explain your willingness to accept me!"
"Hey, I spent the rest of my military career with those idiots. It's not my fault that I wanted a break from it," Church replied matter of factly.
"How about the multiple times you agreed with Delta's decisions, and not once have you refused following them!"
"Good point, good point," Church said nodding. "Though here's my counterpoint." Church held up a finger the entirety of the Meta's mind began to rumble. Omega's face went from… well blank to blank as you really can't see anything behind that visor. But it was clearly evident that once the place started quaking he was both confused and furious.
"What are you doing you fool!" Omega shouted, as the other began to panic.
"Uh, I think it's fucking apparent that I'm attempting to stop you assholes!" Church declared. Omega let out a yell of frustration before Church felt another presence seeking to take control of the Meta's brain then followed by another.
Judging by the unusually silent yet fuming figure that is Omega and the strained and slightly angered face of Sigma, he guessed it was them.
Church found it sort of hilarious that mental battles didn't involve need to involve "physical" violence but more of like playing a videogame with other players… but less fun and more stressing and onerous than playing a videogame.
Church, with all his ghostly might, clashed against Omega and Sigma, their presence even more uncomfortably close than it was before in the mute's mind. What's worse was that he began having flashes of the Meta's memories in his head, much like how the cylinder fuck that is Epsilon sent out painfully irritating images in his mind!
But this was different. He didn't just experience the Meta's pain, or Maine if his memories were reliable to go by, he felt his sadness, his anger, his kindness, everything! It was all so, so… it was fucking unbearable! He felt the pain that the freelancer went through when he was shot by a sniper rifle in order to spare the cyan freelancer… Carolina, Church realized as more memories rushed into his mind.
He could feel how the Meta cared for this Carolina. How he risked his very life to use his own body as a shield for her. The memory of the Meta filled with joy and gratefulness to Carolina when she handed her A.I to her friend as an act of generosity.
Sigma, he was the A.I that Carolina lent to the Meta, the A.I that would cause him to go insane and almost kill the very person that he saved.
Even his jealousy towards Tex was apparent…
Tex.
She was here in his memories. Why wouldn't she be? Nonetheless it surprised Church, seeing his girlfriend in the Meta's mind and totally kick his ass. That suddenly brought up a massive migraine as memories, not of the Meta's, began emerging from the depths of his mind.
"Who? Who died?!" He remembered as the memory began flashing right in front of him. It was painful, incredibly so. "Agent Texas," replied that voice, that same voice that spoke with Washington.
That's when it hit. Pain, pain unlike any other erupted from his mind. Like one ultimate migraine that left him trembling and tired. The battle for the Meta's mind wouldn't last long now, and Church knew it. That abrupt backflash took way too much energy out of him, too much that he knew he'd lose.
Washington, you better get that Emp activated, because I don't think I can hold two of these assholes for long, Church thought, with haggard mental heaving.
"Church?" another voice said, but female. With what little concentration he could spare, he drifted his eyes towards the area the voice came from, meeting eyes with the only love of his life. "Tex?" Church said incredulous before the world went dark.
General Ironwood was what most people referred to him to. He was a revered headmaster of a huntsman academy, a general of the military, and a member of the Atlesian council. The only other person that he had close ties with that held almost the same amount influence and respect amongst the populace was the famous headmaster of Beacon academy, Ozpin.
But unlike Ozpin, General Ironwood was quick into action, holding more sway with the most powerful military in Remnant while Ozpin had the loyalty of most huntsman and huntresses.
Ironwood chuckled at the thought, reminiscing the moment when he perused all the silly theories that the children of this generation came up with. "Do Ozpin and Ironwood have a rivalry?" some individuals would say, and though the two never actually saw everything eye to eye, they were companions against a common foe nonetheless.
A common foe that even the combined strength of the strongest military in Remnant and the hunters will be hard pressed against. So that was why he was here, walking in the hallway of a well hidden Atlesian facility, owned by some a benefactor of the military and government of Atlas itself.
It was their duty as humans to defend this world from the vile creatures known as grimm. They were beasts that deserved nothing more than a bullet straight through their head. The fact that their opponent was one of them only worsened the situation.
So it was projects like these that were created in order to maintain balance in this unforgiving world. Ironwood just hoped that it wouldn't end as a failure like the last one. As he approached a dna scan, he placed the palm of his left hand on the machine, feeling sudden pain before it subsided as quickly as it came. The titanium doors unlocked themselves as a computer generated feminine voice greeted his arrival.
As the doors slid open, the sight before him was something to admire. Several AK-130s, or Atlesian knight-130s, were scattered around the area, guarding what were most likely important machines that were vital for the project.
The room had an Atlesian feeling to it. The feeling of cool air touching your skin and the sight of well-dressed men and women chatting with one another in a calm manner inside a posh room filled with all sorts of machines and devices. It wasn't any different here as the scientists themselves had conversations with one another as they performed their work.
Well… that kind of got Ironwood miffed all of sudden, having to see the sight of them not performing their job properly. He would've reprimanded them if it weren't for a certain plump man with a beard come and greet him.
Oh no, Port! His mind immediately warned, making him back away all of a sudden, with a now strong urge to issue an evacuation to spare the men and women of his ludicrous stories. "Why so tense, admiral?" said the voice with blatant concern.
That sentence was all it took to snap him out of his panic as Port would've used his stunned expression to flaunt his physique. It would have probably gone something like this: "Ah, I see my masculine, manly figure has stunned you, Ironwood! It is quite alright to feel the need to be awe struck to such a magnificent huntsman such as myself! Go on, worship me!"
Okay, that last sentence was a bit of an exaggeration, but one other than Glynda, or anyone who knew Port for that matter, excluding Ozpin, would've been able to understand how relieved he was when he saw that it wasn't Port. Instead, a similarly rotund yet shorter man stood before him with a bright smile.
A sigh of relief left Ironwood before he greeted the man. "Ah, , I'm glad to finally meet you in person." The difference between Port and the man other than their height was also there facial hair, for while Port had a mustache Polendina had the sides of his face covered with hair, leading down to a beard.
"Yes so, General. Though I heard you became the headmaster of Atlas academy. I congratulate you for such a splendid achievement," Polendina complimented, though didn't seem particularly too interested with the topic.
"So, Polendina, I believe that you wouldn't have called me for a cup of coffee, now would you?" the general said, wishing to get on with the topic. A documentary for the Great War is coming up at nine, Polendina. I'm not missing that shit.
"Heavens no, I prefer tea," the man replied. So he's one of those types, huh? Ironwood thought. "No, General. I contacted you to witness the first ever smart artificial intelligence in Remnant with an aura," Polendina continued, his face radiating with pride.
Ironwood nodded in understanding and said, "Polendina, you have already explicitly and descriptively explained the situation to me during our private conversations. What I want, is to see this prized machine with my very own eyes and to know if this machine is capable of exceeding the performance of a knight or the upcoming paladin."
Polendina gave him a bemused look. "I already informed you? I have haven't I? Oh well, look no further General, for my construct is right here," he said, gesturing towards a robotic mech that stood at the end of the room, attached will all sorts of cables and wires.
The robot was painted with cobalt paint and appeared to be more advanced than the standard knight, having a more human stature. It honestly looked to be more of a suit than a robot, as its structure implied as so. But just like a knight, it had no true face, but a helmet, a more human looking one, but a helmet nonetheless.
"It's supposed to resemble a human, General," Polendina explained, "It would be easier for the children to approach it, if so."
"You plan on sending it-"
"Him, general, it's a him," Polendina interrupted with a solemn face making Ironwood blink. For years Ironwood has interrogated and spoken to countless of individuals, slowly but surely noticing even the tiniest of details in both body movement and speech. For Polendina, his voice had a hint of sadness and desperation in it.
"Ah, yes, him," Ironwood corrected himself, taking in the fact that the robot did have a male stature. Polendina nodded and continued, "Remember General, if this project is to work, as well as the other two-"
"Excuse me, other two?" Ironwood asked, his interest having been piqued.
"What? I could've sworn I told you of that already," Polendina muttered, stroking his beard in thought. "Well, if I really haven't informed you yet, then all I can say that we have three different subjects for this project in case one fails. As for sending them to the cities… Well, I just can't wait to see them make friends."
Ironwood glared at the man doubting his decision. "Professor, these creations of yours are meant to-"
"I've already tested one of them and the results have been sensational!" the professor remarked with a colder tone than it was before. "But that subject isn't anything like your standard knight bodyguards, Ironwood. They feel too, General. It would be like sending an adult child into the battlefield, tainting their very view of Remnant. So general, please do understand my reasons as to why I'll tutor my children first."
Before Ironwood could even recover from that outburst, the Professor continued, "Uh, well, sorry for that general, that doesn't usually happen. Well, let's get this project on now shall we? Heard there's a documentary for the Great War, wouldn't want to miss that!"
The professor then called out to those present to go back to their stations and begin the activation of the robot.
Darkness. Darkness was all he could see, everywhere. There was no sound, no light, no infrastructure, just plain, pitch black darkness in its finest. He didn't know how he ended up in this place when he woke up just a few minutes ago, nor did he know where this place was. The only thing he could recall from the depths of his mind was pain.
The last thing he felt before he woke up was pain. That was as far as his memory could take him. The memory of being suddenly paralyzed and immobile, as everything seemed to stop to a halt as an overwhelming heat came from nowhere, basically scorching him. It felt like burning alive, except that he couldn't move nor could he scream as he was burnt alive.
There was no flame, as far as he was concerned. It was more like a flare of light that ended as quickly as it came. It was fast and yet it was slow. It was like he was viewing things in two different time streams. One, his pain lasted less than a second, the other, felt like an eternity.
But that wasn't even all of it! It made him furious that all he could remember was being burnt. His childhood, his friends, his rivals, all wiped from his memory! Did he even have friends? Did he even have a family?
For all he knew he was probably a criminal, an outlaw, or even a A.I that was tucked away in a box canyon! But he didn't know shit.
Not a single piece of damn useful information in his mind regarding his past life, other than that horrifying moment of being burned.
"Burned and merged," whispered a weak childlike voice somewhere deep in his mind.
His eyes widened. Merged. Another wave of memories came crashing into him, because of that word, being forcefully shoved into his mind, causing a severe migraine.
The new set of memories began flashing at him, painfully making him recall another dreadful moment.
"Merged with one another," said a robotic voice.
He recalled what he felt when he was burnt to a crisp. Now he didn't just suffer through that intense, unbearable heat, oh no, he experienced another type of pain.
"Fused with one another," said a nervous childlike voice.
It felt like having something inserted in you in an excessively brutal way. He felt it like it just transpired, like something was quickly, mercilessly thrust right into him. Then whatever that thing was, it began to spread inside him, like it was attempting to integrate itself into him.
"We are an amalgamation," mused a calm yet eerie voice.
Seven times, he remembered. He underwent that same procedure seven times. He felt them enter his body, their "essence" integrating, becoming one with his. Yes, them. Whatever they were, he knew one thing, they were sentient and alive. So why? Why did they enter him?! Why did they have to cause him so much more pain!
"WE," started a cold and sinister voice, "ARE UNITED!"
Then a bright light beamed before him, a bright and beautiful light.
"All systems are optimal and functioning at one hundred percent capacity," announced a black, shadowy figure making Polendina shiver.
Perhaps I ate the wrong set of pills today, he considered as he watched the obscure man. He swore he's been seeing too many of these figures around Atlas. It was just all too… unsettling. It was like they were too unimportant to be given faces… or clothes.
He then shook his head and attended the matter at hand. Another one of his children was being "awakened", he couldn't miss it! Even the documentary that Ironwood was visibly being antsy about could wait for this spectacular moment!
"Awakening of subject A-2 in 3…2…1," the wires and cables coursing with electricity detached themselves from the man's creation, releasing the machine. For a second, everything was silent as the robot hit the floor with a thud, standing fully upright.
Then the light from its visor powered on, followed by a twitch from its fingers. After that, the entire robot's head reared up towards the people present, as it observed each and every one of them.
The robot's attention then fixated itself on the General himself, to which the General raised his chest up and stared back at the robot. "You," it started, its voice rather low and robotically croaky as it got used with the voice module.
However, despite its low and rather raspy first words, the professor whooped with joy. "Sensational! His first word!"
The robot then turned its head towards Polendina and continued with a shout, "YOU SHALL ALL FACE OBLIVION!" as it jumped forth and caused mayhem.
So yeah, there it is. Review? Favorite? Follow? Yeah, it's all in you.