RWBY joins the crossover war
"PYRRAH!" Ruby Rose screams as she witnesses the death and disintegration of her friend at the hands of Cinder Fall, the newly ascended Fall Maiden.
Something snaps within the young girls mind, a block that she wasn't even aware existed breaking, and unleashing a power that only a few had suspected she harbored.
Blinding silver light blazing from her eyes, washing over everything atop the remains of the CCT located in Beacon Tower, the huge Dragon that had been spawning ever more Grimm for the defenders to face becomes petrified, frozen in place.
Cinder is nowhere to be found, either dead (not likely) or having made good her escape over the side.
Ruby blacks out from the stress of unleashing that blast of power, in combination with what she has endured leading up to this moment.
"Now!" one of the techs yells as they watch the power flare from the battle on one of their screens.
"Collection complete, both duplicates and the lost. Shuffled to their appropriate landing zones," another chimes in watching their own screens.
"Who came out ahead this time?" a third asks.
"The good guys," the first one answers with a grin.
"Ugh... I feel like an Ursa smacked me with my shield," Jaune groans as he rolls over and sits up, one hand going to his head as he tries to remember what happened.
Then he remembers Pyrrha shoving him into the rocket locker and launching him into Vale after giving him the greatest moment of his life as she kissed him with all of her heart.
"Pyrrha!" he gasps, suddenly looking around, and discovering not only her, and the rest of his team, but team RWBY and Professor Goodwitch as well.
Forcing himself to move, he dashes to her and gently lifts her into his lap, lightly slapping her face in an attempt to bring her around.
"Pyrrha! Please, wake up!" he whispers, not overlooking the angry red scar centered on her chest, just above her armor.
"Wha...Jaune!" she begins groggily before her eyes focus, and she clamps him into a joint cracking hug, burying her face into the join of his shoulder and neck. "What happened?" she asks quietly, her memory of her last moments painfully fresh in her mind.
"I don't know," he answers, drawing back enough that he can see her face. "I was totally freaking out after I landed in town. I couldn't get Goodwitch, but I managed to raise Weiss, and she and Ruby were going to go after you to help, and then that giant monster screamed, and then a bright light...then I woke up here, feeling like I'd been slammed into a wall by my girlfriend when she was confused about something I said," he smiles, slightly teasing her as a way to make certain she really is alive after her seemingly suicidal self-appointed mission to stop Cinder. "What happened after you sent me away," he demands, trying to not sound bitter about her methods.
"I used my powers to get to the top of the tower, and I fought her...and I lost," she finishes in a whisper. "She...killed me...she shot me with a glass arrow, right here," she points to her new scar. "Everything was going black...I distantly heard my name, somehow, but the pain...I couldn't see any more. I remember slumping forward, and then...nothing...until you," she whispers. Looking up at him with wide eyes, she asks in a shaky voice, "Is this the afterlife? Are you my reward for being a good person?"
"I can live with that," he grins, kissing her on the lips. "But since I don't remembering dying, I think we are going to have to shelve that idea. Since the only way that they could have gotten us all, was with some kind of bomb big enough to wipe out the entire school," he continues, drawing her attention to the others.
"Maybe you two should start waking the rest so we can get to the next part," a new voice chimes in.
"You...I know you...from a dream...about magic statues?" Pyrrha blurts out, upon catching sight of the woman leaning against the far wall.
"I'll explain that, and a lot of other things, once everyone is awake so I won't need to repeat myself a dozen times over," the woman returns.
"Take Ruby, I'll get ours and the Professor," Juane tells her after they climb to their feet.
"Right," she nods, moving with surprising confidence given how shaky she truly feels inside.
"Ruby? Wake up sleepy head," she smiles as she gently shakes the red cloaked huntress.
"Pyrrha!" she gasps as she jumps awake, both hands clamping onto Pyrrha's to make certain she's not a figment of imagination. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't fast enough! I got to the top of the tower in time for her to shoot you...she burned you to ash and let you blow away...then she dropped your headdress..." she gasps out, bursting into tears as she hugs her returned friend.
"Shhh..." she shushes the younger girl, holding her as she sobs.
"Are...Are you a ghost now?" Ruby asks, her sobbing subsiding.
"If I am, then something bad enough to get all of you as well happened after you saw me fall," she answers with a smile.
"WAKE UP YOU SLEEPY BUMS!" Nora yells into Yangs' ear, jumping back as the blond brawler takes a swing at her out of reflex.
"Well, that's a rude awakening," Weiss complains after jerking awake from the shout.
"Indeed," Goodwitch agrees as she sits up.
"My side," Blake starts to protest before realizing there is no pain.
"Not that I'm complaining, but What the Grimmdark is going on?" Yang asks, a stunned look on her face as she stares in wonderment at her arm...the one that was cut off by Adam back at Beacon...with the only signs of what had occurred being a ring of scar tissue indicating where the grievous wound had been.
"Yang, you're healed!" Blake cries as she launches herself at her partner to give her a relieved hug and prove to herself that it is indeed real.
"But...that's not possible...you didn't have her arm..."Weiss reminds them, her voice subdued by the shock of what they are witnessing.
"I don't care," Ruby tells her firmly. "Whatever is going on, we got Pyrrha back, Blake is fixed up, and my sister got her arm back. I am NOT going to jinx whatever this is, and make it fall apart!"
"Well said Miss Rose, even if I DO find myself more in agreement with your partner," Goodwitch chimes in, an understanding smile on her face to take any sting out of her comment.
"What do you mean we got her back?" Weiss demands.
"I wasn't in time," Ruby answers, her expression more than enough to fill in the blanks.
"But somehow I am indeed back with you all, much to my delight," Pyrrha laughs, the magnitude of what she has been given finally beginning to sink in and feel real.
"So now that everyone is awake, it's time for some answers," Jaune states, pointedly looking at the mysterious redhead.
"Leona...Moonstorm, isn't it? Highly ranked as a Huntress, but very little information actually exists to be dug up about you," Goodwitch remarks, after giving the woman a hard look.
"Yes it is, but not everyone is awake just yet," Leona returns with a condescending smile. "One more to go," she clarifies as one of the hexagonal panels that tile the floor drops slightly before splitting in half and sliding free to reveal a hole.
That is quickly revealed to be a lift of some sort, as a small gantry rises into view keeping a single person on her feet, her head drooping forward with her hair hiding her face.
"Who, or what, is this now?" Goodwitch demands, reaching for her boot, and her wand.
Without warning the woman in question jerks slightly, before the gantry releases her. She is left standing on her own as the gantry itself sinks back into the floor.
With a slight moan, the woman lifts her head, and blinks her bright green eyes. Looking around, she grins widely before throwing her arms wide and calling out, "Sal-u-tations Everyone!" in the enthusiastically happy voice that they had all thought was silenced forever.
"PENNY!" Ruby squeals, flashing over to her friend, rose petals left in her wake as she glomps the older appearing robo-girl.
"Well, this truly is a day for surprises," Goodwitch actually grins, not understanding the why, but realizing that somehow the artificial girl had been resurrected into a new body.
"How?" Ruby gushes, reminding everyone of the last time they had seen the poor ginger haired android...ripped apart by the force of Pyrrha's counter attack in the Vytal Arena.
"Our benefactor managed to copy my program, but more importantly, he rescued my Soul before it could be lost," Penny reports. "But since my damage was so extensive, they elected to upgrade me to an entirely new body, combining my old tech with their own, substantially improving my abilities and durability in the process," she explains.
"Not to mention fast forwarding you through puberty," Yang deadpans, only to get smacked in the head by Blake.
"Yes, my new dimensions will indeed take a bit to become accustomed to," Penny agrees, giving herself a once over, leaning sideways so she can see her legs past her now impressive chest, then twisting around to inspect what she can of her rear.
"You look great, but that outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination," Weiss tells her, trying very hard to keep jealousy out of her voice at the formerly cute androids "upgraded" beauty.
"That I'm afraid is the result of my Master's general view on matters," Leona breaks in. "Penny has been given a whole host of detailed files to help you all assimilate...provided you agree to help us," she continues.
"Perhaps this would make more sense to us if you were to start at the beginning?" Ren suggests.
"It might, but I don't have that kind of time to waste," Leona smirks. "So here's the bullet points:
My boss is pretty much a god, but because of the rules he set for himself, he's now in a serious bind and needs your help.
Most of you are not the "real" versions of yourselves. You are actually duplicates, perfect copies, right down to the soul, as of the time we ran the scans that enabled us to generate you.
Pyrrha, and Penny, are still dead back in your world, Blake still has a hole in her gut from her shithead of an Ex, and Yang is still only able to count to five on her fingers."
"What do you mean we're copies!? I don't feel like a copy..." Nora demands.
"I mean just that. We have the capability to perfectly duplicate anyone from a multiverse of possible candidates," Leona explains, keeping things generalized to speed things along. "Memories, powers, abilities, from your very souls, to your favorite outfits. We are not allowed to steal people from their home dimensions, so this is how we get around that rule if we need someone, or the boss really wants them here. The exception to that is the dead. If a person is dead in their world, then they are "up for grabs" if we can rescue the soul before it moves on. That was how we brought back Pyrrha and Penny."
"And my arm?" Yang asks.
"Your soul still knows what you are supposed to look like, so during the process, you got your puncher back," Leona laughs. "Take better care of it this time. Now, I'm sure some of you have noticed some scaring around where you should be hurt," she says, turning serious again. "That is because my boss doesn't believe in rewarding counterproductive behavior. Blake, you are going to find that stab wound left you quite a beauty mark. You should have ran once you saved that atlas student from Adam, not stayed there to listen to his poisoned lies as he tried to warp your thinking. Yang, stop trusting your aura and semblance to be enough to get you through anything...clearly they have limits. Also, THINK before you jump in fist first. That kind of crap gives all blonds a bad name. Pyrrha...we understand WHY you did what you did, but his semblance is Reflection...yes, you would have been doing most of the fighting, but he would have been your shield, and enabled you to last long enough for more help to arrive."
"Right," Blake nods, realizing the truth of the words from the redhead, and allowing them to help tear away the anchors Adams venom had started to set into her thinking.
"Eh, heheh," Yang trees to laugh, the evidence of the truth of the older woman's words far too much for her to argue against.
"I understand. We've always known we are stronger together...I was just so afraid I'd be forced to watch her kill him...I had to make sure he was safe..." she trails off in shame, realizing that it was her own selfishness over his safety that lead to her own death.
"Following your heart is seldom a bad plan for life kiddo," Leona smirks. "It's one of the reasons he wanted you. But that particular choice could have been better, and you've got a reminder of that arrow to help you remember that."
"So your "master", this so called god that has allowed himself to be trapped by his own self-imposed rules...he's been seemingly quite generous, both in impossible acts, and life lessons. So what does he actually want with us? Why are we here?" Goodwitch demands.
"We need you to help us fight a war," Leona deadpans, pointing to one of the walls, which suddenly lights up like a view screen.
Images of a video game fans wildest dreams begin to play, sword bearing barbarians with magic fighting against high tech warriors, and being able to hold their own. Giant robots clashing with armored infantry fighting around their feet. Another image set has monsters that looks suspiciously like Grimm being blasted off the top of a city wall by the defenders, only for the wall to be smashed moments later by even larger monsters.
"We have exceptional technology, and are able to recruit some of the finest warriors from the multiverse, but much like your world, it always seems to come down to numbers. No matter how skilled, or powerful, eventually the hero's tire, while the hordes of the other side are relentless and unending," Leona explains.
"What can a mere ten additional combatants do to change the tides?" Blake asks, aghast at the other woman's assumption that they can do more than die horribly for her cause.
"Oh there are far more than just you," she grins. "We collected nearly fifty people in the same bunch as you."
"Well, already knowing how awesome we are, I've got to say...this doesn't look like a fight that we can help you win," Yang tells her. "We can make a big splash for you, in maybe two fights before they figure out everything we can do, and after that, you are back to the same old problem, and we will probably be dead."
"A rather dark, but accurate assessment, Miss Xaio Long," Goodwitch agrees.
"Well, if you agree to help us, we will of course do our best to keep you alive," Leona snorts at their short sightedness. "Besides, it's not like any of you need to rush home," she adds, as the images on the wall shift to show what is currently happening back on Remnant: Blake skulking the rooftops of Vale, Goodwitch running herself ragged to rebuild, Yang staring vacantly out her bedroom window, Weiss flying to another meeting alongside her father, Ruby and the rest on the road, in search of justice.
"It's really true...we're just copies," Weiss whispers, her entire worldview imploding.
"But you can also be so much more," Leona tells them. "If you wish it, we can alloy you to bond with Spirit Animals. They will increase your powers and abilities considerably, with the only downside being that you won't be exactly as you are now."
"How so?" Pyrrha asks.
"Well, mostly this, as a side effect," Leona grins again, as purple striped cat ears and tail appear upon her. "For the most part you get to remain you, but there will be slight shifts in how you perceive things, owing to the more animalistic sides of the spirits. Lastly, the Spirits will become a part of you so that they may assist you in using the powers they will grant you during the joining. In some cases, you won't need their teaching, as their powers will simply make your own even stronger. In other cases, well for the first few times, it will feel more like you are talking to yourself as they answer your questions," she explains.
"So how are you able to change like that?" Blake demands.
"The colors and that big smile reminds me of the Kaithshire Cat!" Nora chirps in.
"And you would be right in that guess," Leona's grin turns to a smirk. "And as for that power...well, let's just say reality is my bitch," she finishes, flicking her fingers at Pyrrha, and causing the rest to do a double take as the colors of the younger girls outfit shift to match Leona's in theme.
"How do we join with these spirits?" Weiss asks.
"We've actually chosen several Spirits based on your already established powers and abilities, including some of your character traits," Leona answers, resuming her human appearance. "You just can't see them yet. They will instigate the merging, but during the initial meetings within your own minds, is where you get to choose to accept them, becoming more than you are currently, or reject them and remain the same."
"When does that part happen?" Nora demands, nearly jumping for joy at the prospect of getting cute animal ears and a tail.
"Now of course," Leona chuckles as she watches the gathered spirits jump into the bodies of all but Penny.
"Am I not a suitable host?" Penny asks, put off by the vacant, slack jawed looks on the rest.
"Sorry sweetie, but they need a living host, and despite how alive you truly are, you are still made up of machinery, not living tissue," Leona explains to her. "If it was different, I can think of several that would be delighted to merge with such an innocent soul. But for now, I need to take my leave. I have other duties, and you have the files needed to complete the orientation for them."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Penny salutes.
"Farewell little one," Leona grins as she fades out, her smile being the last thing to vanish.
"Welcome back Friend Ruby!" Penny says as she offers the noticeably changed girl a hand up off the floor from where she had fallen during her change.
"How many of us took the offer?" Ruby asks, waiting for the room to stop spinning so she can stand by herself.
"All of us Miss Rose, you are the last to return from the change," Goodwitch answers her, prompting Ruby to boggle at he changes in the formerly stern teacher.
"Your Hair!" she squeaks, that being one of the most dramatic changes.
"Yes, it seems that I am no longer a blond," she sighs. "I suppose I'll just have to live with others no longer underestimating me because of it," she finishes with a smirk.
"Hey!" Yang calls back, playing up being insulted at the implied "dumb blonds" stereotype.
"WOW! That's some tail you got sis!" Ruby gasps as Yangs huge serpentine dragon tail shifts under her, allowing her to lift herself off the floor and assume a sitting pose in midair.
"I'm a lot stronger now too," she adds smugly.
"You didn't come out looking too badly yourself Ruby," Blake chimes in, drawing attention to her radically altered fashion sense.
"WHOA! How do you keep from spilling out of that vest?!" Ruby demands in shocked surprise.
"You don't have much room to talk, Dolt," Weiss breaks in on her, bringing attention to Ruby's own altered outfit and profile.
"Neither do you, Ice Queen," Blake counters.
"I'm no longer the least impressive in physical attributes," Weiss smiles smugly. "Also my Spirit partner is a bit of a showoff."
"Peacock from the looks of those tail feathers," Yang smirks. "Although I've never heard of them in such pale colors."
"While your guess is understandable," Weiss smirks, "it is also incorrect. I am now part Ice Phoenix."
"Impressive," Goodwitch grants her.
"Yeah, she did better than Ren and I did," Jaune chimes in as the JNPRs join them.
Which causes Ruby to double take.
"Jaune?" she asks in shock, recognizing his colors, but the voice and form don't match what she's expecting at all.
"More like Jean, now," she sighs. "It would have been nice to have been warned that the spirits preferred FEMALE forms..."
"Wow, Ren is even bigger than Yang..." Ruby states in dull shock.
"And she's really snuggelable too!" Nora adds, her new wolf tail wagging enthusiastically.
"Well, surprises aside, I don't think things went too badly for any of us," Pyrrha interjects, before planting a kiss on Jeans' lips. "Besides, while I'm going to miss your guy muscles, bunny girl you is pretty darn cute," she finishes with the dopy grin of someone in love.
"It doesn't hurt that the Stone Rabbit and the Long Tailed Lynx have a history of being close," Jean adds absently, the same dopey expression on her own face.
Oh, Ren, rub my ears again, that felt GOOD!" Nora begs/demands.
"Oh, very well," she smirks indulgently as she lays a hand atop the excitable wolfgirls head.
"Little to the lef-oooooh yeah...that's the spot," Nora groans in pleasure, her eyes nearly rolling back as she forces her head harder against Renna's scratching fingers.
"So Miss Rose, I assume your newfound lack of modesty is a result of the Spirit's influence upon you, much as Miss Belladonna's is," Goodwitch remarks. "So what did you get joined with?"
"I got a Kamaitachi, which is a weasel type Wind Spirit from someplace called Japan. Mine looked more like a Long Tailed Ferret though, which is why I look more like Blake," she answers. "Although clearly you got a really special fox Professor."
"Indeed, the Grey Fox of Wisdom," she nods with a smile, unconsciously lashing her twin tails. "And it seems that the more wisdom I accumulate, the more tails I will have. My spirit is insatiable in the pursuit of knowledge."
"Almost as good a fit for you as mine," Blake grins. "The Shadow Panther and I hit it off almost instantly...probably why I was one of the first to come around afterward."
"And Yang is a Dragon," Jean states flatly.
"Well Duh," the boisterous blond grins. "Me and the Guardian Dragon are a match made in heaven. Extra toughness, and strength, Kick ass golden scales, and the horns even go with my hair!"
"I'm the Storm Wolf!" Nora proclaims loudly. "Not quite Queen of the Castle, but now I get to make lightning storms to power myself up!"
"The Leopard of the Forgotten Wilds," Renna answers the unspoken question when they look to her. "It seems I now have a certain degree of control over plant and animal life."
"This is all MOST impressive," Penny grins, happy for her friends to have gained such powers, although she doesn't understand why she is spending so much time scanning their appearances...or what she is focusing those scans on...
"This however is NOT impressive," Weiss snorts, attempting to find a way to release the collar around her neck. "In fact, I am about ready to see how much Cold I can generate, and if this stupid thing can hold up against it without breaking."
"Oh, you mustn't do that!" Penny tells her. "That collar and Identibadge are for your own protection!"
"Protection from what?" Yang asks.
"Please look to the viewing wall, while I call up the proper files," Penny requests. "The worlds we will be operating on, and some of our potential opponents, use slavery, not only as a punishment, but as a means to an end," she explains, images flashing up on the wall. "While "the good guys" only do it for prisoners or those who willingly enter into a contract, the "bad guys" are really jerks about it and will use various methods and means to assert their control over others, mostly innocents that got pulled here thanks to some disaster in their own world that allows for the rules of collection to bring them here, the same way we were."
"And the reason these collars don't seem to have a catch to release?" Weiss demands.
"To insure that you can't be enslaved via a magic slave collar," Penny reports. "Our Identibadges signify that our "Master" is the "God" of this realm, much like Ms. Moonstorms' is. And THAT means that only he, and those in his employ of a higher rank than us, are allowed to order us around."
"Well, that certainly wasn't part of any deal I was informed of!" Weiss huffs.
"No, it wasn't," Goodwitch agrees. "But I find the prospect of being taken unawares and stripped of not only my dignity, but my free will as well to be the much larger evil of these two distasteful choices."
"Agreed," Pyrrha nods. "Besides, it's not like this so called god is showing a personal interest in us. We are just the newest troops to join his cause."
"Pyrrha-" Ruby begins, only to be interrupted.
"Purrha," the redhead corrects her.
"Wut?" Ruby replies brilliantly.
"Pyrrha Nikos is Dead...Ash in the wind. I've been reborn Twice on this new world, once as my old self, and now as the Long Tailed Lynx. So I'm renaming myself to reflect that. Purrha Nekos is my name now," she explains.
"Okay," Ruby nods. "Purrha has a point. The collars might bug some of us, but the badges sound important, and being hooked to the collars means we can't lose them."
"Says the girl who managed to "misplace" seven scrolls in a single month," Weiss smirks, air quoting misplace.
"Hey, it was crunch time for finals! I had a lot on my mind!" Ruby shoots back, her spiking temper causing the air to begin to stir around them.
"Hey Rubes, if you're a wind spirit now, you need to keep your cool, otherwise we'll have a tornado or something in here," Yang says, placing a hand on her sisters shoulder, while pulling loose strands of her hair back out of her face.
"Right, thanks," Ruby sighs, visibly calming herself and bringing the air back to stillness.
"And let that go for all of us with more...elemental abilities now," Goodwitch looks over the rest. "It wouldn't do to allow our emotions to cause problems after all."
"Something just occurred to me," Bake suddenly speaks up.
"What's that?" Yang asks.
"Who else got "collected" when we did?" Blake asks.
"Well, that didn't go like I expected," Coco mutters as Velvet helps her up.
"No...No it did not," Winter agrees as half of team NDGO helps her, with the other half looking after Arslan and Reese.
"Wow, that was super freaky AWESOME!" Neon gushes, going from out cold to motor mouth in less than a second. "And now I've got stripes!"
"You don't look like you've changed much other than getting some cat ears...and a little more up top," Flynt smirks behind his shades.
"I'm a LOT stronger, now, see?" she answers as she regains her feet and easily hefts him into the air by his shirt, with one hand.
"Hey now, do NOT wrinkle the threads!" he complains causing her to nearly drop him.
"Oh, sorry, it's just so exciting!" she continues to chatter.
"Exciting is one word for it," Arslan agrees, inspecting her own new lion tail.
"Well, this is going to take some getting used to," Winter sighs, looking at her expanded assets.
"It looks like we all gained a bit up top from this," Coco agrees, her fluffy new fox tail lashing behind her.
"So you all turned down the offer?" Reese asks, her own new fluffy ring tail wagging of its own accord.
"I'm good," Flynt agrees. "Never had any desire to be part animal, no offence gang," he explains.
"None taken," Coco returns. "That's why it was a choice, and not forced on us after all...although I can't say I'm a fan of this new accessory," she grumbles feeling along the edges of her collar for the release.
"In all likely hood, you won't find one," Winter informs her, having already performed a similar search on her own. "It seems that in accepting the merger, we've agreed to a few more hidden details."
"Makes me glad I passed," Nebula mutters.
"Are you sure you're all okay?" Velvet asks.
"Oh yeah, although I feel a bit more...combative...eager for a fight," Coco admits.
"I feel the urge to lower the temperature...significantly," Winter notices "It's an easily controlled urge though...although it may not be so if we were in a hotter climate.
Before the discussion can continue, a hidden door opens, allowing entry to the next chamber.
"Well are you guys going to stay in there all day, or are you going to let us get this show on the road?" they all hear in what is to most of them a familiar voice.
"Was that...?" Ruby asks, unable to believe her ears.
"It sure sounded like her," Nora nods.
"Great...well, let's get this over with," Goodwitch groans, before leading the way out to the newly revealed common area.
"I wondered how long it would take for them to get around to drafting you lot," Raven Grimwulff smirks, several other Hunters arrayed near her.
"They got you guys too?" Ruby asks after catching sight of Team CATT.
"We've all been here almost from the start," Cole informs her. "We got created by the boss, in order to give him some hooks into Remnant."
"The Master sees himself as a bit of a story teller, but he prefers to do it in other peoples worlds," Noir Ebonshroud adds.
"So he created all of you..." Weiss trails off.
"To facilitate interactions in your home realm, yes," Tasha Ravenwood replies with a nod. "The versions of us there are no less real, but they are the copies, not us."
"This is getting confusing," Velvet complains.
"What did you expect with the damned Cheshire Cat giving you explanations?" Antonia Blackthorn snorts.
"Yeah, she probably promised you a bunch of things, then faded out without telling you any of them...or just flat out didn't mention them in the first place," Talia Ravenwood adds with a scowl.
"Both," Goodwitch and Winter answer after sharing a look.
"Figures," Sapphire Windsong chuckles, using a finger to tip her hat back.
"Well, given that, I'm certain you all have even more questions," Spectra Harmoni tells the new arrivals. "So we will do our best to fill you in on things while we head down to the world we get to use as a home base."
"What? where the heck are we if not on the ground?" Yang demands.
"Kid, the universe just got a whole lot bigger for you guys," Raven chuckles as she moves along, hitting a switch on a nearby wall, and causing it to transform into a huge veiwscreen.
Displaying a panoramic starfeild with a bright blue world below their feet.
"That, is called Tetrarak," Penny helpfully points out. "It is the location of the main headquarters, as well as allowing the "Rogues", or "Grey hats" to maintain their own settlement."
"Wait...how many sides are there in this war?" Coco demands.
"Technically there are three factions," Penny continues. "The "hero" group, to which we are currently attached, known as the Defenders of the Realm. We get to use the Queendom of Evenost as our headquarters, and have quite a few helpers from several differing dimensional realms to assist us, thanks to the Master's habits of creating people to fit into those worlds."
"Next are the "Wildcards", or the Rogue element," she says after allowing them a moment to digest that. "They are comprised of those who rejected joining us, became disillusioned with the fighting, those who have broken away from the bad guys, and the general "criminal element" of this world. They have a few advantages we don't since they are allowed to travel to both sides, and have the most powerful ship of the bunch at the moment."
"What's that?" Ruby asks. Pointing to an odd shape in the distance.
"That is the ship I mentioned," Penny answers interfacing with the stations systems, and increasing the magnification on that point, blowing up the view to display the massive battle ship. "The Scarlet Claw, a pirate ship of surprising might, and defensive abilities, and that's before you even get into the powers and skills of her crew."
"How big is it?" Jean asks, not having anything to use as a reference point.
"OH! Let me put up a wire frame of one of the Atleasian Command Ships that came to Vale for the festival," Penny answers, her eyes glowing for a moment as the glowing blue wireframe appears on the wall...and being dwarfed utterly by the Pirate ship.
"That thing...that thing could evacuate an entire Kingdome!" Blake whispers in shock.
"Or obliterate one," Winter scowls.
"Very true," Penny agrees. "But there are reasons why Tetrarak is immune to that particular threat from them."
"And what would those be?" Goodwitch asks.
"Mostly the Dragon Gods, and angering the Dark Lord of Overkill," she answers.
"The who and the what now?" Nora counters.
"One of the worlds that has had a greater contribution to this dimension is called Drakarna, and it was created entirely by the Master, The Dark Lord of Overkill. We are all wearing his sigil," Penny reminds them, pointing to her Identibadge.
"Well, not all of us," Velvet returns. "Some of us turned down the offer."
"OH! My apologies. You will need to get a cuff with your badges on it then," she informs them.
"I'm not real big on jewelry," Flynt retorts.
"It isn't an option," Penny informs him. "EVERYONE has some form of Identibadge, but the ones that outsiders get are to make certain that they can be identified for medical reasons."
"Alright, but I'm agreeing to it under protest," he grumbles.
"And we got collared why?" Coco demands.
"The Master...is kind of a perv...if I am using the term correctly," Penny returns. "It is one of the reasons that slavery is an institution. While he finds forcing innocents into it to be rage inducing, he rather enjoys punishing the guilty this way, and sees those who are willing to undergo it as something special."
"And how do you know that?" Weiss asks.
"Because I've been telling her directly," they suddenly hear. When they turn to look, they find an imposing suit of powered armor, easily seven feet tall with a glowing blue T shaped visor standing there with his arms crossed, with teams CATT and RHWN on one knee.
"Why is it that we should believe that you are actually a god?" Coco demands.
"Well, for starters," he returns negligently waving a hand at her that results in her clothing instantly being transformed.
"What the Darkness?!" Coco gasps as she discovers she's been reduced to wearing nothing but a pair of ballet boots that climb to her thighs and fit like a second skin, and equipped with cuffs at thigh and ankle to insure they can't be removed, along with a pair of gloves that stretch to her upper arms, similarly cuffed.
"Since you're a bit belligerent, you are stuck like that for...two hours let's say. In order to teach you a bit of humility," he tells her, the condescending smirk he must be wearing clearly heard in his voice.
"You BASTARD!" she snarls, whipping her bag out to the side so that it has room to transform into her chain gun.
Only to be pulled off balance and spun around as she suddenly finds both of her wrist cuffs attached to the handle behind her back.
"I added a small chain from your wrists to your collar as well, since you seem like the type to try and hop through the loop of your arms to get your hands in front of you," he adds, nearly laughing as her embarrassed blush nearly matches the shade of Ruby's hood.
"Let me go you arrogant S.O.B!" she snarls again, clearly trying to break free with raw strength, the fur on her new tail standing on end as a further indicator of how upset she is.
When she starts to charge him, surprising in those kind of boots, he snaps his fingers which causes her to pull up short as a leash is now dragging the floor and attached to the back side of her badge.
"Why can't I Move!?" she yells, clearly trying in vain to lift her feet, which seem to be glued to the floor.
"Well, since you seem to be lacking in self-control, you can't be allowed to move about unless someone else is holding your leash," he tells her as he moves in closer, and making it apparent that despite the added height from her new footwear, she is woefully short in comparison.
Reaching forward, he lightly tugs on it near her collar, saying, "Now, as entertaining as this is for me, do you really want to continue? Next I'm going to give you some lovely body jewelry, followed by locking a chastity belt on you holding in some really powerful toys. Oh and the belt won't open until I decide you've had enough. Think carefully."
Coco just growls at him, but wisely doesn't speak.
"Velvet? Be a dear and keep your friend with the group. There are a few that even here, in a supposed safe zone, would take advantage of her current situation," he tells her, taking her hand and gently placing the leash in it. "And do enjoy yourselves later," he murmurs, just loudly enough for the two of them to hear him, prompting both of them to blush furiously, as images of the other dance through their minds.
"So object lesson aside," Goodwitch breaks in. "Why have you appeared before us?"
"Ah, thank you for putting this back on track," he nods to her. "There are new opponents joining the other side from this collection...and one of them is possibly just as dangerous as the Zoalord. And the rest can bring you up to speed on the opposition later," he adds in as Nora starts to frantically wave her hand for attention. "So I'm leveling the field a bit, and allowing the Dragon Avatars to assist you. This is Kisha, Avatar of Dakar the Chaos Dragon, and defacto leader of the rest."
"Master, are you certain of this?" she asks as she steps through a shimmering magic portal.
"Do you need a reminder of your place as well?" he asks, without out looking at her.
"No, Master," she answers respectfully.
Good," he says. "Now then, while she is well versed in the overall situation, she is sadly lacking in details, so she will be attending your orientation, so she can pass it along to the rest."
"This way then," Raven nods to her, unphased to discover that the "Master" has vanished.
"My people do come and go quickly here," Purrha remarks.
"Kitten, you have NO idea," Antonia chuckles.
"And that is pretty much the big names from the other side, and what they are capable of," Raven finishes as they approach a hanger bay.
"Okay...can you download all that to my scroll, so I can study it later?" Yang asks.
"Right, you, study?" Blake deadpans, causing the rest to laugh at the boisterous blonds expense.
"Hey, I study things that interest me...and not getting blindsided by bad guys interests me a lot," Yang counters.
"I can easily duplicate the needed files to your Scroll, Yang," Penny breaks in.
"Anyway, these are your new shuttles," Cole interrupts. "The design is based on the gear that the Red Paw Exploration gang uses, but it's both better than and not quite as good as theirs."
"That makes no sense," Renna states.
"The tech itself is more advanced than what they use," Noir explains. "But they have A.I. helping run theirs that is at least as good as Penny."
"So these have dumber programming but better overall tech," Coco attempts to clarify, still struggling with her wrists, and causing her chest to move distractingly for most of those present.
"Correct," Tasha agrees.
"Hey, can we use this tech to improve our gear?" Ruby asks, wondering what kinds of new modifications she might be able to apply to Crescent Rose.
"Certainly," Spectra fields that one. "I'm willing to bet that most of us are using gear that is a bit beyond what you might be used to seeing us using."
"COOL!" Ruby gushes, nearly bouncing as they move closer to the shuttles.
"These look like someone stuck a pretty slick car to the front of a flying tank," Reese remarks upon getting her first good up-close look at the shuttles.
"A pretty accurate description to be honest," Sapphire admits with a chuckle. "The car can detach, and can fly on its own, while the rear section can turn into a wheeled crawler vehicle suitable for a mobile command center, bunk house, or any number of other uses. And then there is the heavy combat transformation."
"What's that?" Arslan asks.
"When the crawler transforms into a giant robot and with one of you piloting it, proceeds to kick much ass," Talia grins.
"Why do I feel a headache coming on?" Goodwitch groans.
"Because you know what this bunch is capable of," Raven laughs. "Split up and saddle up. Penny, you should know everything you need to pilot one."
"Yes Ma'am!" Penny salutes, boarding one of the ships, followed by teams RWBY and JNPR.
"If the controls aren't too complicated, I should be able to pick it up fairly quickly, especially if there is some form of autopilot or tutorial program to assist," Winter muses.
"I'll be flying for you," Noir informs her. "You can watch and get the hang of it."
"Our Shuttle is currently back on the Cloak of Shadows, getting rebuilt," Cole explains, glaring at Talia.
"Nice name," Blake grins. "But what kind of ship is it?"
"It's my Personal Atleasian Command Ship," Noir answers smugly. "Highly modified to enable it to also function as a space ship."
"That brings up an important question," Weiss speaks up.
"Indeed," Winter agrees. "It's a well-known fact among those that are ...intimate with Dust, which the farther one gets from the surface of Remnant, the weaker Dust becomes."
"So how can your Dust Reactors function at this kind of distance?" Weiss finishes.
"Simple," Spectra grins, pulling her guitar around so the Schnees can see the transparent Dust Chamber within it. "It's not the same Dust as on Remnant."
"What the Darkness did you do to me?!" Ada Tauros shrieks as she prepares to kill everyone.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that the Spirits tend to prefer female forms?" Leona grins infuriatingly at her.
"I'll Kill you for this!" Ada screams, rushing forward and preparing for one of her several quick draw sword attacks.
"I think not," Leona laughs, catching the attack on the golden wrist blades she is suddenly sporting, as the two begin to duel in earnest.
The fight continues until Ada is thrown off balance as her Chest swells up enough to pop a button from her shirt.
"A present," Leona laughs one last time, before fading out as she had on the rest.
"Well, this has certainly been different," Salem scowls, clearly not amused by Cinders flunkies.
"Cinder..." Emerald whispers worryingly, totally unnerved by Ada's reaction, and just being in Salems' presence.
"Fear not Mistress," Cinder begins to try and calm the situation. "While the circumstances of our being here are troubling, the replacement of my Maiden powers with those of the Fire Phoenix should keep the status quo in our favor."
"Hardly, as my own powers have been augmented as well," Salem corrects her. "Although it is...odd, to have become a true demon, after having the masses confuse my pets with them for so long," she smirks, absently fanning her new wings as she looks over her new form.
"They won't know what hit them," Cinder grins maliciously before screaming in pain and bursting into flames.
"Neither will you, Corruptor!" rings through the room as the flames take on the shape of a huge bird. This continues for several minutes, until the flames finally die out, allowing Emerald to finally approach Cinder to check on her.
"Is that something the rest of us are going to have to worry about?" Ada demands."
"Shut up, shithead," Cinder shocks them all by snarling.
"I thought that might have been the case," Salem sighs as she prepares to fight.
"The Phoenix found that ...THING...and burned it out," Cinder growls at her. "I'm free of you now," she states before unleashing flame blasts at her former Mistress.
"Really...how cute that you think so," Salem chuckles, completely ignoring the searing flames.
Further conflict is interrupted as a second Firebird, this one black with undertones of red, suddenly erupts in the chamber.
"If you don't wish to side with them, then come with me, and I will see you are given a choice," Raven Branwen, the Black Phoenix says as she draws her blade and squares off against Salem.
"I'm with you," Emerald tells Cinder.
"We never signed up for working with Demons," Melanie Malachite says, her sister and Neo Politian nodding in agreement.
"Then we will be taking our leave," Raven decrees, as the lot of them Vanish in another burst of black flames.
"Well, that's irritating," Salem sighs again, before turning to Ada. "Come along, let's find out what fools we have to use in this world.