*Note: I will be including recommendations for music I think goes along with certain bits of the story. They're mostly from the RWBY soundtracks or the various Persona soundtracks, but I may include some other songs. There will be some repetition but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. If it doesn't work out or I get lazy, I may stop without warning.*
Chapter 1
Aigis became aware that her systems were resetting. The experience was somewhat similar to unconsciousness for a human. The diagnostics came up and everything was normal. Her systems would only reset if they were stressed to near the point of breaking. Apparently traveling between universes was very stressful. Her senses would come on late in the process. Hearing was first.
"Aigis?" Labrys asked. "Are you alright?" Aigis wanted to respond, but her speech functions were not online yet. Her sight came online, revealing a verdant forest. Finally she could speak.
"I am alright." Aigis confirmed. "My systems are resetting."
"My systems reset too." Labrys said. "They're all online now though." Her systems, being two generations older, must have been simpler and faster to reset.
"I cannot move yet." Aigis said. "Is the area secure?"
"I'm not sure." Labrys said. "I can sense something approaching. It's not a shadow, but it isn't human either."
"Which direction?" Aigis asked. "Please point me toward it." Her remote sensors were still not active and she could not move her head to face the potential threat.
"It's more than one target, closing rapidly." Labrys added. Aigis watched the tree line and after a few seconds, several sets of glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows. This did not look good. Finally she was able to move. She stood up and faced the oncoming creatures. Her weapons and remote sensors were still offline.
*Recommended Music – Unavoidable Battle (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*
"Labrys, I think you will have to fight them yourself." Aigis said. "I will join you when I am ready." Labrys nodded and swung the massive two-headed axe off her back. About a dozen creatures emerged from the trees. They looked like werewolves. It was clear from the way they approached that they were not friendly, but they seemed reluctant to attack. They must have been confused; after all, they were facing robots from another world.
Finally, one of the creatures rushed at the pair. The others broke into a sprint and followed. Labrys rushed forward as the monsters converged on her. The leading beast lunged straight for her. She jumped to the side and sliced the creature in two with her axe as it flew past. Two more reached her as soon as she dealt with the first. She kicked one in the chest, staggering it, and ducked a swipe from the other's claw. She swung her axe back around and cleaved them both in half. The others broke off their wild charge and spread out, surrounding her. Two rushed at her from opposite sides. She jumped over them and they crashed into each other head first before falling to the ground. Labrys landed on one's head, crushing it, and brought her axe down hard on the other, splitting it in two. There were six left. Now they just circled, desperate to find an opening.
Labrys went on the offensive and charged at one of the monsters. It proved surprisingly nimble, dodging a mighty swing from her axe. She had been overly aggressive and now she was out of position. The creature leapt onto her back, slamming her to the ground. Suddenly, a series of gunshots rang out and the creature dropped to the ground, lifeless. Labrys leapt to her feet to face the others, but they too had been shot dead. Aigis stood just across the field, smoke pouring from her fingers. Her weapons systems had come online just in time.
"You really must be more cautious." Aigis warned.
"Sorry." Labrys said.
"There is nothing to be sorry about." Aigis said. "You are still inexperienced; you just need to learn from your mistakes." Labrys nodded. "Those creatures dissolve when killed, just like shadows. I wonder what they are."
"They're Grimm." A woman said, walking up to them. She was followed by several armed men. Her weapon was far more impressive than theirs. It appeared to be a combination between a flamethrower and a chainsaw. She wore a yellow shirt and yellow pants, and her only piece of armor appeared to be a plate that wrapped around her lower torso. A metal apparatus was snapped onto the back of the armor, presumably fuel tanks for the flamethrower. On top of her head she wore what looked like a welder's mask. Her brown hair was tied into a short ponytail. Aigis' remote sensors were still not fully online and she had not seen her or the rest of the group coming. "Who are you and what are you doing out here?"
"I am Aigis." Aigis said. "This is my sister Labrys." Aigis bowed slightly and Labrys followed suit. The group facing them seemed confused by the gesture. "We are looking for Helia Anthos."
"You found her." Helia said. "Why do you want to see me?"
"I was told you could put me in touch with a group of local Persona users." Aigis replied. The men with Helia seemed confused but she was unfazed.
"I can take care of this, you guys head back to the village." Helia commanded the others in her group. They shrugged and walked off, disappearing into the forest. "You mean Ruby and them?"
"Yes." Aigis confirmed. "I also need to speak to Amber Kelly about custom ammunition."
"I can make that happen." Helia said. She looked over the two strange women standing before her. They both wore black suits with long overcoats. It was out of season, but people around this place always dressed strangely. She was more troubled by the apparatus both were wearing on their heads. Aigis wore what appeared to be headphones. They were strange looking, but nothing compared to what Labrys had attached to her head. A large metal contraption extended back behind her head, partially hidden by her long gray ponytail. There was also something strange about their eyes. "If you don't mind my asking, where are Yu and the others? I assume you know them too."
"They could not come this time." Aigis said. "My sister and I are here in the stead."
"Okay, we'll stop in to see Amber, and then I'll take you to Ruby and her team." Helia said. She knew that the appearance of these strangers meant there was trouble. Team RWBY had kept her up to date about what had gone on after they rescued her, so she had some concept of the situation. Rosso had been mostly uncooperative beyond admitting to attempting to kill Team RWBY. He had made a few strange comments about the end of the world though. It seemed whatever Team RWBY had dealt with the last time was a problem again. This time, she was not going to just sit on the sidelines.
*Recommended Music – Troubled (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*
"They're not in their room either." Blake said. Ruby, Weiss and Yang did not want to be the one to say it, but they all knew Team JNPR was in danger and it likely had to do with the shadows they had faced before. Team JNPR had not been in class and did not join them for lunch like they usually did. There had been a crazy rumor, a rumor that sounded a lot like the shadow incident they had faced earlier, and Team JNPR had talked about checking it out. Now they were missing.
"What are we going to do?" Weiss asked.
"I guess we're going to have to look into this rumor too." Yang said.
Ruby's scroll rang. She pulled it out of her pocked and took a look. "It's Helia." She reported. That was another bad sign. "What's up?" Ruby put her on speaker.
"Two girls showed up today asking about you." Helia said. "Aigis and Labrys. They know Yu and his group." This pretty much confirmed Team RWBY's worst fears, if they had more visitors from earth, there was definitely something shadow-related going on. "I'm bringing them to Beacon."
"That's fine, but where will they stay?" Ruby asked.
"I contacted Ozpin." Helia explained. "He was headmaster when I attended Beacon too. I told him I had two local huntresses who could benefit from attending some courses and he agreed. We just need to stop in to see Amber, and then we'll be on our way."
"Okay, see you then." Ruby said before hanging up. They looked at each other. "So, what do we do now?"
"Maybe they know more." Blake said. "We should wait until they arrive and ask. Failing that, we just check out that rumor."
"I can make rounds like this." Amber said, looking over a cartridge from Aigis' guns. "They're very similar to one of the standard mass-produced rounds, so with a little modification they should work. Could you give me the gun that will be firing them? I want to be able to test them."
"Regrettably, I cannot." Aigis replied. "I can tell you that it has the structural integrity to withstand a 150% increase in chamber pressure." She placed a drum magazine on the table between them. "This is the type of magazine that goes with the weapon, so the rounds must fit."
"Alright, I'll mail them to you at Beacon when the batch is ready." Amber said. "How will you be paying?" Aigis reached into her pocket and produced a handful of Lien. She reached into another pocket and produced another pile. "Uh, I think that should cover it."
"Thank you." Aigis said before walking out of Amber's shop. Amber stood there with a shocked and confused expression on her face.
"How much did you pay her?" Helia asked. "She looks confused."
"70 million Lien." Aigis said. "That accounts from all the currency I was provided with before coming here."
"70 million!" Helia exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much that is?!"
"I was not given context as it relates to the value of that currency." Aigis replied. "Did I not provide enough?"
"No, you just gave her enough money to retire on." Helia answered. "Those had better be the best bullets ever made."
"I am Aigis." One of the newcomers said. She had short blond hair and bright blue eyes. She had what appeared to be rather strange headphones on her head. "It is an honor to meet you."
"And I'm Labrys, Aigis' sister." The other said with a thick accent. She had piercing red eyes and a long gray ponytail. She also had a device on her head, but it was much more elaborate. She carried a large double bladed axe on her back.
"I'm Ruby; this is my sister Yang, my friend Blake, and Weiss." Ruby said.
"Hey!" Weiss protested.
"Oh, and that's our dog Zwei." Ruby pointed to the corner of the room where the dog was sleeping, curled up in a ball.
"My sister and I have both cared for dogs in the past." Aigis said. "My dog Koromaru could even use a Persona."
"We were wondering if you knew anything about what's going on." Blake got straight to business. Talking about dogs made her nervous anyway.
"Unfortunately, my sister and I do not have any information about the current incident." Aigis reported to Team RWBY.
"Okay, I guess we'll just have to go out there tonight to check things out." Ruby said.
"Before we go, I feel there is something we should tell you." Aigis said. The others looked at her expectantly. "Labrys and I are not human. We are robots."
"We know." Helia said.
"Yeah, it's pretty obvious." Yang added. "All we had to do was take a good look at the things in place of your ears to figure it out. You're also not sweating even though you're wearing full suits and overcoats. It's pretty hot in here." The robotic sisters seemed surprised that they had so easily been discovered. It had never been a problem on earth.
"My full name is 7th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Aigis." Aigis said.
"I'm 5th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Labrys." Labrys said.
"So, what are you going to do about repairs?" Weiss asked. "If you get damaged in combat, what then?"
"Normal healing Persona abilities are sufficient for minor repairs, the same way they would heal a person's cuts and bruises." Aigis explained. "We are also capable of affecting temporary repairs on each other. We are both fitted with very strong armor, so hopefully it will not be an issue."
"We've got robots here too." Blake said. "They don't have personalities though."
"We are both fitted with a Plume of Dusk." Aigis said. "It is what allows us to be 'alive,' have a personality and wield a Persona. Two plumes have been fashioned into a sort of heart in my case. Labrys has an abnormally large unmodified plume, which accounts for her accent and the fact that she was the first unit to display human emotions. Her emotions can also be somewhat more intense. My personality was developed through extensive interaction with humans, hers mostly from interactions with sister units."
"So shadows are enough of a problem on earth that they make robots that can wield Personas to fight them?" Ruby asked.
"That is not entirely accurate." Aigis said. "Powerful shadows were initially produced as part of research experiments, and we were created to keep these specific shadows in check. Labrys was inactive at the time, but the shadows broke out. I failed to fully contain them, and all my sister units were destroyed in the ensuing battle. The consequence was almost the end of the world, but a friend of mine sacrificed himself to save us all. After that, I joined the Shadow Operatives, an organization dedicated to fighting shadows. I first met Yu and his friends while investigating the theft of Labrys, who was still inactive. We fought in the TV world with Yu and his friends to save Labrys who faced herself and gained her Persona. I found out about this world from Margaret while I was investigating Yu and his friends. Margaret decided to send us instead so the others could continue to live normal lives." Ruby frowned. She had hoped to see Yu and the others again. It had been one bright spot in an otherwise dire situation. Now that hope was gone.
"So, what are your Personas' powers?" Yang asked.
"My Persona is focused on physical attacks." Labrys said. "It has a few other abilities, but they're not as strong."
"I have two Personas." Aigis said. "My natural Persona Pallas Athena has physical and healing abilities. My other Persona is Orpheus and has fire-based attacks." Aigis paused for a moment. "I can sense his power in you." She said to Ruby.
Who was she talking about? Ruby did not know, but she wrongly guessed Yu. "I have the power of the Fool too." Ruby explained. "Since you have more than one Persona, I guess that means you do as well."
"Yes, that is correct." Aigis confirmed. "In any case, we should get to work. If there are shadows here, they must be eliminated as soon as possible."
Team RWBY described the rumor Team JNPR had told them about prior to their disappearance. At the stroke of midnight, the Tower turned into a twisted labyrinth, while other doors all around Beacon became portals to other worlds. Aigis seemed very alarmed by what she heard. They agreed to check it out that night to see if they could find anything that could help them rescue Team JNPR. Helia was determined to help too, even if the others were against the idea. She was going to repay Team RWBY for saving her.
*Recommended Music – The Voice Someone Calls-In the Labyrinth- (Persona Q Soundtrack)*
"I can't believe the rumors were true." Weiss said. She stared in shock at the Tower, now twisted beyond recognition. Doors to various buildings around the campus had developed an otherworldly glow. It seemed it was just as the rumor alleged, and it definitely felt like the shadow world.
"Tartarus?" Aigis whispered to herself as she looked at the Tower.
"What did you say?" Blake asked.
"A tower like this appeared during the incident I dealt with before joining the Shadow Operatives." Aigis explained.
"Are we experiencing the Dark Hour?" Labrys asked. She had not been there with Aigis, but she had read the incident report and was familiar with the phenomenon.
"No, this is not an extra hour added to the day." Aigis said. "Look." She pointed to a pair of students casually strolling past. They did not seem to notice the strange changes to the campus. "Perhaps only certain people can see it."
"Well, there's no use standing here talking about it." Yang said. "Let's check out that tower."
The group walked over to the Tower. Ruby walked up to the door and gave it a tug. It did not budge. "I think it's locked." Ruby said.
Labrys pulled on the door with all her might. "I don't think this is a normal door or lock." Labrys said. "With my strength I could easily break through any lock, but I can't break this one."
"What's this?" Weiss said. She walked to the side of the door. A glowing paper was posted there. "Maybe this is a clue."
"What does it say?" Blake asked.
A broken flower,
Risen again,
Still haunted by,
Their brutal end.
"A poem?" Blake did not know what to make of it.
"Perhaps it refers to Helia." Aigis said. "Anthos translates as 'flower' on earth. She told me that her back had been injured, but that you healed her."
"What do you think Helia?" Ruby asked. There was no response. "Helia?" She was not with them. "Where did she go?"
"There!" Labrys pointed to Helia who was walking as if in a trance. She walked to the door leading to the ballroom and opened it, revealing a strange looking portal. She stepped inside and disappeared.
"I knew it was too dangerous to bring her." Blake said. "She doesn't have a Persona."
"She was lured into the shadow world the same way last time." Weiss observed. "She must still be vulnerable to The Call that Rosso talked about."
"We must rescue her." Aigis said. "A place containing shadows is too dangerous for anyone who does not have a Persona."
"Let's do it!" Ruby shouted. They rushed to the door and followed Helia through the portal.