Please keep in mind, this story started out as a gag on the Discord Server hosted by the author. Everyone decided to keep it running. I made this one comment about it. And it kinda exploded from there. The original Author is DrAmishMD. He is the one that runs the server where this was born. Go give him a visit for full context cause I'm not gonna give full context. There will be major time jumping. THIS IS DONE WITH HIS FULL PERMISSION SO NO BITCHING ABOUT INCONSISTENCIES!
"Speaking"
'Writing'
'Thinking'
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT STARTED ON ITS OWN!" was just one of the many callouts heard as the Hyperwave Relay started to fire up by itself. The Relay's doors open to reveal Dr Shen, Chief of Engineering, and Head Scientist Dr Vahlen, who walk into the chaotic room. "What is going on here?" Vahlen said, looking irritated at being pulled from her… 'work'. The room felt a lot colder all of a sudden, despite being heated by the geothermal plant right next door.. One of the on-duty technicians shivers, then speaks up. "Dr Valhen! The Relay suddenly started up on its own. We're trying to shut it down now." The Hyperwave Relay reaches a frenzy in its actions and a portal of some sort opens up in the centre of it. Two full squads of Base Security burst into the room as two objects fly through the portal in rapid succession.
"Ruby! Wait for me!" Weiss calls to the raven-haired reaper, looking exasperated. "Nope! I got a bet to win!" Ruby yells back, dashing towards a pair of Beowolves with murder in her eyes and Crescent Rose at the ready. Ten feet from the Grimm, a portal opens in front of Ruby. She digs Crescent Rose into the ground in an attempt to stop, but she loses her grip and flies through the opening, Crescent Rose following behind her. Weiss could only watch as Ruby flies through the portal with her weapon, causing the void to close a few scant seconds later.
Sitting up Ruby robs her forehead saying, "Ow, that hurt."
"What the actual Fuck?!" she hears someone say. "Do we shoot?" another person says. "Is that a scythe?!" a third person says. Ruby looks around at the people holding….whoa that's a lot of guns…. all aimed at her. Ohhhh dear. "At ease people, it's just… a girl?" a fourth voice says. Ruby looks over at the new voice and feels a chill run down her back.
To say Jorge was in a strange predicament would be an understatement. Why? Because he killed aliens from space in the defence of humanity, not sit across from teenagers dressed like something out of a fairytale armed with weapons that were bigger than them. While oddly specific, he took it in stride thanks to training under the head of Spec Ops. "So. Miss Rose was it?", he starts with, looking to see if she acknowledges him. "Yep.", came a rather chipper reply from the girl. He sighs, before speaking. "I'm Staff Sergeant Armstrong. Central wants me to figure out the puzzle you presented us. And that is where this gets tricky."
"Why would I be a puzzle? I'm a Huntress in Training…..Oh Oum! Yang is gonna kill me!" Ruby starts off before freaking out. "Easy Miss. Rose, I'm sure it's not that bad. Help me solve this puzzle and you can get back and she won't be none the wiser." he says in an attempt to calm the panicking raven-haired teen. "Your right! What's the puzzle again?" she replies. Jorge lets out another sigh, it was gonna be a looooong interrogation.
*Five hours later*
It took the assistance of both Captain McCallin and Corporal Grayson to get the answers he needed. Now he was in front of Central, who was reading the report. Finished reading the report, he puts down the report and sighs deeply before speaking, "Staff Sergeant Armstrong, what is your opinion of Miss. Rose?"
"She seems highly competent, cheerful despite her situation, and if what she says is true a valuable ally. Sir." Jorge replies. Bradford takes what Jorge has just told him and thinks before saying, "I want you to test her on the Range and Obstacle Course. If she really is trained in combat, those two thing will prove it. Once that is done, bring her to me, and a report on how she did. Understood?"
"Yes Sir!" Jorge replies, snapping a salute. "Dismissed."
*45 minutes later, Training room: Firing Range*
The room in relatively empty. No surprise there, past month has been living Hell for the entire base. Jorge leads Ruby to the far end, and hands her the scythe that she claimed was also a gun. "There's no need to rush, just take your time with each target.", Jorge says as she presses something on the scythe, causing it to fold up into the shape of a rifle. Guess she wasn't lying when she claimed it was also a gun. She attaches what Jorge thinks is a scope, Jorge presses the button for the targets to appear. Within seconds of the first target appearing, she pulls the trigger, putting a .50 sized hole in the target. The next target pops up and her aim shifts to it immediately before pulling the trigger again. She repeats for the next five targets before changing mags. Curiously, Jorge picks up one of the casings and inspect it. .50 cal, hand loaded, steel casing instead of brass, that's impressive. Jorge drops the casing as she puts a hole in the twelfth target. Eight more fall before the buzzer rings, signalling the end of the exercise. Jorge writes down 'Ruby Rose has proven highly efficient with her weapon that she named Crescent Rose. She is twenty rounds for twenty targets evenly.'
"Hot damn, twenty for twenty. You beat the record, which was 40 for twenty. As in forty bullets for twenty targets." Jorge says to Ruby, as he goes to lead her to the obstacle course. At this moment in time, a Roomba that's been painted to have a Staff Sergeants rank on it, and a knife taped to it putters into the room. Jorge breaks into a massive grin and says, "Officer Stabby On Deck!" and snaps out a salute. The few other operatives on the room stop and salute the Roomba as well. The Roomba putters over to a confused Ruby and smiling Jorge and beeps at them. "Resume operations men, Stabby's orders. Ruby this is Staff Sergeant Stabby. Sir this is Ruby.", Jorge calls out to the operatives while talking to a confused Ruby. "Um…." is all Ruby can manage to say.
Jorge picks up the knife-wielding robot and pets it, "Ruby, Stabby here enjoys attention. No, I'm not sure where he came from, But he purrs for me and one other person. He might for you too. Let's go have you run the obstacle course.", he says as he leads the extremely confused Ruby through a doorway and into the main training room. We stand at the start of the half-mile course, turning to Ruby, Jorge says, "Leave your weapon with me. This is a test to check your endurance. Your semblance is allowed, there are a few auto turrets set up throughout the course that use paintballs, and this is timed. When I give the word, you start. Simple right?" She nods her head yes and reluctantly hands me her weapon and takes a runner's stance. Jorge places his hand over the start button and counts down, "Ready? Set. Go." On go, Jorge pushes the button and she takes off running, red cloak trailing behind her. 'She is faster than most of our operatives.' he writes down, while she runs. As she approaches the first set of turrets, they spin up and fire paintballs in bursts at the poor girl. Jorge watches two of them connect with her left leg coating it in vivid pink paint and causing her to stumble but keep going.
She avoids the next few volleys using a series of dodges and flips. Her cloak takes a few shots but nothing else connects with her. Jorge writes down, 'Ruby Rose has very impressive dexterity and agility. No sign of this Aura when she was hit in the leg by two paintballs, nor her semblance as she called it.' I look up from writing to see that she has taken cover, right before the twenty foot stretch that was nicknamed 'Paint Valley'. Infamous for being unclearable by almost everyone, except him and a few others. 'What will you do now Rose?' Jorge thinks to himself, watching Ruby tackle the course. Ruby starts to move after a few minutes, then dashes out from cover and goes straight for the finish line. The guns open fire on her, and she dodges most of the paint balls but takes a few to her left leg again but higher up, three to the right arm, and two to her chest before she manages to cross the finish line. Jorge checks her time, twenty minutes and forty three seconds, and compares it to the average time from other operatives. She beat the course five minutes faster than most operatives. Jorge writes down 'Ruby Rose has beat the obstacle course five minutes faster than almost all our operatives. She kept a cool head throughout the exercise. I believe that Miss. Rose has the potential to become a great strike team leader with the proper guidance. Based off her firing range scores, and impressive reflexes on the obstacle course Ruby Rose would make an excellent Sniper with only minor training required.' I look up from writing to see Ruby headed over, looking pleased with herself, despite being covered in paint. "So what now?", she asks curiously. Jorge smiles and says, "Now we go find clean cloths for you. After that, Central wanted to see you."
*One set of clean cloths later, inside Bradford's office*
Jorge hands his latest report to Bradford, steps back and stands beside Ruby who is now wearing her cloak, one of Jorge's spare dark grey long sleeve shirts, a pair of Gillian's spare pants, some of Jorge's socks, and a spare set of Gilligan's boots. Bradford accepts the report and reads it, occasionally glancing at the girl before him before returning his gaze back to the report. Finally he puts down the report and looks over at Ruby and eyes her critically before sighing. "Miss Rose, looking over both reports, from Staff Sergeant Armstrong and taking into account how you got here, leaves me with a very unique situation. The report I was just handed states that you are an excellent marksman, possess excellent dexterity, reflexes and can keep a level head in a fight." Ruby smiles at that, as Bradford continues, "It also states that you can't use your semblance or aura. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it feels like its not there, or its being blocked." Ruby replies nervously. Bradford nods his head then says, "I think I have a solution to that. But we can't focus our attention on it very much. You see we're in the middle of a war for our survival. So our attention is focused on ending it, the invitation I'm giving you is not to be accepted lightly. Sergeant have you shown her the Wall?"
"No sir. It seemed…..Morbid to show her that, given her age." Jorge replies. "I see. Miss Rose, there is something you should see before we go any further. Walk with me. Sergeant join us." Bradford says, getting up from his desk.
*Recreation Room, Memorial Wall*
Central Officer Bradford leads the duo to a large marble slab set off to one side of the room. Ruby and Bradford stop at about five feet, while Jorge steps closer, getting down on both knees, and crosses his chest with one hand in a manner most don't recognize. "Miss Rose, this is the Memorial Wall. It is here that those who have fallen in the defense of Earth are remembered. Let Jorge have his moment, he's lost a lot of people throughout this war. At least four of the names up there are people he was close to." Ruby doesn't say anything, she just nods her head in understanding, she knows how it feels to lose people close to you. Bradford leads the young girl over to the bartop and says, "Need anything to drink? Besides liquor." Ruby shakes her head no, but takes a seat in the slowly filling room, and turns back to Jorge who hasn't moved from his position. After a few minutes Jorge finally gets up and looks around for Ruby and Bradford, and spots them at the bar. He heads over to where they are and waits. Bradford is the first to speak up, "Miss Rose, I'm sure that you now understand the full burden of what we do. And what this means correct?"
Ruby slowly nods her head yes before speaking, "That I'm no longer on Remnant and have no obligations to fight if I so choose?"
"Yes. I offer you a spot within our ranks Miss Rose. should you decline, the offer will always stand." Bradford replies.
"I've spent the past few years training to fight monsters, it only makes sense that I join your fight." she answers.
And thats chapter on folks. Ruby has joined the fight for earth on X-COM's side. What battles await her? Find out next time on Remnant Unknown: Alternate Theory!
