Chapter 7
A/N: This has been an exceptional day for chapters, but I have no promises for this kind of upload schedule. But I am incredibly surprised by the number of views and follows, and I want to thank you all. I'll try to keep these chapters as interesting as possible. Leave a review if you spot anything or have a tip for my writing, I accept all feedback. Enjoy!
"You'd better not try anything…"
Sigma chuckled from Ren's mind. "Don't worry, I have no intention to cause further harm. I am merely going with the flow."
Ren sighed as he lay on his bed in his dorm, massaging his head. It would take a while to get used to the pain, although it was getting better, just as Delta had said.
Jaune appeared to be having a conversation with Theta, and he was speaking softly and listening. Jaune did seem like the best choice for the young AI to be paired with.
Pyrrha was standing in the room, practicing her hand-to-hand combat. It was clear Texas was instructing her as she was pulling off moves that were completely different to Pyrrha's normal style of combat.
And Nora was… well, Nora. She was currently lying asleep on her bed, snoring, and Ren could only imagine the AI twins doing the same.
"I do have a suggestion."
"Go ahead."
"I saw your… scroll, from earlier. Is it possible for you to open it?"
Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out the device. He opened it. "What do you want with it?"
Sigma didn't answer, but then suddenly the screen lit up and a hologram of a figure appeared, with orange flames flickering over him. Ren jumped back in shock.
"Looks like we'll be able to project ourselves from your scrolls." He noted calmly, looking around.
Pyrrha and Jaune spotted them before reaching for their own scrolls. Tex jumped up from Pyrrha's scroll, seemingly stretching.
For Theta, though, Jaune had to convince him before the small kid in purple armor appeared.
"We should tell the others." Pyrrha headed out the door to tell team RWBY about their discovery.
"So are you still in my head?" Ren asked Sigma.
"I am merely projecting myself to your scroll, but yes, I am still inside your implant. I would question this, however. Why would your school have these on their students?"
Ren sighed. "It wasn't actually the school. After the Breach - where the creatures of Grimm broke into the city - Atlas decided that the huntsmen and huntresses needed these. Every Atlas soldier has an implant, and they have proven to be harmless, and they also have tracking devices so in case a student goes missing, they can find them."
"Wouldn't these scrolls suffice?"
"Their connection isn't as strong, and they are liable to be destroyed. The point of these being implanted is so that they are secured and strong. As well as that, they are powered by our aura."
Sigma seemed to get a glint in his eye. "Yes, aura. I do believe Theta has unlocked his."
"What?" Ren shot a look to the AI. Theta was now making fireworks appear for Jaune, who laughed and clapped. Pyrrha had also returned and was standing next to the bed, clapping with him. "How can he…?"
"We have all reached metastability," Sigma replied. "Which means that we all can count as human. He has already achieved a semblance."
"What is it?"
There was a flash of light, a yell, and a crash, and when Ren turned around, he found Jaune sitting inside of what looked like a domed shield made of yellow hexagon-like shapes. He also saw Pyrrha against the wall, dazed.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune got up and the shield fell away.
"I'm sorry!" Theta wailed from the scroll, visibly panicking as Jaune picked up Pyrrha. "I didn't compensate for you, I…"
"It's fine." Pyrrha smiled while massaging her sore shoulder.
Jaune continued to comfort the AI, who was sniffling. Sigma turned back to Ren. "His semblance appears to be a domed energy shield which he can summon at will." He explained. "His first host, Agent North, used his shield as his specialty."
Ren nodded. "What did you specialize with?"
He thought for a second. "Agent Maine, my host, was content with using his own brute strength. I merely helped with whatever he needed on the battlefield."
Ren nodded, before sighing and laying back on his bed. "I'm gonna go to sleep now. I think I deserve it."
"Of course. You rest for now."
After Ren fell asleep, Sigma turned to watch as Theta was practicing with Jaune to form smaller shields around him, with Pyrrha and Tex watching. "Hmm..."
Yang was, like Pyrrha, practicing her moves with Delta, he was providing helpful tips.
"Your usage of your legs in combat is rather low, you need to maintain flexibility on the battlefield or else your enemy will sense a potential pattern or weakness." He told her. "I have so far analyzed three potential points for enemies to take advantage of."
"Right." She started adding more kicks to her workout, as well as randomizing her attacks.
"There is no need for power in your blocks. That energy can be used for your stamina. I would recommend that in combat you wear down your enemy before using your energy to deliver the final blows. Plagam Extremam Infligere should be the term."
She looked at him. "What does that mean?"
"Ah, you are unfamiliar with Latin. It means to deliver the final blow, basically. The ending move."
Yang grinned. "You speak my language, D."
Gamma was sitting on the scroll with Weiss while she did her homework.
"The procedure for adding dust to a weapon…" She bit her lip. "What was it again…?"
"Take the dust crystal of choice, ground it into a powder and proceed to mix with the glue solvent. Then cover the selected weapon in the mixture and leave for five hours." Gamma replied. Weiss looked at him.
"You know?"
"It is not so hard." Gamma shrugged.
At that moment, Weiss noticed several notifications on her scroll. Gamma stepped back, revealing an entire text chat with her sister Winter.
"Did you text my sister?!" She exclaimed.
He remained silent. "No?"
"What did you tell her?!" Weiss panicked as she looked over the messages.
"She wanted an update, so I told her that you had been an effective team member and that while not the leader, you have offered your wisdom to the benefit of the team." He shrugged again. "I also added how your sister's help is what influenced your new behavior and maturity."
Weiss, as she read through the texts, found that Winter had surprisingly been more open during the conversation, even ending with her suggesting they meet and congratulations. Weiss stared at him before she grinned. "And you are the fragment of lies and deceit?"
"I do my best." He shrugged a third time.
"We are going to be great partners." She raised a hand, and the AI high fived her.
"Do you regret your time with them?"
Blake sighed. Omega had been pestering her since she'd revealed she was part of a terrorist organization. He'd seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of working with a former terrorist, but Blake had quickly shut him down. She was done, it was behind her.
"Yes." She turned back to her book, speaking quietly so that the others couldn't hear. "Adam… he became a monster. And I kept following his command, believing he was still the same man I loved and looked up to…"
The AI fell silent. "I know what it is like."
Blake looked at the Omega AI.
"I was a monster. I wanted power, wealth. I almost enslaved an entire alien race, and came very close to succeeding."
Blake stared at him. An alien race? Enslavement?
"But… looking back now… I realize what I've done." He started summoning weapons into his hands and playing with them. "I was angry at what project Freelancer had done to us, to me. And I was taking out my anger on everyone else. I blamed humans, I wanted them gone, and that extended to every living being except me. I wanted to be the one to control lives like the Director had done with us."
"Like Adam… he wants humans to be extinct…" Blake whispered.
"But I now know that I was wrong. I've… changed. Using scapegoats, taking my anger on others, won't get me my justice."
"Could Adam…?"
"Unless he is willing to see the errors of his ways, then no."
Blake rubbed her eyes, not only from the pain of the AI but from the news. "Thanks, O'Malley. I needed to hear that from someone else."
"Of course… wait, O'Malley?"
She froze. "Oh, I…"
Omega sighed. "Just call me that, then. I had to deal with that name with those Red and Blue imbeciles, and now Texas calling me that."
"Ok, O'Malley." She smiled. "It suits you better than Omega."
"Shut up."
"...and then I sat in that base for fourteen months, completely at peace, until Caboose came and spoiled everything like the dumb mother fu-"
"SWEAR!"
Church resisted the urge to punch something. "Look, red riding hood, you keep interrupting me, then I'm not going to tell you the story!"
Ruby just glared at him. "You've sworn now for a hundred and sixty-seven times! And it's been only two hours!"
"I don't give a single fu-"
"Swear!"
"Stop that!" He snapped. He then crossed his arms and looked away. "God, you are such an insufferable little…"
Ruby stared until she started giggling.
"What?"
"You sound exactly like Weiss."
Weiss looked up when she heard that. "What do you mean?"
Ruby thought back to the things Ruby and Church had said before and told them.
Flashback...
Weiss: "Ruby, you dolt!"
Church: "Damn it, Caboose!"
Weiss: "I should have been the one to lead this team!"
Church: "Who's the leader here, huh?"
Weiss: "Why must everyone be so insufferable?!"
Church: "I. Hate. All of you!"
Weiss: "Ruby, we are NOT FRIENDS!"
Church: "Caboose, we are NOT FRIENDS!"
"She does have a point." Gamma said.
"What are you talking about?" Weiss and Church asked at the same time.
"Nevermind." Ruby buried her face in her pillow to hide her laughter.
