Chapter 13,

Deserted Planet

"Come on, Weiss! Hurry up!" Ruby whined as her partner compared two colors in the camo customization menu for seemingly the hundredth time.

"Don't rush me!" Weiss responded, "If you want to speed things up, then help me decide. Which do you like better; goluboy or cyanotic?" Ruby looked at Weiss' screen as she switched the color of her mech between two almost identical light shades of blue.

"Uh..." Ruby tilted her head, trying to see a difference between the colors.

"For Remnant's sake, Weiss! They're both light blue! Just pick one already so we can start a match!" Yang burst out.

"Alright, alright! Fine!" Weiss said, annoyed as she equipped cyanotic along with a white color and purchased them. As soon as the game finished loading the purchase, Ruby clicked the play button, anxious to play a match in her newly-painted red and black Spider.

"Really, Weiss... It's a wonder you can even dress yourself in the morning..." Blake mocked, keeping her nose buried in her book.

"Well, a mech's camouflage is almost as important as the weapons you equip!" Weiss retorted, crossing her arms, "The color we paint our mechs will be visible to both our allies and enemies. You can't decide lightly the camouflage you will be known for."

"Oh, calm down you two!" Yang said, grinning, "Just having camo now means something! It shows our evolution from when we had just started playing. New players will look up to us, and elite players will respect us! Our camouflage indicates that we are truly Mechwarriors now!"

"No, it just means we spent money on the game." Blake said flatly as the game loaded a pre-match screen, showing a desert with large granite-like crystals.

Tourmaline Desert

Game Mode: Assault

Win conditions: Capture The Enemy Base, Destroy All Enemy Players, On Time Out Most Kills Win

"Whoa, a desert map..." Ruby gazed as they waited for the match to begin.

"Oh, great... Figures our last match today is a hot map..." Weiss said bleakly.

"Ah, don't worry. We'll do fine." Yang said calmly.

"Says you!" Weiss exclaimed, "Your mech doesn't generate as much heat, and even your yellow, orange and brown camouflage is going to help you in this map!"

"That just means we'll have to be careful." Blake stated, "My mech runs almost as hot as yours, and I won't be able to hide very well with its black, white and purple camo. Hopefully our team can distract the enemy so we can give them long range support." Weiss shrugged while Ruby noticed a message that had just appeared in the chat.

Enemy 3 All: so you guys see the new mech?

"New mech? Does he mean the Catapult with arms we saw?" Ruby asked.

"Must be. That's the only new mech we've seen." Yang said as more messages showed up.

Enemy 1 All: OHMYGODYES!

Ally 8 All: yes...and it's beautiful...

"Hmph, it didn't look that great..." Weiss griped as the match started. The girls looked around their spawn point, quickly noting their distance from their teammates. The map was a large desert, with huge granite structures towering above their mechs. The sun burned above them harshly, and around their feet were the corpses of mechs, corroded and half-buried in the alien world's surface.

"Hey, cool! Another alien planet!" Yang said happily, "Now this is what I was hoping for! How 'bout you, Ruby? Ruby?"

"Shhh! There's another message!" Ruby hushed, intensely reading a new message.

Ally 4 All: ah, theyre finally putting the Mad Cat in the game!

"Hm... So the mech's name is the Mad Cat.." Blake mumbled as the RWBY lance began moving towards their teammates, with Ruby and Blake walking slowly to escort Weiss and Yang's slower mechs.

"Do you not like the name, Blake?" Ruby asked. Blake simply shrugged as they continued their trek, walking past more destroyed mechs.

Ally 1 All: do not disgrace the mighty Timber Wolf with that name!

"Whoa, I'm sensing a bit of hostility." Yang announced.

"A bit?" Weiss said sarcastically.

"Wait, I'm confused. Is the mech's name Mad Cat or Timber Wolf?" Ruby asked. Her friends looked just as confused as they grouped up with their team.

"Whatever its name is, it certainly appears to be popular." Blake stated.

Enemy 11 All: beware inner sphere...

Ally 7 All: timberwolf op omg pls nerf!

"Seriously, I don't see how a single mech can be so great!" Weiss said, "Also, what in the world did he just say?"

"There they are." Ruby said, ignoring Weiss and peeking over a cluster of granite crystals. Across the map, she saw the enemy team moving to a small hill with a granite spire on each side. She fired her AC/2 at an Atlas and ducked back behind her cover just as the enemy mech shot its Gauss rifle, the nickle-iron slug slamming into the granite.

Ally 4 All: yeah, pretty much

"Bring it!" Yang yelled as she ran down a path to the right, paying no mind to the two teammates with her.

"Looks like they're moving to a vantage point." Blake said to her teammates as she followed Yang. A few enemy mechs began firing at them from the small hill, but moved back when red smoke appeared at their feet.

"Alright! Nice job with the strike, team!" Yang exclaimed, firing her LB-Xs up at the retreating mechs before turning her mech's torso forward, "Now let's hit 'em while they're-Whoa, giant pink guy!" she cried, running into the back of a pink Highlander, who had stopped in front of a small corridor to the hill.

"A pink mech?" Weiss questioned as she launched a volley of missiles at an enemy Shadow Hawk, "And I thought that Hunchback was painted oddly..."

Enemy 2 All: I dont know... concept art looks too bulky..

"It looks like it's a hero mech too." Blake said, hovering her reticle over the larger mech, "'Heavy Metal'."

"Whoa! That sounds awesome! I wanna see!" Ruby beamed and began running to Blake and Yang's position.

"Ruby, stay over there with Weiss. We need to keep our team split like this so we can preform a pincer attack." Blake said.

Enemy 3 All: same. but im still gonna buy it becuz its a timber

"Yeah. Besides, this thing's not really much to look at..." Yang said as the Heavy Metal entered the corridor, "I mean, its name might sound badass, but the mech's just... Pink."

"Oh..." Ruby said, disappointed as she returned to her group.

Weiss' computer: Heat level, critical.

"Ugh, this map is not ideal for my mech!" Weiss exclaimed, activating her coolant shot. Her mech's heat level dropped, but fired up again as she shot another alpha-strike, managing to destroy the left torso of a Griffin.

"Ruby, Weiss! Your group needs to push! We've got the attention of most of their mechs, but we're taking a beating!" Blake said, running past an enemy Catapult as it fired its SRMs, destroying her arm and damaging her torso.

"Uh, looks like they're ahead of you." Ruby stated as her group walked forward, ending up behind most of the enemy mechs.

"Yeah! Now we got this!" Yang said excitedly, fighting the enemy mechs alongside the Heavy Metal. Blake ran to the two large mechs and hid behind them, poking out to give fire support as they advanced.

"Well, can you 'get this' a bit more over here?" Weiss called, turning her torso as a Jagermech fired its two AC/20s at her, destroying her right arm and medium laser. She turned back and fired her PPC before realizing she was within its minimum range. The bolt splashed harmlessly over the Jagermech as it waited for its weapons to reload.

"Hey! Leave her alone, bully!" Ruby yelled, pestering the enemy mech with her AC/2 and laser. However, despite her best efforts to deter the Jagermech, it kept advancing on Weiss, the pilot knowing full well her weapons' range. Its next two shots hit Weiss' torso, but also overheated the mech, bringing it to a standstill.

Weiss' computer: Center torso, critical damage.

"Serves you right!" Weiss huffed as she continued to back away when she was hit from behind. She gasped and turned, but couldn't see where the attack came from. Then, from behind a distant granite ridge, a Raven poked up and fired its two ER large lasers, the beams scarring Weiss' center torso.

"Weiss! The Jagermech's up again. Don't turn around!" Ruby cried, running between the mech and Weiss. It fired one of its autocannons at Ruby, then the other at Weiss, destroying her mech's torso.

"Well, that figures! There's a Raven with ECM way behind us." Weiss slumped back in her chair, almost mimicking her mech as it fell back.

"Eep!" Ruby squeaked as she turned away from the Jagermech, which was now aiming at her.

"Crap! Blake, go over and help Ruby out!" Yang ordered as she and the Heavy Metal continued attacking the mechs in front of them.

"How am I supposed to do that when the only way through is between your weapon-fire?" Blake retorted, poking out again to fire her weapons and retreating back.

"Look, someone needs to help Ruby! This Jagermech isn't letting up and she can't escape because of the ECM Raven!" Weiss said, spectating Ruby's screen as she tried aiming her autocannon at the enemy mech's critical side torso.

Ruby's computer: Left leg, critical damage.

"Alright, hold on!" Yang said, firing again at a Stalker, "We've almost punched through these guys! Just a bit longer and we'll..." She trailed off as she saw the Heavy Metal to her right sprint towards the enemy mechs and activate its jump jets, Sending it soaring over the firing line.

Yang's computer: Center torso, critical damage.

While airborne, the Heavy Metal aimed at the Jagermech chasing Ruby and fired its Gauss rifle, destroying the mech's XL engine. Suddenly, the girls heard rock music coming from their computers' speakers.

"What the... Where is that coming from?" Weiss asked as the hero mech landed and turned, firing its two SRM 6s at the enemy mechs' backs. The Thunderbolt and Awesome turned to face the attacker, while the Stalker and a limping Hunchback continued to fight Yang and Blake. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the music disappeared, leaving the girls with the familiar sound of lasers and autocannons.

"Huh, that was odd." Blake stated as she and Yang destroyed both side torsos of the Stalker.

"Aw... Why'd it stop?" Yang said, turning just in time to block the Hunchback's AC/10 with her side torso before turning back and shooting her LB-Xs, her weapons getting a critical hit on the Hunchback's autocannon, destroying it.

Ruby's computer: Right leg, critical damage.

Ruby gasped and turned, activating her advanced zoom as she saw the Raven duck down, "Oh no you don't! It's time to avenge Weiss!" she said as she began running to the hill the Raven hid behind.

"Always up for the hero stuff, isn't she..." Weiss sighed, earning a grin from Yang as she destroyed the Stalker.

Enemy 1 [Dead] All: so anyway TAKE ALL MY MONEYS FOR MADCAT

"Okay, all the gushing over the new mech is really starting to get annoying." Blake said as she moved back to let her mech cool down, her ammo count dangerously low.

Ally 4 [Dead] All: i can't wait to pilot one again!

"Well, there's gotta be a reason for all this hype." Yang suggested, finishing off the Awesome as the Heavy Metal backed away, leaving the remaining mechs to its teammates.

Ruby's computer: Center torso, critical damage.

"I won't fall until Weiss is avenged!" Ruby yelled as she chased the enemy Raven from its hiding spot, being hit by its two lasers as it ran.

Weiss sighed as she spectated her teammate, "Ruby, I don't understand why you keep brawling... Your AC/2's minimum range is 720 meters! You're putting yourself at a huge disadvantage!"

Ally 8 All: man, I haven't piloted one of those things since MW4

"But I still have to avenge you!" Ruby said, following the Raven as it ran into an open part of the desert.

"Okay, first, enough with the whole avenging thing! We should never have taken you to see that superhero movie!" Weiss responded, ignoring Yang's triumphant yell in the background as the Thunderbolt fell.

Enemy 11 [Dead] All: tabletop for me

"And second, you need to fight with your specific skills, while your teammates fight with their own skills." Weiss continued just as Ruby destroyed the Raven's leg.

"No, stop!" Ruby pleaded, pressing the 'S' button on her keyboard so hard Blake almost swore she heard a crack. However, she was too close behind the enemy mech, causing her Spider to run past it before being able to slow to a stop. The Raven, seeing it's chance, fired its ER large lasers at Ruby's leg.

Ruby's computer: Right leg, destroyed. Autocannon ammo, destroyed.

"Uh oh..." Ruby gasped quietly, turning back to face the Raven.

Ally 8 All: tabletop man... been a while..

Enemy 2 [Dead] All: Tabletop?

"I knew it..." Weiss said, watching the Raven aim at Ruby's good leg.

"Hang on, Ruby!" Yang exclaimed as she ran through the fallen mechs around her.

"We've seen this before, she'll be fine." Blake said calmly, moving to the ridge the Heavy Metal was standing on as it tracked the Raven.

Ally 7 All: i wonder if any future mechs will look as derpy as their minis

Both mechs fired at the same time, the Raven's lasers only damaging Ruby's leg for a split second before the Heavy Metal's Gauss slug destroyed its rear torso, ending the match. However, in place of the regular victory music, rock music began to play instead.

"Whew... That was close." Ruby said, letting go of her mouse.

"Again." Blake stated.

"Huh?" Ruby questioned, turning to her teammates.

Ally 1 [Dead] All: hopefully not, well thanks for the game!

"Ruby, almost all the games you survive are due to luck. I mean, have you ever survived a match without a destroyed leg or critical torso?" Weiss asked.

"Um..." Ruby thought, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"Okay, did nobody else notice the rock music?" Yang said as they were sent back to the mechlab.

"It might have been a special function of the Heavy Metal mech." Blake guessed, "Like, rock music plays every time it gets a kill or something."

"So... That means no rock music for my mech then..." Yang frowned.

"Uh, don't we have an airship to catch?" Ruby spoke up.

"Oh yeah!" Weiss exclaimed, quickly turning off her computer, "I can't believe I almost lost track of time again!"

"We should hurry. Our airship leaves in about five minutes." Blake said as she and the others stood up and turned their own computers off.

Yang bounded enthusiastically to the door, her teammates following close behind, "Come on, hurry up! I'm not gonna be blamed if we're late to-Whoa!" as Yang burst out of the computer lab she nearly ran into someone holding a very familiar coffee mug. The others helped her regain her balance before they began running through the hallway.

"Sorry, headmaster Ozpin!" Ruby yelled back as her team continued running until out of sight.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug and chuckled to himself, "It truly is no wonder those girls have taken the world by storm... Or 'worlds' I suppose I should say..." and with that, continuing to chuckle quietly, he walked off, leaving his favorite students to their next chapter...