Here we are at Chapter 26. Been a while since I've been back here. In case you don't read my other stories, I'm back in school now so my updates won't be as frequent, but I'll try to get them in as soon as possible. Anyway, let's get back to Ruby and Soundwave in the story. I do not own RWBY or Transformers. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 26. Enjoy.
Chapter 26: Suspicions
Not much time has passed since Soundwave and Ruby had their little outing together in the city. However, while Ruby and the others have been getting along more with Soundwave, the same can't be said for the two eldest members of the group (well, technically two of the three eldest members of the group when you take into account that Soundwave is actually older than all of them combined). In the afternoon, Jaune and Soundwave are sparring while the others are watching on from the sidelines. Currently, Jaune has his weapon in its two-handed sword form, while Soundwave has his arm blades out. Jaune charges at Soundwave, swinging upwards towards his chest. Soundwave leans back to narrowly avoid the attack and then counters spins around for a quick swing of his left blade. Jaune barely blocks the attack, but can't block the second strike from Soundwave's right blade. The strike makes Jaune skid back a few feet before he regains his balance. Jaune takes a moment to rethink his approach before he attacks again. He swings low, but Soundwave flips over the attack, and then Jaune spins around for a swing at Soundwave's left. Soundwave blocks the strike with his blades, and Jaune makes a few more swing at him.
Each time he makes an attack, Soundwave easily blocks them with his weapons. Getting a little irritated that his attacks aren't working, Jaune jumps into the air for another downward strike. However, Soundwave sends out his tentacles, with one of the grabbing Jaune's right hand which primarily wields the blade, and his chest armor. He then flings him around in the air before slamming him on the ground. The others watching wince back from the impact.
"That looked like it hurt," Nora notes.
"It would seem that having Jaune spar against Soundwave to try and unlock his semblance... may have not been the best idea," Ren adds.
"Yep," Ruby says, popping the 'p'.
Jaune groans before Soundwave pulls him into the air again with his tentacles, and proceeds to slam him on the ground several more times before ending it with a seventh slam to the ground. Jaune wheezes in pain and exhaustion as Soundwave retracts his tentacles and deactivates his blades.
"Mommy, fluff my pillow," Jaune mutters as he groans in pain.
"Ouch. Good thing Jaune's aura protected him," Ruby thinks.
"Well, I think that's enough punishment for Mr. Arc for one day. I believe we should take a little break for now before continuing on with the training," Ozpin says, in control of Oscar's body.
With that said, Ren and Nora help their leader get back on his feet and support him on a painful walk back inside the house. Laserbeak flies down and lands on Soundwave's shoulder before he too heads inside, with Ruby right behind him. As they leave, Ozpin keeps his eyes on Soundwave.
"He truly is incredibly skilled. Just where did he learn such skills? More importantly, why is he here to protect Ruby? Who sent him?" Ozpin wonders.
"You wondering about Soundwave?" Oscar mentally asks.
"Yes, while he has been very helpful to Ruby and her friends, there is still so much about him that we don't know about. I remember him telling us about how his village was engulfed in a civil war and left destroyed, but there are some details missing from that story, and I doubt he'll be open to telling us the rest of his tale any time soon," Ozpin explains.
"Well, Ruby seems to trust him. Is that enough to give him the benefit of the doubt?" Oscar asks.
"Perhaps, but I need to speak with Qrow about this in more detail. However, that can wait a little later," Ozpin says before his eyes glow green and he gives Oscar back control. "For now, you should rest before the next training session. You still have a lot to learn yourself, after all," he says.
Oscar sighs, "Don't remind me," he mutters before heading inside himself.
Later on, after everyone has finished their training, Oscar meets with Qrow in his room.
"Hey kid, what's up?" Qrow asks before taking a swig of his flask.
"Um, Ozpin wants to speak with you," Oscar says.
"Okay, shoot," Qrow replies.
Oscar closes the door and then grants Ozpin control of his body again.
"We need to discuss our current predicament with Soundwave," Ozpin says, taking a seat on the bed opposite to Qrow's.
"So, you've been wondering too, huh," Qrow notes.
"Yes, hearing what you've told me about you brief time with Soundwave and Laserbeak while on your way to Mistral, and what we have learned since reuniting has provided a few answers, but raised many other questions," Ozpin says.
"No kidding, and I thought that emo girl from Ruby's team didn't talk much. He's a really good fighter, I won't argue that. And he has been nothing but helpful to us, but still... Why? Why has he been helping us? What is it he's after? And most importantly, why was he sent here to protect Ruby?" Qrow asks several questions.
Ozpin nods, "Indeed. What he told the group the other day about his home has certainly helped us gain a better understanding of his character. From what I can tell, Soundwave may have either been on the losing side of the civil war in his village, or his side won, but he lost so much in the end that the victory didn't help to alleviate the pain, and so he left to find a new purpose," Ozpin theorizes.
"Well, he seems to think that protecting Ruby is his new purpose now, but he also 'said' that he was sent here by someone else to protect her. Ozpin, do you think it may have been Ironwood or the headmaster of Shade Academy?" Qrow asks.
"Highly doubtful. I haven't really discussed the tales of the Silver-Eyed warriors with anyone other than you and your old teammates, being as how one of them was a Silver-Eyed warrior," Ozpin replies.
"So, who do you think sent him? Do you think it was... Salem?" Qrow asks.
"I don't believe so. From what you told me about your previous encounter with this Faunus named Tyrian, they didn't seem to know each other, and if they were on the same side and after Ruby, it would be more logical to work together to take her rather than fight against one another," Ozpin thinks.
"Okay, that's another one off the list. But, what do we do about him now?" Qrow asks.
"For now, we continue on our current course. If he's here to help us, then let him. But... I want you to keep an eye on him. There's still much he hasn't told us about his origins, and I'd like to know what those secrets are before we can decide if we can truly trust him or not," Ozpin decides.
"Alright then, I'll keep my eyes peeled," Qrow replies.
However, neither of them know that outside Qrow's window, Laserbeak has been recording the conversation. Once it finishes recording, it flies off to rejoin Soundwave. Soundwave opens his window and holds out his right arm for Laserbeak to land on. After that. He goes over the recording through his visor. Once he's done, he sends Laserbeak back out into the air and then closes his window. Preparing to leave his room, he's stopped by a sudden voice.
"Soundwave," he hears and looks behind him to see Optimus in the window's reflection again. "Anything new to report on your mission?" he asks.
Soundwave uses his visor, "...There's still much he hasn't told us about his origins... keep an eye on him... Alright, I'll keep my eyes peeled..." he plays back the conversation between Qrow and Ozpin.
Optimus hums in thought, "Hmm, I see. It's not unusual for them to be wary of you, Soundwave. After all, you are an unknown variable to them and to this world, just like Megatron, and the others I sent here. You will need to earn their trust, however, how you do so will be up to you. Of course, you can't reveal everything about your origins to them so soon. If they knew what you used to be, it may cause problems in the near future. Be careful," Optimus says.
Soundwave nods before using his visor again, "...The others I sent here..." he says in Optimus' voice.
It doesn't take much for Optimus to figure out what he's getting at, "You're wondering about the others I brought here to Remnant aside from you and Megatron. I'm afraid I cannot say at this time. However, I can say that they are individuals that you will need to work well with and fight alongside if you are to complete your mission, and achieve your redemption," Optimus explains. Soundwave seems a little reluctant (though he doesn't show it one bit), but he nods anyway. "I must go now, but we will speak again soon. Good luck, Soundwave," he says before he vanishes from the window's reflection.
A moment later, he hears a knock at the door. He opens it to reveal Ruby on the other side.
"Hey Soundwave, we're getting ready to make dinner shortly if you want to come help," Ruby offers, and Soundwave nods. "Okay, great. Come on," she says and the pair leave to head to the kitchen. However, on their way, they run into Qrow. "Hey Uncle Qrow, what's up?" she asks.
"Hey, kid. Actually, I'm here to speak to your little friend here," Qrow says, hand raised to Soundwave.
"Huh? What for?" Ruby asks, curious.
"Come with me out back," Qrow says and starts walking off, with Soundwave following and leaving a confused Ruby behind.
A moment later, Ruby and the others come out to find Qrow and Soundwave standing a distance away from one another, with both of them having their weapons with them.
"Um, what's going on?" Jaune asks.
"How should I know? I'm as confused as you," Ruby replies.
"Alright then kid, I've seen you fight before. You're pretty good, and you can definitely handle yourself against some Grimm, but if you say that your mission here is to protect my niece, then I need to know if you got what it takes. And there's only one way to do that," Qrow says as he takes out and activates his blade.
Soundwave responds in kind by activating his blades, leaving the others on the side lines worried.
"Wait, are you going to fight each other?" Ren asks.
"Just a little sparring match. I want to see what Mr. 'silent but deadly' here can do. Now then, ready when you are, Soundwave," Qrow says.
Soundwave simply nods, and then remains completely still as a subtle wind blows by, and the tension amidst the atmosphere here rises. A moment later, both fighters rush at each other. Qrow jumps into the air and swings his sword out wide at Soundwave, but Soundwave slide underneath the swing and then backflips into the air to land right in front of Qrow. The two fighters clash their blades, but Qrow slowly begins to push Soundwave back. Soundwave remains unfazed as he aims his left blade at the right angle and fires off a shot that Qrow has to lean his head back to narrowly avoid. Soundwave then sends out his tentacles to shock him, but Qrow jumps back to stay out of their reach. Soundwave retracts his tentacles and runs at Qrow again. The pair proceed to have a dance of steel of sorts as they both make several swings at each other, each time only meeting the steel of their opponents' blade. At one point, Qrow ducks low and swings upwards at Soundwave, who crosses his blades in front of him to block the strike, though it sends him up into the air. Qrow jumps into the air after him and swings his blade at his side, but Soundwave twists over the swing and kicks Qrow in the face before the pair fall ack to the ground, with both landing on their feet. Qrow rubs his jaw a bit before staring back at his foe.
"His attacks are precise and calculated, and yet there's no hesitation from his movements. He might be as good as some of the more experienced huntsmen out in the world. However, he's still not better than me," Qrow thinks.
Soundwave gives him little more time to think on the matter as he starts firing off some shots at him. Qrow spins his sword around to block the shots, only to see Soundwave close in on him. Qrow slashes down at him, but Soundwave deflects the blade with his left blade, and then thrusts his right blade aimed at Qrow's head. Qrowleans his head to the right to barely avoid it and then throws a kick at Soundwave, who blocks with his left arm as he flies back to land on his feet. Qrow narrows his eyes and then hits the switch on his handle. The gears in his hilt start turning as his blade transforms into its scythe form. Now, he's getting serious. The pair charge at each other again, with Soundwave jumping into the air while swinging his blades around like a twister. Qrow twirls his scythe around to meet the attack, with both fighters ending up behind one another unscathed. The two turn around and attack again, speeding right past each other a few times as they clash their blades against one another. At one point, Soundwave gets a lead and attacks Qrow's rear, only for the drunkard to send the back-end of his scythe staff at Soundwave's face, Soundwave leans back and slides under the surprise attack, making a low swing of his left blade aimed at Qrow's feet. Qrow jumps over the strike and slams his scythe down at Soundwave. Soundwave crosses his blades together to block the strike, remaining on one knee as Qrow tries to force the blade down.
"Heh, not bad kid. Been a while since I had to use my scythe like this. But even you can't keep this up," Qrow taunts him.
Soundwave just stares at him, "...Soundwave: superior. Qrow Branwen: inferior," he says with his own voice; a voice sounding cold and devoid of emotion.
This shocks everyone present as this is the first time Soundwave has ever spoken before without doing it through his visor. Qrow being shocked gives Soundwave the second he needs to send out his tentacles to wrap around Qrow's weapon and then clamp down on his arms, sending an electric shock through his body. Qrow grits his teeth and manages to kick Soundwave away to free himself from the tentacles. Qrow staggers a bit from the attack and stares back at Soundwave, who seems the same as he always does.
"Did... Did Soundwave just talk?" Nora says, still in shock.
"You heard that, too? Good, then I'm not losing my mind," Jaune adds.
"But... why did his voice sound so... robotic? Inhuman?" Ruby wonders with worry.
Qrow attacks again and makes a series of swings at Soundwave, who flips back from each strike as they move across the courtyard. At one point, Soundwave backflips away, landing underneath the tree in the courtyard. Just then, one large tree branch breaks from the tree, likely due to Qrow's semblance, and falls towards Soundwave. Qrow smirks a bit, but then quickly loses the smirk when Laserbeak swoops in and knocks the tree branch away, leaving Soundwave unharmed.
"Well, that's just great. My semblance goes off, and he has a feathered insurance policy to make it null-and-void," Qrow thinks.
Laserbeak flies back up into the tree, choosing to watch the battle from afar. The two combatants stare down each other one last time. A second later, Qrow makes the first move, firing off his weapon to make him spin in the air as he spins towards Soundwave. Soundwave waits for him to get close and then uses his semblance, sending out a resonance blast that throw's Qrow off his concentration and making him miss Soundwave by just a hair. Everyone covers their ears from the move until Soundwave stops his resonance blast. Qrow shakes his head and sees Soundwave running at him, right arm blade reeled back. He makes a quick swing of his scythe and everything stops a second later. Qrow and Soundwave remain motionless, their respective blades a mere inch from slitting their opponent's throats. The onlookers stare, wide-eyed, and the spectacle. A moment later, the two retract their blades and deactivate their weapons, ending the duel.
Qrow dusts himself off, "You're even better than I thought, Soundwave. What's more, who knew you could actually TALK without having to use your visor. And here I was starting to think you were just some robot in human skin," Qrow jokes.
Soundwave makes no comment as Laserbeak flies down to land on his shoulder, and then he heads back inside the house.
The others watch him go, "He actually managed to keep Qrow Branwen on his toes and fought him to a stand-still. I'm definitely glad he's on our side," Jaune notes.
"Indeed," Ren adds.
Meanwhile, Nora's stomach growls, "Um, can we get something to eat now? I'm hungry," she says.
Ren chuckles, "Of course. Let's go prepare dinner," Ren says as the members of Team JNPR head inside.
Ruby heads inside next, though is still perplexed by what Soundwave said and how he said it. Qrow is the last to head inside, with much on his mind now.
"He really is good. Makes me wonder about what kind of civil war his old village had in the past, and what kind of warriors they had fighting it. But that also begs the question, if it was some kind of civil war, then why didn't any of the kingdoms learn about it? Also, I still don't know how he knows about Ruby's power. One thing's for certain, if he ever turns against us... we might be in a little trouble," Qrow wonders before taking out his flask for a swig and then heading inside to join the others.
And that's the chapter. Sorry it's been a while since I last posted one for this story. Soundwave dukes it out with Qrow Branwen, while Qrow and Ozpin continue to wonder about his origins. Also, Soundwave finally speaks his famous one liner! I was originally saving it for another chapter, but I thought this could work too, and I know you guys have been waiting a long while to hear it. Anyway, Soundwave leaves more questions for Ruby and her friends, but if they find the answers to them, will they be answers they like, or not? Until then, please Read and Review.