RWBYond Vale
AN: This might be one of my favorite chapters in this arc even though nothing really happens. It's just Ruby and her unit discovering a bunch of video files from project AKAS. But I put a lot of thought into this and came up with some pretty messed up stuff.
Chapter 37: How could they do such a thing?
Ruby was beginning to get excited. They had just gained access to the computers and were now crouched around the monitor in the training room. Scarlet just got back from checking on Sly, apparently he was doing all the push-ups. Penny was typing away at the computer trying to find something useful. The computer was 'her people' as she stated which made Ruby wonder just how much time did Penny spend with Yang.
"Here's something." Penny said pulling up the file. "This computer mostly houses references to a team AKAS. This was apparently their training room."
"More than likely is." Natalie said.
"There are numerous video journals. The oldest dating back 19 years."
"Let's see what they got." Ruby said. Penny clicked on the file and the image of a bald, dark skinned man in a lab coat and glasses appeared on the monitor.
"My name is doctor Henry Moon." The man said. "And this is the first update on the new project. Draco has christened it, project Acacia. Though the name is subject to change as the situation does. The prime directive, create the ultimate warrior for the Queen." The man held up multiple envelopes. "What I have here are numerous files for potential…shall we say donners. Men and women whose genetic history would be most ideal for creating a warrior within the parameters set to us by Draco and by extension the Queen. I will make another update when we have selected the worthiest candidate." The video stopped and Penny hit play on the other one.
"Dr. Moon here and we have selected our candidate. At least our female one. This huntress is most impressive, she even managed to beat Draco in a fight. Even if she did have help from her so called friends. With all our research and augmentations, I thought Mordred Draco to be invincible. But I guess no one is invincible. His right hand man, Tobi has taken position as oversight for this project. He seems unusually fixated on this candidate. But we must exercise caution. She, and her friends know who we are. It will be quite difficult to collect the DNA samples we require to progress further." The video stopped.
"Mordred Draco died at the end of the Faunas War." Natalie said. "He was an Atlas general who manipulated both sides to keep the conflict heated. He was killed by a large group of huntsmen who stormed his base and put an end to his treachery. To think he was working for Salem the entire time, doesn't surprise me."
"I take it Salem is the one called Queen." Scarlet said and Natalie nodded in approval. Penny clicked on the next video.
"Doctor Moon here." He said excitedly. "Numerous updates. 1. We found a male donner. Rather an old associate of ours had the necessary samples stashed away. I don't know how Necros found DNA from one of the strongest, most feared men in history, but I guess it's what he does. The donner will remain nameless, for Necros' sake. Wouldn't want Tobi to throw a tantrum to try to get his hands on more samples." Dr. Moon laughed a bit. "2. Our infiltrator managed to get unfertilized egg cells from the targets home. This is exactly what we need. 3. Now that we have both samples we would need it is time to use them to artificially induce pregnancy into a willing midwife. Despite all our advances we still cannot recreate the sanctity of a healthy womb. Not without opening the door for massive repercussions. A child needs a mother, especially when that child is going to be a girl. Tobi insisted that we alter the genetic code in order for the child to be female. I can see why, throughout Remnant's history, most of the power players and legendary warriors have been female. Anyway, Dr. Crescent Tsuki, a member of the genetics lab team, has volunteered." The video cut out again.
"Is that all really possible?" Penny asked pleadingly.
"Hypothetically yes." Natalie said.
"I wonder who they're talking about." Scarlet said. "The 'donners' I mean."
"The only Necros I've ever heard of is Necros Faust, but he was just a weapons dealer who supposedly died around the same time as Draco."
"Let's continue." Ruby said. A since of dread was welling up inside her. She had a feeling she knew who they were talking about. If her hunch was true, then she knew what they were after. And if that was the case she would have to fight them. But could she do it. Could she fight someone who, even so distantly, shared DNA with her. It cut to a hospital room where, Dr. Moon was hovering over a woman going into labor. Tobi and Glas were off to the side.
"Dammit Tobi, I told you pumping her with nature dust was risky." Dr. Moon said. The woman was screaming in pain. She was giving birth and it looked painful.
"I need that girl as strong as she could possibly be asap." Tobi said. Glas rolled his eyes.
"At this rate it'll kill her."
"Dr. Tsuki or the girl?"
"Crescent."
"So be it. Her existence in this project was as an oven. Once she's fulfilled that, I have no other use for her."
"Is that how you treat all those under you."
"I don't care so long as I get results."
"I'm fine." Crescent said with a huff. "I'm going to bring this baby into the world if it's the last thing I do."
"It may very well be." Glas said smugly.
"My baby is going to change the world. Any mother worth her salt would die for their child. Especially if that's an inevitability." She screamed out in pain and Ruby closed her eyes with a gasp. After a minute and hearing a flat line mixed with a baby's cry she opened up her eyes. Tobi was holding a blood soaked baby and wrapping it in black towels. Tobi put his hand on the baby's face.
"Looks like so much dust and splicing during a pregnancy is dangerous." Glas said. "Good to know."
"No." Tobi said in a harsh whisper. He handed the calmed down baby to Glas.
"Well that's unfortunate."
"You got the wrong sample!" Tobi gripped Dr. Moon by the neck. And squeezed.
"But we went right where you said it would be." Dr. Moon said choking. Glas showed Dr. Moon the baby.
"Does that look like the face of the argentware."
"Tobi you have to…" Dr. Moons neck cracked and his whole body went limp.
"You really have to stop killing your scientists." Glas said. The baby was screaming again.
"He failed."
"Where you see a failure I see the ultimate test waiting to happen. I mean nobody knows if the legends of the argentware are true so why not train her to put those legends to the test."
"What are you proposing?"
"An artificial argentware. One who is unbound by the genetic legacy of the argentware. Someone who can be a good and proper maiden someday. Finally putting an end to rumors and theories and giving rise to cold hard truth."
"We will still have to prepare her all the same. Her final test will be to kill the argentware. If she succeeds then she will validate her very existence. And if she fails, then she wasn't worth the time."
"That's harsh." Glas said, handing the child back. It had calmed down again.
"Not as harsh as looking into those infernal eyes." Tobi said putting a hand on the child's face again.
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing the biggest mistake in all of this." Tobi's hand glowed a dark green and little red flakes started peeling off the baby's face, around where the eyes were. The baby was screaming again but this time in pain. "It's ok little girl, it will only hurt a second." The glowing stopped. And the baby started to calm down.
"Well that was a little excessive. So have you thought about what happens next? I mean you did just blind her."
"She'll be raised by Luna Tsuki." Tobi said putting the baby down and looking at the camera. "She's a psychiatrist who works for us. And she's Crescent's twin sister. She'll raise the girl."
"Ooh, I want to come up with the name. How about…Akagi, Akagi Me Tsuki, red and silver eyes and moon." The video stopped. It was only then that Ruby realized their were tears in her eyes.
"How could they do such a thing?" Ruby said choking back some tears. "Punishing a new born just because she didn't have the right genes."
"Tobi's a monster." Scarlet said.
"Poor Dr. Moon." Penny said.
"They're all enemies. We shouldn't worry ourselves over them." Natalie said.
"But Akagi," Ruby started. "She had no choice in this. This is all she knows. I can't just leave her in darkness. She saved me from Cinder, saved me just so that she can kill me later. I won't let her go down that path I'm going to save her. Penny play the next video."
"What are you expecting to find?" Penny asked.
"Anything that will help.
"Remember our goal Ruby." Natalie said. We're here for Ozpin, not some sad little girl."
"But she's here, or at least she was. This could be my only chance to get through to her. Play the next video." Penny pushed play and this time a young woman with charcoal eyes and a black dress and matching hair was sitting at a desk.
"Luna Tsuki, reporting that project akatsuki is progressing well. Akagi is two years old now and…" The woman began to tear up. "She said her first word. She called me mommy. Even though she can't see she somehow always knows where I'm at. Cres, if you're up there somewhere I'm trying my best to raise her right without compromising my objective." She recomposed herself. "We have a way to bypass her lack of sight. The vision part of her brain is still intact and with her aura, and all the dust Tobi is subjecting her to, she'll likely grow her eyes back some day. Tobi is trying to splice her up so that when they do they'll be the desired color." The video ended and Penny clicked the next one.
"Luna here again. I've been going through the old files. All of our potential candidates from when this first started, they all had something in common. They all had someone worth dying for. A sister, a close friend, a spouse, but this person was never a parent. I convinced Tobi to let me go about this line of thought and," Luna was fiddling with something in her hands. "I'm going to have a baby. We are using the same male donner as Akagi in order to put them closer genetically. Other than that this child will be completely natural. It'll be three years younger than Akagi. I hope they get along." Penny instantly pushed the next button.
"Akagi turned three years old today. I don't know what happened." Luna was tearing up. "I hit her today. She kept on complaining about how all the stories say people relax on their birthdays but she had to get more dust implants. I hit her. She wouldn't stop complaining so I hit her. She's only three years old. Am I a bad mother? Or is it just these pregnancy hormones? Maybe I still blame her for what happened to my sister. Every time I look into those dead black eyes in order to give her the daily visual stimuli; I get reminded of my sister. Akagi if you are listening to this, know that I love you. I will always love you even if it doesn't always seem that way. And your little sister is going to love you too. Don't let Tobi cloud your mind with hate. Hate is what makes people like Tobi fail to kill those heroes in the stories I read to you." Ruby was saddened further by this. She was invested now. Now she needed to see it to the end. Penny apparently agreed with her because she clicked the next video without missing a beat.
"Kurome Tsuki was born today. I'm so happy that my baby girl is healthy. Akagi was even more happy. She's been a nervous wreck these last few weeks. Now Akagi has something to fight for. A reason beyond orders to become the strongest warrior she can be." The next couple of videos showed a young Akagi and Kurome playing. Kurome looked just like her mother. She had black hair and charcoal eyes. Akagi and Kurome constantly matched clothes, usually a black sweater vest and a skirt. Akagi had found an affinity for red ties whereas Kurome wore a frillier collar. Akagi also kept her hair down and natural but Kurome had it up in twin pony-tails.
"Important update. Akagi is now eight years old. Kurome is five. The target has perished. She died in battle. Tobi, that basterd told Akagi she no longer has a reason to stick around. Can you believe that? You don't just tell a eight-year old their reason for existing doesn't matter anymore. Edwin managed to cheer her up though. Apparently the target had a child of her own. She's Kurome's age. So we have changed targets. I'm relieved. The previous target was powerful and I worried that Akagi wouldn't be strong enough. Worst yet she wouldn't be able to function right until she killed the target. Now with this new, younger target, there is no way my little girl is going to lose. The new target also has an older sister. Apparently they are half-sisters as well. Do you believe in destiny? Because the similarities just seem too many to be coincidence. I wonder where that leaves me. I'm beginning to fear for my life. Another thing most candidates had in common, the reason why the person they protected wasn't a mother or father, they all had dead parents." That churning in Ruby's stomach returned. She knew exactly who they were talking about but dared not to say a word. When the next video came on there was a new man. He had a horribly disfigured face. Like all the flesh had been ripped apart and glued back together. But in a way to where to pieces were stretched thin revealing a tight outline of his skull.
"Tobi wanted me to handle this update." He said in a surprisingly mellow voice. It was deep and he had a thick southern accent, but it wasn't all gravely like Tobi's. "Can't imagine why, I'm just a weapons researcher. I don't know anything about this girl or what Tobi plans on doing with her. But first things first. The girls' mother died. She was killed in a Grimm attack. They happen from time to time here. It's something you get used to. I certainly did when I researched dust here, but that was decades ago. This girl, Akagi, apparently went on a temper tantrum afterwards. Story goes she saw her mother fight a kappa. Kappa got hurt but swallowed the mother. Girl than opens her eyes for the first time, picks up her mother's sword and butchers every Grimm she comes across. Tobi described it as 'seeing all your hopes and dreams screaming from the mouth of a twelve-year old's adolescent rage.' I was brought here to help her make a weapon. She wanted a halberd. Said that it was the weapon of her previous target. I had to talk her out of it. If she tries being anyone else she's just going to fail. I reminded her of just how naturally she wielded a katana, and helped her design a weapon that fits her build. Murasame, a sword and grieve that she will wield with all the talent Tobi's research can muster. Necros signing off." Ruby was right, even if it was three years later, Luna Tsuki did die. Ruby doubted that it was an accident. Tobi seemed to have too much control over Grimm to let something like that happen unless it was planned.
"Necros huh." Natalie said.
"He looked gross." Scarlet said.
"There is only one more video in this folder. Everything else is marked training footage." Penny said. This time Akagi was sitting at a table with a white blindfold covering her eyes.
"State your name for the record." A voice said from off camera.
"Akagi Tsuki."
"How old are you?"
"I turn 14 years old today." She said in a monotone.
"Where are you from?"
"Isle of Storms research facility."
"What is your position there?"
"Leader of team AKAS."
"Have you went on any missions?"
"No, we just train together."
"What is your goal?"
"To kill the argentware."
"Why?"
"Because it is the reason I was created."
"Who created you?"
"Mr. Tobi, Mr. Glas, Dr. Moon, my birth mom and my real mom."
"Your father?"
"Don't have one. The DNA they used was from some dead guy."
"Do you know who?"
"No. Only Dr. Moon and Mr. Faust knew."
"And they won't say?"
"Guess not." She gave a shrug.
"Tell me about your team. Your sister is on it. Tell me about her."
"What do you want to know?"
"The nature of your relationship?"
"I love her. She loves me."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Killing the argentware is why I was created but protecting her is why I do it."
"You seem to care deeply for your sister."
"She's the only one I care about. Tobi, Glas, they can all burn in hell for all I care. When my mission is done and Tobi has no more use for me I'm running. And I'm taking Kurome with me. When Tobi has no more need for me he'll discard me just like he does everybody else."
"What brought you to that conclusion?"
"I'm not stupid. I've seen the video of my birth. How he killed Dr. Moon because I wasn't good enough."
"Let's change subject. What about Ao?"
"He's my mentor. Him and Shiro are the closest thing I've ever had to friends. I haven't met them long but I know with time we will be a great team. Ao especially is stronger than anyone I've met. Granted I don't meet a lot of people here."
"Tell me about your mother."
"No."
"Very well. I think we're done here. You pass. You know what you are and what you need to do."
"There is one other thing. Mr. Glas says that there may be another power that the argentware has. One that can be taken by anyone who kills her. I want that power. If I can get it, then no one will ever be able to discard me. And I can keep Kurome safe forever."
"You are incredibly ambitious. I look forward to seeing you progress."
"It's been an honor Mr. Clog." Akagi stood up and gave a bow. The video ended.
"Ruby?" Penny said. She couldn't let them know that it was her she's after. If Ruby really does have some kind of extra power she needed to harness it. The only one who could help her now is Ozpin. And he's trapped somewhere on this god forsaken place.
AN: Longest. Chapter. Yet. But I didn't want to cut anything out that may be important later. Be sure to Review and if you like this story hit that follow button and favorite. Stay classy.