"What is that Door guy scheming?" Yang asked, not to anyone in particular and more thinking out loud. It had been a couple of days since the return of the Stand users to Vale, and there was little progress with the Silver Record's diary de-cyrptation.
And worst of all, Josuke Higashikata was unceremoniously escorted out by Atlas soldiers that very morning, they barely had any time to say goodbye to each other.
The four girls were out in the city, taking a walk and trying to take their mind off the things that had been happening recently, failing.
"There is no point in thinking about that right now." Weiss said, tapping her foot on the ground nervously. "Blake has been working all night trying to decipher that strange diary, we just have to wait."
"But...there's also that weird...thing that was written along the solution." Ruby turned around the piece of paper in her hands, and then tapped a corner, showing it off to the others "Right here in the bottom left, it reads like some sort of...prophecy."
The ones not of this world have a purpose, a meaning, an objective. Only once their objective is complete will they find a way back to their world. The boy from both the future and the past must stop the ever-spinning Records to return to his hometown.
"If Polnareff was here, he'd probably say something like 'That bastard is just trying to mess with us! Don't listen to 'im!'" Yang imitated Polnareff very, very badly, probably intentionally, making the others smile.
"I doubt something like that's the case." Blake said, her right hand on her hip, "I don't know know why, but...I don't think he was lying or messing with us. I have no proof, just my gut instinct."
'The boy from both the future and the past...What do you think it means? Who's it talking about?" Ruby closed her eyes and tried to think about someone that would fit that very vague and cryptic description, but nothing came to mind. Then, a second later, a very familiar face popped up in her thoughts, "Hometown...could it be talking about Josuke?"
Weiss's eyes widened "Does that mean...his 'purpose' is to take down the Silver Records?!"
Candid snow fell from above, covering the roads and the tall buildings with an almost mystical white. It was beautiful, and also really, really, really cold.
"Brr...I feel like I'm about to become an icicle." Josuke hugged himself in a vain attempt to warm himself up as he stepped out of the airship, standing right next to Ironwood, they gave him a maroon heavy jacket to cover him from the weather, though it did not do much.
Ironwood placed his gloved hand on Josuke's shoulder, smiling reassuringly, "You'll get used to it, this is your new home, after all."
Josuke tried to ignore it. He wasn't okay with being forcibly relocated to Atlas, not a single bit, but he might as well just play along. "Y-Yeah..."
If there was way to describe Atlas academy in a single phrase, that would be 'huge and clean'.
It definitely looked the part of a military school, much more than Beacon, and students were coming and going with their pristine white uniforms. This academy was much more than a simple academy, it was the center of the government, the school and the nation itself were the same exact thing.
They made him take off his blue jacket with his signature pins for the school's uniform, and was then quickly given his own dorm room….Well, more of a hastily re-outfitted closet room than an actual bedroom, they couldn't spare giving away a room made for a team of four people for a single student, and it would have had been 'safer' if he wasn't in a Team to begin with.
Josuke quickly took off his uniform and shoes as soon as they left him alone and laid his back against the bed, resting. At least they gave him a decent bed and the obligatory heater. "Great goddamn hospitality they're showing me." He looked up slightly at the surveillance camera staring down at him with its glass eye. "No privacy either, huh?"
He felt a bit like a lab rat being experimented on. Atlas and Ironwood weren't the enemy, he was sure of that, but they sure tried their hardest to look like they were.
He closed his eyes a bit, he technically could, and was encouraged to, wander around the campus and make himself feel welcome inside the school, and it was still morning. But he simply didn't feel like it, he was woken up at midnight to take a long flight to the North Pole of Remnant and was forced in a closet that probably was more fit housing brooms and boxes than people.
He was not in the best mood.
Suddenly, he heard something vibrate and he opened his eyes. The folded uniform was vibrating, it must have been the Scroll.
He sighed and slowly stood up, walking over to it and picking it up. The screen displayed the name and picture of Ruby Rose, his first instinct was to answer the call, but…
He slowly looked up at the camera, and slowly walked out of the room, at least the hallway wasn't as monitored.
"'Sup, Ruby?"
"Heya Josuke! How's it going there? How's Atlas?" Ruby replied. Her voice brought a smile to his face, at least he wasn't completely cut off from them.
"It's...ah, it's okay, I guess."
"Really? Weiss always avoids talking about Atlas. Hope you're having fun there!"
Yeah, fun, right. No wonder Weiss didn't want to stay there, the whole nation had some sort of thin oppressive veil, the fact she was an heiress to one of the richest families in the world probably just worsened her situation. "Ah...I think that's enough about me, how're you all doin'? "
"We're...managing, we still haven't fully cracked the code, but it won't be long now! We'll definitely find the bad guys and put them back in their place!"
"Good to know. I'll keep you all updated if something weird happens around these parts." As he said that he quickly looked to his left and his right, making sure nobody and nothing was staring at him.
"All right then! Good-"
"...Hold it, I found something!" He heard a muffled voice coming from the other side of the call. It was difficult to understand, but if Josuke had to guess it probably was Blake.
"Wait, really?" Ruby's tone seemed surprise. "Give me a second Josuke!"
The call went eerily silent. Josuke looked back at the screen confused, she definitely didn't hang up, so what was happening?
After a moment of waiting around awkwardly in the hallway, sounds started coming from Scroll, like someone was quickly trying to grab it and almost stumbled when they did.
"Y-You won't believe what we found out!"
"Uh? What?" He quickly brought the Scroll to his ear, curiosity taking over.
"We found the hideout of the Silver Records!"
"That's great! You all can finally begin the assault on 'em! Kick their asses for me." He was a little saddened at the thought of not being able to join, but oh well, such is life.
Or so he thought.
"W-Well..." Ruby suddenly sounded nervous, "Well, the thing is...According to the coordinates thingies we found in the diary…The hideout is in Atlas territory."
He nearly fell over himself as he heard those news. "W-What?! You ain't kiddin, right?!"
"Why would I joke around about this?!" Ruby shouted back.
"Oh crap..." Josuke scratched his head. He thought they'd be around in Vale or in some other place in Remnant. What were the odds of them being in Atlas?
Well, a lot more than he at first thought. Everywhere uncivilized in Atlas was a completely frozen deathtrap. Few to no Grimm live there, and nobody in their right mind would wander off in the middle of the icy nothing, making it next to impossible for anyone to accidentally stumble upon their hideout.
On second thought, Atlas was probably the best location for a hideout around.
"What are the plans now? How do you plan on taking them down?"
Silence.
"Hello?"
More silence.
"Uh...hel-"
"I heard you! I'm just...thinking." Ruby replied.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the call:
Ruby distanced herself a bit from the phone and faced her Team currently surrounding Blake and the diary held in her hands, a determined look in her face.
"Girls-"
"Oh no, that look and that word never signifies anything good." Weiss commented.
"Ahem...Girls, pack your bags, we're going to Atlas!"
"…You know, I really, really hate you sometimes."
"Hey, hate's a strong word!"
"Woah woah hey! Stop pushing so much!" Polnareff complained as Ruby pushed him up the ramp of the Airship. She might have been a shortie, but she had considerable muscle in those arms!
"B-But we just came back from-"
"But you have us this time!"
Blake looked down slightly, "Are we sure about this…? We still don't know the exact location of the hideout, and our training hasn't really showed results yet..." she said as Yang practically dragged Jotaro by the wrist like an excited little kid.
"Hmph..." Jotaro said nothing as he walked inside the Airship.
"Come on, Blake! Sometimes you gotta live for those spur-of-the-moment decisions!" Yang grinned, right on the entrance of the Airship. The Headmaster allowed them to borrow one for a 'very important mission' in Atlas, and they weren't exactly lying about that.
"You're that concept personified. Yang" Blake stepped up the ramp, looking slightly annoyed.
Kakyoin, last in the line, looked around. "Wait, where's Weiss…?"
Ruby's head poked through the open entrance, "She said she had to do...something important."
"Don't tell me she had to go to the bathroom right before our takeoff..." Yang shook her head, "Ah well, I'll go take my seat." She turned around and stepped in.
Suddenly a figure walked in view. At first they couldn't recognize it...until it finally hit them.
It was Weiss, with her long hair running down her back completely untied, and with the maroon school uniform.
"Weiss…? Where's your outfit?" Ruby tilted her head, "Did you just wake up from a nap or something?"
She shook her head, "I would prefer if you did not refer to me as Weiss once we get to Atlas." she stated in an almost theatrical manner.
"Eh?"
Weiss sighed at her teammate's confusion, and quickly went up the ramp, walking past Kakyoin and Yang and pushing Ruby back inside. "I'll explain when we get there!"
Kakyoin looked at Yang and she simply shrugged.
After all of them went inside, the pilot started up the engine. All of them could feel it in their skin, the final attack against the Silver Records was close, and it might have been their most dangerous mission...well, ever.
And in just a minute the group was above the ground, their 'trip' had begun.
[To Be Continued]-
Author Notes:
1. A bit of a shorter chapter this week. Sorry to break the 2k+ words streak I've been going for a while!
2. I made this warning a while back in the fanfic, but it's good to make it again: Since RWBY is still ongoing future information from the show may contradict what's shown here, like the general look of Atlas.
