Chapter 52 Breakage

A/N: All songs that are written/sung by RWBY/JNPR are Jeff Williams creations and sung by Casey Williams unless otherwise noted.

Character James

"Coris that is amazing," James remarked as he watched his friend take a pile of Dust and duplicate it for Weiss so she could send it to Verdant Rehab.

"True but if what Adam reports from his venture to the Verse is correct then we may be needing a lot more of this stuff," Coris replied.

"Magog, Cinder and Necromorphs," James stated, "It is hard to believe but I don't doubt Adam, he was formed from a part of K after all."

"When are you going to stop seeing him as a fragment of K and see him for the person he is," Coris asked.

"When Adam stops seeing himself as such," James answered.

"Right," Coris said, "Get me more Dust, I want to replicate as much as I can before we need it."

James nodded and headed off to find Weiss, instead he found Doughnut.

"Oh hey James I assume you're here to take this pile of Dust," Doughnut said as he greeted James outside the warehouse that Coris had set up shop in.

"Weiss left you to look out for her," James asked, "Should I be worried?"

"Well normally I would be since I would much rather pack the Dust then guard it," Doughnut said, "But I've also got Sarge inside the warehouse looking after the supplies with me so I figured we are okay."

"Wait Weiss left you and Sarge to guard the Dust," James restated, "Just what did she have to go do that warranted this?"

"Said she had to get some stuff done with Jayne today," Doughnut said, "So you're going to help move these crates right?"

"You know I've got an idea bout that," James said, "Do you think you and Sarge could open a dragon sized hole in the roof?"

"Yeah Sarge has been aching to shoot something," Doughnut replied as he ran back inside, "Oh he is going to be excited about this." James headed back to Coris to tell him of the change in plans.

"You are back I don't see any Dust," Coris said.

"New idea on that front," James said, "Weiss is off with Jayne so we're opening up the roof and you can just land in the warehouse to do your thing."

"Hmm Weiss would be angry at us for breaking the roof but if we can fix it fast enough she will never know," Coris mused, "Okay lets go."

When they got to the warehouse not only was there a hole in the roof large enough to land through the entire roof was removed and laying in pieces along one side of the building. Sarge and Lopez were busy putting away drills, wrenches and other tools while Doughnut was throwing the various items to them from inside the warehouse.

"How did they manage that," Coris asked, "We only took a few minutes to get here."

"Ah there you are good to see you two," Sarge said, "We can't wait around all day go do what you do so we can put this roof back on before Weiss gets back I don't want to get yelled at by her again."

"I hear you on that," Coris agreed, "James you want to play over watch for us?"

"I'm still here right," James replied as he took to the air to survey for Weiss. Fortunately it didn't take Coris long to start the Dust replicating itself, putting the roof back on though was more challenging that they had thought. Coris and James would move and hold the roof pieces up with Sarge or Lopez on them while the two mechanics put the structure back together with the tools Doughnut would throw to them. What took only minutes to deconstruct took three hours to put back together, mostly due to dropped, missed, or broken tools. If James needed proof that Doughnut's arm was good the several smashed hammers, broken drills and pliers embedded in the walls or underside of the roofing panels covered any lacking evidence.

"Well I can't believe we did that before Weiss got back," Sarge stated.

"Did what before I got back," Weiss asked as she and Jayne walked up to the warehouse, "Oh."

"Hey nice you managed to replicate all of it," Jayne commented as he looked inside.

"Well it is parts of my body," Coris said, "I should be able to control it, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah that makes sense," Jayne said.

"Did you guys do anything to the roof," Weiss asked pointedly.

"Uh which roof there are a lot of rooves around here," Doughnut asked.

"The roof that is now on my warehouse upside down," Weiss fumed.

"Oh that roof," James said, "Well yes, we had to get Coris in the warehouse otherwise he would still be working with each crate individually."

Weiss just gave them all a 'no more none-sense' stare and stated, "Fix the roof then do that on the next four warehouses."

"Can do," Sarge said, "Lopez we got to go flip those panels around, Doughnut get to throwing this should be fast since we can stand up there now."

"James can we talk for a bit while they fix that," Weiss asked. James looked to Coris who nodded for him to go before following Weiss and Jayne out to the parking lot. "James we need to know..."

"Is Weiss and me going to be a good idea," Jayne said when Weiss couldn't find the words.

"You want me to use my ability to tell you this," James deducted, "You know if I do that the information is the truth there is no hiding from it."

"That is why we are asking you," Weiss said.

James looked between the two. He figured out what they were planning and understood why they wanted to know. Turning into himself James then viewed the two through his truth sense to see if they would indeed be the couple that they ought to be. To his surprise the unlikely pair matched each other perfectly. "You still plan on having that wedding right," James asked.

"If we are good for each other yes," Weiss said.

"Then go get some cloths picked out you two are good," James said, "As for this plan of yours, I would recommend waiting until after the wedding."

"Oh we are," Jayne said, "The one at the courthouse anyways."

"It will take some time to get Jayne added to the Schnee family," Weiss said, "We need to go ahead and start that process and a marriage license is the place to start."

"I understand," James said, "I wish you two the best of luck, though with your many connections, Weiss, I doubt you really need luck."

"Ha with government paperwork I will take all the luck I can get," Weiss said.

"Yeah am I going to have to read all those documents," Jayne asked.

"Yes and sign them too," Weiss replied.

"You'll be fine Jayne," James said, "Going from a merc to a prince is not a normal transition, well except for K possibly he has been many things in his lifetime. That and I'm sure finally getting past that skirt is a great motivator for you."

"For him," Weiss asked, "This hunk has been driving me crazy since I saw him and I'm not even to proud to admit that." James raised an eyebrow at that. He knew Jayne had strong desires but had been controlling them. Weiss it seemed was even better at controlling her emotions than she let on, good enough that he never picked up on it anyways.

"Well it sounds like you two have a lot to do then," James stated, "and I should probably make sure they haven't put the roof on sideways."

"You didn't stop them from putting it on upside down," Jayne laughed.

"That is true," James replied, "Maybe I will have better luck this time."

James left the pair to return to the warehouse where the roof was now once again on the ground but this time in a lot more pieces. James sighed it was going to be a long day. Nine hours and ten warehouses later James was proven correct in that assumption as he dropped the last piece of roof back into place for Lopez to screw it back in.

"Ten warehouses," Coris remarked, "Ten out of hundreds if not thousands... We need a faster way to produce Dust."

"Faster," James asked, "We're going to need more men to be faster, maybe even more of you."

"More of me," Coris commented quizzically, "That might just work, Dust is after all my cells."

"Whatever you have planned we can try it tomorrow," Sarge said, "Right now I need a break and there is no better place to take a break than at a nice, soothing, relaxing, rock concert."

Everyone just looked at Sarge before Doughnut shrugged and asked, "Are the Echoes even playing tonight?"

"Nah but I heard that Yang and Junior are having their friends play tonight and I figured I'd go listen to them at least once," Sarge replied, "also I got coupons for free tequilas and they expire tomorrow."

"Oh do you have some for wine too," Doughnut asked.

"Uh yeah a few," Sarge reluctantly admitted, "Hhhrrr okay everyone can come and help me use all these free drinks."

"I'm in," Simmons said.

"Yeah I could really use a few drinks after all that work," Grif said.

"What work," James asked.

"Pretending to be helpful takes a lot out of you," Grif said, "I have an image to keep you know."

"What about Lopez," James asked.

"Excellent point," Sarge said, "Lopez come on down and lets go!"

"Si," Lopez replied resignedly.

"Why take Lopez," Coris asked, "He's a robot and can drink or enjoy most of the stuff we are going to the club for?"

"Because I need someone intelligent to talk to," Sarge said, "And Lopez has always been that someone."

"Wait the only person you can't understand is the one who you like to talk to," Coris asked.

"Probably because he can't understand all the snide remarks and backhand comments that Lopez says," James whispered to Coris.

"Ah that makes sense," Coris remarked, "James you heading to the club?"

"Not now I don't think," James said, "You all go on, I'm going to go meet with Cinder I believe she wanted to talk about her other self."

"Right," Coris said, "I'll get with Weiss after the concert and see what we can do about speeding up the Dust process."

"Meeting up tomorrow then," James asked before he took off.

"Yeah meet us back here," Coris said as James left the area.

Character Luciver

"Okay for our next song a blast from Earth," Ruby said, "Credit goes to the Rolling Stones for writing this song and the Echoes for bringing it to us. Now here's Sun with 'One Hit to the Body'."

Luciver sipped his beer and looked towards the stage as the band got ready to play. They had been going for about thirty minutes now and had been alternating between songs from them and songs from Earth, apparently the Earth songs had struck a cord with the youngsters. Luciver had to admit the Rolling Stones were a good band, even he liked them and he had never even cared for music before meeting up with DC.

"You fell out of the clear blue sky to the darkness below. The smell of your flesh excites me,
blood starts to flow, so help me God. You burst in, in a blaze of light, you unzipper the dark. One kiss took my breath away, one look lights up the stars. And it's, it's one hit to the body. It comes straight from the heart," Sun sang out with the rest of the band adding, (Straight from the heart,) at the end of the line. Sarge, Simmons, Grif, Doughnut, Lopez, and Coris came in and sat down during the opening of the song. "One hit to the body, shook me straight to the mark, so help me God. One more from the body, one more straight from the heart!" Luciver had started to tap his fingers in time with the rhythm of the electro-strings that Ruby was playing.
"Yeah, it's one shot when you love me, one shot when you leave. I don't need no security. I just need me some peace. And it's one hit to the body, come straight from the heart. (Straight from the heart) One voice calls out my name, shook me straight to the mark. (Straight from the heart) One punch and you knocked me down, tore my defenses apart. One round took me out of the game, you did me some permanent harm," Sun continued with the rest of Petals On the Wind chiming in when appropriate. "It took just one hit, It took just one hit, it ain't enough for me. It ain't enough for me. (Enough for me) It ain't enough for me. It's hurting, it's frighten hey!"
Blake added her voice to that of her husband's as they continued the song. "Oh, your love is just sweet addiction, I can't clean you out of my veins. It's a life long affliction, that has damaged my brain. It took just one hit to the body, to tear my defenses apart. (Straight from the heart) One hit to the body, sure went straight to the mark. (Straight from the heart) One hit to the body, that comes straight from the heart. (Straight from the heart) One hit to the body, to the body, to the body, that comes straight from the heart!"

The Reds had all gotten booze by this time, using some cheap coupons at that, and were starting to listen to the song, Coris had already started humming in rhythm with Pyrrha and Blake's keyboards and on key at that.
"One more from the body, one more straight from the heart, straight from the heart. One more from the body, one more straight from the heart, straight from the heart. That's all it took, that's all it took, just one hit straight from the heart. So help me, so help me, so help me God. So help me, so help me now!" Then the whole band joined in for the chorus.
"One more from the body, one more straight from the heart, straight from the heart. One more from the body, one more straight from the heart, straight from the heart. One more from the body, one more straight from the heart, straight from the heart!"

"Ah ha ha, good ol Stones," Sarge remarked, "Always like their stuff."

"Yeah I pretty much only like their stuff," Luciver said, "Though that 'I Burn' variant that they just did was pretty amazing."

"Hey that's what we need tomorrow," Sarge said, "We need some music to work to."

"I don't see how that would make us any faster," Coris said.

"Faster at what," Luciver asked.

"I'm replicating as much Dust as possible for Weiss," Coris said, "The Reds here and James are helping me."

"Replicating Dust," Luciver stated, "Right you're made of the stuff, seems reasonable that you could control it. So how's that going?"

"To slow," Coris replied, "We got ten warehouses out of thousands done today and I don't know how much time we have until someone tries to attack us. Juniors' other has already made an attempt on his life if the dimensional shadows of our friends can't sneak their way in I am pretty sure they have the ability to start a war with us and they might be able to win that war."

"We followed K into Hell itself on an assault," Luciver replied, "I doubt our enemies would win."

"These creatures that you will be facing," Coris said, "They are far worse than anything that has been experienced up to this point. Hell is no longer the resting place for Sin's autonomy, people are." Luciver sipped his beer and looked at the crystal plated dragon as he thought about Coris' words.

"Perhaps you are right," Luciver said, "But as far as I see it the ones responsible for discovering sin are on our side and we seem to be on God's side. So let the shadows try to walk in the light, I fear neither dark nor light."

"Why is that," Doughnut asked, "Do you have a nightlight in your bunk too?" Luciver looked at Doughnut incredulously. "What its fashionable and lets me see when I wake up in the middle of the night to preemptively eat Grif's snack."

"Wait you what," Grif said as he choked on his drink.

"Good work secret agent Doughnut," Sarge said, "Operation littler Grif may continue as normal."

"Oh can I help," Simmons asked.

"Simmons you traitor," Grif exclaimed.

"Enough you guys," Coris said, "I am curious though, how are you so brazen about our enemies?"

"I'm an ebon-grey," Luciver replied as he twirled his ring around his finger, "I have exponentially more power at my disposal than all but three from my planet and I'm related to those three."

"You store your power in stones," Coris remarked, "We are of a similar nature then, as I am made of stone which houses my power."

"Yes the Dust," Luciver commented as Weiss began to sing 'I May Fall.' "With all it's different forms how do you balance the energy that you can contain?"

"Through replication," Coris replied, "That is what we are doing with the Dust as of now."

"So how do you replicate it," Luciver asked.

"It's simple enough really I am attuned to the energy of it and so when I pour power into it it can replicate itself," Coris said, "It's what started the growth of Dust in the first place."

"Just like our bodies replace their dying cells," Simmons stated, "Its really very cool to watch."

"You're basically feeding your cells from an external power source then," Luciver commented, "You say the process isn't going fast enough for your liking though?"

"Yes I can only be in so many places at once, I tried to make a second body for me and inhabit both but it didn't work out," Coris said.

"Yeah and watching his second body get all big and fat then dissolve was just gross," Grif added.

"Is there a way to attune others to Dust," Luciver asked.

"Possibly but I've never found anyone able to be attuned to it," Coris answered.

"Try attuning me," Luciver stated, "If you can I know five others who we can get to help and if not then you've only lost whatever time it took to try."

"Wouldn't take long," Coris said as he ordered another drink, "If that ring is the store house of your power I could test it now, thanks Melanie." Melanie nodded as she handed Coris his drink and returned to the other patrons. "Here take this Dust just see if you can use it as you do that ring of yours."

Luciver looked at the red crystal in his hand then back to Coris before nodding and pouring power into the crystal. To his surprise the crystal absorbed the energy he gave it and split into two crystals. Coris smirked as he took the crystals back. "Get those others and meet us at the Schnee warehouses, with you six around we might just make it through all the Dust," Coris said.

"How much time do you think we have before these forces collide with us," Luciver asked.

"Not long a few weeks at most," Coris stated.

"You seem very sure about that," Sarge said.

"We've already seen signs of them scouting this planet," Coris said, "The Necromorphs, the attempt on Junior and I'll bet there are other plans that we haven't discovered yet."

"Yeah about those other plans," Junior said as he leaned over the bar to talk with them, "We may have one of our own. James is meeting with Cinder I assume?"

"Correct," Coris said.

"What are you planning," Luciver asked.

"A good while back," Junior said, "Before me and Yang were a thing, actually it might have been what started us off. Doesn't matter though what matters is the giant freaking robot that was constructed just to fight RWBY. Lao and I have been gathering as much info as we can on the guys who came after me and we believe that the Cinder that is attacking the various dimensions never had to fight against RWBY or even Beacon, she would never have had to craft such a mech."

"Can you get it fixed," Luciver asked.

"I believe that is what Cinder is meeting with James about right now," Junior said, "We have found several discrepancies in the information that Lao and I got from those left of the strike force sent to eliminate me. It seems that Cinder took over politically before becoming Magog, there was no Beacon to fight against her since she was the head of all the schools. I would assume that most of the Hunters and Huntresses followed her once she took control so it is very likely that this Cinder is unaware of the powers that our Remnant has developed to counter the attacks that have been constantly made against it."

"We can also be sure that Adam was not there," Luciver said, "Or us for that matter. Still if she had control of the planet then she would have had plenty of time to create weapons of her own that we would not know about. Would any of the Sith that were following her know what level of technology Cinder has access to?"

"Possibly," Junior said, "We are going to look into that tomorrow."

"You said something about a giant robot," Sarge interrupted, "And that you needed it fixed, I can help with that."

"We could work that out," Coris said, "Luciver if you bring your family and friends to help me with the Dust Sarge and the Reds can go help repair the robot."

"We can meet you at the warehouses," Luciver said after he quickly sent the new plan to his family, Sureal and Graysfang. He then got up to head out to the warehouses so he knew where to go. "See you in the morning."

Character Mordecai

Mordecai slid behind a stack of crates as bullets zipped by him. Bloodwing landed beside him with chunks of their aggressors in her claws. Roland and Lily were behind one of Roland's supped up turrets attempting to give Bloodwing and Mordecai some covering fire and Lao and Summer were flanking the mercs that were pinning them all down. Brick was working on getting them an escape rout out of the shipping dock that they had infiltrated, well that Lao and Summer had infiltrated. It was supposedly being used by agents of the 'other' Junior to stage their attacks against Remnant. Turns out Lao was correct about that but not about how much fire power was in this particular place, it was a lot.

"Blood get me eyes on some targets," Mordecai said.

"Right," Bloodwing replied as she took back to the air and began to circle around the targets so Mordi could pick them off. Five shots and five kills later Blood returned after having taken her own kill count up by seven. "Beat you that time."

"Hey that's not fair," Mordi said, "You've had more drinks than me today."

Bloodwing just huffed at him as she returned to the air. Mordi ducked out from the crates and executed a shot that took the pressure off of Lily's right by killing the gunman that had set up there. Summer and Lao hit the attackers from the left while the mercs were focused on Roland and his turrets. Mordi picked off another two mercs that were attempting to shoot at Lao while Blood took out the merc that was coming up behind Summer.

"Okay looks like we bought ourselves a breather," Roland said as the most recent wave of mercs lay dead, "Brick where are you, talk to me."

"Heads up," Brick yelled as the ceiling collapsed and carried Brick along with three motorcycles down into the middle of the group. The light from the moon and stars helped to light up the inside of the shipping dock as well. "I didn't find anything useful around here so I just had the gloves build us these."

"Nice," Mordi said as he jumped down to where the others had gathered, "I'm driving one of 'em."

"Dibs," Summer added.

"Roland get on the back," Lily said, "We need to go."

The six got on the bikes, Mordi and Brick on one, Summer and Lao on another and Lily and Roland on the last one. They had just cranked the bikes when a large angry robot smashed it's way into the room from outside. It was twenty feet tall and shaped like a human skeleton, only with big guns attached to the arms and lasers in it's eyes.

"Move now," Lao ordered. The three pairs of riders took off as a laser swept over where they had just been. "What is that thing?"

"I don't know I thought you were the one who looked up the information about this place," Summer yelled to Lao.

"Brick is it following us," Mordi asked the big man.

"Oh yeah it is following us alright," Brick replied as the distinctive sound of the gauntlets launching fireballs rang out. Then a laser beam sliced up the road in front of them causing the bikers to swerve off the road and back into one of the warehouses. Summer broke to the left and headed up the stairs, driving her and Lao along the catwalk towards the other side. Lily drove out a door that took her and Roland out to a side ally that ran along the warehouse. Mordi and Brick keep the big robot's attention as they speed through the aisles of stacked shipping containers. Glass shattered as the robot fired it's twin cannons into the warehouse as it followed along with Mordi and Brick from the outside. They just barely made it under a falling shipping crate before bursting out the other side of the warehouse and directly into the bot's line of fire.

"Brick shoot behind us," Mordi said, "Give me a boost!" Brick fired both gauntlets behind them adding more speed to the bike as the two zipped under the robot's legs. Blood took off to identify weak spots on the mech as Mordi and Brick got off the bike before sending it back towards the robot. The mech took the bait and fired at the diver-less bike while Mordi lined up a shot at the cables and pipes running up it's back. Three shots rang out and the left arm of the mech went limp as fluid started pouring out of the hydraulic system on that side. The robot turned to fire at Mordi and Brick when Lao and Summer busted out of the top story of the warehouse and slammed into the mech's head. Summer smashed out the eye lasers while Lao used Vertigo to grapple the bikes that both they and Mordi and Brick had been using and slammed the vehicles into one of the robot's legs, crippling it. Then Lily came around the side of the building with Roland sporting a rocket launcher. One missile took out the other arm of the robot, causing it to go offline.

"Nice moves," Lao said as he and Summer got down. "So what are we going to do with this?"

"I'll get Dad over here to move it to the Invention where we can study it," Roland said. "Mordi do you ever miss?"

"Only when I'm sober," Mordi replied jokingly, "Speaking of which I need a drink after this, what is that thing anyway, it doesn't look like any construct I've seen before."

"It is not native to Remnant I can tell you that," Summer said, "The metal, the structure, and the lasers are all more advanced than even we have the capacity to create without Dust."

"Wait you mean that thing didn't have any Dust used in its construction," Lily asked, "The only other faction with tech like that that we know of is the Reapers, Harbinger and his bunch."

"Then we need to get Harold and Harbinger to look at this thing," Mordi said, "Tell us what it is."

"Hey more bikes are ready to go," Brick said as two more bikes we constructed by the gloves.

"Good when Dad gets here to pick this up we can move out," Roland said as he deployed two turrets, "Until then I'll bet that these mercs will want to try and secure their robot."

"Blood give me eyes in the sky," Mordi said, "Let us know if anyone tries to come over this way." Bloodwing took off with a screech and started circling around the area.

"So when is K going to get here," Lily asked.

"Could be a couple of seconds could be a couple of hours," Roland replied, "You know how he is."

"Great," Lao remarked, "So anyone know any good stories?"

"Yeah how bout the time I punched," Brick started.

"Heard it," everyone said.

"Lao I'm sure you've got some pretty cool stories," Mordi said, "Blood doesn't see anything so if you are willing to share..."

"Well there is not much to tell," Lao said, "I'm an information broker, much like Junior. Though there were a few times that Qrow and I would pull off some... discrete contracts for Vale PD. Why there was this one gang that we helped bust. First we stole a huge shipment of weapons from them, then we had to break into and hack one of Cinder's databases, ended up taking an entire server out of there. Let me tell you that thing was heavy. Then we had to get into the bank vault where their money was being kept, bag it all and deliver it to Joel. I won't go into details but I will say that no one but gang members were harmed in the process of securing the marked Lien."

"That sounds more like you and Qrow are professional heisters," Roland said, "Reminds me of when the four of us raided General Knox's armory... our method had more explosions in it though."

"Yeah and punching," Brick added.

"Mordi we've got several vans on approach," Blood reported as she landed on his shoulder.

"Great sounds like story time is over then," Mordi said as he stroked Blood's head. "Hey Lao you think you could use some of those non-violent skills of yours to capture a few of these guys?"

"I just might at that," Lao said as he spun a cable tie around his finger. "You all keep them distracted I'll try and pick out a few from the side lines." With that Lao ducked into the wrecked warehouse where he could get a jump on some of the mercs.

"Great now you're encouraging him," Summer scoffed, "Now he will be on about it for weeks, and I don't want Ruby getting any ideas... well any more ideas."

"You're a lot like mom you know," Roland commented as the vans pulled into the clearing, "Okay everyone lets do this."

"I don't think you will be doing anything," Junior's voice called out as mercs piled out of the vans. It sounded like Junior at least but with more of a growling undertone to his voice. That's when Mordi heard the sound of mechanical parts moving and they all turned around to see the robot getting back up.

"It can heal itself," Lily exclaimed, "Well shit, run!" She grabbed Roland and the two warped into her mini dimension. Summer ran into the warehouse to get Lao while Brick got on one of the bikes and Mordi jumped on the back.

"Drive Brick drive," Mordi yelled as he fired at the mercs that were beginning to shoot at them. Mordi cleared a path through the mercs and Brick drove through them drawing the robot after them and right through the mercs. "Keep us out of the fray long enough for me to call for help."

"Right," Brick replied as Mordi messaged the other Vault Hunters. Maya messaged back saying that they were on their way.

"Okay they know, now lets go kill this thing," Mordi said. Brick grinned and revved the engine before plowing into the mercs while Blood carved a path beside them and Mordi was sniping their attackers as they speed past. Brick punched one of the vans as they went past causing it to explode.

"Hey yeah," Brick bellowed, "Now this is fun."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it but that robot is heading out of this district," Mordi said, "We've got to keep up with it." Summer and Lao swung by over head on Vertigo and Lily warped her and Roland by them as Brick turned the bike around to follow the robot. Mordi picked off the last of the guys from the vans as they left. "Come on where are you going," Mordi asked himself as they followed the robot. "Looks like he is heading to the upper district, we need to stop it before it gets there."

"I punch it," Brick said as he gunned the bike and got them right up under it. "Get onto it."

Mordi looked at Brick, who was lining up a jump and decided that he should probably get off the bike as well. The pair jumped from the bike onto the two feet of the robot and began to climb up it. Mordi would cut and shoot at anything that looked important on the way up but they didn't do anything that fully stopped it. They did slow it down though when Brick punched out one of the joints in the robot's knee causing that leg to lock up. Lao and Summer had gotten to the head of the robot and were working on dismantling it while Roland and Lily were on the shoulders trying to get the guns offline again.

A loud cannon blast signaled the arrival of the Hunter as a drop pod slammed into the robot's chest. From that pod emerged Zer0 who immediately jumped to one of the arms and began looking for weak points. Another pod dropped off Sal then Ax and Gaige. The ten of them assaulting the mech caused it to stop it's advance on the heart of Vale and actually pay attention to them. A massive power surge threw all of them off the mech to the ground where it proceeded to trap them in buildings with it's lasers and guns.

"Well now what do we do," Bloodwing asked.

"We wait," Roland replied, "Dad is on his way and will be here in just a few minutes."

"Can't wait now," Summer said, "Ruby just showed up with her team to help us, we need to get out there."

As she said this Weiss, Blake and Yang slid into the building with them.

"Yang where is Ruby," Lao asked as he ducked to avoid a piece of shrapnel that blew through the wall.

"She distracted it long enough for us to get to you," Yang said, "Come on before it..." Yang was cut off as the robot punched through the wall knocking Ruby through the same wall and into Yang.

"Ah o-okay that one hurt a bit," Ruby gasped as she got up and caught her breath, "Hey guys, where did you find your new friend?"

"You get punched through a wall by a giant killer robot and that is what you ask," Mordi remarked, "You're made of sterner stuff than me kid I'll give you that."

"Yeah well so is that mech," Weiss said as she glanced out at the said construct as it tried to find a place to land another punch. "We don't have long before it brings the building down and the Hunter doesn't seem to be affecting it now that it's shields are up."

"It has shields," Lao sighed, "Great, now what do we do."

"Wait for K I guess," Brick said as another punch hit the building.

"Blake, Yang," Sun called out from outside as the sound of rockets exploding could be heard.

"Sun we're in the building find somewhere to hide this thing is really strong," Blake yelled back.

"Not going to happen," Junior, the real Junior, said. "We've got one Mr. Qrow who says this mech is going down now."

"Qrow," Ruby exclaimed, "Come on guys lets finish this." They all headed out side when Weiss signaled that the robot was looking away from them. Once outside it was evident why it was distracted. Qrow was on it and tearing into the creation with his own sniper-scythe, Junior was sending volleys of missiles at it and Sun was ducking and diving out of the way of lasers and bullets as the robot tried to pick him off. Meanwhile Scooter was slamming into the robot with his own mech suit. Or he was until the robot turned it's attention to Scooter. It reared back and kicked Scooter away from itself before lasering one arm off of Scooter's suit and riddling one of the legs with bullets, rendering it inoperable. Mordi quickly fired five shots into the hydraulic lines again but due to the shield they just bounced right off. Scooter was down on one side and holding one of the robot's arms at bay with his functional arm. The other arm however had morphed the gun into a spike that is was driving towards Scooter's pilot housing. "No Scooter," Mordi exclaimed as the spike ripped right through the smaller mech.

"D-d-don't worry guys," Ruby stammered as she and Scooter appeared in a cloud of roses next to them, "I g-got him."

"Ruby," Summer yelled as her daughter started dissolving into rose petals. Ruby had saved Scooter but at the cost of allowing the mech to hit her while her Aura couldn't protect her. Summer caught Ruby as she fell. Ruby's legs had already dissolved into roses but the process had slowed for a bit.

"Weiss," Ruby called, "Weiss, You have to lead the team now. I'm sorry it came to this." Ruby's eyes roamed the group before locking onto Mordecai's, "I have to go now." With that last statement Ruby fully dissolved into the roses that would follow her everywhere she went. Summer collapsed to the floor while holding onto the petals Ruby had become, crying openly. Yang joined her mother as did Weiss and Scooter, Lao walked to the door of the building and turned to look at them all. He had a death stare in his eyes the likes of which Mordi remembered very well. Mordi joined Lao by the door, along with Qrow and Gaige.

"For Ruby," Gaige said.

"For Ruby," Lao and Mordi agreed while the rest were still stunned at Ruby's death.

The four charged out at the mech, Blood swooped up to it's head to distract the lasers, Gaige summoned Deathtrap to swipe and claw at it's legs while she laid into it with all the new tech she had gotten from Shepard's universe. Lao used Vertigo to lock himself onto one of the chest plates, allowing him to hammer away at it until it fell off and let the mad man inside the robot. Qrow was slicing away at the gun and spike arms of the robot attempting to destroy them. Sun had reentered the fray once the four took the heat off of him and Junior was still sending rockets into the robot's back. Mordi had picked up Crescent Rose on his way out and was now using it as the most powerful sniper rifle he had ever laid his hands on. His first shot he fueled with rage causing the bullet to rip right through the shields, the second with despair which caused the pipes he hit to freeze, the third with sadness which caused the robot to seize up and the last with hope which caused a massive, red flare to erupt from the robot along with the other Junior's cry of "Impossible!" The robot then caught fire as Lao punched his way out of the robot and Qrow jumped down. His rage spent, Qrow seemed to collapse into an old man who had his reason for living taken away from him. He dropped his scythe, slid to his knees and wept. Lao put a hand on Qrow before going inside to see to his wife and remaining daughter.

"Mordi what happened," Sun asked as he and Junior approached, "Why do you have Crescent-Rose?"

"Ruby is gone," Mordi told them after thinking about his response for a minute, "The spike got her as she saved Scooter."

"Yang," Junior stated as he shouldered his weapon and headed into the building.

"I... I should go see about Blake," Sun said as he too ran inside."

Mordi turned away from them all as the sound of wings became audible overhead. His anger flared anew as K dived into the now mostly leveled area. "If K had just gotten here sooner," Mordi thought as he headed away from Gaige, who was trying to comfort Qrow, to intercept K. "K," Mordi grated out.

"Mordi," K replied questioningly, "What happened?"

"Ruby's dead," Mordi replied flatly as he showed K Ruby's weapon. Mordi instantly regretted being harsh with K as their immovable, seemingly cold and cruel leader reared back in shock before morphing into his human form grabbing Crescent-Rose and running inside the building. What surprised Mordi was the trail of tear drops that followed K as he moved. He sighed and went to help Gaige move Qrow inside where a storm of voices could be heard.

Character Ruby Rose

"I have to go now," Ruby said to Mordi, out of all of them he was the only one there who might understand what she meant, due to his relationship with Bloodwing. Then in an instant she was gone from her family and friends and in the arms of one she loved much more dearly. "Cross Bearer," Ruby sighed as she hugged him, or what would have been a hug if spirits had arms.

"Ruby," He replied in his gentle but commanding voice, "Do you know where you are?"

"Does it matter," Ruby asked, "I'm with You same as always."

"Always forever by your side," He said with a smile, "Ah Ruby but I know your heart, I will allow this."

"Really," Ruby exclaimed, "Okay, I'll go when You say it is the right time."

"The time will be soon," He said, "But until then enjoy these moments we can share."

"We share every moment," Ruby replied, "But none of them have been like this."

"And none after this will be the same as before," He replied, "Welcome to eternity Ruby Rose, welcome home."

"Yeah, now lets just make sure everyone else gets here too," Ruby said as they headed off to roam the plain of eternity.

Character Celantra

Her first impression that something was very wrong was when an explosion of pain rocked through her from K's mind. Then when she couldn't even get in contact with him, C knew that something was very wrong. "Doug can you get in contact with K or anyone he was with?"

"No I'm sorry, K has locked himself up it would seem," Doug thought to her, "Odd I've only know him do that once before, when he was searching for you and you slipped right through his fingers."

"Thanks," C replied before sending out a thought to Roland and Cynder, "Can either of you get in touch with your father?"

"No," Cynder replied, "That is odd."

"I'm here with him," Roland responded after a few moments. His mind felt just as heavy as K's had the moment before she lost connection with him. "Mom, Ruby is dead."

C was stunned, Ruby was the only person she had ever met who had more inherent energy in her than C herself did. With the way Ruby's Aura protected her it shouldn't have been possible for her to be killed. "How," was the only word C managed to think to Roland.

"Saving Scooter from a freak of a mechanical creation," Roland answered, "Get Shepard or Harbinger over here to take a look at it, we think it might be Reaper based in origin."

C mentally acknowledged Roland's request as she left his mind. She just stood on the side of the cliff outside of Beacon that she had been looking out for Grimm from while a feeling that she had not felt in a very long time rose to the surface inside of her. That feeling was anger, hatred, for any group or entity that would kill such an innocent girl as Ruby. There was a reason that C was the aspect of mercy, because on the rare occasions that she gets angry, universes die. C let the anger settle in as a cold burning hate for whatever organization was behind this attack as she went to get Shepard and Harbinger.

Harbinger was the easiest to get, she just flew up beside him and said, "Follow." Harold was slightly harder to get since he was with Tali out on the town. After ten minutes of searching she found the two and just plucked them off the streets with her paws and carried them with her to Roland's last position.

"C what was that for," Harold yelled as she put him and Tali down. Then he saw the remains of the mech that Roland had mentioned and immediately took a step back.

"Harold tell me that is not what I think it is," Tali said as she ran a hand through her hair and down her face.

"It is Reaper in origin," Harbinger announced as he finished scanning the construct, "It appears to have been made out of humans and Fanus."

"Well it is dead so why are we here," Harold asked.

"Because Ruby died to that thing," Roland said as he came outside from one of the buildings that surrounded the area with Lily.

"What," Harold and Tali asked.

"This seems improbable," Harbinger stated, "Ruby Rose has deflected harm on a scale much larger than this simple construct would be able to create."

"Yeah but not while in her rose petal mode," Lily said with a sigh.

"Do we know anything about the makers of that thing," C asked.

"It was definitely made by the agents of the other Remnant," Roland said, "More than that I don't know."

"It may have been our technology that the other Cinder was after when she and her crew visited our universe," Harbinger stated.

"It would seem so," C remarked icily, "What do we know about them then?"

"Other than they are led by their dimension's version of Cinder we do not know," Lily said.

"But we can get an idea of their plan," C said, "They have tried to take out our friends that are their 'others,' We can assume they have staging areas like this one across Remnant, they have Reaper tech, probably have some of Aurora's dark creatures at their command, otherwise how and why would Aurora have ended up here. Most likely they have a Magog with them, since Luciver has told us that he has noticed evidence of one, and I'll bet that since Cinder was the vessel for it in this Remnant, she is the vessel for it in that one too. That may also mean Necromorphs will be in attendance."

"So what you are saying is that we should prepare for war between the Remnants," Tali said.

"Oh they've already declared war," C rumbled, "Now I'm just waiting for them to strike again so I can end it."

"We may not have to wait long," Harbinger said, "There were records in the dead Reaper clone of attack plans and troop coordination. It would seem that they were planning to strike tomorrow, it is most likely why the Reaper clone was vulnerable tonight, it was charging up for tomorrow's attack."

"Then we don't have much time," C stated, "Start getting everyone into the ships. If our enemies want a display of power then they are about to get one."

"What is your plan," Roland asked.

"We get everyone from the city into the ships and get the ships to the Ark," C said, "Then we get all of our enemies to gather at this city, where I will devastate them."

"What just you," Lily started.

"Lily," Roland interrupted, "Mom leveled an entire galaxy to repay the Giants for my death, one city won't be much of a problem for her."

Lily looked between Roland and C before nodding and asking, "Should we tell K then?"

"I will you go ahead and start getting DC to move the people of Vale," C said as she headed inside the building. Only Summer, Yang, Weiss, Scooter and K were still openly crying at this point. Seeing K like this only made C's rage colder and more dangerous. She did notice one person who seemed more puzzled by the situation than devastated, Mordecai. He looked up as C approached him and Bloodwing.

"Hey, I guess Roland filled you in huh," Mordi said.

"Mostly," C said, "You seem to have something on your mind though, what is it?"

"Ruby told him that she had to go," Blood answered.

"What," C asked.

"That is what Ruby said," Mordi explained, "She said 'I have to go now' before she... dissolved."

"No I get that but why did she tell you that when her family and team were right next to her," C clarified.

"That is what we've been trying to figure out," Blood said.

"Well figure it out on the Hunter," C said as she touched his head with her snout, "We're clearing Vale for the impending attack that comes tomorrow. If you will take those here who can help and start getting people to the ships..."

"It would be something to do at least," Mordi said, "Come on Blood lets get everyone here who will go with us and start moving people out." Mordi gathered everyone except Sun, Blake, Junior, Yang, Lao, Summer, Weiss, Scooter, and K.

"K," C said as she put her head down next to him.

"Ruby's gone," K choked out, "I... I was... She was going to be the next leader of DC."

C mind stopped working for a minute at that statement. "I'm, that's... K we need to get everyone out of Vale, now."

"What why," Junior asked.

"Because tomorrow a whole bunch of other mechs like that one are going to come down on Vale along with anything else that the Magog, Necromorphs, and the rest of our enemies can gather to throw at it," C said, "I'm going to stop them."

"Forgive me but how can one person, even you, stop all of that," Lao asked.

"It is a terrible thing when Mercy is replaced with cold rage," Weiss said as she let the rose petals that she had been holding fall to the ground. "If you are going to destroy the city with the ones responsible for this in it, then I will be there to help."

"As will I," Scooter said.

"We all will," Summer said as she got up. Her voice was as cold as C and Weiss' now. "Not a single one of them will forget the day they took Ruby from us."

"No," C corrected, "none of them will live to remember the day they took Ruby from us."

They spent the next fifteen hours getting everyone either into the ships of DC or ready for war. C, K, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Sun, Jayne, Lao, Summer, Ivy, Ozpin, Glynda, Spyro, Cynder, Cinder, Jensen, Adam, Roman, Moroni, Imhotep, Diablo, Malafor, Tyreal, Shepard, Tali, Gaige, Axton, James, Main, Sigma, Soap, Lucas, Star, Wolf, Aurora, Igniculus, Doughnut, and Caboose all remained at Beacon to lure in the impending attackers. Vale was a ghost town, as C walked through it with K for the last time to check for anyone remaining in the city before the approaching conflict.

"This will all be pretty easy to rebuild," K commented as they walked through the roads of Vale, "A month or two tops to reconstruct this city from the ground up."

"Good because once the enemies are in it I will level it," C stated.

"Doug says he has visual on approaching Reaper forms, Necromorphs, and an entire war band of mercs," K said, "Also they have a Magog at their head and you know what that means."

"It is confirmed then," C said, "The others from the alternate Remnant are Magogs."

"For them to control other ones like this, yes they would have to be," K agreed, "I believe we are done here let us go to Beacon and prepare."

"I am ready," C remarked as she took off with K following her. The two caught glimpses of the approaching army as they flew to Beacon. The pounding that it was receiving from the DC ships in orbit was astounding but the fact that most of the army took that beating and kept on was even more concerning. "They certainly are determined to die."

"They don't have any idea what they are walking into," James said as K and C landed beside him on Beacon's landing strip.

"Are the gravity wells ready," K asked.

"Of course they are," James replied, "Just waiting for the signal is all."

"Wait until they get to the center of the city," C said.

"The bulk of this force is close to the center now," Glynda said as she looked up from her scroll, "Now is the time to strike."

"James," K said.

"This will destroy the city you know," James said.

"And the destruction that Reapers can put out would do that anyway," K said, "activate the wells." James nodded and a thousand gravity wells sprang into existence around the city but oddly enough didn't harm any of the structures. In fact C wasn't even seeing any of the aggressors' attacks bringing harm to the city.

"What is happening," C asked, "Why is nothing breaking?"

"Who cares," Summer said, "We can still kill those monsters."

"Right," C replied as she began to pull in all the energy from across the entire city. Her control over energy would make it so that she would even dissolve the bonds between particles to gather the energy to herself, however it too was not working. "What, how," C remarked as she gathered in more energy than she had ever used before without the city or the army that was now spreading out through out the structures of Vale being harmed in any way. "Something is blocking even my abilities."

"So it is down to the old fashioned way then," Wolfgang rumbled, "Good I like it better that way, Doughnut climb on I could use your arm."

"Oh I am so ready for this," Doughnut said as he hopped on Wolf's back and the three took off. With that everyone else mounted up on either one of the flying DC members or got into an airship. As they descended upon Vale to fight it out the ''old fashioned way'' as Wolf had called it, four of the Sith ships warped in above the city and began counter attacking the army below them. Several of the human Reaper forms took to the sky in response to the Sith attacking.

"Shade," Adam muttered, "Of course she would come to help."

"These are your Sith I take it," C said to RAIM who was on her back.

"Adam's more like it," Roman replied, "But I'm glad they decided to show up."

"Get ready for a fight we're going in," C said as she dove towards a cluster of mercs, Necromorphs and a Reaper that were rampaging through the warehouses of Vale. C slammed into the Reaper first crushing it to the ground. RAIM jumped off and began tearing through the remaining ground forces. Of the combined attackers the mercs were the hardest to take down as they all had Aura protecting them, never the less the fight was over in a few seconds. Another Reaper headed their way but it was blown up when a transport ship from one of the Sith ships collided head on with it.

"That is needless," Imhotep remarked.

"On the contrary, it was most entertaining," Maven said as he, Falion and Yishi joined up with Adam.

"So all four of you decided to come by," Adam said, "I understand why you would. What about Shade?"

"She will show up when she is needed," Yishi said.

"Fine lets keep moving then," C said, "we have a lot of city to cover and a lot of enemies to kill."

"Indeed," Moroni agreed as he pulled his ax to him from the body it was stuck in. The body fell to the ground as the ax unpinned it from the wall and flew to Moroni's hands. "This attack will only end when the Magog is destroyed."

"Then let us hunt it down," a fourth Sith Lord said as she appeared out of the shadows. At seven feet tall, garbed in the darkest black and with glowing silver orbs for eyes, this could only be Shade.

"Shade," C asked.

"Correct," Shade replied as she slipped from shadow to lengthening shadow in the afternoon light. "Let's get vengeance for... for... lets just kill this Magog." C was puzzled by Shade, why would the Sith care that Ruby had died? It didn't matter right now though as Shade's reasoning for moving on was valid, the Magog needed to die. It seemed that everyone in the crew had the same idea as thirty minutes and many kills later, C's group had arrived at the center of Vale where the others had gathered to attack the Magog. Many of the DC members had been doing so for a while, James especially, but the Magog just kept repairing itself. Shade led the charge against the Magog when they arrived to the battle. Her and the other Sith's attacks seemed to push the Magog back for a time but after a few minutes it was just as resistant to them as it was anything else.

"We need some bigger guns," K said, "Our powers are useless against it."

"Aurora seems to be doing fine," C replied. Indeed the rays of searing light that Aurora was flinging into the Magog were doing a great deal of harm, but even that damage was being repaired as fast as it could be dealt.

"Bigger guns huh," Roman said, "I think I can do that, Cortana you still use this comm channel?"

"That seems appropriate," C remarked, "The last scythe that Ruby built being used in the fight against her killers."

"Cortana is on her way, Bad Co. is with her and John as well," Roman informed them. "I'd be looking up right about … now." Looking up C saw Cortana's ACU rocketing towards them with the Rose Mobile ready to strike. Cortana put the mech into a spin that slammed the multi-jawed, tentacle abomination, that had so far resisted all attempts to harm it, into the ground. The Magog however just got back up and three Necromorph Hive Minds joined it along with all their minions and ten Reapers with mercs surrounding them.

"This is bad," Falion said as he was slammed back into Adam.

"We can still do this," K said, "Roman radio Church and Del Rio tell them to start using MAC rounds, if that doesn't work we can bring in the Ark and glass this city."

C dodged out of the way as Wolf and Doughnut fell out of the sky and crashed next to her.

"Are you two okay," C asked.

"My wings are fried from the lasers," Wolf growled, "But other than that I am functional."

"I'm out of grenades but otherwise a okay," Doughnut said, "How are we going to kill all of that?"

"I don't know," C said, "K get the rest of DC here."

"Can't the Necromorphs and Reaper constructs are hitting the Ark hard," K replied, "Doug and Harbinger are using everyone they have with them to defend it."

"We are not loosing Remnant," Yishi exclaimed. The DC members on the ground at this point had all been forced into a circle in the middle of a parking lot.

"You're right I'm not," said a voice from somewhere above them. Looking back to the sky C saw a figure floating down to them, it appeared that the one was conversing with another but if so she could not see the second one. "Okay I'm ready, lets do this." With a blinding explosion of light the figure which was indistinguishable at first blasted through the Magog leaving a giant hole which started to burn and cause the creature to dissolve into roses.

"Ruby," Summer yelled at the sight of the roses.

"Hi guys," Ruby exclaimed as she slashed her way through a Hive-mind, "Sorry I left you all so suddenly, I'll try not to do that again."

"You'd better not," Yang screamed, "Now get down here and lets kick these guys off of our planet!"

Ruby smirked as the Hive-mind crashed to the ground and deposited her right in front of Yang. "Okay but this is a lot of people even for me to fight... so I brought a few friends."

"Who would you have brought," C asked.

"Me," Ruby said before a million other lights erupted across the city and more Rubys than C could count slammed into the attackers.

"My God," K breathed, "How many of you are there?"

"As many as have made it to eternity by this point in time," Ruby replied once she regained her breath from Yang's death hug of happiness, "Eeep!" Lao followed up Yang's hug with one of his own and Summer crushed the both of them in her arms.

"Wait these are all of you from the other dimensions," Shade asked.

"Well all but you," Ruby said with a smile once she was released once again, "I plan to change that, murph." Scooter had grabbed her up and pulled Ruby into a deep kiss.

"Never, ever, do something like that again," Scooter said, "But thanks for saving me."

"I told you I can't stop any of you from getting into situations that I have to save you from," Ruby replied as she licked her lips, "Hmm you taste even better than before, new toothpaste?"

"Guys, It's great that Ruby is back," James stated, "But one we are still in the middle of a battle, two WAY too much information Ruby and three did you say Shade is you?"

"Oh sorry," Ruby said as she turned a deep shade of crimson, "and yes Shade is me from the Remnant that the fallen Cinder is from all of the Sith that follow Adam are."

"Right brother," K said, "Lets end this."

"Oh you won't have to," Ruby said, "We are doing that for you, at least for this planet," Ruby said, "The forces arrayed against you now are almost unstoppable until you kill the Magogs that are driving them, Cinder, not you the evil one," Ruby clarified as Cinder shot her a look, "funnels her power through the Magogs, the Necromorphs, and the shadow creature from your plane Aurora."

"I am sorry that they are being used for such destruction," Aurora said, "If only I could get back, I might be able to stop them."

"Then we will get you back," C said, "But right now, Ruby did you say Magogs?"

"Yes there are almost always three," Ruby said, "One is dead one is that Hive-mind and the third resides in one of the reaper shells both of them are advancing on us by the way."

"I'm here," Lucifer yelled as he erupted onto the scene with Mamon and Baal beside him, "Lets go hunting, thanks K for the heads up."

"Like you said we are the hunters," K said, "You are the keeper."

"Lucifer this one is actually dead," Baal said as he inspected the collapsed Magog.

"Impossible," Lucifer replied, "Magogs are ideas they can not die, only be trapped or stored."

"Then it was stored then," C said, "Inside Cinder from fallen Remnant, if she channels her power through these vessels she will surely pull that power back to her when the vessel is useless to her."

"You are facing an enemy that can create Magogs at this level on a whim," Mamon said, "Then we have released something that is worse than what we were capable of before."

"Yeah but we've got Ruby," Weiss said.

"More than that we have God," James added.

"Yeah you do at that," Ruby said as she and Weiss embraced, "Actually you have two of me, with Shade there, you have two of all of us."

"Yeah about that," Shade said, "You are Ruby Rose, continue to be so. I am content now knowing that so many more of me turned out better than we did."

"On top of that you all found your way to us and now we can help undo the damage that was done to your Remnant," C said, "Come on lets go finish off these Magogs and end this battle."

"That might have just gotten a little more complicated," Storm said as she and Blitz slammed into the ground next to the gathering, "A Necromorph Moon is in orbit around the planet."

"Don't you already know how to deal with it," Blake asked.

"Well of course but I just want to let you know that there are about to be a lot more explosions and chunks of meat falling from the sky," Storm replied.

"Mercury says that the Invention, Infinity, Pestilence and Harbinger are holding the Reapers back from the Ark," Blitz reported, "Should we signal Mr. Torgue?"

"Do it," Storm said, "Now Ruby you have cleared half the planet of hostiles already, but there is still one persistent Magog around here somewhere, should we go get it?"

"I'm in," Ruby said.

"You know we are all in if she is in," K said.

"Follow us then," Blitz said, "This should be interesting."

"Shade get on," C said, "Wolf will you be following us?"

"Just because I'm grounded for the moment doesn't mean I am helpless," Wolf said as he brandished a massive two-handed sword with his human form. "I do have to ask though, the indestructible buildings is that you Ruby?"

"No that's Glynda," Ruby said, "Really though the whole city, I can think of a lot of times that would have been useful."

"She is only able to do that because I've been placing amplifier stations across Vale for her," Ivy said as she followed Glynda up to Storm's back, "even six months ago this would not be possible."

"Lets go," C said, "the longer we wait the riskier it will be to bring everyone back to this city." Storm nodded and headed out down the road past the Hive-minds that Cortana had killed while they were talking.

"Glad to have you back Ruby," Cortana said for herself and those with her, "I have to admit, you are now one of the few DC members that have actually died and come back."

"She is right," C said, "You, Summer, Ace, Zar, Cloak, Roland, Coris and Storm are the only ones in DC that can claim that."

"What about the AIs," Ruby asked.

"We AIs don't really die," Cortana said, "Not like you all do, if even the tiniest piece of us is stored we can come back at full capacity given enough time. Church is Memory, if he wanted to he could make an army of his fellow AIs but none of them would be the same as the original. Even he is not the same as the AI he remembers."

"Carolina seems to think he is better," Cinder said.

"Probably because he is," Storm said, "Quiet now this thing is..."

"A dark heart," Aurora whispered as the group rounded a corner and came up behind a giant construct of rock and flesh. It was sixty feet tall with six legs, two building sized pincers, and a tail with a nasty looking, three pronged, stinger on the tip. "I've never seen one that big or mutated before."

"He has your mirror," Storm said, "Your way home is at it's center."

"Then we can end this attack and get Aurora back home all at once," Sun said, "I like this plan."

"Aurora where are it's weak points," C asked.

"Neck, joints and the tail," Igniculus answered, "All the rest of it has so much armor that no physical blade can get through.

"Well what about spectral ones," K asked.

"I don't know how those work," Igniculus said, "Your guess is as good as mine."

"C," K asked.

"I'll amp you," C said already knowing that K was planning on charging the monster with his blades.

"Already amped," Ruby said, "Storm take us in." Storm flew up drawing the Magog's attention. From it's jagged maw erupted a stream of shadow much like Cynder's breath attack. Storm dodged out of the way but C caught sight of Ruby as she fell through the air. Upon hitting the shadows Ruby instantly parted the attack to flow around her as two spectral Crescent Roses were summoned into her hands. The Magog simply reached up with it's gaping maw and chomped down on Ruby.

"No," Shade exclaimed as she and her group charged the creature.

"Wait for it," Blitz said. A moment afterwards and Ruby burst out of the Dark Heart's head causing it and subsequently the entire creature to explode.

"Wow," C said, "That is different."

"All the demons of my world die in such a manner," Aurora said, "If any there are this big..."

"We will help you take care of them if you need us to," Blake said as Ruby landed next to her and Storm returned to the ground.

"Aurora I got your mirror," Ruby said as she proffered the said mirror to Aurora, "It is a bit dirty though the rocks around it were starting to crumble."

"Thank you Ruby," Aurora said, "Before I go we should see to the rest of the team and the planet. Also I think I might be able to cast a spell across Remnant that gives each Grimm that is born a very small chance to be tamed like Midnight."

"Really," Summer asked, "A small chance is better than no chance."

"After we finish this fight we can do that," C said, "For now though, lets make sure that the city is secure before we start bringing people back to it, also How is Mr. Torgue doing with that moon?"

"Well you can see some of the explosions from here," Yang said as she pointed to the sky. Looking up C could indeed see a bright pinprick of light from where the Ark was orbiting.

"He really does like explosions doesn't he," Wolf remarked.

"Yeah explosions," Doughnut added.

"Storm are we done here," K asked.

"Yes," Storm said, "Ruby, all of her, has kicked the beach head that our foes wanted to establish here back and removed their other staging areas across the planet."

"Good you know what I'm planning right," K continued.

"Yes and I say go for it," Storm said.

"K are you..." C started knowing that he had wanted to make Ruby the leader of DC.

"Yes," K said, "Yes I am, because of who is standing beside her." C looked at Ruby and caught just the faintest hint of another being there with her, a very powerful being to hide itself from C's view. It then dawned on C who it was that was with Ruby.

"Oh," C remarked.

"Could someone please tell us what this is about," Weiss asked.

"Well that will depend on Ruby really," K said, "You see DC formed around me, I was the catalyst for it's formation but I was and still am violent, even with C at my side I don't usually look for a merciful way to deal with problems... but Ruby does."

"K what are you getting at," Lucifer asked.

"Ruby I offer you the position of leader of DC," K declared.

Everyone was silent for the next three minutes at that statement before Ruby walked over and placed a hand on K's should and said, "Maybe one day, but not today... besides the odds are we are going to be alright tonight whether you lead us or I do. I'm only twenty though, even if it is twenty plus some time in eternity, unless you want to have a ship wide food war break out spontaneously I suggest you retain command for a while longer."

"Well it looks like I did manage to teach you some wisdom after all," Lao remarked after Ruby gave her answer to K.

"And now I look forward even more to the day you accept that offer," C said, "I can't think of many who would refuse such an offer with such humility."

"And I just recalled a band that I should introduce you all to," K said, "Doug how are things looking up there?"

"Head conversations," Mamon remarked, "It looks like you all have this under control, we will take our leave now."

"Of course," C said, "Take care sis."

"Yeah,... you to," Mamon replied as she, Lucifer and Baal vanished.

"Wait what about the Reaper Magog," Scooter asked, "Ruby you said that there was a Reaper based one right?"

"Yeah there was," Ruby said, "Turns out the other mes took care of it."

"Mes," C asked, "Is that even a word?"

"Is now," Yang said as she crossed her arms, "Sis said it."

"Fair enough," C replied, "K are we good for now?"

"Doug reports all attackers retreating," K said, "Remnant is clear for now."

"Clear forever," Ruby said, "But the other worlds are not so lucky to have a bunch of me protecting them."

"Wait the rest of you are staying," Glynda asked.

"Not physically but they are watching out for us here," Ruby said.

"So where will they strike next," Aurora asked as she set the mirror that Ruby had given her down.

"Lemuria," Storm said, "We have a few days to move in and set up there though."

"I will start building an army suitable to fight against such forces as these," Cortana said.

"We will follow Adam wherever he goes," Shade said.

"And I am with Blake," Adam said.

"Ruby at your lead," Blake said.

"K," Ruby asked.

"Well my dear what do you say," K asked C, "Shall we go charging head long into the fray yet again?"

"Way I see it they attacked our home," C said as she closed her eyes, "Mercy is in God's hands now." C opened her eyes to reveal the burning orbs of her hellish side, "I'd say it's time to get a little ruthless."

Character Ace

"So this is Lemuria," Ace said upon entering the fanciful world that Aurora came from.

"Looks kinda shiny," Zara said.

"No kidding," Zar added, "Even the trees are glowing."

"Welcome to my home," Aurora said as she walked past the three, "Come on everyone lets go find my friends, Igniculus?"

"Already on it," Igniculus said as he glowed brighter than normal for a few seconds, "Okay I've got them they are outside the palace."

"Well lets go then," Soap said as he and Legion 141 joined the five with their mech suits on.

"Yeah I want to meet your friends," Ruby said as she and RWBY landed beside the others in their own suits.

"They are all really nice," Blake said as she patted Midnight, "We met them before we left."

"Interesting bunch to act as defenders of a dimension," Sun added, "But then again so are we."

"Yeah, undead dragons are not normally considered the good guys," Ace remarked as he looked around the everglades that they had arrived in. The plants, creatures, water and even the air seemed to radiate light. "Is it always this bright?"

"That is my influence," Aurora said, "I am the Queen of light after all."

"Oh I could get used to this place," Jinx said as she, Anders, Marion and Wolf landed next to the gathered DC members.

"Really," Ace asked, "Aren't you a master thief or something?"

"I am a cat," Jinx said as she jumped out of Anders' arms.

"You're a succubus," Ace corrected, "You just act like a cat most of the time."

"Yeah whatever," Anders said, "I'm cool with her being a cat."

"Hey the Infinity is moving on to the next drop zone," Scooter said as he landed.

"Right we'll leave a trail to let everyone know where we are," Aurora said.

"That's why we are here," Zar said, "Necromancy is a very distinct magic. Lead on Aurora."

Aurora took to the air and led them across the swamp until they reached an ocean. From the top of the cliffs that they were looking off of a floating castle could be seen in the distance. Below them was the ocean with various small islands jutting up from the water. On these outcroppings were the houses of the Piscean people as Aurora had called them.

"How are we going to get up there," Price asked, "These suits are good at falling but not flying."

"Yeah same here," Blake added.

"Aurora how far away is that castle from here," Ace asked.

"Almost five miles," Aurora answered.

"Then getting there is easy," Ace said as he reared up on his hind legs and sent a pulse out across the water to the castle. A few moments later and all the bones from the dead creatures that were in the water between them and the castle rose up and formed a bridge that spanned the distance to the castle. "It could hold the weight of all of us if it needed to go on across we will fly there and meet you."

"See you soon then," Ruby said as she took off in a blur pulling a wave of air in her wake that caused a thunderclap.

"I really wish she would stop doing that," Scooter said.

"Me too," Blake said as she took her helmet off and rubbed her ears.

"This is..." Aurora started.

"Necromancy," Zar said, "Like I said it is unique."

"It's abominable," Igniculus said, "What treads upon the bones of the dead so casually?"

"Ruby apparently," Jinx remarked as she stepped onto the bridge, "And we will as well, you can fly so off you go. Tell your friends we are on the way."

Aurora looked at Ace before sighing and flying towards the castle. Ace and Zar followed with their ground bound friends across the bridge just to make sure it stayed up.

"I take it she disapproves," Anders remarked.

"No kidding," Ace said, "I guess Necromancy is new to her, or this world in fact."

"Or it has a very nasty history here," Marion added.

"That too," Zar agreed.

"Midnight, you want to race to the end of the bridge," Sun asked. Midnight took off in answer causing Sun to laugh as he chased the Beowolf.

"Ha it will still take them a good twenty minutes to run that distance," Ghost said, "Even in that suit."

"Anyone got any good music to listen to on the way there," Katarina asked.

"Yeah I do," Yang said, "Even got some new stuff that K suggested we listen to, want to take a listen to it?"

"Put it on," Ace said, "I'll even sing along if its good enough and I get a chance to learn the lyrics."

Fifty minutes later the group approached the end of the bridge in spectacular form. Yang and Blake had both joined Ace, Anders, Lucas, and Price in singing "Odds Are" by Bare Naked Ladies.

"Struck by lightening, sounds pretty frightening

but you know the chances are so small.

Stuck by a bee sting, nothing but a bee thing

Better chance your going buy it at the mall."

Yang and Blake were actually dancing at this point, Weiss and Lucas were nailing the vocals and Ace had several rings of bones flying around him causing vibrations that were imitating the guitar in the song.

"But its a twenty-three or four to one

that you can fall in love by the end of this song

So get up, get up tell the bookie put a bet up

Not a damn thing will go wrong

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night"

Anders had used some magic by this point to generate a lightening aura around the group as they walked off the bridge to the incredulous looks of Aurora, Ruby, and a gathering of other people who Ace assume were Aurora's friends, seeing as only a few of them were human he expect the introductions to be fun, but that could wait until they finished the song.

"Hit by the A-train, crashed in an airplane

I wouldn't recommend either one.

Killed by a great white, or a meteorite

I guess there ain't a way to go that's fun.

But somewhere in the world

someone is gonna fall in love by the end of this song

So get up, get up no its never gonna let up

so you might as well sing along."

Ace loved this song now that he knew it, but seeing how much fun Blake and Yang were having he figured the two were higher up on the fan meter than he was for BNL.

"The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night

Sure things go wrong

But I'll take my chances odds are long

So why not play.

Struck by lightening, sounds pretty frightening

but you know the chances are so small.

Hit by the A-train, crashed in an airplane

Better chance your gonna buy it at the mall.

But its a twenty-three or four to one

that you can fall in love by the end of this song.

So get up, get up

no I'm never gonna let up, so you might as well sing along.

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight.

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight.

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright tonight.

The odds are that we, will probably be alright

odds are we gonna be alright, odds are we gonna be alright for another night."

"Whoo," Ace shouted as he landed beside Jinx and Wolf, "That was fun."

"Agreed," Yang said, "Sis I can't believe you missed it."

"That sounds like a pretty fun song, and I don't think I've ever seen Blake dance," Ruby remarked.

"I'll admit it even brought a smile to my face," a jester with a painted frown and tears said.

"Tristis," Aurora said with a smile, "there is a lot of things that do that now."

"So are you going to introduce us to your friends, Aurora, or should we start introducing ourselves." Ace asked with a grin.