Chapter 35: A Brief Intermission
So… Volume 7 has ended and I still need more time to 'corrupt' it so that it fits into the alternate-canon of this bizarre universe. I killed Tyrian earlier in this fanfic, so the Ace-Holes and Qrowver canon is going to have to change a bit. Also there needs more Irondaddy drama. I've usually condensed most of RWBY so that I don't have to write that much, but Alt-V7 is going to have to be drawn out significantly more.
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Team RWBY and JNPRR alongside Qrow, Ozcar Pine and Maria sat quietly in the passenger section of the bullhead airship they'd managed to abscond with. Their airship pilot had unfortunately recognized Weiss Schnee as one of his previous passengers and lambasted her not to fall onto any of the door controls this time; she'd be falling directly into the ocean. Senior Pilot Augustus Boye was weary and wanted esperately to just get the team of mixmatched teenagers and Huntsmen to Atlas and then go directly to the pub.
"So… How long until we're in Atlas?", Jaune asked Pilot Boye.
"About an hour or so. Maybe more. I've picked up transmissions that the Ace Operatives have been deployed into the middle of the ocean for some reason. I like to keep track of the military frequencies to avoid delays…", Pilot Boye responded.
"Ace Operatives?", Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah. They're like Atlas' special forces. A group of the best Huntsmen to ever attend Atlas Academy.", Pilot Boye added.
"Wait, how come you've never heard of them, Jaune?", Nora asked.
"Ehh, never paid much attention to them. They're a bunch of Ace-Holes if you know what I mean. Always getting into my father's business…", Jaune mused.
"Any delays?", Ren noted.
"Yeah. We're going to have to fly through Atlas' embargo and right through whatever the Ace Ops are dealing with. No other way around it with the amount of fuel we have.", Pilot Boye said.
"Oh great. A toll booth.", Jaune mocked.
"Not a toll booth, kid. Looks more like a giant flying H.", Qrow noted as he saw the large oddly flying H in the distance. A large number of Atlas fighter ships were surrounding it as blasts of energy fired vaguely in their direction.
"Oh. Hey, that's Helios! What's it doing so far outside of Mantle?", Jaune mused.
"Couldn't tell you. Looks like your daddy pissed off Atlas somehow.", Qrow noted.
The airship flew closer to Helios, the now obvious laser blasts missed the small airship by several meters. Warning shots.
"Hey, Jaune! Get on the radio and tell Helios you're not a threat. Otherwise we'll be sleeping with the squids!", Pilot Boye exclaimed.
"Right, so what's this ship's callsign?", Jaune asked.
"F44T-BVR. Radio in and tell them who you are.", Pilot Boye said increasingly worried.
A loud squawk and the radio crackled to life. "Uhh… This is Jaune Arc of Hyperion Weapons and Technology. I am on board… uhh… Fat Beaver, the little airship from Argus that you're shooting at. Please stop."
"Argus Bullhead, callsign… Fat Beaver? What's your intention?", a voice asked. It sounded female and cold.
"We want to land in Atlas. This is again, Jaune Arc of Hyperion. Son of John 'Tassiter' Arc, heir to Hyperion de blah de blah skittles and balls and ass.", Jaune mocked.
"Hello, Jaune! Tell your pilot to land in docking bay 343. Welcome home, kiddo!", another voice radioed over.
"Uhh… Who was that?", Ruby asked.
"My dad. John Arc, aka Tassiter. The creator of the first laser pistol, the Tassiter.", Jaune explained.
"We're supposed to be landing in Atlas! Helios appears to be under attack!", Pilot Boye stated hesitantly.
"Well, land on Helios. You can refuel or something. I don't see us getting over, under or around Helios at the moment.", Jaune noted.
Pilot Boye sighed and began to navigate towards the docking bays. Another fun trip on board an airship. Helios' suppressing fire kept various Atlas military personnel off of the tiny airship.
"Oh and kiddo, you're now a fugitive in Atlas. Sorry about that in advance.", Tassiter Arc noted as the ship began to land.
"Oh for fu… Great! Nice going, Jaune!", Qrow clapped loudly and sarcastically. "Now we're all going to go to Atlas in chains!"
"Calm down! I'm sure this is all just a big misunderstanding. Atlas would never attack its main supplier of weapons! I mean, who else are they going to use? Polendina Labs? Merlot Industries? Last time I checked, Schnee Dust didn't make guns!", Jaune mused.
"Well, it appears that they are. This is going to make things significantly more difficult. James Ironwood does not know I've regenerated yet. I doubt he will believe the words of wisdom coming from a juvenile delinquent.", Ozcar lamented.
"If you're planning a frontal assault on Atlas, I suggest you think of something else. I'm not going to jail or worse for you lot!", Pilot Boye argued.
"Attacking Atlas seems to be a terrible idea. Maybe we can just talk to them. From the safety of Helios.", Ren countered.
"Tch, yeah. We're gonna have to do that now. No other choices, team.", Yang added.
"I thought you'd enjoy the fight, Yang. We'll get to go in guns blazing right up to Ironwood himself. He'll be impressed!", Jaune noted.
"A fight against the Grimm maybe. I'm not fighting the entire military of a kingdom, Jaune. It's just us four, you, Pyrrha and maybe Rhames and Nora. I doubt Ren wants to die like this.", Yang argued.
"No, don't involve me yet. I'm a Maiden and I like being a Maiden… and also alive. I'm sticking with Ren's plan to talking to Atlas.", Pyrrha added.
"We're landing. Please get the hell off of my ship.", Pilot Boye announced. The airship had landed and was now surrounded by several dozen squads of Hyperion Assault robots.
The doors of the airship opened abruptly and launched all of the two teams luggage out into the docking bay. Pilot Boye himself with the help of Ozcar and Qrow proceeded to eject Team RWBY and JNPRR out as well. Soon, the two teams stood surrounded by robots.
"Okay, loader bots, escort Jaune and his colorful friends directly to my penthouse office. Grab the drinks and the snacks. The prodigal son returns!", Tassiter Arc announced from the intercom.
The robots didn't allow anyone to grab their weapons or equipment, all of it was wheeled off haphazardly by Hyperion's 'Clappers' to parts unknown. The seven foot tall heavily armored robots forced the group of friends and other friends down a cattle chute made of death and pain into an elevator that slowly began to rise.
"Right, so you'll probably want to hold onto something…", Jaune noted.
"Why?", Pyrrha asked as she was suddenly slammed into the floor of the elevator as it blasted off towards the highest floor. Helios had a rocket-propelled elevator because why wouldn't it.
Several hundred floors whizzed by at breakneck speeds. Team RWBY and JNPRR suddenly slammed into the ceiling of the elevator as it came to a halt. Everyone except Jaune, of course who had braced himself. The doors opened and dumped out Jaune and friends in a pile of mangled limbs.
"Welcome home, son! Oh… I guess the brakes on the elevator failed again. Are your friends alright?", Tassiter Arc noted as he stared at the pile of Huntsmen pouring out of the elevator.
"We're fine… urrgh…", Ruby and her teammates groaned.
"Well, you're certianly doing well for yourself, Jaune! You've got a harem!", Tassiter Arc laughed.
"Uhh… No.", Jaune stated.
"Oh come on! Three dudes and all these lovely ladies! How about you all introduce yourselves! You're in the hall of heroes!", Tassiter boasted.
"I'm Ruby Rose… This is my sister, Yang…", Ruby noted.
"Blake.", said Blake.
"Weiss Schnee of-"
"Of Schnee Dust", Tassiter Arc interrupted.
"I am Lie Ren, son of Li Ren and slayer of the Nuckalevee.", Ren announced.
"And I'm Nora! Nora Valkyrie!", Nora exclaimed.
"Oh fantastic! I know your uncle and he is a very strong man.", Tassiter Arc noted. Nora beamed.
"I'm Oscar Pine and this is my chaperone Qrow Branwen.", Ozcar Pin lied.
"Yeah yeah, the Drunken Crow and Farmy Poof. Great to meet you.", Tassiter mocked.
"I'm-"
"You're Rhames Greyblood, the son of the Mad King. I know who you are.", Tassiter Arc noted.
"Uhh and this is-"
"Pyrrha Nikos, the world famous athlete and Pumpkin Pete's mascot.", Tassiter noted.
"Good, great! That's everyone. How nice. Jaune, you've done very well. Did you learn anything while you were at Beacon Academy? It's been nothing but boredom and failure up here. Nothing but Ironwood and the Ace-Holes knocking on my door.", Tassiter explained.
"What's going on? Why is Atlas attacking the HQ?", Jaune asked.
"A little misunderstanding and inadvertent kidnapping. It seems that Agent Carolina of the Atlas Freelancer's Union was still on board when I decided to secede from Mantle. Don't worry, she's fine! I think. I haven't checked on her in a while. Probably fine!", Tassiter Arc stated.
Jaune and friends noted a banging noise on a nearby door. The door was labelled 'closet'. It seemed that Tassiter Arc had locked Agent Carolina in the broom closet after he'd found out that she was still on board when he left. Jaune walked over and opened the door, revealing a disheveled and angry red-haired agent.
"You! What are you doing!? Where are we!?", Agent Carolina exclaimed.
"You sound familiar…", Pyrrha noted. Agent Carolina turned to face Pyrrha awkwardly.
"You do too…", Carolina noted.
"Welp, cat's out of the bag… We're over the ocean between Mistral and Mantle. I'm claiming sovereignty. I want independence from Atlas to operate as a free city.", Tassiter Arc announced.
"General Ironwood will never agree to that!", Carolina stated loudly.
"Well, he will. I've got a big purple death cannon and he's got a big flying target. He can't refuse me.", Tassiter noted.
"You would shoot down Atlas? You'd be committing genocide!", Carolina cried.
"Ehh… It's the thought that counts. I've got the weapons and army to go to war here, Carrie. Go ahead and call up Irondaddy.", Tassiter mocked.
The flustered Agent Carolina did exactly that. She activated her emergency retrieval radio and called General James Ironwood directly. A few seconds later, a large hologram of the man of honor appeared in Tassiter Arc's office.
"Arc!", Ironwood roared.
"Hey, Jamie! How's it going? Did you forget about my death cannon?", Tassiter mused mockingly.
"You are committing treason! High treason! You're subject to death! Return and be tried for your crimes immediately!", Ironwood screamed.
"Gotta say NO, Captain. I've got the ability to disable every Hyperion weapon in your arsenal and I've got the ability to blast your silly flying city out of the sky. How about we negotiate my terms of freedom?", Tassiter mused.
"Freedom!? You want freedom!? I've given you everything already. You've got more power than the council when it comes to what you do.", Ironwood complained.
"I want true freedom. I want Helios to be a free city, ungoverned by Atlas or Mantle. I want to be the king of my little castle with my own laws. You've got to allow that. We'll still be allies, but I'll have the ultimate choice when it comes to who and what I sell my weapons to. This embargo is killing my profits.", Tassiter argued.
"And if I did that, then Schnee Dust, Merlot Industries, and others would want the same freedom. Why should I let you have that freedom?", Ironwood countered.
"Because I have the research and technology to end this war with one shot. Any war with one shot. I know you know what you saw when I fired the Eye of Helios. I can do it again and again. I can do it until I have my freedom.", Tassiter stated. "Merlot and Schnee can't even do that. I've got the weapon of choice and not even my competitors can contest it when I can just use it to take what I want from them. By force, if need be. But it doesn't have to be like that."
James Ironwood looked like he was about to explode. He was staring down the literal and figurative Death Star of Remnant. Unfortunately, Arc was right. He could shoot down Atlas, he could shoot down Schnee Dust and Merlot Industries, he could take over Mantle. All he wanted was freedom to do as he pleased. Hyperion would no longer be limited to Atlas and would operate like a Huntsman, taking jobs and offers from the rest of the world. Ironwood sighed loudly. If Schnee Dust tried to do the same, he'd probably have to allow them freedom as well, the same with Merlot Industries. Mantle would be governed by the Council, its people still abiding its laws, but the larger corporations would become provinces governed internally. It wasn't that bad of an idea, honestly. Only time would tell if the SDC and Merlot Industries would attempt the same thing.
"Arc… You make a compelling point. What does Atlas receive in exchange for your total freedom?", Ironwood asked.
"We still maintain our contracts, albeit with a bit of an increase in prices. And no more restrictions on our research into refined Dust. You also get exclusive use of our Eye of Helios to use against mutual enemies. I get final say over anything that is proposed, however. And that final say extends to my son and his friends as you can see here. They are official citizens of Titania, the new official name of Hyperion Weapons and Technology.", Tassiter announced.
Ironwood seemed to freeze for a moment. He was thinking it over. He briefly thought of Atlas falling from the sky and landing on Mantle itself, crushing the people and annihilating everything he'd worked to create. Arc didn't know what he was up against. He didn't know of the White Queen and her plans. He'd lead the remnants of Mantle to its death along with the rest of the world. He facepalmed hard and long.
"John Tassiter Arc and his son, Jaune Arc. I hereby declare the Hyperion to be known as Titania effective immediately. You are now a province of Mantle, free to operate as its own government and city-state in the kingdom of Atlas and beyond. All of your employees and those you declare are now citizens of your own tenure. I only wish that you return to the protection of the Kingdom of Atlas…", Ironwood announced, his hologram fading out.
"See that wasn't so hard, now was it!? You heard him, kiddos! You're all now citizens of Titania! Free to operate however you please. In fact, you're all now licensed Huntsmen and Huntressed of Titania. You'll be recognized as official Huntsmen around the world!", Tassiter Arc announced.
A few moments after Tassiter's announcement, a few Hyperion Clappers handed out official Huntsman licenses to Team RWBY and JNPR. Rhames and Qrow were already licensed and Ozcar was too young to be a Huntsman.
"Woo! Look we're all official Huntsmen now!", Nora beamed.
"Oh yeah! Great!", Ren noted.
"Official Huntsmen and Huntresses of Titania… I never saw this coming…", Blake mused.
"Wow! Bravo! Champagne! Slow-clap! We did it, kiddo! We're now free to do as we please! How's that sound?", Tassiter Arc noted to his son, Jaune.
"Sounds great, dad! In fact, I think I'm going to do something proactive!", Jaune announced.
"Really, son? What are you going to do?", Tassiter Arc asked.
"I'm taking over Hyperion.", Jaune announced as he pulled out Unforgiven.
"Wait… What!?", Tassiter stammered.
"See, I can't have a psychopathic father threatening our lives and the world when he doesn't know what really going on here. I know what's really going on. You did the heavy lifting for me, you really did. I'm happy for you. You think you're the hero of this story, but you're not. I am…", Jaune said coldly.
"Jaune, what are you saying!? I've done everything for you! I gave you everything you could have ever wanted! Everything you could ever have is within this fortress!", Tassiter cried.
"See? That's just the thing. You gave me everything you wanted. Not what I wanted. I am not a pawn to this twisted fate you have for me. I'm free, just like Hyperion.", Jaune noted as he walked closer to his own father.
"Do you… Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for you, Jaune!? The corporations I've destroyed, the people I've manipulated? I did it all for you!", Tassiter screamed. He was backed into a corner.
"Jaune! Stop… What are you doing?", Ruby cried.
"I'm doing what I should've done a long time ago, Ruby Rose.", Jaune said.
"I'm not sure this is wise…", Ren noted.
"Then shut your goddamn mouth then. You don't know him like I do. All my life… You made me… Made me do what you wanted…", Jaune cried.
"Jaune… Do what is right…", Pyrrha mused. She knew what was going to happen. She'd seen it in a dream. Another reality…
"You're a savage… You're a psychopath… You're a money-hungry glutton… But I… I am the goddamn hero!", Jaune announced.
Jaune shot. He didn't blink and he didn't flinch. He shot John 'Tassiter' Arc in the chest with the third chamber of Unforgiven. Tassiter Arc fell, slumping backwards into his own desk and then falling lifelessly to the ground. Jaune didn't check for a pulse. He pointed to the robots standing stoicly around the room. He then pointed to his father's body.
"Dispose of that.", Jaune commanded. The robots obeyed. John Tassiter Arc was given an impromptu burial at sea.
"Now, there's an elephant in the room. Agent Carolina, right? I'll give you a head start. You're now a fugitive in the City of Titania. You have maybe… five or ten minutes before the robots come for you. I suggest that you leave. Now.", Jaune noted.
Agent Carolina didn't hesitate. She ran for the door before realizing that the elevator was too slow. Instead, she turned and ran towards the large bay window behind Tassiter Arc's desk. She jumped towards the glass and broke through, falling out of the window and towards the ocean hundreds of meters below. Jaune simply looked out the window towards the water and pulled back as he saw a distant splash. A terminal velocity impact with the ocean would literally liquefy Agent Carolina on impact. She probably wasn't coming back.
"Now, does anyone have any objections to what I just did?", Jaune asked the room.
"Nope! You're good Jaune.", Nora noted.
"That was… probably a bad idea.", Blake mused.
"And I thought my relationship with my dad was bad… Oh man…", Rhames noted.
"Meh, I saw that coming a mile away…", Yang said apathetically.
"Jaune… Are you still a good guy?", Ruby asked.
"I'm the hero, Ruby… Don't forget that.", Jaune replied.
"Jaune… You did it… You defied your fate…", Pyrrha mused.
"Yes, I did. And doesn't it feel sooo good. Can you feel the electricity in the air when you kill something? Because I do… And it feels sooo good…", Jaune waxed.
"You're all insane! What… What have you done!?", Qrow lamented.
"I did what I wanted. Titania is a free state. And now, I am the king. Hail to the king!", Jaune announced.
"Unbelievable… I had my doubts about you Jaune Arc… But now… I'm am truly unsure of your standing in this.", Ozcar noted.
"Then shut up and sit there before you end up like Carolina.", Jaune threatened.
Ozcar Pin stopped talking. Jaune seemed a little unhinged during his time at Beacon, but now… Jaune was sliding off the slippery slope. Ozpin still had his reasons and his mission, but to oppose Jaune now would lead to a very early regeneration somewhere else and nowhere near as close as he was now.
"What do we do now?", Ren asked. He was trying to play the middle man. Stay ot of conflict unless absolutely necessary. And if Pyrrha was right about Jaune's Semblance, then he had already been killed several times already.
"We take Helios back to Atlas and act casual.", Jaune noted.
"Sounds like a plan…", Ren mused. He genuinely wondered how many times Jaune had killed him and then reversed time. He could've killed everyone a thousand times over, buried them in a thousand graves. He stopped thinking about this fact and stared at the floor.
Jaune simply stared off out the broken window. Atlas and their military forces had turned back towards the capitol city. He pressed a button and commanded Helios to return as well. In one way or another, him and his Team were heading to Atlas. He would meet with General Ironwood and then proceed with whatever lay ahead of him. This was the day he had been waiting for.
"Oh, and everyone but Pyrrha… Please, I'm not Jaune anymore… Call me… Handsome Jaune…"
Chapter End. Hurrah. Handsome Jaune is here.