I'm so glad you guys liked what you read last week. I have been having a blast writing this, and your support makes it all the more worth it.

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RWBY Watches Classic Movies

Chapter 62

Jaune looked around the room. The one wall was lined with a bookshelf that stretched to the ceiling and was filled with neatly ordered books. The wall opposite it was a massive aquarium housing several kinds of exotic fish of all sizes. He thought to be some kind of study or den, but his eyes were drawn to the far wall. It housed a large fireplace in which a fire was crackling with warmth. Above it was another portrait of the man, his green hair almost completely faded to white-grey, and he was shaking hands with…

"Grandpa?" Jaune said out loud.

"No way my grandpa met Oobleck." Jaune said. "He may have been a successful Huntsman, but he was in Attika by the time Oobleck was in combat school."

"Actually, Mr. Arc, I think he did." Glynda said, chin in her hand.

"I can confirm that." Roman said.

"And how the hell would a crook like you know that?" Jaune said, turning to hear this.

"Well, String Bean, it just so happens I was on a team with ol' Barty back at Beacon. Your grandad was the Huntsman we shadowed on our first mission."

"Bullshit."

"My hand to God, kid. If I remember right, it was a Seek and Destroy mission up north of Vale. That man taught me more about survival than Beacon ever did."

"Finest explorer I ever met." Came a voice from behind Jaune. He turned with a jump of fright and saw the man in the paintings sitting on the floor in a blue robe and his body contorted in a way Jaune didn't think was possible. He changed positions and offered his foot to Jaune to shake. "Bartholomew Oobleck. Pleasure to meet you, Jaune. Care to join me in a little yoga?" he asked as he began to crack and pop his back.

"Uh, no, no, thank you." he said, wiping his hand on his pants. "Did you really know my grandfather?"

"Ol' Johnathan? Indeed, we met back in Vale College. Class of '66. We stayed close friends until the end of his days." He grabbed his foot and twisted it, popping the joint with a sigh as he stretched his toes. "Even managed to drag me along on some of his danged fool expeditions. Arc was crazy as a fruit bat, no doubt. Spoke of you and your sisters often."

"Funny, he- he never mentioned you."

"Oh, of course not. He knew how much I like my privacy." He said this as he did a headstand and his robe fell up, giving Jaune a nauseating view of the nothing under it. "I like to keep a low profile."

"This film is good with its humor." Blake chuckled.

"Cheesy and slapstick-y, but good." Ruby agreed. Weiss was trying her hardest to stop her face from breaking into a grin. She was better than humor meant for children.

"Mr. Oobleck, should I be wondering why I'm here?"

"Look on that table." Oobleck grunted, pointing at the item in question. "It's for you."

Jaune walked over to the table and saw a book-shaped package sitting on it, wrapped in manilla paper and twine. The under left corner had familiar writing on it.

For Jaune

With Love, Johnathan Arc

"It's- it's from my grandfather." Jaune said with confusion.

"Time for the Macguffin." Blake said. Before Yang could ask, Blake said, "An object or event necessary to the plot, but ultimately insignificant."

"You could at least let me ask first." Yang pouted.

"He brought that package to me years ago." Oobleck said, as he switched from static stretching to more dynamic Tai Chi-like exercises. "He said if anything happened to him, I should give it to you when you were ready. Whatever that means."

Still frowning, Jaune opened the package. The second he did, all his apprehensions about Oobleck disappeared. It was a brown leather and metal bound book with a strange copper symbol in the center that resembled a lowercase 'a'.

"It can't be." He whispered. "It's the Shepard's Journal. Mr. Oobleck, this journal is the key to finding the lost continent of Atlantis."

"Ha! Atlantis." Oobleck laughed, moving behind a changing screen and taking off his robe. "I wasn't born yesterday, my boy."

"No, no, just look at this. Coordinates, clues, it's all right here."

"Yes, well, it looks like gibberish to me." Oobleck said.

"Well, that's because it's written in a dialect that no longer exists."

"So, it's useless."

"No, no, just difficult. I've spent my entire life studying dead languages. It's not gibberish to me."

"My guess is that his grandfather followed the same clues he did, and also went to the museum." Blake said, "When they wouldn't fund him, he went to his rich friend."

"Ah, it's probably a fake anyway." Oobleck said as he came back out dressed in a business suit and tie.

Jaune closed the Journal and took a deep breath. Clearly this man did not understand his grandfather at all.

"Mr. Oobleck, my grandfather would have known if this were a fake. I would know. I will stake everything I own, everything I believe in that this is the genuine Shepard's Journal."

"All right, all right." Oobleck said diplomatically, leading Jaune to a long table next to the aquarium. "So, what do you want to do about it?"

"Well, I- I guess I'll go to the museum- "

"They'll never believe you."

"I'll show them. I will make them believe."

"Like you did today?"

"Yes! Well, no- how did you- Gah! Forget them! I will find Atlantis on my own, even if I have to rent a rowboat!"

Oobleck steepled his hands and smiled wickedly. "Congratulations, Jaune. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. But forget the rowboat, my boy." He pressed a button on the edge of the table. "We'll travel in style." A whole host of figurines emerged from under the table. Trucks, a submarine, a zeppelin, and half a dozen different specialized vehicles. "It's all been arranged, the whole ball of wax."

"How?" Jaune asked, astounded.

"Asking the real questions." Blake commented, leaning forward.

"For years, your grandfather bent my ear with stories about that book." Oobleck said, walking over to the fireplace. "I didn't believe it for a minute. But then, I finally made a bet with the old coot. I said to him 'Arc, if you ever find that so-called journal, not only will I finance the expedition, I'll kiss you full on the mouth.' Imagine my surprise when he found the blasted thing." He handed Jaune a picture of Oobleck and Grandpa. Grandpa was holding the journal and both men were spitting away from each other. "Now, I know your grandfather's gone, Jaune, Brothers rest his soul, but Bartholomew Oobleck is a man who keeps his word. You hear that Arc?" he yelled pointing his cane at the picture of the two men shaking hands, "I'm going to the afterlife with a clear conscience, by thunder! Haha, ah, Johnathan." Oobleck grew quiet for a moment, his voice filled with sorrow. "Your grandpa was a great man. You probably don't know how great. Those buffoons at the museum dragged him down, made a laughingstock of him. He died a broken man. If I could bring back just one shred of proof, that'd be enough for me." He sighed again, and turned around, his chipper mood back in force.

"Well, what're we standing around for? We've got work to do."

"Talk about a 180, eh, boss?" Neo signed.

Torchwick chuckled. "Barty was always good at giving you whiplash like that."

"But, Mr. Oobleck, in order to do what you're proposing, you're gonna need a crew."

"Taken care of." Oobleck told him.

"You'll need engineers and- and geologists-"

"Got 'em all. The best of the best." He laid out a series of dossiers. "Neptune Vasilias, geology and excavations. Man has a nose for dirt. Nora Valkyrie, demolitions. Busted her out of a Mistralian prison. Ruby Rose. Don't let her age fool you, she's forgotten more about engines than you or I will ever know. They're the same crew that brought the journal back."

"Where was it?" Jaune asked confidently.

"Mantle." Oobleck told him, causing Jaune to cheer. "All we need now, is an expert in gibberish. So, it's decision time; you can either build on the foundation your grandfather left you, or you can go back to your boiler room."

Jaune slumped into one of the chairs at the table. "This is really happening isn't it?"

"Now you're catching on." Oobleck smiled.

"I like this version of Barty." Ozcar whispered to Glynda.

"The cattiness is certainly appealing." She smiled.

"All right." he said, coming out of the immediate shock, "Alright, I'm gonna have to quit my job."

"It's done. You resigned this afternoon."

"I did?" Jaune asked, having never really filed his letter of resignation officially. It was really supposed to be nothing more than a scare tactic.

"Mhm. I'm not in the habit of leaving loose ends."

"Okay, I'll have to leave a notice for my apartment."

"Taken care of." Oobleck told him casually.

"My clothes?" Jaune was starting to notice a pattern.

"Packed."

"My books?"

"In storage."

"My dog?" Emma barked next to him, trying to climb into his lap. "My gods."

"OH MY GOD! She is adorable!" Kali said, holding her cheeks.

"Man, they say the apple doesn't land far from the tree, but I guess you're the exception, eh Blakey?" Yang teased.

"Bite me." Blake pouted, and flicked Yang's nose.

"Your Grandad had a saying." Oobleck said, his voice serious. "'Our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.' This Journal is his gift to you, Jaune. Atlantis is waiting. What do you say?" he held out a long, olive green coat emblazoned with an 'A' on the shoulders.

Jaune jumped out of his seat and grabbed the coat. "I'm your man, Mr. Oobleck." He said as he started to put the coat on. "Man, I am so excited I can't even hold it in." His excitement was obvious by how he had put the coat on backwards.

A few days later, Jaune found himself vomiting over the side of a large transport ship off the coast of Vacuo.

"Some things never change, do they, Vomit Boy?" Yang cackled.

"Actually, I'm pretty good on the ocean." Jaune said, with Ruby, Ren and Nora nodding in confirmation.

"Yeah, that's more Nep's territory." Sun ribbed his petrified teammate.

He had called his family as soon as he got home, finding his electricity now working. He had told them everything, and the responses were mixed. Saphron, Artoria and Seras were apprehensive about his going on an expedition at all, being their only brother. Lucy, Tanya, and Ilya had been excited for him and encouraged him to go. 'Do it for Grandpa!" they had said. Joan, of course was a balance of the two. She didn't want him to go, but knew that stopping him was next to impossible and if the roles were reversed for them, it would be much the same. In the end, she wished him luck and made him promise to come back alive.

"Ugh, carrots." Jaune groaned, collecting himself as best he could. "Why is there always carrots? I haven't had carrots in days."

"Dammit, now I want carrot cake." Velvet grumbled.

"Um, babe?" Coco said, pointing to her menu. Velvet looked at it, saw the tantalizing slice of cake and practically jammed her finger through the tablet in her greed.

"Attention, all hands to the launch bay." A familiar, yet also older voice said over the PA system. "To whoever took the 'L' from the Motor Pool sign, ha-ha, we are all very amused."

"Weak!" Yang mocked.

Jaune walked to the cargo bay to find it full of different vehicles, some of which were still being worked on, if the sparks coming from them were any indication. He walked up to a person who looked like they were in charge.

"Uh, excuse me?" he said hesitantly "I need to report in?"

"Yes, Mr. Arc?" Sienna said turning around to face Jaune, taking a small amount of delight in his surprise. She was dressed in a skin-tight long-sleeved black shirt under the same green coat as him, with thigh-length khaki pants and black combat boots.

"Aah! It's you!"

"Kitty, I got a bone to pick with you." a man said behind her. Standing in the back of a covered metal wagon, and looking nearly the opposite of what everyone knew of him, was Ozpin.

"I gotta get a picture of this." Qrow grinned as he scrambled to pull out his scroll, while Ozcar facepalmed himself.

"Hold that thought." Sienna sighed before turning to Ozpin. "What is it this time, Oz?"

"You done stuffed mah wagon full to bustin' with non-e-sentials." He complained, pulling up a box from within his wagon.

"I can't even!" Qrow burst into laughter at Ozpin's voice, and almost fell out of his seat.

"Look at all this. Cinnamon, oregano, ci-lantro. What in the cockadoodle is ci-lantro?" he threw the box back in the wagon and held up a large leafy green ball. "What is this?"

"That would be lettuce."

"Lettuce? Wha- Lettuce?"

"It's a vegetable, Oz. The men need the four basic food groups." Sienna said, taking the lettuce from him.

"I got yer four basic food groups: beans, bacon, whiskey and lard." A klaxon sounded within the bay.

"So, the Branwen tribe diet, essentially?" Qrow said, still laughing.

"Alright, cowboy, pack it up and move it out." Sienna said, shoving the lettuce into Ozpin's face.

"Attention: all hands to the launch bay. Final loading in progress." Glynda said over the loudspeakers.

Jaune stepped onto an elevator filled with faunus men and women in military-style uniforms and gulped as the lift descended. At the bottom, he beheld the full-sized version of the submarine model Oobleck had shown him. It was easily as large as a football field, completely metallic, save for the orange glass ball at the front. The launch bay was full of activity as troops and vehicles began to file into the massive ship.

"Did you notice that all those soldiers were-" Weiss whispered to Blake.

"Faunus? I did." Blake answered.

"You don't think…"

"No, couldn't be."

As he slowly moved through the bay, he was bumped from behind.

"Hey, junior, if you're looking for the pony rides, they're back there." a familiar orangette said casually, as she pushed a cart past him.

Jaune noticed she had dropped something when she had run into him, and reached down to pick it up. "Excuse me, you dropped your dy- dynamite…" Jaune's voice died as he realized what he was holding. "Aha. What uh, what else have you got in there?" he asked as Nora wheeled her cart back to him.

She took the dynamite back from him. "Oh, uh, gunpowder, nitroglycerin, notepads, fuses, wicks, glue, and, uh, paper clips. Big ones." She held her hands a foot apart to illustrate the message. "You know, just office supplies."

"This is a role I was born to play." Nora said proudly.

"10/10, Best Actress." Pyrrha laughed.

"I am a little worried about you handling all those explosives though." Ren commented through his laughter.

"Well, we never any incidents back at Beacon, did we?" Nora said.

"Fair point." Ren said.

"Wait, what?" Weiss asked.

"Jaune!" Oobleck called, walking up to him with another man next to him. He was a tall bull Faunus with red hair and a strip of cloth covering one of his light blue eyes. He wore a standard issue Vale Army dress uniform of black coat and pants, a white dress shirt and a black tie. "Where've you been? I wanted you to meet Commander Adam Taurus. He led the Mantle team that brought the Journal back."

"Fuck." Weiss and Blake said together.

"Jaune Arc." Adam said, shaking Jaune's hand. "Pleasure to meet the grandson of old Johnathan. See you've got that Journal with ya. Nice pictures, but I prefer a good western, myself."

"Pretty impressive, don't you think?" Oobleck said, elbowing Jaune.

"Man, when you settle a bet, you freaking settle a bet." Jaune agreed as they moved closer to one of the loading ramps.

"Well, your grandad always believed you can't put a price on the pursuit of knowledge."

"Well, believe me, this is gonna be small change compared to the value to what we're gonna learn on this trip."

"Yes, this should be enriching for all of us." Adam agree with a small smile.

"Man, he's not even trying to hide the fact that he's a merc." Jaune commented.

"I know, right? That grin says it all." Blake agreed.

"Attention: all personnel. Launch will commence in 15 minutes."

"Mr. Oobleck." Adam said, giving his employer a small salute before he stepped onto the ramp.

"Taurus." Oobleck returned the salute.

"Bye, Mr. Oobleck!" Jaune said, following after Adam.

"Make us proud, boy!" Oobleck yelled after him.

"Rig ship for dive!" the Diving officer called out, signaling that all hatches be sealed.

"Aye, sir! Rig ship for dive!" the Chief of the Watch confirmed.

On the bridge, Adam gave the command to Sienna.

"Lieutenant, take her down."

"Diving officer, submerge the ship." Sienna ordered, "Make the depth 1-5-0 feet."

Warning buzzers sounded in the launch bay as Oobleck watched the hooks holding the sub up release and allow it to sink. He gave it a thumbs up while hiding his crossed fingers behind his back. The ship sank quickly downwards, slowly titling away from the path of the ship that carried it. Lights came on as it slipped into the murky depths.


Yes, I did pull the idea of Torchwick formerly being on a Huntsman team with Oobleck from Coeur Al'Aran's work because it's a damn good idea. It makes sense when you look at it. How else would he be able to tango with Beacon students on multiple occasions, when the thugs he hired from Junior got their asses kicked by Ruby in episode 1?

Also, for those of you who don't read my Wolves of Remnant story, all of Jaune's sisters- except for Saphron- are named and modeled after anime characters.

In order of age, we have:

Artoria= Saber from Fate/Stay Night

Seras= Seras Victoria from Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate

Joan= Ruler from Fate/Apochrypha

Lucy= Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail

Tanya= Tanya von Degurechaff from Youjo Senki

Ilya= Ilyasviel von Einsbern from Fate/Stay Night

I know this violates the Color Naming Rule, but I wanted my version of the Arcs to be different. I'm not creative enough to come up with a bunch of different color-based names like everyone else, so I fall back on what I know, and I know a lot about many different series of anime. Or, at least enough to find six female characters with blonde hair and blue or green eyes.