Okay, first off, can someone remind a certain Guest reviewer named Matt that I DO NOT, UNDERANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ACCEPT GUEST REVIEWS! SERIOUSLY, IT COSTS NOTHING TO GO AND GET YOUR OWN PROFILE ON THIS SITE! GO AND DO IT, AND DON'T EXPECT ANY OF YOUR REVIEWS TO STAY UP UNTIL YOU DO! *takes a moment to calm down* With that out of the way, let's introduce the idea of Bastion's capable of overlaying an entire kingdom. Hey, they did it at least three times in Persona 5. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, the Persona series, Five Nights at Freddy's, or Devil May Cry.
Volume 2-6: A Bastion Vast
The next morning, Team RWBY woke bright and early. "Okay," Ruby said, "I believe our first order of business is to truly make this dorm our own." "Very well," Weiss replied, "But we should do it quickly. We do have classes soon." She pulled Ruby aside and whispered to her. "And then there's that other thing. Akira says he managed to find the code words for Roman's Bastion." Ruby nodded. "Gotcha." The first thing they noticed was that there wasn't much space for their stuff due to the four beds, but they soon solved the problem by setting them up as makeshift bunk beds.
Weiss looked at the new room. Ruby's bed had been suspended above her own using ropes. Not exactly perfect but the ropes were strong and evenly distributed to minimize the risk of the bed crashing down. Meanwhile Yang and Blake's beds had been stacked using some of the books Blake had already finished reading, distributed in such a way that toppling over wouldn't happen so easily. Yang's Achieve Men poster was behind the beds, one of Weiss' paintings hanging on the other side of the room, and several of the shelves filled with Blake's books. All save for one that she had tried to keep hidden.
"Hey, look at this," Yang said. She showed the girls some small scratchings that had been revealed when Ruby's bed had been moved. Blake looked at them. "They look like letters. S. T. R. Q." "Team STRQ," Ruby realized, "That was Mom's team back when she was in Beacon. This must have been their dorm back then." "Who was Team STRQ?," Weiss asked. "Well, it consisted of my mom, Summer Rose," Ruby said, "Me and Yang's dad Taiyang Xiao Long, Yang's mom Raven Branwen, and our uncle Qrow Branwen." Weiss looked at Yang and Ruby. "You two are half-sisters?" "We still see each other as real sisters," Yang clarified, "My mom rank out about a week after I was born."
"And I thought I had family problems," Weiss said, "At least Dad never tried to ditch the family." Ruby looked at the markings. "Hey Blake, can I borrow Gambol Shroud?" "Sure," Blake said. Ruby used the blade to carve RWBY just above where STRQ was. "This is our mark now. Everything fell apart for Team STRQ the day Raven decided to leave. We have to promise that no matter the distance between us, no matter what troubles we have in life, we will always remain a team. We're sisters-in-arms now! United in the cause of protecting Remnant!" She threw her hand in, and the others followed suit. Together they vowed, "Team RWBY forever!"
Fool (Ruby Rose) Rank 5: She has discovered that the dorm her team is in belongs to her mom's team. She is determined not to let her team fall as well.
Magician (Yang Xiao Long) Rank 3: Willing to follow her sister, she joins alongside her partner Blake and Weiss to form an unbeatable team.
Justice (Blake Belladonna) Rank 3: Now finding herself with a new family away from the White Fang, Blake joins Team RWBY in sisterhood.
Hanged (Weiss Schnee) Rank 5: Willing to defer to her partner Ruby as team leader, Weiss joined the rest of the team in true sisterhood.
After a quick class with Professor Peter Port, an elder Huntsman with white hair and a bushy moustache who was wearing a dark red suit jacket with dark slacks, Blake pulled Yang aside as Ruby and Weiss hurried off, along with Jaune and Gabriel. "Something's been going on with Weiss and Ruby," she said, "They said something about Roman and code words." Yang looked at her sister. "You don't think she's trying to go after him, do you?" "Maybe," Blake said, unsure. Yang rubbed her chin. "Can you cover for us? I need to check this out." Blake nodded to her partner. Little did Yang know, she was being followed by Pyrrha, Fritz, and Susie.
"So," Ruby said once the group reached Vale, "Where exactly is Akira sending us for the Bastion?" "We're already here," Gabriel clarified, "According to what the senior Phantoms found out, Roman's Bastion is all of Vale." Jaune whistled. "He must think of the entire place as his own criminal empire." "More like a bank he can rob," Weiss replied, "I've already put down two of the code words in the Meta-Nav. We ready to go?" The others nodded. Nearby, Yang was looking at what Weiss typed onto her scroll. "Roman Torchwick... All of Vale... Bank?"
She then saw the black void engulfing the area. "What and how...?" Somehow, the entire city of Vale had been replaced by a vast and complex bank facility. She saw four figures head into a small vent leading just off the side of the main entrance. "The Phantom Thieves?" Yang had considered sending them a request about her mother. Maybe she'd get the chance to ask them personally. As for the four junior Phantoms, they soon found several Shadows patrolling, looking like Junior's hired goons, except for the dark masks they wore instead of sunglasses.
Ruby ambushed the nearest one to reveal a young fairy girl in a Chinese dress, which proved very vulnerable to Weiss' ice skills. "Please don't hurt me! I was just doing as I was asked! Roman's the one you want!" "Whatever happened to honor among thieves?," Ruby asked, "You don't see us Phantom Thieves selling each other out." "Well, Roman's not a very good boss. He barely even pays us and leaves us to the police if we fail." "Ouch, that's really bad," Ruby noted, "You should look for a new boss. Or turn state's evidence." The girl considered it. "I think we're a lot alike. My name's Hua Po. I think I'll stick with you from now on."
"Looks like we're finding some new Personas for you," Jaune noted, "Let's see what else is here as we move forward." Another Shadow was a small old man with a large beard and carrying a giant leaf called Koropokguru. Then there was a small wooden idol carrying a boomerang called Mokoi. "These are pretty good," Ruby noted, "So, where do we go from here? I'd recommend locating a map, so we can try to find the Room of Origin. If Roman is anything like Jacques, there might be more to him than meets the eye." Just then, she noticed the security level was going up. Rapidly.
"We didn't alert any guards," Weiss noted, "And I doubt Joker and his team would be so unprofessional as to cause the security to raise." She then got a bad feeling. "We did make sure no one was nearby, right Gabriel?" Gabriel facepalmed. "I... Heard someone eavesdropping on us, but I thought they were just passing by. That was so stupid of me." Ruby sighed. "Let's go bail them out..." They headed back to where some guards were heading, and Ruby facepalmed. "It's Yang." Yang was blasting several Shadows. "Come on! Who else wants some!?"
She had shattered a nearby vase, which revealed a gemstone that tried to run. "That looks rare!," Gabriel said, "Barnum! Lucky Punch!" Barnum's attack revealed a red gemstone with a ghost coming out of it. Ruby picked it up once it surrendered. "Joker told me about these," she said, "They're called Treasure Demons, special Personas meant strictly for fusion material. This one's called Regent." She then saw Yang getting into serious trouble. "Oh yeah... My sister... Shiisaa! Rampage!" Yang looked surprised at the goofy-looking lion that struck at the various guards.
"Wait...," Yang said, "You guys are the Phantom Thieves!" "And you are truly insufferable," Weiss said. Yang gasped. "Weiss?" A guard captain in a white suit approached. "What have we here? The Phantom Thieves, plus one blonde bimbo. Come to think of it, you look familiar. Yeah, Roman encountered a woman who looked extremely similar once before, only with black hair." He chuckled. "Deal with these others, let her watch." The lesser guards turned into blue-skinned women in Indian garb. Yang looked around, not sure what to do. This thing, whatever it was, might have information on her mother.
'And what of it?,' came a voice inside her head, which she could swear sounded just like her, 'Will you put your friends and family in danger again?' Yang's eyes normally had two colors, her natural blue and the red illusion that was created when her Semblance activated. Now they turned a sickly yellow. Yang held her head in pain. 'You already tried to find your mother once, and it nearly got your sister killed. Why pretend to feel any sort of connection? You never even knew her. Live free of her, and be your own woman.' A red and black Grimm mask appeared over Yang's face. "You're right... If Mom ever really cared about me, she would never have left us."
She stood up. "I have to protect the family right in front of me! I'm me, not my mother!" 'That's my girl. Then let's form our contract. I am thou, thou art I. Let your real self spring forth as you unleash righteous rage.' "Oh, it'll spring forth all right," Yang said as she grabbed the mask, "So lend me your power... MARY READ!" She tore off the mask, flames exploding around her, a brilliant blue instead of the usual fiery red. Her new outfit was a cream-colored vest over a low cut black shirt, covered by a dark gray shrug with a raised collar and a black miniskirt, with thigh-high stocking and ankle boots.
Behind her was a young woman with dark brown hair and dressed in pirate garb, her jacket open to reveal a modicum of cleavage, twin flintlocks in her hand. "Looks like we got a new pirate in town," came a male voice. Skull soon dropped down to join the group. "Skull," Ruby said, "Good timing." "Jeez, you guys come out of the woodwork," Yang noted. The guard captain scoffed. "There's another we need to look for! Deal with these ones!" He quickly headed off. "Another one?," Weiss asked. "Talk later," Skull said, "Let's deal with these ones first. They're vulnerable to electric skills."
Yang looked at Mary Read and realized the flintlocks were sparking. "I think I can handle that! Mary Read! Mazio!" Mary Read fired off her flintlocks, blasting the Shadows and easily downing two of them. Skull smirked. "Not bad. My turn. Captain Kidd!" He summoned a skeletal pirate surfing on a ship. "Hey!," Jaune said, "I thought I had the monopoly on skeletal Personas!" Skull shrugged. "I ain't the one who picked the form, dude. Captain! Ziodyne!" One of the Shadows was destroyed, leaving the other vulnerable.
"Please! I was just following orders! I never wanted this job to begin with!" "Yeah, it can be hard getting a job you never wanted," Ruby admitted, "Especially when you're not ready for it, or at least don't feel you are." "I'm glad you can understand. I was hoping to find a nice guy while I was here, but it looks like that won't be happening." "It's not too late," Ruby assured her, "You're still young and pretty. I'm sure there's lots of guys out there who would love to date you." The woman giggled. "You really remind me of myself. My name is Apsaras. I'll stay with you as a mask from now on."
"Whoa," Yang said, "You can take on more than one Persona?" "Reaper's got something called the Wild Card," Skull explained, "It makes her entire being multifaceted. Anyway, right now we gotta find that other guy." Along the way, Ruby was able to tame a humanoid snowman with a blue cap named Jack Frost. They soon found what the captain was concerned about. It turned out Fritz had also been close enough to get sucked inside the Metaverse. "This is awkward," Gabriel said. He quickly leapt over, blasting the Shadows getting close.
Fritz blinked. "Gabe?" "Long story," Gabriel said. "And what have we here?," came a familiar voice. Ruby turned to see Roman, not looking much different from his human counterpart, though the familiar yellow eyes made it clear he was a Shadow. Or perhaps another Cognition masquerading as a Shadow. "Why if it isn't Little Red? And some more Phantom Thieves as well. Not mention a lowly animal, playing at pirate at that." Fritz's hand clenched. "I know I should stick around to see your demise, but given the track record of my men, I think it best to simply cut and run. Be sure to slow them down."
"Do you enjoy belittling those beneath you?," Fritz said. Shadow Roman looked confused. "We Faunus are just as much human as animal, yet animal is all you call us, even when we accomplish so much. That's why I always enjoyed stories of pirates. They never cared what people thought of them." 'But you care, don't you lad?' Fritz gasped as pain shot through his head, his eyes turning yellow. 'You seek to show the world that both Faunus and pirates can be heroes, yet all they do is scorn you and call you a monster. Well, if it's a monster they want, perhaps it's a monster they should get.'
Fritz smirked as a demon mask appeared over the top of his face. "Aye. For if a man plays the fool, it's only fools he'll persuade. But appear to be the devil, and all men will submit." The voice laughed in a tone that resembled his own. 'Now you have the right of it! Let us form our pact! I am thou, thou art I! Now go forth, and unleash hell!' Fritz shifted Davy Jones into its hand form and grabbed the mask. "Then I shall be that devil! That all shall know, both I, and my other self... BLACKBEARD!" As he tore the mask off, blue fire engulfed him.
His normal red coat had been replaced by a muted brown one with a vest holding four model flintlocks, a white hood over his face. Behind him was a large man with a huge black beard, dressed in pirate garb, his hat holding burning fuses. "I'll give my quarry something to fear. Some hellish thing from a fevered dream. And men will drop to their knees pleasing for their Lord before aught else!" "A fine speech," came Wolf's voice as he approached, "Care to back it up." Fritz smirked. "For an audience? Aye. It's all a big show after all. And my siblings and I are quite the performers."
He switched to Davy Jones' cannon mode, blasting the captain and revealing its true form, a blacksmith with a single leg. The other Shadows turned into small humanoids with long-nosed masks and wings. Weiss was able to deal with the captain, while Fritz showed his Persona specialized in wind skills. One of the Shadows was left over after the attack, and agreed to join Ruby as Koppa Tengu. After which, the group left the Bastion. Ruby explained everything to Yang and Fritz, and introduced Ryuji and Zenkichi. "So that's what this is all about," Yang realized.
"And now we have this power as well," Fritz realized. "It'd be more convenient if our new team leader was part of the group," Gabriel pointed out. "Well, I'm certainly in," Yang said, "If this Roman guy thinks he can use Vale as his personal bank account, he's got another thing coming." Fritz smiled. "Same here. We'll be with you every step of the way." Ruby smiled. "Looks like our team is growing. Anyway, we should get back to Beacon. It's starting to get dark." "That reminds me," Fritz said, "Pyrrha and Susie were with me, but I'm not sure where they wound up." He checked his scroll. "Well, Susie's still at Beacon. Pyrrha's probably with her." The group headed back to the bullhead to return to school.
Magician (Yang Xiao Long) Rank 4: She has awakened to the power of her Persona. She now desires to be her own woman away from her mother.
Death (Fritz Holmes) Rank 2: He has obtained his Persona, now determined to act against Roman like the monster some think him to be.
Glynda was there to meet the group as the bullhead landed. "Miss Nikos mentioned you were heading into Vale," she said, "Of course, she had no idea I was fully aware of your 'extracurricular' activities." She looked at the group. "And it would seem Mister Fritz Holmes and Miss Xiao Long have joined you as well." "Seems like it," Ruby said. Glynda gave a rare smile. "You may not realize it yet, Miss Rose, but this is exactly why Professor Ozpin chose you as a team leader. You have a rare gift for getting people to want to follow you. And already you seem to be putting it to good use." Ruby smiled. "Thanks. I'm still a little apprehensive about all this, but it looks like I'm fitting in better than I expected."
Empress (Glynda Goodwitch) Rank 3: Despite being told about the team going after Roman, Glynda chose not to take action. She instead explains to Ruby why she was made a leader.
Here's a quick run-down of Ruby's current Personas:
Medusa Lv21/Succubus Lv12/Berith Lv13/Koropokguru Lv14/Mokoi Lv14/Hua Po Lv15
Koppa Tengu Lv15/Apsaras Lv16/Kodama Lv17/Kushi Mitama Lv18/Archangel Lv21/Shiisaa Lv21
Technically, they're getting a little stronger, but these are the levels where they earn their last natural skill. Well, except for Medusa, she's not there yet. Speaking of Personas, I took a lot of inspiration from Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag for both Mary Read and Blackbeard. Heck, Fritz's thief outfit is modeled a little after Edward Kenway.
With Mary Read I just needed a strong female outlaw, and Mary Read, one of the most famous women pirates in history, was the first thing that sprang to mind. And for the record, I do plan on also including Mary Read's famous partner Anne Bonnie, but a little later down the line.
Blackbeard for Fritz was a no-brainer. I already stated that Fritz, in addition to basically being Foxy the Pirate Fox from FNAF, is an allusion to Captain Hook. Well Hook in the original novel was said to be Blackbeard's boatswain, so I thought this was fitting. Hope you guys like the choices I made. Read and review.