Author's Note:

If the quality in chapters ever dips, let me know ASAP.

Also I made a mistake in the last chapter, they never learned the games were called halo.

Thanks to Forsty Zuko for an idea I used this chapter!

Cover Art: Cruz7808

Check my profile for polls and planned fics!

Review, point out mistakes, and flame!

Chapter 4- Heavy Mettle

"Wash should poison Tucker's next meal for that threat." Weiss gagged.

"Sounds like Tucker already plans on a poison of his own." Yang grimaced.

"Heavy Mettle" appeared on the screen with the theme.

"I love heavy metal." Ruby grinned, "Pop-rock is still my favorite but ohhh I loved last season's music!"

"That says heavy Mettle, not metal." Blake pointed out.

"Oh.." Ruby blushed.

"I'm glad this season has changed it's sound." Weiss smiled. "While the music last season was good-"

"Because you were in it." Ruby complimented.

"Oh- no well thank you but that's not what I meant." Weiss blushed a little. "It was well written."

Caboose is seen walking across the canyon

Caboose: "Depression. Loneliness. Confusion. Slight indigestion."

"I don't know which one's worse!" Ruby sagged.

"Slight indigestion for me." Nora patted her belly, "Or crippling anxiety, take your pick."

"But Caboose didn't say anxiety?" Pyrrha frowned.

"Hm?" Nora raised an eyebrow. Ren pat her shoulder while shaking his head.

Pyrrha's frown deepened, "Anyway." She said, tearing her eyes away from Nora, "I assume Caboose is feeling depressed because he is sad Church is gone, loneliness because.. same reason, and confusion because he doesn't know why he left."

Caboose: "Oh Church... Ah, I miss you so much! Who is supposed to be my best friend while you are gone?! Tucker?! That guy isn't even a shade of blue! It's like an... aqua."

"Aqua is a shade of blue." Ren mumbled.

"Caboose is blue in more ways than one." Yang commented.

Ruby shook her head.

Pyrrha sighed, "Tucker could be a good friend to Caboose."

Ruby nodded, "But I think only Church can cheer him up. You know how Caboose is.. he's kind of like a kid sometimes."

"I wonder if the title is about Caboose, mettle refers to someone's ability to cope with difficult situations." Blake explained.

A sound is heard. Caboose looks over to the sound's direction.

Caboose: "Hello? Um... Who's there? Tucker is that you? Agent Washington?"

"Something's there, it's like Wash said. Something might find them before they're rescued." Blake reminded the group.

Caboose: "HELLO!"

Echo: "HELLO!"

Caboose: "Oh, that was just me, that was stupid. (yells) Have a nice day!"

Echo: "THANKS, YOU TOO!"

Caboose: "Well, I am a very pleasant person."

"Wait- how did his echo talk back to him?" Weiss asked.

"Uhh that's how echoes work Weiss." Ruby giggled.

"Don't be daft! He didn't yell anything to be echoed back." Weiss pointed out.

"Oh.. well I guess it's just a thing Caboose can do." Ruby shrugged.

"That's a good enough answer for me." Pyrrha chuckled, "Sorry Weiss."

Caboose walks over towards the noise

Caboose: "Okay, me, you can cut it out now! This is getting a little silly. (he spots something) *Sharp inhale* Hello…"

"Something didn't find them, Caboose found something." Yang quipped.

Cut to Washington instructing Tucker

Washington: "Tucker... in basic training, there is a point when the drill sergeant attempts to 'break' his or her soldiers so that they may overcome their civilian mindset and focus on the responsibility and selflessness of becoming a true soldier."

"I've seen Ms. Goodwitch do it." Ruby shivered.

"You have? I must not have noticed, I assumed all Beacon applicants would be far from civilians after the years of training it takes to get here." Weiss commented. "Beacon is a prestigious academy after all."

Jaune looked down, Pyrrha noticed and put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Not everyone here is dedicated enough, some people like Cardin, treated this academy like grade school." Blake explained to Weiss.

"Not anymore though." Ruby sat forward, "Especially since the breach."

Tucker: "Uh, bro. I went through basic ages ago! True soldier, standing right here!"

"Did he go through basic? He was interviewed and got picked because he was the worst." Weiss pointed out.

"I think he went to some form of basic before that." Blake guessed.

Washington: "What's the UNSC motto?"

Tucker: "When in doubt, rub one out."

"I'm sure it's not." Weiss sighed.

"That sounds like his own personal motto." Yang laughed.

"With the way he treats women, he's always in doubt." Blake smirked.

Washington: "I am going to break you... Private Tucker."

"Oh where's Donut when you need him." Yang laughed.

"I don't even want to know." Weiss sighed.

Pyrrha stared at the screen and hummed then glanced at Jaune, Jaune paled and Pyrrha chuckled. "I'm sorry Jaune, but I am going to break you. I think it's time we accelerate your training.. if it's alright with you."

Jaune sagged, "...ugh of course it's alright with me. I need to train."

Pyrrha softened a little, "Don't worry Jaune, by break you I only mean physically. You already have the mindset and dedication of a true huntsman."

Jaune smiled weakly, "Only physically.. Thanks, I'm not worrying at all."

Pyrrha blushed and chuckled, "Sorry."

Tucker: "Ooh, I'm shaking in my armor."

Washington: "Inside this tunnel is an elaborate obstacle course designed to test both your reflexes and your mettle."

"Heavy Mettle." Ruby mumbled.

Tucker: "Uhh... like... copper?"

Washington: "No, that's metal. I said mettle."

"He should clarify by saying metAl, metAl." Ruby enunciated.

Tucker: "Whatever."

Washington: "On your mark... get set…"

Tucker: "This is such bull…"

Wash shoots Tucker in the back.

"Oh no! He shot the blues in the back again!" Yang mock gasped.

"I doubt Wash would ever betray the Reds and Blues again." Blake commented, "Especially not after all they have done for him."

Tucker: "SHIT! OW! OKAY! I'M GOING!"

Tucker races through the obstacle course. First, he jumps over some sandbags.

"That hurdle of sandbags is more of a wall than Grif's." Weiss snickered.

He then attempts to shoot down four cones positioned on the side. He only hits one.

Tucker: "Stupid fucking cones!"

"At least he hit one." Ruby grimaced. "Better than Church."

"Trying hard not to complain?" Yang asked.

"He was right next to the cones!" Ruby groaned.

Yang laughed, "Ruby you're like dad when his favorite team drops the ball."

"No sport puns!" Ruby snapped.

Tucker destroys a wood pallet with his Energy Sword, then lands on a group of mines.

Tucker: "Jesus Christ!"

"Boo landmines!" Nora glared at the screen.

He is hit by several bullets.

Tucker: "Oh, God! Where is it coming from?!"

"Did he set up an automatic turret? That's so cool!" Ruby gasped.

Tucker runs through the Halo 4 level "Reclaimer".

Tucker: "Who are these people?"

"Wait what!?" Ruby sat up.

"Where is that?" Jaune asked.

"He set up a lot more than a turret." Blake's eyes widened.

Tucker emerges, somehow, in the "Warthog Run" section of the Halo: Combat Evolved level "The Maw," running down Flood Combat Forms.

Tucker: "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

Tucker emerges from the obstacle course, a bell rings.

"What was going on?" Weiss asked.

"I think those were campaign levels, or that one game mode firefight." Ruby guessed.

"The what?" Weiss asked.

"I remember, from the PSA's." Blake nodded.

"Oh I remember those." Weiss hummed.

"That second clip was from the first game, it looked so cool!" Jaune commented.

"Sorry I couldn't tell what was happening." Pyrrha admitted.

"It looked like he was racing in a warthog while explosions were going off all around him while alien zombies attacked his car!" Ruby grinned.

"Even though I don't like first person shooters, I want to try these games out." Jaune commented.

"Me too!" Nora commented, "I'm not a video game person but these games look awesome!"

Washington: "Congratulations, Private. That time was... adequate... for a beginner."

"Wash should be happy Tucker even completed it at all, because that obstacle course was insane!" Ruby laughed.

"I want to run it!" Nora shouted.

"Yeah let's recreate it!" Ruby yelled.

"How could we possibly recreate that?" Weiss asked.

"We can't." Ren answered.

"Not with that attitude." Yang chuckled.

Tucker: "(exhausted) I- what was... I don't…"

Washington: "Just an adrenaline rush Tucker. It'll wear off."

Tucker: "I'm…I'm.."

Washington: "Shaking in your armor?"

Blake chuckled, "Clever."

Caboose is seen anxiously running by

Caboose: "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy... Hello, hello!"

"Well he's happy." Yang commented.

"Whatever he found must have cheered him up." Pyrrha smiled.

"...That makes me feel uneasy." Weiss frowned.

"Me too." Blake nodded.

"Whatever he found is likely something dangerous." Ren added.

Pyrrha sighed, "It probably is but.. at least he's happy."

Washington: "Caboose! Glad to see you're feeling better! I've got a little exercise for you! Inside this cave is an elaborate obstacle course, designed to…"

Caboose quickly races through and completes the obstacle course offscreen in about .5 seconds. He then leaves.

Caboose: "Okay, that was fun! Gotta go do stuff! Don't ask questions! Thank you, goodbye!"

"Uhh.." Ruby looked around.

Pyrrha laughed, "Record time!"

"Less than a second, he has to be a freelancer! See I was right!" Nora smirked. "In fact, he's above the level of a freelancer!"

Washington: "...I think that's enough training for today."

Tucker: "Yeah."

Washington: "Uh, I'm gonna go work on the Comm Tower."

Wash leaves.

Tucker: "Yeah."

"Tucker sounds upset." Ren noted.

"I think it's because Caboose did so much better than him." Jaune guessed.

"You think Tucker cares?" Blake genuinely asked.

"Maybe.." Jaune shrugged. I would care.. it's sometimes hard seeing everyone else do so much better than me.

Cut to Red base where Grif is seen. Simmons approaches him

Simmons: "Hey roomie, uh you got a second for me?"

Grif: "Sup?"

Simmons: "Oh, you know, not much, not much... Uh... Oh, so, question for you…"

Grif: "Uh huh."

Simmons: "By any chance, have you seen my toothbrush?"

"Simmons's tone feels so familiar." Ruby rubbed her chin and looked up.

"Yeah it does." Yang snickered, glancing at Weiss.

Grif: "Uhhh. I don't think so."

Simmons: "Okay, okay, uh you sure?"

"He doesn't believe Grif." Ren noted.

"I would, because it wouldn't be surprising if Grif doesn't even use his own toothbrush." Weiss commented.

"Gross." Ruby gagged.

Grif: "Yeah."

Simmons: "Huh 'cause you know I'm pretty sure I saw you with it earlier."

Grif: "Dude, you're acting weird."

Simmons: "Huh... What... What do you mean?"

Grif: "I mean... clearly you're accusing me of using your toothbrush but instead of just coming out and saying it you're being really passive aggressive and tiptoeing around the accusation."

Ruby's eyes widened, "Oh.. Now I remember where I've heard this tone before." Ruby glanced at Weiss.

"What?" Weiss sighed.

Yang and Blake chuckled.

"What!?" Weiss asked again.

"Nothing, just remembering all the good times we had when we first started rooming together." Yang chuckled.

Weiss sighed.

Simmons: "Huh."

Grif: "You did the same thing when I left the lights on and when I put my boots on your side of the room."

Simmons: "Mhmm."

Grif: "And I feel that there's this constant tension growing between us that's inevitably going to erupt over what would normally be considered a small issue."

Ruby, Blake, and Yang all looked at Weiss.

"Okay fine! I had a hard time getting used to living with three strangers!" Weiss threw her hands up, "You all weren't little angels either! Yang you hogged the bathroom, Blake you kept us all up with your reading! And Ruby! ...actually you were very considerate and I apologize again for how I acted."

Ruby smiled, "Thanks Weiss.. heh I was just really nervous about being team leader and annoying you all."

"You understood where each of us was coming from and accommodated each of us, there's a difference between that and not speaking up or cowing to our will." Blake explained.

Yang nodded, "Yeah, also!" Yang turned to Weiss. "I told you that you could come in while I was showering or doing anything! You can still come in while I'm in there, I don't mind."

"I do!" Weiss sighed, "Thank you though."

"...How did you act back then?" Jaune asked out of curiosity.

Weiss blushed and looked away, Yang and Blake laughed.

"Weiss had a problem with our tidiness, I can understand keeping the whole room clean. I never had a problem with that, but she also wanted it super neat and orderly." Yang explained.

"I agreed with her somewhat." Blake admitted. "But then.."

"I touched their stuff and organized it." Weiss put her face in her hands.

"You didn't!" Pyrrha gasped, then put her hands to her mouth, "Sorry."

Weiss chuckled, "It's fine, I know I shouldn't have. I 'organized' Yang's hair products, Blake's books, and Ruby's tools."

"That wasn't a fun day." Ruby recalled.

Simmons: "Yeah... Well... You know I wouldn't be asking you about my toothbrush if I hadn't seen you with it earlier."

Grif: "I used your toothbrush."

"Oh gross." Yang grimaced.

Ruby gagged, "Ew why would anyone do that!?"

"..if it makes it any better I doubt he used it to brush his teeth, probably to pick at something." Blake guessed.

"Still a complete breach of common decency." Weiss shook her head, "I can appreciate knowing that none of us ever used each other's toothbrushes."

Simmons: "YOU FUCK! (Simmons aims his rifle at Grif.)"

"I can also appreciate the fact that at no point did we ever threaten each other." Weiss sighed in relief.

"We got close to it a few times." Blake laughed.

Yang turned to team JNPR, "Did you four have any growing pains?"

Jaune laughed nervously and rubbed his neck. Pyrrha chuckled, Nora giggled and looked between Pyrrha and Jaune while Ren sighed.

"I'll take that all as a yes." Yang chuckled.

Pyrrha smiled, "There was an adjustment period."

"Jaune and Pyrrha weren't yet used to Nora's energy like I was." Ren explained. "I believe that was the biggest issue."

"It wasn't hard having it be co-ed?" Yang asked.

"No Ren and Jaune are.. well you know them. I don't believe we even had to talk about it. All of the normal boundaries were common sense." Pyrrha explained.

"I shared a room with some of my sisters." Jaune added. "So I was used to it."

"Hold on, biggest issue?" Nora frowned.

"You're very loud." Jaune explained, "Even all of my sisters put together weren't as bad."

"You also had the tendency to break stuff, sorry." Pyrrha smiled.

"Though after I taught you two how to Nora proof your things the issue hasn't come up again." Ren deadpanned.

"Besides that there was the pajama incident." Nora giggled.

Jaune and Pyrrha blushed.

"Ohh what happened!" Ruby begged.

"Pyrrha thought my pajamas were left by the people who lived in our room before us and she tried to put them in the lost and found." Jaune explained.

"Sorry again." Pyrrha apologized.

"It was amusing watching Jaune explain that they were his pajamas." Ren chuckled.

"Hey! They're very comfortable." Jaune crossed his arms.

Grif: "DUDE! What's wrong with you?!"

Simmons: "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU?! You keep stacking dishes in the sink! I don't even think you've eaten off of some of them! For all I know, you're doing it because you're FUCKING BORED!"

Grif: "Wait, isn't the sink just where dishes go?"

Simmons: "NO! They go in the cupboard!"

Weiss chuckled, "I understand Simmons's point."

"You're supposed to put dirty dishes in the sink, but before that you have to scrape off the food and rinse it." Ruby recited.

"Very good Ruby." Yang laughed.

"Exactly as I have told you, Nora." Ren looked directly at said redhead.

"Heeheehee, I forget." Nora shrugged.

Grif: "We have a cupboard?!"

"Moral of the story, Grif is a terrible roommate." Yang summarized.

Sarge confronts the two.

Sarge: "Hey! Keep it down in there! I'm trying to watch my stories!"

Simmon: "Sarge, please tear down the wall! I can't take Grif's laziness in small spaces!"

Sarge: "I'm sorry, Simmons. But we all have to make sacrifices... Except for me because I'm in charge."

"No you have to make sacrifices, especially because you're in charge!" Ruby crossed her arms.

"Yeah, when you're a leader. You're not allowed to not make sacrifices. Because it's not just about you anymore." Jaune gave Ruby a smile.

"Couldn't have asked for a better leader." Yang grinned.

"Same here." Nora slammed a hand into Jaune's back.

"Ahh! Whyy?" Jaune groaned.

"Oops, sorry Jaune!"

Grif: "Hey Simmons, this probably isn't the best time to say this but, uh we're out of toilet paper."

Simmons: "What?! HOW?!"

Cut to the Blue team's tank wrapped in toilet paper.

Nora, Yang, and Ruby burst out laughing.

"Grif is awesome!" Yang cackled, "Never thought I'd say that."

Nora's and Ruby's laughter renewed.

"Wash is not going to be happy." Blake chuckled, shaking her head.

"I hope they start a prank war." Ruby grinned.

"That would be awesome!" Nora gasped.

"And childish.. but I suppose it would be amusing to watch." Weiss smiled.

Cut back to the Reds.

Grif: "I dunno."

Wash grunts behind them, cut to show Wash standing behind the group.

Washington: "I believe you borrowed my toolbox."

"Oh I thought he was going to chew them out for the toilet paper." Jaune commented.

"Me too, because not only would he have to clean it up, it's a waste. I doubt they have an endless supply." Blake added.

"Yeah.. would not want to run out of that." Nora grimaced.

Simmons: "What do you need a toolbox for?"

Washington: "Repairing the Comm Tower. I know you three are having fun playing house, but I'd really rather leave this place."

Sarge: "Playing house?! Son... this is a highly- Whoops, forgot to use the door!"

Sarge walks back across the wall of sandbags.

Sarge: "Do do do do do."

Nora giggled.

Yang and Ruby looked at each other, then snorted.

"We used to play house." Ruby explained.

"I think every kid did." Yang hummed.

"I played it with my sisters." Jaune nodded.

"I didn't." Weiss raised her hand.

"Your childhood must have been so sad! How have you never played house?" Ruby asked.

I did have a sad childhood. Weiss sarcastically thought, "Me and my sister didn't play make believe games."

"Me and Ren never played house either, we didn't know how to because we were homeless!" Nora laughed a little too hard for it to be normal. Her laughs turned to exaggerated wails as she sagged to the floor. Ren wordlessly patted her back.

"Is she going to be alright?" Jaune asked.

Ren nodded.

Washington: "The toolbox."

Grif: "Upstairs."

Washington: "Show me."

"Wash is going to blow up at some point." Blake commented. "Did you hear his voice?"

"He's pissed." Yang chuckled.

Grif leads Wash to his room.

Grif: "Fine... But don't touch any of my stuff!"

Washington: "(off screen) Ugh, this place is a pigsty."

Grif: "It's not a pigsty Wash, it's a way of life."

"That's disgusting, I feel sorry for Simmons." Weiss admitted.

"Grif's way of life is a pigsty." Blake grimaced.

Simmons: "Hey Sarge, didn't we recover an old robot-building kit from the crash?"

Weiss's eyes narrowed.

Sarge: "Sure did! Makes a great foot rest! I like to prop my feet up while I'm watching my stories."

Simmons: "Well, if we were to re-purpose the robot's radio transmitter for the Comm Tower, we might be able to-"

Sarge: "Simmons, I'm going to have to stop you before your terrible plan becomes any more terrible."

"His plan actually sounds pretty good." Jaune commented.

"So of course Sarge won't consider it." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Because he has an even better plan!" Nora explained.

"To build a robot I'm guessing." Weiss turned to Nora.

"That's what I was thinking too!"

Simmons: "Oh…"

Sarge: "Fortunately, I believe we may be able to use this robot kit to build some sort of robot! We could put it to work constructing a radio transmitter and then the Comm Tower would be fixed in no time!"

Simmons: "Well, don't you think it would be better if-"

Sarge: "Not at all! Let's build a robot!"

"They can't replace Lopez." Weiss crossed her arms. "They better not."

"A new robot? Come on Weiss aren't you excited?" Ruby asked.

"No, I like Lopez and I don't want his character to be replaced." Weiss explained.

"I doubt they would replace Lopez, this season seems to have the goal of feeling like classic Red vs Blue. Lopez was a part of that." Blake explained.

Simmons: "I hate them."

The screen fades to black.

Washington: "(off screen) Are those my socks?"

Grif: "(off screen) Yeah... but you probably don't want those back."

Simmons: "I hate all of them."

The episode ends.

"So Grif stole Wash's socks because they didn't have any?" Ruby guessed.

"Grif's feet must be disgusting." Weiss gagged, "I wouldn't want them back either."

"I doubt Grif put those socks on his feet." Yang chuckled.

What did you think of the chapter?

NO AOT SPOILERS AHEAD:

Welp Attack on Titan ended… god what the FUCK. I don't know if I truly hate it or not yet. I hated the Last of Us 2 after I beat the game even though I loved the ending. But over time I liked the game more and more after I thought about it. Maybe the same thing will happen with AOT's ending.

Though if not, GOT all over again. And I made that comparison before I started reading people's rants. But as of now, I can't recommend getting into AOT. If you do, prepare yourself for a very very good story with a shitty ending. An ending where characters completely fucking flip and it becomes a romantic comedy.

I still love AOT and as with RvB I can pick a moment in the story and say "Everything that happened after this moment never actually happened."