Chapter 25

Eric van Genus' Audio Journal #27: Do I Have Regrets?

Do I have any form of regrets? I do actually. Over the years of my reincarnations, there were some things I wasn't proud of or wished I did something differently. One is that I never had the chance to change the world with my nanites back on Earth. I never got to hang out with Cliffjumper. Never got the chance to seal the Eye of Terror for good during my Warhammer 40,000 incarnation. Never got the chance to save Jotaro. Never got to meet any of the main characters from Borderlands. I mean, I was busy running a business and the galaxy is, well, giant. Although saying "giant" about the galaxy is a bit of an understatement. I never caught Mew in my Pokemon reincarnation. Same with many other legendary and mythical Pokemon I never caught. But hey, you win some, you lose some. Never got to kill the reincarnation of Hitler when I was stuck on a stone age planet. Really wish I could destroy the Scarlet King when I was in an SCP universe. Boy there is a lot.

Many may never admit to their mistakes or talk about their grief and regrets. Me, I'm admitting them now. When I die, this recording will admit my own regrets to the world while I have a whole book on them. To me, there is no shame to admit any form of regret, mistake, grief and so forth. I think that people should admit their mistakes rather than trying to avoid them, which is highly irresponsible. Like a certain jackass politician I did knew back on the Earth where I was from! But here I am. With an audio recorder. Talking about shit.

Although now that I think about it, should I be seen as a god in my next reincarnation? I did say that I refuse to play that part and want to be seen as a mortal. But I remember a very certain story about the Emperor having an argument with the last priest in the story, The Last Church. I may have achieved a secular government in one of my reincarnations, but I wonder if someone did see me as some form of god, created a new religion, and seized power. Like with Goge Vandir. Fuck! I really hope not. But humans do want a form of spirituality, which is why I approved the Church of Isekai. Reincarnation is truth, but not everyone follow it. Perhaps I should take up that mantle in my next reincarnation. I maybe hypocritical yet the blame falls to me if I want to advance any primitive civilization or some post-apocalyptic scenario. I might depending on where I ended-up...and my gender. My next reincarnation will have to be a roll of a d20 and stat checks that might effect it. But should I? Should I accept the fact people might see me as a high evolved being and take on the title of "god"?

I'm starting to get a splitting headache now.

End of recording.

Taggart's Flying Mansion, Meeting Room...

The council members, including General Ironwood, is in the meeting room with Daisy Taggart along with Willow Schnee and Robyn Hill. Whitley is also there with his sister, Winter, as Whitley gives her a hug and apologize as everyone discuss what they're about to discuss. Ironwood is very suspicious of Daisy. Robyn is also as suspicious as Ironwood.

Camilla begins the discussion, "Ms. Taggart. Allow me to congratulate you on your victory, on behalf of Atlas and the council."

"Even it was a result of some fluke." Sleet states.

"I agree." Ironwood agrees.

Robyn agrees with Ironwood, "As much as I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with the general."

Daisy looks at Willow, "Willow my dear, I do apologize for what happened."

Willow says, "Its alright. I knew he was a fucking disaster when I was forced to marry him."

Camilla says, "Please don't change the subject."

Ironwood says, "I think we have enough of this charade. My technicians did a bit of digging and found out that Daisy Taggart doesn't exist. But Aerial Airheart does."

Ironwood pulls out his scroll and shows a hologram of pictures taken in her hotel room that shows her putting her mask on and a file about Aerial Airheart that shows her short grey hair and light blue eyes.

"And she's with the Evolutionaries terrorists."

Daisy Taggart has been exposed in front of the council as Aerial Airheart. Despite being exposed for who she is, she maintains her calm composure. But she burst into laughter in her own voice.

"You got me there!" she slow claps and speaks in her own voice. She no longer has a need to pretend. "He was right about you. The moment you come across a problem that might be considered a threat, you will go to great lengths to, and I quote, 'protect' the kingdom." She stops clapping, "In truth, general, your ideas of protection will make you more of a tyrant than a hero. He know you far too well."

"You mean, Cobbel Stone."

"No, no, no. That's not his true name."

Ironwood stands up, "Then John Gulch."

"Nope. Sorry, general, but I prefer to keep that secret. Anyway, the Evolutionaries aren't terrorists. But only consider terrorists to those in power."

Camilla is upset, "Then what exactly are you?"

Aerial casually stands up and head towards the window to look at the last bit of sunlight still remaining. "We fight to elevate the world. Have the people of Remnant evolve. Have them kicked out of the little bubble they made themselves and encourage new ideas. For that, we have to put an end to those that would stop progress. That includes Atlas."

Robyn stands straight up from her chair, "And what of Mantle!? What would become of that?!"

"You already saw the changes. People are now prospering in the city, thanks to my contributions. Atlas now suffers what Mantle has suffered for far too long."

"Are the Evolutionaries involve with Salem?" Ironwood asks.

"Like I said, we have to put an end of those that would stop progress. Salem is the biggest obstacle."

"Then why?"

Robyn is about ready to lose it and attack Aerial.

"Tell me," Aerial looks at the last minute of sunlight, "what is your favorite fairy tale?"

Everyone in the room seem confuse on what she is talking about, but Ironwood knows.

"Here's mine. One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was an age of darkness. It was an age...of gargoyles."

As the last light of the sun fade, stone crackling noises can be heard as the gargoyle statues are breaking. Cracks becoming visible and getting larger. But they're not truly statues. The stones break to reveal actual, living gargoyles as they roar and the windows started to seal up.

In the garden, the Happy Huntresses and the Ace Ops just noticed the doors and windows started to seal up.

"The hell?!" Marrow notices.

They all run up to the doors and try to bang them down.

"Hey!" Joanna shouts, "What's going on?!"

Back inside, a very muscular blue gargoyle with long black hair looks down at the people in the room as the male gargoyle stands seven feet tall. The other gargoyles are clinging to the walls and ceiling as they look at the people with glowing, vicious white eyes.

The blue gargoyle says with a deep voice, "You...are trespassing."

The Schnees huddle together close to the corner with Whitley being frightened. Ironwood and Robyn try to grab their weapons but realized they don't have them. Camilla and Sleet stand straight up from their seats and back away while being scared.

Camilla explains, "W-w-w-we were invited here!" She points at Aerial, "By her!"

Aerial responds, "I did not. Some lunatic name Daisy Taggart invited them. Please deal with them accordingly."

Everyone started bursting out of the room as they hear screaming and dismemberment along with bestial roars from other gargoyles that have awaken and attack the guests. After hearing that in the main hall, they run towards the opposite direction as they try to avoid getting killed. Whitley is weeping tears of fear as he tries to catch up. Willow is dragging him to ensure that he survives. Winter deployed five white Beowolves to take on the gargoyles before she continues to run. Sleet pushes Ironwood aside and hides in the closet and close it shut.

Camilla bangs on the closet, "Let me in! Sleet you bastard, let me in!"

Sleet said from the other side, "Get your own hiding spot!"

Then the gargoyles came and kill Councilwoman Camilla followed by Councilman Sleet as the rest headed down and turn left at the corner. They all headed over to one of the rooms and closed the door. The room they are in looks like a second story living room with a fireplace, red leather couches, a portrait of a Yoda-like person holding a purple lightsaber while being hung in a silver frame. In the room, Aerial is there while holding onto a mask made of wood yet as a metal piece that goes from the nose to the forehead and of Viking origin.

Aerial smiles, "Having fun?"

Outside the manor, in the gardens, Elm tried to bang on the shutters with all her might with Vine helping with his semblance and Fiona uses her semblance to get the shutters off.

"No good." Fiona states and stops, "The shutters are sealed tight. Not even my semblance can get it down."

Harriet tries using her semblance to make her self faster so she can hit harder against the shutters while yelling.

Clover says, "Harriet, enough! That's an order!"

Harriet stops as part of her knuckles were bleeding and never made a dent.

Joanna says to everyone, "We need to find another way inside. A ventilation shaft or an air duct."

May says, "Only we had our weapons."

As in right on cue, all their weapons suddenly dropped in from the air.

"Happy now?" says a woman's voice.

They all look up and see five figures on the roof. They see Poppy Te, Neon Sign, Harriet Flameheart, Kuro Kanmuri and Maya Mantoida looking down on them with their silver eyes.

Harriet Flameheart says, "Looks like we got ourselves some assholes that need a good kicking."

AN: Okay, since we have two Harriets, Flameheart will be H.F. while Bree will be H.B. Good? Good, let's start the fight.

Neon looks at H.F., "Really? That's your best?"

H.F. says to Neon, "Sounded better in my head."

Poppy is in her suit of armor, "Let's fight these guys."

Kuro says, "If you want to get in, you have to beat us."

The five jump down and start attacking. H.F. fight against H.B. and May, Neon and Kuro is fighting against Clover and Marrow, Maya is fighting against Elm and Fiona, and Poppy is fighting against Vine. Vine starts with a punch from his aura to Poppy's armor yet Poppy catches the aura arm and fling Vine against the wall. Kuro uses her scythe and swipes at Clover while Neon fires a red neon laser against Marrow. Clover dodges along with Marrow before Marrow fires his gun. H.B. charges in and tries to punch H.F. but H.F. managed to nullify her aura.

"What?!" H.B. is surprised before getting punch in the face.

Maya has changed her left arm into a shield that blocks Elm's hammer blow and rockets while her right arm is a sword that she uses to fight against Fiona. Clover tries to catch Neon with his Kingfisher, but she turned into a pink humanoid being and moves very fast to avoid getting caught.

Clover is surprise, "That's a new one."

Kuro's scythe blade bends over and turns into an assault rifle. Marrow manages to dodge the bullets thanks to his semblance but only by the narrowest of margins.

Back in the mansion, Aerial removes her mask and shows her true face.

"I'm sorry." Aerial says, "This is still a party. And what's a party without a costume." She puts the mask on which causes lighting to flash and thunder strikes.

She all of a sudden transform into a whirlwind that is creating a fast breeze before it stops and reveals Aerial's new face...and it is green...with funky music playing.

She spins and dance with Ironwood as she sings, "I got you with my winning smile, I'm a living lesson in flair and style!" and tosses him onto the couch, "You just can't help but stare at my savoir-faire." She suddenly pops out of Winter's leftear, "I'm nouveau," then comes out of Winter's right nostril dressed in 1920's fashion, "Deco," then the neck of her coat in a Roman soldier outfit, "Roman-Greco," the opening right sleeve of her coat in a Rococo dress, "Rococo," then appears in the other opening in a baroco dress, "Baroco," then out of her left pants pocket in a female's be-bop outfit, "uh be-bop," then out of the other outfit in a hip-hop outfit, "uuuuh hip-hop," then comes out of her waist coat in a Hawaiian tourist outfit, "flip-flop." But suddenly bursts out of Winter's butt and make a hole in her pants, "SOMEBODY STOP ME!"

Winter covers the hole with her hands as Aerial went back in and blushes out of embarrassment.

Aerial continues to sing as she femininely points at her face, "Pretty viridian faces like mine, don't come a dime a dozen -" then cut-outs of every single RWBY character fill the room, "- I stand out of the crowd!" She dances a little more, "Babe, when they made me, yeah, they broke the mold!" Suddenly she sits in a chair with a tea cup in her hand with a halo over her head, "Wholesome and kind, staid and refined," then her skullcap opens as her brain sings at the five, "totally out of my mind!"

She dashes over at Robyn while holding a green paint bucket and paintbrush while dressed as a painter, "Arch-villains and ne'er-do-wells had better learn to decorate prison cells." Then sings in a female mobster voice while painting Robyn entirely green with the paintbrush cartoonishly getting huge, "Green goes with anything if they ask, see!" Aerial is then back in her dress and sings into a microphone, "Well there's one last thing I gotta sing about. Open up wide and really shout! OHHHH..LOOK OUT!" She does one last spin, "I AM THE MAAAAAAASSSSK! SSSSMOKIN'!"

AN: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy the last part, because I had. Later and stay safe and don't forget to get vaccinated, okay, ba'bye.