Author's Note:
Huge thanks to MidKnightMoonglow99 for writing the transcripts for this. They would have been a pain in the ass for me to write and he wrote them without me even asking.
Cover Art: Cruz7808
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Chapter 21- Season 12 Journals and teaser trailer
"So Ruby, how'd it go?" Yang asked.
Ruby walked into team JNPR's dorm with wild hair and a wide smile. "The new Atlesian Paladins are fast!"
Weiss sighed, "At least you didn't get crushed. What about the railgun?"
"That was also fun, now there is an Atlas soldier out there with a much better railgun." Ruby smirked. "He was happy with it."
"I'm happy with my upgrade too." Jaune grinned and made a whooshing noise, mimicking Felix as he pulled up his hardlight shield.
"Gah don't waste it!" Ruby slapped his arm. "Velvet isn't made of hardlight dust! She let us borrow some because she's nice but this stuff is expensive."
Jaune blushed, "Yeah you're right."
"…I'm also happy with my upgrade." Blake held Gambol shroud out, looking at the half open barrel where she could now load sticky detonators into.
"I like it too." Nora stared at the weapon.
"So we're starting with promos today?" Pyrrha asked as she sat down.
"That is what Filss told us yesterday." Ren stated.
"What are we waiting for?" Yang asked as she turned to Jaune.
"Journal 001: Tucker" appeared on the screen with the theme.
Tucker: "You're joking right?"
Felix: "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"This reminds me of an audio log.. like a collectible." Jaune commented.
"You actually collect all of those, don't you?" Ruby shook her head.
Jaune blushed, "Well yeah, they're cool and I like listening to them."
"Collecting them all is so boring and I can never find them all in any game I play. I just look them all up and listen to them in a playlist." Ruby explained.
"Even that's too much effort for me, if I find one I'll listen to it while I fight or something but I don't go out of my way to find them." Yang explained.
"But you're missing out on so much!" Ruby complained.
"Yeah you're missing the lore." Jaune added.
Yang rolled her eyes, "I play games for the amazing action, I can appreciate a good story but I don't need to know the origin of every rock in the game."
Tucker: "I dunno dude, you're wearing a fucking helmet. But I'm pretty sure you're glaring at me right now."
Blake chuckled, "It's always impressed me how they can show those emotions with just helmets."
"The voice-work is incredible." Weiss added.
("Tucker" is typed on the screen)
Tucker: "So... Felix is making us all keep diaries while we're with the New Republic."
Felix: "They're Journals!"
Tucker: "Can I get some privacy please!?"
-Door slam-
"Felix was definitely the boy with a diary." Yang laughed.
"So what." Jaune crossed his arms, "It is good for your memory." Ren gave Jaune an approving nod.
"Oh I know, I keep one too." Yang shrugged.
Blake glanced towards the door, just across the hall under her mattress was her diary. Along with some of her… other books.
Tucker: "He thinks it will relieve stress or whatever. Apparently that's what Kimball does. But look, if she needs some stress relief, my door's always open. Bow-chicka-wow-wow."
Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha grimaced.
-Sad laughter-
Tucker: "... Man, that's not as much fun when you're alone, Bow-chicka-wow-wow."
"The idea of Tucker making crude jokes to himself alone and in the dark is unsettling." Weiss commented.
"You're conjuring up a mental image that is way worse than what he's actually doing." Yang laughed.
"I think he's a little nervous and awkward talking into a journal. My first dia- journal entry was awkward." Jaune admitted.
Felix: (in the background door opening) "Hey, are you taking this seriously?"
Tucker: "Are you familiar with the definition of privacy?!"
Door shuts in the background.
"Felix is quickly being disappointed. Grif was right after all." Weiss chuckled.
Tucker: "We tried training the soldiers at once, but that was pretty much the worst idea ever. So now we've broken them up into smaller teams. We train them, they train the others, bla-bla-bla-bla... Man, I don't know how Wash did it?"
"They tried training all the soldiers at once? Yeah I guess that wouldn't work out well." Jaune frowned.
"That makes the great ending to season 11 a little funny. Right after he said they'd run drills they messed up." Nora added.
"It's hard starting out." Ruby sympathized.
"Wash did it by not giving up, he wasn't allowed to give up." Jaune gave Ruby a smile which she returned.
"It's smart though, training a small group to then train the rest… but any training Tucker, Simmons, Grif, and Caboose give them will be next to useless." Weiss pointed out.
"Tucker can train them the best, he got trained by Wash." Jaune pointed out.
"And Simmons got trained by Sarge! Red team is the best coordinated so he can do just as good or even better than Tucker." Nora argued.
"What about Grif?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"He'll get them to do all his work for them. That might somehow train them." Blake rolled her eyes with a grin.
"As for Caboose.. he's just Caboose. Anything can happen." Pyrrha shrugged.
Tucker: "I mean these guys are all pretty stupid but they're no Caboose. (groan) I wonder where he is now?"
Caboose: "Tucker I'm in my bunk. I was really right here the whole time."
Pyrrha chuckled.
Tucker: "I was talking about Wash, idiot."
Caboose: "Oh. Yeah that makes sense."
Tucker: "Does no one around here understand fucking privacy?!"
The journal ends.
"Of course they don't." Weiss commented.
"Journal 002- Simmons" appeared on screen with the theme.
Simmons: "Captain's Log: The year is 25-"
Grif: "Seriously?"
(Simmons screams)
Simmons: "Grif?"
"Grif really likes messing with him." Yang noted.
"Like how Sarge likes to mess with Grif." Nora giggled, recalling the moment when Sarge thought he died and regretted not being able to screw with Grif one last time.
Grif: "You're seriously starting with: Captain's Log?"
Simmons: "Well... what else would I start with?"
"Oh yeah.. they're captains now." Weiss paled.
Grif: "Uhhh, literally anything."
("Simmons" appears on the screen; followed shortly by the caption "And Grif")
Simmons: "Finally, after years of service and loyalty I've been given my own platoon."
Grif: "Two soldiers Simmons. You were given two soldiers."
"I'm guessing that means everyone else was also given two soldiers." Jaune commented.
Simmons: "The burden of responsibility weighs heavily upon my back, but I must endure, I must become a beacon of hope for my men."
"He sounds like he's trying to be the stereotypical captain in stories." Blake grimaced.
"Ruby, is this how you feel?" Yang teased.
Ruby didn't rise to the bait, partly because she really did feel like it. All the time.
"Jaune's a beacon of hope for his man." Nora gestured to Ren. "And women." She gestured to herself and Pyrrha.
"Uhh.. well put Nora, thanks." Jaune scratched the back of his head.
Grif: "Women."
Simmons: "Well yeah, but that's fine."
Grif: "Oh no it's totally fine, I take your squad over mine any day."
"So would Tucker." Weiss drawled.
"Simmons has an all girl squad?" Yang laughed. "I hope he doesn't make them do girly laps."
The rest of the group chuckled at that.
Simmons: "Okay so then what's your point?"
Grif: "My point is you revert back to what I can only assume is your awkward highschool years whenever you talk to them."
"If Simmons can talk to Tex, how is he having problems talking to these girls?" Yang asked. "Unless they're more badass than her." She frowned.
"No one is more badass than Tex." Ruby reassured her.
Yang smiled the smile she always did on the rare occasion Ruby cursed. "I know Rubes."
Simmons: "That's not true."
Grif: "You're right, sorry. You were definitely awkward through college too and also basic training, and A.I.T, and the first five years in the canyon."
"What's A.I.T?" Ruby asked.
Weiss opened her mouth to speak but Yang interrupted her with "What's the A stand for?"
Jaune, Ruby, and Yang all giggled.
Weiss's eyes narrowed "Advanced individual training."
"Aww you're no fun." Yang sighed.
"I will say that was a good one." Weiss conceded. "Though let me bring your attention to something else. The first five years in the canyon?"
"That number surprised me too. Just how long were they in there?" Pyrrha asked.
"Too long.. I don't think Sarge is 29 anymore." Jaune added.
"They could have all been around 17 when they got to the canyon." Yang pointed out. "I can see Sarge being 29."
Simmons: "Grif, why don't you record your own journal, y'know somewhere else."
Grif: "Because I already finished."
Simmons: "Wait really?"
"Grif did his work ahead of time?" Weiss asked, impressed.
"As an old Qrow once said." Yang raised a finger.
"It doesn't take effort to run your mouth." Ruby finished.
Grif: "Well, it should be finished soon, I told my boys to record it for me in their bunks."
"I knew it." Weiss sighed.
"He's getting them to do all his work for him." Blake nodded.
"Hey, he's doing his job now though. That's just what leaders do." Yang snorted.
"I've never ordered you guys to do my homework!" Ruby defended.
"You've thought about it though." Yang accused.
Rubh fidgeted in her seat a little, "Well-" her face hardened. "Well I'm definitely thinking about it now!"
Simmons: "You ordered your men to record your personal log?"
Grif: "And to bring me some bacon burritos from the mess-hall."
Simmons: "What?!"
Grif: "It's like a normal burrito, but instead of a tortilla, I use-"
Simmons: "Grif, that's an extreme abuse of your position of power."
"I'd say it's not an extreme abuse but definitely a gross misuse of his position." Weiss commented.
Grif: "No. It's extreme training for special ops missions. Get on my level Simmons."
"Oh please." Weiss rolled her eyes.
Simmons: "I'm reporting this to Kimball."
(Simmons gets up and leaves the room)
(A few moments later Matthews enters, sounding as if he had crawled through the vents and used a drill to unscrew the hatch.)
Matthews: "Captain Grif, I've retrieved the package, Sir. Quartermaster never even knew I was there."
Yang let out a laugh, "I think he's training them just fine."
"He sounded like he came through a vent!" Ruby giggled.
"He was a little loud, but it is still impressive that a quartermaster didn't notice." Blake complimented.
"I stand corrected." Weiss begrudgingly admitted. "Grif might have actually taught his men some useful skills."
"Though the methods are.. entirely self serving." Pyrrha clarified.
Grif: "Excellent work, Matthews."
Matthews: "So what now Sir?"
Grif: "Now, we sit back, relax and enjoy five hours of Captain Simmons' innermost thoughts and embarrassing feelings."
(Grif opens up Simmons audio logs: Update on that rash, My first screenplay :D, Letters to girls I never sent (someday), Battlestar Galatica FanFic) which is misspelled.
Grif: "Pass me that burrito."
The journal ends.
"Intruding on Simmons's private thoughts, that's awful." Pyrrha shook her head. "Yet… I'm curious about his screen-play."
"Yeah Sarge butchered whatever Simmons wrote, I want to see the story Simmons made." Jaune nodded.
"He wrote a fanfiction too." Blake pointed out. I wonder what kind he wrote? Knowing Simmons it is likely some kind of self insert. Likely an OC-Self insert where his character is loved by all and nothing goes wrong for him.
"Letters to girls I never sent." Yang tsked. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The worst that can happen is they say no."
"I don't even want to know about the rash." Ruby gagged.
"Journal 003- Caboose" appeared on screen with the theme.
Caboose: "Oh, hello. Yes, hello. Is this- Y- yeah... Is- is it recording? I can't- Hello!?"
("Caboose" appears on the screen)
Caboose: "uhh do you press the- the- du-uhm- Is it the green button? I'm not- Yeah I'm not- I'm not sure is the- is, yeah is it uh the button right here?"
The group waited, silently wondering what was happening.
Caboose: "Yeah I don't think it's recording. Yeah I don't think it's recording. Yeah is it- is it the green What if I touch... (mumbles) Okay I'm gonna move this button over to here!"
"Is.. is this what his journal is?.." Weiss trailed off.
Pyrrha laughed, "I think he's having some trouble."
Caboose: "Alright, can you hear me now?! Alright I made sure the volume is good. Yeah, I don't yeah I don't, this it's- I don't feel it's working. What, oh I see the problem, it's under the desk. I'm just- I'm gonna move this. Gonna move this over here. Put this- put this... I- I don't- Are you- I don't- Are you supposed to hold- hold the trigger, and then release the trigger?"
"I hope the trigger isn't on a gun." Ruby winced.
"You'd think with how tech-savvy Caboose is, he'd know how to work it." Pyrrha chuckled.
(Something that sounds like a cat)
"Was that a cat?" Yang asked.
"I think so." Blake's ears twitched.
Caboose: "Why are there pedals? Wait, this doesn't even make any sense."
"Pedals?" Ruby laughed, "Why are there six pedals if there are only four directions." She quoted.
"A pedal for each of the four treads. One pedal for going forward and one for backing up." Yang explained.
Caboose: "Oh, okay... Alright there we go (electrical noise). Alright, alright good. Okay. Yeah I- I got the fire going down, so this should work fine."
-beeping-
"Okay ready and recording in three, two, one (turns off)."
The journal ends.
Pyrrha burst into a giggling fit as she held one hand to her mouth.
Ruby laughed, "Aww I wanted to hear what he was going to talk about."
"I wonder if he would have talked in his.. brain voice or whatever." Nora commented.
"His what?" Ren asked.
"You know! The voice he used when Church or Delta went inside his head." Nora explained. "His inside voice!"
"Okay we'll just call it that." Jaune shrugged, "That would have been interesting."
"I don't think his inside voice was any smarter than his outside personality. It just sounded like it." Weiss pointed out.
"Journal 004- Locus" appeared on screen with the theme.
Everyone became alert, staring at the screen.
Text appears on the screen.
"new_log_entry:
Doctors predict full recovery.
Unfortunate.
Patients are unlikely to cooperate.
They are a threat and should be terminated.
Control insists they live.
I will be watching them."
"Of course Locus wouldn't talk for his." Nora groaned. "He is truly evil, making us read."
"His villainy must come to an end!" Ruby raised her fist.
"You like reading Ruby." Yang reminded her.
"Yeah…" Ruby blushed. "I know. But only when I want to!"
Blake exhaled, "You're missing the point, they all survived."
"Oh yeah, yay!" Ruby cheered.
"new_log_entry:
He left his name behind.
It was David.
But he left it behind.
Now he is Washington.
I wonder, could I have been a Freelancer?
Or would they have feared me?"
"Ooh emo." Yang cringed.
"Well that ruins any tension in his words." Weiss sighed, "Now I see them as emo."
"He's asking an interesting question though, could he have been a freelancer? I can see it if he was recruited." Blake commented.
"Him and Wyoming would probably get along, the Meta too." Jaune pondered. "Er- Maine. Well I guess either."
"He left his name behind just like Washington." Blake added.
"Yeah, Felix called him out on it." Jaune recalled. "I wonder if Felix could have been a freelancer?"
"We haven't truly seen either fight, yet they both have armor enhancements like the freelancers." Pyrrha noted.
"I think Felix's comment that he's a freelancer like a mercenary was a way for the showrunners to subtly say that he's on par with a freelancer. Or at least is similar to one." Blake commented.
"new_log_entry:
The other soldiers stare.
You would think they believe me to be something inhuman. They want to see if there's a face behind my helmet.
But that face no longer suits me."
"He left his face behind too along with his name." Blake hummed.
"Everything about him seems to have a purpose. He likely wishes for his helmet to inspire fear." Ren guessed.
"It kind of works, it's a little bit like the Meta's you know?" Ruby asked.
"The slight dome shape resembles the Meta's." Blake nodded.
"new_log_entry:
He wants to kill me. I can see it in his eyes.
Tell me, Washington. Which is the most deserving of your hate?
The man who fires the gun?
The man who made the gun?
Or the gun?"
"Wash hates him, I can only imagine what he's doing to them." Pyrrha grimaced.
"They're probably being held as prisoners. Either serving as examples to the federal army, or being reeducated." Blake guessed.
Ren hummed, "Which is the most deserving of hate?"
"Not the gun." Ruby crossed her arms, "Guns are tools- more than tools, weapons are an extension of ourselves. And after everything we've been through, I've thought about this. Some people are bad. And when they extend themselves through their weapons they do bad things. But the weapons don't deserve hate, because they're awesome!"
Yang laughed, "So you'd say it's the man who fires the gun?"
Ruby nodded, "Yeah, because the maker isn't wrong either. I made my weapon… I'm also the one who fires it but only the Grimm can hate me." She smirked.
"The maker can be wrong though." Weiss grimaced. "My father funds weapon programs for Atlas. He is the one who makes the gun, but he doesn't care about the hand the gun ends up in. We're lucky it is in Atlas's hands but he would have put the guns in any hand that paid him enough."
"In the end it is the person behind the weapon, either making it or firing it that matters." Ren nodded.
"And Locus is the man who fires the gun." Blake nodded.
"Do you know which one I am?
start c:/program/soldier/log/
user_signout: Locus"
The journal entry ends.
"Though in his mind I assume he thinks he is the gun." Blake smiled, interesting.
"Season 12 teaser trailer" appeared on the screen with the theme.
"Oh I thought that was it, just the four promos Filss mentioned." Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"Eh the more the better." Nora shrugged.
Kimball: "Journal entry... (tired, frustrated sigh) Who can even remember at this point?"
"It was mentioned that Kimball made journal entries in Tucker's journal entry." Ren commented.
"It's interesting, last season started with Wash's journal entry and this season will start with Kimball's.. and the other's I guess." Blake chuckled.
Fade into the comm tower at Crash Site Bravo before fading to black. Cut to an overview of the canyon, abandoned.
Kimball: "For the past few weeks it's just been one step forward, two steps back."
"I can't get over how mature you sound." Yang laughed.
"I hope when you voice a character she's lame!" Ruby pointed.
"I doubt that will happen, so far none of the characters any of us have voiced have been.. lame." Ren smiled.
"Unless you count Ruby voicing female Simmons." Yang cut in.
"What about voicing female donut?" Ruby asked.
"Nuh uh, Donut's awesome. And female Donut is even better, she tears up all the carpets." Yang cackled.
Camera pans along the ground.
Kimball: "We manage to take an enemy post, but we lose too many men to hold it. Felix brings in a haul of weaponry, but half of it is damaged beyond use."
"Felix needs to treat the weapons with more care." Ruby huffed.
Camera pans to outside of Blue Base.
Kimball: "And as for our heroes. Well they're...technically soldiers. I think?"
The group laughed.
Camera pans to the sandbag wall where a mounted gun turret and teleportation cubes can be seen littered on the ground.
Kimball: "Captain Grif has certainly exhibited extraordinary creativity, and by that I mean he somehow managed to incorporate infiltrating the mess hall into his men's daily training routine."
"Which has worked, his men might become infiltration specialists." Blake chuckled.
"Maybe they could even surpass York, Grif's hunger is never satiated." Yang quipped.
Scene transitions to the interior of Red Base.
Kimball: "Captain Simmons has taken up the mantle of leadership with gusto, but he seems to fall apart when it comes to communicating with his squad. I've talked to them about it, but the girls just can't figure out what's wrong."
"She said the problem right there, he can't talk to girls." Ruby rolled her eyes. "What is so intimidating about us! I can talk to guys just fine!"
"Well, you do have a massive scythe." Jaune pointed out. "That's intimidating."
Ruby giggled, "Thanks Jaune."
Camera pans along the minefield where Lopez 2.0/C.C.'s fallen body rests.
Kimball: "Captain Caboose has officially been forbidden from operating vehicles and heavy machinery. I won't go into details."
Ruby chuckled, "I want details."
"Is it safe to assume Caboose has already lost members of his squad?" Weiss asked.
"They're probably just injured." Pyrrha hoped.
Camera pans to an overhead shot of the ground, with various guns strewn about.
Kimball: "As for Captain Tucker...he's our best bet at this point. He's not smart, he's not disciplined, but he's driven. (sighs) I just don't know if driven will be enough."
"Tucker is clever though, he held off C.T. for a while. And he was clever when he fought the wyoming clones." Jaune pointed out.
"That shows more signs of being driven to win than anything. It's still admirable nevertheless." Pyrrha smiled. He's like Jaune in that way, driven to achieve his goals.
Fade to Vanessa Kimball speaking in front of a monitor.
Kimball: "The Federal Army has their friends, and they've put a hell of a lot of obstacles between us and them. If we can't even save a few prisoners, how can we expect to save Chorus?"
"They can expect the reds and blues to guide them to victory!" Nora cheered.
A voice is heard from behind Kimball.
Tucker: "Meh."
Kimball turns to see Tucker standing behind her, who shrugs.
Tucker: "We'll wing it."
The best part of "Half-life" by Trocadero plays. As the words "WHAT, DO, YOU, FIGHT FOR." Appear on the screen in between heavily blurred scenes from season 12.
"Aww they're not going to spoil the season with quick bits from it." Yang said in mock sarcasm, happy to be going into the season somewhat blind.
"They fight for their friends, and so do we!" Ruby grinned, the others all smiled and nodded in agreement.
Unblurred Tucker appears activating his sword, Grif with a donut, Simmons aiming his pistol with the clip falling out, Caboose waving at the wall, Felix flipping a knife, Kimball with her DMR, Locus uncloaking, and finally Carolina turning towards the screen. All animated.
The teaser trailer ends.
"They're animated! Animation is coming back this season!" Yang whooped.
"I'm interested to see the fights." Pyrrha smiled. "And it looks like Carolina will be coming back this season as well."
"And Church too! Did you see the little flash of blue on Carolina's shoulder?" Ruby asked. Blake nodded.
I refuse to read the tags of any fic before I start to read because I hate being spoiled. And that is how I managed to get 11 chapters into a Hermione x Snape fanfic before realizing what it was.
Someone explained the 6 pedals 4 directions thing to me a while ago and I never wrote down who it was.
RESPONSE: The lackluster fights without Monty's animation will be addressed. Don't worry about it, the time will come and they won't be hateful towards the bad animation because they'll understand.
QUESTION: The volume 9 teaser for RWBY was cool. RWBY Arrowfell looked like a mobile game put on PC, not excited for it. What did you think about the teaser and their new game announcement?