Author's Note:

RESPONSE: Hey Guest you asked about the Red vs Blue Death Battle. Well the answer is, I'm not doing it. It sucked.

As for the Meta vs Carolina? I probably won't do that either. I don't want to burn myself out writing reactions. I might do it late season 13 if I have the time.

Cover Art: Cruz7808

Check my profile for polls and planned fics!

Review, point out mistakes, and flame!

DeviantArt/Instagram: Ceruleanlancer to see fan-art made by my sister.

Chapter 24- Something Else Entirely

"Noted, don't huddle around a bomb." Yang quipped.

"Something Else Entirely" appeared on screen with the theme.

Yang's grin fell, "Huh."

"What?" Ruby asked before the title dawned on her. "Oh.. Tex."

"Yeah, remember what the Director said? She's something else entirely." Yang asked

"But Tex is gone." Ruby frowned. "Unless.."

"I want her to come back so bad, but I don't think she will. I mean I didn't think she would.. but that title. I mean it's obviously talking about her right?" Yang asked.

"Maybe." Blake hummed, "I don't think Tex will come back. Her story ended, to bring her back might make it mean less. Unless it's done well, the Alpha's sacrifice and Church's comeback was done well."

"I'm getting my hopes up." Yang admitted proudly.

"They might get crushed." Blake deadpanned.

"Meh, if she comes back, great. If she doesn't, I can always re-watch her fight scenes. Besides, Carolina is her daughter and she's awesome too." Yang shrugged.

Fade in to the New Republic headquarters, where a Republic soldier is seen working on a warthog. Cut to Grif speaking to a crowd of Republic soldiers.

NEW REPUBLIC HEADQUARTERS HQ

Grif: "Boom! Huge explosion, you wouldn't believe it! He just shook it off though like it was nothing and he comes right at us!"

Crowd: "Ooooohh!"

"Is he telling them about the Meta?" Weiss asked.

Ruby giggled, "I think so, who else can shake off an explosion like it's nothing?"

"That scene was badass." Yang recalled. "We were the crowd of rebels when we saw that fight."

Pyrrha chuckled, "I suppose we were."

Grif: "He cuts our rocket launcher in half, so Tucker goes in for a stab but nothing's working. That's when I knew what to do."

Crowd: "Ahh!"

Ruby and Yang laughed at the crowd's reaction.

Grif: "I throw myself on top of him, taking him completely by surprise, but he has the strength of ten men!"

Close up on Grif.

Grif: "No, ten bears!"

"Grif said he was like a bear when he jumped on him." Jaune remembered.

"The Meta did have that kind of strength though, he was able to throw Grif like a rag doll." Yang commented.

"Which is a testament to how heavy Grif is as well, even the Meta struggled for a moment to get him off." Weiss added.

"He threw Sarge like he was nothing." Nora nodded.

Crowd: "Ohh! That's pretty cool... Bears are strong…"

"He has them completely enraptured." Weiss commented, mildly impressed.

"Bears are strong." Ruby giggled.

"We fight evil bears at least once a month!" Nora whooped.

"If we fought an Ursa like the Meta, we would struggle." Jaune grimaced. "Especially with all his A.I. I think you guys could still take him.. but it'd be hard." He said, gesturing to team RWBY and the rest of his team.

Grif: "This guy's invincible. It looked like nothing was gonna stop him."

Republic Soldier 1: "What did you do?"

Grif: "Huh? Oh, uhh we tied a car to him and threw it off a cliff."

"Grif isn't even embellishing, that is exactly what happened." Weiss commented.

"He should have put some more oompf into that part, it was incredible!" Yang grinned.

Republic Soldier 2: "...That is the most metal thing I've ever heard."

"It's one of the most metal things I've ever seen." Yang admitted.

"Grif left out the part where he stole the Meta's weapon." Ruby giggled. "That's what I would have done."

Grif: "So the moral of the story is, you never know when random, seemingly unimportant, stuff will turn out to be very important. Which is why you shouldn't question me when I tell you to build me something like a hammock, or...a human slingshot."

"That's the story of their life. Random bullshit meaning something later." Yang chuckled.

"That is almost certainly foreshadowing. Or a joke about how random things help them. Like Sarge saying shotgun." Blake commented.

"I wonder what the hammock or human slingshot will be used for then." Nora tapped her chin.

"That doesn't mean anything mentioned will be important later." Blake pointed out.

"Infiltrating a base." Jaune guessed, "They can use the human slingshot to get into a base."

"A human slingshot would end in a stain on a wall." Blake pointed out.

"How would a hammock be used?" Ruby asked.

Jaune shrugged, "Maybe they could use it to.. hide? Or carry someone."

Simmons approaches Grif.

Simmons: "Grif, what are you doing?"

Grif: "Just tellin' these guys how we took down the Meta."

Simmons: "Why?"

Simmons' Lieutenant: "(to Simmons) Is it true Simmons? Did he really growl like some sort of...monster?"

The group nodded, remembering his growls.

Jensen: "And did he really have the strength of ten bears?"

Yang groaned on hearing Jensen speak.

Simmons: "Uh...I uh- um...more like, uh, you know, twenty bears."

Jensen: "Wow!"

Simmons' Lieutenant: "So hot!"

—Hot Cinder's SS— Not Canon

Cinder's eye's burned. Literally, as she glared at the screen. My character is the common idiotic backwards village slut that wishes to be conquered by any imbecile that can claim an inkling of glory.

Mercury and Emerald subtly scooted away.

"That was smooth Simmons." Yang approved.

"They're easily impressed." Weiss scoffed. "Though to be fair.. Simmons isn't wrong."

"They're not as impressed as they should be." Nora stated.

Grif: "That is why."

Simmons: "(sighs) You're spending way too much time with Tucker."

"I was going to say, this feels like something Tucker would do." Jaune admitted.

An intercom activates. Kimball speaks.

Kimball: "(over intercom) Grif, Simmons, and Caboose, report to my office immediately."

The intercom deactivates.

"Uh oh, headmistress Kimball is angry." Yang gasped.

"Oh man, I can't wait to sound like her! Then maybe bad guys would take me more seriously when they see me." Ruby huffed.

"You like it when 'bad guys' underestimate you." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Well yeah because it's fun taking out Crescent Rose and proving them wrong. But it'd be nice to look and sound threatening before I even reveal her." Ruby explained.

Grif: "Well guys, it looks like that's it for today. Run along."

Cut to a view of the crowd. Caboose is suddenly seen among them.

Crowd: "Awwwww."

Caboose: "I like the part with the bears."

"They're like kids listening to an old huntsman." Pyrrha chuckled.

Cut to Kimball's office where Tucker is seen inside, looking at the ground. Caboose, Grif, and Simmons run towards him.

Caboose: "Tucker!"

Tucker: "If you hug me, I will shoot you."

Caboose: "Ah it's okay Tucker. I-I know you're more into groping. Come on, let's grope."

"Oh please no." Weiss grimaced.

"Caboose doesn't know what that means." Pyrrha sighed.

"Besides, wrong tree." Blake added.

Grif: "When'd you get back?"

Tucker: "A little while ago."

Simmons: "What happened?"

Felix emerges from behind the ramp.

Felix: "Oh, I'll tell you what happened. Captain Tucker here decided to disobey orders and took it upon himself to recover a hard drive full of Federal Army secrets. A decision that only cost him the lives of two of his men."

Jaune winced.

Brief pause.

Felix: "That's a pretty damn good trade if I do say so myself!"

"Uh.. what?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah a good trade!?" Ruby's mouth fell open.

Tucker: "(surprised) What?"

Felix: "(laughs) Man, you should've seen this guy! (raises DMR) He was all, (in deep voice) 'I don't play by the rules!' (regular voice) Fucking James Bond and shit all over the place! It was crazy! (lowers DMR)"

The group stared at the screen, disapproving of everything Felix was saying.

Tucker: "Wait, I thought you were pissed?"

Felix: "(lowers DMR) Oh, do not get me wrong, I wanted to beat your worthless skull into the ground until it was paste. But look where we are now, you took a risk and it paid off."

Tucker: "'Paid off?!' Dude, two of our guys are dead."

Felix: "And two more will probably die tomorrow. Seriously, what don't you people get about that?"

Blake sighed, "The Reds and Blues don't get it because they've always been able to survive every fight."

Pyrrha nodded grimly, "They're new to losing soldiers. Every time they lost one in the past, they came back to life."

"Flowers died." Jaune pointed out with a small chuckle.

"He was evil. And even if they didn't know that, they didn't care about him." Ruby sighed. "But this was different.. more serious."

"The risk didn't pay off, two men died. Two of their men." Jaune added.

"That's war.. It's part of the reason why I chose to be a huntress." Blake sighed. "We save lives, we don't trade them for valuable objectives."

Jaune frowned, "I thought Felix was better than that, I think he's just.. too used to it. He still cares, but he's still got that.. mercenary attitude you know?"

"He's out of line, but for him it's not out of line. It's just a part of the job." Yang agreed.

"That's not an excuse." Ruby mumbled.

Pan up to reveal Kimball standing on the ramp.

Kimball: "That's enough, Felix."

Kimball walks down the ramp, passing Felix and the others.

Felix: "(clears throat) Just sayin'."

Kimball: "Tucker, your choice cost two men their lives ...but it also granted us access to valuable information. Whether or not this was the right thing to do is a conclusion you'll have to come to on your own, I'll leave it at that. Right now the six of us need to have a talk."

Ruby looked down, "When she puts it like that.. it sounds more.. not okay but acceptable you know?"

"She is a leader, she has likely had to make choices like the one Tucker made before." Weiss explained.

"I'm a leader, I'm your leader. I don't ever want to make a choice like that." Ruby sucked in a breath.

"Me neither." Jaune added.

The group fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Ruby looked up, "And so we won't. We won't allow the choice to ever be forced on us." Ruby turned to Jaune and smiled.

Jaune became infected by her enthusiasm, "Yeah, yeah! We won't."

"I trust you not to get me killed, more than I trust myself!" Nora grinned and saluted.

"I hold the same sentiment for you." Ren shook his head in Nora's direction.

Yang laughed, "Come on Rubes don't get so serious. Whatever hits I take, I'll dish them back out twice as hard."

Grif: "Could it not be as depressing as the talk we're having right now?"

Kimball: "I know where your friends are."

Simmons: "You do?"

Grif: "Whoa…"

Caboose: "Yay, I have friends!"

Felix: "Whoa, when did this happen?!"

Kimball: "I kept digging through the files Tucker brought back. There wasn't much to go off of but eventually I found them. ...And from the looks of it, they've been moved around a bit."

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"It's so they would be harder to find, and it's so they can't work out an escape plan. For all we know they've probably made multiple attempts to escape." Blake commented. "That could also be why they've been moved."

Simmons: "Finally, we can rescue Sarge and everything will go back to normal! Isn't that great Grif?"

Grif: "Great is a strong word Simmons. I'd have gone with tolerable."

Kimball: "Don't celebrate just yet. As I said they've been moving around fairly regularly, and from the looks of things it isn't going to stop. Right now they're held up in a compound just north of a nearby mountain range. But in about a week it sounds like they'll be transferred to the capital, a place that is very, very out of our reach."

"A week? So they have to go now." Jaune realized.

Simmons: "Sooo, then we go get them now? Is that.. that's a thing we can do, right?"

Jaune nodded hopefully.

Felix: "The compound she's talking about is twice the size of the one Tucker and I raided. Breaking in would be suicide. Breaking someone out would be...like suicide and a bunch of puppies dying."

"Aww." Ruby sagged.

"Why'd he have to put it like that?" Weiss sniffed.

Tucker: "How do you know?"

Felix: "Because I've tried, and uh, spoiler alert, it didn't go well."

Caboose: "Were the puppies okay?"

"Probably not." Yang grimaced.

Felix: "Kimball, please talk some sense into these guys."

Caboose: "Yes, I'm sorry, can we get back to the puppies?"

"Please don't." Weiss asked matter of factly.

Kimball: "When I first heard about you four, I envisioned strong, daring, respectable soldiers."

The group began to snicker and giggle.

Cut to Simmons, Grif, Caboose, and Tucker.

Grif: "...Buuuut…"

"Grif sounds proud that they're not any of those things." Weiss laughed. "Well.. not strong or respectable."

"Certainly daring." Pyrrha nodded.

Cut back to Kimball.

Kimball: "But, now that I've come to know you, I've found that you're something else entirely. It turns out you're all a bunch of-"

Simmons: "Cowards."

Tucker: "Losers."

Grif: "Idiots?"

Caboose: "Spacemen."

"They are something else entirely." Yang sighed. "The title was talking about Tex."

"Her showing up was kind of a long shot." Ruby shrugged apologetically.

Yang nodded, "Anyway, they're all of the above except they're not cowards."

"Their training match begs to differ." Weiss chuckled.

"When it matters, they don't run." Ruby pointed out with a smile.

"I suppose." Weiss looked to the side.

Kimball: "Misfits. You're oddballs that don't exactly fit in. Which is why my men all look up to you and why morale has been at an all-time high; because they can relate to you. Because together we're an army of underdogs and outcasts. But, as of right now, I cannot authorize a rescue mission of this scale."

"They don't fit in anywhere so they want to be here. Here being with each other, at Blood Gulch, Valhalla, or even the crash site." Ruby grinned.

"And maybe they'll fit in on Chorus too." Jaune realized. "Like she said, her army is the same."

"Maybe they'll find more of a reason to fight than just to rescue their friends." Pyrrha looked up.

Cut to the Reds and Blues, looking downwards in disappointment. Cut back to Kimball.

Kimball: "Interestingly enough, you work well when you fight together. But, individually, you still haven't shown what it takes to lead others. Which is why I'm giving you five days."

Cut to the Reds and Blues, who all look up at Kimball. Back to Kimball.

Kimball: "Five days to assemble a smaller team. One comprised of the best of each of your platoons. And if you can convince me that you're ready by the end of those five days, then you will have my support."

"Five days.. less than a week." Jaune shook his head.

"That's plenty of time." Nora waved him off.

Tucker: "Five days?!"

Grif: "That's not really a lot of time."

Kimball: "Well...it's all you've got!"

Felix: "...Yeah, um, if this is really happening, I'd like to be paid in advance."

Yang and Blake chuckled.

"I'm really starting to like Felix more and more." Yang admitted.

"He's a lot less.. knightly than I thought he would be." Jaune shrugged. "He's more of a rogue, which is still pretty cool."

Cut to Simmons, Grif, Caboose, and Tucker standing outside Kimball's office.

Grif: "Five days. Five fucking days. My naps take longer than five days."

Caboose: "Yeah and President's Day is Monday, so we can't expect people to come in on a holiday because that would be time and a half. And- oh my god, that would be five and a half days!"

"I'm more than a little confused." Weiss admitted.

"Me too." Ruby nodded.

Felix appears nearby, holding a plasma rifle.

Felix: "Take my advice gentlemen: live to fight another day."

Jaune smiled, "Here's where he shows that he cares. That it's not just the money."

Grif: "I think I liked you better when you thought we were super soldiers."

Tucker: "Hey, what's up with that?"

Close up on Felix's plasma rifle.

Felix: "This is my plasma rifle. Part of my cut from the hit and run."

"Ooohh." Ruby examined the weapon. "It's different from the ones Carolina used. More of a rifle and less of an SMG."

Simmons: "Your cut?"

Felix: "You think these guys have any money lying around? Yeah right. They pay me in old alien tech. The whole reason Chorus was chosen for colonization, was because it showed promising signs of extraterrestrial artifacts. Turns out the UNSC was right; too bad they abandoned the place. But hey, their loss is my very shiny, very valuable gain."

Tucker: "Wait, why steal weapons and ammo when we can just use this space laser shit."

"Hey, that's a good point." Ruby commented. "The space laser weapons have to be a lot better than their regular ones."

Ren nodded, "I agree, I prefer the new ammo you and Weiss helped craft for me. While not plasma, it mimics it."

Felix: "Because they don't work, genius; they're busted. But I'm willing to bet that someone out there would be happy to pay a very large sum of money for these babies!"

Caboose: "Uh, yeah wait, I'm sorry. I'm confused. (stutters) Ar-ar-ar-are they babies or are they lasers? Or are- are they laser babies?"

"Laser babies?" Ruby contemplated having a child for a split second. That would be awesome!

Felix: "While we're talking business, if you guys are serious about rescuing your friends by the end of the week I could always be persuaded to increase my level of assistance. For a one time fee of course, maybe something along the lines of an alien energy sword. Mmm, any takers? Tucker?"

Jaune shook his head, "No! The key-blade is awesome. And it's up to Kimball anyway."

"Felix could convince Kimball if he gives it up." Blake pointed out. "It'd be a telling sacrifice if he made it."

"No.. maybe uhh the others can escape?" Ruby hoped. Tucker has the best weapon in the show!

Tucker: "(chuckles) I don't think so. If you like the New Republic so much, how come you still charge them for your help?"

Felix: "Because when I retire, I want a television the size of a billboard."

"At least he's honest.. somewhat." Blake chuckled.

"Yeah he cares about fighting for them for some reason." Jaune frowned. "Other than money I mean."

Caboose: "Well, that's gonna be bad for your eyes."

Pyrrha nodded.

Tucker: "I'm just saying, you could always help us out for free. You know, mix it up a little!"

Felix: "Ah. Mmm. Okay. So you want me to help you rescue your friends, because...what, it's the right thing to do?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah it is."

Blake, Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha grimaced. Seeing the point Felix was about to make.

Tucker: "Yeah, it's called 'not being a dick.'"

Felix: "Hmm. You know, if I recall, the first time these people ever asked you for help, you turned them down. Figured this whole 'civil war thing' wasn't your problem. (chuckles) In fact, I bet, if your friends had never been captured, you'd still refuse to lend them a hand. Even if it was the 'right thing to do.'"

Brief pause.

Felix: "Everyone has their price. I learned that a long time ago...and you're no exception."

Felix walks away. Fade to black.

Ruby sagged, "He's right, they didn't want to help before."

"Everyone has a price they're willing to take or pay." Yang grimaced. "That sounds like something Torchwick would say."

"Is Felix wrong though?" Blake asked.

"He's not, everyone has a price. Even if it's not money." Weiss looked down.

"But their price for helping is good! They want to rescue their friends." Ruby pointed out.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. If Tucker had to give up his sword to go and save his friends would that be bad?" Blake asked.

"Yes! I- I mean no." Jaune laughed nervously.

Ruby giggled, "I don't want him to give it up either. But if he had to.. yeah everyone has a price. I'd never give up Crescent Rose for money. But if I had to." Ruby winced. "I'd lose h- it if I had to, to help someone."

—Memories of Past Mistakes SS— Not Canon

Ah, the oh so common trade. Ozpin sighed. "It is a shame that choice was thrust upon Tucker. Sadly, I believe the price paid was not worth it." In the end his friends are alive. Yet his men are dead. I wish I could discourage anyone from making the choice he had to make. I fear I've made it too often.

"I dare say I agree." Port shook his head.

Then why would you have to dare to say it? Goodwitch groaned internally.

"Though sadly Felix is right, everyone has their price. I wonder if Tucker thinks the price he and his men paid for the information is worth it. And, if he's willing to pay more." Ozpin added.

"Ah I don't fear that we will have to worry about that. Lavernius is a fine fellow, honorable when it counts. He stands up and fights for his fellow man!" Port bellowed.

Ozpin hummed and turned away to look out on the city of Vale. I was honorable once. So long ago, everyone has a price. Everyone has a limit, something that will push them to act in ways they never would have dreamed.

—The General's Dilemma SS— Not Canon

"What is your price?" Ironwood asked.

"Come on General, we both know you aren't the compromising type. And to be frank, neither am I." Roman shrugged.

"Everyone has their price. It is too bad that you are already bought. I don't think I can offer you what you want." Ironwood sighed. You want to survive. And you don't believe that I can or will keep you safe. You joined the enemy to survive. Coward.

"I'm my own man General, I don't put myself in the position those idiots under you do." Roman explained. "How many times have you traded lives for good publicity? Some land to be used by the SDC? To put the animals in their place?"

Ironwood almost rolled his eyes at the last comment. A poor taunt. "Trading lives is something that I wish I never had to do. And it is why I am striving for a world where machines fight for us. I strive to take soldiers out of the battlefield." Ironwood internally cursed himself for rising to the bait.

"I hope you do, that means more disgruntled, poor, well trained goons for me." Roman laughed. "Everyone has their price, your honorable men won't be so upstanding when they're left in the slums of Mantle."

"Believe me, my soldiers will never be forgotten." Ironwood glared, meeting Roman's eyes.

—Sacrifice? Good Riddance SS— Not Canon

"That dumbass stood right next to the bomb, Tucker did the New Rep a favor." Mercury rolled his eyes.

Cinder nodded, "Were it me, those two men never would have died. They died being useless, their deaths were useless. If Tucker was smart, he would have sacrificed them at a better opportunity."

Mercury glanced at Cinder, heh, I gotta stay useful. Knew that from the day I met her. Not a problem though, people like her always need killers.

Emerald nodded along, agreeing with Cinder. Not even applying what Cinder just said to herself.

"Everyone has their price." Cinder hummed to herself. Mercury will fight for me as long as he continues to believe I need a killer. I don't need him specifically, though like me he believes in destiny. Our meeting was payment enough.

Cinder turned to Emerald, her on the other hand. She desires friendship, a motherly figure, whatever love she feels she lacks in the moment. She thinks she's beyond manipulation. That she understands it due to her semblance. I don't need a semblance to get into her head.

—All Things Must Die SS— Not Canon

Tucker may turn into a young Ozma. Salem thought. Young in their terms, they were young even after being reborn. Not knowing the millennia of fighting they would suffer through. Sacrificing those he needs, sending his guardians to death and misery. I protect my allies, while Ozma will use any means of deception to earn trust.

Those who are of no use to me can only fool themselves into believing they can trust me. Lionheart is one such fool, if he were not so cowardly he would admit to himself that when his usefulness ends, he will end as well. The others who are truly loyal, will earn their reward. Their price will be paid before the end.

Salem turned to her current group of allies. Everyone has their price. Even the gods, who can be brought back by simply gathering the tools of our creation together.

The price for Watt's loyalty is flattery, simply give him the ability to show off his talents and praise him for it and he will do anything you ask.

Hazel is even more simple, revenge. Ozma cannot be killed just like me. Yet the fool is still willing to throw his grief and hate onto him once he was done throwing it out on me. He enjoys the pain that can be caused to Ozma, and knows that all he did was pointless on me as pain has become trivial to my new form.

Cinder desires control though believes she desires power. The maiden powers are mere remnants of what humanity was once able to accomplish. She can have her petty power as long as she remains useful.

And Tyrian? All he needed was a god. He needed a higher power to give his sadism a direction and a reason for existing.