Here we are at Chapter 79. First, I know some people may not like how I write my stories. I know I'm not the best writer and that some people don't like Canon-styled stories, but you guys need to remember: I have a life outside this computer screen. A career, a family, and other obligations. I try to get these stories updated as quickly as possible so you don't wait too long, but this is not the reason I exist. Finally, this is MY story. I take suggestions and sometimes I put them in, but at the end of the day, I write my story the way I want to write it. Everyone has their own opinions, which is fine, and they want a story to go a certain way, which is also fine. But please, don't try and control the course of a story unless you're the one that's writing it. Please try to understand. Constructive criticism is welcome, negative is not, and controlling negative criticism is not welcome. I ask for your understanding here. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Transformers. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 79. Enjoy.
Chapter 79: When it gets Worse
At the Schnee Manor, Shockwave and Soundwave are scanning an unconscious Penny as she sleeps on the floor while Klein continues to tend to Nora. A moment later, Ruby and Weiss enter the room.
"How are they doing?" Weiss asks.
"Well, Ms. Schnee, your friend is recovering steadily. The only problem is it's going slower than it should. I don't have the latest medical equipment here, which would help, but that's no one's fault. Your friend really pushed her body and aura beyond their limits. She's out of the worst of it now, thankfully. She just needs more time for right now," Klein explains as he continues to work on Nora.
"Shockwave, what about Penny? You said something about a... virus?" Ruby asks.
Shockwave finishes his scans, "Indeed. The virus was designed to take control of her primary functions and operatives. I couldn't decipher my scans during the whole chaos, but now I was able to get a better look at them. The virus was trying to force her to go straight to the vault beneath Atlas Academy, to open it, and then self-terminate,"
Ruby and Weiss gasp, "Self... Terminate? You mean kill herself?"
"Yes, fortunately, I was able to create an anti-virus to counteract it. It's no longer an issue. However, the virus did a number on her, especially since she hasn't been fully patched up from her previous exchange back on Amity. The only one I can think of who could've created such a powerful virus would by Arthur Watts," Shockwave notes.
"But... wasn't he captured by Ironwood?" Weiss thinks, but then has a scary realization. "You don't think... Ironwood had Watts create that virus just to get to Penny?"
"More likely that Watts managed to convince him to go through with the idea if it meant gaining control of Penny. However, I have a feeling that Watts didn't tell him exactly what kind of virus he implanted in her. Ironwood made a most illogical move by relying on a man who wants nothing more than to humiliate and destroy him. Ironwood's mistakes are growing with each passing hour," Shockwave replies.
"At this point, I shudder to think how far Ironwood's willing to go just to get what he wants," Laserbeak notes from the table.
"So what do we do now? Penny and Nora still haven't fully recovered, we can't get in contact with the others, and Qrow and Robyn are most likely still locked up. The war outside is getting worse and worse, and the military won't last much longer," Weiss holds her arms.
"...Need... a plan...Must not... Surrender..." Soundwave's visor reminds them.
"Okay, but that still doesn't answer my question on how exactly we fix this mess," Weiss complains.
Ruby walks up to the window overlooking the chaos outside, "If only we had some way of-," and then suddenly, a bright flash of light appears before them all, making everyone shield their eyes.
…
Outside at the battlefield, the Monstra suddenly explodes as the epicenter of the great light, destroying it and the scores of Grimm around it. Once the light finally fades, the survivors of the battle see the large remains of the Monstra begin to dissipate into smoke, which will undoubtedly take some time given its immense size. Within the decaying body, the forms of the Masked figure and Airachnid flee the scene, heading straight for the city and using the confusion to remain undetected.
"Continue this way and move quickly," the voice of their benefactor echoes in their heads as they move ahead.
They encounter one of the last of the Cyber-Grimm that Shockwave created, another Cyber-Teraptor, and the figure quickly tames it before he and Airachnid use it to fly towards their next destination. As they fly towards the city, they eventually find Cinder, Starscream, and Watts on a roof top. Though, it appears things aren't going so well when Cinder suddenly grabs Watts by the collar of his shirt with her Grimm arm and lifts him off his feet and then push him up to the edge of the rooftop, threatening to toss him off.
"...First, I'm going to watch you plummet to an unremarkable end. Then, I'm going to burn a path straight to the vault, where I will wait to tear that magical puppet to pieces. And take what is mine," Cinder's powers start to flare up.
"And how have your previous plans worked out in the past, Cinder," she hears and they look up to see the figure land on the rooftop with Airachnid behind him, while the Cyber-Teraptor flies off to cause more chaos. "You don't have a good record accomplishing the tasks assigned to you,"
Cinder throws Watts back onto the rooftop and he breathes a sigh of relief, "I see that explosion didn't kill you, Mr. Mysterious. Now, what was that you just said to me now?" Cinder growls.
"Exactly as I said. You are a failure," the figure replies.
"How dare you-," Starscream walks toward him, only to get caught up in Airachnid's silk and pinned to the ground by her.
"Ah, ah, ah, let's set this one out, shall we," Airachnid plays with her claws while her feet hold him down.
Starscream is thinking about sending out his clones, but the sound of Airachnid's gauntlets, charging up a shot and aimed up close at his face force him to reconsider.
"Allow me to clarify. You altered the plan back at Haven in order to have a shot at revenge against the girl with the Silver Eyes. And you failed when Raven Branwen and Megatron defeated you and Starscream. Next, you stormed into the previous Winter Maiden's room and fought against Ironwood's top fighter, war machine, and more of our enemies, and lost. And that war machine became the new Winter Maiden. Finally, you tried to fight her at Amity, and were soundly defeated, and I had to bring you back to Salem. And you returned with NOTHING to show for your misguided efforts," the figure lists off.
Cinder lunges her Grimm arm at him, but he calmly catches it in his hand and begins crushing it, causing Cinder to scream in pain as she kneels onto one knee.
"Lady Cinder!" Starscream cries, only for Airachnid to close his mouth up with her silk.
The figure walks until he stands before her, "You think that just because you suffered, you can have whatever it is you want. But for one thing: suffering alone does not equal entitlement. And for another: your suffering is nothing compared to mine. I will endure whatever pain I must if it means being reunited with Solus again. I learned that strength alone does not decide a war. Cunning is just as important. And it's not just about what you deserve; it's about proving yourself worthy. But, as long as you continue these little failures of yours due to your short-sightedness and inability to look at the bigger picture, the only thing you will be worthy of... is a cold, empty grave. Where no one will mourn you," he looks down on her the same way a person would look at an insect on the road: a look of not caring about her one damn bit.
The figure finally releases her Grimm arm and walks away, leaving Cinder to cry silently at her weakness, and having the truth practically shoved down her throat. Airachnid sets Starscream free, but he too feels his strength leave him at seeing Cinder in such a state, reminding him of his own powerlessness.
…
Back at the site of the dead Monstra, Megatron, Yang, and the others managed to find Oscar and Jaune heals him up with his aura. As they look around, Yang gets a call from her scroll and answers it. The scroll shows Weiss, Dreadwing, and Ruby on the other end.
"...Ruby? Guys?" Yang mutters.
Weiss gasps in pleasant surprise, "Yang! Oh, thank goodness you're okay. Where are you guys? We've been trying to contact you, but you never picked up."
"We're up here in Atlas. A lot has happened. We're all alive, but we could use a place to lay low for a while. Is everyone alright on your end?" Megatron joins in.
"We're okay. Things... happened up here too. Right now, we're at Weiss' old place, hiding out. If you're up here in Atlas, then we can all link up together," Ruby says.
Meanwhile, Ren, Oscar, and Jaune turn their attention to Emerald, "What do we do about her?" Oscar watches as she sits on the ground, holding fleeting ashes in her hands.
"...Hazel," tears form in Emerald's eyes as she is still stunned by his sacrifice.
"...I'm sending you a map," Weiss sends a map to Yang and Megatron "You're in the agricultural area. Just head to this access point to reach the red line subway tunnel. After that, just follow the route I've sent you and it'll take you straight to us. If you keep low, you'll remain out of the military's sight and should reach us soon enough,"
"Understood. We'll be there as soon as we can," Megatron replies as they wave back to them before the call ends.
Yang looks back and sees Oscar nod his head to Emerald. It takes mere seconds for Yang to already get angry at the implied idea.
Due to the dire circumstances of their situation, it doesn't take long for the group to get into one of the subway tunnels as they make their way to the others. Jaune lights the way with the flashlight on his scroll, but everyone keeps their weapons out. For any unforeseen problems, and for the extra guest in their group. Yang is holding Emerald's pistols while keeping one gauntlet aimed at her, as are Blake with her pistol, and Predaking with his claws already heated up. Oscar and Ren hold up the rear, and Megatron is behind Jaune at the front.
"No offense, Oscar, but I think you took too many hits to the head while you were held prisoner on that Grimm. You want us to bring HER with us? I know you weren't there in Vale, but you have no idea what she's done. What she helped Cinder and Salem do at Beacon. And then she tried to help them kill us at Haven!" Blake makes her anger very clear to see.
"I'm just saying that it makes the most sense. We're all Salem's enemies now, and that includes her. Salem will try to kill her the second she gets the chance. She can't go back, so why not bring her with us at least?" Oscar defends Emerald.
"Oh, and that makes it all okay? Blake told me about Cinder Fall and her minions. How many innocent people die they kill at Vale during the Fall of Beacon? She aided in their madness, in their bloodshed. Innocent blood is on her hands as much as it is on the rest of Salem's forces," Predaking agrees with Blake.
"But-," Oscar begins.
"No, I'm with the walking fire-pit here. You don't like me. I don't like you. So, how about we go our separate ways and never see each other again?" Emerald suggests.
"And you really think we're just going to let go without a fuss? You're not going anywhere. You're too dangerous to set free. And honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if you're too dangerous to let live," Predaking shoots down the idea.
"We can't let all of our actions stem from fear. If she can help us, I think we should consider it," Ren sides with Oscar.
"SHE is part of the reason that I have this," Yang gestures her prosthetic arm. "I'm not just going to... forgive her! She lied to us, tricked us. She cannot be trusted," Yang declines the idea, while Ren sees purple petals flowing around Emerald with his semblance.
Megatron finally looks back at the group, "Yang... You forgave me for what I did back in my world, did you not? Emerald has blood on her hands; on that, I will not argue. But while she may be responsible for tens of deaths, maybe even hundreds... I was responsible for MILLIONS of innocent beings being killed. And yet, you still trust me for that. You allowed me to remain and fight at your side, despite the fact that you had every reason to hate me, to want me to go away, to want me to become one with the Allspark. You gave me that chance, Yang,"
"Megatron has a point. You don't have to forgive her, or trust her right away. You all have every reason to feel that way. Just... give her a second chance. We've already gotten a lot of help from someone... we don't really trust right now," Oscar says.
"You mean Ozpin?" Ren gets his attention and smirks. "I had a feeling,"
"Wait, what?!" Most of the group yell.
"Ozpin is back?!" Yang is shocked once more today.
"Look, I know how you all feel about him right now, but he saved my life. When we were tortured, he took it... so I wouldn't have to," Oscar then takes out his cane. "He entrusted me with this. And the massive amount of power he had stored within it. Kinetic energy that he had stored up lifetime after lifetime in the cane he built,"
"So, that's how you did that back there? You released all of that stored up energy?" Jaune asks.
"No, not all of it, but most of it. But, we really have to be careful with how we use the rest," Oscar holsters his cane. "He trusted my judgment and it saved us. I want to reciprocate that trust. I know that there's a lot to sort out right now, but Oz really does want to help us," Oscar says, leaving the others hesitant about what to do about that.
"Thank you, Oscar," Ozpin thanks him.
Just then, they hear what sounds like a baby crying up ahead. They move to the sound of the cries and find a large number of people taking shelter at one of the subway stations beneath Atlas.
The group put their lights away and holster their weapons, "All of Atlas is down here," Jaune notes.
The group begin walking through the subway station. As they do, they can see all the scared or despairing faces of the civilians around them; feel the dread coursing in the air. Everyone is scared, and most aren't even sure if they'll live to see tomorrow. As Megatron is scanning over them, he begins to wonder if some of his fellow Cybertronians also showed these same expressions on their faces. The looks of despair as missile and energon blasts rain down on them; all under his orders. How many of his own kind didn't even want to fight in a war he started that once destroyed his home. However, rather than fretting over it too much, he uses it as more fuel to drive him forth to accomplish his goals on Remnant.
"Hey," he looks back as Yang walks up next to him. "You okay? You look like your about to throw up,"
"These people never asked for this. They never asked for any of this. I can't help but wonder how many of my own people once felt the same way back home before I started the war. And worse... how I once relished at the thought of it when I was fighting Optimus Prime and the autobots. Even if I'm not the one responsible, death and destruction follow me wherever I go," he laments.
Yang takes his hand in hers, "Who you were then is not who you are now. You're a different person now, Megatron. You're a BETTER person now. The fact that you think about that stuff and feel bad about it says a lot on its own. There's nothing we can do about what happened in the past, so let's not worry about that and instead focus on what we can do now. And that starts with getting back to Ruby and the others,"
Megatron sighs, "You're right. Thank you, Yang," he holds her hand a little tighter.
Emerald watches them before looking at Oscar, "So, I've gotten a good idea about what people like Megatron really are since I spent time with Starscream and those other guys while I was still with Salem. If you don't mind me asking: how are you able to trust him?"
"We know what Megatron did long ago before coming to Remnant. However, he's shown that he doesn't want to make the same mistakes. He wants to do better. He wants to do good. And he's worked hard to do so. He changed... And I think you've changed too, Emerald," Oscar surprises her with that last comment. "After all, you helped us escape Salem, and you helped me break out of there with Hazel. If someone like Megatron can change and make a difference, I think you can too. I've seen what you're capable of, Emerald. I don't know how things are going to go from here on out, but... we could really use someone like you," Oscar takes one last glance back as they pass the last of the civilians. "I think these people could use someone like you too,"
His words give Emerald something to think about as they continue their way through the tunnel.
…
A while later, Ruby opens the front doors of the Schnee Manor with just about everyone else with her to greet Yang's group. Yang smiles at her younger sister, who jumps into her arms and they spin around. Tears of joy fall from Ruby's eyes as Yang smiles down at her.
"I missed you too," Yang replies.
They separate to allow Yang to hug Weiss while Ruby greets Jaune and Ren. After they hug, Weiss lets Yang go so she can hug Blake, who happily returns it. Meanwhile, Megatron greets Soundwave and Laserbeak, who try to greet him by kneeling before him, only for Megatron to stop him with a hand on Soundwave's shoulder. Megatron coaxes him to stand back up and offers a hand, which Soundwave reciprocates in a Spartan handshake. Laserbeak flaps up onto his shoulder, allowing Megatron to pet him for a moment. Predaking walks up to Shockwave.
"Do you find it logical that I stand here now?" Predaking asks.
"Of course. I'd expect nothing less... from a king," Shockwave bows his head slightly in respect, which a slightly stunned Predaking offers in return.
Megatron and Dreadwing then stand before one another, staring each other down. Dreadwing is the first to make a play and offers a hand to Megatron. Megatron smiles a little and shakes Dreadwing's hand. It appears they both have made much progress with each other.
Ren walks inside the manor, "Where's Nora?" he wonders, prompting a solemn Weiss to walk ahead and escort him and Jaune to their injured teammate.
Ruby turns back to Oscar, noticing his disheveled state, "Oscar, you-," Ruby begins, but then stops when she notices Emerald standing behind him.
Ruby is shocked by her presence, but immediately goes for her weapon and gets ready to fight her.
"No, she's okay. She's with us," Oscar steps in between them to defend Emerald.
"She's... with you?" Ruby is confused, as is the rest of her group.
"It's a long story, but Emerald is on our side. I can't ask you to trust her immediately. But... please give her chance. The same chance that you gave to me and the rest of us," Megatron pleads Emerald's case, causing Ruby to hold back on bringing her weapon out.
Oscar is about to say something as well before they all hear a beeping noise. They eventually find it coming from Ruby's scroll. Ruby pulls it out and finds May on the other end, herself already back at the crater.
"Kids, the cargo ships you sent. They're here, but... but they didn't come alone!" May exclaims.
"May, what's going on? What's wrong?" Ruby is worried.
"Oh, gods... RUN! Everyone, into the mines!" May shouts before they hear an explosion and then lose the connection.
"That doesn't look good," Blake notes.
Just then, an alarm goes off and everyone checks their scrolls, "This is an emergency CCT broadcast," a female robotic voice says before Ruby makes a large screen from her scroll so everyone can see.
It shows the SDC cargo ships on their way to the crater... only to get shot down by Atlas military airships.
The screen then shows Ironwood standing under one light in a dark room, "I have always promised to protect this kingdom. It's technology, its future, from those who would see it destroyed. Our enemy is crippled, but one individual still denies Atlas its salvation. The Protector of Mantle," Ironwood says, prompting everyone to show angry or worried looks. "Penny, wherever you and your friends are, I need you all to listen. I know how much Mantle means to you. So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can bring yourself to Atlas Academy and do your duty; help me save as much of Atlas as possible, and Mantle will be left to fend for itself. Or... you can all watch as I destroy it," he continues, making a few of the girls gasp in horror. "I have ONE bomb. That's all it will take. If there is no Mantle, then there is no reason for you not to work with me. Neither of us wanted it to come to that... but one of us is willing to do it. If anyone tries anything other than what I've ordered, Mantle... will be destroyed. You have one hour to respond. I hope you will live to the title I gave you," Ironwood says and then ends the message.
The message was sent all across Atlas and Mantle, so everyone heard it, and are now scared. In the manor, as the group take all this in, one thought occurs to Megatron.
"...Scrap,"
And that's the chapter. Megatron and Oscar manage to convince the group to allow Emerald to join them, and they reunite with the others. Meanwhile, the masked figure regroups with Cinder and Watts, while Ironwood issues an ultimatum. What will Megatron and his friends do to save both Atlas and Mantle? Until then, please Read and Review.