A/N: This chapter will be the second in the six-part story arc currently underway as the Season 2 finale. Also just wanted to let you know that I recently came back from a three-day trip to Toronto and Mississauga earlier from Thursday afternoon to Saturday night, where I went around Square One and watched Dune on a giant IMAX Laser screen. Even finished the first season of Fena: Pirate Princess, and even I can say that it was great. Also surprised that gen:LOCK Season 2 has recently come to HBO Max, and I am especially stoked that when Disney Plus Day arrived, IMAX Enhanced versions of MCU movies (with expanded aspect ratio) finally release on streaming after years of popular demand.
RWBY'S NOSTALGIA COMMENTARY COLLECTION
SEASON 2 FINALE ARC
LEGENDS OF THE SAMURAI
PART II
Edo
Team RWBY's Commentary of Avengers: Infinity War (Part 2)
EDO ISLAND
6:30 PM
After departing from Remnant, the shuttle soon arrived on Earth at the destination team RWBY and the others were hoping to go to in order to save their friends after the strange disappearances.
While everyone was exiting the aircraft, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Athena, Cameron, Yume and Baiken couldn't help but continue singing the Kool and the Gang song Ladies Night after hearing the song on the way there.
Team RWBY: This is our night tonight, everything's gonna be alright, (Athena, Cameron, Yume and Baiken: Come on, let's all celebrate...)
This is our night tonight, everything's gonna be alright (2x)...
Finishing the song, Cameron looked around at the lush open field with the various types of green trees seen, as there was no foggy mist at that time of evening, "Ya know, I've never been to this place before because I won those sweepstakes out of sheer coincidence... I wonder if this island is actually more majestic than we thought... I already acknowledge the Edo period in Japan a few centuries ago. Actually fascinating to be honest."
"Trust me, it's my homeland, and it is where I protect my people.", told Baiken sternly, "You will be in awe, my friend.", smiling faintly at Cameron.
The blonde hacker said, "Anno. I ponder on how big the place would be-", before she, the pink-haired samurai, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss and the others reached the same hill with the cherry blossom tree where they first saw the Samurai Kingdom.
And thus, Cameron, Yume and Eureka were amazed by the sight as they all looked at the Samurai Kingdom not too far from them.
"We're back again.", Ruby said.
Yume wowed, "This is so beautiful... Have we travelled through time?"
"Yume, that was one of the first thoughts we had in mind when we first got here.", Yang told.
Eureka supposed as her expression glimmered at the sight, "Dream getaway, I presume?"
"Again, same thoughts we had, Eureka.", Blake and Weiss figured after what Yang mentioned just then, as Eureka agreed.
Cameron said, "This is what feudal Japan looks like... So accurate!"
"Yes, but I can see there's electricity running through the place with lights and such. How?", noticed Eureka.
Baiken said, "This is the Samurai Kingdom. The place where I reside. Although it may look like an ancient paradise, it still has some modern tweaks like energy and technology on this island..."
"So it's like Gintama?", referenced the Scottish gen:LOCK recruit, excusing herself, "I have a...manga collection back home."
The pink-haired samurai smirked, "Glad we're not the only ones.", referring, "You can say that as well, yes.", also saying, "The big castle you see in my kingdom is indeed my residence. We should take shelter for the time being before our next step."
"Well, I bet your kingdom must be lustrous once we get a closer look.", bets Yume.
Ruby said, "We must go then.", as everyone then started heading their way to the Samurai Kingdom.
"Are you actually sure the clues to saving our friends really lie on this island?", Athena wondered, "I mean, I still believe it, but-"
The female samurai said, "I know it. Jack-O' was surely sent for a reason, so we're gonna get some answers."
"Most likely.", the leader of team RWBY dismissed, before she continued the review of Infinity War that she and her teammates were discussing during the adventure and were watching on their Scroll for the time being, "Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax and Mantis go to Knowhere as they see Thanos confront the Collector in search of the Reality Stone, but Gamora ambushes him and uses the blade that he gave her.", while the four saw said scene of Gamora attacking Thanos successfully as the latter weakly asked why, "I bet Thanos is like, 'Why would my own flesh and blood daughter- No, wait, I adopted her. My mistake.'"
Yang told, "It turns out it was just an illusion created by Thanos, who has now seized control of the Reality Stone and burned Knowhere to the ground.", just when Drax tries to charge towards Thanos but gets his body turned into blocks by the Reality Stone, causing team RWBY to look surprised, "What the hell?!", while Mantis is transmogrified into ribbons by Thanos with the Reality Stone; the blonde sister of Ruby exasperates, "What the heck is going on here?! Thanos literally turned Drax and Mantis into Mega Bloks and ribbons! That is strangely funny yet very drastic at the same time! What's next, is he gonna turn someone into paper mache or Lego or something? I don't know!"
"Quill comes in but Thanos threatens him to shoot Gamora due to the promise they kept to each other.", Blake said as Peter told her that she should've went right, "None of this would have happened if you went left!", before Star-Lord pulls the trigger, only for bubbles to come out of it; Blake then recalled a reference from one of team RWBY's commercial sessions, "FUCKING BUBBLES!", as Star-Lord's gun turns to bubbles due to Thanos using the Reality Stone which prevents him from killing Gamora.
Weiss summarized, "Gamora is kidnapped, while Rogers and the others return to the Avengers base and reunite with James Rhodes, played by Don Cheadle.", as Rogers and a hologram Thaddeus Ross (played by William Hurt) confront with the former saying the Avengers will kill him if he stands in their way, "Trust us, after what happened in Civil War and seeing how Ross isn't in the movie much, there is no stopping them.", synopsizing, "Banner also meets up with them.", as another excerpt has Bruce asking where Clint Barton was and Natasha told him that he and Scott Lang took a deal that resulted them on house arrest, "That explains the Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel in their absence. And as for Barton, we'll see both of them soon enough in Endgame."
"We're here.", Ruby reminded, the distracted Weiss getting her attention mid-review.
Miria and Celty acknowledged, "There and back again."
Soon enough, the group reached to the gate of the Samurai Kingdom as the same two female guards heavily-armored with samurai armor (helmet and menpo mask included) were present.
"Lord Baiken.", urgently said one of the guards, "We just recieved word that sudden yet mysterious disappearances have happened all over the island."
Natsume started panicking a bit as she worried to her friend Maki Oze, "Wait, it's affecting people here too?! This is definitely starting to feel like Infinity War already!"
"Got a feeling, but I think it's different from that point of view.", figured Maki.
The female feudal lord said, "Many of our friends have disappeared as well, including my companions Millia, May, Kuradoberi and especially Inori."
"They may have looked like they've been snapped like in Infinity War, but we've come to find out what's the cause and how we'll bring them back.", Cameron reported.
Baiken shared, "We figured that Jack-O' may have something to do with this, although she's currently detained. So we're going to soon get answers from her and find leads to rescue them."
"And that particularly may not involve time travel by the outlook of things!", the blonde hacker said.
The guards once again do not reply respectfully, before they both open the entrance doors.
Although Cameron, Yume and Eureka were amazed to see the Samurai Kingdom for the first time, they, team RWBY and the remainder of the group were surprised to see that the area was less crowded than it was last time.
Some were weeping over the loss of their relatives/loved ones/significant other since the disappearance took place. Others wandered through the area looking for supplies and goods for the evening. Several guards were patrolling the streets of the feudal-esque kingdom as part of heightened security due to these events.
"When did this happen?", Baiken asked one of her heavily-armed guards at the kingdom entrance.
She said, "A few hours ago."
"It must've took place the same time...", deduced Yang.
Blake noticed, "I cannot believe this is happening... Trouble is really brewing at the moment."
"We should make haste. We better head to the prison where Jack-O' is captive now!", Weiss planned.
Ruby volunteered, "I'll ask."
"I know where it i-", the pink-haired samurai tries to answer but she then grunts in mild arrogance as she watched Ruby shortly walking over to a nearby guard patrolling the kingdom.
The leader of team RWBY asked at the time, "Hey, where would the prison holding Jack-O' be at?"; after a few moments, Ruby walks back to the group (including her teammates and their friends), saying, "The prison's at the western district of the kingdom."
"Then that's the place we're headed.", smiled Yang, nudging her sister happily.
Baiken shrugged while rolling her eyes, "Should've let me tell you where the place was beforehand, but alright."
Arriving at the prison within the western district of the Samurai Kingdom after 7PM, the girls Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Athena, Cameron, Yume and Baiken all were given permission by the armored female prison guards to meet with Jack-O' (who has been put behind wooden bars in a cell), while the others including Ibuki, Maka, Tsubaki N., Maki, Natsume, Miria, Celty, Eureka, Ann, Rachel, Anri, Alice and Saika wait outside.
"This has got to be it.", Yume hoped.
Athena ambitiously told, "It better be, or else I will beat Jack-O's fucking ass if this isn't it!"
"No fighting, guys. She's already behind bars, so it's fine. Her weapons and mask are confiscated for the time being, so we should be fine.", the female feudal lord excuses as Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Athena and Yume patiently wait.
Cameron said, "I'm fully aware of the Guilty Gear series by the way and all, but... Why is she named Jack-O'?"
"Because the mask and flail she uses is reminiscent of a jack-o-lantern. But her face...and her eyes...it reminds me of someone I've lost years ago."
"Who, in particular?"
"Aria."
"Aria?"
"A dear friend of mine. And from what I recall since I am immortal, it's been 35 years or so since I've last saw her before she disappeared."
"35 years? That must've been since the 80's came around...! That long?"
"Yes. It was a long time ago."
"Wow... I can't believe you lived through all those years. I've never got to experience what the 80's were like back then... It must be fascinating not aging or dying early... Might have to think it through."
"I'm sure others may have the same thought, but the choice is inevitable.", Baiken said, smiling at her gen:LOCK hacker friend.
Cameron smiled back at her samurai friend.
"You're back.", Jack-O's voice was heard in her prison cell, "So, how was your wondrous free time with your friends? I assume these other accompanying seven are with you as your devoted disciples?", as she came into the light, showing her beautiful face with red eyes, fair white skin, and white hair with red highlights underneath.
Ruby told, "A few dozen more, but some of our friends and inhabitants of this island had seemingly disappeared a few hours ago. By the way, the name's Ruby Rose, this is my elder sister Yang Xiao Long, and my teammates Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee. Huntresses of Beacon Academy. The others here are Cameron MacCloud, gen:LOCK recruit... Athena Cykes and Yume, dear friends of ours... And you may recognize Baiken here already, although her friends have also disappeared as well.", continuing, "Let's just cut to the chase. Tell us everything you know and what we're dealing with here, Jack-O' Valentine."
"Oh, I was just following specific orders specially to kill Baiken-", the white-haired assassin said, just before Ruby reached through the wooden bar openings to grab Jack-O' by the collar, pulling her towards the bars.
The red-black-haired huntress then yelled angrily, "TELL US WHO RIGHT NOW, GODDAMNIT! WHO DID THIS?! WHO MADE OUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES DEAR TO OUR HEARTS DISAPPEAR?!"
Jack-O' sighed.
"Would you like to know who?", she asked.
Team RWBY took a deep breath and said in unison bravely, "Yes."
"Her name...is Justice."
"Justice?", Ruby and Yang ask.
Blake and Weiss referenced, "As in Justice League or something, or another Guilty Gear character?"
Ruby remembered something just now.
The metallic robotic humanoid that she saw in her nightmare a few days back. The one that stood two feet tall and had golden-red slit reptilian eyes.
"Oh no.", doubted the leader of team RWBY.
Athena worries, "What happened?"
"I had a nightmare. Justice... It's her...", Ruby says.
Yume wonders, "What do you mean?"
"I think I just figured it out. The disappearances... Jack-O'... She's behind this.", realized the red-black-haired huntress.
Blake and Weiss foresaw, "So that's who..."
"Do you have any idea of where she could be?", Yang demanded.
Jack-O' cryptically said innocently, "The answers you seek lie within The Black Cocoon."
"The Black Cocoon?", team RWBY, Athena, Cameron and Yume ask.
Baiken thought, "Kuroi Mayu."
"What?", the seven ask.
The pink-haired samurai answered, "It is an uncharted yet very dark and dangerous island. Ever since Aria's disappearance, the island appeared off the coast of this island. Once in a while, treacherous beasts come out from the darkness of the volcanic mountain and try to kill our civilians and friends. Thankfully, us samurai and ninjas have slain these beasts many times and not many casualities have resulted."
"Beasts?", Yang shuddered in shock.
Jack O' said, "And I forgot to mention, a wyvern emerged from The Black Cocoon and had travelled all the way from Earth to your planet of Remnant days ago."
"A wyvern- So that's how it came to Remnant! That must've been the first course of Justice's action!", thought Ruby.
Cameron also supported, "Me, Yume and our friends even managed to kill it! But how did it be able to survive on the way there?!"
"The beasts of the Black Cocoon are evolved unlike the regular normal ones...and they even have the ability to sustain a short trip to both our planets. Those beasts can include bugs, legendary monsters... Some enhanced, some gigantic, some powerful...", Jack-O' explained.
"That's another thing we may need to deal with while we go save our friends! We have to destroy the island as well while we're at it!", Athena suggests.
Ruby asks as well, "Where did everyone that disappeared go?"
"Within the Black Cocoon lies a temporary gateway that would lead into the realm where your friends may have gone into. The disappearances you witnessed was part of the transportation process.", explained the white-haired assassin.
Yang ponders, "A gateway? So that's where our friends must be in! You're saying we have to destroy the dark island, fight Justice and travel through dimensions to save our friends? Talk about an epic journey that will lie ahead..."
"So what is Justice's true plan? Is there still an opportunity to stop her and save our friends?", Yume questioned.
Jack-O' confirmed, "Yes, but there's a dark fate that awaits if you all fail to stop her. As soon as she kills you all and your friends, she'll have the capability to destroy not only Japan or the planet Earth, but the world of Remnant as well."
"Destroy...?", doubted Blake and Weiss.
She finished by saying, "So my best guess is that it is up to you guys to stop her and prevent that from happening."
"There's no way in oblivion that we won't let her win.", Ruby fearlessly said, "First of all, we have occupations in our daily lives while also including our reviewing personalities and all-around spectacular talents. For example, the four of us, known as team RWBY, not only fight Grimm for a living, but we occassionally review movies while we unite with others as well in other certain special occassions to review stuff, in our spare time. We don't want to brag but we're pretty successful."
The white-haired assassin rose an eyebrow in confusion.
The red-black-haired huntress continued, "I noticed that you can be of good use of help around here in a time like this. We sure as hell must be very proud of that."
Jack-O' thought over this for a moment.
"But to be fair, it seems very wrong feeling like you have to follow Justice like her own minion, but you can change your outlook because you're a good person. So then again, let's cut to the chase here. We are going to invade her. Us and our friends are going to take Justice down, destroy The Black Cocoon, rescue our friends and the others that disappeared through the gateway, and save the day like any other story would. Now, Jack-O', don't get any bright ideas, don't try to fight back or anything like that, we are quite literally unstoppable, undefeatable, and of course, invincible. While you...seem to be...powerful as well, no offence?", chuckled and planned out Ruby, "So we'll be heading off to that dark island known as the Kuroi Mayu...first thing in the morning to get ready for battle and give us the night to hope for the best...as well as finish up a few reviews me and my three other teammates are currently doing while doing the journey in the process. Capiche?"
Jack-O' smiled, "I wish you the best of luck then."
"Definitely.", Yang agreed, "Which is why you're coming with us. You will help us? No turning your back on us? No more allegiance to Justice?"
The white-haired assassin decided in a few moments, "I guess it is a deal then."
"Good. We'll see you in the morning. We'll head to the Pirate Coastline to grab a boat to the place where this Black Cocoon is at.", the blonde huntress said as the eight of them left but not before Yang adds, "Why does Justice want to do this the hard way?", while Jack-O', while she was thinking to herself, starting to feel regret and thinking over her actions from earlier.
Outside the prison, the others were delighted to see the eight safe after their meeting, with them asking many questions.
"Who's behind this?", asked Natsume.
Maki Oze questions, "Any leads?"
"What happens now?", Eureka pondered.
Maka Albarn told, "What is our next step?"
"Guys, we need to talk about this tonight and we will go first thing in the morning.", Ruby organized.
Yang plans, "We'll tell you guys everything, as soon as after we settle in at Baiken's castle for the night."
"I didn't know you had a castle.", surprised Cameron.
Baiken said, "Quite luxurious once you see for yourself."
"Sounds like fun.", Yume and Eureka both shared their opinion.
Ibuki told, "Let's go, guys.", as she and the rest of the group went on their way to Baiken's palace in the northern area of the kingdom.
Nonetheless, team RWBY continued their Infinity War review during this from where they left off.
"Back on the spaceship, Stark and Parker figure out a way how to kill Maw and rescue Strange.", Ruby continued as they saw Peter observing the situation before asking Tony if he saw the movie Aliens, "Oh, yes! I remember that scene in Aliens! That was the part when Ripley opened the airlock and sent the Alien Queen drifting out into space! Well, why don't we just basically do it again, only this time with Spider-Man saving Doctor Strange and sending Maw into space, freezing him to death! My goodness, pop culture has truly seized the moment, hasn't it? I'm very surprised that there would've been a Star Wars reference to cap it all off!"
Yang replied as Strange asked Tony if he can get them and Peter back home on the ship, "Yeah, ask for a return trip. Considering that Doctor Strange literally has a sling ring that take him and others anywhere throughout the universe, but... You just had to go there instead of your easier option, huh, movie?", resuming, "After Stark talks Strange into going to the designated planet Titan, we then get a scene with Gamora and Thanos in the Sanctuary II ship.", witnessing Gamora comment to Thanos that he hated the ship, the room and her life, "My life would've been better if you weren't there!" also saying, "Thanos takes Gamora to a room where they find Nebula, played by Karen Gillian, who Thanos is threatening to kill if Gamora doesn't tell where the Soul Stone is."
"And we get it, many people have been wondering where the Soul Stone was during the years before Infinity War came out. Some thought it was in Thor: Ragnarok, some thought it was Black Panther, some even thought it may be in Ant-Man and the Wasp or Captain Marvel. But they totally reveal the mystery of the Soul Stone's whereabouts on a planet called Vormir. Even we didn't know what it was until then. But we'll get to that later, as Thor, Rocket and Groot arrive at Nidavellir where they meet-", Blake continued before seeing the part where the giant Nidavellir dwarf Eitri meets Thor, played none other than Peter Dinklage, "...Peter Dinklage?"
Weiss said, "Actually, Dinklage plays a dwarf named Eitri, who reveals to Thor that almost everyone of his race was decimated as well as his hands were destroyed by Thanos at the time they constructed the gauntlet.", also mimicking as Thor confides him to help him forge his weapon and tells him that he knows what he feels when losing hope, "I lost my hammer, my eye, my friend Heimdall, and now my brother Loki. But that doesn't stop me from avenging it.", synopsizing, "Arriving at Titan, Stark, Parker and Strange cross paths with Quill, Drax and Mantis."
"And to be honest, it's very awesome seeing the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy crossing over for the first time on the big screen although it's a 3-on-3 battle.", the red-black-haired huntress continued as the next part afterwards has Quill (who is holding Parker hostage) asking where Gamora is, with Stark asking who she is, and Drax humorously wondering one better with the famous meme, 'Why is Gamora?'; "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our perfect A-material joke that would inspire millions on this single meme. Many imagine how is Gamora, when is Gamora, or what is Gamora.", also responding when Mantis in the movie tells Tony that he, Strange and Parker were the ones Thor told the Guardians about, with Stark asking Star-Lord if he knew Thor, and Quill answering with comments about Thor being tall, not good-looking and needed saving while Parker listens, "2017 Marvel movies in a nutshell."
The blonde huntress abstracted, "Tony and Stark come up with a plan to fight Thanos and take the gauntlet while Strange foresaw 14,000,605 alternate futures, with only one of those outcomes where they succeed. That's another Doctor Strange meme to add to the list that became immortalized by millions again.", making her point, "But in actuality, how is there only one outcome where they can beat Thanos? There's literally several methods they can do to finish the job! Again, Strange has a sling ring! He could easily just chop his arm off like he did with Obsidian! Or better yet, just use the Gauntlet against him and get it over with!"
"Then again we'll cut back to it, but in the next scene, we see Thanos and Gamora arriving in Vormir in search of the Soul Stone...", the black-haired huntress stated, "And don't get us wrong when we say that after seven years, SEVEN YEARS of the whereabouts of a previous Marvel movie villain that everyone has been asking for, finally got their answer.", as she and her other three teammates spectate Thanos talking to a mysterious hooded figure that he's prepared, revealing to be Red Skull; "Yes. You just saw that. Red Skull has in fact transported to Vormir by the Space Stone near the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, and now he's back as the guardian of Vormir."
"Just. Wow. Considering the fact that Ross Marquand instead filled in for Hugo Weaving as Red Skull this time, most likely due to scheduling conflicts. Even Frank Welker reprised Megatron in The Last Knight, and even that's strange. He may be granted immortality, but his appearance kinda looks like the last episode of Future Diary.", reminded the white-haired huntress, "They soon discover that the only way to obtain the Soul Stone is to sacrifice someone they love, giving Thanos a hard decision to, inevitably, sacrifice Gamora for the stone."
Ruby told, "But although people were saddened to see Gamora die in this film, you can also notice how emotionally powerful Thanos was in this scene. Although he has done tyrannical actions and is dead set on his goal, this scene remarkably showcases Thanos' character development and immensely emotional depth. Josh Brolin's performance is so good, you can actually notice tears falling from his eyes. The emotional struggle, the pain, the conflict. The way Thanos in this scene showed care for Gamora despite her hate for him as well as the regret of letting go of someone you hold dear, we understand why Thanos is indeed the main character of the film, and this has got to be one of the most emotional scenes not just in the movie, but generally in any Marvel movie, anywhere.", saying this whilst the girls saw the part where Thanos regretfully sacrifices Gamora as she fell from the cliff, killing her before Thanos finds himself on the water and finding the Soul Stone on his hand.
"This is the place we're resting at for the night.", Baiken told as the group arrived at the female samurai's castle grounds, heading into the courtyard of the palace.
Cameron amazed, "Honestly, my friend, this entire place looks so ancient... This must be a dream paradise after all..."
"Trust me, we've been here, and you'll love it. There's even a woman cave room where we hang out, watch movies, play games, have fun and such. It literally has everything!", Ruby guaranteed.
Yume delighted, "What else is there?"
"There's even a hot spring here.", Yang mentioned.
Eureka excited, "Oh my! Better freshen up before the big day!"
"We haven't eaten dinner yet since we were worrying about what happened hours ago, and plus it took a while to come here.", Blake reminded.
Ibuki nods, "That's reasonable. Dibs on sushi and onigiri."
"Don't mind if we do!", Weiss insisted.
Ruby took a deep breath in exhaustion and proudness, "This is gonna be a long night, we can tell...", as she and the others go inside the castle after entering the perimeters, closing the entrance shoji door behind.
To be continued...