A/N: Hey guys, just a note that I AM changing up York's weapons a bit to be more familiar to Halo weaponry and what he'd be used to instead of the more theatric style of other RWBY weapons. His weapons will be based on the Reach DMR and the ODST magnum
0ooooo0
Beacon launch pad, Vale
York
York and Maine stepped off the Bullhead, the only two passengers on board when travelling to beacon, and a horde of students pushed past them, eager to go enjoy the rest of the day.
Up ahead, Cole Vance spotted Team RWBY, and Kyle Margent, a hulking figure in a white T-shirt and black-leather jacket and jeans with combat boots, followed the man to the four.
"This is our welcoming committee. I was expecting a bit more of the squad." York said, looking at the four. Maine just stood there, menacingly.
"Well, perhaps this is more to your liking." A voice behind him spoke, one that York had longed to hear for many years but had assumed he never would. He turned and hugged the woman of his dreams, burying his face in her red hair as tears leaked into it.
"Ren, what's happening?" Nora's voice called.
"I have no idea."
"Lina, I thought I'd never see you again." York started, ignoring the other youths.
"'Lina?" Jaune asked incredulously.
"Sir, I'm sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else." York was pushed off by a pair of arms until he saw who was before him.
"You're not Carolina." He said stupidly.
"No, I'm sorry. I have no idea who that is." The girl before him stated honestly.
"I'm… so sorry." York apologized, taking a breath and composing himself. "You just sound like someone I… used to know."
Pyrrha blushed. "It's no problem, Mr. York. Or do you prefer Vance?" She ended in a whisper.
"I don't suppose it matters, not like York isn't another alias." He shrugged.
0ooooo0
Maine
"So, what do you think of Beacon?" Ruby asked, brushing past the awkward moment, and stepping forward.
"It certainly is quite the sight." York stated, and Maine nodded in agreement.
"I do take pride in my school, thank you."
Washington! Maine grunted ins surprise, whirling around and readied himself for a fight, then saw a man that certainly wasn't Washington.
"Easy there." The man reassured, the silver-haired man wore a suit with a zipper and a buttoned vest underneath it, a dark green cowl sticking out above it that matched his trousers. A walking cane was in his left hand, and a mug in his right. "I didn't mean to startle you, Mister…?"
"Oh, Professor Ozpin, this is Agent Maine." Ruby offered. "We were just about to head to the office to get them checked in."
"Agent of what, exactly?" Ozpin rose an eyebrow.
Behind them, York and Wiess slapped their hands onto their faces, and Maine growled lightly at the little girl, signaling her to shut up, then stared at the man.
"So, an agent of what, Maine?" Ozpin questioned again, and the Freelancer remained silent, before glancing to the others.
"Oh, Maine is mute. An injury in his throat." Ruby again spoke up.
"My, my, that is most unfortunate. Was it in the line of duty?" Ozpin waved his mug in a sympathetic manner before taking a sip of coffee.
Maine nodded, then looked to York. The motion drew the headmaster's attention, and he engaged with the second visitor. "And you are?"
"Cole Vance, friends call me York."
"And are either of you huntsmen?" Ozpin queried.
York glanced to Ruby. "Uh, no sir."
Ozpin hummed, almost judgmental. "And are you military personnel?"
"We were previously military contractors, to put it to words." York stated. "I'm military trained and combat efficient."
"Interesting. I simply wanted to know what two civilians might be needed weapons for but seeing as you have Team RWBY's recommendation and they don't usually associate with criminals, I have no objections. I've always been an advocate of the people being able to defend themselves, from Grimm or ruffian."
Dear god, there's no way this could be Wash. Maine thought to himself, glancing York's way, who seemed equally surprised.
"I'll take you all to the administration building to get visitors passes, of course." Ozpin started off, and the group followed. Maine grinned as he noted that Ruby's feet were struggling to keep up with his large strides.
0ooooo0
York
"Okay, that guy sounded exactly like Wash." York stated as the headmaster started up an elevator towards his office.
Maine nodded wearily and massaged his head.
"The Professor sounded like one of the other guys from Project Freelancer?" Ruby questioned, "and so does Pyrrha?"
Said hoplite and her team had broken off to head for the library for studying, while RWBY had stayed with their guests.
York chuckled as Maine pulled off a visitor's pass sticker from the parchment paper and stuck it to his chest. The "Hello, my name is MAINE" seemed out of place for the brute.
"Come oooon, we gotta get to the forge." Ruby was tugging on York's arm as he glanced down, then smiled. "Alright, kid. You excited, much?"
"She's chomping at the bit. Weapons are kinda her thing, loves see how they match the fighter." Yang explained.
"And the idea of helping you forge yours is not doubt making her drool." Weiss sighed, then looked to Ruby, who literally was drooling as they waled towards the workshop.
0ooooo0
Everything was dark inside the forge except for the sparks of light that came with a loud clang! It illuminated the face of York, who hammered into the metal with all his emotion. Ruby and Maine watched from behind, as he shaped the metal that would become his new weapon.
It was therapeutic, in a way. York felt calmer with every strike, and Delta was trying to help, speaking inside his mind, but other words echoed in his mind, memories of his friends. Of Carolina.
They said "She"… Not Wyoming, not Maine… My money's on the gal in the greenish-blue, seafoam-green, turquoi-… whatever color it is armor.
I understood why she did what she did, I just wish she hadn't. I wish she could've learned to let things go…
We must stay strong, York
I guess I should too…
I miss her.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, firm and strong. He knew it was Maine's. It was a simple gesture, but to York, it gave so many words.
I know you loved her.
I'm sorry for what I did.
It's time to move on.
I'm here.
York felt the hand leave, and he relaxed, then went back to work.
He needed to get this weapon finished, so he could go hit something.
0ooooo0
"And it's all done." Ruby told them after a few hours of work, stepping on her toes rapidly in excitement. York wiped his brow, and Maine was draining a water bottle. In the scythe-wielder's arms there were to bundles wrapped in leather, waiting to be revealed.
"When will we get to see them in action?" Yang asked, trying to sneak a peek by getting close to the package.
Ruby smacked her older sister's hands away and pushed the packages into the Freelancers' arms.
York pulled back the cover to reveal a longsword with a black cross guard with a silver eagle in the middle, with the start of the blade wedged into the cross guard. The blade was sliver with fancy crimson lines engraved along the middle. At the pommel was a Fire Dust crystal, and the hilt was wrapped in black leather. Next to it was a crimson scabbard with a silver square at the top, where the hilt would touch it.
"Why don't you switch to its other mode?" Ruby suggested.
York slid the sword into its scabbard and pressed the eagle on the guard. The sword began to shift, parts separating and bending into shape. One of the sides of the cross guard expanded into the sight and the hilt split apart to become the stock, the dust crystal and the end of the pommel moving towards the chamber. The other side of the guard extended, lowering itself to become the handle, with the trigger jutting out.
The result was a skeletonized version of a DMR, the scabbard making most of the blade safe to touch as well as adding to its form. The barrel was shrouded in red, with the barrel that was concealed by the blades poking out from under it. A part of the blade remained underneath as a deployable bayonet.
York pulled a second weapon out of the leather wrap, a handgun modeled after the M6C/SOCOM Magnum. "Man, these things are a beaut." York sighed. "This has an integrated suppressor and muzzle brake. Built for moving in quietly." He aimed down sight and smiled. "Night sights, a flashlight and laser, and an extended magazine holding 18 rounds." He pressed a button next to the rear of the slide and the gun began to straighten and transform until it was a long parrying dagger to be used in unison with the sword. "Ruby, You and D did a good job helping with these designs. Thank you, it looks great."
Ruby's eyes went wide with the praise, and she squealed. "They're so pretty, York." She practically shouted. "Yours next, Maine, yours next!"
Maine grunted, then threw his cover off, revealing a weapon much like his brute shot. In fact, the design was near identical except for two canisters of fire dust connected to a nozzle at the top.
"This weapon is a grenade launcher that also has a flamethrower on top. It simply shifts into either an RPG, powered by fire propelling the grenade forward, or can shift into a staff with that curved blade on the top which can also turn into a scythe, but it can be propelled much like Crescent Rose by the fire Dust." Ruby stated, overcome with glee.
"You made a rocket propelled scythe and gave it to a murdering psychopath!" Wiess hissed lowly.
"Ahem, a reformed murderous psychopath." Rose amended. Wiess smacked her hand against her forehead in dismay.
Yang looked to the brute Freelancer. "She begged you to let her make it a scythe, didn't she?"
Maine nodded vigorously behind Ruby's back while she turned to Yang and protested. "I did no such thing! It's not my fault he has an awesome taste in melee weapons!"
"Yep, and she made York get the sniper rifle in there." The blonde brawler confirmed.
"Ludicrous!" The scythe-wielder exclaimed. "And it's a DMR, its half sniper, half regular gun."
"So… it's a sniper rifle?" Jaune asked. "Sorry, I… Don't know much about guns…"
"No, silly. A sniper has more power and range than this. Think of it like Pyrrha's gun but with a bit more range because it has a scope and has a magazine with more rounds."
"Regardless, I'm sure it's fine. We'll need to test them later at the range in Vale, but we'll let you know when we go." York told her. "We'd better head back, though."
Behind them came a polite cough. "So soon? I think I need to have a discussion with you two in my office." Came the eerily familiar voice of not Washington, but Ozpin.
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