Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)
Chapter 4: Adjustment Phase
One Week Prior, Vale, Remnant
"And victory goes to Penny and Ciel of Atlas!" the voice of Dr. Oobleck announced over the Vytal Stadium speakers. Immediately, roars of excitement and approval filled the air as Penny placed her fist into her palm and bowed.
"Thank you for a wonderful time!" she earnestly declared with a smile before turning around, not noticing the hand of a prone Russel Thrush feebly reaching out to her before being knocked out by a falling rock. The cheering was briefly replaced by quaint laughter, but it soon began to die down as the stadium began to shift into the next configuration.
"Jaune, you aren't still mad about the team moves, are you?" Pyrrha asked to a clearly irritated Jaune.
"No," he mumbled while taking a sip from his grape soda.
"Oh, he's totally mad," Nora countered, her mouth full of half chewed pretzel.
"No, I am not," Jaune stewed as he grabbed a handful of popcorn while his team sighed and Pyrrha patted his shoulder apologetically. After a moment, he sighed and hung his head. "It's just… I went over those moves with you guys like ten times, and none of you remembered…"
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Pyrrha. Well, at the very least now we know that simply copying RWBY won't really work out for us."
"I wouldn't say that…"
"What's Arkos?" Jaune cut with a lidded stare.
"Uh…" Pyrrha's face went blank as she wracked her brain, trying to remember their move. Jaune merely sighed and turned his attention back to the arena.
He allowed himself to settle into the festivities the Vytal Tournament offered. Even in its second week, the energy was still just as lively as the opening ceremonies. The full team round only ended the day before, which was when his team and team RWBY were finally able to participate in the competition. RWBY won their match spectacularly, with all four girls showing off their impressive skillsets, weapons, and Semblances. His team won theirs as well, although Jaune did make a fool out of himself in the process. Then again, that wasn't anything new. Even though he had improved tremendously under Pyrrha's tutelage, to the point where he actually stood a chance against Cardin, he still wasn't at everyone else's level.
"You know," Nora began, "while it stinks that it took us so long to actually compete, at least we get to fight again so quickly. I mean, we're up right after RWBY."
"Going up against Sun and Neptune, if I remember correctly," Ren pointed out. "I have every confidence that you and Pyrrha will succeed."
"Well, duh. Obviously," Nora said as though their victory was a forgone conclusion. Jaune wished he had Nora's confidence sometimes.
"You guys at least remember the strategy for them, right?" he asked the female half of his team, to which Pyrrha resolutely nodded.
"We should split them up right away, with me keeping Sun off of Nora so he can't overwhelm her up close with those gun-chucks Ruby told us about, leaving Nora free to deal with Neptune."
"Yeah, the guy with the lightning gun," the Valkyrie in question snickered evilly while picking at her teeth. "Poor pool noodle."
"Everyone's seen your Semblance by now, Nora," her partner warned. "He's probably not going to use any electricity against you."
"Then I'll just have to hit him a couple of times instead of once," the ginger dismissively replied before getting more serious, "and like Jaune said, that'll still lock out half of his options. Unless they pull a serious surprise outta their butts, we'll be fine."
"You guys will be spectacular out there. You always are," Jaune stated with a smile. Pyrrha blushed slightly while Nora beamed. Something about the sly grin she gave Ren was odd to the blond boy, but he paid it no heed. A thought then came to his mind and he pursed his lips and hummed.
"You know, Ruby's birthday is coming up in little over a month," he stated while tapping his chin. The others looked at him then nodded. "We should probably figure out something for her. I don't think she would do what we did for Pyrrha's birthday."
"Yeah, that was very…lowkey." Nora nodded while Pyrrha sighed contently. Nora's eyes then widened as the stadium lights began to shift, and she excitedly bounced in her seat. "Ooh, it's starting!"
Jaune turned his attention back towards the arena. Sure enough, Weiss and Yang were already on the arena floor. Over the crowd, he heard some footsteps and saw Ruby walking up to her seat next to Blake. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.
"Well, now it's our turn!" Jaune barely heard Yang say. He was happy that he had front row tickets, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hear her at all.
"Just remember to keep proper form," Weiss chided, causing Yang to chuckle.
"Alright." Yang's tone then shifted from jovial to serious as she began to stretch. "You're from Atlas. What could we expect?"
"Well, seeing as their Kingdom, academy, and armed forces are all merged as one, I think we can expect strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategies."
Almost as if Weiss' declaration was a direct challenge to the Brothers themselves, a man and woman soon emerged from the opposite tunnel. One was dressed like a jazz singer, complete with sunglasses and a fedora, while the cat Faunus girl next to him was multi-colored in nearly every aspect of her body, from her pigtails to her (temporary?) tattoos. She was also riding around on roller skates, and for the life of him, Jaune had no idea how she was supposed to be able to fight in those, though the way she zoomed around the white and yellow duo while trailing a literal rainbow made him wonder.
"Ooh, this is going to be good." Nora shook in her seat while the others merely stared in confusion.
"Have to admit, did not think that," Jaune pointed to the colorful Atlesian students who were now taunting Weiss and Yang, "would come out of Atlas."
"Same here," Pyrrha agreed with him. "Was expecting more of… Weiss."
"Yeah…"
"Kick their butts, Yang!" Ruby shouted while she and Blake waved tiny flags with their team names embroidered on them. Jaune then turned his attention back onto the arena as the images on the jumbotron began to rotate and select their battlefield.
"You should try rollerblading sometime!" he heard the Faunus girl say to Yang tauntingly, and judging by the look on Yang's face, she was succeeding. "It's super fun! It'd probably take you a while, though, since you're so… you know, top-heavy."
"Excuse me!?" Yang shouted with red eyes while Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Oh, here we g—" Whatever Ruby was about to say was interrupted by every single light in the stadium suddenly shutting off.
"What the hell?" Jaune looked around the stadium in confusion, as did everyone else. Gasps and shouts began circulating around the stadium as everyone shuffled among themselves. He got to his feet to get a better look, his eyes narrowed as he tried to piece together exactly what had happened. "Power failure?"
"I guess." Blake sounded unsure as she looked at Yang and Weiss in worry. He could see how the combatants were just as confused as they were, and at the same time slightly disappointed. Yang looked like she really wanted to pay the Faunus girl back for her top-heavy crack.
"CCT's out," Ren revealed, holding his scroll for all to see. Sure enough, the bars that indicated CCT connectivity were completely empty, revealing only a red X in their place. Instinctively they all looked at the CCT tower in the middle of Beacon and they saw nothing wrong with it. Their alarm slowly began to rise.
"Something's wrong," Ruby said, her eyes narrowed at the intact tower. She pulled out her scroll and checked to see if the connection to the rocket locker was still operational. To her and the other's relief, they were, as those were radio based. Ruby turned to the others, only for a shadow to slowly envelop the arena, blocking out the sun. Blake turned to face the source of the shadow, only for her amber eyes to go wide.
"Oh my god…"
"What?" Jaune asked as he, too, turned to the source. Any other question he had died on his lips as the source of the shadow emerged from the clouds. At once, he could feel the stadium go dead quiet as everyone stared at the large, skull-shaped vessel. It was metallic purple, with metal tentacles sprouting from the bottom, and a gold covering over the eyes.
"That's…" Pyrrha gulped, her eyes wide. "That's not Atlesian…"
"Then what is it?" Ruby asked. Quickly, Jaune shifted his eyes towards the arena and saw Weiss, Yang, and the two Atlesian fighters staring numbly at the vessel above them, all conflict between them forgotten. It was then that the jumbotron sprang back to life, revealing the full body of a green-skinned man. At once Jaune realized he was not human nor Faunus. He was clad in metallic purple, similar to the ship he was undoubtedly inside. Three purple lights marked his bald forehead, and his eyes glowed in a similar purple hue. They looked mechanical, lifeless. It was then that Jaune realized that this man was staring down at them with cold-hearted indifference, as though they were ants, and his heartbeat quickened. A quick look at his scroll revealed the video to be transmitting through it as well.
'Did he… take control of the CCT?' Jaune thought to himself as his grip on the device tightened, his knuckles turning white.
"People of Remnant," he suddenly began to speak through every speaker around them, his voice and tone emotionless and nearing robotic, yet also filled with power, "I… am Brainiac. Do not be alarmed, for I offer salvation. Your people, your cultures, your knowledge will be preserved for eternity, spared from the ravages of time. Do not resist."
As soon as the man now identified as Brainiac finished speaking, the video transmission cut. The arena's inhabitants simply stared at the vessel in awe and fear, their questions obvious on their faces and bodies.
"What… What did he mean by that?" Ruby quietly asked as Yang and Weiss ran over to them. He and the others then jumped down into the arena to join them as they all stared with wide eyes. He could hear the roar of jets and Atlesian battleships race towards the vessel, beginning to encircle it, but something told Jaune that their efforts may very well be in vain. At the very least, the vessel did cease its descent.
"Nothing good," Ren said, already pressing the button for his rocket locker. The others followed him, and eight lockers then crashed onto the ground in front of them. Around him, he could hear other teams do the same, and the sounds of safeties being clicked off and rounds being chambered echoed around him. As Jaune unsheathed his Crocea Mors and expanded his shield, the jumbotron suddenly shifted to an image of Shade Academy, taken from a news camera from the outskirts of the city.
"This is Jasmine Gold, reporting to you live from the outskirts of Shade Academy!" a purple haired wolf Faunus woman spoke into a microphone. "The ship has just stopped over the CCT tower. The Headmaster is urging calm to all citizens as communication attempts with this Brainiac are currently underway. My sources tell me that, as of now, no communication efforts have been—"
A bright light soon shone from the base of the skull ship over Shade Academy, catching the reporter's attention.
"A bright light has just erupted from the ship!" she diligently continued to report, all the while Jaune was internally begging her to flee. He didn't know what that light was, but it wasn't anything good. "Nick, are you getting this?"
"Yes! Jazz, maybe we should get out of here?" a male voice timidly asked, his fear palpable. Jaune didn't blame him.
"No way!" Jasmine countered, her excited tone contrasting heavily with her cameraman's. "This is the story of the century, and I'm not just…"
It was at that moment that the light exploded. From the base of the ship, a white column shot into the ground and enveloped Shade Academy. It expanded like a balloon, consuming everything it touched.
"Oh my god…" they heard Jasmine say before the light washed over her as well and the CCT broadcast gave out.
There was a moment of silent horror that felt like it lasted a lifetime. In his mind's eye, Jaune could see where Shade Academy once stood that was now undoubtably a smoking crater. Millions of people, gone in an instant. His heart felt like a jackhammer, his hairs stood on end, his eyes became thin and narrow, his mouth became dry, and his breath quickened. He couldn't tear his gaze from the static screen, but he could feel his friends and everyone around him were feeling the exact same thing as he was.
The silence then broke with the simultaneous sounds of millions of terrified screams and the ensuing barrage of fire upon the vessel.
Present Day, Watchtower, Earth Geosynchronous Orbit
"After nearly a day of fighting, us against the Grimm and Ironwood's fleet against the Dragon and Brainiac's ship, we were finally able to bring it down. That only bought us a few hours of rest. Afterwards, he started using drones to corral us deeper into the city, not that we realized that's what he was doing at the time," Jaune explained as he sat in the Watchtower's boardroom alongside his friends. Behind him, a map of Remnant was displayed on a monitor, the Four Kingdoms and their territories highlighted in their respective colors.
They had managed to replace the now inert and useless Dust batteries in their scrolls with something called a lithium-ion battery. Apparently, they had to be specially manufactured by some company called Wayne Enterprises, hence why it took so long for them to be made and brought up here. From what he could tell, this Bruce Wayne guy was a big deal, judging by how many times he came across WayneTech or Wayne Enterprises logos on the equipment in the Watchtower.
Funnily enough, when Weiss first learned of them, she was ecstatic. Apparently, that technology was only theoretical back on Remnant, and to learn that lithium-ion batteries were commonplace here excited her tremendously. To him, however, he was just happy to finally have a working scroll.
Having a working set of scrolls allowed for the Justice League to finally download information about their destroyed homeworld. Between all of them, they had information about almost anything. Weiss had information about Dust and the Kingdoms, Blake's had detailed studies on the Faunus, both biological and sociological, Ruby's had complex forging processes and weapon schematics, something that Batman took great interest in. Not to mention all the notes on the Grimm and their texts from school. The rest was just miscellaneous information, ranging from books to videos and newspaper articles. The League took every ounce of it with the utmost care and seriousness, combing over everything as they allowed RWBY and JNPR to detail the history of their world.
"By the end of the day, several of the people we were fighting with were either dead, missing, or even captured."
"Captured?" Flash asked, his voice both concerned and horrified. Ruby grimly nodded.
"He was studying us. He captured humans, Faunus, people from all ages and genders. Probably just to figure them out." Ruby took a sip of water to clear her throat. "A few of them were captured because they had some anomaly to them, like Cinder Fall. Her screams were…awful, and when I was running through Brainiac's ship I came across her with tubes all over her body. She was still alive, but in a lot of pain." Ruby shuddered and Yang patted her shoulder. "I tried to get her out, but nothing I did worked before a patrol forced me to flee. I never had the chance to go back."
They were all there when it happened. Cinder had only just begun to stop wailing about her failed plans when she, Emerald, and Mercury became surrounded. RWBY and JNPR had tried to get to them, only to be cut off by a veritable wall of drones. Then, Cinder's eyes narrowed and she began creating glass weapons out of thin air. The way she fought was spectacular, graceful and elegant yet also brutal and unforgiving, but at the same time reminded Ruby immensely of the break in at the CCT tower just a few weeks prior. The more she fought, the more Ruby connected the dots, and by the end realized she was the very same person.
Then, Cinder's eyes burned and she cast fire everywhere. The heat was unbearable and it melted the drones into pools of boiling liquid. Ruby and the others knew that whatever that was, it was not a Semblance or Dust. It was something else. That was when Cinder finally noticed them, and to their surprise moved to attack them, Mercury and Emerald alongside her. They even looked eager to do it. Before they could so much as lift a finger, however, more drones dropped down around them and bound Cinder with electrified cables. They then spoke, declaring her to have a magical anomaly. Ruby hadn't thought that was even a thing. She tried to get free, to make a run for it, but in the end she was helpless to stop Brainiac's ship from beaming her inside, leaving behind a wailing Emerald and horrified Mercury. The two then ran off before RWBY and JNPR could apprehend them, and they weren't seen again.
"He also tried to get Penny, but we were able to stop that. That's when we learned she was an Aura-producing robot," Yang pointed out while Ruby looked sheepish. "Which Ruby already knew and didn't tell us about."
"I promised not to tell anyone," Ruby protested.
"It's fine. After that, the General transferred Penny off the front lines and into the reserves to discourage anymore abduction attempts. By the end of that first night, all the automated Knights and Paladins were destroyed, forcing Ironwood and the surviving leadership to conscript the students into the defense. Before, only volunteers were fighting. Lot of good it did us in the end…" Yang sighed dejectedly.
"By the end of the second day, we had lost nearly the entire city. Ammo was running dry, everyone was exhausted, and morale was resting on bedrock. Ironwood almost blew up half the city just to buy more time, only for Ruby to get captured and beamed aboard his personal ship," Weiss stated. "Yang convinced a pilot sent to evacuate us into going after her, and in the end we managed to convince Ironwood to instead use the remaining explosives to breach the ship's hull."
"Which is where you found the bottled cities and what his actual goals were," Superman finished, and the huntsmen nodded. Superman nodded back slowly. "You all did a very brave thing back there, going into his ship to try and stop him yourselves."
"But we failed?" Nora pointed out, only to have Superman shake his head.
"You were able to save your friend from becoming a victim of Brainiac's twisted curiosity. That's a victory in my book," Superman pointed out. The way he said it lifted their spirits somewhat and they couldn't help but smile. He then turned to Flash and nodded, and the scarlet speedster nodded back and got out of his seat.
"If you don't mind, guys, we'll need to discuss this in private," he told the huntsmen and huntresses. They nodded in understanding and got out of their seats and left the boardroom, the door closing behind them automatically. For a moment, the boardroom was silent, the League Founders sitting in silent contemplation. Finally, after a few moments, Flash spoke up.
"So, what do you guys make of this?" he asked. "Besides how screwed up the entire thing is."
"First things first, we need to update the UN about Brainiac," Superman said, his face serious. "Now that we have more concrete information about him, how he operates and the basics of his technology, they can actually start creating countermeasures."
"I'll start making tools to counter him," Batman declared. "Cyborg might be able to code a virus and design a protection software for Brother Eye, so I'll bring him in as well."
"Please. We were looking to evaluate him for invitation anyway, so this might be a good chance for that," Superman replied. "Diana, I need you to notify the UN. You're the ambassador for Themyscira, so you can call together the General Assembly and notify everyone at once."
"Of course." Diana nodded. "I'll also send word to my mother and Aquaman. Should Brainiac arrive, Themyscira and Atlantis will be ready for him."
"When he arrives," Batman corrected. "Lantern, have you received word back from the Guardians about Brainiac?"
"I did." Green Lantern scowled. "He's been doing this for centuries. We've only been able to drive him off a few times, often at great cost. But, should he arrive, we'll have their support."
"That's a relief," Hawkgirl stated. She paused then stared at the map of Remnant, studying it intently. "What about the Grimm? We don't exactly have much on them. Neither did they, for that matter."
"We know their weaknesses and how they operate," Diana responded. "I'll talk about them to the UN as well."
"That's all fine and well," Flash cut in, "but that's not the most important thing here. What are we going to do about RWBY and JNPR? I mean, we can't just keep them up here forever," he asked. Internally, he thought that their team names sounded really cool, but figured now was not the time to speak up about that. The other founders frowned at the question, one that had been nagging at them for some time now.
"We help them acclimate, learn how to operate in Earth society." Batman's suggestion was met with nods, but Superman looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Something tells me that you aren't talking about finding them a place to live," he accused. Batman nodded.
"Not exactly." He paused and glanced at one of the pictures on the screens. It was a large emerald structure. RWBY and JNPR had described it as Beacon Academy, the greatest huntsmen academy on Remnant. It wasn't hard to come up with what he said next.
"We should train them." Immediately the others looked at him intensely, demanding he explain further. "They're warriors, all of them, hailing from a minor death world that managed to survive until Brainiac's arrival. A person who even the Green Lantern Corp. has had trouble driving off. Even then, against all odds, they managed to hold him off for two days. They'd be a powerful asset."
"Is that really best for them, though?" Superman pointed out. He could see where Batman was going with this, and admittedly he had thought the same thing.
"Yes." Batman nodded. "From what they've described, huntsmen are expected to live dangerous lives in the service of others, using their powers and strength to protect those who can't protect themselves. Sound familiar?"
"That's what we do," Hawkgirl observed, her mind racing through the possibilities.
"Exactly. Look at Brainiac's invasion. When their peers attempted to flee, they stood and fought the entire time, before their leaders forced everyone to fight. When Brainiac captured Ruby, they didn't hesitate to launch a rescue operation to get her back, despite knowing they might not return. When they learned what Brainiac was planning to do to Vale, they tried to stop him on their own, fighting against an enemy they knew was outside their capabilities. Even if we didn't train them, there's not a shred of doubt in my mind that they would do so anyway." His voice, calm as ever, contained a hint of pride in it while the others contemplated his words.
"Hmm," Green Lantern hummed to himself. "That does sound like them. J'onn, what do you think? You were able to look into their minds."
"Batman's assessment is accurate," J'onn answered. "I did not pry deeply, but I was able to see their surface thoughts. They are like us in a way. Despite what has befallen then, the pain that they are only now beginning to heal from, a desire to help people is always at the forefront of their minds. I suspected it was there before Brainiac's invasion, and their testimony confirmed it."
"There's one more reason why I think we should train them," Batman revealed. "They come from a world where everyone they fight is expected to have powers. Should they fight someone here, they may accidentally kill or cripple them. We need to train on how to hold themselves back, just for safety reasons."
"That is true." Flash nodded, bringing his hand to his chin. "I think you're right, Bats."
"I'm with Batman as well," Diana spoke up, "but, only if they want to. I do not want to take the decision away from them on this."
"Agreed," Superman said as he stood up and turned to face out the window. "I say we leave it up to them. If they want to fight alongside us, we'll help them every step of the way. If they don't, we'll help them settle in on Earth."
"Sounds good to me," Green Lantern said, nodding his head and crossing his arms. The others quickly agreed as well, and with a final nod, Superman turned back to them. The room was silent as they all stared at each other then, one by one, they all turned to look at the closed door.
"You can come out now. We know you're there," Superman suddenly called out, a smile on his face. With his x-ray vision, he could see the surprised faces of the Remnantians as they moved their ears away from the door. As they did, the door opened, revealing their sheepish faces to the others.
"Uh… how did you know we were still here?" Jaune asked, to which Superman smirked.
"Superhearing, and also X-ray Vision," he casually revealed to the blank stares of the teenagers.
"… How many powers do you have?" Yang threw her arms up while Ruby looked at the Man of Steel in awe.
"Plenty. Remind me to go over all of it with you guys later." His smile was then replaced by a more serious expression. "How much did you guys hear?"
The teenagers looked between themselves before Blake straightened herself. "Something about you wanting to…train us." They went quiet as everyone stared at each other, both sides waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few moments of silence, Yang coughed into her fist and drew everyone's eyes to her.
"So…is there a weight room in here? A track?" Yang asked and waved her hand in a circle. Her fellow huntsmen-in-training nodded and grinned, to which the League founders nodded back.
RWBY and JNPR followed Batman through the Watchtower with no small amount of anticipation. They wouldn't lie and say that the thought of them continuing their jobs as huntsmen and huntresses down on Earth hadn't crossed their minds. Sure, there weren't any Grimm, at least not anymore, but that didn't mean that threats didn't exist. Just as there were superheroes, there were supervillains in turn. Assassins, terrorists, psychopaths, arms dealers, and would-be world conquerors threatened people's lives every day, and they couldn't let that stand.
"We're here," Batman announced, cutting the teens from their thoughts as they entered into a large empty dome. The walls and floor were covered in grey squares that felt metallic. Each step the group took echoed across the empty space, signaling just how large the room truly was.
"What is this place?" Ruby asked as Batman pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet.
"This," he said as the panels began to light up, "is the Holographic Simulator Room."
At once, the light on the panels exploded and thrust outward. Rather than appear as formless white light, however, solid images began to appear all around them. To RWBY and JNPR's amazement, a city began to erect right in front of their eyes, complete with roads, skyscrapers, and parked cars. A faint breeze could be felt on their skin, and warmth from above told them that it was midday.
Yang whistled. "Nice," she remarked as she touched a holographic building. "What do you know, it actually feels real."
"How'd you guys do this?' Weiss asked as she felt the exterior of a parked car. "Is this all light?"
"Yes. Everything you see here is hard light," Batman began to explain. "Reversed engineered from alien technology, we can simulate any number of scenarios. Time of day, weather, environments both on Earth and extra-terrestrial, anything is possible in this room."
"That is certainly useful," Pyrrha noted. Already she was thinking of what the huntsmen academies would have given to have access to this technology. What her former trainers and sponsors would have given to have access. Their own holographic and hard light technology had been steadily developing for the past decade, but she hadn't even heard of anything this seamless. The amount of training one could have undertaken in such a room would have been leagues above what standard drills and spars with her fellow classmates would have offered, and she could see how the League would want to use this room to evaluate them.
"I take it you're going to be testing us in here." Blake's assumption was met with a nod from the Batman, who began to walk away.
"Before any of you fight down there, we need to know exactly what you are capable of," he explained. "You all will be put into various scenarios in the next few days to test your capabilities. This one will be relatively simple. You come across a large gang terrorizing the populace, and you move to intercept."
As he said this, holographic people began to appear. They were the stereotypical image of thugs. Ski masks that only showed the mouth and eyes, baggy clothes that were dull in color and material, dark jeans, some of which had holes and tears. Many of them were holding weapons, mostly makeshift such as crowbars, wooden bats and pipes, while a few had some pistols, shotguns, and rifles.
"Oh, this will be fun." Nora grinned while their newly repaired weapons were wheeled out to them. Smiles on their faces, RWBY and JNPR made their way over to the cart and inspected them. The cracks and dents that once marred them, the result of days of nonstop fighting, were now non-existent.
"Ooh, my baby!" Ruby cried as she held Crescent Rose to her chest. "I'm so happy you're okay!" While Ruby continued to gush over her weapon, the others merely smiled and equipped their own.
"So," Ren asked as he checked the chambers of Stormflower, seeing that they were empty, "what are the rules?"
"Only one," Batman replied. "You cannot kill or cripple them. Anything else is fair game."
"How will you tell?" Blake tested Gambol Shroud with a few swings, smiling to herself as the steel blade whistled through the air.
"We have sensors in place to monitor the impacts each hologram would receive," Batman clarified as he began walking to the exit. "Any and all injuries, non-fatal or otherwise, will be accurately measured for evaluation." He paused at the door and turned back to them, his arms by his side. "Training starts in thirty seconds. Good luck."
At his declaration, the door slammed shut and closed them all in. Yang couldn't help but smile as she turned to face the holographic city. The thugs had disappeared now, leaving the city barren, but the teenagers didn't mind. Small pops could be heard as Yang cracked her knuckles and popped her neck, loosening herself up for the upcoming fight. Just because it was fake didn't mean she wasn't going to give it her all.
"Guys, a thought," Jaune suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. "Remember how Batman said that people don't have Aura here?"
"Yeah?" Yang asked as she continued to stretch.
"So, that means that these guys probably won't either." Jaune sheathed his sword and held out his shield. The others all looked at him for a moment in confusion, which quickly abated.
"Oh…right…" Yang spoke softly as she looked at her gauntlets. With a sigh, she collapsed them and mentally prepared herself. The others all did the same as they either sheathed their weapons or shifted their stances to the blunt end.
"He also said that we're stronger than people here, even without Aura," Ren pointed out. "Which means we'll need to hold ourselves back even more."
Nora groaned. "You know, I kind of liked it when everyone had powers. That meant I didn't have to hold back or worry about hurting someone."
"Same." Ruby nodded. Before anyone could reply, a red light shone across the training room, signifying the training was about to begin. The huntsmen and huntresses tensed as they prepared for the fight, and the red light began to blink. Once, twice, and on the third time a buzzer rang out.
At once, hordes of cars sped towards them from all sides, gangsters and thugs firing their weapons at the huntsmen and huntresses from passenger windows and forcing RWBY and JNPR into cover. Bulllets pinged off of parked cars and concrete pillars, sending small chunks of debris flying from the shattering impacts. Yang grit her teeth and cursed the fact that she couldn't use Ember Celica. With them, she could easily take one or two of them down and break the line of fire, but that would also kill them. Even if the training hadn't forbade it, she wasn't about to kill a person if she could help it. The others were doing the same, although Jaune and Pyrrha were beginning to use their shields to block the oncoming fire. At the same time, Weiss was forming a shield wall of glyphs and as the cars continued to circle them, Ruby began trying to take out the tires.
But Yang was not about to let them do all the work. Her eyes red, she ripped the car door she was hiding behind and flung it towards a speeding car, striking the front and caving it in. The car screeched to a halt and airbags were deployed. The holographic criminals began to pile out of the broken car and the other cars began redirecting their fire to cover them, but Yang was already on the move. She jumped high into the air and slammed down on another hood, sending the back of the car upwards and cracking the asphalt and glass windows alike.
The other cars all screeched to a halt and the criminals moved out of them, allowing RWBY and JNPR to make their move. Jaune and Pyrrha ran towards a group of gangsters wielding submachine guns, but the bullets merely pinged off of their shields and they continued their advance. Jaune slammed his shield into one, sending him flying back into a closed car door and denting it, and he followed with a kick to the chest of another gangster. Pyrrha, meanwhile, expertly swung her sword at another gangster, knocking the gun out of his hand and sticking him with the flat of her blade. The force tumbled him and Pyrrha swung her leg in an arc, sweeping him off his feet and onto his back. With a quick blow to the head, the criminal was knocked unconscious, and the hologram briefly glowed red then disappeared. A quick look showed that the one Jaune had kicked into the car was also gone.
"Well, that answers my question," Pyrrha said with a smile as she turned her sword into a spear and threw it at a criminal, catching him by the shirt and pinning him to a nearby wall. She ran at him and delivered a flying knee, knocking the air out of his body and followed with a few quick jabs to the head and causing the hologram to disappear.
Jaune, meanwhile, was busy using his shield to block a shotgun blast, one that knocked him to the ground. Rather than let the gunman exploit his position, Jaune raised his shield to block another shot and kicked his legs out, striking the shins and knocking the criminal down. The blond huntsman immediately exploited this by jumping to his feet and delivering a running kick to the head, knocking the thug out and causing it to disappear. Hearing a click, Jaune swung his shield and knocked the gun out of the hands of another just as it fired, the sound ringing in his eardrums as he punched the man in the face. He followed with a shield bash, knocking the man to the ground and allowing Jaune to finish him off with a stomp to the arm, breaking it and causing the hologram to disappear.
On the other side of the street, Ruby was swinging the blunt end of Crescent Rose in wide arcs, striking the torsos and legs of several different criminals at once. Many immediately disappeared with a red pulse, allowing Ruby to concentrate on the next. Avoiding the use of her blade at all times, Ruby zoomed around the city street with her Semblance, moving from criminal to criminal in a cloud of rose petals. By now, all the criminals with guns were gone, leaving behind only the ones with no weapons at all or crude melee weapons, which Ruby happily exploited. One thug ran at her with a raised bat, but Ruby swung Crescent Rose upwards and chopped it in half. The holographic assailant immediately flung the broken bat at Ruby, who was not expecting the criminal to react so quickly. The broken bat hit her face and loosened her grip on her weapon, allowing the felon to rip it from her hands and throw it to the side.
"Eep!" Ruby squeaked as she ducked under the criminal's punch. More were running at her, seeing an opening, and Ruby quickly moved back and left petals in her wake. Once she stopped, another criminal ran at her from the side with a knife and swung, forcing Ruby to back and weave away from the blade several times before the attacker paused. Ruby seized her opening and threw a light jab at the man's face, breaking the nose and forcing him to clutch it in apparent pain. Ruby then grabbed the man's arm and threw him over her shoulder, sending him flying a few feet into a nearby newspaper dispenser. A red pulse soon followed as the hologram disappeared, and before other criminals could reach her, Ruby used her Semblance to grab the discarded Crescent Rose once more. She then swung her weapon's blunt end into the head of another enemy, immediately forcing it to disappear.
The battle was beginning to come to a close now, with the huntsmen and huntresses now fighting much more confidently. Ren was taking on several at once, expertly throwing jabs, kicks and open palms into the chest and face of any in his path. Several attempted to hit him with lead pipes or crowbars, but Ren merely ripped the weapons from their hands and hit them with it. By the time Nora finally got back to him, the crowd of ten thugs that were previously on him were reduced to just two, both of which Nora immediately incapacitated with a few swings to the back. Nora smiled at Ren as the two of them ran towards a fresh group of opponents, a few of them now wielding small handguns that they fired at the huntsmen and huntresses. The small caliber rounds merely shattered against their Aura, feeling like pinpricks and doing nothing to stop their advance. Nora swung her hammer against one of the criminals, flinging him towards another group and forcing all of them to disappear in a red pulse.
Weiss was bouncing between her glyphs like a human pinball, gently knocking the weapons from her foes' hands as she passed and striking them with Myrtenaster's pommel. Normally she would be lightly stabbing them, but the lack of Aura made that particularly dangerous to her opponents. Yet, Weiss prided herself on being able to adapt and so she began forming glyphs underneath her opponents and launching them into the air. Other glyphs intercepted them and shot them to the ground hard, knocking them out and making them disappear. Next to her, Blake was tying up criminals in her ribbon and leaving them helpless against her punches and kicks. A thug swung a wooden plank with nails on one end at her, but her Semblance took the blow and allowed her to move to safety. She then kneed the assaulter in the gut, knocking the air from his lungs and leaving him helpless as she socked him several times across the jaw, to which he finally disappeared.
As the last thug disappeared, a loud buzz rang out and the city disappeared, returning to the empty room it was before.
"RWBY, JNPR," the voice of Batman sounded out over the intercom as a holographic screen appeared, "well done. You've all completed the training."
"Thank you." Weiss smiled, as did the others. "So, how'd we do?"
"Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, you all passed. The rest of you failed." At his declaration, everyone lost their composure and hunched down before righting themselves. Incredulously, they all looked at the screen in confusion.
"How? We all held back! We didn't kill anyone!" Yang asked, her arms spread wide.
Immediately, the screen shifted to a recording of their fight, showing angles from individual cameras. The first one focused on Yang as she slammed down on the car. "Yang, your action here would have resulted in several crippling injuries and potential fatalities. The driver suffered from a broken neck along with a severe concussion and internal bleeding, while the passenger suffered the same results." Yang shrunk in on herself as accurate representations of their injuries were displayed before the screen shifted to Jaune.
"Jaune, when you kicked this man into the car," the screen showed the kick in question, "you broke his back. You would have paralyzed him from the waist down."
"…oh…" Jaune looked pale as he imagined if that had that been a real person while the screen shifted to Ruby swinging the blunt end of Crescent Rose into a man's head.
"Ruby, this would have fractured his skull and caused severe cerebral hemorrhaging. He would've had to spend months in intense physical therapy just to be able to walk." Ruby awkwardly kicked her feet as Nora was uncharacteristically calm. The screen shifted to her swinging her hammer at a man's back, his bones highlighted and showing the force of the impact shattering his spine.
"Nora, you broke this man's back completely, which would have left him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life, at best." Nora solemnly nodded as the screen turned blank. Behind them, the door to the training arena opened and Batman walked inside, the door remaining open behind him.
"…so," Nora finally spoke, "that bad, huh?"
"In all honesty, I was expecting worse," Batman clarified. "Even so, that is why we are having these training sessions now. If you're going to fight alongside us, you will be best served to know how to fight without using your full strength unless absolutely necessary."
"Alright," Ruby replied with a determined nod. A thought then came to mind as she raised her finger. "Question, is there an armory in here? I have some ideas on how to make our guns work without, you know, killing anyone."
"Vigilante will escort you there." Batman pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet, likely sending the message to this Vigilante person. Idly, Ruby wondered whether or not the Justice League were all vigilantes. From what she could tell, they weren't official government agents or sponsored by any governments of any kind.
"As for the rest of you, I encourage you all to take some time and evaluate your performance. I've sent you all recordings of the exercise. Study them well."
"So, kid, ya like rifles?" the Vigilante asked. Ruby had seen him before in the cafeteria, usually sitting with a man decked in shiny gold armor. His casual blue cowboy outfit with a red bandana across his face made him stand out from the positively medieval-looking man he was apparently best friends with. He was also notable for having a pair of six-shooters holstered to his hips, which no other League member had.
"Yep," Ruby said with a pop as she tinkered with a bullet. "Can you hand me the socket wrench, please?"
"Sure." Vigilante handed the tool in question over to the young girl. Without taking her eyes off her contraption, Ruby took the wrench and continued to work. "Must admit, its nice to finally have someone else on this team who uses guns."
"I've been meaning to ask about that. Why is it that no one else uses guns in the League? I mean, explosives, maces, and swords are fine, but not guns?"
"Hell if I know, kid." Vigilante shrugged. "Way I see it, guns are tools, nothing more. Still, if I had to guess, guns can only be used to shoot things while a sword can do a bit more. Either way, I ain't judging."
"Same here. Besides, back on Remnant everyone's weapons can shift from a gun mode into some kind of melee weapon." She paused as she remembered Jaune's weapon and awkwardly chuckled. "Well, most everyone. By the way, where is Jaune?"
"Last I checked, he was with Shining Knight working on his sword play."
"Oh, that makes sense." Ruby began to attach completed components together. "He seems nice."
"He is. Little old fashioned, but he's a good man." Vigilante paused to look at the completed device Ruby was now holding and giving an inspecting gaze. "So, mind telling me what that is?"
"Well, after we rechambered all of our weapons to fire rubber bullets or pellets," Ruby began to explain, "I got the idea that they simply weren't enough. So, this should add a slight electrical charge to the round. I call it a round shocker."
"A shock round, eh? Could be useful. You realize that rubber doesn't conduct electricity, right?" Ruby stopped inspecting the device at the poised question and silently hung her head, mumbling something about Lightning Dust, and Vigilante patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, I made that mistake once, too. But, the idea has potential. I actually have some ideas on how to modify the rounds your weapons fire that will make them non-lethal and specialized. Mind if I help?"
"Sure!" Ruby smiled and scooted over, allowing the cowboy to sit down next to her and begin to explain how his revolver's rounds worked.
"Gagh!" Jaune grunted as he fell onto his back. Sweat pooled on his forehead and he panted heavily, only to stop once an armored gauntlet reached down and offered itself to him. "Thanks, Justin."
"It is no problem," Shining Knight said as he helped Jaune to his feet. "Your form needs work. You are too heavy on your feet, and you leave yourself too open on your right side."
"Yeah, Pyrrha says that a lot." Jaune sighed as he rolled his shoulders. "I've been working on it, but it's taking a while."
"Don't worry." Shining Knight smiled. "The greatest knights of all started off as squires. I have the feeling that you'll get there eventually."
"Thank you." Jaune flashed a smile back then readied himself. "So, that sword and armor of yours. Is it actually magic?"
"Indeed," Shining Knight replied. "Enchanted by the great wizard Merlin himself. My armor protects me from harm, and my sword can cut through anything."
"Wow," Jaune cooed as he eyed the enchanted weapons then looked at his. "Mine are just…family heirlooms. They were used in the Great War and passed down my family for generations. Otherwise, they're kind of plain compared to the others."
"And yet, they have a history to them that none of the others can share," Shining Knight countered. "Your weapon may not be able to spit fire or wield the elements, but it has survived the tests of time and been wielded by generations of Arcs. The others may have their own weapons, ones they made themselves that can do fantastical things, but only yours can truly say it has a legacy."
"Yeah." Jaune nodded and faintly smiled. "That legacy is why I went to Beacon in the first place. They were all heroes, and I wanted to continue that."
"Honoring one's family is one of the greatest things a man can do," Shining Knight agreed. He then noticed a forlorn look on Jaune's face, and Shining Knight immediately put his hand on his shoulder. "Worry not. You will see your family again."
"I know." Jaune's expression then hardened. "But that won't happen until Brainiac is dead."
"Easy." Shining Knight held up his palm. "Do not let desires for vengeance cloud your heart. He will be brought to justice, I assure you. But if you let your desire for vengeance consume you, the only one who wins is Brainiac. Never lose sight of who you are."
Jaune looked at him for a while then sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He then readied himself and placed his shield out in front of him, his sword arm reared back. "Ready."
"Of course." Shining Knight nodded then readied himself as well. Then, with a simultaneous yell, the two knights charged at each other.
Yang screamed as she clobbered the last thug inside the training room, the body disappearing in a flash of red. The buzzer sounded immediately afterwards, and Yang took the moment to wipe away the sheen of sweat that had been accumulating on her brow.
"That was very good, Yang," Wonder Woman called out as she and Pyrrha walked into the room. Yang flashed a thumbs up while Pyrrha tossed a water bottle to the brawler, who easily caught it and began greedily drinking it down.
"Thanks," Yang said as she finished drinking and screwed the cap back down. "I felt like I didn't pull my punching enough a few times. Need to work on that."
"You'll get it down, I'm sure of it." Wonder Woman smiled as Yang tossed the water bottle back to Pyrrha. As Yang did, she couldn't help but notice the golden lasso on the Amazon's hip, which Wonder Woman noticed.
"You're curious about the Lasso of Hestia?" she guessed, and Yang nodded. "It's a weapon forged by the god Hephaestus from Gaia's Golden Girdle and imbued with the fires of Hestia. It is indestructible, can expand however far I desire, and can compel people to tell the truth at all times."
"It can make people tell the truth?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"
"If you want, I can show you," Wonder Woman offered. "The others were curious as well and I see no harm in it."
"Sure, why not." Yang shrugged then followed the two out of the training room and into the lounge. She was greeted by everyone else, and with a smile she waved.
"Are you all sure you want to do this?" Wonder Woman asked. She received affirmative nods in reply, and so the Amazon princess took the lasso into her hands. "So, who wants to go first? You don't have to if you don't want to."
Unlike before, the teenagers were slow to reply. Although the possibility of a truth-bearing lasso was hard to believe, the fact remained that the possibility was there. None of them knew what embarrassing secrets would be told. Finally, with a shrug, Jaune stepped forward.
"I'll go," Jaune declared. "I'm pretty much an open book anyway, so I see no problem with it."
"I'll go with you," Pyrrha immediately responded with a smile. "I'm not going to let you do this by yourself."
"Thanks, Pyrrha." Jaune smiled back, to which Pyrrha slightly blushed. The others all got knowing smirks on their faces while Nora plotted on how to use this session to Pyrrha's benefit. With a nod, Wonder Woman gently wrapped the lasso around their wrists and stepped back.
"I…don't feel any different," Jaune said, slightly relieved.
"In order for the magic to take effect, someone must ask you a question," Wonder Woman clarified. Ruby then jumped in her seat slightly and cutely raised her hand, and with a laugh Jaune pointed at her to proceed.
"What do you think of Crescent Rose?" Ruby asked while holding her weapon in her lap.
"I think it's a lovely weapon, Ruby," Pyrrha answered. "I can see that you put a lot of effort into it, and the craftsmanship is superb, as is its wielder."
"Aw, thank you!" Ruby smiled then turned to Jaune expectedly, who smiled back.
"I'm with Pyrrha here," Jaune stated. "Although, I've got to admit that I feel like it's a little bit overcomplicated."
Ruby pursed and tapped her lips before nodding. "Yeah, I can see that. It did cost a lot of lien to maintain." She smiled before sitting down again. Before anyone could speak up, Nora suddenly shouted.
"What do you think about each other?!" Nora shouted. A nervous look suddenly crossed Pyrrha's face, but Jaune then began to speak.
"Pyrrha is, in all honestly, my best friend," Jaune happily revealed. "She was the first person to ever believe in me, the person who made me who I am today. Without her, I likely would have gotten myself killed in Initiation, and she stuck by me even when I didn't deserve it. Especially when I didn't deserve it, when I let my stupid pride get the better of me. She made me into a better leader and friend, and she's who I strive to emulate in everything I do as a huntsman. I couldn't ask for a better partner and friend."
"Aww!" everyone cooed at the praise while Pyrrha blushed. Happy tears began to pool in her eyes, and with a sniffle she wiped them and began to speak.
"You're also my best friend, Jaune. You make me feel like a normal girl, not just a champion. Thanks to you, I've been able to make lifelong friends that like me for me, not just because of my abilities. I'm just so happy to be part of your life, and I know that while you may not be as strong as us yet, you will grow into something grand. I can't wait for when that day comes." Pyrrha smiled brightly at her partner, who through teary eyes did the same. Ruby moved to remove the lasso, but before she could even stand, Pyrrha began to speak again.
"Also, I've wanted you to ask me out for the past three months, and seeing you constantly ask Weiss out hurt me on the inside!" Pyrrha cheerfully announced while looks of shock enveloped everyone. The happy looks on the partners' faces evaporated and was replaced with mortification as they realized what she just said.
"Oh no…" Nora whispered in horror as everyone stared at what they knew was about to unfold.
"Oh." Jaune noted with a massive blush. He tried to stop himself, but found that he couldn't. "Honestly, due to my crippling lack of self-confidence that I act all macho in an attempt to cover up, I never believed that you would be interested in a guy like me. It's likely that any hints you might have given would have flown right over my head."
"That's also my fault, as I'm a bit too passive for my own good sometimes." Pyrrha's words continued to flow out of her mouth, but as she continued a sense of relief began to wash over her, as if a massive weight was finally being lifted off her shoulders. "Plus, I tend to place others' happiness above my own, which is why I tried to help you get together with Weiss instead of me. Speaking of which, if you still want to pursue her or anyone else, I'll still try to help you."
"You're perfect, Pyrrha, and anyone would be lucky to have you," Jaune insisted. Even with his thoughts and feelings thrown into turmoil from these revelations, the lasso was thankfully keeping him articulate instead of letting him dissolve into a stammering mess. "But, I can't help but feel like you could easily get someone better than me."
"Don't say that, I hate it when you put yourself down. You're better than that."
"Thank you." Jaune smiled. "In any other circumstance, I may have just asked you out to try and make up for my blindness before, but right now I'm an emotional black hole that isn't in any shape to try and pursue a romantic relationship, so I must respectfully decline your confession."
"That's alright. I myself am not in any condition to pursue romance either. But, I'll drown my sorrows tonight with a tub of chocolate ice cream."
"As I will wake up sweaty from terrible nightmares about my personal failings getting all of you killed."
"I hate it when you look sad. It's like looking at a kicked puppy. Do you need a hug?"
"Yes, yes I do." Jaune and Pyrrha immediately hugged and smiled into each other's' shoulders, and a shell-shocked Ruby slowly stepped towards them.
"So…uh…. That was…" Ruby stared wide eyed at the two happy teenagers while the others all gaped at the scene.
"I didn't think that was going to happen… Pyrrha, I'm so sorry…" Nora's face was filled with remorse, which only increased when Pyrrha merely smiled at her.
"It's okay, Nora. You didn't know, and I won't hold it against you." Nora nodded at Pyrrha's declaration as Ruby finally unwrapped the lasso from their wrists. The two partners blinked as the effects wore off, then looked at each other. Their faces turned scarlet, and immediately jumped back and fast walked to opposite ends of the large room.
"…Well, I thought that was beautiful," Diana stated before turning to the others. "So, who's next?"
"Ren, be honest with me," Jaune quietly whispered to his teammate in their room's shared restroom. "Were Pyrrha's feelings towards me that obvious?"
"Yes, yes they were," Ren answered out of the corner of his mouth as he continued to brush his teeth. "Nora and I didn't say anything out of respect for Pyrrha, and we hoped that you would see it eventually."
"Oh…" Jaune looked downcast until Ren patted his shoulder.
"It's okay. The heart is a mysterious thing." He paused to spit into the sink then turned to face him. "So, now that you know..?"
"Honestly, I don't know." Jaune sighed and shook his head. "She's my best friend, Ren. I don't want to mess that up. And right now, I'm not in any mood for dating."
"I can respect that." Ren nodded. A nervous look then crossed his face. "I still need to figure out where I'm going to take Nora out on our first date."
"You'll figure it out, man. She'll enjoy anything you come up with." Jaune offered a reassuring smile. Internally, he was happy that he and Pyrrha were not the only ones embarrassed by the magical lasso. Lots of embarrassing truths were revealed during that hour, from Yang having a fear of cuttlefish and other tentacled creatures, Weiss revealing that she was the moderator of a popular Ninjas of Love forum in Beacon, topped off with Nora dramatically revealing her true feelings towards Ren and he to her. Jaune could've sworn she broke out into song for part of it before catching herself. They then asked each other out in equally dramatic fashions, and only then did the truth-session cease.
Jaune and Ren then turned to the door into their room and stared at the handle. The blond gulped and twisted the knob, opening it and revealing the two women on his team currently sitting on their beds and wearing their nightwear. Pyrrha was currently eating out of a tub of chocolate ice cream, and with an embarrassed blush on her face she stared at her partner as he did the same to her. Nora, meanwhile, merely looked content as she lay across her bed.
Pyrrha and Jaune continued to stare at each other before Jaune slowly walked over and sat down next to her. Silently, the two of them stared at their knees before he coughed.
"So, uh…" he began. "Do you…have another spoon?"
Pyrrha swallowed the spoonful in her mouth before nodding. "Y…yeah. Here." She handed a plastic spoon to her partner, who took it and looked at the tub. He then looked at Pyrrha, who nodded after a moment and gave him permission to dig in. Silently, the two began to eat, the worries of their confessions slowly ebbing away.
Nora and Ren looked happily at the sight, knowing that whatever roadblocks may come their way, everything would be alright.
Batman typed away at a large monitor, news feeds and data pouring in from any available source. By now, the media furor over the Remnantians' appearance had subsided to a degree, with them focused more on Brainiac and what he did to Remnant. NATO, Russia, China, and other countries had already declared military operations to prepare for his potential arrival, as well as refining strategies developed during the previous alien invasions. The Grimm themselves were also a point of discussion, with the names RWBY and JNPR had provided them now entering the popular lexicon.
All of it served to keep their names out of the spotlight, but it was only a matter of time before people started looking around.
"Master Bruce," a posh voice announced as a sharply dressed mustached man stepped down the stone steps of the Batcave, a plate of hot food on his hand.
"Alfred," Batman responded without looking back.
"Your dinner, sir." Alfred began carefully placing the assortment of plates, bowls, and cups around the Batcomputer, while Batman continued to type. The butler then took a moment to look at what his master was typing, and he raised an eyebrow. "What are these?"
"Legal papers," Batman revealed. "RWBY and JNPR can't stay in the Watchtower forever. Eventually, they're going to have to come down to Earth, get a place to live and work."
"Being a costumed vigilante doesn't pay the bills, I suppose," Alfred dryly stated, and Batman grunted in response. "Sir, if I may, where do you plan on sending them? I hope you aren't planning on separating them at this time."
"Of course not," Batman answered. "I have a property in Metropolis that is big enough for all of eight people, and I'm not using it anyway."
"Why do I get the feeling that isn't your preferred solution?" Alfred guessed, and Batman sighed. He then removed his cowl, revealing his face to his longtime butler. Before Bruce could speak again, Alfred smiled. "Sir, I'm confident that Wayne Manor would be more than accommodating to their needs. Besides, I'm sure Master Damian would enjoy the company of youths his age. Lord knows he needs it." It went unsaid as to why Bruce Wayne felt this was the best route to take. Alfred had seen it before.
A pang of sorrow filled the butler as he remembered Master Jason, but he let it pass.
"If you wish, I'll make the arrangements for them. We have enough rooms in this house for each to get their own."
"Thank you, Alfred." Bruce nodded and a faint ghost of a smile graced his lips before disappearing. "I'll run it by them tomorrow, see what they—"
He was interrupted by a dull thud.
High above the streets of Gotham City, the world seemed different. The lights of the city below were dim, and the sounds of cars honking and people's steps were dull from the distance. A police helicopter would occasionally fly overhead, and the sound of sirens and gunshots would punctuate the air every few minutes. For the most crime-ridden city in the country, the night air was relatively peaceful.
None of that mattered to a lone man standing on a construction site overlook. The light of the full moon was all that illuminated him. Wearing a dull brown coat that looked both patchy and unsettling along with a hangman's noose around his neck, the man was covered in glass vials filled with a bubbly, orange liquid. On his left arm, tubes extended down to retractable syringes on his fingertips, while a hook and chain was attached to his chest. A straw hat, jagged along the rim, cast a deep shadow over his burlap-sack covered face, the sack itself containing a gas mask and goggles.
A dark chuckle escaped the man as he brought up a detonator to his face, his thumb hovering over the button. Then, without hesitation, he pressed down. At once, explosions rippled throughout Gotham City, but instead of fire, green gas filled the streets and enveloped everyone. The city ground to a halt as the gas obscured everything in sight..
Then, the sounds of thousands of terrified screams filled the air as Gotham City was engulfed in fear.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter for Hunters of Justice! We got some neat character interactions going, a bit of training going down, and most importantly, RWBY and JNPR are on the road to becoming superheroes. And right in time, too, as now they are about to face their first supervillain. Who he is should be fairly obvious.
Now, onto the Q&A:
mastergamer14: While I may base some arcs off of different DC media, I will not be lifting the storylines wholesale. My own personal touches will be put in place, both to enable better storytelling for me and accommodate RWBY and JNPR more.
xhope14x: Thank you! For stories like HoJ, I feel like 10k word chapters are an appropriate length. For my other story, Outsiders, having 5k word chapters is perfect, but HoJ requires a bit more. And 10k is a very decently chapter length. 20k words, though, is my limit.
ranjira1988: The teams will be interacting with the various rogues of DC. They have some of the best villains in media, after all. It would be a crime to not use them.
Y-2013: Actually, its a bit of both. Ruby does indeed go faster with her semblance, but at the same time does turn herself into rose petals to do so. For instance, in the Vol. 4 Red trailer, Ruby did just that to split into three separate pieces then reform. I know that she is the fastest RWBY character (although Flash leaves her in the dust), and the words chosen were just word choice.
meeyaaargh3412: Thank you! I find that it helps to answer people's questions in this way, as its something I like about SB but can't really do here outside of this. As for Waller's team, that is to be revealed. She will be an antagonist to our heroes, but she is not a villain. Not like Luthor. And yes, they almost brought Starfire to do a language kiss and learn Vytalian. Obviously, they didn't do that.
Inheritance1990: Thank you! I love Superman, and I hope that I can continue writing him and the other DC characters well.
SkiesEagle: Yes, Jaune will show his Semblance eventually. Thank you for the praise about the Superman Flight. That was a key moment I wanted to show, and I'm glad that it was well received. And yes, Krypto is here! Originally, I wasn't going to use him, but then I decided that the opportunity to have him interact with Blake was too high.
Guest12345: As of now, the bottled cities are still okay, but there is an undetermined time limit. Once Brainiac is done with them, the cities will be purged.
Game2002: This story's JL is indeed based off of the DCAU, but I have put in elements from other forms. This gives me more narrative freedom and allows me to better use the various forms the DC that I more intimately know. You will see a mixture of stuff. See my answer to Y-2013 about Ruby's Semblance. Rest assured, it was just word choice. I know that she can go super fast.
That's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Also, heads up. There is an exploit going around that is affecting people's bios and modifying them to say that they support Critics United and other stuff. Don't worry, no personal information is being accessed, however until further notice, do not look at any profile you do not trust. Avoid spam accounts that end in a -## and talk about reporting a story to administrators and are part of Critics United, as that's how the exploit is spreading. Basically, to play it safe don't look at anyone's profile. There is a possibility that will have to reset the server to a save state, which means that I'll lose your guys' reviews and any uploaded chapters, but rest assured that I have them backed up and they will be reuploaded promptly should the need arise. Hopefully, it won't come to that.
See you all next time!