(A/N) So yeah, this has been a long time coming. You guys probably would've got it yesterday, but then my brain decided to be nostalgic and have a migraine. So yeah… thanks for that, brain. Then again, I've been thinking "Goodwitch can into space" for a while now, so… maybe that's why? Idk.
Anyways, on to the chapter!
Volume Two
Chapter Eleven – The Strength Of The Wolf
/-\ _ /-\
I rode happily along the trail; the Valerian countryside was so nice this time of year.
I slowed down, dismounting my horse when I saw a girl crying in the middle of the road.
It all happened so fast. One moment I was with the girl, the next, I was fighting for my life.
I dragged myself up from the dirt, all my opponents scattered on the ground around me.
I limped over to the dark-skinned girl, staff in hand. She looked at me, fear in her eyes.
I tried to psych myself up for the act, knowing what had to be done.
The moment I'd raised my staff to do the deed, I felt a sharp pain in my back.
The next thing I knew, I was staring at the palm of the woman, a Grimm Scarab emerging from her glove.
"N- No… please…" I begged.
It spat a black inky substance on my face and I tried to wipe it off, but the other two held me from behind.
I screamed as it felt like something was pulling the soul straight out of my body.
My eyes snapped open and I flashed to my feet, scanning my surroundings as my heart hammered inside my chest.
"Wauggghhh…" I heard someone mutter as they sat up. "Wassup, Pyr?"
I took a deep breath. 'Only a nightmare...' I thought. 'It was only a night-'
"Pyrrha?!" Jaune shouted. "Why is your eye on fire?!"
I blinked. "Umm… I don't feel anything out of the ordinary…?" I said, still trying to calm myself down.
"No, look!" He said, quickly handing me his scroll that he'd set to take a selfie.
"Huh…" I let out. "That's… strange…" I closed my eyes, willing the flame to die out. When I opened them again, not only were they gone, but my other two teammates were staring at me in our now-illuminated room.
"Are… are you alright, Pyr?" Jaune asked.
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." I said, sighing. "That was merely one of the… quirks I've acquired as of late."
Nora suddenly teleported in front of me. "Caaaaaaaaaan yatalkaboutityet?"
I blinked before taking an exaggerated step away from the hyperactive ginger. "I'm afraid not." I said, eyes drifting to the bathroom. "I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep; do y'all mind if I take the shower first?"
Jaune blinked. "'Y'all'?" He muttered. "Uhh… y- yeah, that's fine."
I nodded, quickly grabbing my clothes and heading inside. I didn't take a very long shower; it just didn't feel like I needed one, to be honest. Within ten minutes, I was already squeezing into my cuirass, the armor feeling somewhat tight over the t-shirt I'd thrown on. Last night before I'd fell asleep, Nora had forcibly shown me several team pictures from her scroll, trying to jog my memory. They helped a little, but part of me couldn't help but notice my outfit showed a little more skin than I was comfortable with. So until I got the chance to go to… wherever I usually got clothes, I'd just wear a little more than usual; a red t-shirt and black leggings, to be precise.
I shook my head, allowing a wet clump of hair to smack me in the nose. I frowned, removing it before looking in the mirror. I held out the rest of my hair, sighing at just how long it was. Part of me was fine with that, but the other part wasn't. I tried to imagine it being shoulder-length, and honestly? I think I like that. I smiled; whenever they let me go out, I'd get clothes and a haircut.
I exited the bathroom, walking almost directly into Nora doing singlehanded handstand pushups. She looked up, smiled at me, then did one final rep that flung her onto her feet. "Hey Pyrrha!" She said.
My smile dropped slightly, but I quickly recovered. "Hello Nora."
Her eyes glanced behind me for a moment. "Not doing your hair again this morning?"
"Umm… no?" I said, not completely sure what she was talking about.
"Aaaaaalrighty then!" She said, scooping up her own clothes and taking my place in the bathroom.
I let out a dry chuckle. "Is she… is she always like this?"
Jaune shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much."
"You get used to it." Ren said.
"So…" Jaune started. "Still not remembering much, huh Pyr?"
I shook my head. "Unfortunately not."
He rubbed the back of his head. "Wanna talk about it?"
I bit my lip. "Umm… maybe some other time." I said. Part of me just knew that everything would be awkward if I stayed in this room, so despite being more than a little hungry, I opted to take a different route. "If it's alright with you… I'd like to be alone for a while."
"Uhh… well, I guess we can't keep ya here if you don't wanna stay." Jaune said.
I shot him a slight smile. "Meet back here for lunch?"
He nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."
I exited the dorm room, not really sure where exactly to go. So instead of going to a specific place, I just… went where my feet took me. I hadn't really gotten the chance to actually explore Beacon before now, only seeing it from the top of Ozpin's tower, but now I did have that opportunity.
It would still be some time before the sun rose due to the mountains in the east, but some students were already out and about; notably, the three girls from yesterday were out running with a fourth member. I waved to them, as a part of me said I should, though I noticed the newer member was occasionally shooting a glare at the other white-clad girl.
I shrugged it off, continuing my wandering throughout the campus. Every so often, I would hear someone mention 'Pyrrha Nikos', as if I wasn't a few paces away from them…
"…You really think I can win a tournament?" I asked.
"That is the wrong line of thought." Father said. "You will win the tournament. Every Nikos in ten generations has won one."
…
"And the winner is Pyrrha Nikos of Sanctum Academy!"
I looked over at my father, who was watching from the stands. He nodded, causing me to smile.
…
"Wow, Pyrrha… another tournament win? Maybe you are just invincible after all…" A classmate said.
"Yeah! I haven't landed a single hit on her in months!"
"Hey, I know this is kinda weird… but can you gimmie your autograph?"
"I'd be happy to." I said, my smile a little too wide.
…
"Ah, Miss Nikos!" The Lion Faunus headmaster said before looking behind me. "And Mister and Missus Nikos! Welcome to Haven Academy. We've already prepared a dorm room for your stay." He chuckled. "Not unlike one you'll be staying in a few months down the line, actually." He continued to ramble on while he led my family and I through the campus, but the one thing I couldn't shake was the feeling of being watched.
The stares weren't predatory, at least not in the traditional sense, but they were all the same as everywhere else I went. The only surprise was that it took someone fifteen minutes to approach me…
I blinked, the memories fading back into the recesses of my mind. Just then, I heard my scroll ring and, reaching into my pocket to see who it was, hesitated to answer.
'Father', it read.
I bit my lip, not having any idea what to do in this situation. I searched through what little memories I could access, but none of them really gave any context as to the correct course of action. My finger hovered over the 'accept call' button as the seconds ticked on.
Eventually, the time ran out and I sighed in relief as the screen started flashing 'missed call' instead of the previous message. I put it back into my pocket, continuing my wandering. At some point, I wandered into the forest, finding a nice little rock to rest on among the sea of green.
I just sat there for a little bit; my mind blank as I enjoyed the scenery. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, as my thoughts started wandering back to my… predicament. I frowned. 'Everything I remember about Pyrrha is just… miserable.' I thought. 'I had friends before the tournaments. I wanted to go to Haven originally. The only friends I have here either didn't know about me or didn't care.' I sighed. 'Everything about Pyrrha Nikos revolves around her status, and I hate it.'
I looked upwards, seeing the moon just barely poke through the foliage above me. 'What if… what if I don't want to be Pyrrha Nikos?' A part of me said that I already wasn't. The other part radiated a sad acceptance.
I stared down at a puddle in the ground, a murky reflection of my face held within. "Who am I?"
Jaune and I walked out of the dorm building, picknick basket in hand. I was no closer to answering the question than I was this morning, but part of me had a feeling that Jaune could help. Both parts of me wanted to tell him the truth of what happened; maybe he'd be able to help me then?
"So, do you have any spots in mind?" He asked.
I shook my head. "I'll let you lead the way."
He shrugged. "Alright." He said as we walked into the forest once more. About thirty minutes later, and several times doubling back, we arrived at a small crystal-clear pond, a small firepit and bench off to one side. "Whaddaya think?" He asked.
"It's… nice." I said, honestly, before another thought occurred to me. "Did we go here often?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Just heard about this place yesterday; checked it out after me and Ren got back from shopping last night."
"Speaking of, what did you get?" I asked right before my stomach growled. I blushed. "I… may have missed breakfast this morning."
"That's alright, I'm hungry too." He smiled, leading me over to the bench. We sat down and he started digging through the basket. "I uhh… didn't really know what you liked all that much, but you mentioned that you liked that one thing from the café last week. So I just copied that." He removed his hand from the basket, revealing a wrap of some sort.
'A gyro.' Part of my mind helpfully supplied. I took it as he brought out his own sandwich; ham and cheese, by the look of it. We chatted for a little bit as we ate our meals, both being satisfied. Most of it was centered around trying to get me to remember things, though with mixed success. Occasionally, it would trigger other memories; ones of a bronze-skinned maiden wandering the Valerian countryside.
"So I've gotta ask… why a horse?" He asked after one such memory. "I mean… sure, two of my sisters were horse girls growing up, but… why would you travel on one? A lot more Grimm can catch up to a horse than a motorbike."
I shrugged. "I don't really know. I've never really been good with machines, so I guess a horse seemed simpler."
His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? You've been good with machines as long as I've known you. Or at least weapons maintenance."
I stiffened. "That… doesn't seem right."
He sighed. "Pyrrha, just… please." He gently grasped my hands. "Tell me what's wrong. I hate seeing you like this." I bit my lip. "And that too! You never did that before!" He sighed again. "Just, please… I want to help you, but… I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong."
I stared into his watery eyes, feeling a pang of guilt as he sat waiting for my answer…
"Jaune…" I began. "I know you're having a difficult time in class, and you're still not the strongest of fighters, so… I want to help you."
"W- what?"
"We can train up here after class, where no one can bother us."
…
"My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors; they were all heroes, and I wanted to be one too…" He said. "I was just never good enough…"
I put a hand on his shoulder. "Then let me help you."
I blinked away the flashback and found my partner still holding my hand, his eyes begging for an answer.
tellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhim
"Jaune… I…" I started.
You are not to tell anyone, not even your teammates, of what happened.
"I…"
tellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhimtellhim
Tell. Him.
"I…" I sighed. "I don't know if I am Pyrrha Nikos."
"That… that doesn't make any sense…" He said. "I mean, look at you! You're Pyrrha. You're my partner."
"I'm… I'm not just her."
"What're you-"
"That's what happened to me, Jaune." I interrupted. "I am Pyrrha Nikos, but I'm also someone else." I sighed. "Her… My name was Amber Autumn."
"But that doesn't make any sense. How can you be two people?!"
My eyes drifted to the ground. "They built a machine. One that combines the aura of two people into one body."
He stared at me blankly, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. After a moment, his cheeks turned green. "That's… wrong!"
"That's what I- that's what Pyrrha said, at first."
"At first?"
I nodded. "The situation is… a bit more delicate than I would like." I sighed. "You know I'm still having memory issues, but I still remember my- their final moments. Amber was awakening from months' worth of nightmares; the same scenario replayed over and over and over again until she nearly went insane. She wasn't even sure that she was back in the real world yet."
"…And Pyrrha?"
"She wanted to see you one last time." I said. "She loved you, Jaune."
A tear rolled down his cheek. "I just-" He sighed. "How do I know you're telling the truth? This all sounds… crazy." He said. "I mean… people can't have two souls, right?"
"I don't actually have two souls. Just one." I said. "Ozpin said it's a bit of a patchwork, from what he could tell. As for how to tell if I'm being truthful?" I held up my hand, producing a small [Flame] on the same template grandfather had given me in the vault. Jaune's eyes shot wide open. "Go on, touch it. I promise you; it won't burn."
He gingerly reached his hand up to mine, testing the air. Once he was satisfied, he actually touched the flame. "It's… warm." He said, moving his hand to touch the innermost part of the fire. "But yeah… doesn't burn. Just… warm." He stared at it, mesmerized for a moment before pulling back. "That… could be your semblance…" He muttered. "I haven't seen it before."
I shook my head. "I'm afraid you'll just have to take my word for it. I know Maidens are capable of other powers, but I haven't tried them out yet."
He looked me over thoroughly before sighing. "Pyrrha's… gone, isn't she?"
I bit my lip. "Not… exactly." I said. "In a way, I'm her, but also not. Part of me wants to say I'm her and Amber's daughter, but that's also not really true." I sighed. "It's… hard to explain. I'm Pyrrha Nikos and Amber Autumn; both and neither at the same time."
"That doesn't really help, y'know." He said, flatly. "Just at least tell me this." His fists balled up. "Was she forced into this?"
I shook my head. "I remember she… I was given quite a while to think about it. Even after I'd made my choice explicit to the headmaster, he gave me multiple opportunities to back out."
He relaxed slightly. "Then… then why did she do it?"
"I felt it was my destiny." I said. "I'd seen the Atlesian refugees on the streets; I'd heard of the threat the Covenant posed; I'd been told of the… shadier side of Remnant's history. It didn't paint a good picture. I simply felt that this was my opportunity to make it better for everyone else." I shrugged. "And it didn't hurt that Ruby volunteered instantly."
"Wait, they did it to Ruby too?"
"Oh, no. I don't remember why, but she couldn't for some reason. Not for lack of willingness, though."
He let out a dry chuckle. "Oooof course she couldn't…" He muttered, before starting to pack our things.
I blinked. "Are we… going somewhere else?"
"Yeah. To tell the team."
Ren and Nora sat before us, a mixture of horrified and completely confused expressions on their faces. "So, let me get this straight…" Ren started. "Pyrrha had her soul merged with this Amber person. Their souls combined make you."
I nodded. "That about sums up the situation, yes."
"But… but is Pyrrha still in there?" Nora asked.
"Not… really." Her shoulders drooped, along with her head. I bit my lip. "I… can still hear her, sometimes… but she isn't really umm… present."
Jaune blinked. "What do you mean, you can hear her?"
"It's not a constant voice, if that's what you mean; more like an occasional repeating voice, her and Amber both." I shrugged. "She's actually part of what convinced me to tell you in the first place."
"So… you wouldn't've told us otherwise?" He asked.
"At some point, I would've had to, but she hastened it quite a bit. Ozpin gave me specific instructions not to tell you all."
Ren frowned. "Who else knows?"
"Of our classmates?" He nodded. "Ruby, Weiss, and Blake."
"And I'm guessing they couldn't tell us either…"
I shook my head. "I would ask that you not let on that you know anything, either. I imagine grandfather would be quite displeased if he was aware that I told you."
"Yeah, probably a good idea." Jaune said. "Wait, did you just call Ozpin your grandfather?"
I blinked. "It seems I did."
"I'm guessing he's Amber's grandpa, then?"
My brow furrowed. "I'm… not really sure."
He sighed. "I just… I wish this didn't have to happen."
"Us too, Jaune." Ren said. "But since it did, we need to make the most of it."
"But Ren… It's Pyrrha!"
"She didn't abandon us, Nora." He said, stopping Nora in her tracks. "I'm not saying we should act like nothing happened, but Pyrrha wouldn't want us beating ourselves up over her decision. That said…" He turned to me. "you are most definitely not her, and I will not address you as such in private."
I nodded. "That's understandable." I sighed. "If… if you think I would be better off changing tea-"
"No!" Jaune interrupted. "No, we aren't doing that!"
"But I thought-"
"No." He said. "You said it yourself; you're part Pyrrha and part not. And I just… I can't kick her off the team."
I smiled. "I'll be sure to earn her spot, then."
Ren cleared his throat. "But that still leaves the question of what to call you, as my previous statement stands."
I blinked. "I suppose you're right, though I don't really know what that would be at the moment."
"That's okay." Jaune said, patting me on the shoulder. "Take your time."
I hummed in thanks as I began thinking of a name. I looked around the room, finding a mirror nearby. My face practically screamed 'fire' or 'inferno', and I wanted to keep it along those lines. 'Pyra? No, too similar to Pyrrha. Infernoa? No, I don't like that…' I tried several other names but ended up scrapping them as soon as I thought them up. I rubbed my temples in frustration. 'Why can't I just pick a random name and be done with it?' I rhetorically asked myself.
Just then, I had an idea. 'What if I combine two names? I'm a combination, why can't my name be, too?' I liked that idea, so I started going down the list of names I knew, trying out various ones but always finding them… lackluster. 'What if I try my original names?' I thought. 'Amber and Pyrrha… Pyrmber? No… Ambra?' I blinked; that was a good starting point, but I was already somewhat frustrated and I still had my last name to work on. 'Let's see… Nikos and Autumn… Nikumn?' I shivered. 'That sounds too close to something… else. How about-' My eyes widened.
I snapped my fingers. "I know my name." I said, turning around.
"Well, whaddaya got?" Jaune asked.
I smiled. "Hello, everyone. My name is Embra Autumnos."
/-\ Ruby Rose /-\
I ducked back into the bushes, hearing my bowler hat-wearing target scream in pain before being silenced. "Report, Three." I said into comms.
"Direct hit." Blake said. "Valkea probably didn't get a good look at him before that ice cream girl tackled him, though."
"Damn." I said. "Any sign of an alarm being raised?"
"None; you're still clear."
"Roger, moving to phase two now. See any openings?"
She stayed silent for a few moments before humming. "Looks like an open window around the back side of the building; doesn't look like anyone's standing guard."
"Good enough for me." I said before moving out. It was… strange wearing an ODST BDU, but my own armor certainly wasn't up to the task of doing anything really… at least for the time being. So here I was, skulking around an innie base in a uniform that wasn't mine with my teammate on overwatch.
Really brings back memories.
I quickly found the window she was talking about and ducked inside, careful to make as little noise as humanly possible. They couldn't know anyone was here or else they might change what they had planned; command was very clear about that.
Because of that particular order, I was very pleased that the window led to a storage room. Out of curiosity, I opened up one of the crates, careful not to damage it. "Three, did the 'Fang always stockpile dust?"
"I mean… we had a few dust users, why?"
"Do you think they'd need an entire crate of the stuff?"
She paused as I continued snooping through the storeroom. "I mean… maybe…?"
"How's about tw- make that three crates?"
"What?" She let out. "Where would they even get that much? I've been monitoring the news since Forever Fall, they've been quiet!"
"That's what we're gonna find out. Visuals on Adam and Valkea?"
"Oh umm… they just went into the commshed. You should have a few minutes to snoop around, still."
"Roger, moving out." I said before carefully peeking out the door. The hallway on the other side was completely deserted, making my job a lot easier. "Any idea where I might find anything important?"
"I haven't been to this base before, but usually Adam likes to have his quarters as high as possible. I'd check there."
"Sounds like a plan. Let me know if anyone enters the building." I said while silently looking for a staircase. After only a few moments of searching, I found one, the upstairs hallway just as barren as the one below. I was about to ask if he used anything to identify his quarters, but then I noticed a wanted poster of the man himself sticking to the nearest door on the left. Glancing down the rest of the hallway, I found all three of the other doors had a similar wanted poster, just with different people.
I rolled my eyes before carefully opening the door, finding it also unoccupied. My nose crinkled in disgust as I entered; not from the smell (the air filters in the ODST helmet took care of that), but from just how messy it was.
I certainly was more resilient to messes than someone like Weiss, but this made even me cringe. Most of the room was covered in empty food cans which had apparently been licked clean. In one corner sat a literal mountain of filled trashbags, one having split open at one point and spilled its contents onto the floor. In another corner sat something that could vaguely be considered a potted tree…
…if said tree hadn't died and started sprouting mushrooms…
The creepiest thing, though? That would be the one clean part of the room. The Blake shrine. I shook my head. "You really know how to pick 'em, don't ya, Blake?" I muttered.
"What was that?" She asked.
"I'll tell you later." I said, shaking my head. In the final corner of the room sat what I was looking for: a desk with several open books on it.
I carefully waded through the room, making sure to disturb as little of the trash as humanly possible. When I did get to the desk, however, what I found was all worth it. There were several books worth of documents; so many that I couldn't even read them all before I had to leave. I settled for recording the pages as I flipped through them, knowing that they'd become readable once I could pause the recording.
"Ruby, he's coming your way!" Blake suddenly shouted in my ear.
I flinched slightly, immediately putting down the document I was flipping through. The room didn't have a window and there was only one door. I only had one option. Sighing, I burst into rose petals and flowed between any and every crack in the mountain of trashbags.
I could still feel things, but thankfully, it was only to a limited extent. That didn't help just how slimy they felt. At least I could still see and hear… for the most part. I sighed internally; sometimes I really hated my job. Before I could lament any further, though, the door swung open, revealing Adam in all his edgy glory.
He made a gagging sound as he entered the room, immediately rushing for a certain pile of junk, grabbing an air freshener and spraying practically half the entire bottle into the air. He groaned, shutting the door. "Damn that Human… making me live like this…" He muttered before beginning to methodically examine almost every piece of trash in the room. Luckily, he only sent a glance my way and didn't see me. After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied and relaxed slightly.
He unclasped the sword from his belt, one which was much more mundane than Wilt and Blush and leaned it up against a bedpost before snapping off a single mushroom from the tree and popping it into his mouth.
Part of me was tempted to burst from the trash and kill him right here and now, but another part recognized that doing so would only further radicalize the White Fang. Maybe it'd even escalate into Remnant's version of the Callisto incident. I really wish I could contact command at the moment, but all my comm gear was currently dematerialized into rose petals. I internally sighed, electing to watch the asshole pace back and forth as he chewed on his mushroom.
He stopped pacing just in front of the Blake shrine. He just stared at the picture for a moment, his mouth twitching between neutral and a frown before a solitary tear rolled down his cheek. "I wouldn't be in this situation if you'd had a little more faith in me." He muttered, removing his mask for a moment to wipe away the tear before replacing it. "We were fighting for equality, Blake, but you chose to throw it all away and run like you Belladonnas always do." His hands balled into fists, but soon relaxed. "You made a promise that you'd stick by me until the end." He sighed. "Just… please keep it."
He reached into another trash pile, pulling out a half-full bottle of vodka. He unscrewed the cap in a single motion with his thumb, flicking it off the bottle and catching it with his other hand and taking a swig. "Life was a lot simpler on the streets of Mistral. Even if I had to deal with bigots and starvation, at least I didn't have to bend over backwards for a Human." He sat down on the edge of his bed and hums. "Sometimes I imagine what the world would be like without them, y'know? A united Faunus front against the Grimm." He put the cap back on his bottle, setting it in another trash pile near the bed before laying down. "If only…" He trailed off.
He stayed relatively motionless for the next few minutes, his breathing steadying out and a small snore developing. Once I was sure he was asleep, I slowly reformed outside the trash pile. "-y? Come in. Please…..." Blake said over comms the second my body became whole again. I flashed a green and amber light to her. She sighed in relief. "That means you can't talk, right?" I winked my green status light. "Okay… just… let me know if you need anything." I winked my green light again.
During our little conversation, I was scanning the room, looking for the best way out through the trash. With Adam in the room, there was no way in hell I'd get any more intel without being compromised. I got some of the documents on record; just not all of them. In the middle of searching, though, I spotted something I'd missed in my previous haste.
A vent in the ceiling…
I sighed internally, activating my semblance once more and silently flowing through the vent. It wasn't long before I'd been spit out of the building and, luckily, I was already near a wall. Less than a minute later, I'd climbed over and was moving to Blake's position.
I winked my green light twice once I neared as to calm her down slightly. I knew she'd probably be able to hear me before I arrived, but I didn't need her trigger finger to get itchy. When I rolled up beside my half-armored teammate, she merely gave me a glance. "What happened down there? I was trying to raise you for like ten minutes."
"Adam walked in; had to hide in a trash pile."
"Well, that certainly explains the smell…" She said. "Wait, trash pile?"
"I'll explain later. How long ago did Valkea leave?"
"About when Adam went inside, just after they argued about a Faunus prisoner." She sighed. "Something is wrong here. Like… really wrong."
"You can say that again." I muttered. "But we've gotta get back; it'll only be so long for Valkea to reach the dorms and we'll need to be there when she does."
She glanced back at me. "How are we going to beat her there? She's probably over half-way back by this point."
I stood up, hoisting her to her feet in the same motion before turning around. "Hop on." I said.
She hesitated. "Are… are you serious?"
"Yeah, it's a little weird, but you aren't heavy enough to slow me down even without my MJOLNIR helping me." I shrugged. "Plus, I could use someone to watch my back; kinda hard to without a motion tracker."
"Fine, fine..." She sighed before climbing on, yelping as I took off in a dead sprint towards Beacon. Only ten minutes later, we arrived. She slowly released her deathgrip on my armor and slid onto the ground with a shudder. After a few seconds, she was back on her feet and glaring at me. "We will never speak of this again."
I shrugged. "Works for me. You might want to get back to the dorm and get some shuteye; classes start in about seven hours."
She yawned. "Don't have to tell me twice…" She said, beginning to walk away.
"Oh, and tell Weiss that you two get the morning off. I've got a little outing planned for Valkea and I."
"I pity her already." She said over her shoulder, disappearing into the dorm building.
I cued my mic. "Sierra here; mission successful. Transmitting documents now."
The other end crackled to life. "Excellent work, Lieutenant Commander. Major Foley out."
I leaned against the building, sighing. Part of me wanted to take a nap, but I had something in mind for Valkea when she got back. Speaking of the devil, she just exited the forest. I saw her take a cursory glance around the empty courtyard before her eyes locked onto mine.
/-\ Valkea Khan /-\
'Fuck…' I thought as I stared into the visor of the trooper standing guard at the dorms. I took a deep breath. 'It's okay… he probably doesn't even know who you are. Just… walk in like you own the place and you'll be fine…' I took a deep breath and walked forward, stowing my rifle onto my back.
I gave a friendly nod at the armored figure as I walked past, striding into-
…the person's arm…
I blinked, looking at them and opening my mouth, only for my words to be caught in my throat. The trooper's visor, once mirrored, now was completely transparent.
"Bit early for a walk, wouldn't ya say?" Ruby said.
"I… uhh…." I floundered. "…I couldn't sleep?"
"S'alright." She said. "I needed you for a special thing, anyways."
"Umm… actually, I think I'm a little tired now, can I get a raincheck on that?" I asked, desperately trying to get out of whatever the hell she'd come up with this time.
"Hmm… nope." She said, popping the 'p'. "There's a big test coming up in combat class, and I need to know how good you are with that rifle of yours."
"…I don't like where this is going…"
She lowered her arm, shrugging. "It's not that big a deal." She said, turning around and equipping a sniper rifle from her back. "Follow me." I raised my hand in protest, but she didn't even acknowledge me. Sighing, I did as she said. "Ammo count?" She asked when I neared her.
I hadn't used any for my trip to or from the base, so I just shrugged. "Five clips of eight-mil and two of fourteen-mil."
"How many rounds in a clip?"
"Nine in the eight-mil and five in the fourteen."
She glanced at me. "Packing light?"
I scoffed. "These aren't exactly a dime a dozen." I said, knowing full well that this was most of my remaining ammo supply; I only had my emergency reserve of three high-explosive fourteen-mil clips, otherwise.
Ruby shrugged again. "If you do well enough, I don't think you'll have that problem in the immediate future." I blinked but didn't say anything. "C'mon, let's pick up the pace; double time it." She took off at somewhere between a jog and a run, carefully keeping her muzzle pointed forward the entire time.
We ran through Beacon's surrounding forest and eventually arrived at the cliff, which she jumped off without hesitation. I peered over the edge and found her skidding down the near vertical slope as if it was nothing; her rifle idly scanning from side to side.
Sure, I'd just slid down the cliff into Forever Fall a few hours ago, but that wasn't quite as steep. I took a deep breath and followed her down. A few moments later, I ever so elegantly landed on my face at the bottom. I groaned, getting up and grabbing my rifle at the same time.
"You alright?" She asked.
I nodded. "Yeah… had my aura up."
"Good. There's a hill overlooking a clearing about eighteen clicks from here; should be a good enough perch." She set off with me following. "Oh, and keep your emotions in check; Grimm are crawling all over the Emerald Forest."
I rolled my eyes before taking a deep breath and letting a wave of calm wash over me. Years of solo missions in the Solitasian tundra paying dividends in the 'not attracting monsters' department. I blinked, suddenly realizing something she said. "Wait… eighteen kilometers?!"
"It'll be over before ya know it." She hummed. "Actually, there is a way to make it go a little faster."
"How?"
"Repeat after me." She said, clearing her throat. "HELLJUMPER, HELLJUMPER WHERE YA BEEN?!"
/-\ Ruby Rose /-\
We crawled forward through the undergrowth, approaching the clearing. We'd had to take a few breaks to let Valkea catch her breath, but overall, we made good time. We poked our heads out of the bushes and, as expected, the area was filled with Grimm. I took out my sniper rifle and looked down the scope. "Alright, get your weapon ready. I'll call out targets and you take 'em down."
She glanced at me. "…And why am I the only one shooting?"
I rolled my eyes. "Because this is a test. We need to know if you're any good with that thing of yours." She stayed silent, only shouldering her rifle. "Load eight-mil; we'll get the small fry outta the way first."
"Loaded." She said.
"Alright." I zoomed in on a particularly unlucky Boarbatusk, the only one in this group, that was busy laying around with its stomach facing us. "Take out the Boarbatusk; one round to the heart. Wind is two knots from the southwest; target at one-hundred meters." She didn't respond, only taking a minute to adjust her sights and exhale.
-BOOM-
I nodded. "Good hit, target down." I said, quickly sighting another one. 'Good enough on a stationary target, how about a moving one?' "Beowolf coming towards us. Take it down."
-BOOM-
The target's head exploded, sending Grimmgore all over the clearing. "Another 'Wolf, two-hundred meters; looks confused."
-BOOM-
We continued for a few minutes, the Grimm horde before us growing ever thinner. As the last shot rang out, I smiled. "Not bad." I said. 'For someone who isn't a super soldier…' I mentally added.
"So, I pass this little test of yours, then?" She spat out.
I nodded. "With flying colors." I said, scanning the treeline to make absolutely sure we'd gotten all the hostiles. My eyes narrowed when I noticed a small glint off an otherwise inconspicuous bush. I zoomed in, flicking on my thermals; nothing was there. "Ammo check?"
"Three rounds of eight-mill; didn't use any fourteen."
"Roger, cover me."
I walked forward, switching out my sniper for Onyx Rose, into the clearing itself and towards the glint. Normally, it'd be difficult to see even with my eye enhancements and VISR, but as luck would have it, a full moon loomed above us.
I swept my rifle back and forth, still somewhat unsettled by both the lack of a motion tracker and an innie watching my back. Regardless, I was given standing orders to retrieve anything and everything I thought the UNSC could use; a glint in the woods at least warranted a once-over.
I didn't have any clue what it could be, as I'd only ever seen this clearing from the blurry edge of a satellite image, so imagine my shock when I found it to be a propeller of all things. Four blades, silver in color, looked like it'd been ripped off of whatever craft it'd been built for.
Deciding this was worth a bit more than a glance, I continued deeper into the woods. My jaw dropped when I recognized a large silhouette among the trees. I hesitantly keyed my mic. "Odinsdottir, Sierra here. Do those salvage orders apply to crashed airships, too?"
I didn't get a response immediately, but after a few moments, Foley came through. "Uhh… affirmative, Sierra. Give us the location and what you've got."
I hit a button on the side of my wrist, automatically transmitting the coordinates. "Looks like a Mistralian third-rate; maybe a hundred meters in length? At least it was, upper bow's broken off."
"How intact is it?"
I hummed. "Other than the bow? Looks like it's mostly in one piece; hull's rotted and most of it's covered in moss, but the metal isn't rusted. Maybe get an engineer or two down here before making any commitments beyond just taking anything that looks useful."
"Roger, Sierra. Hold position and run security; a flight of Pelicans will be there in thirty mikes."
"Wilco, Odinsdottir." I said before clicking off my mic. I stepped out of the treeline and back into the clearing, motioning Valkea to come forward. A few minutes later and she was at my side, eyebrow raised. "Alright, here's the situation." I started. "I'm gonna stay here with this wreck while UNSC personnel work on it. I'm giving you a choice, though; either stay here with me and get a lift back to Beacon when we're done, or you can run back through the Grimm-infested forest by yourself."
"I've got thirteen rounds left…" She deadpanned. "I'll be staying with you if that's an option."
"That's what I figured." I said, plopping down on a fallen tree that stuck out into the clearing. I removed my helmet, taking a swig from my canteen. "Want some?" I asked, holding it out for her.
She hesitated, taking it after a moment but wiping the lid off with her sleeve before drinking. "Thanks." She said, handing it back.
I shrugged, putting my helmet back on. "It'll be a while before they come, no sense in waiting thirsty…"
/-\ Embra Autumnos /-\
I was once again walking Beacon's grounds this morning, but today was slightly different than yesterday. I'd dreamed of one of Pyrrha's tournament wins, and the amazing stunts she pulled during it. When I awoke, it suddenly hit me that I was training to be a huntress, and even if I dropped out now, I still had Amber's powers, which she was somewhat killed over.
In other words: I needed to get good, and fast.
The only trouble was… I had no idea how to fight. Or rather, I had no idea if I had an idea of how to fight. So that's why I was out before breakfast, carrying my gun/sword/javelin; Μήλώ, the inscription said.
Just as I was about to enter the forest, away from prying eyes, I noticed a green airship descending through the sky, touching down on one of the landingpads moments later. It didn't even stay for a full minute, dropping the ramp, letting two passengers disembark, before sealing back up and flying off to gods-know-where. I only recognized the newer member of Team RWVB; I hadn't seen the other one, a black-clad UNSC soldier, before. Oddly, a rather large raven perched itself on a nearby lamppost, watching them intently.
I shrugged it off, venturing into the woods to test myself. Instead of just blindly going into the woods this time, I decided to take one of the few trails leading away from the main campus. It wasn't paved or anything, the foliage was merely trampled down from frequent use. The underbrush was trimmed back, but that was about the extent of any maintenance done here.
I continued on for a while, debating if I should just stop in the middle of the path to practice, but soon enough, I came across a small clearing clearly meant for camping…
…and it was occupied.
A makeshift shelter sat off to the side, mainly made of sticks but with a torn Atlesian banner over the entrance. A Ram Faunus man sat on a log beside a campfire, looking at me with apprehension. "…Hello?" I said, unsure of what to do.
"Uhh… hi." He said. "Are you one of the students?"
I nodded. "Indeed. Might I ask what you're doing here?"
"Oh… we uhh… came here after Atlas fell. We thought Beacon would be a safer bet than the streets."
I raised an eyebrow. "'We'?"
"Yeah. My wife and our three boys are inside." He said, nodding to the hut. "So what brings you out here?"
"Just… going for a morning walk." I said.
"Oh, well… don't let me keep ya." He said, turning back to the fire.
"Umm… okay… nice to meet you!" I said, continuing onwards. Oddly enough, it didn't take long to find another clearing, though it was still easily far enough away from the other one to be out of earshot of its occupants. Now came the hard part; actually seeing if I could wield my weapon.
I unsheathed Milo from my hip, twirling it around for a moment to test the balance. I didn't actually bring Akouo; it felt… off when I picked it up before leaving my dorm. Just wielding Milo felt a little odd, too, but not as odd as having the shield. I felt an urge bubble to the surface of my mind and, on instinct, I flicked my wrist backwards, transforming my weapon into its javelin form, and threw it at a tree in front of me.
It struck dead center, causing me to smile. Again out of instinct, I reached out with my semblance to retrieve it…
…
…I reached out with my semblance to retrieve it…
…
I sighed, walking forward and manually retrieving my weapon. As the javelin came to rest in my palms, I blinked, replaying the events that just occurred. 'I guess I really am my own person…' I thought, walking back to the center of the clearing.
I took a deep breath and thought about changing my weapon back to its xiphos form, but… something about the javelin form just felt more right; like I'd used a similar weapon for much longer...
I spun the weapon around, getting a feel for how the balance had shifted, before imagining an opponent in front of me. He shouldered his rifle and fired, though I parried every shot with a twirl of my javelin. Then he charged, bayonet affixed, and tried to stab me right through the gut.
I stepped aside at the last moment, twirling the blunt end of Milo into the back of his skull and knocking him out. I dove to the side, evading another imaginary opponent, before sweeping his legs and, as he was falling, kicking him upside the head.
The last enemy charged me, hip-firing his weapon the entire way. Again, I twirled my javelin in a circle, perfectly hitting each bullet with the flat of the weapon. Once he got close enough, I flashed to his side, brought Milo around his torso, grabbed it with my other hand, and forced him to the ground.
I took a deep breath, something just felt… off with the way I was fighting; like it was missing a certain 'oomph'. I relaxed my muscles, dipping into a series of familiar flowing movements and treating my weapon more like a staff than a spear. After a few twirls, I thrust it forward and, automatically, a [Force] shot down my veins, coming out as a gust of wind emanating from Milo's tip. I blinked.
That felt… right.
I thrust my javelin forward again, mimicking the [Force]ful feeling, and again, a gust of wind shot forward into the trees. I twirled my weapon into an overhead slash, putting some [Force] behind it as well. It accelerated so fast it nearly flew out of my hands, the wind howling as loud as a train meanwhile. A smile spread across my face as I repeated my strikes, keeping the [Force] behind every single one.
A few minutes later, I slowed to a stop, my chest rising and falling rhythmically from the light exertion. This was… exhilarating! Adding the wind to my attacks just felt so… natural. I paused. 'I wonder what else I can do…'
/-\ Ruby Rose /-\
I felt the dropship touch down, immediately unbuckling my restraints and standing up. I would've immediately left the vehicle, but I couldn't help but notice Valkea was fast asleep. I rolled my eyes, giving her a light bonk on the head. Well, my definition of light, that is.
"Ow!" She shouted, rubbing her forehead. "What in the-"
"We're here." I interrupted.
She grumbled a little as she got up, following me out of the Pelican. On our way through the courtyard, I saw Pyrrha, who looked at us blankly for a moment before disappearing into the woods. I shrugged her off; she probably knew what she was doing.
Probably…
I sighed. 'I should probably check with her team and make sure they know where she is…' I thought. I wouldn't normally do that, but with her memory problems recently… it couldn't hurt. However, before I could act on that thought, Professor Ozpin himself stepped out of the staff dormitories in the distance, walking towards his office. I glanced at Valkea. "Go back to the room and get ready; I'll be there in a minute."
She just groaned, continuing to sulk her way forward in a tired stupor. I couldn't blame her; she didn't get any sleep last night, having to run security with me for the salvage team (read: digging trenches all morning). I'd cover for her if- when she fell asleep in class; maybe say it was a special assignment from Ozpin. It wouldn't be a complete lie.
Speaking of the headmaster, I finally caught up to him. "Miss Rose." He said, sipping at his drink.
"Headmaster." I said, nodding. "I'd say she's good for the OP, just keep her in an overwatch position."
"That's good to hear. Any comments?"
"We found an old Mistralian third-rate about eighteen klicks from the city; probably crashed a few years ago. Marines've secured the site and the engineers said it's safe to move. I was told to formally request a berthing at a shipyard to see if it's worth getting airworthy again."
He raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask why you would want to restore a wreck like that?"
I shrugged. "Could always use a carrier, or a heavy dropship, or a freighter. Loads of possibilities."
He nodded. "I'll ask around. I assume that is all?"
"Ye-" I cut myself off. "Actually, I just remembered something. We've been meaning to go up and salvage anything we can from the Devil's Hand up in orbit. It got cut in half by an energy projector during the invasion, but there might still be some stuff up there. It also might be a good introduction to moving in zero-gee for the students here."
He pursed his lips in thought. "Are you asking permission to take them along with you?"
"Pretty much. We've got eight spare environment suits, including the one I'm wearing right now, so that leaves enough for my team plus four others." He made a 'go on' motion. "They'd be in groups of three; two students and either a Marine or a Sailor to keep them from killing themselves. Plus, I already ran the idea by Witherson; he's fine with it if you are."
"And how long would they be gone?"
"I'd make sure they'd be back by curfew."
He sipped at his drink, humming. While he was thinking, Goodwitch rounded the corner, her own thermos in hand. His eyes darted towards her. "I shall approve your request on the condition that Professor Goodwitch chaperones."
She stopped dead in her tracks. "Ozpin, what did you just sign me up for?"
I smirked. "Oh, you'll only be going into space; not exactly a big deal."
She stared at me blankly. "…Are you serious?"
I nodded. "Like I told Ozpin, no one here has any zero-gee training. That might be a problem against an enemy that likes to turn off the gravity when they're being boarded." I shrugged. "And it couldn't hurt to have a few extra superhumans help the salvaging operation go a little smoother."
She crossed her arms. "Who would be going?"
"You, Team RWVB, and three volunteers."
She pinched her nose before looking at Ozpin. "Very well… I'll accompany them." She said before turning back to me. "Is there anything I should bring? And when is this expedition taking place?"
"We'll give you everything you need to not die out there, and it'll happen two days after the offensive. I'll ask for volunteers during my class today. Speaking of which…" I trailed off, tapping my watch.
He smiled, waving me off. I nodded, walking away.
/-\ Jaune Arc /-\
I jogged through the forest, still worried about why my partner would just up and leave without saying anything. Just as I was beginning to doubt Ruby told me the right path Pyrrha went down, I came upon a clearing with a nice stranger who pointed me in the correct direction.
Only a few minutes later, I started to hear the sounds of combat. Just as I was about to take off running towards it, I realized there was only one voice among the sounds; that, and the lack of metal clanging that huntsmen fights were so famous for.
Curious, I poked my head into the clearing the noises were coming from. I sighed in relief when I saw it was Py- Embra, just doing training. She didn't notice me, and, honestly, I was content just watching her practice; she seemed to be having a good time, anyway.
Embra's fighting style seemed a little… different than Pyrrha's. Whereas my original partner would focus on quick strikes and acrobatics to keep the initiative, Embra's strikes seemed to glide into one another; her spear blurring in front of her before suddenly striking out.
…and her eye was on fire again; can't miss that.
She finally finished a few minutes later, her weapon sending out a final gust that rattled the trees as hard as any windy day would. I stepped out of the treeline, giving her a smile as she caught her breath. "Hey, Pyr- err… Embra."
"Hello… Jaune…" She panted, blinking the flames away from her eyes.
"Wanna sit down?" I asked, gesturing to a fallen log. She paused, blushing slightly before nodding and taking a seat alongside me. "So… why'd ya come out here?"
"Just to practice, actually." She said. "I didn't know if I knew how to fight."
I chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah… been there, done that."
She blinked. "You lost your memories too?"
"Oh, no. I mean the whole 'faked my transcripts' thing." She stared at me blankly. "Oh… you didn't remember that, did you?" She shook her head. "Well, long story short, you and Ruby helped me learn how to fight. I might not actually be good yet, buuuut I'm a lot better than I was." I smiled. "So, if ya need a sparring partner, just lemmie know. It sure beats spending the whole morning looking for you."
She blushed. "I'm sorry…"
I shrugged. "It's alright. Just maybe leave a note or something next time."
"That may be for the best, yes." She said before biting her lip. Her eyes darted back and forth, but she remained silent.
"What's up?" I asked, finally.
She sighed. "I… don't really know how to approach it."
"What's 'it'?" I asked.
She rubbed the back of her head. "I… Pyrrha really liked you, you know."
I blinked. "Yeah… you said that before."
She blushed. "I think some of those feelings may have transferred to me."
I opened my mouth, but it clicked shut immediately after. Only after thinking some more did I speak. "Are you… asking me out?"
She bit her lip. "Despite how the last one ended, I… would certainly not be opposed to another?" She said with a slight tilt of her head. "I- if it's okay with you, of course."
I smiled. "Sure, why not?"
/-\ Ruby Rose /-\
I walked through the hallways of the school, the last bell having just rung half-an-hour prior. I'd already changed into my usual attire; the pseudo PT gear with my pistol holstered at my waist and several knives hidden throughout the outfit. I smiled; during lunch, I got a text that I'd been anticipating for quite a while now…
My scythe was ready.
It all lined up perfectly; it was even Blake's turn to make sure Valkea didn't snap and try to murder Weiss! Though I doubt she'd try that today, simply because she'd only had a few minutes cumulative of sleep for the past two days. In the time it took me to actually change, she was already on her bunk, out like a light.
As I walked through the school, though, I passed a student carrying a few boxes, one of them with a Valerian Mail Service stamp on it. I shrugged as I entered the lobby; none of us had actually bothered to check the team's mailbox since we got back, there were just too many things on our minds this past week-and-a-half.
I wasn't surprised to find it moderately full when I opened it, though I was surprised to find a package addressed to me specifically. I was so curious, in fact, that I opened it right then and there. Inside was a handwritten letter placed atop a red cloth.
You left this at home when you and your team went to Atlas. -Dad
My brow furrowed. 'Left what?' I thought before examining the box's contents more closely. All that was in there was the red cloth, but upon further inspection, said red cloth had a hood as well as a small brooch; the same design as the rose emblem I always kept on me. After a moment, I recognized them.
This was the cloak mom sewed for me.
I held it up, examining it more closely. 'I know she's alive… somewhere…' I reminded myself. '…but that doesn't mean I'll ever get to see her again…' I sighed at the thought, quickly coming to a decision and throwing on the garment.
I took out my scroll, propping it up on a shelf on selfie mode to see myself. As much as I wanted to wear it, the cloak didn't exactly go well with my tan and brown PT outfit. That could be fixed, though; simple clothes like these weren't exactly expensive, even when made to huntsman-quality. I nodded; make the pants and shirt black using white lettering and maybe throw on a red belt.
I was already going to Vale; I might as well make an extra stop at the huntsman supply store. I clapped my hands together, forming a to-do list before setting off for the room with the rest of the team's packages.
I walked into the weapon shop, my rucksack stuffed full of my new clothes. No one was manning the counter right at this moment, and in the background, I could hear the buzzing of someone welding a piece of metal.
I hummed, browsing the store idly while I waited for someone to notice me. It wasn't long, however, as the familiar weaponsmith emerged from the back, a welding mask flipped up onto his head. "Oh, hello!" He said, setting the mask down on the counter. "How can I help you today?"
"I'm here to pick up my weapon; a sniper rifle scythe."
"Ah yes! I'll be right back with it." He disappeared back behind the 'employees only' door, emerging a few minutes later, my weapon in hand. "Here you are!" He said, giving it to me.
I looked it over, running my hand along the red powdercoated steel of the blade housing. Just like I'd ordered, the blade was currently collapsed against the barrel, which was also in its compact form. Oddly, though, a piece near the butt end of the weapon was padded.
"Oh, that part folds down into a stock." The blacksmith said, seeing my confusion, before pressing a button on the side and folding it down. "If you want to try it out, I've got an empty room above my shop."
I nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great, actually."
"Alright, follow me, then." He said, leading me upstairs. "Y'know, it's a good thing you placed the order when you did. The very next day, I got swamped with orders from the VDF for these weirdly big guns." He scoffed. "I actually need to modify my dust alloying ovens to even fit the barrels in 'em!" He laughed. "I mean, why do you even need a sixty-millimeter gun that's thirty-five calibers long? The things won't do anything to a ship!" He chuckled. "Oh, I'm rambling again, aren't I? Anyways, here's the room." He said, opening the door.
I nodded to him, stepping inside the high-ceiling room. The first thing I did was to eject the magazine and rack the bolt. I smiled when nothing came out; they were both empty. Slotting the magazine back in, I began to do a proper work-over of my new toy.
The weapon wasn't exactly light, but then again, that wasn't really an issue for me. I snapped the stock back in place and extended the barrel before folding out the blade. As expected, it was very bottom-heavy; it almost felt like I was holding a pendulum on a long stick.
I looked behind me, making sure he was well clear of the weapon's range before I started swinging it around like a madwoman, and then proceeded to do just that. The center of gravity was very different from Wilt, not to mention the cutting surface, but still, it seemed like it was crafted very well.
Satisfied, I changed it back into its compact form, knowing I'd have to practice quite a bit with that aspect. I smiled to myself, turning back to the smith. "You do good work." I said.
He beamed. "What can I say? Every weapon's a work of art."
'Heh, the Brutes would disagree…' I thought, stuffing the weapon in my rucksack. "I think I'll take off, though. Gotta get back to Beacon."
He put his hands in his pockets, leading me back to the storefront. "Well, don't let me keep ya. If I recall correctly, your Uncle Qrow paid for it already."
I nodded. "Yeah, gotta take him out for lunch or something sometime."
He chuckled. "Well, have a good day, then! And be sure to come back if you or your friends need anything!"
"Will do." I said with a wave, exiting his shop.
Once I was on my way back, my thoughts drifted elsewhere; namely, what to call the weapon. 'I mean… I like what I did with Onyx Rose, but I can't really just call it Red Rose, or something…' I hummed. 'Something Rose, though; I like my name being attached to a weapon for some reason.'
'Let's see… it's a sniper slash scythe, so… Crescent Rose?' I shook my head. 'Nah; Onyx Rose has some other significance to it, this one should too. Deadeye Rose? Same problem.'
I thought more and more while I ran my last errand; actually getting ammunition for the bloody thing. I may have gotten the weapon itself, but the blacksmith didn't sell that for one reason or another. I thought long and hard while I was in the city, reaching ever farther for a name even as I waited for the Bullhead back to Beacon.
'…Currahee Rose? No, that's a mouthful.' I sighed, still at a loss for a name. 'Maybe I'll think of something in my sleep?' I thought; I was pretty tired, after all. I yawned as the airship landed; the boarding ramps popping up before myself and the crowd surrounding me. While I was distracted, however, it seemed someone made a very poor decision. I felt a hand slither its way into one of my cargo pockets.
The only one I cared about.
I caught the hand by the wrist just as it withdrew and, turning around slowly, I got a look at the culprit. A scrawny blonde-haired boy looked at me in shock, my old teammate's dogtags dangling from his fingertips.
"What do you think you're doing?" I growled, my voice low and my gaze harder than steel.
He squirmed, desperately trying to worm his way out of my grip. "H- Help!" He shouted. "Sh- She's attacking me!"
I rolled my eyes, nearly breaking his wrist in a split second for the sole purpose of getting him to drop what he held. I caught it mid-air, gently stowing it in my pocket before dragging the man over to the security station, screaming all the way.
The guard, who merely looked like a disappointed father, sighed as we approached. "Really? You're trying to pickpocket a huntress-in-training?" He shook his head. "This is stupid even for you." He turned to me. "Really sorry about this, ma'am. He got out on good behavior last time; shame it didn't stick."
I looked the would-be thief dead in the eye. "Listen here and listen good." I said. "You just tried to steal the last thing I have left of my original team. The thing itself has very little if any monetary value. In other words, you came this-" I pinched my fingers together. "close to having your wrist broken into a million different pieces for literally no reason. Think about that while you mope around and rethink your life choices."
I walked away, dimly registering the guard reading him the Remnant-equivalent of Miranda Rights. I sighed, plopping down onto one of the seats in the airship; the crowd giving me a wide berth. I reached into my pocket and began counting the tags, making sure they were all there.
Carter. Emile. Jorge. Kat. Lisette. Jun.
'Heh, Jun'd probably love that I got myself a sniper…' I thought to myself, just relieved that I didn't lose any tags. I blinked. 'Wait a minute… what about Noble Rose?' I tested the name in my head a few times before smiling.
Noble Rose it is.
(A/N) Aaaand that rounds out Ruby's weapon collection! Onyx Rose, her mace/grenade launcher/assault rifle; Wilt and Blush, her liberated sword/rifle; and, of course, Noble Rose, her scythe/sniper rifle. Huh, every one of her weapons is also a rifle of some sort. Except her knives and her grenades. Hmm… rifle grenades… there's an idea…
We're nearing the end of Volume 2 now (finally), so I'm more focused on wrapping up the arcs that I started here; namely, the Arkos arc. Yes, they're officially a couple now, and that means they get punted back into the background. Also, I'm fully expecting a few people to have some choice words on how I handled the whole Pyrrha/Embra thing, but that's okay.
Aaaaaaaaanyways, that's all I have to say about this chapter, onto the reviews!
C313st14 said – "Does the unsc frigate have spare armor part for spartan II's or III's? And if not can Ruby just try to make an armor like the mjolnir mk1 that appeared in halo legends prototype short?"
Nope, it does not have a spare part for a suit of MJOLNIR. Fun fact: the suit in the Prototype short isn't actually MJOLNIR; it's a HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I and probably more complicated than even a suit of MJOLNIR.
Ghost of Los Angeles said – "Exactly how much does Ruby trust Oz in this AU on a scale of 1 to 10 1 being I cannot trust him at all I need to find a way to quietly eliminate him to 10 I want induct him into ONI. One of the first things I think Pyrrha should remember is Ruby's past maybe have Glenda written on Ruby and what she is actually capable of and a lot of other things."
At the beginning it was probably somewhere between a 2 and a 3. Now that he's being at least somewhat truthful with her, it's probably a 5 or 6. Actually, I don't think Ruby ever told anyone outside of Team RWWBY (and her father and uncle) what her past entailed in detail.
RozeBomb said – "I'm certainly loving how this story is unfolding, but you've got me interested for a VERY specific reason. I read 'A Summer's Harvest' a couple times and I notice that a line towards the end of it is exactly the same line Ruby said when she initially appeared over Remnant. I can only guess what you're planning, but I'm thinking there's gonna be some time-travel shenanigans going on.
As for Valk having Silver eyes...that's gonna be interesting as well. I've never read another fanfiction where they included somebody not related to Ruby to have said eyes. I'm interested to see what you do with that.
I'll be honest, your story gave me my own ideas for a RWBY/Halo crossover. Though I'm thinking also using some story aspects used by Buck's ODST crew. Anyway, gave me something to think about, so that usually means you got a good story.
Personal note; Whiterose. I know you likely won't do it, but the concept of tall-as-hell Ruby picking Weiss up to kiss her is just hilarious in my mind!"
There is no time travel, only light lag, I'm afraid. Though you're far from the only one to miss that; I probably didn't do a good enough job of inferring it.
Ikr? Usually they're Ruby's long lost sister/brother/cousin's best friend's former roommate. Not here; she's basically just a rando that happens to have silver eyes, pretty much just like Maria (though there's no relation to her either).
As a Whiterose shipper myself, that's adorable. Weiss is being Weiss-y and Ruby just picks her up and gives her a calm down kiss.
Ghostly said – "At the moment you made the notion of having industrial companies build vehicles, airships, better weapons, and tanks. It got me wondering about the ground vehicle & airships, would the tanks be like our modern day variation or will it be similar to the scorpion than there is the airships, are they going to have any similarities & weapons to UNSC vessels along with better hull armor?"
There was a whole discussion about tanks over on the SB version; basically, the consensus is "Bob Semple on steroids for the first few, then start working through modern MBTs". Funnily enough there's a little hint in Ruby's last PoV about this subject…
Guest 001 said – "I am interested way you do B312 as Ruby you have to combine the to in a way that makes sense like ruby personality and B312 has their own personality are two different personality like TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115 gets B312 personality right now he adds after all so you doing a good job that all. Bty what do you think of TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115 story?"
Thanks! I won't comment on his story compared to mine (though I think it's interesting) not because I don't respect it (it'll probably pass my own in favorites soon, so he's doing something right), but because I don't want to come off as self-aggrandizing. "Ah yes, my own work is blahblahblahblah."
Aaaaand that's it for this chapter! Stay healthy, stay home, and stay strong, see ya later! The next chapter is titled "Enemy At The Gates".
