Chapter 5: Saving a Maiden is Logical

Planet of Remnant

Shockwave could instantly see the differences between Mistral and Vale. Compared to Mistral, Vale possessed a much more simplistic way of life, or at least a less colorful way of life in his eyes. The technologies, the architecture, the people, the general atmosphere, all of these things and more told him that this kingdom was indeed not particularly special.

In fact, the only thing that could be called special about Vale was Beacon huntsman academy was located in the city of Vale, probably the most interesting city within the kingdom, which really didn't say much. Still, he chose to make his way there.

But he wouldn't be taking any airships, jets, or planes to get there. Neither would he take any form of public ground transportation. He would strike out on his own. This way he could continue to test his mettle against the Grimm along the way. He needed the practice; his experience in war, though vast, was not enough to cover all of his blind spots.

Shockwave wouldn't forget the experience of travelling with others. Matte and her captain had been more than thankful for him killing the Grimm that was designated as a Kraken. So in addition to his own personal musings, he had gained a favor and some allies, so now he a foothold on this world, a small one granted, but one he could use regardless. There was a saying: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Before he set off, he first reviewed some basic survival techniques and gathered some supplies from various stores. He then placed all of his purchases into his backpack and then set off.

The guards at the gate didn't argue with him when he set off. His physical stature alone seemed to have many of them a bit on-edge. Whatever words they had with him, he quickly talked his way through them. Their logic was easy to break through. He could have bribed them, and it would have been easier to do so, but bribing was such a petty and shallow path. Shockwave considered himself an intellectual.

The path would be dangerous and no doubt he would be needing to keep his nerves and his alert way up, but working in a laboratory while a war raged on outside had given him a unique sort of sense for danger, even when he was deeply immersed in his work. He intended to make use of this sense.

Before leaving the confines of the city as well as access to Remnant's network of information, he made sure to wipe his existence from all surveillance technology. He had a virus going through all systems throughout Remnant. This planet was tiny compared to Cybertron; with the amount of technology in accordance to the planet size and the primitive nature of said technology, he felt assured that he would be gone from all technological eyes before he reached the city of Vale.

Shockwave would have journeyed the whole way on foot if not for the fact that he spotted traveling caravans going to the various scattered villages. The price he offered to them was too tempting to just let go, and he was promised a journey that would make his journey at least twenty percent more efficient. Judging by their faces, it was not an offer they would ever get again.

The lien he had paid the travelers also gave him a good seat, though he preferred to travel with the cargo. He was not a Cybertronian, or rather, not a man of luxury. He would take only what he deemed to be enough.

The sound of tires against the ground was a much different sound than waves against the hull, but the background noise wasn't too disruptive. As he did on the boat, he sorted out his business, both personal and relating to Remnant, he ate when he needed to, and he took a short nap.

Shockwave listened to some stories as well. They were important to listen to because they would help him fabricate his own story to conceal his true nature and identity. This world, however small, could potentially have many threats. Regardless of his reasons for joining the Decepticons, he was still a Cybertronian, and Cybertron was his home.

The most interesting ones were of encounters with less friendly faces in the wilds. Bandits, raiders, cutthroats, and generally disliked types roamed the lands that weren't controlled by the kingdoms. They were considered barbaric and mostly beyond reason, so many within these caravans had to learn how to defend themselves. Not all of them could hire huntsmen and huntresses. The price was quite steep for an armed escort.

The landscape of Vale was relatively consistent. Forests, plains, hills, and the occasional mountains dotted the landscape. It didn't possess the varied landscapes that Mistral had and it didn't possess as much controlled territory as Mistral did either. Vale was actually quite a scattered kingdom. When looking at a map, it was surprising just how divided the entire region looked.

The Faunus-Cybertronian, once he was tired of stories, simply stared out into the distance, reviewing some new information with his brief connection to the web.

The White Fang, more than once had come up as recent news, and he paid no mind at first. However, once Faunus and inequality also started to turn up as common search words in accordance to said organization, it felt necessary to see what the fuss was all about.

The White Fang had originated as an organization dedicated to using peaceful means to bring about Faunus equality by means of protests, sit-ins, and various other methods that were considered civil disobedience. The risks that its members undertook were substantial, and credit had to be given for those with the courage to stand up to Mankind.

Shockwave applauded them for trying to reach realize such a goal as equality with society, but the methods were not to his liking.

Protesting, in some respects, was akin to a child who threw a tantrum when they did not receive what they wished for. Humans didn't believe Faunus to be on equal footing, and neither the Faunus nor the White Fang had done enough to convince their counterpart species otherwise. These means of trying to fight this inequality felt so hollow and pointless at times. Certainly if someone made enough of a fuss, eventually, attention would be attracted, but then what? It was as if protesters simply expected to change minds by spouting anger a lot.

Demanding change was never good enough. One also had to make change, and in order to do that, one had to take action, to show the world another way, and prove that way to be viable. People always responded to those who had the ability to overcome adversity and triumph. The White Fang could yell and complain all they wished, but if history had proved anything, it would not be enough. They needed action.

Then again, the Faunus efforts in the Great War should have been sufficient proof that the Faunus were equals to Humans and superior in some respects, but that wasn't the case, so there was a much deeper problem that lingered.

And it didn't help matters that the White Fang were now considered to be a terrorist organization. It not only hurt them, but it hurt all Faunus. The reputation of the entire species would be related back to the actions of the few who were foolish enough to take up arms and fight.

The label of terrorist wasn't without merit. The White Fang's tactics had grown admittedly more aggressive.

Tn any case, the fact was that Humans and Faunus were similar, similar enough that they could procreate. That fact alone was sufficient proof that they were of the same species, and that one of the two was a sub-species. That was too blunt of a statement, though, and it hardly answered the question of why Humans feared Faunus.

Those were his arguments, but ignorance had a way of preventing sense from coming into the equation, as did greed, power, and influence. When it came to the Faunus, there were many reasons to keep them down, virtually all of them unfounded and more excuse than reason.

As a Faunus himself, Shockwave had to ask himself these questions, because he expected to be discriminated against due to his appearance. The better he prepared himself with how to deal with ignorance and bigots, the more likely that he would have a good reputation, should he ever have need of one.

He decided upon a solution to his potential problem with discrimination. If he gave no ammunition for racists to feed off of, then their power would diminish and go away. The best to take their power was to not retaliate in a violent way. A smart mind was sometimes better than a strong body, and more often than not, ignorance and stupidity went hand in hand.

The White Fang? A group with good ideas, but with a terrible method of executing said ideas. He would certainly not be making the mistakes of his fellow Faunus.

Repeating the same thing was not only illogical. It was insane.

(X)(X)(X)(X)

Week Two…

Shockwave, after having gone some hundreds of miles with the caravan, left on foot, paying what was owed, taking a few supplies, and set out onto the long road to Vale City. The caravan had made good headway, yet he still at least another month of travel.

The journey gave him seclusion with only his footsteps, his body, and the life all around him making noise, though none of this background noise came across as anything more than what it was.

According to the map that one of the caravan travelers had given him, the next village was another mile ahead. It was a medium-sized village with adequate protection and had a place where he could rest and resupply. The first village he had passed by, named Everett, was over three days behind him, and his pack was feeling a bit light.

There was another bend in the road, and he began to pick up the pace. He had been walking ever since before the crack of dawn, and as such, he had begun to wear himself out. His steps were more stiff, his body felt less agile, and he was all around exhausted.

Something struck his hair, and he stopped to gaze upward. Then something hit his face. It was a raindrop. Then there was another one. At this rate, it would begin to rain, then pour. Although getting sick in the rain was not likely, contrary to a popular myth, he had no desire to get doused.

Shockwave passed a few houses as rainwater began to increase. His head looked left and right. Surely, this village had to have some sort of public place for him to rest, if even for a few minutes. He saw a library, a town hall, a corner store.

Shockwave halted as his eyes came upon something: a bar

It would suffice.

Reading the name on the door, which said Zenith Bar, he pushed the door open, and was greeted with some music being played from what sounded like a stereo system. The music was soft, and reflected the mood that was inside the room: soft. Some of the tables were occupied with groups, but not all of the them were full as some sat alone. The bar itself wasn't filled either.

The former mech decided on a secluded spot to sit, not too far or too close to the other tables or the bar itself. He would be able to leap into action if there was an attack at a moment's notice.

He ran a hand through his hair, noting that it was slightly damp. His eye and his optic became more adjusted to the lit environment around him. His ears took in the flow of light music, the sounds of conversation, and the clinking of glasses. He noticed footsteps when they could be heard. He saw raindrops outside from the window.

He was noticing so many details, as was his mode of operation when taking in a new setting. He was never one to frequent places like these back on Cybertron; he only knew that they existed, and that memorable stories could come out of places like these.

The sound of a glass cup being placed on the table he was seated at urged him to turn his head to see who had come to him. It was a waiter, dressed and groomed with not a hair out of line. It was a very professional look.

Shockwave glanced at the glass, then back to the waiter.

"This is not mine." Shockwave said. "You have-"

"From the man over there. Red eyes, black hair." The waiter pointed to a table at the opposite end of the establishment. "He said it's on the house."

A man wanted to give him a free drink? Why in Primus's name would a stranger want to buy a drink for him? Were they to exchange words.

Shockwave kept his internal musings to himself. "Thank you."

"By the way, that's top shelf." The waiter informed the cybernetic Faunus. "The man said nothing less was acceptable."

If this man was buying a premium alcoholic beverage for him, then it would seem logical to assume that this man wanted something with him and this was merely a way of getting him to take the bait and talk.

The waiter left, leaving the scientist to stare at his drink for exactly twelve seconds before taking a swig. It tasted… light. With no familiarity with many of the tastes of even common foods and drinks, he could only judge by just tasting. It was much different from water.

"I should pay compliments to my buyer." Shockwave mumbled to himself as he got up.

Recalling the waiter's pointed hand, his eyes traced back to the source. He looked for a man with red eyes and black hair, and there was only one person who fit the description, and he stood out amongst the other patrons in the bar. His hair was long like his, though more unkempt. He wore a simple dress shirt, dress pants, dress shoes, and a cape.

A huntsman? He saw no obvious weapons, but a good warrior never revealed all of his hands.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd get over here." The man spoke with a laid-back voice. "You sure took your sweet time."

"I have no reason to trust a stranger." Shockwave assumed his Shael identity. "Especially one who appears to be a huntsman."

"You speak like you're not one." The man eyed him up and down. "You look more than prepared to fight."

"Combat is not my life." Shael replied smoothly. "Nor is conversing, so say your piece."

"A man of action." A small laugh sounded. "I can appreciate that. Name's Qrow Branwen. And you'd be right to assume that I'm a huntsman."

"Shael Watson." His red optic and eye blinked.

"You know you can sit down and relax." Qrow gestured to the seat opposite. "I'm not here to fight. I've done more than my fair share of that."

Shockwave peered at the strange human before hesitantly pulling out a chair and taking a seat, holding his drink in his robotic left arm. He did not trust this one and he was ready to kill him if his hand was forced to do so.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" It was time to get to the point, Shockwave decided. "And do not lie to me. I will know."

"How will you know I'm lying?" Qrow semi-taunted, semi-questioned. "Unless you've got a semblance that can tell truths from lies."

"I can know a liar even without a semblance." Shockwave stated confidently. "I ask again. What do you want?"

"I wanted to get a closer look." Qrow had his own drink. "If you spend enough time as a huntsman, you learn to recognize people with power, intelligence, or any special gift for that matter."

"And what do you recognize in me?" Shockwave wanted to see how this would play out. "What am I to you?"

"You're an interesting person in a dull place." Qrow leaned in, a serious look on his face. "A Faunus with cyborg parts? My initial guess would be that you're from Atlas."

"You would be incorrect." Shockwave answered, clenching his right hand, and then a question came up in his head. "How were you able to recognize me as a Faunus?"

"Aura lets you see a lot of things." Qrow chose vague words. "And yours is quite potent. I haven't seen aura like yours in a long time."

Shockwave kept his guard up internally. "And?"

"So what's your story?" Qrow questioned, taking a drink from his own glass. "Guys like us aren't exactly accustomed to normal everyday life, so our kicks have to come from somewhere."

Shockwave did not much care to be generalized or placed into a group. He belonged to no group and that was how he wished it. To place him within a group would mean he was no longer unique. There was no one like him.

"I am travelling to Vale." The transformed Decepticon finished his drink. "I have business with some old friends."

"What kind of old friends?" Qrow asked.

"The kind that I fought and bled with." Shockwave thought of his Decepticon brothers and sisters. "I am needed to finish a fight that we started many years ago."

"So what are their names?"

"You would not have heard of them, and our fight is hardly known to any kingdom. It is a more closed conflict."

"Another way of saying 'mind your own damn business.'" Qrow seemed to not be offended. "Well, it was worth a try."

"And what's a huntsman doing out here?" Shockwave threw his own question. "This is not a place of concentrated Grimm activity."

"I'm on a job." Qrow elaborated. "I can't tell you who, but it's enough to say that she's a VIP."

Although Qrow likely assumed that Shockwave would forget this conversation, the Faunus mech would not. A huntsman guarding someone? Huntsmen were not cheap to hire out, so whoever this human was protecting had to be important.

It was not his business who he was guarding, but the scientist made sure remember Qrow Branwen's face.

(X)(X)(X)(X)

Week Three…

The last time Shockwave had been in a village, that had been two days ago. The next village was another few more hours according to the map. Another week of travel and he would enter the City of Vale, just as he had estimated.

It had occurred to him that he possessed no form of formal identification, at least not one recognized by the world of Remnant. He would have to fabricate one on his scroll as he had no form of paper ID, and no way to prove himself. Electronic forms of identification were a newer form and he had no guarantee that it would be accepted.

He supposed that it was a gamble he would have to take.

For all of his planning, he had a great deal of things he hadn't considered, and he admonished himself for his mental lapse. Such oversights were unacceptable and he would have to take careful steps to avoid further gaps in his logic. Missteps, while expected in his line of work, were not welcomed with open arms. Megatron expected the best from all of his subordinates, another persuasive reason to keep missteps to minimal levels.

The pathway had been sheltered by the trees of the forest for a long time, thus making his path all the more dark in addition to the grey clouds hanging above.

Not for the first time, Shockwave felt his tongue against his canines, feeling their sharpness, but not cutting his tongue. At first, he had paid no mind to them, simply knowing that all people, Humans and Faunus both possessed canines for eating and chewing meat and flesh, but then he noticed other people's teeth, and none of them looked as sharp as his own.

He had looked into a pool of water to check his row of teeth and saw he had something that most did not have. His canines were sharp, like that of a predatory animal. He supposed that he could count himself fortunate that his Faunus animal was akin to that of a predator, and by his own appearance, it was entirely plausible that he was meant to be a Wolf Faunus.

Another thing catching his eye were the tracks left in the path. Horse tracks were at his side, and as he followed the path, they became more and more clear, which meant that whoever had ridden by had done so recently. The number of tracks also suggested that the pace wasn't consistent. From fast to slow.

An echoed sound came to his audio receptors that made him stop to listen. It sounded like a gunshot. He continued to walk when there seemed to be a silence in the wind. He ended his trek again when he heard more gunfire, this time in quick succession. Multiple shooters then, but it meant nothing without context.

He heard another sound, this one coming from the wind itself. It felt like… the wind was picking up speed. He could find no logical reason as to why though. It was as if it had changed on a whim, but that would imply a person was controlling the winds.

A black cloud formed from out of nowhere in the distance and began to hurl lightning at the ground. Something was going on here, and nature did not factor into it.

His curiosity was a driving factor in his sprint, but so too was a more unexplainable feeling. In this world's terms, it was called a gut warning, an extension of a gut feeling, something inside a person that informed them of impending events, good or bad. This feeling felt like the latter.

He saw a clearing. He put more speed into his steps. A bolt of lighting could be seen hitting the ground

His first instinct was not to engage immediately. He would observe, then he would decide if intervening was a good idea or not.

Taking position up in a tree, he took in the view.

From what he could see, there was a battle going on. Three were fighting one. There were two women and one man fighting a single woman. It looked like the lone fighter was the defender, as she was continually pressed by her opponents.

Then the lone fighter did something that caught his eye. The woman dressed in the colors of autumn began to attack using the lighting from the clouds. How was such a thing possible? Even the scientist was finding it hard to believe that such power was gleaned from a semblance. For one soul to power something like that…

Shockwave focused his attention on the attackers. From their looks alone, there was something to be seen. It was pure and unadulterated hatred and focus. He had seen those eyes so many times in mechs and femmes during the war. Autobots and Decepticons often shared a mutual hatred for each other.

There was one with metal legs, and he fought with them in an extremely aggressive manner. The dark-skinned girl fought in a more controlled and concealed manner. The woman leading the former two fought with skill and experience.

They wanted to kill the lightly-tanned woman, but what for?

The pale woman summoned projectiles that looked to be forged from glass, which she then hurled. The lone warrior took the glass head-on, though suffering no outer damage. She must have an aura protecting her.

The battle then shifted from powers to physical combat. Each of their forms of unarmed combat was different. The autumn-colored woman was putting up an impressive fight, but there was a weakness that could be seen. She was fighting with reckless abandon, not composed strategy. That would only carry her so far, and eventually, she would lose.

Regardless of his opinion on who would win or lose, he still had no idea what to make of the situation though. He didn't know these people, what they were all doing here, and the purpose of this battle.

And just as he predicted, the lone elemental bender was promptly struck with explosive arrows, courtesy of the woman in the very promiscuous-looking dress. The winning side began to close in slowly. There had been a flash of energy, and Shockwave could only assume that it was aura. She might be out of it, which put her in mortal danger.

But she wasn't done yet as she hurled a wind blast, which scattered the attackers. She then struck with lightning again, downing them all with a simple wave of her hands. That just made her powers all the more questionable. If she didn't have any aura left, then what power was this that she had?

The elemental user grabbed a staff from the ground and began to limp her way towards the green-haired one. It wasn't hard to see what she intended to do. Her intent to kill was logical. They had seen power that they probably were not suppose to see. The intent to kill must mean that the power was secret.

Her downed opponents didn't stay so as she was shot in the back. Aura protected like a shield, and if an arrow pierced her body, then she had none left, just as Shockwave had first observed and deduced.

His window of opportunity to get into the mix was closing. These next few seconds would decide whether or not to help. Well actually, what was there to decide? Logic always dictated that he join the winning side in any debate. Clearly, the winners and the loser were as clear as a blue sky.

The two kids were forcing the defeated warrior onto her knees. The leader stood in front, a clear grin of victory plastered on her face. Confidence positively oozed out of every fiber of her being, which to Shockwave, might as well be arrogance.

The only real possible logical solution to his action was this: however defeated the long bender of the elements was, she was clearly defeated, and looking afraid. She looked determined to fight, but from where the scientist overlooked, she looked afraid for her own life, and maybe for some other reason. Saving her was logical because he could acquire a powerful ally.

Shockwave hastened his attack. The woman in red was using something on the face, and energy began to pour from one to the other. He took aim and fired, and his shot was on-point as it severed the connection only a second after it began to drain. He fired in rapid succession, forcing the three of them to back off.

The former Decepticon grabbed the brown-haired girl in his free arm while quickly ascertaining the faces of all three fighters. He was fortunate enough to get a good enough look that his mind was able to process them fast enough before he was attacked. With his battle mind on, he rolled out of the way of several shots.

The black-haired woman called upon a new power Its shape generally resembled that of a fission or fusion. That instantly prompted him to get clear. Such reactions could be extremely destructive.

Maybe he hadn't thought this over clearly.

Before Shockwave could counterattack, they were all gone.

(X)(X)(X)(X)

Amber faded in and out, but she was vaguely aware that someone had intervened before she had blacked out completely. She made out a man with prosthetic ears, purple hair, and blood-red eyes, one real, the other prosthetic.

There was now quiet, and the man regarded her with a neutral look, almost too cold for her liking.

"What is your name?" The man's voice was empty-sounding.

"Amber." She managed weakly. "My name is Amber."

"I will help you." He told her. "This may be painful."

As he said, she felt pain, but she did her best to muffle her cries. She was still alive, and despite being beaten, she would not let weakness show, not now. She was the Fall Maiden. At the same time, she felt another soul touch her own. With it came a surge of power so unlike anything she had ever felt. Her strength began to return to her, and she could now see better. She didn't feel like she was blinking in and out of consciousness.

"Who are you?" She asked back.

"My name is Shael Watson." He kept his emotionless tone. "You are fortuitous that the damage is not too severe."

"Damage?" Amber couldn't help but ask.

"You have been infected with a virus." The man named Shael explained to her. "I believe I have slowed the process, but I require proper medical tools to purge it from your systems entirely."

"The next village may have some supplies you need." Amber croaked, trying to lift her head up. "I can guide you there."

"I know where it is." He lifted her up. "I will take you there."

"Thank you." She spoke to show her gratitude.

"Once you are fully healed, your gratitude will be justified." He began to move. "But it is appreciated regardless."

Amber grabbed the front of his coat, trying to keep an eye on her savior. He could be a Faunus, but it was hard to tell from just looking at his face. If he was, then his rescue would come as a greater surprise. Faunus weren't known to save Humans as a simple good deed, not with the way the relationship between the two races were.

"Why did you save me?" Amber had to know.

His answer was perhaps the most unusual answer she had ever received. She couldn't be sure what it meant, but it seemed to match his even tone.

"Saving your life was… logical."

She wanted a more clear answer, but she accepted it for what it was. She had escaped death, and for that she was grateful.

What was Shockwave's logic for saving Amber? I think you can figure that one out.

I will be gone on June 8th and I won't be online for two weeks, so apologies if you guys send me PM's or ask me questions and I don't respond quickly.

If you guys spot any grammar issues, feel free to tell me so in a review.

So what do you guys think? Logical? Illogical? Further data required? Make sure to support this story if you want faster chapter updates.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all of your summer's are going well, and remember:

"Know or listen to those who know."

Baltasar Gracian

Peace!