Chapter 13: The Relics are Logical

Beacon Academy

One Week Later

In the time since the mission to Mountain Glenn, Shockwave had made even greater progress in his scientific work. As he had planned, the outpost he had laid the groundworks for was shaping up to be a very productive piece of territory. There, he would be able to conduct his studies and experiments in solitude. There would be no laws and regulations preventing him from doing as he needed. The Kingdom of Vale had no jurisdiction over Mountain Glenn ever since they abandoned the site.

In other news, Team CFVY had officially completed their part in the mission and were compensated accordingly. Each of them had a choice between a monetary reward or a weapon upgrade. Somewhat unexpectedly, all of them had requested upgrades for their weapons and the bulk of the week was spent creating and implementing these upgrades. Despite this task not being relevant to his work, the former Decepticon found some informational uses in observing weapons not of Cybertron.

Coco Adel had requested additional firing options for her minigun. The result were some additions that allowed for different modes of fire. There was the standard mode of fire, a firing mode that temporarily increased rounds per minute by approximately 35 percent, and a slower but more accurate burst-fire mode. Other improvements included dust efficiency as well as the ability to accept different types of bullet calibers.

Fox Alistair asked for weapon refinements. Already his style relied upon the use of a tonfa, an uncommon weapon to begin with. The ways to improve it were limited, but the idea of dust implementation came up. Other ideas included material composition, minute adjustments to blade control and dexterity, and transformation augmentations. It was still a work in progress, so nothing had been finalized.

Velvet Scarlatina had no need to ask for anything other than advice and technical knowledge in regards to her own weapon. Its design and potential more than interested Shockwave. While the young bunny faunus did not realize it, the scientist had recorded and documented everything she had spoken in regards to the weapon. He would likely have use for it somewhere in the future.

Yatsuhashi Daichi put in an order for materials that would harden his own armor and sharpen his own sword. As a warrior samurai, he relied upon simplicity and efficiency. Thus, anything superfluous was meaningless. Simply building upon the foundations of what already existed was more than ample, but that would not make this upgrade any easier. Still, yet another chance to practice with this world's metals and materials.

Other fascinating events were occurring as well. Beacon Academy was getting ready to welcome its newest freshman into the school year. These preparations would take all of the summer to undergo. In a sense, the work of this school was never really done and what went on behind the scenes was often just as important as what went on in public. It was important to be in the know on both sides. Control of both meant more choices and options to make use of when it came to reaching for goals and aspirations.

Shockwave had many things he wanted to do with the backing of this school. His list of priorities had grown very long and he had begun to systematically organize each item from first to last. As of right now, his first and most important thing to do was to discern where exactly he was in the universe. Once he could do that, finding a way back to Cybertron would be much easier.

His second priority was to see what this world could offer to the Decepticon cause if anything at all. While it was true that his affiliation with the Decepticons was defunct in almost every sense of the word in the current time, he did imagine himself reestablishing contact provided he could find a way to return to the familiar sections of space. If he was to be trapped in this world and in this body for an indefinite period of time however, then he would do what made the most sense rationally speaking. His own survival would take priority if that was the case. Then came his progeny.

Shockwave had conflicting viewpoints on procreation. On one hand, the Humans and Faunus of this world had some form of control over their population. In the interest of the species, things could be adjusted according to the environment as well as many other external factors. On the other hand, there were a multitude of complications that could arise from childbirth. Defects, resources spent, and behavioral setbacks were just a few of the many issues to contend with.

Then again, he didn't necessarily have to sire children in order to ensure that what he built here would last. He could search for a like-minded individual or group to fulfill his goals and aspirations. It would save him the trouble of rearing a child. The problem with that method was how rogue elements were more likely. Fully-grown individuals were independent and were thus capable of making judgements that might go against what he wanted to achieve. The last thing he needed was a wild associate.

Essentially, both paths could be narrowed down into two choices for his legacy: invest in a blood child which would be costly to be sure, but ultimately beneficial in the long run or take his chances with a person that may or may not agree with his actions.

For the briefest of seconds, Shockwave pondered his choices, but then he came to the realization that there was no choice to make in the first place. As a scientist, he had been in the process of creating life from the Cyber-Nucleic Acid of a long-dead Predacon. If he could create a fully-grown controllable beast from a few intact strands of CNA, then surely he could create a Human or Faunus that would be loyal to him in all ways. It wasn't just a possibility for him; it was an inevitability.

With that dilemma out of the way, now he had another question in his mind: would a naturally-born life or would an artificially-created life be better-suited for his purposes? Again he weighed the pros and cons of each choice and there were many.

With natural-born life, there was the double-edged benefit and risk of the genes that would result. Two parents contributed to the creation and the birth of an infant. The act of continuing the species served not just to increase numbers, but also served as a tool for diversified genes and traits. It was a luck of the draw and with nature, nothing could be called certain.

Artificially-created life allowed for specific genes and traits to be selected. That would allow him to decide what he needed. There was certainty in this decision and far more control in the matter. That being said, artificially-created life carried a much greater risk of complications in the DNA. Altering nature wasn't easy nor was it flawless all the time.

Shockwave marked this item on his list as a lower-priority endeavor, but that could change depending upon whether or not he was able to find a way back to Cybertron and somehow return to his original form. Assuming he couldn't, then he might just have to ensure that his untimely demise didn't end with him. At the end of the day in this world, people could be forgotten with enough time. The only thing that could outlast a single man or woman in this world was a legacy or an ideal.

Again, all merely hypothetical in the event that his return to Cybertron proved to be either highly unlikely, impossible, or the dangers outweighed the benefits.

"Hey teach!" A feminine voice was picked up by his ears. "Whaddya workin' on?"

Miss Adel had been popping in for visits occasionally as did many of Team CFVY. The logical reasoning was that he had made enough of an impression that they sought him out for their own reasons. On the opposite end of the spectrum, his opinions of them varied. They were all young and naive about the realities of the universe, but this was within expected parameters unsurprisingly. Many bots and femmes acted similarly when they were of a young age.

For his part, the scientist entertained their visits not because he cared for any of them in an emotional sense. Having a connection to the student body, even if only peripherally would do wonders in making his job as a professor that much more easier. A respected instructor would be more likely to receive the proper attention from students. His ability to teach would also be critical to his future at Beacon Academy.

And speaking of teaching, the former Decepticon did have lessons and classes to attend himself. Being a teacher required a license and regardless of his mastery of many different fields of science and the unusual nature of his workplace, he still needed the proper training and oversight to legally teach students what he was good at. Trying to fight against the system over this was pointless and illogical, so he went along with what was asked of him.

"Did you need something, Miss Adel?" Shockwave didn't turn away from what he was doing.

"Nah." Coco leaned on the door as she watched him. "Just watching you is good enough for me."

RWBY - - - Transformers

From where he was standing behind Mister Watson, Ozpin observed as the man used his own arms to guide the robotic arms at work. While he was certainly quite knowledgeable about dust and its various applications, even this level of precision and dedication was something to marvel at. This was the work of a man who was clearly devoted to the ways of understanding the physical world and all of its intricacies.

The reason for the headmaster's visit to his newest hiree was for a routine checkup. As a new member of the faculty, he was on a probationary period. Also, Glynda had brought up some concerns as to how he conducted himself. This stemmed from the many disagreements that she and Watson had. It was understandable, but the point of this job was not to teach morality. It was to teach science to the students attending. While huntsmen academies had their intended purpose, they still needed to provide these children with education per Vale law. As such, seeing this man at work would give him an idea of just what to expect.

Ozpin was an expert at understanding people. Thousands of years of reincarnation had allowed him the ability to detect even the slightest details about a person. Every single person's true personality could be discerned from their body language. Subconsciously, everyone carried themselves in the way that was reflective of their personalities. The scientist carried an extremely mechanical and robotic way of doing things. It was precise, it was cold, and it was calculating. It was like there was no emotions guiding what he did, only a clear and filtered mind of thinking and planning. Not even he had been able to achieve that level of detachment in all the years of his life.

It was both advantageous and disadvantageous that Watson acted more machine than man. Being rarely able to lose control was a thing that many people wished that they had. On the other side, having no emotions meant no connections to other individuals. It had to be a lonely life.

"The current methods of refining dust are acceptable, but its application and handling are imperfect. I am currently conducting an experiment and discerning whether or not contact with living organisms affects its properties."

Ozpin had not asked a single question since entering the classroom. In fact, neither man had spoken a word to each other. The two of them appeared to be similar in that they had no use for words when they were of no use. This explanation coming out of nowhere was either a report or merely rumblings of the inner mind. The former felt the correct answer as the latter was more an indicator of many unsettling possibilities.

"If I might ask, what method are you using to control these arms? I don't think I've seen anything quite like it."

"These arms are directly linked to my brain. Thus, these mechanical arms receive input from my nervous system and sends a copy signal to these arms, making the arms mimic the movements of my arms."

"How interesting."

Ozpin followed what was going on more or less and given enough time, he would be able to figure out the more complicated intricacies, but that day would not be today. He had come here with regards to a matter more closely linked to events in the past.

He then remembered why he was here. The checkup was the first part, but he had almost forgotten the second part.

"I wanted your opinion on something." Ozpin commented. "Would you care to indulge my curiosity?"

"Very well." Shael still gave no eye contact, only verbal confirmation. "Ask your questions."

"How much do you know about Merlot Industries?"

"There were a lead innovator in Artificial Intelligence research as well as various genetics studies. Their experiments turned to Grimm for reasons not fully clarified. Some speculate they were trying to harness Grimm biology as a weapon. Others claim it was to find a way to convert Grimm to the side of Mankind. The theories are many, but virtually all of them are without any sort of logical foundation. All evidence I have reviewed is questionable. Is there a reason to bring up this corporation?"

Ozpin had his scroll and he was reading a file. "Your mission report was very detailed about where you went and what you did. Every single detail included is relevant to the overall mission in some way. Was there nothing else that was worth noting?"

"If you are referring to the former headquarters of Merlot Industries, then no." Mister Watson didn't even so much as hesitate. "There was no need to bring it up because our mission has no relevance to a defunct company. Being nearby our area of operation does not change the fact that the building contained nothing of importance or connection to what we were doing."

With a voice that carried nothing except a simple and straightforward tone of indifference, there was no need to even try and discern anything hidden. If there was a master of indifference to be had, then this was it without a doubt.

Ozpin pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "I see. Then perhaps I should ask you to return to the abandoned headquarters of Merlot Industries the next time you go there."

"For what purpose?" The man going by the alias Shockwave had now begun a synthesis with the dust he was working with, yet still maintaining the conversation. "Is there some specific data or item that you require?"

"Perhaps, but I can't be certain." Ozpin explained, looking for the least verbose answer. "Think of it as looking for a needle in the haystack."

"You are searching for something rare." Shockwave instantly deduced. "Something of value that is likely very important for what you have planned and must be kept secret at all costs."

"It may or may not even be there." Ozpin couldn't confirm its existence or where he last knew it to be. "Doctor Merlot had many ongoing projects prior to his death. The man was brilliant at what he did, but he ultimately partook in things that I could never agree with. All the staff at Beacon had equally low opinions of him."

"Some of the greatest achievements in all of Mankind's history were done with death and suffering." Shockwave's tone indicated nothing except his neutral tone. "Mankind can achieve truly marvelous things when it does not care about the people involved. If Merlot was attempting to create breakthroughs in science, then what would be the logic in stopping him?"

And to his credit, he was not wrong. Whether Mankind chose to acknowledge it or not, many great achievements were done with immoral acts. In many ways history often spoke of tragedy and suffering and horror with indifference. In this way, the full picture could never be felt by those who weren't there personally. Yes, history could be an ugly thing, but that was why being better today was important. The past was riddled with so many wrongs, but there were lessons to be had and now the world was a better place.

"I take this to mean that you share Merlot's ideals." Ozpin didn't lok where this conversation was going. "Not a wise choice considering where you are."

"If these advancements are for the betterment of Remnant as a whole, then sacrifices are to be expected." Shockwave simply shrugged off the disapproval. "At the core, we are all seeking one thing: the preservation of ourselves and our species. The methods may have evolved, but the fundamental reason for doing so is the same. In that sense, the only thing separating us from animals is our unique ability to acquire and retain knowledge which we can then pass on to the next generation."

"If that is the case, then why comply with what we're doing here?" Ozpin felt the need to get to the bottom of this. "If morality is such a burden, why agree to be a professor here?"

For the first time since they had begun speaking, Watson stopped what he was doing, remaining stone-still for a few seconds, then turned to face his counterpart. They were both the exact same height, but the looks in their eyes couldn't be any more different. They stared each other down, a subtle battle going on.

"Working for you is logical and as long as that is the case, then I will have no reason to betray you." Shockwave didn't even bother to hide his intentions. "But if you wish for my aid in the coming times, then you must continue to ensure that your cause is logical. Morality, monetary gain, prestige, none of these concern me nor interest me."

This didn't really come as a surprise, yet it was still chilling all the same. Only what was logical and nothing more.

Transformers - - - RWBY

Shockwave decided that being truthful with his employer was the most logical choice of action because should he be betrayed, he had the ability to deal with any threat that came his way. His logic simply told him as much. His logic also told him that if Ozpin was desperate enough to recruit people of grey morality, than he couldn't afford to be picky in terms of the powerful players in his game.

The Decepticon cared little for political struggles and games. Assuming that he could not return to Cybertron and regain his physical form, the thing to be most concerned about was the upcoming war and the survival of the Humans and Faunus. It really was that simple. How these goals were achieved wrere not yet set in stone, but there was one thing he could say without question: survival by any means was acceptable.

Shockwave wanted to accelerate his work wherever possible, but he was sorely lacking in one department: information. As much as he cared not to show it, information was currently something he needed more of every single day. More specifically, he needed information regarding the true scale and history of conflict between the Grimm and Mankind.

According to the history books, both had always existed together on this world as had the conflict between the two. Time and time again, the scientist always tried to figure out what exactly was stopping Mankind from completely eradicating the Grimm. They had the resources, manpower, and the intelligence to do so, but there was no end to the conflict. Something was not right and finding facts about historical events was proving to be a very formidable task and accepting what was considered common knowledge was getting him nowhere.

There was a reason why the general public only had knowledge about certain aspects of the world. A man could be turned insane with just the right amount of prodding and pushing. By exposing and breaking down what made a person who they were, they could be reconstructed into whatever mold was more suitable. That was what society was meant to do: create molds for people to fit in and if a mold existed for long enough, it would be accepted as good and as normal. If a commonly-held belief was challenged and proven false or wrong, chaos would ensue as millions would lose their very identity.

Merely calculating all the various probably outcomes that would result from all this information getting out made keeping them secret all the more important. Order was logical and chaos was illogical.

The highly sensitive information given to him by Ozpin was certainly logical for filling in the gaps, but he was not simply going to accept everything as it was. Firstly, the headmaster's words in that message heavily implicated him as carrying more secrets that he wanted to give out. That could only mean one thing: he had a deep connection to the war going on, maybe a highly intimate one at that. If that premise was accepted as fact, then it made the headmaster's motives all the more questionable.

More importantly, if the Maidens were essentially keys to relics that could change the world on a fundamental level, why were they scattered throughout the world without any sort of reliable way to find them? It would be one thing if the Maidens' wandering could be attributed to never remaining in one place so as to avoid complacency, but that wasn't even the case.

Shockwave had a brief talk with Ozpin upon returning to Beacon Academy with Team CFVY. Some questions had been exchanged and it left the Cybertronian-Faunus hybrid with more to think about. Only young women could inherit Maiden powers once the original host died and usually, the last person in the maiden's thoughts could inherit the power. If that person in the dying maiden's thoughts were either male or an elderly woman, then the power would go to some random female. The system made absolutely no sense. How would anyone be able to keep these women in line? Surely over time, there had to be others who would kill maidens for the power.

Whatever the case might be, it was impertinent that he find out where all of them were at any given time. Amber was fine and she was taking greater precautions to not be caught off-guard again. He could always contact her and he knew where she was at all times. As for Winter and Summer, their whereabouts were unknown as of right now. Spring was mysteriously missing. The story went that some nine years ago, the young girl hosting the powers of spring had run away, the weight of her duties and responsibilities too much for her to endure. That was where the story ended.

But people did not merely disappear into thin air. There had to be a rational explanation for where she went. Fortunately, the answer came with a little bit of trial and error with bits and pieces of information, he had found a lead and a promising one at that. Ever since the disappearance of Spring, there had been reported sightings of unusual weather activity that went contradictory to what had been reported according to the news channels and weather scanners. These phenomenon had largely been shelved and forgotten, dismissed as nothing more than a passing anomaly, but everything suggested that this was an individual making use of the Maiden powers.

Shockwave activated his map of Remnant, zooming in on the continent of Anima. He had a lot of searching to do and the more time he wasted trying to search for Spring, the more likely the opportunity would slip him by. He needed to make some arrangements with Ozpin before heading out on his quest. He would set a deadline of two weeks and not a single day more or less. The area he was searching in consisted of mostly wildlands with the occasional villages and settlements.

Frankly, there was no reason to believe that Spring was hiding in any of the settlements. For one thing, the power of magic would draw in more people and more people meant more chances of being outed and hunted down. Secondly, secrecy of the Maidens was absolutely vital. Third, Maidens never remained in one place for too long.

It was possible that the missing maiden was hiding in the wilderness and living off the land, but without evidence to support that hypothesis, it may as well be a dead end.

It all came down to bandits, which didn't make much sense either. What use did bandits have for power like that? Using Spring as a blunt instrument to batter people into submission was merely barbaric. There was a reason that bandits were looked down upon: they lacked the ability to make things on their own so they resorted to taking from others because they were not creative enough to think otherwise. Their only strength came from being able to use physical force where others would hesitate or shy away from it. It was hardly anything special to begin with; soldiers were trained to hurt and kill as well.

And speaking of bandits, there was a name that came up in his research. It was synonymous with their kind in the region and it was very familiar to him, at least the family name.

Raven Branwen, twin sister of Qrow Branwen. Knowing that the two of them were blood siblings was not surprising in the least, not even unexpected. Beacon Academy records showed as much and at least in history's eyes, the two of them were quite similar. What separated them had to be when they both became aware of who Ozpin was and his true mission, but what exactly caused this split in viewpoints was unknown as of right now.

While not an ideal solution, the only logical choice of action would be to confront the bandit leader herself and see if she had answers. Getting an audience with her would be the easy part. Bandits were violent by nature, thus it stood to reason that an impressionable show of force would be enough for the woman to come out and entertain him. The problem was convincing her that his reasons for approaching her were for his own reasons and not for Ozpin. His best chance was to exchange something. Power for power, something that any simple-minded bandit would be able to understand.

Then again, Raven Branwen was a former student at the place Shockwave was currently working at. Underestimating her was not a good thing to do under any circumstances. Not just anyone could enter this institution. Strong combat skills were not the only requirement. Mental competence was expected.

Extreme caution is a virtue in this case. Shockwave noted to himself. Be prepared for a variety of scenarios.

It looked like the assembly of the prototype ground bridge would have to be put on hold. The ability to change entire worlds took precedence above all other things. This was an opportunity that should not be wasted.

It would be illogical to do otherwise.

RWBY - - - Transformers

Somewhere in Anima

Three Days Later

Raven Branwen used a rag to clean her sword. Constant maintenance of her weapon was a necessity in addition to the training that she put in. For her to be at her best in combat, everything she used needed to be in tip-top form.

Today had been a relatively quiet day. The only really interesting thing that occurred was this brawl that broke out between some members of her tribe. Apparently, it was over something small like who was stealing from who and dinner time. Although such a fight seemed pointless to begin with, the leader of the tribe did nothing to stop it. After all, it was important to remain at the top of the game, even amongst friends and allies. She considered this to be a sort of way that they could train to become stronger. And boy did they need as much strength as they could muster.

Raven knew that the time for Salem to begin her assault was coming. Ever since Summer's death, things had been quiet on the surface, but she wasn't a fool. The enemy was anything but inactive. Somewhere in this world, power plays were being made, pawns were being moved, pieces were being sacrificed. She had vowed to never become a piece on the board, but rather a player instead. That was why she did all of this. Returning to the tribe, consolidating her power, that was what this was all about. She was prepared to make a move, but only when the Grimm witch made her move first.

The people involved in the game of life and death came and went faster than she could possibly track. Her bandits could only report so much to her and even with her ability to transform, there was only so much that she could do on her own. As of late, she had been spending much more time observing the other academies, completely bypassing Beacon. It was high time that she made another journey there to assess if there was anything new that she ought to know about.

"Raven." Vernal's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We've got a situation."

The red-eyed woman stopped what she was doing and raised her head, her curiosity more than a little piqued. "What is it?"

"An intruder in the forest." The brunette explained. "A Faunus man, looks like a wolf type, can't say for sure. Apparently, he roughed up some of the men."

"Interesting." Raven lifted herself to her feet. "And where is this man now?"

"Just outside." Vernal said. "He wants to talk to you and he says he won't leave unless he speaks with you."

"Understood." The Branwen leader made her way to the entrance of her tent.

Pushing aside the flap of her tent, she was greeted with the majority of her tribe gathered in a circle. At the epicenter of the circle was a single man. He was tall and from the looks of him, quite powerful physically speaking. The mechanical and robotic parts to him added a sort of alien feeling to him, perhaps serving as an intimidation tactic as well as a means of replacing lost senses and parts.

"What do we have here?" Raven leaned forward a bit. "I don't believe we've met before. My name is Raven Branwen. I lead this tribe. I would like to know the name of the man who cut loose on my men."

"My name is Shael Watson." An eerily indifferent and cold voice sounded. "And I have come to bargain with you… Spring Maiden."

Shockwave going behind Ozpin's back in order to obtain the relics is among his most ballsiest moves yet. As risky as it is, the chance of getting the relics that can change Remnant is too good to pass up.

Meeting up with Raven? Oh how intruiging this will be. As much as she can be something of a problem, she's still not nearly as heartless as Shockwave is. However strong she believes she is or her tribe, she's terrified of the threat that is coming.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave feedback and whatnot.

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best."

St. Jerome