Chapter 14: Deception is Logical

Continent of Anima

Raven was usually never one to be surprised or shocked easily. Considering the things she knew about the world, there weren't many things that could truly catch her by surprise. That being said, she couldn't possibly prepare for every single scenario that life would throw at her. There simply wasn't any conceivable way to be prepared for everything despite many idiots claiming otherwise.

And right now, she was in one of those scenarios that she had no plan for.

This man, Shael Watson he called himself, had singled her out as the Spring Maiden. She didn't doubt that he was referring directly to her; his eyes remained fixed on her as he spoke that declaration. How he knew about the existence of the maidens, let alone that she was the Spring Maiden was troubling to say the least. The implications were few and none of them were good.

The second issue and the more pressing one at present was that he had said all of this this right in plain view of all her tribesmen. To be found out was one thing, but for it to happen with so many witnesses was another matter entirely. She couldn't pretend that this had never happened. This was a highly unusual event in the Branwen camp. No one was going to forget something different from the usual routine, especially something like this.

Raven's first instinct was to move on the attack, but she was quick to rein herself in. She might believe in the strong presiding over the weak, but she wasn't a fool. For one thing her opponent was unknown. Second, assuming she even won this hypothetical fight, then how would she explain this to her tribe? An immediate offensive measure would be seen as her acknowledging his words in some manner. That would lead to questions that she didn't want to answer. This could destroy everything she had built since her return.

She needed to play this smart. She had led these men and women all these years by being the alpha in the pack. Being the alpha meant being strong and being smart. One without the other was asking for failure. Her prowess in fighting wasn't what was called for right now, so she needed to play it cool and act like things were fine, even if they were not.

"I see that my men have led a lunatic into my camp." Raven decided on an insult to begin the dialogue. "Anyone who believes in something like the Maidens to be real ought to be labelled as such."

"A logical conclusion if not for the fact that maidens exist." The purple-haired man remained unaffected. "And you are one of them. Denying it does not change the fact that you are the Spring Maiden."

"Do you know what the definition of insanity is?" Raven tried again to deflect his words. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome."

"Your words are ironic." Watson threw back at her. "You call me insane, yet that would be a more apt description for yourself in this instance."

"You've got a mouth on you, but bear in mind that you stand in my camp surrounded by my men." Raven warned him, letting one hand rest on the hilt of her weapon. "If I were you, I'd mind my tongue very carefully."

"In every possible outcome of this encounter, the only constant is that I leave this camp alive and unharmed." Shael refused to be intimidated. "But I did not come here to exchange insults or threats. I came here to make you an offer that would be illogical to refuse."

Raven couldn't detect a single instance of weakness from this man. His posture was perfectly squared away, indicating utter confidence in himself without coming off as arrogant. His tone was simply straight and even, leaving her uncertain as to what to believe was true and what was not. His poker face was absolutely flawless with not even a hint of emotion to read. Based on where this conversation was going, she couldn't cow him into submission, but she wouldn't back down from her stance. If she simply conceded to his demands, she would make herself look bad to her tribe. She couldn't make exceptions, even if her interest was beginning to pique.

Her hand gently fell from her blade and she crossed her arms. She would need to proceed carefully. Challenges like this didn't come often and it had been a while since she had witnessed a good fight or been a part of one. Perhaps today might not be as much of a bore as she thought. A small smile graced her lips.

"If you want something from me, then prove that you're worth my time." Raven set her ground rules. "I follow one simple rule here: the strong survive, the weak die. Prove to me that you're strong and then we'll talk."

"And how do I prove as such?" Shael asked her.

"You will fight my best warrior." Raven motioned to Vernal. "And the outcome of the fight will determine what happens next."

"Understood." Watson didn't so much as blink.

Raven leaned in to Vernal's ear. "Play this carefully, but don't overextend yourself."

"What about the rest of the tribe?" Vernal questioned her leader. "Surely, they'll still be wondering."

"If they know what's good for them, they won't pursue the topic any further." Raven answered quickly. "If I must make an example out of a few of them, then I will."

"Very well." Vernal sighed, not sure if she believed that everything was going to be okay. "I will do my duty for the tribe."

The two women tore their eyes from each other and resumed their attention on the mystery man, who looked ready for combat. There didn't appear to be any weapons on him, but that didn't make him any less of a sight. Judging by his build, he was a powerhouse, powerful, but not fast. Against an opponent with these traits, the key would be to keep on the offensive, striking hard and fast and do so relentlessly.

The tribe was quick to give the proper amount of space, forming a circle for the two combatants to do their thing. Vernal brandished her weapons and her opponent did the same, his mechanical arm transforming into a giant cannon. Its build and size was just as intimidating as the man wielding it.

"The fight will end when one of you loses consciousness, concedes, or become otherwise unable fight." Raven announced. "Fighters, begin!"

Vernal didn't waste any time and moved to strike first. However, despite her speed and initiative, the much-larger man shifted his cannon arm, using one of its sides as a shield and then forcing her to retreat right. Momentarily disoriented, she adjusted her position midair, landing on her feet gracefully. Her head snapped up to see him taking aim at her. She veered to her left, firing off her weapons. The shots were on-point, but when they struck his body, it was like they had absolutely no effect on him. They merely dispersed, leaving not even a scratch.

Okay, new plan. Vernal knew better than to get hung up on things that didn't work. Pure hand-to-hand.

The short-haired woman pushed her body and her aura to become as fast as she was able to. Her flurry of attacks from her weapons forced him to back up, his arms close to his body in a defensive posture. Taking this opportunity, she did a leg sweep, sending him tumbling to his back. With him flat on the ground, she brought both barrels to bear on his face.

Vernal expected something from his face, something that indicated he was angry, frustrated, or fearful, but she would not be given any of those things. With a weapon threatening him at point-blank range, he stared her down calmly as if his life wasn't in any real danger. It was more than enough to give her a chill and made her hesitate.

She was too late to realize his hand grabbing her by the face and hurling her to the ground. Less than a second later, she was now flat on her back and it hurt like hell. When she felt a metal weight against her head, she realized what was about to happen and instinct took over. She rolled her body and avoided a blast by mere centimeters. As soon as she could, she leapt to her feet, attempting to regain her bearings. Her opponent didn't seize the chance to go on the offensive. He stood with a relaxed posture, but both his eyes never left her.

He's never going to be the first to hit. Vernal realized what he was doing. It's always going to be me first, then him next.

With this at the front of her mind and with her first two attempts failing to even phase him, she began to rapidly conceive of a different attack, something to throw him off. So far, she knew he was strong, he was a precise fighter, using timing and circumstances to fight. While not the fastest she had ever seen, he was nimble not to mention calm. He might not be a master fighter, but he was experienced at the very least.

Vernal saw him coming for her, rendering her judgement of him partially incorrect. She shifted into defensive mode, not sure what to expect. She anticipated that she would need to be watching his every move because she had no idea what sort of offensive he would employ. He swiped with his cannon arm. She moved backwards. He thrust his cannon forward in an attempt to jab her. She leaped into the air.

That was her last mistake.

When her head turned midair to see what he was doing, it was too late to do anything. She had heard a shot fired off and had assumed she could subtly move her body to avoid it, but the only thing she saw was a purple flash in her face.

RWBY - - - Transformers

Raven watched, her face inscrutable, but her mind experiencing a myriad of thoughts. There was a lot to take in for this fight.

For starters, Watson employed a very simple but cunningly effective method of fighting. The way he moved indicated a high level of understanding of not just how to fight but how to use himself in a fight. He played to his strengths so much that his weaknesses seemed so small that they may as well not exist. He was no speed demon, but he didn't need to be. His resistance to damage made it hard to know what could damage him. His unorthodox style of combat made his every move suspect. His game plan was made to force Vernal down a path of his choosing.

In hindsight, Vernal was outmatched by an opponent who was superior to her in the right ways. Hopefully, the girl would learn from this failure and double down on her training. She had a lot of work to do.

"Bring Vernal back to her tent." Raven pointed to two of her men. "The rest of you are dismissed. You have your duties. Attend to them. I will see to our guest."

Only a split second passed before everyone dispersed. Vernal was quickly moved away. Clearly, there were still questioning stares, but the tribe leader would have none of it. While there were plenty of bodies moving, the air indicated a tint of confusion.

The winner of the fight remained where he stood, waiting for her.

"You've proven yourself strong, and now you've earned the right to speak with me." Raven uncrossed her arms. "So let's talk, but first, I ought to shake your hand and show you some courtesy."

Watson closed the distance between them and she watched him carefully. She had just witnessed him in battle and she wouldn't be taken off guard. His only response was to stop when he was within two meters of her and wait for her word, so she offered her hand and he stared at it for a second before grasping it with his normal arm. Just from his handshake, she could tell instantly that his strength was much greater than her own.

Raven let go and opened her tent flap. "After you."

He nodded and ducked slightly so his head would not hit anything. She followed suit. Thankfully, her area was always kept tidy and free of any items of suspicion, so she felt no need to be ill at ease.

"Have a seat." Raven gestured to her nearby table. "I'll get some tea going."

As quiet as a ghost, he settled himself down. While she worked to get the tea going, she took note of how he observed his surroundings. Just because the battle was over didn't mean that he was letting his guard down either. He was keeping a healthy level of paranoia about him. That was a good thing in her book. To stay alive, it was important to always remember that at any time, bad things could happen. To the unprepared or unaware, this may as well be a death sentence. She would be neither and she would not end up dead.

"Before you ask your questions, I have one of my own." Raven poured some hot water into the teapot. "How did you figure out that I was the Spring Maiden?"

"A simple process of elimination." Watson stated as if the answer were obvious. "I learned about the Maidens through a first-hand experience with one of them. Through this unexpected encounter, I was scouted by Ozpin due to the massive contributions that I can give him. Through him, I learned about the secrets that this world conceals from common knowledge."

"You work for Ozpin?" Raven felt a tinge of disgust.

"Only as long as the relationship is mutually beneficial." Watson said. "My continued service to him is dependent upon him meeting my criteria. As of right now, working for Ozpin provides me with a means to conduct my scientific endeavors from the prying eyes of the public."

"I see." Raven didn't feel any desire to dig deeper into that topic. "But back on point, what exactly do you want from me?"

"An exchange." He held his scroll up, but did not activate it. "I have the trust and the location of the Fall Maiden. By proxy, I have access to the Relic of Choice. You having the Spring Maiden powers means you can gain access to the Relic of Knowledge."

"You wish to exchange relics." Raven assumed, finishing making the tea and placing a cup in front of her guest.

"I have no use nor interest in the Relic of Choice." Watson stared at the tea cup in front of him. "It is the Relic of Knowledge that I want. If an exchange of relics will not be sufficient enough payment, then I can offer you various technologies to help you with any endeavor you see fit."

Clearly, this wasn't all of his game plan, but whether he would reveal more of it or not was the question. Of course, the way he was playing this wasn't too far off from what she would do; anyone with an ounce of intelligence knew that it was foolhardy to reveal all of your cards to your opposition. The best she could hope for was enough detail that would let her fill in the gaps.

But she needed to get those details first.

"Such as?" In spite of her caution, Raven was still curious.

Her opposite spoke no further words, only fiddling with his scroll, then placing it between them and displaying a 3D video feed. It appeared that he preferred to show rather than tell, which was fine with her. A picture was worth a thousand words. Her eyes quickly adjusted and her brain began to process the information given to her.

The first thing that caught Raven's attention was the physical appearance of what she was seeing. Never before had she seen anything that resembled this sort of tech and that was coming from someone who had stolen many pieces of gadgetry from Atlas. What she was seeing couldn't even be described as anything that came from Remnant, at least not its people at any rate. It looked so alien.

"Strange." Raven continued to stare at the image in front of her.

"Is there something wrong?" Watson questioned her.

"It's nothing." Raven dismissed. "I wandered for a bit. I believe I understand what I'm seeing here. It appears to be a cloaking device of some sort. I assume that isn't just a concept."

"It's already in the prototype phase." Watson confirmed. "I cannot promise absolute stability in functionality, but it does work as intended and it will be a valuable asset."

Already, the gears in the Branwen woman's mind were beginning to turn. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't merely some blunt instrument. She was more than capable of performing solo stealth missions whenever she felt it necessary. The reason she chose not to partake more often was simply because in her mind, there was little she couldn't power through with her skills and experience. However, even she knew that as the Spring Maiden, there would be others that would be coming for her sooner or later. To that end, it was important to acquire whatever advantage that she could get her hands on.

The next item was an experimental dust mixture that appeared to go against conventional use. The Spring Maiden was no scientist, but she could grasp at least a very basic understanding. According to her interpretation, this formula was a living example of doing more with less. The amount of each dust was carefully measured so that the results were specific. Depending on the contents, they reacted differently. There were also considerations like the environment, the situation, and amount used.

Raven's adopted a thoughtful expression. This was such a simple but elegant way to use dust. It was surprising that this kind of concept didn't see more widespread use. Modern dust usage could be considered wasteful and inefficient, but then again, the public wouldn't know that because the SDC had done an excellent job of molding the standard to whatever they wished it to be. If this sort of dust was to get out, it could very well do more than a little damage to the image of the enormous dust manufacturer and distributor.

"This sort of technology isn't just something you give out for free." Raven turned her eyes away. "I find it hard to believe that this is merely a small exchange. This isn't exactly easy to come by."

"But it is." Watson met her eyes with a firm look. "This is a sample of what I can accomplish. For my goals, they are small prices to pay, a battle that I can afford to lose in order to win the war."

"What war?" Raven drilled further for answers.

For the first time in their entire conversation, his expression shifted into something other than a poker face. "The war for survival. When the ashes have settled, the survivors will recreate the world."

Raven could understand this standpoint not just from a logical perspective, but there was an emotional aspect to her that understood just as well. Although she would never admit to it, she felt real fear whenever the thought of Salem came up and there was a good reason for that. The witch controlled the Grimm and she had immense power. That was why it was critical to assemble whatever power she could and whatever advantages were ripe for the picking. If she had to collude with some questionable characters who shared the same views, then so be it. Survival against the apocalypse demanded sacrifices.

"What guarantee do I have that you will deliver on all of this?" She asked at point-blank range.

He in turn did the same. "What guarantee do I have that you will lead me to the Relic of Knowledge?"

The only thing the bandit leader could do is let out a breath with a sort of growl. It felt like she was being intentionally steered this whole time, but no matter what she tried to counter with, he had an answer for her.

Was this what it felt like to be cornered mentally?

Transformers - - - RWBY

Two Days Later

Shockwave's return to Beacon Academy was a quiet affair. He gave a report to Ozpin detailing his exploits for the most part. While making a deal with the bandits was his primary objective, he did have other small things he wanted to do. This allowed the Cybertronian-Faunus hybrid to tell the truth without divulging everything. He was merely omitting a detail that was not relevant nor important to the man upstairs.

The scientist resumed work on his ground bridge as soon as he returned. With all the events and activities he was juggling, he had yet to finish it and in all truth, he should have been able to do so some time ago. A space bridge was many times more difficult due to the hundreds of trillions of petabytes of data that was needed to pinpoint an exact location in space even with navigational coordinates and prior knowledge of the destination. Even with the challenges involved, he had managed to build one, the very first one in a long time. A ground bridge was a massive downgrade in complexity by comparison.

The decision to build a ground bridge was not a hard choice to make. First of all, without any knowledge as to where Remnant was in space, it would be pointless to build a space bridge. Sure, he knew the exact coordinates of Cybertron, but he couldn't possibly create a literal pathway in space only knowing the destination. Until he determined Remnant's exact location in space, a ground bridge was ergonomical for now, but in the event that a new development came up, he would leave open the chance to upgrade the ground bridge to a space bridge.

While occupying a part of his processes with the physical work and the mental calculations of his transportation device, Shockwave dedicated another part of his mind to reviewing the outcome of his visit with Raven Branwen.

As he had predicted, the woman was hardheaded, but ultimately predictable. She made herself out to be this terrifying combatant that few could match, but take that away and all that was left was fear and uncertainty. The reason for her to acquire power was to protect herself and her tribe. She had no other reason for doing what she did. It was disappointing that there was nothing greater to one of the most feared outlaws on the continent of Anima.

At least Megatron's reasons for conquest were for more than just his own selfish reasons, even if said selfish reasons were one of the main reasons if not the main one.

If he had to form a hypothesis regarding the dissolution of Team STRQ, then he would say that the main reason for the team breaking up was due to Raven herself. Taking into account her being the Spring Maiden, then it was a safe bet to assume that the Taiyang Xiao Long and Qrow Branwen were both informed about the maidens and possibly the roles that they played as the keys to the relics.

And there was only one person he knew besides the four maidens that could tell them about all of this: Ozpin.

The more that Shockwave uncovered about his benefactor, the more he began to see just how illogical the man was. There was no debating that his ultimate goal was within logical parameters, but the methods and execution were illogical. For whatever reason, the headmaster placed his faith in individuals that were not ideally qualified to carry the heavy burden that came with protecting perhaps the most important secrets of this world. What was so important about Ozpin's mission that would drive him to desperation?

It was as if he believed that any individual could become whatever he wished them to be given time, a naive sentiment to put it lightly.

The War for Cybertron had taught the former Decepticons many things about individuals. When times were peaceful, people could be whatever they wanted to be at any time. People crafted stories about themselves in order to paint themselves in a better light. Whether that story contained warped truths or outright lies was inconsequential. If there was one thing people were drawn to, it would be stories. Stories captured the imagination, sparked curiosity, and encourage further exploration. It made people immerse themselves in fantasy and imagination. In short, peace time made people into delusional fools.

It was in times of hardship such as war that revealed the true nature of a person. Often times, there were characters that were once polite, kind, and even compassionate and then a war would turn them into greedy, selfish, and fearful individuals. These people were weak under immense pressure and succumbed to their basic instinct for survival.

Those who could remain calm and in-control during high-pressure situations were the strongest. Megatron was one such individual. Soundwave was another. Even Optimus Prime could be classified the same way.

Shockwave could go on about all the big and small things he disagreed with regarding his employer, but in the end, his words would fall on deaf ears should he voice these illogicalities. In this case, it just might be more logical to say nothing more about what was logical and illogical. Regardless of whether or not Ozpin's plans succeeded or failed, there were more imperative matters to handle.

And speaking of those matters, there was good progress on one of them. As the hunt for the maidens pressed on, the scientist had considered how best to obtain the hidden artifacts. Each was housed in a chamber accessible only to a specific maiden. Additionally, maidens needed to be female and young in order to get one of the four powers. If he was interpreting this correctly, then it meant that the individual did not matter in the process, only the power that dwelled within the maiden.

There was a possibility that the relics could be collected without the current maidens. If their powers could be harnessed or emulated, it just might be enough to act as a substitute key. This was only a working theory and he had no proof to back up this newly-made idea, but if it could be done, he would be spared a lot of work.

And what better way to begin than to start with the maiden he was closest to?

But before he could dial Amber's scroll number, he detected a visitor.

"Professor Watson." That was Velvet's voice just now. "I had a question to ask you."

For a moment, he didn't show any hint of a response. At least five seconds passed before he put down his tools and his scroll and looked in her direction.

"Then ask your question, Miss Scarlatina." Shockwave beckoned her forward.

"Never mind, you look busy, sir." Velvet appeared somewhat hesitant to accept. "If this is a bad time-"

"You are already here." Shockwave cut her off. "It is more logical to ask your question and save yourself time rather than leave and come back at a later date."

"Well… if you insist, professor." Velvet cautiously stepped into the room, taking note of his workspace. "This is an unrelated question, but what are you working on?"

"Something I intend to make use of in the future." Her curiosity was natural and seeing as she was quite a talent in weapons design, Shockwave chose to answer this question honestly. "This is called a ground bridge. In the simplest of terms, it will allow for near-instantaneous travel to any location on Remnant."

"Instantaneous travel?" Her curiosity transformed into amazement. "I didn't know such a thing was possible."

"Conventional technology does not allow it." He corrected her without telling the full truth. "What I am doing is building from scratch something that you will not find commercially. Perhaps you would not even find it in the most secretive laboratories in all of Remnant."

She nodded her head. "I can believe that. I can't even begin to understand what I'm looking at right now, let alone what it will look like."

"It will be ready for tests in the week prior to the beginning of the new school year." The former Decepticon entertained. "If your interest in this project remains, you can find out first-hand how it works then. Now, you had a question for me."

"Oh yes! I went through my schematics for my weapon and made changes according to your recommendations, although I'm not sure that my calculations are all precisely the way they need to be. I guess I'm not asking a question so much as requesting you check my work."

Carefully, Velvet handed over a neatly rolled-up blueprint. Shockwave made some space on his desk and opened it up, quickly taking in its contents. As she had said, his suggestions and tips were taken into consideration. She had reworked many of the finer details such as dust consumption, weight adjustment, and projection accuracy. The faunus girl had also made use of his suggestion to make the weapon work more in-tune with herself.

By themselves, all these small changes were insignificant, but when combined, the numerous modifications had retooled her weapon in such a way that for anyone else to use her weapon was nearly pointless. The adjustments had done that much to change how the weapon behaved.

This was highly impressive work for a first-time builder. Even amongst all the specialized weapons and equipment that huntsmen and huntresses used, this was a unique build. The goal here was to focus on flexibility and creativity, two critical things when on a battlefield. If there was one thing that was bound to kill soldiers, it was a lack of ideas. Training and practice was basis for all combat, but in a warzone, expecting every engagement to go by the book was a recipe for failure and eventual death.

"Your work is impeccable and there are only a few minor issues that I can see." Shockwave pointed to the dust chamber. "Your dust chamber is configured in a way that it will drain dust rapidly. You will only get two hours of operational usage."

"There is a reason for that." Velvet stepped closer, using her right hand to direct his attention to the focusing lenses. "I recently came across some aftermarkets parts…"

RWBY - - - Transformers

Somewhere in the City of Vale

Cinder Fall had been constantly fuming since her disastrous failure in obtaining the power of the Fall Maiden. Since that encounter, she had to work on relocating her original target while also coming up with a new plan of attack. Ozpin was sure to have his little pawn on high-alert and was also likely keeping his eyes on her. That made her task all the more burdensome. She despised when the plan went down in flames.

The only reason this task was not impossible was because she had a tiny sliver of magical power obtained from the Fall Maiden. Granted, it was hardly enough to make a difference in her combat effectiveness, but it was enough for her to get a sense of where the rest of the power was. The trouble was keeping up with the constant changes in location and direction. This would take more time, time that she simply did not have.

While also attempting to find the maiden, she set her sights on finding out the identity of the man who dared to get between her and her goals. So far, all attempts to find information had been met with nothing but a void. There were no records in any databases, no physical files according to her contacts, and no word on the street. Basically, she was hunting a ghost. This served to only fuel her anger further and in this state, she did not wish to be bothered for any reason other than receiving intelligence that mattered.

Cinder growled as she stood up from her seat and began to pace. She really needed to take a break from all this work, but ever since this setback, her timetable had to be accelerated considerably. While she did have time before the beginning of the semester for all the huntsman academies, she couldn't go in there with purely her skills and experience alone, even if she was superior to all the students. She could deal with a team; she could even deal with a dozen if she needed to, but she couldn't deal with an entire school. The same applied to her lackeys as well.

There was also another major problem. She had yet to report to Salem and if there was one person that Cinder was afraid of, it was her master.

Salem's ability to stomach incompetence was unpredictable at the best of times. In some cases, she might forgive blunders while in other instances, she would kill without hesitation for simple mistakes. Really, it depended on what went wrong and whether or not the failure in question was the one to blame. That was the rational side, but when it came to Salem, there was no telling what would set the Queen of the Grimm off.

Cinder ceased her pacing and took in a deep breath. Perhaps the only thing that could be done now was proceed regardless of the Fall Maiden power. She had no leads and nothing to show for herself at this stage and she knew that if she failed again, it could very well be the last time she ever did.

So she reviewed the main points of her plan. Without the maiden power, she wasn't in any position to recruit the White Fang. Infiltrating Beacon Academy would have to be done very carefully. Her deal with Roman needed to be played with extreme tact and craftiness. The loyalty of Mercury and Emerald were still in-place for now, but she needed to give them a reason to remain.

Cinder shook her head, ridding herself of doubt. One way or another, she would win.

Sometimes, I forget that while Shockwave plays by what is logical, he is a Decepticon. I would be doing a huge disservice to all Transformer fans by not making my Decepticon protagonist deceptive in one way or another. After all, it is logical at times to be deceptive. As to what sort of deception he used on Raven, let's just say that she won't ever realize that she's been caught in a trap.

We're fourteen chapters in and I nearly forgot about Cinder Fall. That should tell you just how much is lacking in the character. At this point in the canon snow, I find her becoming less and less relevant. As far as I can tell, she's just evil for some reason. She wants power and she wants people to fear her, but we don't know why. She hates when people go against her and especially if people manage to get the best of her, so revenge is a big yes for her. Writing for her is challenging because I have to come up with something for her.

The next chapter will focus more on developing character relationships as well as introducing some new technological stuff courtesy of our favorite mad scientist. Look forward to that as well as the approaching Beacon school year.

Apologies for such a late chapter. I've been having to adjust to a life of working instead of going to school. While it hasn't been difficult, it has been time-consuming, but as far as I'm concerned, it feels so good to get done college and leave education for a while. It feels good to be getting some actual real-world experience.

Getting back on track, reviews and feedback is greatly appreciated. I've noted that this story has gained a much larger fanbase than I ever could have imagined. Now that I've gotten this far, I can't help but entertain the possibility of this story becoming the most popular Transformers crossover story on FanFiction. I chalk it up to ambition, but I think it's something worth going for, so I'll keep on writing for this thing and I hope you'll all keep coming back for more.

As a final note, I've been reading your reviews and I have been eagerly conceptualizing dynamics between Shockwave and the main RWBY cast. I'll say this much: chaos ensued.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

"Every once in a while, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation."

Dean Kamen