"There's so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after.
"But the hero... never gets to see that ending. ...They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith.
"...Ain't that a bitch?" -Epsilon
RWBY x Red vs Blue Crossover:
"Metastability"
Chapter 8: Descent
When Ozpin returned to Beacon, his first stop was the room where the Meta, Agent Maine, Jaune Arc, or whichever one he may have been. To his surprise, he found no one inside but Doctor Krimzen Reed, and as he expected, the blonde still unconscious. "Welcome back, sir," the doctor greeted casually as he monitored the boy's condition. "How was your visit to Mr. Ironwood?"
"Eventful," the Headmaster answered as he looked around. "How odd...I don't see Ms. Nikos or the others anywhere."
The old man sighed as he scratched his neck, standing up and turning away from his patient briefly. His face was somber, much more so than usual, as if he had taken a lot of time for something that had brought him much trouble. "They...witnessed Mr. Arc being shot in the throat."
There was a silence of understanding between the two men. Ozpin, for his part, replayed the mental image back in his mind, and then looked back at Jaune Arc's unconscious body. How that boy survived such atrocious wounds in his state was beyond him, but he had survived...and came out stronger because of it. However, whether or not this gain of strength was good or bad was entirely up for debate. Still, the memory must have been harsh to have been witnessed by Ms. Nikos and the others. After all, they were close to the boy, and seeing him so brutalized, right before their eyes...it must have been heart-wrenching for them. Still, a well-needed break was much needed, and now they had it. They had been pushing themselves too hard to find out the source of Jaune's mental state, so perhaps there was some good, however questionable, seeing that memory.
Ozpin approached the bed, and took out his Scroll. As soon as he did, much to Krimzen's shock, a holographic soldier appeared, hovering in the air and dressed in blue armor. "Good god that was horrible!" the hologram complained, looking at Ozpin in disapproval. "I swear, you shove me in that damned thing of yours again, I'm haunting your ass for a MONTH!"
"Come now. Surely it wasn't that bad." Ozpin assured the AI.
"Not bad?! You try being a ghost shoved into a cell phone of all things! Not fun, pal!"
"...Oz," Krimzen said, unsure what to make of what he was seeing. "What...is that?"
"This is Mr. Church," he introduced the blue holographic soldier. "An AI involved in Project Freelancer."
Church growled at the gray-haired man. "Again, NOT AN AI!"
"Project Freelancer?" the doctor asked, eyes widening in surprise. "So...it appears the suit was hardly the only thing Mr. Arc brought home with him."
Ozpin nodded in agreement. "Indeed. James is working behind the council's back trying to restore them, and Mr. Church was the first. He's also agreed to help...mend, Mr. Arc's mind."
"Truly now?" The doctor raised a brow in surprise. "But...how will he be able to do that?"
"I can just go inside the guy's mind, and try to fix things." Church responded. "I mean, it worked before with Caboose."
"...Caboose?"
"Don't ask," Church deadpanned. "Trust me." He then looked at Jaune's unconscious form, and folded his arms. "So...this kid's the Meta?"
"Correct," Ozpin nodded. "May I formally introduce Mr. Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR."
"Juniper? The hell kind of a name is that? It's a fucking plant."
"Team names are in correspondence with a color," Krimzen explained. "For example, one of the second year teams is called "CFVY," and another first year team, "RWBY." It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember."
"You make team names after colors? That's pretty weird..." The Ghost stated.
Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. "And you claiming to be a ghost isn't?" he asked. Church gave him a flat stare. "At any rate...do you think you can help Mr. Arc?"
"Well, I'll know when I get a peek in his head," Church responded, now standing atop the pillow where Jaune rested his head. "Though I ain't lookin' forward to this...I mean, dude. He had 8 freakin' AI stuffed in his head!" He shuddered. "God, I'm not looking forward to this." Cautiously, he approached the blonde, though he stopped and then turned towards Ozpin. "If I don't make it back...I am so haunting your ass."
With that said, he dived straight into Jaune's head.
"...e's coming to!"
Maine groaned, feeling his head throbbing uncontrollably as he opened his eyes, only to close them shut again and open them again repeatedly, slowly adjusting to the harsh light above him. The blurred out sounds in his ear sharpened, becoming familiar voices, and the blotch of colors in his sight dissipated, leaving behind a clearer picture. Standing over him was Washington and Carolina, both of whom were out of their armors, and their faces laced with relief.
"Thank god," Wash laughed, wiping away the tears in his eyes. "Thought you'd never wake up, buddy!"
"Yeah. We thought we lost you a few times back there." York nodded with a relieved smile.
"How are you feeling, Maine?" Carolina asked him with concern.
The white armored Freelancer opened his mouth to respond, but barely any sound came out, coupled with the dull pain from is throat. Tried as he may, the only thing he could verbally produce were guttural growls. Suddenly, he became panicked as he touched his throat. There, he felt patches of wounded skin, scattered and clumped around his adam's apple. For a moment he was terrified, wondering what had happened to his voice before he remembered the mission. He and Carolina were fighting off Insurrectionist soldiers when that sleeveless bastard shot him in the throat. He let out a growl of anger, hands clenched around the steel bars attached to his bed, face showing utter loathing. 'That son of a...'
"Aaaaaaand that answers the question," North sighed.
It was then that Maine noticed that a few of the Freelancers were here. York, Carolina, Wash, North...and even Wyoming. The mustached man looked quite perplexed and unsure of himself. On his part, Maine wanted to throttle the son of a bitch as payback for hurting York, but the sniper was unsually quiet. "...sorry, old chap," the man said, his voice heavily apologetic. "But...your vocal cords were destroyed. The doctors saved your life, but...they couldn't save your voice."
A panicked series of growls and grunts spewed out of his mouth from the shocking news. His vocal chords were destroyed? So he would never be able to speak again?!
"It's all my fault," Carolina said, looking down in shame. "If only I had been more careful..."
"Hey hey," York gently wrapped his hand around her arm. "No one's blaming you. We knew what we were getting ourselves into...right, Maine?" The blonde looked at the red-head. Her face was wracked with guilt, like she blamed herself for what happened. He let a hiss, shaking his head, and gave the best facial expression of worry, hoping it would be enough to convey his feelings. It seemed to work, as York grinned. "See? Even Maine agrees with me! On the plus side, he'll be scaring the shit out of Insurrectionists with the growls and snarls."
Taking this into consideration, Maine gave a small grunt of agreement. It'd be a good intimidation tactic. Now if only he could find the Insurrectionist that shot him in the throat and kill him...
"By the way, the Director said he wanted to see all of us when Maine woke up," North said. "He didn't say why, though. Might be about that AI thing we've been hearing about."
Maine frowned, and looked at Wash. "Apparently, Project Freelancer was given a generous donation by the UNSC," Washington told him. "Artificial Intelligences. Guys at the top of the leaderboard get first dibs on 'em."
So that meant he'd be getting one soon. But this news sure is sudden. Just when he regained consciousness too. "You good to go, Maine?" York asked the blonde. "If you wanna rest, go right ahead. We can always make something up with the Director...even if he knows it'll be bullshit."
The Freelancer shook his head as he pulled himself off the infirmary bed. He had enough rest already. Besides, he had to consult the director about his new problem. "You sure?" Wash asked in concern. "Seriously man, you can-" He was cut off when Maine glared at him, and growled. Instantly, he backed away. "Okaaay, nevermind. You're good." Nodding, Maine stood up on his feet. His stance was a bit shaky at first, but he regained his footing.
"Well, let's go see the Director," North said. Everyone then proceeded to follow him out the room, with York and Carolina hanging back around Maine, in case he fell on his feet.
.
.
.
.
"...huh," Church remarked as he observed the memory taking place, tilting his head. "Guess Wash was a decent guy before he got Epsilon stuck in his head."
He may have gone into Wash's head before to incapacitate the Meta so he could set off the emp, but he never really this side of him before. All he saw of him was during his time as a Recovery Agent, such as getting shot in the back and a lot of other dark stuff that could give a normal guy nightmares for weeks. Here, though, he seemed pretty laid-back, more open...and apparently like Tucker or Caboose, constantly on the receiving end of something fierce. However, he wasn't focusing on that. He was focusing on what was happening now - the administration of the AI's. It must have been when the Freelancers first receive the AIs.
"Okay...if I remember what Tex told me, that North guy got something called Theta, York was Delta's original partner," Church muttered. "So...who's the Meta gonna get?"
From what he remembered, the AI Gamma, also known as Gary, was partnered with Wyoming, so he was out. Then there was Omega, who could jump into any host, but he always chose Tex, so he was out too... Actually, just how many AI did Project Freelancer have? The curiosity continued to follow him as he moved, continuing on with the memory. As he did, he took a look around the area, noting that they must have been on a ship or something, or at the very least some kind of high-tech facility. Eventually, the Freelancers had arrived at their destination, and entered inside what appeared to be a command center. Several consoles lined up the walls and in the center of the room, while up ahead, the bridge lied in wait, with several holographic screens floating.
"The hell?" Church questioned. His head was starting to hurt. Somehow, this room seemed...familiar. "Wait...have I...been here before?"
He shook his head. No, that was impossible. There's no way he could have been here. He then noticed two people walking up the group of Freelancers, both of whom looked really familiar, further increasing the unusual pain in his head. One was a man with dark skin and a shaven head with barely any hair atop his dome, and the other, an aged man with sunken cheeks, square glasses upon his nose, and dark hair with streaks of gray. "I see everyone is here," the man in glasses said, nodding. Church recognized the voice immediately from when Washington squared off with the Meta before the EMP went off. "Agent Maine...welcome back to the world of the living."
"So...that's the Director," Church noted to himself. "Geez...was expecting someone kinda...more."
Based on what Tex told him over the years, he expected the Director of Project Freelancer to be...more intimidating or something. But this guy? He looks just like a weary, old man... Was he really the one in charge of the project?
The Director's statement was responded with a series of grunts and growls. "I think that means, 'thanks," York supplied. "So, what's this about AI's, sir?"
"Exactly as it sounds, Agent York," the dark-skinned man, Church remembered him as the one called a Counselor, said politely. "The UNSC has graciously donated us artificial intelligence for use. In order to gather data, and to improve your combat capabilities, we have decided to pair each of you, starting with our most experienced and talented Freelancers, with an AI."
"So each of us are getting our own AI partner? Sounds pretty cool." York hummed.
Church thought otherwise.
After all...that AI called Sigma, the one that Ozpin told him was given to Maine, he pretty much forced him to kill his comrades to steal their AI, thus becoming the Meta. Besides...who would want someone else in their head? Honestly, he could see why Washington kept refusing Delta to enter his head.
Today, we will be selecting two candidates to undergo surgery for the AI implantation," the Director stated, earning confused looks from everyone. "These AIs are not the ones you are mostly familiar with. They are...different, in nature. In order for them to be used at their full capability, an AI must be implanted directly into your neural system."
"W-whoa, wait, what?!" Wash's eyes widened. "Um, sir, no offense, but are you telling us we're gonna have someone...INSIDE OUR HEAD?!"
"That is correct, Agent Washington." The Counselor nodded. "In order for the AI to be fully utilized, we need to implant them in your neural implants. It is the only way."
Church scoffed. "Yeah, sure," he said. "And make insane nuts while you're at it."
North frowned heavily, and stepped forward a bit. "With...all due respect, sir," he said, keeping his tone respectful. "Are you sure that's wise? The human brain is...well, there's only so much that we can process. Having an AI, an advanced and complex program stuck in our heads...that's a LOT of thing to process."
"We are aware of that, Agent North," the Counselor answered smoothly. "However, we have already run the prelimnary tests...it is safe."
"I call bullshit on that." The Ghost dead panned. The director is probably lying in order to get the freelancers to be more comfortable with the aspect of getting an AI stuck in their heads. Safe? Yeah, not really. If it really were safe, then there wouldn't be any problems like the Meta.
Regardless, the other Freelancers shared the same unease as North. However, eventually, they accepted this new change, albeit with some reservations. "How many AIs did we receive?" Carolina asked. "And who will be receiving them?"
"So far, we have three AIs now in our possession," the Director answered curtly. "Sigma, Theta, and Delta. We've also been informed that we will receive new AIs, should our experiments show...progress. And as for the Agents receiving these AIs, they are our most experienced, and talented. In other words, those on the Leaderboard." He adjusted his spectacles, and then looked at three Freelancers in particular. "Agent York, you will receive Delta. Agent North will be given Theta, and Agent Carolina, Sigma."
"Whoa, wait, what?!" Church shouted, taken completely off guard. "Carolina was given Sigma?! The fuck?!" This...was not what he was told. He thought the Meta always had Sigma, so how did Carolina get chosen to have him?! He took a moment to pause, then a solution came. "Wait...oh, fuck me sideways."
The two of the three named soldiers gave a nod, though Carolina seemed to reject the proposal, as she stepped forward. "With...all due respect, Director," she responded. "I think it would be best if Maine was given Sigma instead." Church paled. Fuck, he hated being right! So this was how he got Sigma! Because Carolina chose to give it to him instead. If what Tex told him was right, Carolina was arguably the best soldier among the Freelancers, second only to Tex...if only because she kept becoming too damn competitive. If Sigma had been given to her...well, that was a scary thought. If Carolina was only a cut below Tex, he'd hate to think how she was as the Meta. Going back to the memory he was viewing, the Director stared at her. "Maine lost his voice, so having an AI speak for him would make communication and teamwork skills much easier. Additionally...I..." She paused, then sighed. "I...don't think I'm ready for an AI yet. The last mission proved I am...unfit for the chance to have this opportunity. Had I led the team better, had I known what the Insurgents were using..."
"...very well then," the Director gave a nod, then turned to Maine, who looked at Carolina in concern. "Agent Maine, you will be entrusted with Sigma."
The mute Freelancer gave a glance at his red haired friend, then turned to face the director with a nod.
"Okay then," Wyoming folded his arms. Church had nearly forgotten about him, and scowled. He had yet to forget that son of a bitch after everything he's done back at Blood Gulch. "So...what about the others? You DID mention other AIs in the future, if I'm not mistaken."
"They will be given at a later date," the Director responded. "In the meantime...Agent York, head to Recovery 1 center. You will be the first to receive your AI. Agent Maine, you will be next. Agent North will receive Theta at a later date." The three nodded the first and third mentioned Freelancer gave verbal response of 'yes sir' while Maine gave a small snarl of approval. "Very good," the Director nodded. "Also...within the week, we will undertake what is probably one of our most important missions to date, since the retrieval of the Sarcophagus."
"And what's that, sir?"
"The elimination of the Insurrectionists," he responded, earning shocked looks. "After years of searching, we believe we have found their primary base."
"Really, sir?"
"Yes, Agent Carolina. The mission will entail taking down their leader."
"Insurrectionists?" Church tilted his head. "Oh yeah...didn't Tex mention those assholes before? Something about them fighting the UNSC for some shit and had a mole in Project Freelancer?" He paused, then sighed. "Yep...talking to myself inside someone's head. Starting to think I'm the one who needs a Shrink."
At times like these, he really wish he had someone to talk to...
...well, so long as they weren't Caboose or someone from the Red team. Because based on his track record, he'd either be killed or annoyed to the point of wanting to kill himself.
"...do you think this AI can help Mr. Arc?" Krimzen asked, looking at his patient in concern. "More importantly...can we trust it?"
"From what I could tell from our meeting, Mr. Church seems to genuinely want to help Mr. Arc." Ozpin told him.
"Perhaps, but..."
The Doctor could not help but feel anxious about this. They did not know much about the AI, even when he went through Jaune Arc's memories, he did not know a lot about the one named Church, other than it was partnered up with Agent Washington for a time with another blue armored soldier.
Everything after Jaune Arc becoming the Meta was...skewed. The memories were fuzzy and hard to read, but from what he gathered, Jaune was hunting down the remaining AIs, including something known as the 'Alpha.' However, when it corned the Alpha, and Agent Washington, an EMP was released, and the AIs were destroyed. Everything afterwards was something a blur. Only bits and pieces were left behind. From those fragments, he saw memories of him and Agent Washington collaborating to hunt down an AI named Epsilon. From brief moments, he saw them shoot and kill other colored soldiers, some aliens, before ultimately fighting against Agent Texas on an icy terrain. After that, everything else was still blurred. The mental damage was bad to the point where even the memories were damaged. And now, it seemed the only way to heal this damage was through an AI of all things. It wasn't a desirable solution, given the lad's experience with artificial intelligence, but it was their best bet in trying to restore the fractured mind.
"Well, I suppose we'll just have to trust Church," Krimzen relented. "Although, I must ask...where did you find him?"
"James showed me to him. He told me that Mr. Church was the first AI that they managed to successfully bring online thanks to a student of his."
The doctor quirked an eyebrow. "You did mention James helped out...surprising, really. I would have thought he was more cautious."
"Oh, he most definitely was." Ozpin replied as he sipped his coffee. "However, I managed to talk him out of it, along with Church's help, of course."
A chuckle emerged from the old man. "Is that so?" he asked with mirth. "Sounds to me like he's getting soft."
"Ugh..." York groaned, rubbing the spot where the impant was buried into his neck. "Man...I don't know which hurts worse. My head, or my neck."
[My apologies,] a green holographic soldier said, flickering into view. [To my understanding from the preliminary data, this is a common occurrence when first implanted. The headache should dissipate in a few days.]
"Hey, it's Delta," Church remarked, feeling slightly happy to see the green AI again, if only in memory form. "Lookin' good, D." He folded his arms and dipped his head in thought. "Penny said that General guy was working on restoring the other AIs...so I wonder if Delta's being repaired too." He paused, and sighed. "Aaaaaand I'm talking to myself again. What am I, Simmons?!"
He focused back on the memory. Maine gave a slight stare at Delta, clearly unsure whether to be impressed or disappointed. Meanwhile, Carolina whistled in appreciation. "Not what I was expecting, but still impressive," she said. "So, how long do you think North'll be in there?"
"A few hours," South replied, sitting on a nearby chair outside the medical wing. "Doctors said that he might be out for a while after implantation...hey, if the top guys from the leaderboard are getting AIs first...does that include the lower-ranked members too?"
"It's possible." York shrugged. "I mean, the Director said that they would be getting more AIs. So it could be safe to assume that the lower ranked ones would get some too."
South was silent for a bit, but then developed a cold smirk. "...sweet."
"Uh oh," Church noted. "I know that look..."
That was the look he saw on Tex every time she hears that an award is involved. It was worse by the fact that it was the same bitch that Washington shot...who just happened to be the one who shot him in the back. Given what he's seen so far...the woman was proving herself to be a bitch. Now he was starting to understand why Wash shot her.
[At any rate,] Delta turned to the Freelancers. [It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I am Delta, York's personal AI Fragment.]
"Nice to meet you Delta. Hope you can help out One-eye's blindside now..."
"Hey now," York grinned. "That's 'Captain One-Eye.'"
[I believe I will be of proper assistance to Agent York's disability.] The AI nodded.
"Good to know," Carolina nodded. just then, the doors leading to the operation room opened, and revealed North, albeit sluggish on his feet, hanging off the arm of one of the medical officers. "Whoa, you okay there, North?"
"I'll live...This is just...gonna take some getting used to..." He cradled his head on one of his hands as he looked at the rest of his comrades. "My head is killing me..."
[That would be because of your implantation,] Delta informed him. [It took Agent York a few hours to get accomodate my additional presence in his neural system.]
"Yeah, and I'm still feeling the after effects, D." York replied as he rubbed his temples.
Maine let out a grumble, shaking his head while he rubbed his neck. He was not going to be looking forward to the impantation tomorrow. "Hey, it'll be alright," Carolina told him, giving him a light punch in the shoulder. "Besides, with this Sigma thing, I'm sure you'll be scaring the crap out of any Insurrectionist dumbass stupid enough to tangle with you."
"Oh yeah," Church said sarcastically. "And turn him into a monster while you're at it!"
Naturally, his words were unheeded in the memory. He still felt Maine's gratitude about Carolina's words, however, and gave a small grin. He then looked at North, expecting to find an AI forming. He would have asked, but when he tried, he found himself growling, much to his annoyance. He had forgotten he had lost his voice. Thankfully, York seemed to have translated for him. "So, what's your AI like?"
"He's...hiding," North answered as the medics set him down on the bench. "Apparently, he's a bit...scared, being put in someone's head."
[Theta's emotional programing is akin to a child in its adolescences,] Delta told him. [However, I am sure he will come to trust you in time.]
"I hope so. I feel bad for the little guy..." North admitted. "He's a bit like South was when we were kids."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" His siter turned to him with an inquisitive glare.
North smirked at her. "Need I remind you about that one time when you got so scared dad had to drive you around to help you fall asleep?" he teased, causing her face to burn red and scowl, looking away in irritation. "Heh...anyway...out of curiosity, what is Maine's AI gonna be like?"
[Unfortunately, I cannot say,] Delta shook his head. [The Director has given us strict protocals as to not reveal the nature of other AIs. Or rather, AIs that have yet to be implanted into their respective Freelancers.]
"So like a surprise then," York said. "Well, here's hoping it ain't some homicidal computer program.]
"Yeah? Well, hopes have fucking gone to shit." Church snapped at him. "Sigma is exactly a fucking homicidal computer program!"
"...Pyrrha still hasn't come out of the bathroom?" Ruby asked, eyes frowned in concern as she and her Team spoke with NPR members Nora and Ren. "How long has it been since she last ate?"
"Two days," Ren said, sadness clear in his voice. "What we saw happened to Jaune...I think it finally broke her, Ruby. She was pushing herself, so obsessed with wanting to find out how he became who we fought in Forever Fall, and after seeing that...she finally cracked." He stared at the floor, clenching his hands together. "I...don't blame her. Seeing what happened to Jaune...it reminded me of what happened back home." The home he had when he was a kid. When he still had his mother and father. Where he met Nora. The village of Kuroyuri...which has been long since abandoned after the Grimm attack so long ago. An entire village and its residents wiped out...all at the hands of the Grimm...one, in particular, causing the most damage, as well as the deaths of his parents. Nora's eyes softened in concern, touching his shoulder. He looked up, seeing her face, and sighed. "Sorry," he apologized. "For now...let's give her some time."
"...Okay..." Ruby replied sadly. As much as she wanted to help her friend, she also knew that Pyrrha really needed some time alone.
"So...what now?" Yang asked. "I mean...do we go back to Vomit Boy, see how he's doing?"
Weiss stared at her with wide eyes. "After what we just saw, you want to see his memories again?!" she asked, aghast. Frankly, what she witnessed was horrible, a fact shared by everyone else. Pyrrha's reaction to all of it was by far the worst, but everyone had the same reaction - absolute horror and fear. If being shot in the throat was what crippled Jaune, they couldn't even begin to fathom what else laid in store. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Whoa, hey now!" she held up her hands in defense. "I just said see him, nothing about his head!" she gave a pale grimace, thinking back to the bullets to the throat. Unconsciously, her hand touched her own Adam's Apple. "You know, wait and see if he wakes up! That sort of thing! He needs at least some familiar faces around him when he wakes up."
Blake closed her eyes. "...given how he is right now...would he even remember us?"
"He remembered Pyrrha, didn't he?" Ruby pointed out. "Otherwise, why miss the shot he had when he had her pinned?"
"Maybe, but still...we don't know for certain how he will react to us. It's best to remain cautious."
"I say we go see him!" the orange-haired girl shouted, pumping her fist into the air. "I wanna be there when Jauney wakes up! That way, I can give him my share of pancakes!"
"Nora, he'd still be unconscious when we get there." Ren pointed out, yet smiled nonetheless. "But the sentiment is good enough."
Weiss sighed. "Well...alright," she said before a small smile formed on her face. "Let's go."
Church was really starting to get annoyed as he continued to view the Meta's memories. He was starting to understand why he directors in movies cut certain segments and went with time skips and scene changes. He was practically forced to watch everything happen in the Meta's life in real time, always and only skipping ahead when he went to sleep.
"Seriously!" he complained. "Where's the fucking skip button in here?!"
He was not used to this whatsoever. He was used to checking out mental problems thanks to Caboose, and had experience kicking out unwanted guests as well, such as O'Malley or Omega or whatever the fuck his name was. However, in order to get an idea as to find out what he was looking for, Church to had view the memories in their entirety. He couldn't just look around randomly like last time. If he wanted to know what to look for, he had to look at the memories.
In all honesty, though...what kind of bullshit was this?! It was like he was in some kind of fanfiction where the authors had to make up some bullshit excuse to lead up to the solution with a stupid-ass problem!
...suddenly, he felt like he had just pulled a Caboose or something.
At any rate, thankfully for his own sanity, Maine had finally got off the operating table, and was now in the med bay, currently unconscious. He showed signs of awakening shortly afterwards, as his eyes began to flutter open, only to squint when he was greeted with harsh light - a familiar scene from when he woke to find his voice robbed of him. Worse, his head hurt, like there was something crammed inside of it and was taking up more space than what he would have liked.
'Fuck,' he thought tiredly. 'What happened? Feels like a goddamn hangover...'
[That would be a disturbingly accurate assessment, Agent Maine.]
Before his eyes, a miniature humanoid appeared in a flicker of flames. Unlike Delta, this AI was dressed in a uniform similar to the Directors, its body red and covered in flames. 'Okay...this dudes gotta be evil for sure.' the flames were a pretty big flag raiser for that.
[Greetings. My name is Sigma. It is a pleasure to be acquainted with you, Agent Maine.]
Maine gave a low growl as he lifted himself up, palming his head. 'They weren't kidding about a headache.' He turned to Sigma, who had his hands behind his back in a respectful manner. 'Nice to meet ya...ugh, fucking hell. This what North and York felt like after getting an AI in their head?'
[I would assume so,] Sigma answered. [After all, having an artificial intelligence implanted into your neural system is quite the taxing burden.]
'I'll say...' Maine mentally replied. 'It feels like a jackhammer is pounding the inside of my skull. At least you can read my thoughts...makes for easier communication."
[Indeed].
Church stared at the flaming form of Sigma, feeling vastly disturbed. His head was also starting to hurt even worse. "Fuck, what is this?" he groaned, holding his helmet. "And...that voice..."
That voice...it sounded familiar...REALLY familiar. Where did he hear it before? Why can't he REMEMBER?!
"Dammit! I know I've heard this voice before, but where?!" He tried to think back. Even as he tried, his head began to hurt worse. He shook his head in anger. He couldn't remember a damn thing! He was sure he heard the voice before...but for the life of him, something was missing. If Sigma was there when he jumped inside the Meta to buy Wash time to set of the EMP, then it would be understandable...but he was sure he's heard this voice before. Church was irritated about this, but as he returned his focus to the memory, he noticed something off. "...the fuck?"
The memory was...glitching. Red static was running across the world around him, most centered around Sigma and Maine.
"Wh-what the hell's going on?!" Church asked no one in alarm. "This...this shouldn't be happening...It's only a memory! What the fuck is going on here?!"
The memory was progressing like normal. Maine was conversing with Sigma in order to get better understanding...yet the static continued.
"Wait...is this...?"
The purpose of reviewing the Meta's memories was to find a sort of hint or clue about the mental problem Church had to solve. The static was clearly unusual, and out of place...yet it showed up exactly when Sigma appeared. Did that mean...Sigma was apart of the mental problem? It would make sense if that were the case. After all, he was the first AI to come into the Meta's possession...and the reason why he became a homocidal maniac hellbent on obtaining AIs in the first place.
"Okay," he muttered. "One clue I guess...but what else is there?" At any rate, he finally had a breakthrough. Sighing, he walked away, letting the memory fade away. The world became replaced with a dark corridor, and a light at the end. He walked toward it, noting how it felt like a cheesy scene of a life-death experience before he found himself back in to the medical wing where the blonde he knew as the Meta resided, along with that doctor and Ozpin. "Yo, Oz," he said as he emerged out from the Meta. Unlike last time, he was now back to his usual self, a transparent soldier in white armor. Shame, too. He actually liked the blue color. "Just found something inter...est...ing..."
He trailed off when he realized that the Headmaster of Beacon was not the only one present in the room. There were seven others, kids at that, with the youngest looking sixteen or so...and each of them was staring at him with a look of utter shock, surprise, disbelief, and so on.
"...er, hi?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the youngest of the kids, a girl with silver eyes and a red hood, and a girl with white hair screamed, jumping six feet into the air before clinging to each other. "I-I-I-I-IT'S A GHOOOOOOOOOST!"
"W-W-W-W-W-Wait! I-I can explain!" Church panicked, trying to get the situation under control. He was not good with this crap.
"What the hell?!" the blonde shouted in as yellow braces formed around her wrists. "The heck is that?!"
"Renny! It's a Ghost!" Nora cried. She then pulled out Magnhild and turned it into its hammer form. "Let's BUST it!"
"AHEM."
Everyone who had their weapons out stopped, and turned their heads to Ozpin, who took a leisurely sip of his mug before revealing an amused look on his face. "As amusing as this spectacle is," he said. "This is an infirmary. Please keep noise levels down to a minimum. Also, please try not to hurt Mr. Church too badly. Mind you, we do need him."
"The fuck?!" Church hissed. "Don't tell them that! Besides, they wouldn't even be able to actually hit me! They'd phase right through me! A-anyway, who are they?!"
"My students of course," he replied. "Allow me to introduce Team RWBY and Mr. Arc's teammates, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren."
"Nora and Lie? So I'm guessing they're the N and R of JNPR? But where's the P?"
"Whoa, wait, back up!" the blonde, Yang, shouted. She looked at Ozpin while pointing a finger at Church. "P-Professor, what the heck is that?!"
Church gave her a look through his helmet. "Uh, I'm a ghost?" he deadpanned. "What else do I look like?"
"In truth, Mr. Church here is an AI from Mr. Arc's suit that we managed to restore not too long ago. He is designated as the Alpha."
"How many fucking times do I have to tell you?! I! Am! Not! And AI!"
"SWEAR!" Ruby cried, still clinging to Weiss out of fear.
"Oh, come on! Seriously?!" Church cried in exasperation.
Ren was surprisingly calm in the entire situation, if a bit weary as he looked at Ozpin. "And...Church is here because...?"
"Because I'm pretty much the only guy who can fix the Meta's fucked up head," Church clarified, earning confused looks from the students. "Uh, Maine? Jaune or whatever the fuck his name is? Sleeping beauty of here!"
"Really?!" Ruby let go of Weiss and zipped over to him, making the Ghost backpedal a step. "Can you really help him?! Please!? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease...!"
"Can you really help him?!" Nora joined Ruby, looking at Church with a pleading look. "Please help our Leader! I'll give you pancakes if you do!"
"O-Okay, OKAY. I got it! Stop! Please! Personal space here!" Church exclaimed as he backed up from the crowding girls. They finally did so. "As I was saying...Yes, I can help your friend...but I just gotta figure out the source of the problem. Now, just as I was about to tell Oz here," He gestured to Ozpin. "...I think I might've found a lead."
Ozpin set his mug down on a nearby tell, and leaned a bit forward on his cane. "What have you found?"
"You said that the whole reason blondie here became the Meta was because of that AI Sigma, yeah?" Church asked. The Headmaster nodded. "Well, I reached the memory when the Meta met Sigma after he was implanted...and something weird happened."
Krimzen frowned. "Something weird?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
"How do I put it...it's like there was static all over the place. And it showed up RIGHT as Sigma started to talking to the Meta."
"You are certain?"
"Positive. The entire memory got all glitchy with red static everywhere, so I have a feeling that Sigma had something to do with it. The weird thing though...I feel like...I've heard his voice somewhere before, I just can't remember where..."
"Well, you were inside Mr. Arc's armor," Ozpin pointed out. "Perhaps when you possessed him to let Agent Washington activate the EMP-"
"Whoa, stop right there," Church held up a hand. "You KNOW about that?!"
"Dr. Reed and myself viewed Mr. Arc's memories in their entirety, albeit some of his memories were...distorted. We could only view bits and pieces. Everything after he obtained the AIs Iota and Eta are unknown, almost like cut scenes from a film."
Church stared at the man, but then shook his head. He just didn't get this guy. Something about the man seemed seriously off, but not in the bad way. It was more like he was having trouble discerning what was going through the guy's head. "Riiight," he drawled. "Anyway, I know that much. I was inside there for a few seconds, but...I know I've heard Sigma's voice before. Way before that."
"Um, sorry," Yang raised a hand. "But what the heck is an AI?"
Weiss sighed, palming her forehead. "It means artificial intelligence," she explained to the brawler. "They're advanced computer programs based off the human mind. Basically, in terms that even a dunce like Ruby can understand-" The silver-eyed girl gave a mock glare and pout at Weiss for the remark. "-they're computerized humans. In other words, digital persons." She paused, letting this sink into Ruby's head so she could understand before turning back to Church. "So...to my understanding, Jaune and other members of this Freelancer program were given AIs?"
"Pretty sharp," Church nodded. "Yep. Tex got Omega, who's pretty much one giant asshole, and Wyoming got Gamma, who's a lying fucking asshole."
"SWEAR!"
"Oh for fuck's sake!" the ghost shouted, glaring at Ruby. "Get used to it, Red Riding Hood! Cause you're gonna hear more swearing in your life!" Krimzen coughed into his hand, returning the conversation back on course. Church sighed. "Anyway...the AIs are crammed inside your head instead of just being plugged into a suit. Any additional AI you got was placed inside the suit, but the hardware makes it so the new AI gets linked up to the first, so even though it ain't in your neural system or whatever the hell its called, its pretty much inside your head too."
Ren's eyes narrowed. "...and how many AI can you handle before your mind can't function properly?" he asked, earning startled looks from his friends. "The human brain can only process so much information, and an AI, while also arguably a human entity, is one giant compilation of data. Having one in your brain is stressful enough."
"Let me put it to you this way, China Boy," Church said, earning a quirked eyebrow from the pink-eyed teen. "There was this one Freelancer, Carolina. She had two AI in her head...and she didn't last for every long." He gestured his head towards Jaune. "And the Meta? He had EIGHT AIs stuck in his head."
"WHAAAAAAT?!" RWBY and NR screamed in shock. Jaune had THAT many AIs crammed in his head?! How did he not get a mental shutdown?!"
"Dunno," Church shrugged. "But his head is probably one giant mess of fucked up shit."
"SWEA-!"
"Stop that!" Church cut Ruby off. "Anyway, long story short, I just need to find that fucked up shit, and his mind should be back to normal!" He paused. "...probably."
"Probably?! You don't even know if it will work?!" Weiss questioned.
"Hey, back off Ice Queen! This shit's hard and complicated, okay?! It's sure as hell not like Caboose's head!"
Weiss felt her eyebrow twitch. Even a ghost was calling her by that damned name?! "Who the hell is Caboose?!"
"A stupid, motherfucking idiot who killed me with my own goddamn tank, that's who!"
"Wait, you got killed by your own tank?" Blake asked with a quirked brow.
"Long story. One that I really don't wanna get into right now..." He shook his. They were REALLY getting off track. "Look, whenever someone had mental problems, it was because of an AI dicking around their head. With him, the AIs are gone, but something's fucking up his mind. To find what's up, I need to look through his memories, and find out what the hell I'm looking for. You brats get it now?"
"Yes."
"Kind of."
"Sorta."
"Understandable."
"More or less."
"Not a clue!"
Came the responses of White, Red, Yellow, Black, Green, and Pink respectively.
"God fucking dammit..." Church groaned. "Wherever you idiots are...you better be having a better time than me."
Elsewhere, in a galaxy far, far away...
"ACHOO!"
"Whoa, you okay there, Caboose?"
"Yeah! I'm okay...my nose was really itchy all of a sudden."
"Well, next time," a light blue holographic soldier appeared next to the aqua soldier, holding what appeared to be a sniper rifle. "Word of warning next time? Fuck, I think that scrambled my sensors...the hell can a sneeze scramble sensors?!"
"Dude," the aqua colored soldier gave the holographic soldier. "Its Caboose."
"...fair point."
The two soldiers were currently standing at what used to be a power facility that had been occupied by the Red Team army for some team...at least until the Meta came and killed everyone. Tucker personally found it to be one giant pain in the ass, and frankly, Epsilon agreed with him. Hell, the whole reason they were even here was because of that aqua-armor wearing bitch who just went and dragged them out of what was supposed to be time off for some stupid mission like finding the Director.
"Any chance we can make a break for it?" Tucker asked. "You know, grab a jeep and bust a nut out of here?"
Epsilon sighed. "Already ran the scenarios," he replied sadly. "She'd find us either way, and probably kill us."
"Fuck."
"Yeah, so might as well stay and make sure she doesn't kill us by dragging us around like this."
The AI and Tucker shared a sigh while Caboose just cocked his head. "Carolina is supposed to be dead, right?" he asked. "Does that mean...she's a ghost like Church?"
"What?" Epsilon stared at Caboose in confusion. "No...my guess is she somehow survived from whatever the Meta did."
"Which is saying something," a voice interjected. "Considering he threw her off a cliff and into below freezing water." The blue soldiers and turned to find a soldier wearing the same color armor as Epsilon, only with yellow trims and markings. "Carolina somehow washed up on a nearby shore, which gave her suit enough time to restart and reactivate her life support...which is a miracle in itself, since she didn't have her helmet on her."
"Ooh! Agent Washingtub!" Caboose greeted jovially. "How are you?"
Washington sighed. "Well, been better," he answered. "Carolina's more high-strung than I remember. She's really dead-set on finding the Director."
"What was your first clue?" Epsilon scoffed. "She dragging your ass out here? Or having you guys bust me out of the Memory Unit?" He was still a bit bitter. At first he thought the damn thing was dying, what with the constant seismic activity, but it turned out they were trying to bust him out. He only found this out...after he had let go of Tex. He repressed the memory, not wanting to let that get to him. Tex was gone. He had to accept that...and besides, it was better this way. All of her life, she was just a shadow of someone else. Someone the Director lost. That...that wasn't right. Some memories were better left alone...and let go. "Where is she, anyway?"
"Inside the base, going through the archives," Washington answered. He paused a bit before he sighed. "We...actually came across a file. Apparently, when the Meta was trying to power his suit when we got Delta, he was doing something else."
"He was browsing the internet?" Caboose asked. "Like what Tucker does during alone time?"
Epsilon gagged while Tucker stiffened. "Dammit Caboose!" he hissed. "I told you not to look over my shoulder!"
"What are you..." the Freelancer shook his head. "On second thought, I never mind. But...yes, he was using a terminal. It could be an error, since his systems were scrambled while he was powering up, but for some reason, he was searching for something...or rather, someone."
"Who?" Epsilon asked. "Alpha?"
"No."
Wash shook his head. "It was someone by the name, Jaune Arc."
"Jaune Arc?" Epsilon frowned. "Who the fuck is that?"
"Why was the Meta looking up toilets?"
Tucker sighed. "He said 'Jaune,' not JOHN," he told Caboose. "But yeah, seriously, who is that?"
"I don't know...but it might have been an error."
"Probably," Epsilon agreed. "Besides, having so many AIs in his head...doubt he could think straight whatsoever."
"You're probably right...it was probably nothing..."
In spite of that, Washington didn't seem convinced. He heard Carolina calling out for him, probably about a status update or something, and went back inside the facility.
'Maine...did you...remember something?'
"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." -Albert Einstein
A/N: HOOOOOLY SHIT! Sorry about that! Persona 5, plus mine and Daemon's story, Of Crystal Shards, took up some time! Sadly, the chapter we worked on was...well, we fucked up. Huge. Mainly because of me. *sigh* I'm just hoping I didn't fuck us over with the new chapter, which I doubt any who are curious and go to see what it is will find, as it has been deleted. It introduced the villains that would serve as the anti-thesis of Noctis and his group, but reception was...shit, quite frankly. Plus, I had forgotten...that the chapter wasn't meant how they were supposed to be introduced! I had forgotten the original idea and pushed that mess onto my friend, and I feel like I just fucked over all the hard work we put into.
Anyway...moving on. Before I get into the chapter, I want to discuss something that I keep forgetting to put out there. Its about Tex having a human body. As you all know, Church was placed into Jimmy's body, which ended up being killed by Caboose. Here, I've done something similar with Tex by placing her in a human body, even though she is an AI. Been meaning to point that out.
On another note, I'm taking a break from my Persona 5 fanfic. Don't get me wrong, the hype is real, but I want to focus on my other wonderful projects as well!
Now, unto the chapter...as you can see, Church has now begun his own viewing session of Jaune's memories...and they're bound to wake up something disturbing. He's also met the RWBY cast as well, so expect some awesome shenanigans! And just what kind of mental fucked up shit lies inside of Jaune's head? Who knows? XD
Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Tell me your thoughts in the reviews, favorite and follow if this story fits your fancy, and other shit.
Btw...before I go out, I have something to ask. Say I were to make a Mass Effect: Andromeda and Red vs Blue fanfic...not like "Why I'm Here," where I just have a character wearing the Pathfinder armor and introduce elements from ME into the world of RvB, but an actual crossover...would you be interested? I have the story synopsis on my profile, so give it a look if you're interested.
Well, that said, later losers, and I'll see you all next chapter.
