To the Professor and Headmaster of Beacon Academy, from the Vale Supreme Council Chairman.

Dear Professor,
We are pleased to learn that you have chosen to head our suggestion and investigate the mysterious energy reading at the Emerald Forest. Given the current situation with the recent surge of Grimm activities, as well as the sparse number of Huntsmen in the Kingdom spread out, investigating any unusual activity is paramount. Especially in these troubles times of ours.
That being said...I noticed a bizarre error in your report. The two teams you sent to investigate - RWBY and JNPR - were recorded to have encountered resistance. Nowhere, in the report, does it specifically say what sort of resistance they encountered.
The Grimm attacks have not been our only primary concerns. We have been receiving reports that movement of the Branwen Tribe has been increasing since our failed attempts to investigate the Grimmlands. I doubt we need to remind you of the dangers this group poses, especially with the rise of attacks that have been suspected to be because of them.
We expect a corrected document soon, and hopefully, clearer answers.


RWBY x Red vs Blue Crossover:

"Metastability"


Chapter I: Homecoming Bash

The moment that news that Jaune was awake at last was spread, the two teams that knew him the best came rushing in through the infirmary door. Naturally, the first to reach him was Nora, who lunged at him with arms wide and a massive grin on her face. "YOOOOOOOUUUUU'RRRRREEEEEE BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Unprepared for an assault of this magnitude, Jaune was flung back, but managed to stay sitting up while Nora wrapped herself around his waist, sniffling and crying, thus staining the white shirt that clothed his upper body.

You're back! You'rebackyou'rebackyou'rebackyou'rebaaaaaack...!" The orange haired girl sobbed. "Renny! H-he's really back...! Our fearless leader's back...!"

"I know, Nora..." Ren nodded as he was the next to enter the room. The Mistralian boy wasn't usually openly emotional, but in this case, his eyes were misty with tears of joy and relief.

Jaune, for his part, was still confused by what was happening. The girl was obviously a teammate, if her words were anything to go by. Not only that, but she felt familiar. Including the pink-eyed boy. He looked at Pyrrha, who giggled upon seeing his helpless expression. It was quite cute. "That's how Nora usually is." she told him. "You'll have to get re-acquainted with it."

'Oh boy...' Jaune thought, slightly unnerved. Somehow, he felt the onset of a headache coming in the near future, but he otherwise smiled back at her as he patted her on the head. Nora enjoyed it, evident by how she seemed to nuzzle up against him further.

Yang gave the blonde soldier a grin. "Well, for what it's worth, Vomit Boy." she said with a wink. "Welcome home."

The man's gaze turned until he saw the blonde female. Surrounding her were three other girls around her age. He recognized them as the girls he beat down severely. He felt guilty for that, now that he was starting to remember a few things. Sadly, the best he could remember was Pyrrha. Everyone else just seemed like a familiar face. As such, he wasn't sure how to respond. Thankfully, though, the doctor who had been looking after him all this time spoke up, informing them of his situation.

"While Mr. Arc's situation is more or less stable, he's still missing a few memories." he informed them. "As such, it may be a while before he remembers any of you."

"I don't blame him." Blake said with a concerned look. "Especially since he had AIs running rampant inside your head."

And it was an experience he hoped he would never repeat. Just remembering Sigma made his blood boil. He didn't want to see an AI ever again...at least, the ones who caused him the most discomfort. During his time as the Meta, he had some semblance of thought. Theta and Delta, the ones he vaguely remembered because of Sigma clouding his thoughts constantly, were the partners of York and North, the guys he cared about the most. His heart ached when he remembered the sight of North Dakota, dead at his feet and Theta in his grasp. Even still, while Sigma went about and manipulated him, he still remained that kid that tried his best to remember.

Regardless...he hoped he would never meet another AI. After all, given his experience, he was better off without one. Still, he appreciated Blake's gesture as he bowed his head.

"W-well, I guess some reintroductions are in order." Ruby said, slightly nervous as she bowed her head. "I'm Ruby Rose, Leader of Team RWBY! And this is my partner, Weiss Schnee!" The white-haired girl huffed, turning her head away as she crossed her arms, leaving Jaune to sweatdrop. What was her problem? "That's Blake Belladonna." Ruby gestured to the black-haired girl, who bowed her head. "And that's my sister, Yang."

Once again, Yang gave him a wink, waving. Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, waving back at her shyly.

Why was he being bashful all of a sudden? He was in his twenties, going into his thirties, and he's blushing from a teenage girl? Well, granted his enhancements slowed his aging considerably, it was still pretty weird. Then again, it could also be the fact that he tried to kill them earlier, so it was natural he would be skirting around the issue. Meanwhile, Pyrrha then took the moment to properly re-introduce him to his team.

"As I said before, the girl hugging you is Nora Valkyrie. And this is Lie Ren, another member of Team JNPR." Pyrrha gestured to the raven haired male who waved in greeting. "And my name is Pyrrha Nikos, your partner."

"And you've been gone for several months now, Mr. Arc." The group turned to find Ozpin entering, a small smile on his face while an unfamiliar one walked in behind him. It was a woman, several years older than them, wearing dark military armor similar to the UNSC's own military suits, except less bulky and more sleek. She had long blonde hair, tied back into a ponytail, electric green eyes, and a fierce look about her. Strangely, her demeanor seemed familiar to Jaune. Why, though, he had no idea. "And it is good to have you back."

Jaune tilted his head, frowning slightly.

"Ah, yes. Pardon. My name is Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy." Ozpin...now that was a name that was vaguely familiar. He wasn't able to properly associate it with a face until now. "So then, how are you feeling?"

Jaune gave a light shrug, though he inwardly showed annoyance as his hand went up to his throat. Since he no longer had someone to voice his thoughts, he was stuck using gestures and signs. Pyrrha seemed to understand the general idea, though, and was easily able to interpret him. Even still, he wished there was a way he could voice what he wanted to.

"What brings you here, Professor?" Ruby asked. She then noticed the object in his hand, which resembled some kind of collar. However, it only went around the back of the neck, instead of all the way around. "What's that?"

"A gift for Mr. Arc, if he so wishes." Ozpin answered, making Jaune quirk and eyebrow. "Well, you aren't able to communicate very well, and I imagine relying on others for interpretation can be annoying." Oh, he had no idea how right he was. "Of course, whether you want to use it is up to you, given the...circumstances."

Pyrrha frowned. "Circumstances?" she inquired. "What circumstances? A-and how is that going to help Jaune?"

"How do you think, numbnuts?" a familiar voice called as something emerge out from the collar. Jaune's eyes widened as a scowl formed on his face moments later, looking at what one of the objects of his ire. Noticing the look, the Alpha AI, Leonard L. Church, turned back and gave him the bird. "Oh, fuck off, Meta. I ain't happy about this either."

Weiss blinked. The others shared her sentiments of confusion. "...wait, you're having HIM translate?" she asked, jaw dropping to the floor. "Professor Ozpin, no offense, but that is a horrible idea!"

"How do you think I feel, Ice Queen?!"

"WILL YOU PEOPLE QUIT CALLING ME THAT?!" Weiss screamed. Seriously! She was REALLY getting tired of that accursed nickname!

"Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em." Chruch countered before redirecting his focus on the Meta. "As for you, I ain't happy about this either. So we both gotta suck it up, bub."

Jaune growled angrily. There was no way - NO. FUCKING. WAY - he was letting another AI anywhere near him!

"As I said, it is optional." Ozpin told him. "The collar is meant to function like your implant, only less powerful. Of course, whether you want it or not is entirely up to you."

Pyrrha and Ruby looked on worriedly, shifting between Jaune and Church, who looked at one another in contempt. Church obviously didn't like Jaune for what happened in the past, and Jaune, given what happened with him and AIs, wasn't quite ideal. And now he was told that the best way to convey himself vocally was through an AI again. Obviously, it could only go so well. "U-um..." Ruby spoke up nervously. "D-does it really have to be Church who translates him? I mean, can't we just give him a scroll?"

Both the Freelancer and AI turned to the petite girl with a wide-eyed stare. Now that she mentioned it...

"...Yeah, Oz...why couldn't we?" Church questioned with irritation laced in his tone.

Ozpin gave a light shrug. "We could," he said, causing Church's irritation to sky rocket. "In fact, depending on Mr. Arc's response to my question, I just may hand it over to him right now." The group gave the man a curious look. A question? The Headmaster then turned his attention to Jaune, who frowned back at him as he crossed his arms. The man had irritated him and earned a bit of anger when he more or less asked him to pair up with an AI, something he was not happy about. However, the question took him off guard. "Mr. Arc...what would you like to do?"

The blonde blinked, not expecting that. Ren frowned, folding his arms. "What do you mean by that, Professor?"

"Well, technically speaking, Jaune Arc is still leader of Team JNPR, as well as one of my students." Ozpin stated. "By that definition, he would technically be considered a Huntsman-in-Training. That being said..." He adjusted his glasses. "His experience as a member of Project Freelancer gave him exceptional training. It would be a waste to have him stay here, letting those skills dull. If he so wishes, I can hand him his Huntsman License, right here and now."

That got everyone's attention. He was giving Jaune the option of...skipping the Academy altogether? Already graduating and leaving them behind?

"B-But...that's..."

Those in attendance were obviously unsure how to feel about it. On one hand, it was understandable. After seeing his memories, they knew that he more than earned the right to become a Huntsman. On the other hand...they've missed him for so long. Even Weiss had to admit she missed the blonde dunce trying, and failing, to woo her. Pyrrha, for her part, felt her heart clench at the mere thought. She took a glance at Jaune, who was deep in thought about the whole thing. He was finally back to her...yet he wasn't the same. She wasn't sure what she should expect.

If Jaune wanted to leave, she would accept it. She wouldn't be happy, but she'd put her own feelings behind for the sake of her friend.

"If you choose to stay here at Beacon, I'm afraid having Church with you is mandatory." Ozpin told him as he stared at the ground, deep in thought. "While I would like to entrust him to one of the other students, I believe only someone with proper experience with an AI would more beneficial. Something tells me that you're probably the only one who can handle him."

Church scowled, turning to the Professor. "Fuck you, Oz." he hissed. "No, seriously. Fuck you man."

"Swear!" Ruby cried, only to let out an 'eep!' as she hid behind Yang as the cobalt-colored AI whirled around and glared at her.

His irritation only grew when the blonde-haired woman behind Ozpin snickered.

"Well, Jaune?" Ren called out, making Jaune look up at the Mistralian boy. "What do you want to do?"

Jaune averted his gaze to the ground and folded his at was a good question. What did he want to do? On one hand, he was already a privileged Huntsmen skill-wise and would be able to handle himself in the world. On the other hand...he barely knew anything. He still couldn't quite remember how this world worked anymore. That...and he wanted to know who his old friends are.

And...and while it was selfish...he wanted to stay with her.

With Pyrrha.

Looking up at the Professor, he stood up and grabbed the collar from Ozpin. He gave it a slight look of contempt before he set on his neck. He felt a slight prick in the back of his neck before his mind suffered a minor headache, though it quickly passed. "Okay," Church said as he reappeared on his shoulder, crossing his arms. "Let's get something straight, Meta. I'm only doing this because the Wizard of Oz over there decided to be a prick. Just cause I have to be your damned translator doesn't mean we have to like each other. I say whatever you want me to say, and you don't piss me off. Sound fair to you?"

Just as Jaune was about to respond, a hauntingly familiar voice, belonging to that of the armored woman, spoke up. "Oh, quit your whining already, Church." the woman said, earning startled and shocked looks from everyone sans Reed, who quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously, do you know what you sound like? A high school girl on her period."

"Fuck you, Tex!"

"Mm, I would, but ah...you don't have a dick anymore, remember?"

"Oh, shut up!" Church snapped back. "It's not like you have a cunt either in that robot body!"

Everyone stared at the woman, now identified as Tex, with large eyes. "W-wait, WHAT?!" The group collectively screamed. This was TEX?! The scary yet badass Freelancer they saw in Jaune's memories? How was she even here? Alive?! In a Body that looked a lot like a human's?!

"What?" the Freelancer looked at everyone strangely. "Why's everybody lookin' at me funny?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know." Church said sarcastically. "Maybe it's because you have a body now?"

Jaune, for his part, was thrown completely for a loop. 'T-Texas?!' he cried in shock. 'H-how is she-?! I thought she-?! What?!'

"Aw, would you look at that." the Alpha AI snickered. "Meta's shocked to see you, Tex."

Texas huffed, crossing his arms. "Oh, I'm sure he is." she said before she narrowed her eyes, glaring at the former Freelancer with such intensity that the room felt as if it dropped several degrees in temperature. "Oh yeah, just for clarification...I'm still gonna kick your ass for what happened back at Valhalla."

'It wasn't my fault!' he cried in protest. 'That was Sigma!'

"You know, he does have a point, Texas." Church relayed the message. "He was being mindfucked by that fiery red douche."

"Maybe. Still doesn't change the facts that he beat the fuck out of me and then ripped me out of my own body. Not cool, Maine. Not cool."

"Speaking of that." Church realized, addressing everyone, especially Jaune, in the room. "The hell do we call you? Vomit Boy? Meta? Maine? Jaune? Blondie? What?"

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance at the AI, Jaune responded. 'You can call me whatever, but Vomit Boy and Meta are off the fucking list.'

"Alright, Vomit Boy it is!"

'...I fucking hate you.'

"Ah, I hate you too, buddy." The AI responded happily.

Teams RWBY and JNPR tilted their heads, wondering what the two were talking about. However, Ozpin clapped his hands, earning their attention. "Well, since Mr. Arc has chosen to remain at Beacon, I suppose it's time I properly introduce our newest staff member." The group's face paled as he gestured to Texas, who showed off her toothy, shark-like grin. "Agent Texas has agreed to enlist her services to us, and will be teaching combat class alongside Ms. Goodwitch tomorrow."

"In other words, you little shits..." Texas said evilly with a glint in her eye. "Your asses are mine come tomorrow morning."

In unison, the students shivered in fear. They all saw what Tex was capable of back in Jaune's memories...and well...they really weren't looking forward to it all.

Somehow, they got the feeling that they would be seeing the nurse's office quite often.


There were few people in the world Cinder Fall could find herself to hate for whatever reason.

She was not arrogant. Arrogance was a trait for the weak. She was anything but.

She was strong, as she must be to carry out grand schemes such as this.

Rather than hate others, she looked upon them with a condescending look. Mere weaklings who would not survive what she would make this world into. However, as she strolled through the halls of an old facility near the outskirts of the Forever Fall forest, she was forced to squander the urge to incinerate the target of her ire.

Reaching the long end of a hallway, the metal doors slid open, revealing what appeared to be an old observation deck. The room was large and grandiose, yet also dilapidated and broken with vines and cracks running all over the walls. The windows of the observation deck were cracked and broken, and a few control consoles looked to be rusted and rotting.

And the target of her ire stood at one of the few working consoles, his hands behind his back and observing what played on his scroll, which was synced with the console.

"You're late." Arthur Watts said as he turned to face Cinder, who did her best to keep her composure. "Twenty-six seconds, to be precise."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, putting a hand to her hip. "You called on short notice." she countered. "Besides, I had to make sure Roman understood his place. Now then...what made you decide to call me all the way out here?" Her amber eyes narrowed as she walked over to him, leaning against the set of worn consoles lining up against the broken windows. "If I recall, we are not supposed to interact unless for vital reasons, such as milady calling for us."

"Normally, that would be the case..." Watts said as he handed the scroll to her. "However...there's been a recent development that has me concerned." Cinder's eyebrow reached a hairline, curious as to why Watts was so concerned before she took the Scroll from him, looking at the footage playing. Once she saw it, she soon understood why. "This was taken a few weeks ago by a few of the drones I had stationed throughout the forest, should anyone wander too far in."

In the video, a white-armored brute was found, laying waste to the Grimm who found and attacked him. He ripped them apart with his bare hands, crushed their skulls with a heavy boot, and tore them to shreds with raw strength alone. Had Cinder not known any better, she thought she was watching Hazel in action, only not as refined and more along the lines of a berserker ripping through everything in sight. Black muck stained his armor with each kill, soon making him into a terrifying nightmare for the Creatures of Grimm. Enough so that they turned tail and ran. Ran as far away as they could from such a beast. That fact alone caught Cinder's interest and fully understood why Watts was so concerned.

Only one man could instill fear into the Grimm without the power of the Silver-Eyes. A man who was among their number, thankfully. A man who held Herculean strength in spades.

And now there was another like that.

"Who," she said as she returned the Scroll to the man. "Or what, is that?"

"Unknown." Watts replied. "I've been looking into it. No armor exists on record, and there is no mention of a soldier with that level of power. Sadly, the video feed was cut when I detected the approaching presence of some of Ozpin's students arriving to investigate a disturbance. I didn't them discovering the drones."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Is it possible that this individual is working for Ozpin?"

"I've been keeping an eye on that angle. As it turns out, a student thought dead in a mission two months ago reappeared and has recently woken up from a coma." he replied. "However, according to what I discovered based on his records, he's hardly anything special. His transcripts, compared to the footage I've watched, imply that the boy cheated his way into Beacon. No combat experience whatsoever." A cold chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. "Ozpin must be getting desperate. That said...he's recently obtained a new staff member."

He tapped his scroll a few times, bringing up the image of a woman with blonde hair and green eyes, wearing black military armor. Cinder noticed that it appeared a bit differently than the standard issue armor in the Altesian Military, eliciting a look of curiosity.

"Texas A. Church," Watts read her name aloud. "A decorated former Altesian Special Officer. Formerly an active huntress, though she retired sometime after the death of her husband. She'll apparently be teaching Beacon Academy's combat classes as a teacher's assistant alongside Glynda Goodwitch."

"Is that so? If she truly was a former Specialist, why is this the first I'm hearing of her?" She asked with skepticism.

"That is what I wish to figure out as well." Watts replied. "Ozpin is hiding something. I've been looking into her...and despite her records stating she's married, I've found little mention of her husband. Only minor details. There's also one other thing that has me curious."

Cinder already knew what he meant. The fact was glaringly obvious. "Her name." she deduced, looking at the profile displayed. "It isn't a color."

"Indeed." The Doctor nodded. "That alone raises alarms. Her age indicates that she was born well after the Great War, with the Color name theme becoming quite prevalent. Yet her name has no indication or relation of any sort. Furthermore...according to the documents pertaining to her husband, his name was Leonard L. Church. Another name not pertained to the color naming rule." Watts stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes sharply at the information as if it were a puzzle that eluded him. "Over 90% of children born in this day and age are named after a color. The odds of encountering someone who's name does not pertain to that rule is close to zero. And, yet...here we are with one such individual."

Cinder hummed, tapping her finger against one of the old consoles.

"So you propose that her entire background is fake? Another ruse devised by Ozpin?"

"That is the most likely case. However, that begs the question." He turned to her, and a mysterious smile formed on his face. "What, exactly, is Ozpin trying to hide from us?"

"That is exactly what I intend to find out..."

If anything, this made her plans more viable. As things stood now, the next stage of the plan was ready to be done. Infiltrate Beacon Academy to gain access to the more 'vital' pieces of information while setting up for the main event of the Vital Festival. Not only that, but the guise of playing the roles of mere students would help matters. By no means was Cinder near her teenage years. She was well within her mid-twenties, though somehow she must have inherited some damn good genetics if she could pass off as a late teen. It would work well with her current status, acting as a student alongside her allies. Now, however, she had a new objective in sight:

Discover who this Texas Church was, and what Ozpin was trying to hide from them.


Sleeping in what was considered his old room had proven to be something of a challenge for Maine. After a heated argument with the damned AI he was forced to stick around with in order for people to understand him, he finally settled on the name "Maine," as it had been the name he was known by for the ten years or so. The room had felt familiar in spite of it being rather cramped, as was the antics that erupted not long after he arrived.

As he quickly learned, Nora was a hyperactive little thing. She kept asking question after question about his more 'fun' experiences in Project Freelancer, on top of randomly going off topic one too many times and talking at a fast pace that left him barely able to understand her. He was also certain she mentioned pancakes five times in a single sentence alone. It had taken Ren and Pyrrha to calm her down, as she was so excited to finally have her friend and leader back. The sentiment was shared...though if he were being honest, he wished she kept going on like she had earlier, for the horror that dawned on Church was quite refreshing to see.

"Oh dear god, she's a female Caboose. A semi-intelligent, hyperactive Caboose on a sugar rush 24/7 with a hammer that turns into a grenade launcher. KILL. ME. NOW."

So refreshing~

At any rate...morning had come and arrived, and Maine now found himself trying to get re-aqcuainted with the halls. It was still relatively early, and being a soldier meant waking up at ungodly hours. Thus he found himself traversing the halls with few students roaming about. He also blatantly refused to wear the uniform, considering it to be like a straight jacket and instead wore some spare clothes he found in what appeared to be his trunk. An orange shirt with a black hoodie, denim jeans and a trusty pair of sneakers. The hood was also pulled over his head, somewhat hiding his face from view. Truth be told, he was a little nervous about being recognized, as it meant that he would have to encounter people who knew him.

With his memories still jumbled up, he didn't want to have to deal with that right now.

"Good god, this is actually where you went to school?" Church asked. Since the collar wasn't as powerful as his implants, he wasn't able to establish a private channel between the two of them. Instead, he appeared on his shoulder. "It looks like some snobby rich kid's prison."

Maine growled at the AI, narrowing his eyes. 'What are you doing?! You want to be found out?!'

"Oh please, what's the worse that could happen?" Church shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned. "I mean, seriously, who's gonna give a fuck about me?"

'Everyone!' he stressed. 'L-look, can't you just hide out in the collar?!'

"Dude, do you realize how stuffy that damn thing is?! I am not staying in that thing 24/7!" the cobalt-colored AI snapped. "Also, dude, you remember what the Wizard of Oz said. Chances are, if you just show 'em the scar, they'll mistake me for some faulty translator or something."

Maine was unconvinced. 'A translator that happens to look like a damn soldier?'

Church groaned. "You're being paranoid, blondie. C'mon, relax a little. Besides, it ain't as if anything's bad is gonna-"

"OW!"

"Hahaha! What a freak!"

'You were saying?'

"Ah shut up..."

The attention of both individuals was redirected further down the halls, where a large, muscles teen with short orange hair was pulling on the bunny ears of one long haired, brunette wore the same uniform as the other female students like Pyrrha and Ruby, though her appendages took him slightly off guard. He vaguely recalled 'Faunus' having such features, but even still, it was surprising to see. Church, however, was taken off guard as he stared at the girl in utter shock. "What the fuck?!" he cried, turning to Maine. "Why does she have bunny ears?!"

'She's a Faunus...I think.' he offered. 'My memories are still a mess, but I think people with animal features are called Faunus.'

"Seriously?! You guys have furries on this planet?!"

'They are called Faunus.'

Church groaned. "Dear god, Tucker would be in heaven if he saw this." he muttered, causing Maine to quirk an eyebrow. Church then clarified for him. "The aqua gigolo with the alien sword."

"P-please, stop!" the girl whined as she tried to free herself from the bully's grasp. The boy, however, kept pulling, laughing madly. Around him, his friends were also laughing. Maine wasn't sure why, but the sight was familiar...and very irritating.

Especially the guy who was pulling on her ears. "Dude? Just what are you thinking?"

'Those bullies are as annoying as fuck for some reason.'

His face was familiar, he was sure of it. And somehow, he was sure he had seen this particular scene somewhere before. It was probably back before he was a Freelancer and trained to become a Huntsman. As he watched the bullies continue to torture the poor girl, Maine was finding it harder and harder to ignore it. Church, for his part, seemed to be interested to see where this was gonna go as he decided to return to being inside the collar, in spite of his earlier claim that it was stuffy. Eventually, Maine decided 'fuck it' and walk over to the group of bullies.

"Hey! Hey! See if they pop out!"

It seemed that they didn't notice him yet. Grunting, he stood behind the bully, who was still unaware of him. Raising his foot, he slammed it straight into the rear of the bully, thus causing him to lose his grip on the girl's ears and knock him to the floor.

All laughter ceased.

The goons stared at the male in shock while the female was surprised. The bully soon pulled himself up and whirled around angrily, but his rage turned into shock at the sight of the culprit. Since he was on the ground, he was able to see Maine's face beneath the hood. Even after two months of his absence, he'd be able to recognize that face anytime.

"J-Jauney Boy?!"

Instantly, Maine felt his eyebrow twitch while Church snickered. Jauney Boy? Really? 'Alpha, I swear, if you call me that, I WILL delete you.'

"Ah, please. As if you could."

'Try me...'

"C-Cardin, you okay?!" one of the bullies cried as they rushed to his side, helping him up. Once their leader was back up on his feet, they whirled around on Maine, glaring at him and readying themselves for a fight. "What?! You looking for a fight, animal-lover?!"

As if responding to the challenge, Maine cracked his knuckles and neck, delivering the universal gesture of 'bring it' with a wag of his fingers. The three snarled in rage, about to reach for their weapons when-

*BANG*

The sound of a gunshot brought forth a cold silence as all eyes in the hall wandered and found the one responsible. To Maine's slight horror and anxiety, it was none other than Texas, who was glaring at him and the bullies with sharp green eyes, locked on to them with a look that promised nothing but pain if they so much as moved.

"Alright." she said as she holstered her gun. "Which one of you little shits started this?"

Maine was quick to point at the leader of Team CRDL, Church silently mimicking his motion. "Bullshit!" one of Cardin's teammates, Sky Larke, growled. "You kicked him for no reason!"

Since Maine couldn't speak, Church decided to come out in full view, if only just to scare the shit out of them. It worked, as their eyes widened upon the sight of a small holographic shoulder on the hooded soldier's shoulder. "Yeah, uh-huh, sure." he drawled. "I guess it's also our fault that you guys were pulling on bun-bun's ears here." he gestured his head to the brunette, who was still looking on in shock. It increased when she saw Church. He then turned his head towards her, tilting his head. "By the way, are those ears seriously real?"

"E-eh?! Well, um-!"

"W-what the fuck is that?!"

Church huffed, crossing his arms. "A motherfucking ghost, that's what."

'Didn't you accept the fact that you're an AI?' Maine asked in confusion.

"Hey, a ghost sounds way cooler than AI! Don't judge!"

"Church," Texas snapped. "Shut up." She then turned to Team CRDL, crossing her arms. "And as for you pricks...what's this about pulling on the girl's ears?"

"It's as I said, Tex." Church folded his arms. "Maine and I here were walking through the halls, and found these pricks pulling on bun-bun's ears, saying they were real and laughing like hyenas."

"S-so what?" Cardin finally found his voice again, overcoming his shock from seeing the missing blonde he had tormented many months ago. "I-it ain't like we were-"

One look from Texas had him shutting up faster than he thought possible. "Did I ask for your opinion, numb nuts?" she asked with a hint of danger in her voice. "Get your asses to class. NOW." The four stared at her like she had grown a second head. Classes didn't start for another hour! "Did I stutter? Get your candy-asses to class now, or else."

"Or else what?" Cardin growled. "Who the hell are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"Glynda's assistant for combat class, and your drill sergeant for the next year." Texas answered as she cracked her knuckles. "And I'd be happy to give you a demonstration early, numbnuts."

The four looked at one another nervously, unsure whether or not that they wanted to push their luck. From looks and words alone, the woman looked like she meant business. They shot Maine a lasting glare as they chose the wise decision to take their leave. Cardin glared at the blonde as he dragged his thumb across his neck, promising nothing but pain come the next time they met. Maine, in response, rolled his eyes and flipped him off.

After the hell he's been through over the past several years, some arrogant bully is nothing.

Once Team CRDL was gone, he turned his attention to the bunny-eared girl. "U-um..." she spoke shyly, poking her fingers together. "T-thank you..."

"Eh, don't mention it, bun-bun." Church shrugged. "By the way, you got a name?"

"V-Velvet."

Church cocked his head. "Seriously?" he asked in exasperation. "Is everyone on this rock named after a color?"

"Alright, Church, that's enough." Texas told the AI. Church rolled his eyes as she turned towards Velvet, who let out a small 'eep.' "Run along, Velvet. I need to talk with Maine here for a sec." The girl seemed hesitant to do so. After all, he did save her. Unfortunately, she gave in and bowed her head, but not before thanking Maine as she left, giving him a lasting stare as she did so. Meanwhile, Tex looked at Maine with a small grin. "Well...guess you have changed a bit, Maine."

The blonde hesitantly nodded his head. Something told him he wasn't quite off the hook for his actions as the Meta the last time they met.

Sadly, he was correct as Texas gave him a toothy grin. "Doesn't mean your off the hook for what happened back at Valhalla."

The blonde dropped his head in depression. Of course, she had to bring that up. It's NOT like he was going to forget what he did to her anytime soon. No need to pour salt on the wound.

"Dude, it's Texas." Church told him, deadly serious. "Plus, she's a girl. Of course she's gonna hold a grudge."

"I heard that, Church."


With the announcement of a new teacher arriving at Beacon Academy, especially someone from Atlas, those who were not aware of who this person was were both anxious and ecstatic. Inside Glynda's classroom, Team RWBY and JNPR waited for Goodwitch and her new assistant, Agent Texas to arrive. Sadly, no one other than Nora was actually looking forward to it, given that the woman had made it clear that she was most certainly not going to make it easy for anyone. That, and if what Church said was true, then chances were, Goodwitch would soon become a saint in their eyes. As they waited, Maine took the opportunity to listen to the misadventures of his team back before his time in Project Freelancer, as well as some of Team RWBY's own stories.

One in particular, was how Ruby, Weiss, and Yang learned how Blake was a Cat Faunus and a former member of the White Fang. Things became tense amongst team members due to Weiss' scathing opinion on the White Fang as a whole. Things escalated until they just...blew up. Then it led to a whole fiasco at the docks in an attempt to prevent the White Fang, led by criminal mastermind, Roman Torchwick, from stealing a Schnee Company Freighter's worth of Dust.

After that, the team patched things up amongst themselves. And Ruby met a new friend, Penny Polendina.

"Wait a sec, Penny?" Church interrupted, appearing next to the red reaper. "Fluffy orange hair? Green eyes? Chick who's torturing Omega with cutesy shit and stuff?" He then scoffed. "A-and she blew up a carrier? By herself?"

"It's true!" Ruby insisted. "It was like a laser beam of death! It was AWESOME!"

"...you're shittin' me. I don't believe it." Church shook his head in denial.

"I'm telling you, it really happened! Blake, come on! Tell him!"

"It's true. I was there, and I saw it first hand." The Faunus stated, unable to forget the sight of a girl her age firing a laser beam that tore through a carrier airship.

Church, however, still looked skeptical, but then shrugged. Maine, on the other hand, was curious. A girl was capable of doing something like that? Moreover, it was someone Ruby knew? And apparently had Omega while torturing him with, as Church put it, cutesy shit? He had to admit, she sounded interesting. He held nothing against Omega personally, but he certainly did not like him. Just like with Texas, the Fragment of Alpha's Rage made him all the more aggressive. Violent and angry. More so than one might think.

Ah, if only he could see the bastard's face...

At any rate, he continued to listen to the stories his friends told him. One that caught his interest involved someone named Cardin Winchester. Apparently, he had been running freely after his disappearance months ago in their time, and had resumed his bullying schemes and actions. For example, the incident that morning. Pyrrha had also informed him that Cardin had also targeted him once before, though after an incident during their field trip to Forever Fall, the bully had backed off.

"In other words," Church summarized. "He's just a runt of the litter who think he's all that and a bag chips while having a mace to compensate for something."

'Sounds about right.' Maine responded.

"Vomit Boy agrees with me!"

'Alpha, so help me god!'

Pyrrha giggled, seeing the blonde glare at the AI. It was rather cute in the way, though she also worried that the two might end up try and kill each other. Soon, however, the hushed whispers faded as Glynda Goodwitch arrived. As they expected, trailing behind her was none other than Agent Texas, who's very form oozed with dominance and authority. A few of the more brave ones ogled her form and the even rarer and braver few let out a low whistle. Texas didn't seem to mind or care, though Church leveled a glare at them. He wanted to just threaten to keep away from his girlfriend, but he'd rather not deal with the trouble that comes afterward.

"Now then, everyone." Glynda spoke clearly, looking at the students in attendance. "I'm sure you may have heard a few rumors, but I'll let confirm them for you now. We have a new teacher here with us today. She is a retired Huntress from Atlas, as well as a decorated Special Operations Officer. Students, may I introduce Miss Texas Church."

The blonde Freelancer stepped forward into the spotlight, putting a hand on her shits. "Well, first of all, let me say this." Texas began. Already, many noted how her voice seemed similar, if not the same, to Goodwitch's own voice. "I don't care who the fuck you are or where you came from. You could be human, faunus, or fuck even a Grimm and I still wouldn't give a damn. From this moment forward, your candy asses are mine. You cause me any sort of bullshit whatsoever, and, well..."

She cracked her knuckles, leveling a glare.

"...let's just say you won't be having kids anytime soon."

This caused all the students to pale and all the males to instinctively shield their crotches. Yang ended up snickering while Nora looked posivitely star-struck. "Damn, she knows how to make a room go quiet."

"So cool...I never even thought about doing that!" Nora whispered before she whirled on her partner. "Ren, can we-?!"

He put is foot down immediately. "NO."

"Darn!"

Church shuddered. "Okay, seriously...be honest. Is she a team-killing fucktard? No, seriously, is she? If she is, I'm seriously gonna start questioning you guys' sanity."

He had already dealt with one of them back in Blood Gulch, and there was no way he was handling another.

"No, Nora is...rather eccentric." Ren stated.

Maine sweatdropped, staring at Ren questionably. 'You call this eccentric?' he all but said, pointing at Nora. In response, the trigger-happy girl held up a victory sign with both hands.

Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short when Texas continued. "Now that I'm in charge of whipping you pussies into shape, there's going to be a little change around here. Before that, though...let's have an exhibition match." Everyone looked at one another, curious, anxious and excited. If there was anything to enjoy in combat class, it was of course fighting against others. The idea of facing off against their fellow students and showing off their prowess was always awesome. However, some were worried that they may be facing Texas. "Oi, Cardin Winchester. Get up on your ass and get down here before I come up there and drag you down myself."

Everyone turned to Cardin expectantly. Some wondered if he was gonna stay where he was. Ever since Jaune Arc of Team JNPR disappeared, the man had not exactly been pleasant, having returned to his bullying ways. No one knew why. Perhaps they thought that he was just scared of Jaune or something to actually try anything else. Grumbling, the man got up and grabbed his mace, heading down.

Texas' next words made everyone explode.

"So then, Jaune Arc...you feel up for finishing what you started in the hallway this morning?"

At first, Maine was surprised, but then he let out a bloodthirsty smirk. He stood tall and cracked his knuckles. Ignoring the stares his friends gave him, as well as the bewildered stares everyone in the stands was giving him, he headed down to the arena.

He didn't mind the stares. They didn't matter to him. It was time to show the bully his place.

Once he reached the arena, he pulled down his hood, exposing his face. Everyone was left in utter shock, seeing the missing and thought dead leader of Team JNPR in the flesh. Cardin let out a low growl as he readied his mace. Maine, on the other hand, simply rolled his shoulders while Texas looked at the two of them, noting the obvious hostility.

Unknown to any, she grinned. 'This is gonna be fun.'

[Play: Red vs Blue OST - Round One]

"You know the rules." Glynda told the two boys. "Either one of you submits or your Aura drops to the Red Zone. Alternatively, one of you can be knocked unconscious. Last man standing wins." With a flick of the riding crop, a buzzer went off. "You may begin."

Cardin huffed as the two began to slowly circle around each other, twirling his mace around. "Did you get brain damage or something, Jauney Boy?" he mocked as a vicious smirk formed on his face. "I don't see your fancy shield or sword with you anywhere. What? You think you're hot shit now or something?"

Maine only shrugged. He had no idea what happened to his sword and shield. Not that he really needed them. He was more experienced in handling military grade weapons like knives and firearms. Even then he didn't need those for this fight.

Hand to hand was all he needed.

"Oh please." Church materialzed next to Maine, crossing his arms. "Like Vomit Boy needs some stick and wood to deal with you. I mean, seriously dude...that mace looks about as threatening as my dick."

The audience stared at Maine, no so much as what the AI said, but the AI himself caught their attention. Just what was that?! Glynda felt her eyebrow twitch madly at the sight. Church was supposed be discreet, but obviously, the cobalt-blue colored soldier couldn't care less. She was definitely going to have a talk with it after the match was over.

Regardless, Church's words seemed to have the intended affect as Cardin's eyes burned with rage. "What the fuck did you just say?!"

"You heard me, asswipe." Church shrugged. "You got nothing on Maine and I here. I mean, seriously. You look about as threatening as a kicked puppy. You trying to compensate for something by carrying around that big thing of yours?"

"Oh that's it!" Cardin snarled. "You're dead, Arc!"

'Seriously?' Maine frowned. 'He's pissed about me, yet you're the one who egged him on. Is-is he an idiot?'

"Nah." Church shrugged. "I think he's just fucking stupid." Cardin then let out a yell as he charged. "Oh, heads up." With that, he vanished back into the collar. Just as Cardin swung his mace down, aiming for his head, Maine's hand whipped out and grabbed it. The attack was stopped abruptly, leaving him unable to move. Eyes widening at the sight, he tried to pry his weapon out of the blonde's grasp. As he struggled to pry his weapon free, Maine smirked as he curled his hand into a fist, cocking it back.

Just as Cardin looked up, Maine rammed his fist straight into his face. The force behind the blow caused him to release the grip of his weapon and sent him tumbling to the far side of the arena.

"Ooh!" Yang cringed, albeit smiling. "That had to hurt!"

"Break his legs, Leader!" Nora cheered excitedly.

If he still could, Maine would laugh. Cardin gave a low growl as he got back up, rubbing his jaw. "Lucky hit."

Maine did not even acknowledge him, merely inspecting the Mace that he picked up off the ground. He gave it a few swings, testing out the weight before he set it on his shoulder and beckoned Cardin to try and punch him. Even more enraged by the fact that the blonde dork took his weapon, Cardin charged in with blind fury.

He went in for a roundhouse swing, but Maine dodged it with ease. Blonde hair flapping comically, Maine twisted around on his heel and slammed the back of his leg into Cardin's back, knocking him back to the ground. The bully was quick to get back up, this time going in for a straight punch. This time, he reared his head back, evading the punch with ease, then snapped it forward and slamming his head straight into Cardin's.

The orange haired bully staggered from his rattled brain. By the time his vision refocused, he saw his own mace coming down upon him. The metal head struck his dead across the face.

This time, he was sent completely flying through the air and came back crashing down. Groaning, he rubbed the spot where he was struck dead on in the face. Dammit, that hurt! What the hell was going on here? Shouldn't he be winning. As he got back up to his feet, he found Maine slowly approaching, twirling his mace around with a vicious smirk on his face. Church, being the one closest to him, could easily feel the immense satisfaction of beating the crap out of the bully. As Cardin shook his head, trying to get his head in the game, his team looked on in worry. Something was wrong with this. Usually, whenever Jaune and Cardin went up, it was always obvious who won. True, Cardin had some close calls...but this?

It was like the blonde idiot had gotten badass training and was utterly wiping the floor with him.

"This isn't a match." Weiss rolled her eyes. "This is a one-sided massacre. And Maine's enjoying every second of it."

"Can't blame him." Blake shrugged. "Going by what we've seen so far...he obviously remembers enough to know that he doesn't like Cardin."

Cardin pounded his fists together and went charging in. This time, he went in for a elbow struck to the gut. Maine blocked with his knee. Then the heavily-armored brute went in for an uppercut. Maine leaned back, evading it with ease before he grabbed the collar of Cardin's armor and pulled him back, delivering a heel kick to his face. The blow disoriented the bully as he stumbled back. Just as he got his bearings back, the blonde delivered a roundhouse kick straight to the center of his chest. In spite of his Aura protecting him, he could feel his ribs threatening to crack while his armor smashed up against his chest and knocking the wind out of his sails. Once again, he was thrown off his feet and found himself back on the floor.

"Okay, this is just getting sad." Church shook his head. "C'mon, ya big pussy. Get up! You're making this way easier than it needs to be!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Cardin snapped at the holographic projection. Dammit! What the hell was going on?! He shouldn't be losing! he was supposed to be stronger than the blonde wimp! In anger, he pulled himself back up and rushed in.

Everyone shook their heads, seeing the stupidity and futility in the action. Just as Cardin reared his fist back, ready to deliver a heavy punch to the face, Maine grabbed it effortlessly in mid-swing.

His hand was clasped tightly over the closed fist. He tightened his grip while twisting his arm, just as he did so against Sleeveless and Yang. The result was the same, as the bully was brought down to his knees. Jaune looked down, staring into Cardin's angry yet terrified eyes. The blonde kneed him in the face before picking him up, throwing him over his shoulder, and slamming his body into the ground.

Without relenting, he grabbed Cardin by the collar of his armor, lifting him up. He then delivered three consecutive strikes to his stomach, each harder than the last. Cardin found himself gasping for air, but before he even had the chance to try and fight back, he grabbed Cardin by the roots of his hair and delivered a heavy punch straight to his face. The force of the blow as enough to throw him across the entire stadium. As his back slid across the floor, Maine threw the mace up into the air. The morning star club spun around in the air, everyone's eyes glued on it while Cardin stumbled unto his feet in a daze.

Then, just as it came back down, Maine kicked the mace straight back at Cardin.

His foot connected to the base of the weapon, creating enough force to propel it forward. The heavy end of the weapon flew like a comet and struck Cardin right in the solar plexus.

Once more, Cardin was back on the floor. At this point, he was getting sick of it. However, the force of the blow was enough to make him nearly sick to his stomach, feeling bile coming up his throat dangerously. Meanwhile, as he grabbed his stomach, Maine grabbed the mace as it flew through the air. Letting it hang by his waist, he approached the fallen bully. Suddenly, a wicked idea crossed his mind as a toothy smirk formed on his face.

Finally, he reached his opponent. Flipping him unto his back, Maine pinned him to the floor with a heavy foot, hefting his mace up to his shoulder and looking down at him condescendingly. Angry with the look, Cardin spat at his face, bearing his fangs. "F-fuck you, Jaune!"

"Ooh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" the AI asked no one in particular despite it being aimed at Cardin. Maine then gave the teen a cold, terrifying smile as he held the mace with both hands. Realizing what he was about to do, Church looked on excitedly and materialized in front of him, waving his hands. "Ooh! Wait wait wait!" he cried, causing Maine to frown before he turned to Cardin, his form vanishing. "Hey, pal." Church then materialized atop Maine's shoulder, surprising Cardin as he looked up to find the AI practically smirking at him, in spite of the fact that he was wearing a helmet. "Since you're gonna be too fucking shell-shocked to process what's about happen, I'm just gonna say this one line for you."

"W-what line?!" he squealed before Maine, figuring out what the Alpha AI was about to do, reared the mace back, his target in sight. Only now Cardin realized where he was aiming, and all color drained from his face.

Just as the former Freelancer swung, Church shouted with sadistic glee, "Son of a bitch!"

With a resounding squelch, the head of the mace impacted Cardin's family jewels.

Cardin's brain registered the impact in full force and promptly short-circuited, leaving the bully to let out a high-pitched squeal as his Aura dropped down to the red zone. His body was also sent flying straight into the stands, his body flailing through the air in an arc before he fell back down...right back on his nether regions, straight on the railing. Everyone promptly pale and cringed, many males clutching their nuts as Cardin, with a horrified and pained expression on his face, slid off the railing and landed on a bench. His team promptly rushed over to him, checking to see if he was alright.

Teams RWBY and JNPR watched the fight, utterly astounded and shocked by what their friend did. Obviously, he was more Agent Maine than Jaune, but either way, much to their guilty pleasure, they greatly enjoyed what happened.

While Glynda glared at Maine in disapproval, Texas grinned and held up the thumbs-up of approval.

The victor of the match growled in approval, tossing the mace to the side. "Gotta hand it to ya, bud..." Church said as he materialized once more. "You really know how to give them hell."

Maine huffed. 'What can I say?' he said in dismissal. 'Guy was an ass.' He then paused and frowned at Church. 'Also...don't call me bud.'

"Would you rather I stick with Vomit Boy or Meta?" Church shot back. His answer came in the form of an irritated growl. "Then there you go. Besides, like it or not, Blondie...we're stuck with each other until me and Tex find a way off this rock."

'...point taken.'

Maine shook his head, then stared at his hands. The fight...even if it was short-lived, it reminded him of something. Beating down Cardin felt cathartic somehow, but the way it went...it almost felt like...before. Back when he first started out in Project Freelancer. The adrenaline, the rush...the EXCITEMENT. An excited smile grew wide on his lips as he clenched his fists.

The statement of this match was perfectly clear not only to Texas, but also to Teams RWBY and JNPR in the stands as well. The statement was also clear to the teachers who observed the match, especially Ozpin, who watched it from his scroll with an intense look on his face.

Freelancer Maine, AKA Jaune Arc...was back.


A response, from the Headmaster of Beacon Academy.

Dear Chairman,
I greatly appreciate your concern toward our students and faculty regarding the anomaly a few weeks ago. But rest assured we have the situation under control.

There are a few minor errors regarding the document, and we shall send you the corrected version soon. I am working alongside General Ironwood regarding the recent developments of the investigation.
Rest assured, everything shall be settled before the Vytal Festival takes place.
However, I would require further insight on the matter in regards to this anomaly. If need be, I would ask that the Vale Council assist me on this matter.


AN: And here you have it, folks! The first chapter and interlude to Volume 2 of RWBY! Hopefully you enjoyed Cardin getting wrecked.

Also, as you can see, rather than using quotes this time around, I'm going for a feel similar to the letter arguments between the Director and Hargrove. In a way, I want to make this next arc have a similar feel to the Recollection Trilogy.

Oh, also...I have an announcement to make. If any of you fanfiction bites have been keeping up with me, I posted a new story called "Digimon D-Code: Error of Hades." Its a crossover between Disgaea and Digimon. If you are a fan of either, I hope you enjoy. Fair warning, however. It's technically a crossover between it and Digimon World: Next Order and not from any of the established seasons such as Adventure, Frontier or whatever.

Sometime this week, I'm also posting a new story. A Persona 5 Story following two OC's taking the place of the MC. A stupid decision in hindsight, but I'm going for a unique and original take for the start.

Lastly, in regards to any fans here reading "Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to," I'm close to publishing the next chapter. I'm also receiving help from a certain author, so it should be something to look forward to~

Also...this might be considered "spoiler territory" but in regards to a few people asking...yes. The RWBY crew shall meet the Blood Gulch Crew! How this is possible?! Will it be the Reds and Blues off on another misadventure with Tucker saying 'bowchickawowow' at every opportunity and Grif complaining? Or shall the Remnant Crew find themselves somehow meeting them, going on a planetary adventure?! Wait, why am I telling you this?! Read on and wait for the damned chapter yourself when it comes out!

In the meantime, later losers and I'll see you next time!