Chapter 5
We Have To Go Back, This is Too Meta
"That take was perfect!" Pyrrha shouted, angrily getting to her feet and dusting off her knees.
"Whatever," Cinder folded her arms, "I'm going for coffee, you coming?"
"Sure," Pyrrha replied, "I need to get away from these amateurs."
"Okay, okay," the man in the director's chair said. "Take lunch, I want everyone back to finish up at 2:30."
What is this place? Oscar wondered.
(It appears to be some sort of production.) Ozpin's voice came into his head.
Oh, now you choose to come back! Where have you been?
(Conflict of interest, Oscar. Those were my students, you know.)
"Ozpin!" Penny cried.
"Yes, he's finally back," Oscar replied, but realized Penny couldn't possibly know he was conversing inside his own head. "Wait, what?"
"And who might you two be?" Standing before them was Professor Ozpin, complete with his intricate spectacles and shades-of-green suit.
(It certainly looks like me...did I always wear so much green?)
"Are you kids of someone on the crew?" the clearly alive Ozpin asked.
"No, sir, Professor," Penny answered. "We came here fro—"
"From another city!" Oscar cut Penny off. "We've come from another city to see the show."
"Ah," Ozpin smiled, taking a sip from his white coffee mug, "Well, shooting is scheduled to wrap up soon, but the new season won't be airing until the winter I'm afraid."
"Shannon are these kids bothering you?" the director had come over to them.
"Not at all Miles," Ozpin replied. "I was actually looking for Monty. I had some questions about the choreography for my 'final battle' with Jessica."
"He's got the day off today," Miles replied. "But you kids can't be back here, I'm gonna have to have security escort you back outside."
"That...won't be necessary," Oscar swallowed hard at the thought of a brutish goon throwing him onto the pavement. "We'll leave, we just need Ne…wait where is Neo?"
"Probably getting chewed out for messing up that beautiful scene. But, no, you can't take her with you. Now move along before I have to call security."
"But we can't go without Miss Neo!" Penny tried to explained, but Oscar gave her a hard shove towards the studio exit.
"Sorry to bother you!" he called back as the two made their exit.
"Wait just a moment!" Miles called out after them. "Young lady, what is that in your hand?"
Penny held up the remote, "This?"
"Looks like some kind of prop," Ozpin said between sips.
"My thoughts exactly," Miles replied, walking over to Penny. "Sorry kid, but no souvenirs. The gift shop is out front." He snatched the device from Penny's hands and began heading back to the set.
"Wait!" Oscar tried to reason. "That's ours! We brought it here!"
"Yo! Security!" Miles called out, "Can we get these two out of here already?"
"We need to go, now!" Oscar turned to leave.
"But what about the remote?" Penny asked.
"Worry about that later, let's just get out of here before they lock us up!"
The woman who looked like Cinder, but was clearly not, had left, while Penny and Oscar had caused a commotion. Neo took the opportunity to sneak off and check out more of this strange world of look-alikes.
From the large open studio she made her way into a series of hallways with dressing rooms, each one empty save for one closed door. Neo decided to take a peek inside and was shocked to see Ruby Rose, or at least someone who looked very much like her, engaged in a romantic display with a blonde monkey faunus. Neo quickly closed the door and kept on moving.
Down another hallway she found a room labelled "Merchandising." Intrigued by the thought of valuables, Neo thrust the door open to find Yang Xiao Long standing in the dark surrounded by shelves full of various boxed goods. Startled by the door opening, Yang turned.
"Oh, hey!" she grinned. "I was just...checking on our fine stock of merch!"
Neo wasn't sure how to react.
"Is it time for me to get my arm cut off yet?"
Without a word, naturally, Neo backed out of the room and left Yang in the darkness.
"Hey, you getting into trouble?" A man's voice came from behind and she jumped around to face him.
Neo took a step back in shock; it was Roman.
"Oscar!" Penny persisted, "We need the remote to get home."
"I know that!" Oscar shot back. "But we can't just go around messing up these worlds!"
"What do you mean?"
"Neo…" Oscar paused. "She killed people, Penny! In order to rescue me back there, she slaughtered Ruby and Weiss and...probably more people. What if Salem tries to take over that world? Who will protect it?"
Penny hadn't stopped to think about that. Her only focus had been to get the three of them back to their original world, not the effect they had on the worlds they visited.
Oscar's eyes flashed and Ozpin took over. "Let's not get lost in the minutiae of the moment. Neapolitan is at large, and we cannot leave without her. More importantly, we cannot let her get to the device before we do."
"But," Penny said, "Miss Neo agreed to help us. Why would she leave without us now?"
"She is not to be trusted, Penny," Ozpin said. "I'm not sure how you managed to get her to cooperate, but that woman will always put her own goals before our collective cause."
Would Miss Neo really do that? Penny didn't understand; she thought she had bonded quite well with Neo in the previous world. She had meant everything she said; she was going to do everything she could to help Neo get her important person back. So why would Neo betray her?
Oscar's eyes flashed again and the boy was back to normal. "We need to figure out a way back inside to get the remote."
"Yes," Penny agreed. "And we must find Miss Neo."
It was clearly Roman Torchwick; he had the same height and build, the same adorable tuft of ginger hair hanging over his face. His outfit, however, was something Neo had never seen him wear in all their time together. He wore a fitted black t-shirt that showed his physique nicely, as well as some blue jeans and simple looking tan boots.
She liked it.
"What's with that getup?" Roman asked, looking Neo up and down. "They gave you a new outfit already? I figured we were both done after this season."
Season? What was he talking about?
"Cat got your tongue?" Roman chuckled.
Neo crossed her arms annoyedly; the illusion was ruined, this wasn't her Roman.
"Oh, okay. I get it. Method acting. Never understood it myself."
What was he talking about? Neo was getting annoyed; she had seen enough, it was time to get back to the others and leave.
"Not gonna lie, I'll miss working with you," Roman sighed. "I really didn't expect they'd kill me off like that. Hurts, really, but I enjoyed the time I got to spend with you."
Neo wanted to believe it was him; the words he was saying made her feel so warm inside, even if they weren't meant for her. She unfolded her arms and took a step towards Roman, looking deep into his eyes. They were the same eyes, that much was for sure. Maybe she could get used to those eyes?
"Anyway, the wife and I are gonna be having some cast and crew over later for a wrap party. You should come."
His...wife?
Outside the studio, Penny and Oscar made their way around the building, looking for another entrance into the building to retrieve their remote. Neither of them recognized the kingdom they were currently in, but it was hot and sunny without a cloud in the sky. Penny suggested they might be in Vacuo, but Oscar had never been to that part of the world. She could be right, for all he knew, but he didn't care.
Were Ruby and the others still fighting at this point? How long had they spent hopping from world to world while the fate of their own was in peril? The thought of Atlas flying high into the atmosphere while Mantle burned was constantly on Oscar's mind.
Around the front of the building there was a gigantic line of people leading into a set of double doors; this was the first opportunity they had found.
"Everyone is lining up for something," Penny said.
Oscar examined the line and, to his surprise, found a large number of the people queuing were dressed just like his friends. He saw all manner of Ruby Roses, Weiss, Blake and Yang, even Jaune and his team. As they drew closer to the line, several people noticed them, particularly Penny.
"Long haired Penny?" one said. "Interesting, but I prefer the short hair design. Great detail though!"
"Thank you!" Penny beamed, though Oscar was sure she was just being polite.
"Who are you supposed to be?" a tall, lanky looking Weiss Schnee asked him.
"Uh," he stammered, "My name is Oscar Pine."
"Who?"
"Oscar is from Mistral," Penny volunteered. "Professor Ozpin is inside him."
The growing group of onlookers did not seem impressed.
"Oh, I see," the Weiss costumed girl said, "You're an OC. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. But Ozpin's inside you? That's overpowered."
I didn't exactly ask for it. "Anyway," Oscar changed the subject, "What is this line for?"
A chubby looking Blake Belladonna with fake cat ears turned to face them. "It's the cast meet and greet. I have to get Arryn to sign my Gambol Shroud." She produced a plastic replica of the Faunus' formidable weapon.
"How long have you been waiting?" Oscar asked.
"About three hours, but the line starts way back there," the faux Blake pointed along the line which crossed the giant studio lot and wrapped around the block until it vanished out of sight.
Oscar turned back to Penny. "We can't waste time waiting in line, there has to be another way."
"Fat chance," the tall Weiss laughed. "You've gotta wait in line like everyone else!"
We'll see about that. Oscar grabbed Penny's arm and began storming to the front of the line. He was not about to wait for hours in an autograph line while the people of his world died. He had The Long Memory, and Penny had her weapons as well; they would fight their way through if they had to.
(Do not act hastily, Oscar,) Ozpin cautioned, (You criticized Neopolitan for resorting to violence, I would ask you not to follow this same path.)
This is different, we don't have a choice.
(There's always a choice, Oscar)
The front of the long line led into a set of doors; inside the studio lobby there were promotional images hung from the walls and plastered on signboards.
RWBY: Volume 3 Coming Soon!
Penny didn't have time to make out much of the details from the posters as Oscar drug her along through the entrance and up the line to a large congregation of people and cameras. Sitting at a long table under many lights were Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Nora Valkyrie, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai and…
"Miss Neo!"
She was dressed differently than when they had last seen her, but with her Semblance Penny realized Neo could have simply changed her appearance. Her outburst caught the attention of the entire group, plus the line of anxiously waiting fans.
"Hey, no cutting!" "Back of the line!"
"What do you think you're doing?" Oscar asked of Neo. "Do you have the remote?"
"What are you talking about?" Neo asked.
"You can talk!?" Both Penny and Oscar were in shock at hearing the woman's voice. But another high pitched squeal interrupted them..
"Oh my gosh!" Ruby erupted. "That is such a cute Penny cosplay!"
Penny turned to Ruby and gave a friendly wave. "Salutations!"
The entire panel of characters gasped and began to fawn over her.
"That impression is perfect!" Ruby cried.
"Seriously," Mercury added, "You got her mannerisms down perfectly. And that costume is so imaginative."
"We've gotta introduce you to Taylor," Blake said. "She should be backstage doing ADR."
Before Penny realized what was happening, a pair of burly men in suits were escorting her and Oscar away from the line and into the depths of the studio. They traveled through a pair of bulky doors labelled as "Staff Only" and into another lounge of sorts, where more commotion was erupting.
"I think she broke it!" cried a ginger haired man, nursing a fierce looking nosebleed on a couch while a woman attended to him.
"What happened, Gray?" one of the escorts asked the man.
"That bitch," the bleeding man cursed. "She's dressed up like Neo. I thought it was Casey, but she attacked me out of nowhere!"
"That's our Neo!" Penny exclaimed. "Where did she go?"
"Wait?" Gray said. "You brats know that crazy woman?"
"We came here together," Penny replied.
"Hold on a second," one of the big men stopped them in their tracks. "Are you the same kids who came in with this weird remote?" He held up the black device with the glowing central buttons.
"Penny!" Oscar shouted. "Now! Let's go!" He drew The Long Memory and whacked one of the burly men in the knees, causing him to stumble backwards in pain. Penny activated her thrusters and leapt forward, snatching the remote from the other man.
"We're going to leave now, goodbye!" She spun, delivering a solid kick to the man's face, knocking him to the floor. Penny then reached out and took Oscar's hand, boosting off into an adjacent hallway.
An alarm began to sound; what could have happened now? That fake Roman with his stupid wife probably ratted her out. Neo was hiding in plain sight, using her Semblance to blend in as a janitor. A frantic man's voice came out over the PA system.
"Attention all security personnel, we have three dangerous individuals loose in the studio. Shut down all exits and sweep the entire building."
Three? So perhaps the kids had made a ruckus as well.
As if on cue Neo heard the sound of gratuitous apologizing amidst the blasts of rocket thrusters. Penny, carrying Oscar by the sleeve, flew around the corner and nearly ran into her. She reverted back to her normal appearance and grouped up with them.
"Penny!" Oscar cried out. "Neo's here! We need to go, now!"
"Right away!" Penny agreed. "Are you ready Miss Neo?"
The sound of very angry men could be heard coming down the hallway, and Neo nodded in reply.
Oscar hit the glowing button on the remote, whisking them away once more.
They were out of time. Arriving in any location that did not look like the room they originally left, or Atlas in general, caused Oscar to try for another world immediately.
First they ended up in the Vytal Festival, yet everyone was overly muscular and firing energy blasts from their hands.
Then they landed in Mountain Glenn, a place Penny and Oscar had not been to before, but Neo had. She easily confirmed that, while the White Fang were using it as a base, they were not anthropomorphic beasts.
Mistral again, but everyone was blind. Then Beacon Academy where the students were overcome with the urge to sing every word. Another trip to Mistral with time moving at half speed, and then to a hellscape known only as Florida.
Upon entering another darkened world, Penny finally felt the need to intervene. "Stop, Oscar!" she begged. "This is getting us nowhere."
"I need to get back!" Oscar shouted.
Penny tried to take the remote from Oscar, but he would not let it go. Neo also jumped in, trying to wrench it from either of their hands.
And then there was a loud crack as the remote snapped in half, the glowing center fading to nothingness.