Chapter 12: The Torchwick Crisis: Part 2
Remnant, Continent of Sanus, Mountain Glenn
POV: Teams RWBY and JNPR
Premise: Teams RWBY and JNPR begin to question their reasons for becoming huntsmen after trying to reacquaint themselves with the Reds and Blues.
Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren all stood within an abandoned building. In the next room was a group of people they never thought they would see again: The Reds and Blues. Each kid had diverse thoughts on the situation at hand.
Yang, Jaune, and Nora were on the more 'oh yeah' side of the spectrum. They knew how funny and goofy the Reds and Blues could be, despite their annoying nature from time to time. Overall, they were glad to see them nonetheless.
Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren were more neutral. They were happy to see them, but very suspicious of their appearance on Remnant. They heard of what they did to the hacker at the CCT, but were willing to put that aside to hear the full story. Their two new members also brought about several questions.
Weiss was down right negative. She of course never really liked them one bit, and wasn't even willing to hear them out over them stealing aura. But within this hatred also brew fear. If they learned that she was the one who broke the teleporter, they would have their revenge on her within seconds.
Ruby was the most conflicted. She was happy to see all of them, but felt as if something was off about them.
"Ruby." Grif shouted from the other room, "Come in."
Both teams made their way into the next room. Simmons and Grif were leaning against a run down wall casually. Donut was sitting with his leg criss-crossed against the opposite wall that had several windows. Doc was next to him leaning against the wall. Caboose was on a pile of rubble to their left holding his assault rifle as if it was a baby. Lopez, Tucker, Sarge, Wash, and the two new soldiers were standing in the middle of the room gazing at a hologram of what appeared to be a lay-out of Mountain Glenn that was being emitted from the robot. Kai on the other hand, stood on the other side of the room, away from the rest of soldiers like the odd-man out.
"We have a lot of ground to cover so I suggest we split up for today." Wash said to is peers
"I agree." the cyan soldier replied, "It's gonna get dark quickly, so we should get started soon."
"Guys." Doc said to them
The leaders looked over at the door to see the eight huntsmen. The hologram disappeared as they looked at the huntsmen.
"...Well?" Tucker muttered to them
Ruby just scratched the back of her head, "Um…"
Tucker walked up to her and looked at her, with his hands on his hips. The rest of RWBY and JNPR tensed slightly, wondering what or how Tucker felt.
Tucker then grabbed her and hugged her, while laughing.
"Hahahaha. How you doing, kid! So good to see ya!" he said, while all the other sim-troopers - minus the two new guys - started to laugh as well.
"What is up with all the blue!" Sarge jokingly said, "I'd call you a traitor but I'm scared Yang will kill me!"
"S-So you're not mad at us?" Ruby stuttered
"What!?" Tucker questioned, "Why would we be mad at you!?"
"We never came back to see you guys." Ruby explained, "I'm guessing that's why you came here."
"That's...mostly true." the cyan soldier answered her, "It was Caboose's idea from the start."
"Hello." Caboose muttered
"Thanks...whoever you are." Yang said to her, "Who is this, along with that guy?"
"Yeah are they rookies?" Nora asked, causing all of the Reds and Blues to burst out laughing.
"Oh yeah, they definitely are rookies!" Wash sarcastically commented, while looking at the two
"We're not rookies." the black soldier replied
"Well, technically you are the new guy Locus." Donut muttered
"Shut up." Locus hissed, fully aware that Donut was semi-correct
Weiss snorted, "That's your name? Locus?"
"Not really." Simmons answered her, "Apparently Locus prefers to go by the name of his armor, rather than his own name."
"That's stupid." Nora snickered
"Please do not piss off the former mercenary/maniac that is our newest member please." Tucker said to them
"Mercenary?" Blake asked
"Oh yeah." Caboose spoke up, "You see, Locus was this big bad, bad guy. Who tried to kill us along with an entire planet. But he had this uh...talk with Wash and now he's good!"
"...To...make Caboose's statement less threatening." Wash continued, "Locus was bad, now he's good the end."
"...Works for me!" Yang replied
"Same here." Nora added
"Wow, I thought you'd feel uneasy." Wash muttered
"Well, we trusted you after you shot Pyrrha." Jaune replied
Wash looked at him, "That was a misunderstanding."
"Alright, enough guys." Tucker interrupted them both, "Anyway, that's Locus, the newest member of Red Team."
"So who's this?" Ruby asked him while pointing towards the cyan soldier
"That is Carolina." Tucker answered her
"I thought she was dead?" Blake questioned
"Well, apparently not." Tucker replied, "Listen, I enjoy a good reunion as much as the next guy. But we still have some loose ends to tie up."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked
"Well, ever since arriving on Remnant." Simmons began, "We have had the utmost pleasure of meeting an old buddy of yours, Roman Torchwick."
"That ugly bastard!" Sarge cried, "His evil shows no bounds!"
"Yeah! And he has the worst taste in fashion!" Donut added, "I mean look at that scarf!"
"To elaborate." Carolina spoke up, "We've been fighting both Torchwick and the White Fang for some time. Gathering intel from the CCT, reconnaissance, etc."
"You're the guys that stopped the White Fang at that village!" Weiss shouted, "You rammed Torchwick off the freeway, and shot his arm off! You guys have also been stealing aura!"
"Well...yeah…." Tucker replied, "We had too. Look, we only took a small amount."
"But why?" Ren asked, "That seems a little weird."
"To heal Wash's wound." Doc answered him
Blake frowned slightly, "What wound?"
Carolina spoke up, "A few months ago, Wash suffered a traumatic wound from a bullet to the neck. Locus managed to save him and bring him to our friends on the planet Chorus. He was healed, but it was at a cost."
"What cost?" Weiss asked
Carolina sighed before continuing, "Wash suffers from a condition we call Cerebral Hypoxia. It prevents the flow of oxygen to the brain, causing hallucinations and traumatic memory flashes."
"Until we used some aura on that wound." Simmons added, "Now Wash's is all better."
"More or less." the ex-Freelancer muttered
"Anyway, I'm pretty sure you're all wondering what the hell has been happening over in our stomping ground." Tucker said to the huntsmen
Both teams nodded at that.
"Well, you're gonna have to wait." Tucker continued, "First, we bring Torchwick to justice. Then we sit and talk."
"Seems good." Ruby replied
"Good, let's get evil."
POV Change: Grif, Locus, Yang, and Nora
BANG!
Locus shot a Grimm straight through its head, while scouting an area in the ruined city.
"Hey Yang." Grif said to his friend, "Can I ask you a question?"
"You already did." Yang quipped, "But go ahead."
"Why do you, what you do?" he asked, which confused her
"What do you mean?" she asked, "Why I became a huntress."
"Yeah that." Grif replied
Yang just shrugged, "Well, to fight monsters and save-"
"No, that is what you do." Grif cut her off, "I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress."
Yang considered it for a moment before speaking, "The honest reason? I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, y'know?"
"Alright." Grif nodded, "And Nora."
Nora just smiled, "Well, I just thought why not? Me and Ren lived on our own together...not together-together...so we had to defend ourselves. But instead of fighting for us, we thought why not fight for others."
"Interesting…" Locus muttered before he and Grif walked off
POV Change: Simmons, Doc, Weiss, and Pyrrha
"Tell me Weiss." Simmons said to the heiress, "Being the heir to one of the most powerful companies in all of Remnant, you certainly don't need the extra work. So why choose being a huntress over a job in Atlas."
Weiss proceeded to stab a Beowulf before answering, "It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty."
"Hmm...what about you Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha turned to look at him, "Well, I come from a long line of huntsmen. So I thought why not continue that legacy, just like Weiss. There was no question what I would do with myself."
"Interesting…" Simmons muttered
POV Change: Carolina, Sarge, Blake, Jaune
Blake broke down the door of an old building, only to have several crow Grimm fly out. She proceeded to shoot them all out of the sky with her weapon, while Jaune and Sarge entered the building.
It was then that Carolina asked her a question, "So Blake, why did you choose to be a huntress. You seem to have a driving force."
"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing." Blake replied, "Inequality, corruption... Someone has to stop it."
"And how do you plan on stopping all of that?" Carolina asked
"I uh…" was all what Blake could munger up
"Interesting…"
POV Change: Destroyed Building
Everyone had finished their scouting mission for the day, and had returned to the abandoned building where they all met at. Red Team, along with Nora and Jaune, were trying to fix the Warthog.
"Nora, hold the light there" Sarge instructed her while underneath the vehicle, "No, not on me, on that. Why would I need the light on my face?"
"Hey Sarge, what's that metal thing that looks like a bunny!?" Nora asked him, "Ooh, ooh, and what's that other metal thing that looks like a soup can?"
"Don't touch anything, Donut." Sarge said to her, "Okay fellas, I think I've got it. Give her a crank."
But he got no answer.
"...Guys?" he asked, "...Hey, what in tarnation are you knuckleheads doing up there?"
Meanwhile. Grif, Simmons, and Jaune were having their own conversation.
"No, I don't think getting new rims for the jeep's a good idea." Simmons said to Grif, who was in the driver's seat.
"Oh come on!" Grif pleaded, "If we all kick in, we can get some spinners, some kickass subs, hydraulics!"
"I'm in." Jaune spoke up
"Well of course you're in." said Simmons, "You're probably in for chicks."
"That's not true." Jaune countered
Sarge then stood up and spoke, "If you ladies are through gossipping, I could use some help fixing our vehicle."
"Oh yeah, right, here let me try." Grif replied, as he turned on the jeep and moved forward slightly. Not knowing Nora was still underneath the vehicle.
"Wait!" Sarge shouted
"Ya-ya-yaaaoouwwwww!" Nora cried
"Nora, are you ok?" Sarge asked,as he knelt down to see her
"I was just, petting, the bunny." Nora groaned, "And then it went in to the soup can... and part of my hand went with it."
"Gehrururur…" Sarge grumbled, as he slid back underneath the jeep to examine the damage.
"Bunny and hand soup." Jaune muttered, "Just like Mom used to make."
"Nora, I told you not to touch anything." Sarge grumbled, "You touched everything! That's the exact opposite of touching nothing!"
Later…
Team RWBY minus their leader, and Team JNPR were all around the campfire. With Nora somehow roasting a marshmallow on a stick. Even though none of them brought either one of those essentials.
"I can't believe we didn't find anything." Yang groaned
"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time." Blake said to everyone, "I guess we can't always have luck on our side."
"That's not what I meant." Weiss spoke up, off topic
"Huh?" Blake muttered
"Earlier, about... upholding the legacy." Weiss explained, "There's more to it than that."
"Yeah…" Yang trailed off, "No, me too. I mean... I don't know."
"I don't know, either." Blake added, "I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time."
"Well, it doesn't matter." Jaune muttered, "We know why we're here. Right?"
Everyone just stayed silent, and didn't say anything.
"But...why would they ask us this question?" Pyrrha asked, "That doesn't seem like something they would do."
"They seem different…" Blake muttered, "I feel like a stranger around them now."
Nora then spoke up, "I overheard a conversation between Grif and Simmons earlier. They said something about not seeing us in over a year."
Yang looked at her, "A year?"
"Well, last time it was two years." Nora countered
"Quiet, here they come." Weiss hissed
Tucker, Caboose, Simmons, and Ruby all entered the room. With Ruby going straight for the fire.
"Nice, textbook campfire." Simmons muttered
"Nerd." Tucker quipped
"Fire!" Ruby shouted while sitting next to it, "So warm." Zwei then sat beside her
"Where have you been sis?" Yang asked her
"Oh, just hanging out with Caboose." Ruby replied
"Hmph, I think they made out." Tucker snickered
"What?! No!" Caboose shouted, "Tucker! I would never do something crazy and fall to your level...stupid Tucker."
"Riiight." the aqua soldier muttered, "Well, that's all for today guys. Get some rest, you're all gonna need it."
"I could take the first watch for the night.' Ruby said to him
"Alright then, Ruby will take the first watch." Tucker continued, "Goodnight guys."
The sim-troopers were about to head upstairs until they were stopped again.
"Hey wait." Yang spoke up, "Can we ask we ask you something?"
"Uh, sure." Tucker replied, "What's up?"
"What happened while we were gone?" she asked, "You all seem...different."
The three soldiers just looked at her. Tucker then looked at Caboose, before speaking.
"Uh...that is a topic that...we wish to speak about later." he muttered, "Trust us, its what we want."
"Oh, ok then." Yang replied, "If you say so."
"Sure." Tucker half-whispered, "Uh see ya."
He then went upstairs along with Simmons. Caboose stood there for a few moments.
"Ah it's so great great to be back together!" he shouted, "I can't wait to hear what you guys did while we were gone."
He then went upstairs, but something fell out of his pocket while walking. Ruby was the only person to notice this,and picked up the object.
POV Change: Beacon Academy
It was past midnight when General Ironwood stood at the edge of the bullhead platform. He gazed out towards the City of Vale, and several of his airships he brought with him to Beacon.
Glynda walked up to him, "Trouble sleeping?"
Ironwood gripped his shoulder, "Arm was acting up."
"Of course, so logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." Glynda said dryly before putting on a worried expression, "What's wrong?"
"I've trusted him for years." Ironwood said about his relationship with Ozpin, "We both have. I just... I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Glynda replied, "You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark."
"That makes it worse!" Ironwood chuckled, "I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so... passively."
Glynda put her hand on his shoulder, "You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it."
She then took her hand down, "Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering."
Ironwood, "But now these soldiers. These...simulation troopers...Autumn's condition healing, but the power is gone. You don't think-"
"Perhaps." Glynda agreed with him, "But we won't find those answers until we meet them face-to-face."
Ironwood sighed, "Then I guess all we can do is wait."
"Apparently so." Glynda replied
POV Change: Mountain Glenn
It was past 1:00 at night in what remained in Mountain Glenn. Most of the Reds and Blues were asleep, with the exception of Tucker, Wash, and Locus. The former two were playing poker, while the latter was on lookout. Clenching his sniper rifle in both hands.
The huntsmen were on the lower level asleep as well. With the exception of Ruby, who was still on lookout.
"Blake, are you awake?" Yang asked her partner,
"Yeah." Blake replied
"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Yang asked her, "Like, what was he trying to say?"
"Maybe he was just curious." Blake suggested
"You think?" Yang questioned her
Blake sighed, "No."
Yang then looked at Weiss, "Weiss, are you awake?"
"Of course I'm awake!" the heiress whispered loudly, "You two are talking. In fact, we're all awake."
Sure enough, Team JNPR was up as well. Ruby was far away, not listening to them.
Weiss then continued, "And I think he... When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area."
Nora snorted, "That's putting it lightly."
Weiss then sat up, "Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."
Nora then spoke up, "Me and Ren lived on our own for sometime. We had to fend for ourselves, but when we realized we could fight. We knew we could protect others."
"I just want to be a hero." Jaune spoke up, "My great-grandfather fought in the Great War. As a child, that seemed pretty cool. But in reality, it's a big legacy to live up to. My parents told me not to worry if I was sent back home."
"I have graced with many talents." Pyrrha added her two cents, "But having them also placed me a pedestal with everyone praising me. I wanted to become a huntsmen similar to why you want to Jaune. To be a hero. But I applied for Beacon over Haven so I could hopefully be just myself, and not a champion."
Blake then spoke up, "All my life, I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Yang assured her, "You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."
"But I am!" Blake retorted, "I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!"
Yang then added her two cents, "At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kinda always gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that."
She then looked at Ruby, who was still on watch, "I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."
"Well, she's still just a kid." Weiss claimed
"She's only two years younger." Blake countered her claim, "We're all kids."
"Well, not anymore." said Yang, "I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!"
"It's the life we chose." Jaune muttered
"Its a job." Weiss added, "We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second."
POV Change: Laverinus Tucker
Tucker smiled, as he and Wash heard the huntsmens' entire conversation.
"You didn't tell them." Wash said to him
Tucker justed sighed, "I couldn't, this ain't the right place and the last thing we need is to draw up some negative emotions."
"Well, you're not wrong there." Wash muttered
"I mean. How could they believe us Wash?" Tucker explained, "Come on, time travel and demi-gods? Please, that is a little far fetched."
"Maybe." Wash shrugged
"Come if I were to walk up to Kimball and say: 'Hey Kimball! I know a god!' do you think she would believe me?"
"Well, technically she does know about Atlus." Wash countered his claim
Tucker sighed, "Fuck."
"Hey, Donut was the one who organized the block party." Wash chuckled
"I still can't believe the Cosmic Powers agreed to it." Tucker added
"Well, we live in a strange galaxy." Wash muttered
"Yeah…" Tucker muttered, "But this planet is crazier."
POV Change: Ruby Rose
Ruby was now sleeping, as Yang then took over lookout duties, with Zwei right next to her. When suddenly, the dog got up and walked out of the building. Luckily, Ruby woke up to notice this.
"Zwei!" she whispered, "Zwei! Ugh."
Ruby got up and followed Zwei out of the building. She went around the corner to see the dog peeing on some rubble.
"Zwei you could've done that anywhere." Ruby said to him
Suddenly she heard a voice.
"What was that?"
Ruby hid behind the corner to see two White Fang soldiers patrolling the area.
"I thought I heard a Beowulf or something." he muttered
"Come on." his companion said to him, "Let's get back to base. This place gives me the creeps."
The two soldiers made their way down the road, with Ruby and Zweis sneaking up behind them. Eventually, the two WF soldiers entered a building with metal gray doors.
"Oh! This is it! This is it!" Ruby muttered, "I'm gonna call the others."
Ruby reached for her scroll, but instead she took out the object Caboose dropped earlier. It was a small black circular device with three orbs in the center. Curiously, she pushed on the top of the object, and the three orbs lit up. A hologram emitted from the device, taking the form of a soldier in cobalt armor.
It was Church.
"Church?" Ruby muttered
The hologram then spoke, and it was then Ruby realized it was a recorded message.
"Hey guys... if you're hearing this then it means you did it. You won. You kicked the shit out of Hargrove's forces. I knew you could. But this is my last stop. See, when I came into this world, I was really just a collection of somebody else's memories...But with your help, these memories... they-they took form! They became my voice, my personality. And, after a while, I... I began to make brand new memories of my own. All of these things are what make me who I am... but they're also holding me back. I can't run this suit as Epsilon, but if I erase my memories, if I... deconstruct myself, the fragments I'll leave behind will have the strength to get you through this. I believe that. I wish that there was another way. But I'm leaving this message, as well as others, in the hopes that you'll understand why I have to go this time...hehe, it was actually Doyle who made me realize something that I've never thought of before. There are 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."
The hologram suddenly started to change colors slightly.
"They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith."
Church's hologram then shattered into pieces…
"Ain't that a bitch."
The recording then ended, leaving a distressed Ruby.
"No." she muttered, "Church why did you-"
She was then grabbed by someone. That someone turned out to be Caboose.
"Ruby what're you doing out here?" he asked
"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked him, "About Church, all of it."
Caboose was just quiet.
"Caboose." she said to him, "What happened while we were-"
Just then, the ground started to rumble.
"What was that?" Caboose muttered
The ground underneath Ruby then cracked slightly before opening up. Ruby was about to fall until Caboose managed to grab her hand.
"Ruby hang on!" he said to her, only to lose his grip and she fell down the hole.
"No!" Caboose shouted, "Uh…"
He then ran back to the building to wake his friends, with Zwei in tow.
"Guys!" Wake up! Help!" he shouted
"Wha? Huh?" Tucker mumbled as he woke up, "ABANDON SHIP! ABANDON SHIP! WOMAN AND TUCKER FIRST!"
"Shut up Tucker!" Weiss hissed, "What's going on?"
"Ruby!" Caboose shouted, "She fell down a hole!"
"What!?" Yang cried, "Where!?"
"Follow me!" Caboose replied before leading them all to the hole where Ruby fell
"Ruby's scythe." Yang muttered as she picked up her sister's weapon
"She fell down there?" Grif muttered, "How could a hole form in the street anyway?"
"Wait." Simmons spoke up, "Vale's southeast quadrant isn't just known for Mountain Glenn. It is home to numerous large, underground caverns that extend back to the city. The engineers of this place built a subway system to get civilians from the old territory into the new one. But without natural barriers, Mountain Glen was doomed from the start."
"How do you know this?" Wash asked him
"Learned from our bug we planted into the CCT." Simmons replied before continuing, "In an attempt for survival. The remaining civilians took shelter in the caverns below the city. Until an explosion blew a hole in the caves allowing Grimm to enter. Afterwards, Vale cut what remained of Mountain Glenn off from the rest of the Kingdom. Thus, creating the biggest grave in this world."
"And now Ruby is down there." Tucker muttered
"Well then." Sarge spoke up, as he took out his shotgun and cocked it, "Let's go get her."