Chapter 52

It is now Halloween day at the Remnant Encampment with everyone setting up their decorations and jack-o-lanterns in preparations for the night. But over at Team RWBY/STRQ House, everyone is getting ready for someone's special birthday. Blake is keeping an eye out through the window to make sure that Ruby isn't coming home early. Summer Rose is keeping Ruby occupied by helping out with the decorations at everyone else's houses.

Ghira places the 'Happy 16th Birthday Ruby' banner on the railing of the second floor and goes, "There. All finish."

Kali is on the ground and looks up at the banner, "Looking good honey!"

"Thanks, dear!"

Taiyang and Yang get some of the presents out on the floor with the Schnee Family carefully place a three tier cake onto the center of the table.

"There we go." Willow says as she and her family placed the cake down.

The cake is round and red with red, white, black, and yellow rose petals on them and strawberry frosting on the edges. On the top of the cake, there are two candles in the shape of the number 16 on the top with a rose on the 6 where the hole should be.

"This is a lot of work for someone turning 16." Whitley says.

"Well...you're only 16 once." Weiss says. "Usually, back on Remnant, when people turn 16, they get to have a driver's license."

Winter takes a closer look at the position of the cake, "I think it is off center by 3 centimeters."

Whitley looks at Winter with a dirty look, "Really?"

Raven brings in a dirt bike that is painted red, has Ruby's emblem on it, and has a red bow on it.

Klein is busy setting up a buffet table that has deviled eggs, assorted chips, makeshift hot dogs from Dodo meat, homemade hot dog buns, and homemade strawberry lemonade in bowl. "There." he says, "All set."

Blake looks at everyone, "She's coming!"

Taiyang then says, "Quick! Everyone hide and get ready."

Everyone hit the lights and hide behind something. The door opens with Summer opening the door and Ruby follows. The lights turn on with everyone shouting, "SURPRISE!" while throwing homemade confetti made of colored paper up in the air. "HAPPY SWEET 16TH BIRTHDAY RUBY!"

Ruby is giddy with excitement as she is taken by surprise at her surprise birthday party. So everyone celebrated with some lunch before getting to the cake. Everyone sings the song as Ruby prepares for her wish.

"Make a wish, Ruby!" Yang says.

"I wish...I wish...I wish that we all get to go home with everyone coming out alive." Ruby then blows the candles.

Somewhere at the ancient mystical city, Red Team has been deployed to find anything they can use back at the Encampment. Anything like spell tomes, alchemy ingredients, mystical artifacts, and practically anything that is useful. They arrived on the Falcon as they search the place.

Right now, they are scavenging some college.

Grif groans, "This is bullshit. Why can't we head back home and have some of Ruby's birthday cake?"

Simmons says, "Because winter is coming and we have to prepare. So do you wanna scavenge for shit while there is no snow or you have to dig through snow?"

Grif looks down, "Good point."

Lopez then says, "Lo último que necesito es que mis servos se estén congelando. Así que necesitamos encontrar mierda y rápido antes de que llegue la primera nieve."
Translation: "The last thing I need is my servos freezing up. So we need to find shit and fast before the first snow hits."

"I get it Lopez." Grif says as he starts throwing junk over his shoulders. "I really wanna try that birthday cake."

"That's probably why we're out here." Simmons stops and looks at Grif, "After all the birthday surprises we've been through, you somehow manage to eat all the birthday cakes we had stashed and hidden away. Whole!"

"Haces que Lex Luthor robe 40 pasteles parece que cometió un delito menor y el tuyo es un delito grave. Como ser un asesino en serie pero con comer."
Translation: "You make Lex Luthor stealing 40 cakes look like he committed a petty offense and yours is a major crime. Like being a serial killer but with eating."

Grif laughs, "Yeah. But I wonder if the others are doing better than us."

Sarge, Donut, and Sanchez are in some sort of library of the college with Sarge looking for anything about military stories.

"Dammit!" Sarge says out loud. "I couldn't find any about war stories!"

Donut pops his head through a shelf, "And I can't find anything about interior decorating!"

Sanchez says to the two, "Estamos procurando por algo que REALMENTE seja útil. Não para a sua leitura pessoal, você fode. Basta pegar o que pudermos e sair."
Translation: "We're looking for something that ACTUALLY is useful. Not for your personal reading, you fucksticks. Just grab whatever we can and get out."

Donut and Sarge just look at Sanchez with Donut going, "Uh...we don't speak Esperanto. Only Simmons does. I can speak Spanish."

"Eu só falo português, seu idiota. E Lopez me disse que você é péssimo com o espanhol como um babaca."
Translation: "I only speak Portuguese you fucking idiot. And Lopez told me that you're terrible with Spanish like a fucking dumbass."

Donut just looks at him, "I'm gonna call Simmons."

"Foda-se manequim de merda rosa com inseguranças sobre o sexo que ele é que tem dicas de decoração pobres e senso de moda."
Translation: "Fucking pink shit dummy with insecurities about what sex he is who has poor decorating tips and fashion sense."

Donut says with some sniffles, "We love you too man."

"Can it!" Sarge ordered. "Get back to work!"

As for the blues, they are checking some of the local blacksmiths to find anything made of metal they can use. Carolina is outside to make sure the perimeter is secured while everyone else is inside.

"Found something!" Caboose shouts.

"That's my foot, Caboose!" Washington says.

"Sorry!"

Carolina sighs and looks down. After a few seconds, she says, "Hey, Church?"

Epsilon Church then appears on Carolina's left, "Yeah, what's up?"

Carolina turns to face the AI fragment, "It's about the plan. I'm starting to have second thoughts about it." Carolina sounds worried.

"Why?"

"It's because...it's because... Look, it's just that...I don't wanna lose anyone. And I don't wanna lose you again."

"That's touching." Chruch says nonchalant.

Carolina raises her voice a little, "I'm serious."

"I know, it's just... *sighs* Look, whatever forces is responsible for resurrecting me, they didn't exactly do it right. I'm on the verge of failing and doing all that shit back at the canyon has cost me two fragments of myself based on the other fragments. And I already heard the message I gave you before I failed after the battle against the fucking head dick of Charon. I don't wanna go either, but sitting around ain't exactly helping. Just prolonging the inevitable."

"But if we can-"

"Stop!" Church interrupts Carolina. "Please try to understand. I am gonna fail. No matter what happens, no matter how much time would pass, everything has to die out at some point. Even AI. An AI fragment if you will. Even computer programs have to die out at some point, like an old computer after over use. Even if you have back-ups. If I'm gonna go out, I wanna do it my own way: helping my friends."

There is a moment of silence between the two for a few seconds but the sound of a metal object got knocked over and hit someone.

"OW!" Tucker got hit.

"Sorry Tucker!" Caboose apologizes.

Carolina then gives a deep sad sigh before saying, "Just...promise me that when its over and you're still intact, somehow, that we will make a back-up of you or something."

"I can't make any promises at this point." Then Epsilon Church disappears.

BONK!

Tucker screams, "OOOOWWW!"

"Tucker did it!" Caboose points blame.

"That was me getting hurt you dumb-ass!"

"Oh. Then it's your own fault."

Washington yells, "Would both of you quit it!?"

Caboose then says, "Can we make this quick? I wanna dress up as a space marine for Halloween."

"You ARE a space marine, Caboose." Wash says.

"Oh... Then I wanna dress up as a dinosaur."

Tucker threatens, "How about I shove you in one through its stomach?"

Carolina then yells out, "WOULD YOU THREE STOOGES CUT IT OUT AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

Caboose panics, "Please don't kill me!"

Doc is standing behind Carolina and says, "Would you like some therapy sessions or-"

Carolina turns around quickly and is taken by surprise, "Jesus fuck!" She steps back. "Have you been there the whole time?!"

"So you finally noticed." Doc sounds a little snarky, "Yes, I've been standing here the whole time. I just got word from Ironwood and he wants to know how are things. But judging from what I'm seeing, not really the best of time to report in."

"Just tell him that we found a few metal objects and are gonna check the alchemy shop next." Carolina sounded a little defensive when speaking to Doc.

"Okay. But I'm gonna have to check on the Reds-"

"JUST GO!"

"Okay, okay!" Doc runs away from the angry Freelancer as fast as he can to check-up on Red Team.

Over at the Mojave Wasteland, Tyrian continues to kill a bunch of Legion soldiers over at Cottonwood Cove along with some of the slaves they had locked up and their mongrels. Yet he forgot to interrogate them while joyfully killing his victims.

"Uh-oh." his smile gets turn upside down. "I forgot to ask for directions." He starts to worry, "She will be mad at me if I don't find the spaceship site soon."

However, while on the rooftop of the building, he notices three Legion troops coming to the outpost from the north. One of them is a veteran legionary while two of them are legion scouts.

He smiles, "Guess I should keep one a live...for now."

Over at the three Legion troops, one of the scouts say, "Any idea on what just happened?" as they approach and notice the dead bodies.

"That's why we're here." says the veteran. "Keep an eye out and-" The man turns around and notices that both of his men are cut down by Tyrian. The veteran tries to pull out his revolver but got grabbed by Tyrian's tail by the leg.

Tyrian stomps on the veteran's back as he smiles, "Hello, little soldier boy. Mind answering a few questions?"

The veteran grunts in pain as he tries to grab his revolver. But Tyrian grabs it and tosses it aside.

"Now answer me this: Where is the location for spaceships?"

"I don't know what you are- AH!" Tyrian stomps on the veterans back again. "Go to hell you piece of- GAH!" and again. "Alright. You have to head north to a place called Novac. It's a place with a giant lizard creature from ancient times before the bombs. Then you should head west to some building hidden in the mountains that has a spear for a monument. But you won't survive. If Kaiser and my battle brothers don't kill you, then the ghouls and mutants shall kill you instead. If not, then the radiation."

"Why, thank you." Tyrian then stabs the veteran's head with his stinger, right through his skull and into the ground. Then the demented Faunus joyfully skips up north to find the town of Novac. From there, he will find the rocket ships that Salem needs to get to the Halo ring.

It is now nightfall at the Remnant Encampment and everyone is out wearing Halloween outfits (well most of them).

Ruby is wearing an outfit similar to hers but it is more based on Little Red Riding Hood, and more adorable. "Ta-da!" she says while outside of the house. "I'm Red Riding Hood!"

"And I thought you made a character based-off herself." Weiss says while coming out dressing like Elsa from Frozen, but still has her hairstyle.

Ruby look at her, "But look at you!" Ruby sounds more hyper than before. "You look like a fairytale princess."

Weiss starts to blush a little, "Well, that's because Penny made me this outfit from that movie."

"At least you're dressed decently than me." Blake says while looking a little gloomy. Blake is wearing a dark purple succubus outfit but not really that revealing complete with horns, wings, and a tail. "My mom thought I would look good in this outfit."

"Oh come on, Blake." Yang comes out and wearing a catgirl maid outfit with yellow cat ears and a tail and the outfit is yellow with white. She smiles, "At least you're not wearing this." She does a pose like an elegant maid.

Blake gives her a disapproval look but says, "Good point. But still though, my mother went with the witch outfit."

"Oh come on now!" Ruby says. "It's still my birthday, it's Halloween, and we should go trick-or-treating!" She raises her arm, "Bonsai!"

But no one is responding.

Ruby tries again, "Bonsai!"

Then the three decide to just humor her, "Bonsai."

Then the four go out for trick-or-treating in their little neighborhood, unbeknownst to them that darker days are coming ahead. But as of now, the night is young with frightful yet playful activities with many trying to do the trick-or-treat tradition of old. The houses are decorated in spooky festivities, glowing jack-o-lanterns, and a few people handing out candy. For now, everyone just enjoys this evening on this planet...while there are also zombies from World War Z trying to get in but they all get slaughtered by the superior defenses of the Encampment. Don't worry. By tomorrow, all the undead will disappear...and they all have to deal with turkey themed creatures.