Ozpin's Office
A few hours after the breach…
"So, uh, why did you call us up here, Professor?" Colys asked as he, the rest of Team C.R.S.N. and Team D.A.R.K. were assembled in the clockwork themed room, the aforementioned headmaster standing behind his desk while watching out the large window.
"I find you eight quite peculiar when compared to the rest of the student body." The Amber eyed huntsman began as he glanced over his shoulder at them.
"I don't quite get what you mean, Professor." Rhydwyn stated with a confused expression.
"Perhaps it's nothing. I just brought you here for some casual discussion. You know, how you have been doing, the like." Ozpin said as he turned around with his usual pleasant smile present.
"Oh good. I was worried you wanted to talk with us about how we're from another dimension." Nuada bluntly stated with a slight chuckle while the other students just stared at him due to the fact that he just spilled what is more or less their greatest secret.
"Oh really? Do tell." The enigmatic professor said in stride with Nuada's outlandish statement as if he were talking of the weather or time of day.
"I'm… surprised at your lack thereof, Professor. To put it bluntly, the eight of us, as well as Enkaar Raiyu and Riley Sripantha, are from two separate alternate realities to this one. Ours, known as Earth, is quite different from this one with some more advanced forms of technology while being behind a bit in others." Sinikka stated with a deadpan like always, her face almost unreadable.
"The other alternate dimension that Sinikka speaks of is ours, Earthland. It is more similar to Remnant in terms of its advancements in the more, how should I say this, Arcane arts." Raiden finished with a hint of nervousness, expecting Ozpin to deem him mentally unstable.
"... Curious. Well, Miss Ortis, I have had my suspicions as to you eight being more, otherworldly." Ozpin said as he crossed his hands in front of his face. "And Mr. Hurdanis. You actually were correct in your statement. How's the new hand James gave you?"
"It's fine. The only thing is that it doesn't change size with the rest of my arm when I enlarge it." Nuada said while demonstrating, the cybernetic limb remaining comically small when compared to the rest of the arm.
"I'll talk to the good General about it, perhaps he can get one that is up to par. Now then, back to this talk of other worlds. Perhaps a bit more of an explanation is in order." The silver-haired headmaster said while motioning to Colys.
"Well, we don't entirely know how we ended up in Remnant. One moment we were asleep in our beds, the next we were in a crater in the middle of the Vacuan Desert. You recall the explosion from two years ago, correct?" Colys asked earning a mild nod from Ozpin. "Well, apparently whatever we arrived in caused it, leaving us unharmed."
"Curious. How about you, Mr. Scarlet?"
"Well, our Team, that is Team DARKER from back in Earthland, were investigating an anomaly reported by a somewhat nearby town. When we arrived at said anomaly, we were sucked in resulting in Kaito, Raiden, Enkaar, and I somewhere on Patch while Abigail and Riley ended up in Mistral no doubt." Dakura said with a slight shrug, glancing at his partner for confirmation.
"We technically landed in Menagerie, but we made our way to Mistral." The blonde Cat Faunus supplied with a small smile.
"On a separate note, you said that Faunus don't exist in your home, correct? So how do you explain Ms. Romero here and Mr. Raiyu for that matter?" Ozpin interrogated while motioning to Abigail's extra Ears.
"Well, while Faunus as a species don't exist in Earthland, people with odd traits such as an extra limb or two have shown up. Enkaar's situation is a bit more complex, however." Kaito answered with a bit of a nervous smile.
"I can elaborate. You see, Enkaar and I have, how do I put this, a tad bit more experience regarding alternate realities. His Lizard-like features are the result of an encounter from our first experience." Raiden said with a sigh, massaging his temples for an onsetting headache. "Let's just say that it's better we don't bring it up to him, he still is a bit… emotional about someone we left behind."
"Duly noted. Is there anything else you would wish to speak of, Mr. Duran, Mr. Scarlet?" Ozpin asked while glancing at the two team leaders, Colys just shrugging.
"Well, yes there is, however, I would presume based on the manner of what I would like to ask, that it should be done in a more, how should I put it, private manner." The dragonslayer said while motioning to team C.R.S.N.
"Well, I guess we should get going then." Colys said while dragging the rest of his team into the elevator.
"What was that for, man? I'm sure Dakura wouldn't have minded." Nuada said while rubbing his neck from where Colys dragged him.
"Nuada, I highly doubt that based on how he was acting." Sinikka said with a deadpan as the elevator doors opened.
"She's right, you know. Anyways, I believe we have a mission to make up now, do we not?" Came from slightly down the hall. Turning to the source, Team C.R.S.N. saw a bald man slightly taller than Nuada holding a Warhammer over his shoulders. Upon noticing the man, Colys' eyes widened.
"Professor Albrecht? What are you doing here?" The noirette asked of the history professor from Signal, who gave out a hearty laugh.
"What, am I not allowed to visit some of my past students?" The jovial man said with some mirth evident in his green eyes. "But please, just call me Robert now, eh? You are closer to being my equals than during your time at Signal, after all."
"Alright then, Robert. I assume that you are the senior huntsman we'll be shadowing on our mission?" Sinikka asked with her normal deadpan in place as usual.
"Wait, we're already going on our mission? I figured we'd have more time to prepare than this." Nuada said with some slight shock.
"It makes sense though. I guess your quick adjustment to your hand helped, seeing as you held your own during the breach." Rhydwyn reasoned. "So, what are going to be doing, anyways?"
"It's pretty simple, really. Another team that was researching the undercity of Mountain Glenn discovered a set of tracks that lead into Forever Falls. To put it bluntly, we are to follow these tracks to wherever they may lead based upon the circumstances that the tracks were discovered." Robert said with his tone turning more serious. "I expect heavier opposition to our search then common Grimm such as Beowolves, so prepare yourselves. We will convene at the docks in a half hour." Having said his piece, the signal professor walked off, leaving no room for argument or further comment.
"That was… different. Well, might as well go get prepared then." Colys said with feigned cheeriness. "It's been a while since we last went to Forever Fall though, hasn't it?"
"I wonder if we'll have to deal with that Aria guy again. Nothing new came up regarding him since then, right?" Nuada mused to himself.
"Maybe, maybe not. I guess we'll see." Rhydwyn stated, walking to the locker rooms, the rest of Team C.R.S.N. following suit, afterward heading to the docks as instructed and waited.
"So, I see you arrived early as usual. Good to see your punctuality hasn't decreased over the years." Came from off to the side as Professor Albrecht approached them in his usual combat attire. "Now, let's hop to it, we don't have all day after all." Saying this, the professional huntsman ushered the team into the dropship before it promptly took off towards the Forever Fall…
An hour later…
Landing down softly in the red-tinted woods that make up the Forever Fall, the dropship allowed Team C.R.S.N. and Professor Albrecht to hop out before it took off once more, leaving them in the woods.
"Now, who here knows about Merlot Industries?" The Warhammer user asked while the five walked aimlessly through the forest, unsurprisingly encountering little Grimm considering the fact that it was only midday.
"All I have heard regarding it is that it was stationed primarily in Mountain Glenn but it's founder, Dr. Merlot, mysteriously disappeared one day 20 years ago, and with that, the company fell apart." Sinikka answered in her normal deadpan, Colys perking up slightly at the end but otherwise paying no mind.
"That is correct, Sinikka. Now, this may seem irrelevant, but the team that was investigating the undercity was looking into some rumors regarding Merlot Industries." Professor Albrecht stated, before stopping and pulling out his Warhammer. "Look alive, we've got company." As he said this, a pack of Beowolves leaped out of the surrounding brush and began to circle the five. Grinning savagely, Colys rushed one of the Grimm, caving its skull in after a few hits. Following the noirette's lead, Rhydwyn activated Lament's laser function and aimed into the small pack of Beowolves while the blade began to glow a bright red. Humming in satisfaction, the brunette flicked another switch before the glow became orange. Grinning at the result, Rhydwyn released the trigger for the laser, resulting a beam of bright orange to be released, burning right through a few Grimm. Running forward, Rhydwyn felt his movements become faster before glancing at Sinikka, who just gave the brunette a thumbs up before slashing one of the lupine Grimm. It wasn't long until the Beowolves were eliminated and a calm quietness fell over the group.
"You know, I can't shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something important, but I don't know what." Colys muttered to himself as the five continued to follow the tracks that they were sent to, more alert than before the Grimm attack. Arriving at what looked to be a ruined temple, Professor Albrecht held his hand up to stop the group. Glancing around, the team of huntsmen (and one huntress) in training noticed flashes of seafoam green in the surrounding woods. Preparing their weapons, Team C.R.S.N. glanced at each other until a beowolf leaped out of the brush, although the coloration was off. Instead of the usual red shade of eyed, the odd Grimm instead had blue-green eyes, while it's much larger hulking form was covered in stripes of the same color. Stalking forward, the inverse color Beowolf cautiously sniffed the air before sitting down in front of Colys like a dog would.
"...what just happened?" Nuada questioned as he slowly went to approach the clearly mutant Grimm. Reaching forward, the mutated Beowolf growled lightly until he backed off.
"Did we discover a…. Tamed beowolf?" Sinikka questioned as Colys just shrugged.
"I don't know. As long as it doesn't attack us we should be fine." The noirette said before moving forward. "What do you think, Professor Albrecht?"
"I told you, you can call me Robert. And I think it would be best that we just leave this mutated Grimm here while continue to search where these tracks lead." The professional huntsman stated before walking off. Perking up, the mutant Beowolf gave off a light bark before bounding off into the woods briefly before returning at the edge of the underbrush and barking again, sitting down as if waiting for the group.
"I think it wants us to follow it." Colys told his team with a shrug.
"Well, I guess it's being friendly enough, so we might as well, correct?" Rhydwyn suggested, before the group of five followed after the mutated Grimm, leading them to a shipyard filled with crates, which were being moved onto freight ships by what was evidently androids. All of the androids, as well as the shipping containers, had a stylized N on them in some position.
"This is odd. However, this may be a potential lead further into the mystery revolving around Merlot Industries so we should follow if possible." Robert proposed before the group of five proceeded to sneak into one of the shipping containers in an attempt to make it onto the ship…
Blueghast: Well, this took me, what, half a year to get finished?
Colys: Well, at least it is done. But I can't shake the feeling that this Merlot person is important somehow…
Blueghast: In due time, Colys. In due time. Anyways this is going to be the start of where Rage's Story Remnant's Grimm Team become properly relevant to the A Dimensional Convergence Timeline. So, as always, Read, Rate, Review, and Favorite.
*Blueghast900 has signed off.*