:AN Here we go! More Bastion more action! In this chapter, we get to see what happened to Ruby! Will she make it out ok? Will Jaune ever see her again? Will Zach ever show her the powerpoint!? Find out this time on Bastion!
PS. If you thought I didn't like Ruby before...
"Red!? Red!? Red!?'
Zach yelled as he saw Ruby vanish in a ball of flames as the mortar round hit her between her legs making her disappear into a ball of fire.
"Ruby!"
Zach yelled once before the blast wave of the explosion bore him to the ground. Making him cry out as an invisible hand slammed him on his chest as his breath was forced from his lungs. As he crashed hard into the cold dead earth.
"Oum dammit!"
He swore at the top of his lungs. As he swung his legs up kicking himself up as the first harsh pings! Of bullets found him nearly taking his head off his shoulders, making him curse as jumped forward as he hit the deck. Flopping onto his stomach as he began to crawl forward.
"Red! Can you hear me!? Red!"
The boy yelled as he shuffled forward as the fire finally died out, and he saw her and paused as his breath caught in his throat as his heart froze. Ruby was dead.
She laid there on the cold dead earth completely still on the ground, and she looked terrible. Her legs were a mangled, twisted mess of bone and shrapnel. The mortar round had exploded right between her legs. Fusing them with shrapnel and shredding them apart.
Her leg jerk out in awkward, unnatural angles as shards of still glowing metal pierced through them as the jagged pieces of shrapnel held them together. Making her bottom half look like kind of gross macabre pretzel. As she laid there, her legs in a twisted tangle of metal and flesh her next greatest injury was her lower abdomen.
Several shards of shrapnel had flown straight up between her legs, straight into her guts and intestines, shredding them into ribbons if he could guess, and he could, as the girl and still in an ever-growing pool of blood as Ruby Rose was dead.
"Sorry Red. You might have been a broad, but you were a better one. I'll tell the bone wonder you loved him K?"
Zach said quietly under his breath as he began to turn and sprinting for the bunker. He needed to run now if he-
"AHHH! It hurts!"
A feminine voice cried at the top of its lungs as Zach did a double take as he turned around to where the formerly still and very dead Ruby was now writhing in pain on the cold dead earth.
"It hurts! It hurts! Dear Oum! Mika! Kage! Jaune! Jaune! Help me Jaune! It hurts!"
Ruby cried out as she writhed and jerked in agony as bullets landed all around her as Zach swore.
"Why me?! Why me Oum? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? What did I do to deserve any of the shit you put me though!?"
He cried out as he began to panic. Ther was no way in hell he was going back for Ruby. She was a goner. Even if she regained consciousness, and B even if he did go back for her she would definitely die on the way back to the tunnels.
And worse! He would die with her! Making both the deaths pointless. No, it was better to go back alone, honor her sacrifice and memory with a completed mission and-
"Zach! Zach, please help me!"
Ruby yelled as he one silver eye and red bionic one locked onto him as he swore.
FUCK! Why me!? The boy swore internally as his life just got harder. He knew for a fact! That Ruby was a goner; he knew that if he went back to help her, he would most likely die as well! Throwing away years of brutal pragmatism, desperate jobs and sheer death-defying acts of valor and greed in a moment of fatalism!?
He also knew that if for some reason. If by some thrice cut miracle, by some impossible, insanely narrow margins she beat the odds and live through some miraculous reason. He left her, and she somehow lived!? Now that she knew he saw her alive and left her? He was going to be in deep crap back home.
And even if she didn't live. When the blonde wonder or worse Kage asked what happened he couldn't just tell them hey guys! I let your teammate and partner bleed out on the ground! No way! He was going to have to lie to them. And while lying to Jaune was only slightly harder than stealing candy from a blind, crippled two-year-old lying to Kage?
That was a bit harder. Kage knew him to well, for him to lie easily and Kage unlike Jaune had a rather nasty habit of shooting people with those damn aura busting bolt pistols of his when they pissed him off. And lying to Kage was a great way to piss him off.
Zach thought as Ruby's eyes locked on to him.
"Zach! Please!"
The girl yelled out as Zach sore as he prepared himself to do something insanely foolish.
"Oh fuck me!"
The boy yelled cursing about as he began his run for her.
"Hold on Red! I'm getting you out of here!"
He yelled to the dying girl as a fresh wave of bullets lashed out, as he slid to the girl. Dropping out his legs in a power slide grimacing as he felt the hard, unyielding cold dead earth, crack under his pants. As he slid down next to the crying girl wasting no time in yanking her up by her hood as she proceeded to drag her away from the fire.
"It hurts!"
"Quiet! Be glad I'm saving your sorry ass instead of leaving you to die ok!?"
He barked as out Ruby cried out.
"It hurts! It hurts so much! I wanna go home!"
She yelled as Zach swore.
"We all want things Red! We don't always get them now be quiet so that I can save your ass."
He yelled as he began dragging the girl across the ground. As the rain of fire and metal crashed down around them.
It was a nightmare. Every step he took exposed him to sniper fire, mortar rounds and about every other damned hazard known to mankind! And the fact that instead of sprinting like a madman with his ass getting chased by a pack of starving Beowulf, he was reduced to an awkward shuffling gait as he dragged the reaper only made things worse!
As the girl wailed and cried behind him, Zach had to violently remind himself that if he for some miracle of reason survived this hell hole. To smack himself silly for being so retarded!
Why the hell am I doing!? Risking my life for a woman!? Of all things!? Have I lost my mind!? What is wrong with me and-
"You are not helping!"
Zach yelled as he saw the shadow coming from behind him.
Instantly he dropped Ruby to the ground, making her cry out in pain. As he ducked the swinging sword as he stabbed out with his bayonet slicing the Fang members knee in two.
Making him cry in pain as he fell to the ground before he dug his blade out of his knee. Enjoying the fountain of blood and pained scream he gave before plunging it into his jugular. Making him gag and cough as he began to hack up blood before he ripped out the blade. With a loud gurgling sound. Covering him with a fountain of blood and-
"You can fuck off too!"
He yelled as he reversed his guns angel, dropping to his side and firing into the Fang member who was taking aim at him with a rifle. Hitting man three times in his chest with a series of emerald bolts. The man dropped like a sack of bricks as Zach panted.
"God damn animals! Every last one of you can go straight to hell!"
Zach swore out loud firing blindly into the raging gunfire as Ruby cried.
"It hurts... Jaune...
The girl cried pathetically as her eyes welled up with tears. Making him grimace. She's never going to get that face back. Zach thought darkly as the girls freshly burnt bleeding face filled his vision. Even if by some miracle she did not bleed out her face was going to be horribly scared for the rest of her life.
"Don't worry Red; you'll see your boyfriend soon enough. I promise you k?"
He promised the dying girl who he knew was not long for this world.
"Why do I have to be the god damned hero? Why can't I leave the dumb stuff to actual good guys? Like Kage or Jaune? Well, not Kage but still!"
He asked aloud as he ducked another whizzing bullet.
"Damn it!"
He swore as he reached back down and began to drag Ruby across the cold dead earth of the dead lands as the two made their way back to the bunker.
Ten minutes. That was the total time that it took Zach to drag the barely conscious bleeding out girl from her initial damaged site and back into the relative safety of the Bastion tunnels systems.
When he arrived back at the tunnels, panting gasping and feeling like he needed to curl up in a ball and die, the initiation students thought that their savior had returned only instead of a conquering hero, the looked to see a raging swearing and dragging a had dead body behind him.
As he swore out loud calling for help, they saw the furious anger in his mercurial black eyes as he barked at them
"Who!? Which one of you deaf fuckers decide that shooting when I say so instead, meant blowing me and my damned ally up whenever the hell you feel like it!?"
He yelled to the frightened initiation students huddled around the holograph command globe as he growled at them.
"Well!? Who ordered the attack!?"
Zach barked as one girl with amber hair and yellow eyes spoke yup.
"Ingrid did-
"Ingrid! Great! Ingrid get you ass down here so I can gut you my self and-
"Sir. Ingrid can't come to see you."
The yellow-eyed girl's aid as Zahv glared a there.
"And why the fuck not?"
"Because she's dead sir. She was shot-
"Of fan fuckingtastic! There goes my one! And I mean one shot at some god damned stress relief!"
Zach sower aging his teeth in frustration before the logical side of his brain took over.
Clam down. Assess your situation. Do not get emotional.
He thought to himself as he sighed.
"Fine. Ok! What's done is done. I don't like it but it's done! Now, what's the situation and pray to your gods that you have some good news for once!"
Zach yelled a boy spoke up.
"Sir! The Fang guns have stopped firing-
"No shit Sherlock! It's almost like I blew them up!"
He yelled as the grey eye boy with black hair cowered.
"Anything else? Are there any other brilliant news that you incompetent fucks have for me today?"
"Sir! I just got word from Bastion proper!"
A girl with green hair yelled as he bent over her Vox.
"Oh? Finally! Some good news! Well, what did they say?"
"They said that our mission is complete and there will be transports to take us hon in an hour."
"Finally! Good news! Just for that, you all get to live! Now get out and get prepared! I want us ready to leave this hell hone in ten minutes! Do you hear me?"
"Sir yes, sir!"
The students yelled as he nodded.
"Your god damned right."
He said as she sighed heavily.
"A coma?"
Zach asked as a bright pair of green eyes stared at him.
"Yes. I was able to stop the bleeding, and remove most of the metal, but not enough. As for now, she is in a medically induced coma that she will remain it."
The faunus medic said as she sat hunched over Ruby checking her pulse and looking over her IV as Zach glared at her.
"How bad is she? Don't' sugar coat it either. Tell me the truth."
Zach asked as the girl grimaced before sighing.
"Honestly sir? I don't think she's going to make it."
The fox girl said as she finished checking Ruby's IV grimacing as Zach ground his teeth.
"Dammit... I know this was bad."
He hissed as she nodded.
"Indeed it is. She lost far to much blood and while the coma is helping it is only a temporary measure. A very temporary measure. If we are to save her, we will need to get hare back to Bastion and give her not only surgery but I recommend we give her extensive bionic enhancements and-
"Dot it."
"What?"
"I said do it! Call into the damned teach adepts and have them ready the bionics!"
"Sir... This will not be a case simple enhancements. We are not talking about a simple limb or an eye. She lost several major parts of her organic structure critical parts even."
"How critical is critical?"
Zach growled at the woman as she held his glare.
"Her lower intestines are mostly shredded, and her upper one is little better, both of her femurs are destroyed and will need to be almost fully replaced along with other damages this will be a highly invasive procedure, and the odds of success are-
"Do it."
"Sir...
"I said call the order! I'll take responsibility but have the damned tech adepts are ready for her ok?"
He yelled as she sighed.
"As you say, sir. I will call the order under your name."
"Tell them the colonel ordered it. I'll take the fall."
"Yes, sir."
The medic said as Zach sighed heavily.
"Don't die on me Red. Not like this k?"
He asked das the girl breathed short, shallow breaths as he readied her for transport.
The loading process took less than a minute. On one part due to the initiation students being generally damned good at their jobs of organizing, loading and getting shit in a presentable order on little to no time.
And also do to everyone being scared shitless by the furious glare of the colonel as he dragged his injured friend on a stretcher. With the help of a fauns medic with fox ears and brown hair. They worked together as the medic made sure her IV was working right as they loaded her onto a medical ship and took her away. Leaving the dad moody overcast sky the hung oppressively over the cold dead earth.
"Good riddance!"
Zach hissed as the bullhead doors closed as they flew off.
"Come on Red. You know you want to make it right? I mean think about it! You go back home you live, and you get to do all the shit you like! I mean you can eat all the cookies you want! Or hang out with Mika and Hino!"
"I don't know why you like hanging out with them but hell, who am I to judge? You can go back to training with Kage! Make you some not terrible in a fist fight or! You can put in some work on that white knight of yours!"
"Hey! I see the looks you are giving him! I know he's' dense, but I can help out with that! Follow my advice, and he'll be moaning your name before you can say down boy!"
Zach said to the sleeping girl who was rapidly losing skin color as he sighed.
"You just got to live ok? You can't hand out if you're dead. Corpses can't gain muscle and they sure as hell can't fuck so live for me k? If not for me for you team Kage, Jaune Mika. And whoever the hell you left in Vale and-
"Is she your girlfriend?"
The fox faunus know as Kirara asked Zach as she checked the girl's IV.
"What? Her? No way. I don't touch unripe fruit. Plus she's crushing on the blonde wonder kid."
"The white knight?"
"Yeah, that's him! Boys got a head denser than osmium I tell you! He's worse than Kage!"
Zach swore as the nurse checked up on Ruby.
"How is she? Will she-
"She will live until we arrive at Bastion. But after that? It all depends on the implants. If her body takes well to them, she might live."
"And if they don't."
"Then she will reject them and most likely die from shock."
Kirara said as Zach sighed.
"She's probably going to die huh?"
"Most likely."
"There's nothing else we can do?"
"Nope."
"Anything?"
"Have you tried prayer? I've heard offering virgins to the moon does wonder in time like these."
She asked flatly as Zach glared at her.
"You are a sarcastic fox you know that?"
"In my job you either laugh or you cry. And I don't much like crying now, so I make the best of it."
She said as Zach nodded.
"I hear that. Just wish we didn't need to."
He said as she adjusted something on Ruby's IV, checking the girl's neck as she nodded.
"Same here. I wish we didn't have to die like this. Cold alone, scared senseless-
"She isn't dead yet!"
"Yet. You said it yourself. She is most likely as you said a goner. Now we can only wait. Or pray if you feel like it."
"Jeez! Why do all you faunus like prayer so much!? What has the light ever done for you?'
"I am no follower of the light."
"Oh? What are you then a devotee of the brothers?"
"Yes."
"Fine! Different gods same thing! It's all the same!"
"That's not true."
Kirara said calmly as he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh really? Tell me how they no, any! Is any religion really that different from one another? It's just a bunch of people praying to a silent figure in the sky who never talks back asking for him to save them."
"The brothers do not ask for prayer."
"Oh? What do they way your virgins in the volcano? Or some blood ritual to appease the thirsting laughing gods of the dark millennium?"
Zach asked sarcastically as she smiled. It was clam soothing expression that calmed his heart as her pink lips cured up.
"No. Our gods only ask that we are kind to one another and treat all life with the dignity that we expect to be treated with. Besides that, there is no overarching rules or restrictions placed upon us."
"So your god's say what? Don't stab that guy with a knife and then you go out killing Fang members as it's all good?"
"No. They say treat others with the same dignity we want to be treated with. And if people want to shoot at us? Well if I were shooting at someone, I'd expect them to shoot back."
Kirara said calmy flashing him that same calming smile as her fangs came out as her emerald eyes held his dark one.
"I like you kid. You got some spirt on that head."
Zach said as she nodded.
"Thank you, sir. We are almost home now and-
The ring of a communicator rang out as Zach ripped out his command Vox as he swore
"Hello?"
Zach asked as a familiar voice came from the other line.
"AH! Mister Colonel! How are you?"
"Ludo? Sir!"
"Sir? What's the occasion, Zach? Did something go horribly awry and you are buttering me up? As they say?"
"What?! Sir no sir! I was just-
"No need to be so stiff my boy! I know that you and miss Rose did a splendid job in your mission!"
"Yes... All objectives were accomplished as requested sir."
"Excellent! Just so you know Mister Arc, and Mister Kage are very eager to see you two again! Especially Miss Rose! What is your estimated time of arrival?"
The man asked as the pilot flashed him a five sigh.
"Fifteen minutes!'
Zach lied as Kirara cocked her head at him.
"Splendid! I will inform Mist Arc and Mister Kage posthaste! Until then good work the both of you!"
"Sir thank you, sir! It was a pleasure speaking with you and-
"Oh, one second! I nearly forgot! Silly me! Mister Arc is here, and he wants to speak to miss Rose! Please put her on the Vox for me, will you? He is very eager to check up on her and-
"Sorry, sir! Ic nat' hear you! Repeat that!"
Zach said as he signaled the pilot to speed up. As he adjusted his vox making a harsh static break through the lines.
"Colonel? Cna you hear me? Jaune want's to speak to Ruby and-
"I Can't hear you, sir! your signal is weak I'm breaking up! There's comm static and-
"Zach! Zach! Where is Ruby!? If he's hurt, I swear to Oum-
"Can't her you blondie! You are breaking up!"
"Zach!'
"Over and out!"
He yelled slamming his Vox down seat profusely before screaming "Fuck!" At the top of his lungs as Kirara blinked owlishly at him.
"Well, what now? Why did you lie and-
"Because I am about to something very illegal and incredibly foolish, that is more than likely going to get me killed. And I need your help."
"Is that an order sir?"
"You bet your ass it is now help me with here!"
Zach yelled as the bullhead touched down. As the two gripped the stretcher hosting the still body of Ruby up and out of the still landing craft leaping out of it before it even touched down as the great stone doors of Bastion awaited them.
" I hope this works."
Zach said darkly as he and Kirara began to spring.
Honestly, Zach needed to thank that person. Whoever the hell he was when Ach said burn, he turned full blast. As the pilot made the five-minute journey in less than two by Zach and Kirara precious minutes of time for thier plan to work.
As Zach and the fauns girl sprinted into the still opening doors of Bastion, he swore out of at the time constraint he was already under. As he had bout himself ten extra minutes on board the ship and up to an hour extra buy brings threating or begging any number of his plethora of Bastion contacts as he bought himself time to complete his mission.
"We are cutting it close!"
He yelled as the two dragged the girl is as his scroll rang.
"Who the hell?! Hello!?"
"Zach? Where are you? Jaune and Kage want to see Ruby-
"Partner! I love you I gotta go! Bye!"
He yelled hanging up one handed his partner balked at him over the scroll as they ran.
Over two minutes had passed since they entered the thankfully empty hallways of Beacon as they sprinted down the halls as they made thier way to the damn tech adepts.
"Did you make the call?"
Kirara asked from behind him her long amber hair swaying in the air as her green combat fatigues uniform was bundled up by her own hand into a makeshift tank top as he nodded.
"I did!"
"What did they say?"
"They said they are happy Ruby will be on the next path to shredding her weakness and embarrassing the machine!"
Zach yelled as the short, curt conversation he had with the adepts of Beacon's Mechanicus played back in his head.
Felicia in typical tech adept fashion had been worried about Ruby for less than a second before he requested the implants.
Then she was pleased as can be and eagerly awaiting their arrival. It was not every day that they got to do something like this. That they got to take an average student and litter rip out most of their flesh and put metal in its place, so it was going to be damned busy at the infirmary.
Well, not the infirmary, as the mechanics while it was the most widely used medical bay in Bastion it was not the school's official infirmary ward. That ward was somewhere else, and Zac while desperate, but he was nowhere near desperate enough to try that hell hole out.
As the two sprinted the finally reached the infirmary doors and kid up the door where the brown-haired acolyte of the priesthood awaited them.
"Finally! Excellent you have arrived! Put the patient on the table and come with me! You have forms to fill out as her commanding officer! As we cannot normally do this type of a procedure without her consent and-
"Just do it! I'll sign anything you want just save her!"
Zach yelled as Fleica grinned.
"But of course."
She said pulling out a wad of paperwork as Zach began to sing.
It took him five minutes, but he did it. He signed every line, dotted every I and crossed every T. After that was all well, and good Felica nodded to him. Sending him and Kirar off scampering as she brought Ruby in for surgery.
The pale girl was nearly at death's door as Felicia nodded once. Taking the now signed papers with her as she called out several orders as she began to push Ruby though a pair of surgical doors.
"Save her!"
Zach yelled as she nodded.
"As the Omnissiah wills."
She said evenly as she took Ruby to the back so she could be saved.
"What now?"
Kirara asked as Zach sighed.
"Now we wait."
"And pray?"
She asked smirking at him as he let out a rough laugh from his mouth.
" Thought the brothers did not accept prayers?"
"They' don't ask but doing a little extra never hurt now did it?"
"No, it did not."
He replied dryly as she bowed her head.
"Let us pray."
"Sure. Let's do that."
He said as she took his hand in her as bowed.
"We ask of the brothers...
Over an hour later and well after Kirara had gone as Zach sat outside the door of the operation room, while the light of the operation or flickered as the doors blew open as a tired Felicia came out. Ina surgical be covered n blood, oil, and variety of other fluids that he dared not think about. As she stepped out sigh heavily.
"It is done! She is-
"Alive?! Is she alive!? Please, doc tell me-
"I'm sorry Zach. but it's complicated."
Felica said as Zach froze. Complicated? Complicated? Complicated?!
Zach thought as he began to ruminate. Complicated was not good. Complicated was the opposite of good. Complicated meant that something went wrong and if something went wrong than Ruby was-
"Complicated!? The hell does that mean!?"
"It means that while her implants were a success she lost far too much blood, and she needed even more extensive augmentation than we predicted."
"And that means?"
"It means that while she is alive, and improved. We have yet to wake her up."
"Because?"
"Becuase do not know what will wake up. We do not know if Ruby herself will come back or if-
"Just wake her up doc!"
"Are you-
"Yes, I am bloody well sure! I'll even take responsibility for it so do it!"
He yelled as she sighed.
"So be it. I will see what wake up."
She said turning around as Zach sighed. HE paid off the pilot and several other people using his rather limited Bastion currency to circumvent he blonde winner and Kage but-
"Open up!"
A familiar blonde yelled as the door of wh war thumped!
As aloud fist crashed into it making the locked door shudder.
"Oh fuck me the cavalry is-
BANG!
"Here?!"
Zach gulped as a bolt round tore apart the doors' handle in a shower of yellow light as he swore sprint away from the waiting room and bursting into the surgery room.
"Felicia?! Is she up is she?!-
Zach asked before he looked at Ruby and screamed.
Initializing...
Initializing...
Initializing boot up protocol...
Rebooting...
Rebooting...
Power sequence activated.
"Ruby. It is time to get up."
A voice said as Ruby opened both of her eyes.
"Uh... Where.. Where am I?"
Ruby asked as she saw both of her eyes saw the word in a bright crimson color as a flurry of data flooded into her head.
"Current location. Bastion Mechanicus surgery room. Twelve thousand feet from the dorm. Two thousand feet above sea level."
Her eye said as Ruby looked around the bland white room.
"Where am-
"AHHH!"
Ruby cried out as memories of, fire, blood, and pain filled her mind and-
"Red!? Red!? Are you ok!?"
Zach yelled shaking her arms as Ruby tuned to him.
"Zach!? Is then you where are we!? Why are we here?"
She asked as Zach grimaced.
"You took one helluva hit there Red! Be lucky I saved your life!"
"You? saved me?"
Ruby asked dumbfounded as he nodded.
"Sure did! Not like I was just going to leave you to die right?"
Zach said bitterly as Ruby glared at him.
"Heat beat increased by twenty percent. Levels of perspiration increased by thirty. He is lying."
Her eye said as she glared at him.
"Zach. What really happened? Why am I here and why-
"RUBY!?"
A familiar voice yelled as Jaune burst into the room his eyes fill with equal parts worry and anger, sword drawn followed by an equally worried Kage an ambivalent looking Mika. Who seemed just to be tagging along for the hell of it as Jaune looked at Ruby and gasped.
"Ruby!?"
Jaune gagged as he saw his best friend face, or what was left of it. Her face was atter mess of nasty deep scars, marring her once pristine face with terrible wounds.
Giver her the impression that she had been run over by a cheese grater, not only that it was dotted with burns and marks that looked like someone had taken a blow torch to her flesh!
Giving the girl a horrifying appearance as she blinked at him. Her augmented ey was now much more profound. It looked bigger and bulkier as her stuck out of her skull analyzing him.
He noticed that she was laying on a surgical!? Table of all things her body covered in a white dress as Jaune gulped.
"Ruby W-
"The fuck!?"
Kage yelled storm over to Zach grabbing him by the scruff of his armor as she glared at his friend.
"The fuck did you let happen to her!?"
"Nothing!"
"That doesn't look like nothing! What-
"Miss Rose was injured by a falling enemy mortar strike. It appears that there was an incident of friendly fire on the battlefield that brought her down."
"Friendly fire?! How?"
Jaune asked as Felica frowned.
"Unknown. The student who ordered the attack is now deceased, I don't know why they ordered, but that cause the attacks that led to her injury. what I do know is that he dragged Miss Rose to safety at great risk to himself and saved her life in the process."
The nurse said as Kage let go of Zach.
"You saved-
"Yeah! I saved her! Jeeeze you people act like I'm some kind of god damned monster! Is this the thanks that I get for risking my ass!? I swear if you were into my best fired I'd-
"Thank you."
Jaune said hugging Zach as the boy blinked twice before he balked.
"Whoa! Whoa! Blondie I don't swing that way!"
Zach said pushing the boy of him before Ruby spoke up.
"Jaune-
"Ruby!"
The boy yelled sprinting up the girl in hug uncaring about her face as he gripped her tight.
"I'm so glad you are safe! I was so worried! How do you fell? Ar you in pain or-
"I fell... Amplified."
Ruby said as her tone toon on a deep resonating almost mechanical type of speech. Like she was talking through a speaker as Jaune blinked.
"Amplified?"
"Yes. I fell cold... But, not... bad. I fell pain but. I also fell stronger. I do not know how to explain this."
"I do!"
Felicia said grinning ear to ear as she walked over to the girl.
"Ruby! You have recently undergone significant cybernetic enhancements!"
The nurse said as she blinked.
"Like what?"
"The damage you sustained was far too much for average medical instruments to heal! Luckily I am a professional! Both of your femurs have been completely replaced with bionics. Your lower and upper intestines have been mostly removed and replaced with bionics. As a plus! You can now digest almost literally anything! As long as you can get it in your stomach and it is somewhat organic, your new intestines will be able to break it down to something nutritious for you!"
The nurse asked as Ruby gulped.
"What else is new to me?"
"Well for starters your are now over fifty percent mechanical! Most of your flesh has been removed an replaced with metal!"
The nurse said proudly as Ruby balked.
"Fifty percent!?"
Ruby played as Felicia nodded
"Oh yes! Your body rejected some of the implants right away, so I ended up implanting some extra ones for smoothing it over. I replaced, muscle, tissue, and bone with metal making your stronger!"
The nurse said as Ruby balked as she walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Congratulations Ruby! As of right now, you are truly on your way to ascendance! And may one day you leave the fleshy prison you call a body behind for pure metal one."
"Wait! If I'm over fifty percent mechanical that means-
"It means you are a cyborg!"
Mika said speaking for the first time since she arrived as Ruby gulped as her eye narrowed at her.
Making Ruby wish that her friend had not talked as she noticed that she was covered from neck to toe in a white smock.
"Why am I wearing this?"
She asked out loud as she yanked off her smock getting her first good look at her lower body and she screamed...
AN: Well there it is! Our girl is back in action with a bit more of the shiny bits on her person! Now that this is done its time for some Meat! Literally, the next chapter is about meat. More or less so until then!
Also, to address one comment I read in the reviews I'm sorry to anyone reading this fic who is awaiting the reunion between Ruby Jaune and WBY and NPR because that reunion is a long time coming! Basically, this fic is going to be my longest fic yet. Since the way, I'm breaking down the chapters. I mean this will be my shortest fic time wise but might be on fo my longest one story wise. If you want an example of how the future chapters will be broken down look at the first major arc in the original Death Korps mission.
Like, take the first Arc of the Death Korps missions. That was six chapters. Six! That was a major plot point that took place in the span of a twenty-four hour period. While Bastion will be the shortest fic time wise as the entire event sin Bastion will take place in only three months time of which over one has already passed.
It might be one of my longest running fics ever. Especially when I break down the missions into twenty-four hour periods or do what I just did and split the team having them do thier own missions together but simultaneously.
So if you are looking for the reunion arc of this fic Sorry! I got a lot more missions, plot twist, characters and locations to revel so you just got to be patient! And know that it is coming! Jaune and Ruby will meet their friends and family again! Eventually. And whether or not it will be a how you say a happy reunion is up in the air! Though if you are hankering for the reunion just know that the next time they set foot on the fort that is the arc right before the reunion so there! On a side note.
This is my story and it's going to take a while. Besides that? If you are reading this story than thank you, its been a ride and thanks for the support!
Until then Omake.
Omake. Hero of Remnant part ten. The long road home.
A wise man once said that your work is never done. And that if you truly put your mind to it there are never enough hours to a day, days to a week, weeks, to a month and months to a year. Jaune thought of this as he watched the small dome ship explode in mid-air as the missile destroyed it and turned into a ball of fire.
As the ship crumpled in on itself igniting into a miniature star before vanishing in puff of flame it took every muscle and every last once of his considerable willpower not to fall to his knees weeping, as the sound of laser fire filled the air, followed by the dull whump, crack of explosions as bright balls of flame and massive plumes of smoke entered his vision.
Why me? I just wanted a cocktail...
Jaune thought silently before a familiar malodorous presence came to his side.
"Commisar, what are your orders?"
Ren asked his commander as Jaune slapped himself mentally.
Get it together Arc! You are a commissar! you are a leader of men! Stop the pity party and get in there! His inner commissarial voice yelled before his more practical and much louder self-preservation voice yelled to stow it and he could throw the biggest damned pity party he felt like. It was always him! It was always him that ran into the Ursa on routine training missions.
It was always him who ended up knee deep in Beowulf's with no charge to Crocea Mors and down to his lost shot in his pistol. It was always him who had to single handily face metallic skeletal horrors in the chilly ice caverns of Atlas! It was always him that had to charge the chaotically summoned Death Stalker with nothing but a rusty bayonet and a half-filled bottle of holy water!
Oum had it out for him and he could throw the biggest damned-
"Fall in! On my mark!"
Jaune yelled as the largest voice in his head. The one that said I will not die. Spoke up as he gathered the fledgling group around him.
"Back! Everyone back tot he building we are going to the streets!
"Bur sir! Ther's a war going on down there! What are we going to do?"
Ruby asked a Jaune gave her a firm smile
"Our jobs miss Rose. In case you forgot we are soldiers after all. fighting in wars is our job, and winning them is our calling! Now, who is ready to die today?"
Jaune asked in his mot overplayed and theatrical voice as Falka jumped up.
"Oh! Me! I'm ready to die, sir!"
The energetic ginger shouted hoping to her feet las rifle in hand as Jaune nodded
"Good las! Now every one! Through that door!"
Jaune yelled point Crocea Mors to the rooftop door, leading the troopers firmly from the back as they sprinted back into the building.
To give Oum credit he did like to mix it up a bit. As Jaune ran through the last flight of the governor's palace's stairs. It was not often that he was dressed to the nines, weapons in hand. surrounded by sharply dressed troopers and one radical faunus technophile as they made their way to the sewers of a major imperial city in order to go under a war zone.
As it turned out for some insane and almost definitely assinine reason the local civitas had decided that today was the day to kill one another because of reasons. And now there was a full-fledged war going on outside. Try as she might Ruby could not use her Vox to raise the regiment nor could she assert any order onto the ground forces to stop them from doing the Grimm's job for them.
Speaking of everyone's favorite creatures of the night, the Grimm. After a battle like this, there was sure to have casualties, heavy casualties on both sides that would breed fear, resentment, and negativity. Things that would attract the Grimm and make this situation a whole lot worse. As they ran Jaune was just grateful that Ren knew the building layout, and had figured out that the sewer line ran beneath it and they could take that line out of the palace and use it to escape.
Well, most of the could Jauen thought as he looked to the faunus Shireena. She was in her defense a beautiful woman. Nice light amber eyes. Flowing black hair, big breast, and an hourglass figure? He would be lucky to date her any day out of the week. If only she was not a radical faunus technophile that would be lynched seven days from Sunday if she walked more than a block down an imperial city.
And was only alive dut to one. The combat stress prevented Falka or Ruby from having the time to but a las-bolt in her heretical back. Two. Jaune was in no mood to kill another diplomat and cause even more paperwork to show up at his desk and three. Jaune just didn't have the time.
He needed to get back to regimental command and report to the regiment, hoping to Oum that Yatsu was really as good of a commander and could lead the Regiment in Ruby's absence and the figure out just what the hell was going on!
Then he could find someone else to put the blame on. Pour himself a nice shot of Amnesac and wait for this whole thing to blow over preferably miles away from any of the real fighting going on. He thought as Ren ripped open the sewer manhole entrance making Ruby and Shireena nearly vomit as Jaune sighed, years of being Ren's commanding officer all but immunizing him to foul smells and orders he grinned to his allies.
"Well. Ladies! It looks like Oum calls!"
Jaune said wink to Ruby as he bent his legs a took a deep breath and jumped inside...
To say when it rains it pours was probally the single most accurate description of life Jaune had ever heard. As he sat covered in filth in his command chair. By some stroke of luck, the five of them had not only managed to slog through of two miles of human waste and refuge. While Shireena complained bitterly the entire time. Stating that in an Enclave city their sewers where massive amounts of bacteria that ate waste and converted it into energy.
The group had by a stroke of luck been rescue before anyone was brutally murdered with a bayonet after Ruby had contacted a nearby regimental patrol as they give of them where able to hitch a ride back to thier base and after dropping off Shireena back in her enclave preserving the tenuous peace between the Imperials and the Enclaves, Jauen had just wanted to go back into base and shower.
That never happened of course, as the moment he walked into the base. The very second he took one foot into base he was surrounded by panicking soldiers, rushing orderlies and the full buzz of a military base as he was swamped by his most hated enemy paperwork. Usually, Jaune passed this job off to Ren who actually like paperwork for some bizarre arcane reason that defied all laws of men and physics. But currently, Ren was busy keeping the sea of humanity out form his office and keeping his paperwork relatively light. As Jaune felt a twinge of pity for anyone given the unfortunate task of trying to stare down Lie Ren.
That man had a glare that could hold up a senior general in an instant and was stiff enough to break a mountain. Jaune had seen Ren stare down everyone from other commissars to admiral and generals he even stared down a sister of battle once!
Jaune could not help but grin as memories of the angry connoness threatening to burn Ren to a crisp if he did not let her pass and Ren merely telling her that he acted with the full authority of the commissariat and he could not let her pass. Much to the sister anger as her eyes sparked up and started to bleed out fire.
"Yang was so pissed."
Jaune said out loud grinning a small smile as he sighed. Work was work and it needs to be done or-
FATHOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the base shaking the walls as Jaune sighed as Ren leaped back in the room.
"Sir! Ther has been an explosion underground nearby! We need to-
"I know Ren. I know."
Jaune said wearily standing up sighing heavily as he began to walk out of the base.
Now he needed to lead from the front! And he needed to do it alone before others started to ask him to lead. With nothing but him Ren and-
Maybe... Yes! That will work!"
Jaune thought as he began to grin.
"Sir?"
Ren asked as Jaune's grin became manic in nature as he cracked his hands.
"Ren it's time we get some help on this."
"Sir we are stretched thin enough as is and-
"Not regular help Ren. I mean special help."
"Sir? I don't follow."
"Ren let's go see our penal legionaries and see who wants to earn their freedom a bit early. Why don't we?"
Jaune said as a plan began to form in his mind as a smile grew on his face as once again he was called to battle and once again, had a reputation to up hold...