AN: OK! We are BACK! Bastion is back and we are moving on to the midway point of part two! Yeahs it's coming fast soon the twist is going to happen and well... if you like death! You will have it!
"Job? What do you mean job?" Nickel asked pausing the fleshy goopy remains of the faunus assailants splattered all around her. Fleshy lines of intestines and body parts hung from the ceiling like grisly streamers as she blinked owlishly cocking her head, her red eyes wide as she paused.
"Merrick is your name."
"Oh, you know me? Well, I can't say that I am surprised I am well known-
"I know that you are not the friend of friend Ruby. And if you are not her friend than you are no friend of mine." Cobalt hissed raising her hands a purple glow appearing on her fingertips, her eyes narrowed as Merrick paused taking a step back and wincing as his head pivoted to Ruby.
"Ruby! Please inform our new mutual acquaintance that I am a friend of yours like you just said!" Merrick hissed as Ruby paused this was a perfect time to get rid of Merrick and-
"If you don't! You know what might happen to Jaune!" Merrick warned showing his scroll as-
"Nickel wait!"
"Yes, friend Ruby? What can I do for you?"
"He... he really is my friend... don't hurt him."
"As you say, friend!" Nickel said powering down her strange energy emitters as she powered down her weapons. Or her arms?
They are one and the same Ruby. Her arms appear to be her weapons.
What the hell are they?
They appear to be some type of energy weapons? They seem to project a type of energy that shreds organic material. They should be avoided at any and all costs.
"You said you had a job for me? What kind of job did you have in store?" Nickel asked tilting her head to stare at the somewhat taller boy. Merrick smiled an easy motion as she bowed.
"Simple. I need a new ally to help me an associate to help me in the field and I think with the combination of you and Ruby that I can find the perfect combination."
"You think I would be a good fit in your organization?" Nickel asked an odd whirring sound in her head like some kind of motor was going at full speed as Ruby narrowed her eyes both the real and mechanical eye whirred.
"Do I think that you are going to be a good fit? Well considering the... effect that you have on those that would oppose us?" Merrick said gesturing to the still dripping entrails hanging from the ceiling filling the room with the horrid smell of messy viscera Ruby fought the urge to vomit as she wished that she could just leave the freshly made charnel house and vomit out her guts in the nearest bin.
"I just asked. Do you think that I will be a good fit? I was not very well liked in my old organization what makes you think I will fit in yours?"
"Nickel trust me on this, if you come with us you will fit like a glove."
"Your task will be a simple one," Ludo said looking over ARKM plus... the addition the escapee from the Mechanicus labs Nickel staring at him smiling Miss Heil took several steps back as she did not quite trust the newcomer, neither did Ludo but that was neither here nor there.
A dangerous threat to all living beings or not there were Grimm to kill and children to send to their deaths and he needed to do two in one.
"You are to go to a village being overrun by Grimm. They fall under our protection and you are to save them with minimal village causality." Ludo explained the situation as simply as possible. Jaune nodded taking a step forward his thick boots clunking on the floor as he frowned.
"How many? What are we looking at?"
"Beowulf, Deathstalker types have been reported. Expect to have to punch through waves of lightly and heavily armored opponents. Expect an attack as soon as you take a foot out of the bullhead. The town is small so there is not a large number of civilians so feel free to use your more... liberal Grimm solutions."
"So you want us to bomb the place? Cause I can bomb the place. I have bombs."
"Since when?" Jaune asked not even looking back to ask Kage when and where he got and kept his bombs-
"What!? You have bombs and you did not tell me?! Venke I thought we were supposed to be friends!"
"We are friends and don't call me Venke. It's Kage for a reason."
"What kind of bombs!? What do they do!? Are the flame or shrapnel? Armor piercing or anti-personnel?"
"They are big fucking bombs what do you want?"
"How long it will take us to get to the objective, when will we be expected back and are there any variables that I should take into account before we go?" Jaune asked not letting the banter of his team get in his way.
"The mission should be simple. If you survive you will be back before the night's end. You will be expected to clear out any Grimm you see no special types have been reported so that is clear. Overall this should be an easy mission. Should be. I don't know what might be lurking out there."
"So we are going to probably get ambushed and most likely murdered in a terrible fashion right?" Kage drawled rolling his eyes his end sneaking closer-
"Do not fear friend Venke! I will protect both you and the team from all harm!" Nickel said saluting once, smiling broadly as Kage rolled his eyes.
"Call me Venke!"
"Kage!"
"Boss!"
"Enough. All of you. When do we leave? Do we need to go back to the dorm or armories?"
"No. You can and will leave now. I expect success from you all. Jaune you of all people know what will happen if you fail? You are some of my best students not only do I expect success I do not tolerate failure."
"OK! Everyone go!" Jaune said as he sighed the situation in the town was far, more horrible than he had thought. He was expecting some Grimm to swarm the town, not a fucking horde! A minor blanked of black swarmed in like water from a broken dam. Flooding forward in one long malevolent mass of death and destruction.
Whatever civilians were left had to be basements, some unknown shelter or some other secure location as-
"Arkm! Fire-
"I am on it!" Nickel said as she hit the ground first, the team jumped out of the craft the howl of harsh winter wind filled the air before the shrill sound of power charging, filled the air followed by the harsh antic smell of ozone as Nickel drew a mass of power to her fingers before.
"Begone!" Nickel said shooting out several waves of purple lightning out the mass of power struck it was like a glass broke the Grimm popped! It was like they were poked with some kind of needle.
They were blown apart in one smooth motion the sound of popping flesh tearing bones and fleas the monsters ranging from Beowulf to Deathstalker were blown apart like nothing but pieces of paper as Nickel slaughtered them.
"She's good," Kage said not putting away his pistols but not doing much else his booth sinking into the snow the teen sighed the once wave of Grimm were torn apart blasted into oblivion lines of guts body parts flew in grisly chunks all around.
The snow was painted red and in one second that mass of screeching cries and howls died down to almost nothing as one person ripped apart the mass of them in one fell swoop.
Nickel bowed smiling as she turned to face a shocked Arkham. Bowing to her friends the falling of bloody Grim chunks landing all around her as-
"Left."
"Right." Kang and Jaune said both raising a pistol each as a bang and a fisht! Filled the air a solid slug and bolt of pure energy fired off each of them killing a Beowulf as Nickel gasped.
"AH! I missed two! I apologize Jaune and Kage! I will do better in the next mission! Please forgive me!"
"There is nothing to forgive. It's fine Nickel that..."
"That was pretty damned impressive. I got to admit terrifying as you are you definitely have your uses." Kage said as he put away his weapons the boy nodding Mika and Ruby put down Chamberlain and Crescent Rose as the girls saw no need to engage an enemy that was literally turned into paste.
"Well, that was impressive. Not that I couldn't do better.' Mika grumbled as Ruby gasped.
"Nickle you are amazing!"
"Really!? You think I amazing friend!?"
"Of course I do! You killed the Grimm by yourself! How did you do that?"
"Well like I said! I have an organic deterrent field attached to me! I can deter organic beings!"
"If you mean turn into a fine red paste as deter than yes. Not that I'm complaining. Good work Nickle you are going to fit just right in our team."
Jaune smiled the newest, not quite a human yelped pumping her fist jumping up adorably in the air in an adorable manner as Jaune smiled.
"Well, I guess we can go home? Unless anyone needs something from the town?" Jaune asked before wincing the town made of mostly wooden buildings had been more or less torn to shreds.
Most of the buildings were ripped apart torn to shreds or just broken down into small chips of wood.
"Nevermind, let's just go home. I could use a rest."
"I can dig it."
"Yay! Early mission!"
"I guess I can check my weapon?" Arkham said as the team called the bullhead back Kirara flying back as she picked up her team and the five made a trip home.
"So! Tell me, Mika! What do you think of Nickel?" Ruby asked whispering to her best Bastion friend, not Hino, Kage, Jaune or Nickle. Mike paused cocking her head humming a tune, Nickel was in the middle of Kage and Jaune both looked very uncomfortable with a being that could kill them instantly with just a tap!
And who was flailing her arms as roughly as she could as she asked them questions about their own lives?
"She's not human," Mika said before Ruby could reply her green eyes locked onto the girl in the white jumpsuit. She gave Nickel an off-putting glare as she did not like the woman no it the being was not a woman. Not even human really. Mika did not know exactly what Nickel was but she was not a human not really.
"She's not? What is she?"
"Some kind of a robot."
"A robot?"
"Android most likely. She is highly advanced and very deadly. But she is not human."
"You.. you think she is a robot?"
She makes a point.
"Of course she is look at her she is clearly not alive. She is not even breathing." Mika added as Ruby's mechanical eye narrowed. Zooming in to the girl a scan taking place as it zeroed in.
She is right, she is not breathing. She is imitating breath but there is not carbon dioxide output. Oxygen goes in and it comes right out. She is not engaging in the natural process of breathing... she is not human.
"Then if she is a robot what made her?" Ruby asked finally putting two and two together. Crawl asked her to keep an eye out for something that had escaped the labs and that she needed to find and look out for.
What is the plan, Ruby? If we do not return Nickel to the lab's Crawl will probably think of it as a failure at best and a betrayal at worst. I would not suggest either, one makes us look incompetent the other makes us and by extent the team and Jaune a target. Let us not do that. Her eye argued as Ruby nodded it made a point as the Vesperia flew in the sky shaking once or twice.
Bumps of turbulence filled the ship as Ruby frowned she needed a plan-
"Thinking to betray Nickel?" Mika asked taking a random guess not hitting the mark but close Ruby winced as she weakly shook her head once.
"I'm not going to betray her. She is my she is our friends. I don't want to do that."
"Well as nice as that is remember that she just joined us. We? Me you, Kage and Jaune we are a team. We have been on many missions together thick and thin we have been through it all she is new. She is not our friend is she?"
"I! She is our friend. I won't do anything to betray her."
"You do know that your ideal might just get you, Jaune and the rest of us killed?"
"I... I don't think it will."
"And why is that?"
"Because she does not want to kill us. She wants to see our team do well. IF she wanted to attack she would have done so long before now. So until she starts to act hostile I see no reason to do anything to her." Ruby said putting her foot down.
Mika rolled her eyes the innocence of her human friend was a lot to take in. She knew that humans had their emotions and that they tended to let them rule them much more than they should but it was nice. She reminded Mika of what she was trying to be and what she always wanted to be.
The problems with having more than one mind in you. They both want something else and in the end, neither can get what they want.
Mika thought smiling as she rubbed Ruby's head.
"Hey! I am not a kid!"
"You are the youngest or technically second youngest member of our team. But really keep an eye out for Nickel she is not hostile but that for now, she means that she is not dangerous."
"I... ok I won't let my guard down!" Ruby said pumping her fist into her palm.
"Good! Now take a nape we will be in Beacon soon enough and I think that you will need all of your sleep." Mika said as Ruby sighed leaning back in her seat the two-hour flight would allow for a decent rest as Ruby closed one of her eyes. The mechanical one staying open not trust Nickel for any amount.
Smart. I wonder how long Ruby is going to keep your secret mister sentient?
Mika thought as Ruby whispered a good night.
"Good night Ruby," Mika said as she smirked.
"So tell me mister robot, how long are you going to keep Ruby in the dark?" Mika asked the eye narrowed but ignored her. Mika knew its weakness it needed Ruby to live and as long as it kept her alive it could exist.
Kage liked Ruby as a younger sibling and that meant that she could not die until he said so, same with Jaune as a brother he never had.
"Now will you attack us or will we have to toss the first punch?" Mika asked Nickle still trying to explain to Kage that she was built to save lives not take. A fact Kage and Jaune did not take easily as Mika sighed.
"One of these days this family is going to be strained I just hope that I am not the cause."
Mika said closing her eyes getting her own amount of sleep as the craft roared on...
"Well, that was fun..."Jaune said as he tried to find a way out of the semi-awkward situation that was unfolding.
Nickel was now an official unofficial part of team Arkham. She was a well-needed part of the team as well every team needed a weapon that could single-handedly take down an entire horde of Grimm without breaking so much of a sweat!
The mission was so successful that Jaune was actually considering that he and Ruby would be able to almost sail back into Beacon without so much as breaking a sweat!
But to get back to Beacon Jaune just had to do some minor housework mainly he had to find out just where the hell Nickel was sleeping.
"You can have the empty bed," Jaune said once again grateful for small miracles. Him and Ruby sharing a bed most of the time meant that Nickel had a free bed and that there should be no problem with sleeping arrangements.
"I think you for your gratitude friend Jaune! But I do not need a bed! I can function just fine without one!" Nickel said saluting her ood pink-red eyes flicking as she gave Jaune a hard salute.
"I mean I don't want to sound like an ass but none of us are using it someone might as well sleep in it why not you?" Kage asked finally taking his newly made armor off.
Shredding the bright crimson plate as he got into his own bed.
"THe bed is actually just sitting there why not use it?"
"Yeah, he has a point! Take the bed!"
She does not sleep. Her eyes said Ruby ignored it Nickle paused scratching her chin before nodding.
"OK! If the team wishes me to take the bed I will!" Nickel said walking over to her bed plotting her back down and sitting on the bed.
"Are you going to get under the cover?"
"I am fine friend Ruby! I am very comfortable!"
"Do you want a change of clothes? I have a hoodie you can wear." Jaune offered not seeing the gasp of jealousy that left Ruby's mouth as she saw an intrusion on her territory.
"No thank you! I am fine as I am!"
"Ok... well good night!"
"Good night friend Jaune! And everyone I am glad to be part of the team!
Sleeping patterns nominal, breathing rates have slowed to the point of unconsciousness. Movements are minimal they are asleep. Nickel concluded running a final scar on her new team.
Team! She had a team! She never thought that she would have a team let alone friends! She was ecstatic!
"I can not believe that they have accepted me so easily! Everyone on the outside of the lab is so friendly! Not only do I have a team I have a job!? I am working with the internal affairs to root out bad apples in my school oh happy day!" Nickel hissed kicking her legs smiling widely as she eyed her team.
She saw them in an odd pink glow. Her eyes locking onto her team her eyes scanning her new friends.
Name. Jaune Arc. Leader of team Arkham. First-year punishment student of Bastion. Officially Killed in action. Executed in Vacuo. Age eighteen, height six feet one inch. Weight two hundred seven pounds.
Weapons. Power scabbard, power fist, plasma pistol semblance aura manipulation.
Jaune was the former leader of JNPR after his death or supposed he is a capable tactician but is or was overshadowed but a feeling of inferiority. As of now, that seems to have dissolved and he has come to his own. He is a decent leader and I hope to continue my friendship with him!
Venke Kage. Age nineteen. Height six one. Member of team Arkham. First-year punishment student of Bastion. Officially ex Vacuo military. Age nineteen, height six feet one inch. With two hundred twenty pounds. Weapons twin bolt pistols. Ex Vacuo military and career soldier. His background is redacted I will hack into the Bastion servers to learn more.
Mika Smith. Error! File not found! Mika is not a human, not normally. Her body is that of a human but she is a member of my team. Height five feet seven inches, weapons a custom flamethrower that also emits shards of irradiated metal and a battle Axe. Why a non-human is allowed in Bastion is beyond me. Note I saw non-human not indicating that she is a faunus. Half of her biology is not native to Remnant potentially extraterrestrial? Interesting will look into this late.
Nickel thought as she turned to the final member of her team the one that found her when she got out of her own holding. She was glad that Ruby was so kind and that she lead her to the best team in all of Remnant!
Name. Ruby Rose age seventeen-
ERROR! FILE NOT FOUND! Nickel paused her scan stopped Ruby... Ruby had no files?
"What?" Nickel paused Bastion had meticulous files on all students that were not initiation. She knew that Bastion handpicked all students, Jaune had been handpicked for Bastion enrollment years before Beacon and the young man's recruitment was a stunning success.
Jaune was going to be in Bastion no matter what much the same for Venke. He was picked out for Bastion over three years ago and was recruited as such. Mika came to Bastion of her own free will and was a special case but Ruby?
Searching... searching files not found? Nickel paused this should be impossible. There was nothing? No files for Ruby to plans to bring her into Bastion. Not like the files were redacted they had either been deleted or never existed in the first place.
This does not make sense. She is an important student how can she not be on the records? Nickel thought as she scanned harder her hard drive forcing herself to look deeper into the Bastion servers.
Name. Ruby Rose, age seventeen. Silver eyes. Weapon a gun scythe hybrid. She is a part of my team and-
"No information?" She hissed there was nothing! No part of Bastion had any information on Ruby! Not in the record books the files when she looked up team Arkham besides a brief description of Ruby as a member she did not seem to exist.
This... this does not make sense.
She has to exist. She has to exist she is on my team. She is my friend how can she not exist? Nickel thought this was not right.
She had silver eyes! That was impossibly valuable Ludo would have impossibly detailed records on her every action! But Ruby did not exist... searching more into her Beacon records once again she was missing listed as killed in action.
Executed with Jaune in Vacuo. Her partner had taken leadership of the team under duress. Refusing to do so at first, further searching finally lead Nickel to the shocking conclusion that her friend was not supposed to be on this team.
They did not want her here... Ruby is not someone supposed to be in this school! She has no business in Bastion! Nickel thought as she shook her head, this was impossible! Bastion would either kick out or execute Ruby if they did not want her.
The files dubbed Shattering knight. The effort to get Jaune into Bastion simply said one and done. Jaune was to be taken from Vacuo brought into Bastion and that was that. Ruby was not part of the deal Her very existence, should not be permitted!
Jaune was supposed to be in Bastion, Ruby was slated to be removed... she was either going to be dead or removed from extraction, had someone got sloppy? Did Ludo not want to get rid of her due to her eyes? If he did want to keep her why no records? Was he hiding from something? There were records about deals with Salem! The ultimate or former ultimate if the reports she read were correct threat to the world was hopefully dead and gone but still...
"He kept records of the single creature that if it was even breathed that Ludo so much as looked at his school would be buried why is there not a mention of you?" Nickel thought before tapping her scroll sending a file to Merrick for analysis...
"So this is curious."
"Isn't it! There is nothing! Nothing at all! I have looked and looked but I have found nothing!" Nickel said as Merrick paused he knew that Ruby had... special circumstances such that she was unique a bit more so than any Bastion student she was also one of the few students that he only kept a paper file on.
He was grateful for that as of now his test that did show that Nickel was more than capable and more so willing to look into and download data from the Bastion databases. A bait that the construct had taken hook line and sinker.
"It is indeed," Merrick said looking the file over, while he knew a bit more than he let on there was still the unique matter of a girl that had no business being in a school full of trained killers and sociopaths that was a bit curious about.
"So you think that there is something off with Ruby?" Merrick asked already thinking of a lie to get him out of here. Or not a lie Merrick did not lie he never told the truth but lying was a bit beneath him.
Only those who are incredibly boring lye and only those with absolutely no imagination tell the truth.
"I do! I think that she is in Bastion because of a mistake!"
"Mistake? She killed the fifth prince of Vacuo how is that a mistake?" Merrick asked shuffling a small stack of paper the dim hum of a desk lamp that shone a bight painfully bright light on his brown desk in a small office in the depths of Bastion's center.
"That is also the thing! I have checked, double checked and even triple checked! Every last record that I can find there is no fifth prince! The Vacuo royal family ends at four crown princes! And when I checked the name of the prince that she killed I can not find him!"
"Really? You don't say?" Merrick said doing his best to feign ignorance on a topic that he knew scant little about but was determined to be seen as in the dark. Nickle need not know what he knew not that she could do much if she did but just in case the living weapon needed to think he was on her side.
"I do say as I have said before we should take this matter to the headmaster himself"!
"You could do that. You could do that but listen what will change? Ludo knows that Ruby is here. If there is as much inconsistency in here as you say Ludo is very aware of it So I doubt that he will do anything. Ludo want's Ruby here so she is here to stay."
"I.. that makes sense but what about her tenure? She should not be here."
"And as true as that is that does not mean we have to kick her out does it? She is doing a good job here in Bastion Nickel. Don't be upset about it think about it like this. She is doing good work here as a huntress."
"But she should not be here."
"No one should be in Bastion now."
"No one? There are hundreds of people that should be here! Every criminal and convict or mentally unstable hunter or huntress should be here so they can be watched and examined! We need to find out a way to either get her out or find out more-
"Ok. I understand trust me. I will send my best person to solve this ok?"
"Really? Your best?"
"Of course I always send in the best for my friends..."
"SO! Ruby tell me how are you?" Hino asked her small friend Ruby giggled sliding next to her friend in a temporary church pew. The church that she had helped destroy was still being rit the church of the light was in the slow painful process of being rebuilt.
The new church was still in construction and the church had put in a series of massive wooden pews for the flock to well flock to in a large former meeting room in the lower levels of the mountain.
"I'm great! You?"
"Fine, fine but Ruby. You do know that one of the tenants of the light is that you do not lie correctly?"
"Of course I do! And will never lie!" Ruby said nodding her mechanical eye zoomed out narrowing in on Hino in an inquisitive but friendly way, it had not blasted her with a bolt of red so that was good. More or less.
"Ruby tell me why are you in Bastion? Do not feel bad because you are here. We all have sinned in fact!" Hino said a lightbulb going off in her head as she pumped her palm with a fist.
"You can treat this as a confession to one of your friends and fellow parishioner! Tell me why are you in Bastion?"
"I... I killed the fifty crown prince of Vacuo..." Ruby whispered her hands balled up and small body shaking. Hino narrowed her eyes as she frowned.
"Ruby, you do know that lying is a sin right?"
"Of course I do why?"
"Because I am not sure you are recalling your memories correctly."
"What? Hino, I know what I did. I killed the fifth crown prince of Vacuo. I executed him to put him out of his mercy. I said it was a mercy killing but that was not good enough to the judge... now I'm here! Why do you ask?"
"Ruby I am from Vacuo there are no five princes only four."
"What? I know who I killed. I met the prince in person! I thought that we were even friends."
"I.. you really believe that don't you?"
"Of course I do! I know what I did I caused a civilians death and I can't get over it."
"Well, you should Ruby."
"What? What?"
"Because you do not belong here..."
AN" And there you go! Ruby is not supposed to be in Bastion! Only Jaune is supposed to be there! The hell does this mean? Will Jaune and Ruby find a way back home? Will Nickle accidentally pop one of her friends? Will anyone make it back to Beacon? Will NPR and WBY be able to take Jaune and Ruby's return and the difference in their characters? Find out later on Basion! Brave sir next so thanks for you reading and as always omake.
Omake hero of Remnant part 2 part 8 Reunited and it feels so bad.
"So! Would anyone like some Amasec? Or something?"
"Tea madam's it might help take the edge off," Ren said as he offered two steaming mugs of Tanna to the very, inhumanly in more ways that one pair of females who were busy giving each other a death glare that would strip the pain of a las rifle and potential flay and superheat the bone underneath.
"Thank you Ren your service to the Imperium in noted and appreciated," Pyrrha said the inquisitor bobbing her head taking a long sip from her team as Ren nodded.
"Thank you, ma'am, it is my job.'
"Humble also? Jaune you have done a fine job in picking out a subordinate for your travels. Well mannered skilled in combat? Both of you do your empire a credit." Sienna said oddly diplomatic the faunus took her sip of tea on the opposite side of Pyrrha. Both women not addressing the other as they sat, all around them were guards Pyrrha had her inquisition detail and Sienna her bodyguards on both sides flanking their charge as Jaune let out a long sigh he was the one to mediate this conflict and mainly because Oum had a sick sense of humor he was probably going to die for it in one way or another.
"Ok now that we are all settled in let's get on with this. Sienna?"
"Yes, dear do you have something to say to me? Sweetie?" Sienna asked almost purring Jaune felt Pyrrha narrow her eyes to daggers as Sienna took a paw and stroked Jaune's arm with it.
"You are an impressive specimen of your species it would be nice if you would come back to Menagerie to intermingle with us."
"As tempting as that is I have a duty to do. Now, why are you here Sienna? You said you are a diplomat?"
"yes as of right now I an representing Menagerie in the area."
"Ask the diplomat if that means Menagerie is ready to accept Imperial rule."
"Jaune tell your... friend? That while we do not wish for open conflict we bow to no one and seek to expand peacefully."
"My ass." Emerald moaned as Blake hit her gut before wincing almost falling down in pain her eyes locked onto Ren like he was the devil himself as I sighed.
"Ok... Pyrrha the representative said that-
"I heard what she said you tell her it is Monty's right to rule all in his supervision. He ruled us and left us with that holy mission to retake the world in his image."
"You place your faith in a book done some thousands of years ago?"
"A mind without faith is Chaos's plaything."
"You are as rigid as your sword."
"And you about as housebroken as a kitty."
"HEY! Watching your mouth!"
"Make me!"
"Ok enough! Both of you calm down take a deep breath and please don't kill each other think of the paperwork that I would have to do.