A/N: Time for more exposition! Some major exposition!
Chapter 16: drive to do
A few days later...
After we gathered all the data we could find on the terminals, we loaded up and headed back the Beacon. On any other flight,myself or Sarah would usually be flying the Bullhead. However, this was not any other flight, as such, Sam was flying. She needed the practice anyways. I headed toward one of the back compartments in the aircraft, one that was specifically designed to analyze data, with Sarah and Dr. Oobleck.
"So Dr." I begin, "what have we found that will disprove everything that we know about the Grimm War?"
"Common belief is that it was a hundred year long war. The documents that we found disprove that." He responded.
"How so?"
"Documents dating as far back as 900 years stating a declaration of unity among what was then six kingdoms, to fight."
"Quite honestly, I don't think that we really need anything else to convince people that they were wrong. Did you find anything else?"
"Unfortunately, no. However, I did manage to recover several photographs, all of which contain the officers commanding the resistance."
"Resistance?" Sarah asked.
"Yes. Resistance. It seems that a little while after the war started, two of the kingdoms fell, sparking a formal resistance. Here are three of those photographs." He handed them to me.
After I looked over them for a minute. I realized that in each of them, there was only one person that reappeared in each one. From the looks of it, this person had a General ranking. "There is only one person that reappears in each of them."
"That's correct. Soap, look at the dates at which they were taken."
I did as I was told. "Each photograph was taken exactly 300 years apart from the other."
"Soap, do you know who that person that appeared in all three of those photos was?"
I shook my head no.
"If I have done my research correctly, then that man is none other than General Gunnel himself."
I felt chills go down my spine. "What the hell? How is that possible?"
"That, I'm afraid, is a question for another day. We have arrived at my destination. Do yourself a favor Soap, and get some rest. And take RWBY with you, they deserve it." He got off the Bullhead and started walking through the front gates of Beacon.
A few hours later...
"Team RWBY and Team BNTY, your next assignment is to get some rest." Quiet cheers of victory could be seen from the group in front of me. "If anybody needs me, I'll be in the sanctuary."
Without another word, everybody spilt and went their own way.
Now in the sanctuary, I went to grab my guitar. However as soon as I touched it, my necklace flashed, effectively blinding me.
As the effects of the flash slowly began to wear off. I heard an unfamiliar voice call my name.
"Soap."
I didn't respond. I was still trying to figure out what had happened.
"SOAP!"
'Why the hell did my necklace randomly flash. I've alre-'
"CHRIS!"
My blood boiled when I heard that name. There was nobody on all of Remnant that knew my real name, not anymore. Not even Sarah knew my real name. I turned to face the voice.
"Don't you DARE call me that!" I said, my voice laced thick with venom and hostility.
"And why not? Your mother gave you that name, you should be proud of it." The voice said.
I lowered my head in shame, "Under that name, terrible things happened. Things that I regret. Because of those happenings, that name is the most wanted on the planet." I replied, hoping my response would satisfy the ghostly figure.
"Fine. I'll leave the subject alone." The figure paused, seemingly thinking of what to say next. "I'm sure that you're wondering what happened."
I nodded.
"And who I am."
I nodded again.
"Very well. Simply put, I am your ancestor. The very same who's memories are stored on your necklace."
I could feel my eyes grow wide at his statement. I could feel my curiosity grabbing hold. "What's your name?"
"Well...while I was alive, I had many names. Among them: Old Man; Teammate; Friend; The Angel of Death; The Guardian of Light; and Hell's Spite. However, there's one that I'm sure you know all too well."
"What's that?" I asked, waiting for the figure to speak again.
"Gunnel. General Gunnel."
My jaw dropped in shock. "How is this possible? You're dead!"
"Death permitted me a few visits to world of the living after I died, however I was only able to choose a few people to whom I could be seen. You and Sarah Kirtsov are among those people. The names of those that I did not mention, you shall know soon enough." The General replied.
"Okay. But why me?"
"A couple of reasons. To unlock memories in your necklace that would inaccessible. To unlock my semblance, which like you said is stored on the necklace, for you to use. And finally, to visit the very person that was named after me."
I realized what he meant by same name. First and last.
The General's ghostly form began to fade. "I am afraid that I am just about out of time. Before I go, I must say this. Gather those who you trust most and bring them here. Once you do, explore the memories that of which are store on your necklace. That is all I am able to say. I must go. Until next time Soap." The General faded away completely leaving me behind in a very confused state.
I have to get Sarah and Blake. I thought to myself as I left the sanctuary.
"You wanted to see me?" Blake asked.
"Yes. While we were at Delta Base, a memory unlocked itself. One that I have not seen yet. One that may hold answers to questions regarding the Grimm War." I said, about to activate the memory.
However, before I have a chance to activate it, Blake asked em a question: "Why am I included in this? If anything, I would have thought that you would include Sam, Drake, and Bucky, not me." I looked at Sarah who just nodded, knowing exactly what I was going to say.
"Blake, three reasons. One; you already know more about this than the rest of my team. Two; you are incredibly smart and observant. Not to mention that having another pair of eyes, sharp fanus eyes at that, might reveal something that Sarah and I alone might miss. Three; Sarah and I trust you. We want you to know that." I said in response. Blake looked satisfied with my response. "Shall we begin?"
I activated the memory, filling the room with an unearthly glow. Eventually, the sanctuary turned in to one of the rooms in Delta Base. A room that I knew well. As the room continued to change, a figure started to assemble itself in front of them. A figure that I now knew as the infamous General Gunnel.
The figure spoke, "Hello Soap, Sarah, and Blake."
"I understand how you already know my name, General Gunnel. But how do you know Sarah and Blake's name? After all, you are only a memory." I said.
"Soap, or should I say Chris?" My blood boiled again at the sound of my name. Sarah and Blake looked at me quizzically. I saw this and gave them a look that said that I would explain later. "Before I died, I was the wisest person to ever walk the planet. The curse placed on me made sure of that. During the many centuries that this curse kept me alive, I gained many abilities. One of them, the ability to see into the future. This is how I know your names. It was also the reason why I gave up my life."
I thought about this for a moment and was about to speak up when Blake spoke, "Why did you make a necklace that acted as a vessel for your memories?" She asked.
The General's figure spoke immediately, "To give you a direction."
Both Sarah and Blake had the exact same reaction to this, "A direction?"
"Yes, a direction as to where to start looking for the pieces of my life that I've left behind. They are the key to ending this war once and for all."
"War? We are in a time of peace. There is no war." I said.
"Do you remember the words that Summer spoke to you moments before she died?" The General asked me.
"I do. She said, 'Please protect Ruby from...the war with the darkness..." My eyes went wide with realization.
"She was referring to the war that I gave my life for. The one that never really ended. After all my searching, I almost found it." The General said in a hushed voice.
"Found what?" Sarah asked, now slightly alarmed.
"A solution. However, I ran out of time and all my sacrifice managed to do was wound it and piss it off."
"Piss what off?" Blake asked, now concerned.
"I am sorry, but I am forbidden to tell you." The General looked down in shame. Just then, explosions went off in the distance; effectively shaking the base. The General now looked very alarmed, "I'm running out of time!" The General yelled as alarms started going off in the base.
"Where do we start looking?!" I yelled over the sound of the alarms.
"A console. Where I died. Your journey to end this starts there!" He yelled back. Another explosion rocked the base. The General's eyes went wide when he heard the explosion. "It's here!" He turned back to face them, "Chris, Sarah, Blake. The future of Remnant is in your hands! Pick up the pieces and good luck to you all!" The General turns around and walks towards a locker located next to a door. He opened it and took a look at what was inside. His weapons and armor. From where Sarah, Blake and I were standing, his weapon looked like a standard military issue M16. After I walked closer to get a better look, I saw that it was anything but standard issue. The assault riffle had an extended barrel and, what looked like anyways, a solid steel shoulder stock. Presumably allowing the riffle to be used as a makeshift war hammer. His armor also looked very custom. (His chestplate, leg, upper arm, and shoulder armor look like the armor from Halo 3: ODST. It essentially is, just not as durrable. His helmet is the helmet from Halo 3: ODST.) Aside from the main armor sporting a black, white, and red theme, his greaves looked a little bit like Yang's shotgun gauntlets but instead of shotguns, Gunnel's had detachable swords.
As the General began to put on his armor, I heard him begin to say something.
"Father in heaven. Thank You for the life that You have so freely given me. Thank You for allowing me to carry out Your will. Because of Your actions through me, many have been saved. I know that even in death, those that have died and gone before me are still safe in Your hands and are waiting for me to join them in the endless celebration that is heaven. I have made many mistakes and have committed many sins in my life, and yet You chose to forgive me and look past that. In the end, You love me simply because I am Your child. A beautiful mess we are, human and fanus." By this time, he finished putting on his armor and entered the door, actually an elevator, and went to the surface. Enough time passed before the doors closed to allow Sarah, myself, and Blake to join him in the elevator. Once inside, he continued speaking, "To my brothers and sisters that have gone before me, and to the many that will surely follow, I'm coming home. Lord, You are sovereign. You rule. You reign. Amen." As he spoke those words, the elevator doors opened. Before he stepped through, he looked at me and said, "What are you waiting for Chris? It's time for you to end this."
We all watched as he walked through the doors. Now through the doors, the memory began to fade. He donned his helmet and ran towards something that could only be described as a Demon.
The memory finally gone from our eyes, we looked at each other, each thinking the same thought, however Blake was the one that voiced it.
"What. The hell. Was that?"
A/N: Well, here you go. The start of the actual plot has begun. Everything till now has just set the stage for this. I know General Gunnel might seem somewhat OP and, to be honest, he really is. However there is a reason for this.
Also, now you know Soap's name. Chris Gunnel, named after the very General that ended the original Grimm War. The General's lover and team will be revealed later.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review as doing these things only motivate me to work faster and more often.
Until next time, I'm SoapiestAuto780 and I'm out.