Hey, everyone, it's Reader. I hope you are all excited for chapter 30 (THIRTY?!) of Remnant Who. But before I get to that, please allow me to list some statistics from last year. If you would rather skip, go ahead. But it'll make me sad :(
Thank you all for a great year. I know it wasn't as full as 2020, but I was going through a rough time and moving - please cut me some slack.
This year we achieved a total of 45,328 views with 14,580 of them being users. That's almost 13k more than last year (and 3 thousand more members). Wow, thank you so much, everyone.
Our best month was October with 7,843 and 2,543. I guess doing The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances all in one month really ticks the numbers hahaha.
I'm very proud of you all for making me this popular. It's been amazing writing this story and I cannot wait to tell more. I hope you had a great 2022 and we all have an AMAZING 2023. Let's strive for 50k views and 15-thousand members!
I hope you all enjoy this Valentine's Day post because I love all of ya. Thanks for making me strive to write more :)
Read on, warriors!
Remnant Who
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Doctor Who or RWBY
Occultation
Beta'd by: -
As always, please comment! It honestly makes my day to read your thoughts and opinions.
Tell your friends!
The fire was extinguished. Thanks to the efforts of the three heroes, the six travelers, and multiple teams of emergency and rescue officers, they were able to make the area safe again. Thankfully, no bodies were reported and all those that were considered 'injured' were already feeling better - the worst of their trauma being smoke inhalation.
Ruby, Weiss, Green Lantern, Flash, and the Librarian stood in a crescent, keeping their voices hushed.
"So your extradimensional tourists, from an alien world, that came here on pure happenstance right before a villain tried destroying a power plant?" Flash asked, the white part of his mask's eye holes wide. "And just before running into me?"
Ruby vigorously nodded her head, keeping to the Librarian's story from a moment before. "More or less. We-" she waved to Weiss "-are new to all this. The Librarian's the guy who actually knows things."
"Sounds cool enough for me."
"Not cool," the gruff voice of Green Lantern said. "Seems to me like you know too much about us. Especially our powers."
The Librarian gave a smirk and crossed his arms. "The Green Lantern Corp. doesn't exactly operate on secrecy. And just from the news I can count how many of you there are on this planet. As for the Flash's… well, the lightning bolt is a key part of his costume."
Not buying it, the green-clad man stepped forward. His ring glowed on his finger as he clenched his fist. Before anything further could happen, Flash moved in front of him.
"Hey, let's all cool it, okay? We all took down the bad guy, that makes us all good guys." He nodded over to the police cruiser where Wonder Woman (wow, she was still awesome even when she wasn't deflecting rockets), Uncle Qrow, Blake, and Yang were standing around talking to some of the men and women in blue uniforms.
"Besides," Flash continued, "he's not wrong. And even if he did know our secret identities, aren't we all on the same team? If he wanted to reveal them, I don't think he would have done it like this."
Green Lantern raised an eyebrow. "Fine. But if this is all some ploy to get us to offer you a spot on the Justice League, then that's not happening."
"Was that on the table?" Weiss asked. "Are there any benefits?"
The stare that he gave Weiss made her pause. Ruby almost couldn't believe it. She moved to elbow Yang, but quickly remembered she was there.
What's taking her so long? Ruby thought. Yang always hated dealing with local police when we were on missions.
"Listen, I am not lying when I say we are travelers," the Librarian said, dropping his smirk and pulling back his sleeve. His watch glittered before a screen of light shot out of it, directly between the five of them. The two adult's eyes widened in surprise, not shock, used to this level of technology.
Heck, Ruby was more impressed with it than anyone. It didn't appear to be using dust. And the faceplate didn't look like a projector. How does it work?
The image showed the planet Earth, with the moon encircling it. There also appeared to be a strange T-shaped object in between the two celestial objects. Then a red line pulled away from the planet as the image zoomed out, displaying the different layers of dimensions they had passed through, before stopping at a similarly shaped orb. This one, however, had a crescent-shaped satellite and the majority of the planet's body was covered in water.
"This is where we came from. Remnant. A world of monsters and fantasy - some tales between these two worlds mimic each other. And as a present, I am taking these four young women, and one grumpy old man, on a journey throughout the multiverse."
Ruby giggled. Grumpy old man.
As the Librarian's hologram disappeared, Green Lantern crossed his arms. "That still doesn't explain where you come from. Are you asking us for help?"
"No. And as for who I am, that's not important. I'm a guide. I record stories. I'm the Librarian."
"How are we supposed to trust you then?"
Weiss coughed. "That's hypocritical of you. He's got his secrets and you've got yours. We've been traveling with him long enough to know that he is a good person; that we can trust him."
Though Ruby didn't see any tell of it, she could tell the Librarian was happy to hear that Weiss thought of him that way.
Flash rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile. "She's got a point, GL. We aren't telling him our secrets. He can keep his."
"I knew there was a reason you were my favorite," the Librarian smiled.
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Thanks!"
Giggling, Ruby turned to the hero and whispered, "Mr. Lantern, I know you don't have any reason to trust us, and that's okay, but we aren't lying. The Librarian is a nice guy and we have been learning a bunch from him about being better heroes ourselves. We did help you take down the bad guy. And us running into Flash earlier surprised us just as much as it surprised you. If you can't trust us, then can you at least have a little bit of hope that we aren't evil too? Isn't that our job? To be the heroes we want to see?"
The man paused. He stared down at Ruby and, for the first time, she could see that his eyes were as green as his costume. They softened slightly.
"Listen, Ruby, was it? Hope is a dangerous thing. And it takes a great amount of willpower to make sure that you don't spread yourself too thin on it."
Ruby's smile flickered.
"But… I think if Diana asked your friend here a few questions, we might be able to work something out."
As soon as he said that, Ruby gave a small leap. "Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Green Lantern gave a small nod. "Let's figure out what everyone's plan is first."
Diana, Wonder Woman, princess of Themyscira, rarely missed her home. The world of man was, after all, very curious and intriguing. Her time between missions often involved exploring the different aspects of the outside world. Television, shopping, and even gyms that were similar to the battle arenas of home all had a distinctively unique aspect to them that made her want to learn more.
But at this moment, she was reminded of her home. As she, along with the strange man and his children acolyte, escorted the bloodied man to one of the police wagons, another girl with garments like Hades, rushed over and grabbed Apollo's daughter.
"Yang! What happened, are you okay?"
The woman, whose eyes remained cold, turned to the girl. "I'm fine." She crossed her arms and jutted her chin at their captive. "They couldn't hurt me anyway."
"Blake," the older man whispered, "why don't you go back to the others? We can handle this."
Blake frowned. "What happened? What's wrong with Yang?"
"She-"
"She acted with little mercy," Diana explained, waving to the police. "I don't know where you come from, but here we do not fight to hurt our enemies. Incapacitate, yes. Hurt? No."
Catching a quick glance over her shoulder, Blake turned back to her compatriots. "But she wouldn't do that. Yang, what happened?"
"I fought," the girl said.
Qrow sighed. As they walked back from the building, he told her his name and some of his story. They were travelers. The kids were being trained. And, according to him, the girl had never done this before.
Even without her lasso, Diana could tell that it was a mix of truth and secrecy. Though the way he looked at Yang, she could tell he was as surprised as her.
She dropped to her knee and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder. "You don't need to worry. We will be escorting the prisoner to a jail cell for questioning. And while we do that, we want to get your friend's testimony as well."
The girl flinched at the word 'friend'. And though she tried to hide it, her face did flush as Diana leaned in.
An Amazon, Diana thought, a smile tugging her lips as she stood. It was good to see some aspects of her home still a part of man's world. She was far too used to a lesser gaze.
She caught Qrow looking away as she turned back to the police.
Just like that.
Before she could take off with the police and prisoner, however, Flash grabbed her shoulder. "Princess, can you help us out with something?"
"What is it?"
The man pulled her aside, away from the strange otherworlders.
"John and I can take care of moon-face and the blonde. Any chance you could use that magic rope of yours to ask their leader some questions? GL doesn't trust him all that much."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"
He shrugged. "Hey, if you stop a guy with a bazooka from blowing up a power plant, you've gotta be one of the good guys." He looked over her shoulder and waved at Yang. She didn't respond. "Just take them back to the Watchtower, we'll join you soon enough."
"I understand," Diana nodded. She then gave her quick story to the officers before explaining the situation to their newest allies. Blake tried to stay with her friend, grabbing her hand, but Qrow wouldn't allow it. He needed to talk with his niece alone.
So, as Flash ran off and Green Lantern flew with the police, Diana turned to face the remaining members. The man known as the Librarian, who she was to question. Ruby, seemed more excited than worried. Weiss who, like someone else Diana knew, studied every movement of hers, as if trying to read her next action. And Blake, who was hugging her shoulder as she looked down the road to where her friend had gone.
"Did you bring a Javelin, or would you rather we use my ride?" the Librarian asked, a smile stretching across his face.
The Librarian and Ruby, sharing an equal grin, pulled down on two separate levers. The T.A.R.D.I.S shook slightly and the rotor began to pump. Near the entrance, or exit, however you see it, Wonder Woman was standing with Weiss. The young woman was trying to strike up a conversation, but the heroine wasn't doing much responding.
Guess that's what happens when a potential enemy locks you into an alien box, he thought, pointing at another lever. "That one there."
Blake nodded and turned it. Another shudder went through the ship as it, to an outside viewer, disappeared.
See, in a way, moving the T.A.R.D.I.S was almost the most difficult part. Because it didn't involve the Time Vortex, unless, of course, he wanted to appear instantaneously as to when he left. It also didn't involve Creasing since they weren't jumping dimensions or realities. All he was doing was moving the T.A.R.D.I.S from point A to point B. And, if he were to fly it there, that would be one thing. But it was easier to simply jump the ship onto the Watchtower.
Hence the need for E.L.I. She was a second pair of eyes and ears, noticing things he didn't at faster speeds. She could plot the course but couldn't fly it.
As if on cue, E.L.I's voice chirped, saying, "Don't forget to broadcast a recognition code. It's likely there are anti-teleportation fields to prevent this from happening."
The Librarian nodded and turned to Wonder Woman. "Diana, we are ready to land but I don't want to trigger any alarms. Can you please tell my onboard AI the clearance codes?"
She nodded and stepped forward. Perplexed, she leaned towards the Time Rotor and whispered to it. E.L.I's sensors were better than his hearing and she quickly reconfigured a few settings. A quick moment later, they landed. Wonder Woman didn't seem to believe him.
"Take a look for yourself," he said, moving past her to open the doors. As he did, the fluorescent lights of the Justice League's space station shone in. Even from here, he could see the giant glass windows of the main atrium.
She peaked out and widened her eyes. In her surprised state, Ruby rushed out past her and stepped out onto the Watchtower, pressing her face to the glass after leaving a trail of scarlet pedals.
"So cool!" Ruby gasped. "We're in space!"
"We've been in space," Weiss commented, stepping behind her as she, the Librarian, and Diana all followed.
"But not like this! Seeing it on a screen isn't the same as seeing it in person." The hooded girl began to bounce around. "Can we go exploring? Please!"
Everyone turned to Wonder Woman, who folded her arms. "If you give us a moment, I'm sure we can arrange something." She then grabbed the Librarian by the shoulder and steered him away.
As they walked away, the Librarian gave a short nod to Blake. The girl had been quiet since they left and didn't even seem to be that excited about their current surroundings.
She must be worried about Yang, he thought as Wonder Woman pulled him aside.
Now, the Librarian wasn't a short guy. He was just shy of six feet with that one last inch always seeming to escape him. But the heroine towered. It wasn't the heels, her entire demeanor and atmosphere made her seem almost god-like. Like a tower that you could see the top of, but it almost seemed to move in the breeze. Sturdy and strong, but dangerous.
She led him to the other side of the T.A.R.D.I.S and reached for the rope at her waist. "I assume you know what this is?'
"The Lasso of Truth. Makes it so I can't lie as long as I'm touching it."
Diana nodded and held out one end for him to grab. "I will not force the truth from you. But if you wish us to trust you, then this is how you will best earn it."
The Librarian didn't question it, he grabbed the rope. It glowed golden as he did and immediately he could feel a part of his mind lessen. He wasn't like Luthor or the other great villains. The Librarian wasn't the definition of 'greatly willed'. His power came from his knowledge.
And, he prayed, let's hope that's enough.
"Tell me," Wonder Woman began, "why did you come here?"
The Librarian's mouth felt as if it went dry. When he opened his mouth, the words spilled out with no control. "I came here because they need to meet real heroes and I've idolized the Justice League since I was a kid."
"Why do they need to meet real heroes?"
"Because if they don't, they'll lose themselves. They need to know that no matter how hard it gets, no matter the odds, they can win if they try hard enough. That there is always hope."
The Amazonian nodded. "Do you wish us any ill-intent?"
"No."
"Why you?"
"..." The Librarian looked up at her. "What do you mean?"
"Why do you help them? And why them?"
There was a momentary pause. "Because I made a promise." Even that small nugget of keeping the full truth hidden was wiping away his strength. "And I owe it to someone to make sure they wouldn't end up like her."
This time, it was Diana who paused. "I understand," she whispered. "I have only one more question. Who are you?"
There it was, the question he had been dreading. He wasn't a tourist like he claimed. And a true librarian would never dare to interrupt a story with themself. He knew who he was. Someone who didn't deserve what he had.
A coward and a deserter. A traitor.
"I…" he struggled against the lasso's power. "I… am… scared of losing who I care about. And I will do whatever it takes to save them."
A spark of electricity buzzed down the Librarian's spine and through his hand. It traveled across the rope making a spark. Both of them let go for a moment and the lasso fell to the floor, dun and brown.
She looked back at him. "That is not everything."
"I'm sorry. But nobody can know everything. Not yet." He reached down and, as his fingers touched the cord once more, it glowed. Holding it up to her, he spoke the truth once more. "But I am not your enemy."
She smiled and took it, clasping his shoulder and giving him a warm smile. "And yet you carry Atlas' burden. If I am not your enemy, then I am your friend. If you ever need to talk, just ask."
"Thank you."
Then an alarm went off and they each looked around for Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, who were nowhere to be seen.
"Do you have anything to say, Yang? Anything at all?" Qrow stared down at his niece, trying his best Tai impression. His arms were folded across his chest and he was even standing straight with no hunch. Which took quite a considerable amount of effort in his sober state.
Yet Yang didn't budge. She didn't react or puff her chest or do anything else she would normally do when scolded. Brothers, she didn't even grumble under her breath!
Instead, she simply stared back, only commenting on how weak the guy was.
Qrow sighed. "Listen, Yang." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know this is like what we're used to with bandits, but you have to remember that you can't just use your strength whenever you want. If you punch through your enemies, you'll end up just being as bad as they are. And not everyone is going to be able to take a hit from you."
He held up Ember Celica. "These are weapons."
Yang stared at the armaments. "They are impressive," she whispered, reaching for them.
Qrow pulled them away and returned them to a bin next to him. Apparently, with superheroes being so common, the police didn't stop to ask if they needed to remove their accessories. But Qrow told Yang to do so anyway. And, after giving him a cold glare, she did.
However, Qrow kept Harbinger on his back. Something else that Yang would have usually called him out for.
Footsteps clattered behind them as Green Lantern and Flash exited the room behind them. The latter was comfortable with them tagging along, but the large, more imposing man, only seemed to allow it when Qrow offered to give his own testimony. There wasn't much to give. They had wanted to ask Yang some questions, but she wasn't budging. And she was still a minor, so they couldn't do much.
As the heroes, and a few other officers and detectives - as well as some military types that were waiting for them when they arrived - questioned the detainee, Qrow and Yang stood outside.
"Seems like your friend wasn't the only one acting weird," Green Lantern started, crossing his arms and looking at Yang, who stared back defiantly. "Turns out, our villain is General McCormick, the leader of an anti-nuclear program."
Nuclear? Wasn't that… Qrow frowned as he remembered what the Librarian had mentioned of the nuclear bombs, as well as what the Slitheen had planned to do with them. "Anti-nuclear?"
Flash nodded. "Apparently, it stops nuclear fusion. Not much of an actual weapon."
"Where did he hide it?" he asked.
Green Lantern held his gaze on Yang. "That's the thing. He has no recollection of ever stealing it. Or of the events of the last day and a half."
"Men are fools," Yang said with a scowl.
"Hey! Just so you know, I've never lost a nuke before," Flash countered. "Maybe my apartment keys… and my Watchtower ID… and the Javelin keys…"
Qrow and Green Lantern sighed. The Huntsman looked at the hero and gave him one of his better smiles. "So what's the plan now?"
"How about we head to the Watchtower, get you and your friends some souvenirs, and you guys can go," Flash smiled, putting his hand on Qrow's shoulder. He began leading the way out of the precinct and back outside. Yang grabbed her gauntlets and slid them over her wrists as she followed, flexing and activating them.
As they exited, they stopped near the side of the street as GL placed a finger to his ear. A moment later, he nodded and turned back to the group.
"We'll be there soon," he said to no one. "Tell Diana I trust her call, but I still want to ask him a few things myself." He dropped his hand. "Your friend seems to be telling the truth. We will-"
Suddenly, the pommel of a blade smashed into the back of his head. Next to him, a hand grabbed the top of Flash's head and slammed him face-first into the ground too.
Qrow acted quickly and pulled out his sword as the attacker stood up. Next to him, Yang hissed and opened her hands as if she were about to charge at him with her nails.
The man was… short. Barely able to stand up to Qrow's chest at max height. White tufts of hair exploded from the back of his head but kept the top of it completely smooth. His beard was greasy and Qrow could swear he saw something move inside of it.
Then there was his outfit. Mistralian, it seemed. Leather and bronze formed a chest plate with a tunic around his waist. His sword, apart from the steel of the blade, echoed this pattern. The only part of his costume that seemed out of the ordinary (well, even more so) was the bright red diamond on his chest.
"You dark ones cannot hide from Morphir," the old man said, his voice nasally as if he hadn't spoken in some time.
"Who's hiding?" Qrow asked, holding his blade out. "What do you want with us?"
"Morphir guard dark heart. Man's time is forever eclipsed. Morphir stop evil!"
Okay… Qrow was about to charge when suddenly Yang shot out from behind him. She rushed forward and raised her fist. The man, however, spun out of the way and sliced at Yang. Luckily, her aura deflected the attack and her body shimmered yellow.
As Yang's fist hit the ground, her gauntlets fired, sending a plume of smoke and flame in a circle around them.
"This body isn't too bad," he heard her whisper in the dust. It would seem our incompetent jailor is too late."
The man, Morphir, charged back at Yang. "No!" he cried.
Qrow sliced at the air, sending wind to blow away the smoke. When it cleared, he saw Yang holding the sword with one hand and pulling back her fist. There was a loud boom as her fist connected with the man's stomach and sent him launching backward. Morphir crashed into a wall, a crater forming in the bricks.
"Yang!" Qrow snapped. He ran to her and grabbed the sword from her. "What the hell are you doing!? We-"
The words died in his mouth as she punched him in the chest. Qrow's own aura flashed as he skidded back and fell to the ground, clutching his front. Gods, it hurt. When the hell did Yang get so strong?
When the hell did he get so weak?
Yang stepped over him and soon grabbed Morphir by his hair, pulling him up. "You have our gratitude," she said.
"Morphir prefers your head!" he answered, grabbing Yang's ears and pulling them, and her face, into her knee. She stumbled back, dropping him, and glared with red eyes. Her hair seemed to glow and Qrow could swear the temperature rose a few degrees.
Before Yang could attack, though, Morphir pulled out the gem on his armor and held it out. It sparkled for a moment, sending rays of light out in all directions. One of which covered Yang and she let out a blood-curdling scream.
Qrow rose to his feet, grabbing his sword. "What did you do to her?" he snarled. He rushed forward at Morphir, who was panting heavily, and slammed the back edge, the blunt part, of his blade across the man's chest. Once again, Morphir slammed back into the wall.
His sword fell to the ground. Thanks to aura, Qrow could tell Yang's attack didn't actually hurt him. But his mind told him differently. Why would she attack him? Why was she acting so strange? Why did she-
Some clinked out of Yang's pocket and fell to the ground. Qrow looked down and saw a purple crystal shimmering in his shadow.
Didn't McCormick mention a gem? He thought, reaching down to pick it up. Just as his fingers were about to graze it, he noticed something moving behind him.
Morphir, holding Harbinger above his head. "Evil must be contained," he said. "You will not destroy this world!"
A green blast of energy slammed into the man, wrapping around him before throwing him to the ground. "Hold it, grandpa!" Green Lantern yelled, flying over. He, and Flash, were back on their feet, though the scarlet speedster seemed a bit woozy.
But he still rushed over to Yang's side quickly and grabbed her arm. He looked at Qrow and then GL. "She doesn't look so hot."
Green Lantern dropped down next to them and a green, well, aura, covered her body as he picked her up. "I'll get them to the Watchtower. You handle the lunatic."
A quick nod was all Flash responded with as he disappeared for a moment before reappearing with a straight jacket from the police building across the street.
A green bubble formed around Green Lantern and Yang with an opening for Qrow.
"You coming?"
Qrow nodded, picked up his sword, and jumped inside. The doom sealed and they flew upward to the stars, surpassing man-made towers and reaching the clouds. Higher and higher they climbed until even that was far behind them. Soon, they were encompassed by the stars and space with a sole destination far in front of them.
A strange tune whistled out from his lips as he tapped the crystal in his hand.
It was very difficult on a normal day to control the excitement and spontaneous actions of Ruby Rose. It was more so difficult on days when they were visited by other Huntresses or Huntsmen (or, in her mind, were allowed to see new weapons).
So, for Weiss, she had her hands full as Ruby began to explore the Amity-sized tower they now stood in. Worst of all, Blake wasn't helping one bit. The Faunus was quiet, normally so, and reserved, also customary for her, and followed slowly as Weiss chased after Ruby.
"Ruby!" she half-whispered as the girl peeked into another room. "The Librarian told us to stay there!"
"No," Ruby countered, "Wonder Woman said she would talk to the Librarian about it. They never said we couldn't go off on our own."
Weiss' mind skidded like a record. Of course, that meant they couldn't rush off on their own! She watched as Ruby pressed another button, this time opening an elevator. The girl turned to Weiss with sparkles in her eyes.
"No."
Ruby smiled and stepped inside.
"Ruby…"
Her hand outstretched as she reached for a button.
"Don't you dare!" Weiss exclaimed, pointing a finger at her (childish) team leader.
Ding!
The doors began to close. With a groan, Weiss bolted forward and ran inside. She barely squeezed past Ruby when the doors sealed completely and the elevator began to move upward.
Somehow, Blake was in there too, leaning against the wall with her arms folded and eyes pointed at her feet.
Ruby looked at the Schnee-heiress with an innocent smile. "C'mon, Weiss. How often do you get to explore a space station? In space?!"
"That is what a space station means," Weiss mouthed, looking around them. "We aren't supposed to be here. This could be booby-trapped for all we know."
Blake rolled her eyes. "Who would booby-trap their own elevator?" she asked. Ruby nodded in agreement.
"I don't know. But this is where a group of superheroes live. Don't you think they'd have some-"
A beam of red energy passed over them as they continued their ascent. The minute it reached their feet, the elevator froze and the lights turned off.
"Unauthorized personnel located in Watchtower 2-C Elevator. Atrium level." A gruff, male voice echoed throughout the elevator and, possibly, the rest of the building.
Weiss sighed. "Security measures."
She and Blake grabbed their weapons and unfolded them. Weiss still wasn't used to having it compact, but couldn't doubt its usefulness and simplicity. They both raised their blades to the doors.
Ruby, however, put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Wait. We aren't here to fight."
"Do they know that?" Blake and Weiss both ask.
"It doesn't matter." She pushes herself between them and lowers their weapons. "We need to show that we aren't bad guys. I'm sure that the Librarian will explain everything."
"If Wonder Woman believed him," Blake muttered. She slid her katana into its sheath and it disappeared. Weiss, sighing, did the same to her Myrtenaiser.
"Or," she added, "if they even told the rest of the League before they came to deal with us."
The doors began to creak as they opened slowly. Wincing at the light, the three young women looked out to see the proud chest of a man with a red crest facing them. A red 'S' on a blue suit with a matching red cape. Without even needing to ask, they each knew who this man was. He fit the Librarian's description perfectly. The body, the costume, and even the weight of a lost family in his eyes.
Superman held out a hand and smiled. "I think you've gotten a little lost. We'll return you to your friends and then we'll see about a tour."
As much as a pillar of, well, the best parts of humanity Superman was, Blake focused more so on the woman behind him. As she stepped out of the elevator, she studied the figure with bashful eyes.
Colorful. That was the best description. A yellow top, green form-fitting pants with a red underoos covering, and scarlet boots. Somehow, those colors worked together. Though, to Blake, the most interesting aspect of the hero was not her costume. Her face was covered with a mask like an avian with orange hair spilling out the back. At her waist was the mythical mace that Ruby was likely already eyeing up.
No, to Blake, her eyes were drawn to the woman's wings. She could see where they met the skin and could tell it wasn't a costume. They were a part of her.
Hawkgirl. Blake gasped slightly. She's like me. A Fuanus.
The woman gave a smile to Blake. "Hello."
"H-hi." A blush spread across her face. What am I doing? She shook her head. "Hello. My name's Blake. We're, um…"
"You're the travelers Diana told us about," Hawkgirl nodded. She turned to Ruby and Weiss, who was staring at Superman. "Diana will be bringing your friend here soon. But aren't there supposed to be six of you?"
Blake's excited demeanor suddenly reverted to that of a few minutes ago as she thought of Yang.
The girl who she thought was interested in her… And who she thought she could trust and lo- like. But after she came back from taking down that villain… It was exactly the same as before. Just like with Adam. Their eyes were cold and heartless and no warmth in their touch. Somehow, in just a few short minutes, Yang changed from her new crush to her old one.
Was that how it was always going to be? Stuck in an endless loop of falling for people who don't care for those 'weaker' than them?
But Yang isn't- wasn't? -like that. Not normally, at least. Maybe this was a bad reaction. Maybe it was just her being paranoid. Maybe…
All possibilities I thought with Adam, she shivered. How many times did I give him the benefit of the doubt? And how often did he prove them wrong? Too many.
"Well," Weiss began, casting a glare at Ruby, "we were supposed to stay near our ship with the Librarian and Wonder Woman. But, some of us are excited."
Ruby gasped and grabbed her arm. "I knew you were excited too, Weiss!" Before she could counter Ruby's claim, Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow/feather.
"That still only accounts for four of you."
There was another ding as the elevator doors reopened. From within, out stepped the Librarian and Diana.
"There you are!" the man said. "Wow, you did not waste any time. Hello Superman. Hawkgirl. It's a real honor."
"From what Diana said," the man of steel smiled, offering his hand to shake, "the pleasure is ours. We're happy to help teach a new generation of heroes."
The Librarian didn't take his hand but instead tapped his wrist to Superman's. Some kind of strange, alien greeting? Even the hero seemed surprised by it. "Well, we wouldn't want you to be forced into giving a lecture. But it was nice to see how Flash, GL, and Wonder Woman all handled themselves in a dangerous situation.
"Dangerous situation?" Hawkgirl asked. "Where's John?" She, along with the two other heroes flinched.
"Hey, don't worry about the 'secret identity'-thing," he said. "We probably won't be staying that long and, most likely, won't be coming back to this universe."
"Why not?" A pout formed from Ruby's smile.
Blake cocked her head to the side before he could explain. "Odds of probability. Nearly an infinite set of universes in this dimension alone. If a new branch forms with every choice, then it's a nearly endless safari of timelines."
The Librarian turned to Blake with a surprised expression. "Exactly," he said. "Glad to know someone's been listening."
Behind him, Ruby leaned over to Weiss, asking, "which one's John? Please tell me that's Flash."
Blake, hearing this from across the room, sighed. She was then surprised to see Superman lean over and say "Green Lantern."
Enhanced hearing too? Blake realized. There's a reason they call him superman. What would it take to fight him?
"Green Lantern and Flash, along with two of their comrades, Qrow and Yang, were dealing with the individual who attacked the power plant," Wonder Woman said. "They were giving their statements at a local station."
Superman pressed a finger to his ear. "J'onn, any update from Green Lantern?"
Weiss frowned. "Why is he calling John to ask about him?"
"J'onn, not John," Diana said.
Remembering the list the Librarian explained earlier, Blake realized they had forgotten about the Martian Manhunter. Why wasn't he here?
Wonder Woman frowned lightly. "He's… shy."
"Tell him that they passed Diana's test," Superman said. He then dropped his finger. "He'll let us know in a minute. Do you kids want to ask us anything?"
"Kids?" Weiss wrinkled her nose.
Flower petals exploded around them as Ruby began to run around the room. "What's your mace made out of and how does it generate electricity?" Another burst as she reappeared next to Wonder Woman. "How do those bracers reflect most kinds of energy, even if they should be conducted into the medal? Pamf! "Does the 'S' on your chest stand for Superman?"
Then, strangely, she stopped next to the Librarian. "And what is your watch made out of?"
Superman was the quickest to respond. "It's not an 'S'. It's… Well, it's many things. The crest of my family, as well as the symbol of hope. I wear it to inspire that belief. That no matter how dark the night, a light will always shine."
"But… Green Lantern- John said that hope was dangerous."
Kneeling down, Superman put a hand on her shoulder. "There's a difference between the hope we can inspire and the hope that he was referring to. If you are trying to be true heroes, remember that. Hope is like a weapon. Used for good and used to harm. Be careful with it."
"As for these-" Wonder Woman tapped the metal objects covering her forearms "- they were crafted by Hephaestus himself. Imbued with magic."
Blake could see Weiss have to physically stop herself from snorting. "Magic?" the heiress asked.
Diana nodded. "Olympian magic."
This time, the Librarian snorted (and made no move to prevent him from doing so). "Sorry," he said, raising his hand and covering his snickering mouth. "Sorry. I've just had some issues with them in the past. Kinda promised a demigod I'd punch lightning-breath if I ever met him."
Everyone raised an eyebrow at that.
Is there a connection between a demigod and a New-God? Blake wondered.
"Um," Ruby blinked. She turned to Hawkgirl. "Your mace?"
Her hand dropped to the weapon, grabbing its handle as it rested on her belt. "Thanagarian Nth-metal. It can emit an energy field that is stored when it's not being used."
Ruby's fingers twitched and she reached for it. "Can I tr- urk!" She choked and reached for the clasp at her neck as Weiss pulled on it, dragging their team leader back over to the Librarian.
The three heroes laughed at the action as Weiss apologized for 'Ruby's childish decorum'.
Blake kept glancing at the elevator, as if waiting for Yang to pop out as her normal, cheery self. But as the conversations continued, the Justice League telling stories and answering questions that even Weiss felt necessary to ask, there was no sign.
At least, until the green man appeared and floated down from the ceiling. Blake jumped back in surprise, Weiss reached for her weapon, and Ruby, instinctively, put herself between the stranger and her team.
The Librairan raised his arms. "J'onn!"
J'onn, the Martian Manhunter, raised a nonexistent eyebrow on his green skin. Then he turned to face the group. "Green Lantern is on his way with your friends," he said - the voice they heard was just like him, completely alien -with a deep baritone. "However, I'm afraid there's been a development."
Yang, normally, like most of Remnant's people, had nightmares of Grimm. Terrifying visions of what was seen as 'inevitable'. The monsters overrunning a town (Patch). Friends and family lying on the ground or missing (Dad and Ruby, as well as other kids she'd known since she was a kid). Completely helpless as the army of darkness crept toward her.
But this nightmare was not like that.
This nightmare was sharp and focused. And strangely clear.
As Yang's eyes shifted behind her eyelids, her mind gazed upon images alien to her. An army of men charging an army of monsters. The monsters win but over time begin to lose. There was a rock, a crystal, surrounded by the monsters as the sky turned from blue to black. A crackle of purple energy and, when the darkness faded, they all fell to the ground. Hissing from within the crystal.
The feeling of being trapped and compressed for a long, long time.
Bolting awake, Yang leaned up and crashed into something hard head-first.
"Ow!" Ruby exclaimed, clutching her forehead and stepping back. "She's up!"
Rubbing her own head, Yang looked around to see that she seemed to be in some kind of medical area. The cot she was laying on was uniformed with almost a dozen more around the room.
To her left, Ruby (no longer clutching her head) and Weiss were sitting at her bedside. The Librarian was at her feet, checking a clipboard. And on her right.
Yang couldn't deny that her heart beat a little bit faster at how worried Blake seemed to be. She instinctively opened her hand and reached it forward. Blake did so too, but froze and pulled it away.
That thumping in Yang's chest froze and her mouth went dry. Is she scared of me? "What happened?"
"Well," the Librarian said, tapping the board, "it's not good news. Ruby, we'll need your scythe. The amputation must begin soon."
"What?!" Yang bolted upward and crawled backward. She inspected herself and sighed as each of her limbs was still attached. Why did that feel weird to say?
A giggle erupted from Ruby, joining the Librarian's laughter. Yang, unable to get angry at a fairly good prank, layed back down and groaned.
"Sorry," their guide said. "I couldn't help myself. There's nothing even on this thing. As for you, that's what we want to know. J'onn checked your vitals and said everything was fine."
"Who's J'onn?"
"You'll meet him soon," Ruby said. "But that's not important. What happened to you?"
Yang frowned. "I don't know. Everything's… fuzzy." She turned to Blake. "Did something happen?"
The Faunus didn't answer. She stared at Yang as if trying to read her like a book.
"Did I… hurt someone?"
"No," Ruby said. "Well, the bad guy, but that was it. Green Lantern said you got jumped by some crazy guy."
There was a recognition of that for Yang. Like she had heard about it. And she could almost envision an old man with a sword. But it wasn't specific. "That sounds familiar," she nodded. "But it's like I wasn't really there."
"You don't remember?" Blake asked. Yang shook her head, noting the hurt in her eyes. Before she could apologize, the Flash appeared at the door.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked, his normally jovial attitude replaced with concern.
"She's fine," Weiss snapped. "Why didn't you use your superspeed to stop the guy in the first place?"
"It doesn't- Okay, wait. Just take it easy for a while. And don't make any sudden moves."
Everyone blinked. "What?" But before they could get an answer, he was gone.
Yang looked at Blake and then jumped out of her cot.
"Where are you going?" Ruby asked. She reached out to help Yang steady herself, but Yang ignored her.
The blonde started walking toward the door. "I'm going to get some answers."
The Librarian should have been worried. And he shouldn't have made an amputation joke. There were just some things you don't tempt when dealing with the alterations of a person's destiny. Fate was fickle and even the simplest of remarks can turn her from a calm sea to a raging typhoon.
Still, he should have at least checked with E.L.I about what events might appear on this timeline. He should have tried to study the events of this current situation so he'd know if they were over their heads.
He shouldn't have been doing this at all.
But he didn't. After all, what was the fun in that? And if he were controlling their travels, that would just make his infringement on their timelines even worse. He was already pushing it enough.
So, the Librarian followed. He followed Yang in her march to the Watchtower's atrium. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were behind him. He hadn't seen Qrow since they arrived, he was left talking with GL and a few others of the League.
They rounded the corner and saw almost the full roster, minus Batman, studying a computer screen.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried, waving at her hand. The man turned around from facing the screen and waved back. "Where've you been?"
"Around," he answered. They all stopped and turned to look at the screen. "We might have a problem."
"What's wrong?" Blake asked, carefully putting herself behind Yang but not getting too close.
Green Lantern turned around and lifted up his fist, the ring on his finger shining. "You tell us. Security breach. Right after we brought all of you here."
"I'm telling you," Flash said, pointing a finger at them. "It's that vengeance snake-thingy. It's inside of Yang."
Like a unit, Ruby and Blake moved protectively around the blonde. Then the Librarian moved between them and GL.
"That's impossible. She's been in the medical bay since she arrived."
To their right, Superman and Wonder Woman floated down. "Before we start pointing fingers, call up the Javelin Bay security footage."
Yang, this first time seeing them, gasped. Then she gasped again as Martian Manhunter spun around and pressed a few keys on his board.
"That's J'onn," he whispered.
They all watched as the large screen jumped to show the hanger. A smile tugged the Librarian's lips as he saw the T.A.R.D.I.S Parker safely to the side.
His smile then disappeared when he saw Wonder Woman lifting it.
Everyone turned to Diana with shock and (for some of them) betrayal. She seemed just as confused, however.
"I- I don't have any memory of this." She looked around as Ruby and Yang unsheathed their weapons. Even Green Lantern pointed his ring at her. "I don't understand."
"Where have I heard that before?" Flash asked. "Keep an eye on her." He then disappeared for a moment then ran back in a second later. Now holding a large red gem in his hand. "Okay, that crazy old coot said that this would drive out the bad spirits."
Weiss frowned. "Are you kidding me? Be serious."
The Librarian waved her down. "Something weird is going on here. Let's have a little faith." And for the love of the forgotten, don't make an Among Us joke.
Raising the crystal and pointing it at Diana, a beam of red energy shone out from within it. Diana winced slightly but as the light dissipated, nothing happened.
"Okay. You're clear. Superman?"
The man of steel nodded and unfolded his arms, taking the beam directly and with no effect. Flash then moved to Green lantern and then Hawkgirl. All of them gave no reaction. Soon, all of the Justice League members were clear.
The Librarian offered himself first to prove that it wasn't them. And, thankfully, nothing happened. A warm feeling covered his body but that was it. Qrow was faced next. As he stood to take his turn there was a flash of blue as a spear of ice jutted from the ground and impaled the gem. Grunting, Flash jumped backward as the crystal exploded into shards. Everyone turned in surprise to see Weiss holding her blade in one hand with a dark gemstone in the other.
"Foolish humans," she hissed. "We shall lay waste to your pathetic world!" With a complete lack of grace she usually exhibited, Weiss lifted Myrtenaiser and summoned another glyph, this one spreading icicles in a radius.
Everyone took evasive action. Most of the Leaguers flew up to avoid the blast, only for car-sized blocks of hail to sail toward them. Flash and Ruby used their speed, though Ruby stopped and froze in shock after getting a safe distance away. The other speedster grabbed the Librarian and pulled him away.
"Thanks."
"I am your favorite, right?" He smiled. "Your box is still in the Bay. I checked."
The Librarian nodded. "Thanks again."
A dark copy of Blake took an icicle to the chest and disappeared with the real Blake disappearing behind it. Yang was the only one who didn't try to dodge, instead punching the ice and smashing her away forward.
"Is this what you did to me?!" she snarled.
The Librarian watched in awe as the Justice League tried to fight Weiss. The girl must have been seriously holding back as she fought.
Snapping out of her daze, Ruby folded her scythe into a sniper rifle. "Blake, keep rushing at her back. It might not be Weiss, but this thing still can only react as well as she can. Keep in her blind spots.
"Yang! Can you-" The blonde roared as her flame began to burn with yellow flame, burning the ice around her as she punched her way closer to Weiss. "Um, keep going."
She followed one of the hail blocks and fired at it, turning it to harmless snow as it hit Wonder Woman. The Amazon gave a curt nod of respect before punching another one down.
"We don't want to hurt you, Weiss!" Ruby yelled. "Fight it!"
Weiss, or whomever/whatever she was then, snarled and flung some more ice at the huntress-in-training. Thankfully, Ruby's semblance allowed her to dodge easily.
Her plan was working. Yang, along with Superman, GL, Hawkgirl, and Wonder Woman kept her distracted. Flash was helping as well, provoking her on her left and right. The Librarian watched as Blake moved around the rear.
It was lucky that he noticed the dust chamber spin on accident. Eyes wide, the Librarian ran at Black and grabbed her by the wrist.
"What're you-!"
The crown of ice exploded with rocks and earth as Weiss let out a roar. To make things worse, a silver Glyph exploded from Weiss' feet and slowly a large snake of ice slithered into the air.
The Librarian's jaw dropped. "She can Summon already?"
Now it was Blake's turn to grab his arm and pull them to safety. As they moved back, they saw everyone else retreat slightly at the new events.
"What's the plan, kid?" Green Lantern asked, a green construct forming around him as the snake-Summon tried to bite him - fangs embedding into the protective sphere.
"I don't know!" Ruby cried. She seemed at a loss for words. Her silver eyes shook back and forth as she desperately tried to think of a plan that would take Weiss down without hurting her.
Luckily, she didn't have to. The snake disappeared and all the stone formations stopped growing as Martian Manhunter, who had phased from the floor, grabbed her dominant wrist and kept the blade still. "Drop the stone," he ordered.
"Never, Earthling," she hissed.
"We aren't," Superman said, grabbing her other hand and very gently forcing her to let go of the dark gem. The second it left her hand, Weiss slumped forward and groaned.
The gem clattered to the ground as she held her head. "Are you okay?" J'onn asked.
"Yeah," she whispered as Ruby rushed to her side. "What happened?"
"That rock," she answered.
The Librarian lifted up his watch and scanned it. "Looks like it infects on physical touch. You touch it, it takes you over."
"Then no one will, ever again!" Hawkgirl, with her iconic yell, raised her mace above it. "Hyah!"
The mace shattered the dark gem, sending shards everywhere.
Almost in slow-motion, Flash could see the little crystals flying toward him. " Hey, maybe a little heads-up, next time..." He sidestepped out of the way and gasped as he watched others pierce his friend's clothing. They all clutched their heads for a moment before turning with a dark, sinister gleam in their eyes.
The Librarian, back to the crystal and protecting Blake, caught a glance with him. He mouthed two words before arching his back.
Box. Agamemnon.
No idea what that first word meant, Wally exploded forward and pushed him back toward the other 'infected'.
"This has got to be a nightmare," he muttered. "When the sun comes up, you'll all be human again. But until then…" Flash grabbed Blake and ran her to the blue box. In the time it would take for her to blink, he grabbed the rest of the uninflected - those who didn't have shards of purple glass glittering across their bodies.
Then he promptly slammed into the side of the blue box.
"Ouch!" Flash fell onto his butt and rubbed his legs. He might have been the fastest man alive, but moving fast enough to avoid detection from Supes… That was still a bit difficult.
Slowly, to him at least, Ruby looked around. "What's going on?"
Flash pointed to the blue box. "Get inside. Quickly!"
Pushing against the doors, Blake turned around, saying, "but we don't have a-!"
Click. Creaaak.
The doors opened and everyone tumbled inside. Weiss helped Flash up and carry him in. As they turned to shut the doors, he saw a red-and-blue blur charge at them. Thankfully, the doors shut before Superman could reach them.
But he crashed into them instead, sending everyone lurching to the side. Flash fell to the ground and rubbed his head. "Talk about a…" The quip fell dead on his lips as he looked around, noticing, for the first time, the gigantic space they now stood in.
Woah.
Weiss rushed over to the center of the room. "We need to get out of here. Or at least make sure they can't get it."
"What's happened?" a female voice asked. "Where is the Librarian?"
"He was possessed by whatever that purple rock was," Flash explained.
Ruby nodded. "Just like Weiss was. E.L.I, can you show us the outside?"
There was an electric buzz, like a digital nod, as the screen at the console flickered on. It showed Superman punching at the doors, but no dents were being made. Hawkgirl had her mace out but hadn't yet used it.
The Librarian was there too, walking around 'his' ship.
"Oh my Gods, no." Blake gasped and, when Flash turned to look at her, he saw tears running down her eyes.
"Hey, we'll get him back," he said. She shook her head and pointed at a corner of the screen. He focused on it and saw a golden streak as someone charged forward.
With a hiss and a snarl, Yang, along with the others, attacked the T.A.R.D.I.S doors to kill her friends.
Huge, huge thanks to my first-ever supporter!
Helpful supporter - Dalek2150
This is where I wanted to stop last chapter. But, seeing how long this one is, maybe that was for the best hahaha.
Honestly, this came down to the wire for me. I'm finishing this up just minutes before posting it and I really hope you all like it. We're finally getting to the part where I get to have some creative fun. (For those of you who know what the Librarian said, maybe you can guess what'll happen.)
There was a lot going on this chapter with a lot of different fight scenes. We had 'Yang' and Qrow vs Morphir. Weiss vs. Everyone. And now Everyone vs RWBF (and E.L.I too, does she count?).
I wish I could have gone more into finding out who's the 'imposter' but that was never a real focus of the source material. I'm fact, it never really explains how Wonder Woman, who had the gem instead of Yang, passed it on to Martian Manhunter and then Green Lantern.
Also, I'm always a sucker for the heroes turning 'bad' and using their full powers. Because Weiss has the power of the freaking elements. There's no way she isn't using that to a ridiculous degree.
Next chapter will get some explanations on how the team can (hopefully) stop them and, possibly, what exactly these things are. I have a rough outline and a few key things in mind. One of which, I'm pretty excited about and hope you all will enjoy.
Thanks again for reading! See y'all next time.
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!
Also, if you can, please think about supporting me.
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