This is kind of a pitch and prologue in one. That means I'm still not sure if I'm going to go through with this, but unlike some of my previous stories this one's actually decently planned. I'm still kind of just putting this out there to see what people think.
This is technically a sequel, but it is heavily AU, and it will likely be dramatically different in both tone and content than canon RWBY. It will be darker, though more cynicism than angst. In other words, I won't tear apart the characters, but I might tear apart the setting. I'm thinking this is going to border on Deconstruction, but I wouldn't actually classify it as such just yet.
I don't want to say too much and give the entire plot away, but I'll try to provide a plot summary that's not a hundred percent spoilers. Team RWBY is hired by a megacorporation for an extremely ambitious mission- to end the Grimm threat once and for all. Meanwhile, JNPR investigates the organization... and finds that they're hiding more than anyone knows.
The concert was a true magnum opus. The audience was pleased beyond expectations.
He knew exactly what the message meant. It was a simple code, agreed on months prior. The "concert". Alpha Concert had been successful.
Alpha Arrow had been a simple systems test. There was very little to fail, as most of the instruments and control systems had been used previously for other purposes. Even if there was a failure, the cost would be fairly minimal. The test was fully successful, though, and there was no need to run it again.
Alpha Beehive was a full test with an inert device. There was more to fail, but even still, most of it had been tested before. Again, the consequences of a failure would be fairly minimal. Expensive in conventional terms, but in the grand scheme of the project not terribly expensive. The test was fully successful.
Alpha Concert was the real deal, with the device live and active. Even assuming the systems tested previously worked perfectly, there was still the big question of the device itself. They had run calculations and simulations and experiments, but this was the first time a device like that had ever been activated.
It would be fair to say that everything hinged on Alpha Concert. The device was so crucial to his plan that if it had failed, everything would have to be reworked. If it could be reworked at all, which was something he was not sure of.
A lifetime of planning, development, and manoeuvring had gone into the project. His entire family fortune and all the profit he had ever made had gone into the project. The moment he heard the voice from the sky, he knew he had to give it his all.
So even he was nervous about Alpha Concert, but had reassured himself that it would work- it had to work. All the simulations, all the calculations, all the experiments had indicated that it would work. No model was infallible, but they did so much and they were so sure. No, he had no choice but to believe it would work.
And when it did work, he was more than relieved. He was jubilant. Well, as close to jubilant as a man in his position could be.
Part of him wished he had been there. It was impressive, he was sure. Unfortunately, there was so much else that he had to do. Most of the pieces were in place, but not everything was ready to go. Some of it had to wait until he was ready, for multiple reasons. The last few people would be brought in, the last few projects built, the last few operations carried out.
Everything didn't have to be perfect, of course. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that anything that could go wrong would go wrong. So instead of planning every little detail relying on everything going together as it should, he planned broadly and built in as much fault tolerance as possible. Regardless of idiots or meddlers, the plan would succeed.
The device was one of the very few exceptions, of course. Some elements were absolutely necessary and their failure would doom the entire operation. But those few elements were few and made as robust as possible.
After so many years of waiting, of working, of failure, of success, it was finally time. No more waiting. Only action. It was relieving, and at the same time it was terrifying. Everything would change. There would be no going back. He was really going to do this. He would not back out, not now. Not after everything he had sacrificed.
The dream that he had dreamt would come true. The dream that everyone had dreamt would come true.
Well, there was no use pondering it any further. He picked up the phone and dialled a number he had memorized for years.
"It's time."