A/N: Welcome back to my fic guys. Thank you so much for the support with all of this. This next 'universe' is gonna be a long one so I'm splitting it up over multiple parts. Let me know what you think since feedback is always appreciated. If you have an issue, let me know! Anyways, without further ado, I hope you enjoy!
Presenting: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Pyrrhic Victory
"I really should have expected this…" Ozpin muttered as the Theater Scroll beeped once more.
"Huh? Why, what's happening?" Qrow asked as he sat up and leaned forward. Ozpin merely gestured towards the "New Arrivals" door and Qrow opened his mouth and let out a noise of understanding, before the door opened.
"I understand Penny, truly I do." A voice said as two figures stepped through the door. One was a tall man with a commanding presence, a formal white military coat wrapped around his torso. Black hair and piercing blue eyes gazed softly at the other figure.
A short girl, no older than 16 or 17 by her face and body, with short and curly ginger hair and innocent green eyes. A white and beige blouse with green accents covered her torso, a pink bow topping on her head, topping her look off. They were General James Ironwood and Penny Polendina.
"I'll tell you again like I've told you before, I'm just worried that you aren't…" Ironwood trailed off as he realized something was off. He glanced away from Penny who was staring forward with barely restrained awe and excitement and froze at the sight.
"Oz…? Glynda?" Ironwood asked, before his eyes landed on Qrow and his eyes narrowed. "Qrow…"
"Hey there, Jimmy!" Qrow said as he held up a glass, causing Glynda to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Nice seeing you here."
Ironwood glanced back towards Penny, only to tense as the short android was no longer standing next to him. A loud crash and an "Oomphf!", brought him out of his thoughts and he looked towards the source where Penny had literally crashed into Ruby in her attempt to hug the poor girl, toppling her seat over in the process and so the two of them had ended up on the ground.
"Salutations, Friend-Ruby!" Penny said happily. "It is sensational to see you again!"
"Nice seeing you again Penny…" Yang spoke up next to them. "But uh… You might wanna let go of Ruby… She's turning a little blue…" Penny glanced back down at Ruby and noted, that the blonde was right and so she let Ruby go and stood up.
"AGH! AIR!" Ruby shouted in relief as sweet, sweet, oxygen filled her lungs.
"James." Ozpin greeted as he stood up, before walking towards the general.
"It's been too long!" He said, before glancing at Glynda over Ozpins shoulder. "And it has certainly been too long since we last met!" Ozpin held in a smirk as he heard Qrow mimic gagging noises, followed by snickers but Ironwood did a superb job at ignoring them.
"Oh, James…" Glynda said with an eye roll but otherwise added nothing, simply opting to stay seated.
"Now, would you mind telling me what all of…" He gestured to the room around them, scanning it as he did so and taking everything in. "This… is?" he asked but it was clear he was interested.
"I'm sure you have eyes, General." Ironwood tensed before glancing over at the source of the voice and spotted Torchwick and Neo, one smiling smugly and the other munching on a bowl of ice cream.
Ironwood blinked.
Torchwick blinked back.
Ironwood drew and aimed his gun at the red-headed crook.
"SHIT-" Roman shouted as the gun fired but he didn't have enough time to react. Several of the students shouted in surprise and Qrow tumbled back to the floor due to the gun's bang.
The bullet crashed into Roman, or it would have, but it simply phased through him before crashing into the wall behind him, leaving nary a mark. "Well that was unexpected…" Ozpin commented after a moment of silence.
Roman, despite being shaken up, smirked. "I didn't know that was how you said hello, General! I would have shot you first if I knew!"
"Roman Torchwick!" The general scowled. "How did you do that?!" He yelled as he raised Due Process once more. They both ignored Qrow's slurred shout for them to be quiet.
"I'm going to level with you, General. I have no clue." Torchwick shrugged and it looked like James was about to burst a vein from his anger if his red face was anything to go by.
"Then how-" "That was all her." Ironwood, and basically everyone else in the theater turned to Sun who was pointing at Penny who held the Theater Scroll in her hand.
"Penny?" Ruby asked the girl, slightly freaked out by the fact the general at attempted to shoot Torchwick like that.
"I simply scanned this device and located a function designated as "Toggle Friendly-Fire" and disabled it." Penny said with a proud smile while the others gaped at her.
"Scanned…?" Blake muttered, raising an eyebrow.
Penny's eyes widened and she winced. "I-I just looked through it! You know, like a normal person? It's not like I'm a robot or anythi-" She was interrupted by a hiccup and promptly clamped her hands over her mouth, deciding to cut her losses as everyone looked at her in confusion.
"HA!" Qrow barked out a chuckle, cutting through the awkward silence. "You hear that, Jimmy?! Looks like you and Torchwick are best buds now!"
Ironwood turned red from anger as Torchwick and Neo joined Qrow in his laughter but any response was cut off due to the "New Arrivals" door opening once more, revealing a young woman who looked like an older Weiss Schnee.
"Winter!" Weiss shouted and jumped from her seat before sprinting towards her older sister, who jumped in surprise from the unexpected appearance.
"Weiss?!" She asked, shock evident in her voice before the younger girl hugged her.
"Winter! I'm so happy to see you, I've missed you so much!" She blurted out, before Winter felt Weiss stiffen and abruptly push away from her. She held in a small smirk as Weiss, red faced, straightened out her posture and tried to pretend what she had just done had never happened.
"It's nice to see you as well, Weiss." She said with a small smile, before glancing to her left, only to blink at the assortment of students, professors and… Winter drew her sword and got into a stance.
"Here we go again…" Roman muttered in annoyance.
"Roman Torchwick! You are under arrest!" She shouted but a hand resting on her weapon stopped her. "General?!" She asked, surprised but she let him push her weapon down.
"Hold a moment, Winter…" Ironwood said and with a final glare at Torchwick, who raised his hands in mock surrender, he glanced towards Ozpin. "Let's see what we're dealing with first."
Ozpin only smiled happily.
In hind-sight, Ozpin should have expected the irritated look on Ironwood's face.
"Just… Let me repeat what you've told me, just so I can make sure I understand…" He muttered while pinching the bridge between his nose.
Ozpin glanced towards Specialist Schnee who was sat next to Qrow, much to her chagrin but she was also right behind Weiss and he assumed she felt it was a necessary sacrifice. Her gaze was wide and he could practically feel the gears turning in her head, trying to comprehend what she had just heard, yet she also held a smile on her face as Weiss spoke to her, the two siblings bonding familiarly.
A glance towards the other girl, Penny, whom Ironwood had told him was the daughter of one of his top scientists daughters, one Pietro Polendina, told him all he needed to know about the younger girl. Quirky, energetic and perhaps more innocent than even Ruby Rose.
The two girls were already chatting away next to each other as Yang smiled on fondly. The sight put a smile even on his own face. He turned his head back towards Ironwood, who was sat directly beside him. Ozpin wasn't sure if he felt safe anymore in between both James and Glynda, but, he would weather any storms that would come.
"This… theater, as you call it, is somehow able to let us view different times, places and people, within different universes… Including our own. Is that correct?" Ironwood asked as he looked up.
"That is correct, yes." Ozpin confirmed.
"And you have managed to confirm this?" Ironwood asked, something akin to hope shining in his eyes.
It was Glynda who spoke up. "It has been confirmed, James. I haven't seen anything particularly useful just yet but Ozpin did mention they had witnessed a future tussle between Team RWBY and Torchwick, before I arrived. Assuming Ozpin was telling the truth, it is possible we could witness something we could use to our advantage." She said quietly enough that no one outside their little group was paying attention.
"On the bright side," Oz spoke up, just as quiet as Glynda had been. "similarly to the relics of Knowledge and Creation, for some reason the flow of time within this room is in some sort of stasis. We could stay here as long as we want. Frankly, I've been using the time to take a break from my duties along side looking for anything important. Perhaps, you could do the same?" Ozpin offered and James raised a hand to his chin.
After a few seconds of admittedly tense silence for Oz, Ironwood let out a sigh. "Fine… I'll trust your words, Oz, but…" Ironwood trailed off as he glanced towards Torchwick. "Is it safe for him to be here? And another question, if Torchwick is somehow here, who's to say someone even more dangerous doesn't show up?"
"Torchwick has proven that he won't cause trouble. In fact, he and Qrow seemed to have hit it off." Ozpin commented. The three of them turned to see Qrow and Roman snickering at Winter's expense, the Specialist gritting her teeth in anger.
"As for your other concern, you have already demonstrated that we have a solution to prevent injury and death, as miraculous as it is." Oz pointed out and Ironwood was forced to concede. "We'll handle anything else as it comes." He reassured, before raising his voice. 'I think it's time we begin! Do the rest of you agree?"
A chorus of agreement and confirmations was all Ozpin needed. Ironwood grumbled a bit but made himself comfortable, leaning back against his seat. Penny was practically vibrating in her seat along with Ruby and Winter settled in, unbothered with the situation so long as Ironwood agreed as well. She was also glad to be with Weiss so that was a plus in her book.
With that, Ozpin allowed the next universe to play on screen, leaning back in his seat himself.
With a flash of bright light, the screen came to life. On top of a small hill which was covered in snow, a large tree could be seen with a modestly sized house in the background. Climbing on said tree, were two figures. Qrow Branwen and Ruby Rose.
"So it really does work…" Ironwood muttered with wide eyes. "This is incredible."
Ozpin placed a hand over his heart in mock grief. "And I thought you had more trust in me James." He said sarcastically. Ironwood only clicked his tongue with a small smile, before both men chuckled.
"Oh! Oh! Uncle Qrow, look! It's you and me!" Ruby piped up with a wide smile.
"I see that, kid." Qrow said as he took a sip of his drink. "You look like even more of a pipsqueak than you usually do though." He chuckled at the pout on Ruby's face. "Jerk!" She responded which only caused him to laugh harder.
Ruby, who was struggling to climb after Qrow, reached out a hand. "Dad! I'm scared… I need help!" She said but she was forced to place her outstretched hand back on the bark, lest she fall.
"Dad?" Qrow parroted with a wide eyed look. "You telling me that me and Summer got together in this one?" He asked incredulously, before glancing at his flask and eyeing it suspiciously.
"I guess?" Yang replied with a shrug.
"If your other… version, I suppose?" Winter started uncertainly before a nod from Weiss let her continue. "If your other version is even remotely similar to you, then I fear for his daughter." Winter spoke up, referring to the alternate Ruby.
Qrow let out a noise reminiscent of a deflating balloon as Torchwick and Neo beside them chuckled. "Not you too, Fire Cracker…!" He groaned as even Yang and Ruby started giggling at his expense.
Qrow only looked down at her with a look reminiscent of disappointment. "You're 7 year's old Ruby, stop acting like a baby." He said.
"I was right." Qrow smirked, trying to shift the conversation. "Pipsqueak." He declared as Ruby flushed red.
"Aren't you being… A little harsh though?" Blake spoke up with uncertainty but Winter cut in before Qrow, or anyone else could respond.
"Of course not. While she may be young, it is important to discipline and educate ones child, so long as certain… lines… are not crossed." She said, grimacing along with Weiss at the subtle hint of their own childhoods.
"It's not like she's too high up anyways." Sun said with a small shrug.
She tried to climb up one more time, but she slipped on the icy bark, falling back to the branch she was on. She looked up at Qrow with a childish, but genuine glare. "I hate you…!" She said quietly.
Ruby squawked at her other self's words while Qrow felt like a sword was stabbed through his heart. Even if he knew it was another version of himself, hearing those words, with that voice and face, directed at someone with his face hurt like all hell.
"U-Uncle Qrow-" Ruby began but he held up a hand.
"Don't worry Ruby. Until you say those words to me, I'll be just fine." He winked at the younger girl and she smiled with relief. Yang looked on at the sight warmly but she could see what Ruby hadn't, those words still affected Qrow.
"You alright, Uncle Qrow?" Yang whispered as she leaned over. "Those words stung but they weren't technically directed at me. I'll be just fine, Fire Cracker." He said and ruffled her hair, causing her to yank her head away with a yelp.
Qrow was about to respond, but the sound of helicopter blades approaching interrupted him. He glanced out into the valley only to see a military Chinook closing in. His head snapped back to Ruby as she began to climb down but she placed her foot on the wrong area and began to slip.
"That vehicle looks like a military transport…" Ironwood said with appraising eyes. "The technology looks less advanced in comparison to the Atlesian military, though… Or any of the militaries on Remnant."
"Although, that doesn't mean it is any less effective, sir." Winter spoke up, prompting Ironwood to nod back at her with agreement.
"Ruby! Wait!" He called out but Ruby couldn't hold on any longer. She slipped off of the branch and fell to the ground, although the drop wasn't very high and she was somewhat cushioned by the snow so she didn't sustain any serious injuries. Just a few scratches and bruises.
"Ow." Sun winced. "Falling from that height isn't pleasant. Trust me, I know." He said.
"What, you climb trees as a hobby?" Torchwick asked with an up twitch in his lips.
"Yeah! I do it all the time. The tail definitely helps." He said with a smile and Roman clicked his tongue while Neo laughed at him silently.
Qrow sighed and jumped to the ground after her just as the Chinook landed. He spotted Ruby cradling her injured hand and went to look at it, but Ruby tore her hand away with a scowl. "Go back to the army, like you did when mom died…" She said with a bitter tone, before she began to walk away.
"Ouch…" Neptune winced silently, several others matching his pity and empathy.
Before Ruby even knew what was happening, she felt arms wrap around her. She looked to the side and saw Yang smushed against her, leaning her head on her own. Slowly, but eagerly she wrapped her own hand's around Yang as she sniffled slightly. "Thanks, Yang…" She whispered. Yang only tightened her hold in response.
Torchwick stayed quiet as he listened to the words on screen and watched the interaction between the two of them. He saw Neo look at him worriedly and he snarled slightly. 'Fuck me…' He thought to himself. Looks like he wasn't the only one who didn't have a mom growing up. That made him hate Little Red just a little less than before. He didn't know how to feel about that.
Qrow merely downed his flask in one go in response. It seemed no mater where it was, Summer was just destined to die.
Qrow hesitated for a moment, before sighing and turning towards the two figures who were approaching. They were Taiyang Xiao-Long, who was dressed in a winter jacket and snow boots with shades on his face and Lt. Colonel Oliver L. North, dressed in his formal military attire with his medals on full display.
"Taiyang…?" Glynda mumbled as she leaned forward.
"Well would you look at that. If someone told me that in another universe, the both of us were military, I'd have laughed in their face." Qrow slurred, before pausing. "Or punched them in the face… Maybe both."
"Do you recognize the other man by any chance, James?" Ozpin asked as he leaned over.
"No. I don't recognize the uniform either. It's not surprising since the vehicle isn't known to me either, it's possible it's unique to this universe, wherever they are." The general said softly, Ozpin nodding in response.
North approached first with an outstretched hand. "Lt. Colonel North, NSC. You already know Taiyang Xiao-Long." He said, gesturing to the man beside him, who smiled at Qrow.
"NSC…? Some sort of organization, perhaps?" Ironwood mused with a raised eyebrow.
"It's possible but it could also be an acronym or abbreviation to a task force or special unit…" Ozpin countered, to which James nodded in relent.
"I could find out… let me… Ah! It say's here, that in this universe, the NSC is known as 'The United States National Security Council' and apparently, it is the principal forum used by the... 'President of the United States' for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters." Ozpin read from the tablet. "This is all very interesting, I might go over this later..."
"A President…?" Ironwood mumbled. "So the form of government of this… United States… is different to ours…" Ironwood concluded.
"I believe, similar, is a more accurate description. After all a president is not a monarch, it is an elected title. A democracy is still a democracy, even if the nuances of government differ in comparison to ours.." Ozpin said to James who nodded in agreement. "But it's always fascinating to learn of new civilizations… I wonder if they are also a Kingdom, perhaps similar to Atlas?"
Qrow however, did not return the friendly gesture. "What are you doing here?" He asked bluntly, with a frown.
"Ouch… Guess I'm not too happy to see him…" Qrow commented.
"Why, though?" Yang asked. "You're not exactly on bad terms with Tai. Maybe a bit distant but definitely not bad." She said.
"Who knows Fire Cracker? I'm sure we'll find out though."
A somber look came across North's face as he began to speak. "Yesterday, Sgt. Schnee led a covert team to take out an arms smuggling ring in Angola." He paused for a second before dropping the bad news. "This morning… we lost contact."
"Schnee?" Jaune spoke up, before looking towards the two white haired girls. "But… Which one?"
"It's obviously Winter, you buffoon!" Weiss snapped at Jaune, some snorts flying around the room.
"Calm down, Weiss. It was a fair question. If this alternate Qrow is in the military but ours is only a Huntsman, it's possible some things are different." The older Schnee told her.
"I… I suppose…" Weiss relented, flushing red a bit.
"Oh my god, Weiss, you're so cute when you're flustered!" Yang cooed, only furthering Weiss's embarrassment.
"Shut up!" She snapped and Winter giggled softly as the two of them fought.
Qrow only growled at the Lt. Colonel. "So go get her CIA! Why are you here?" He asked, irritated.
"There's another one of those acronyms." Blake spoke up softly. "Can you look it up, Professor?"
"Already on it… It say's here, it's a foreign intelligence service known as the 'Central Intelligence Agency'…" Ozpin read from the Theater Scroll.
"I'm not too sure we have a similar service…" Ironwood mumbled. "I might need to look into that."
"It would have it's uses, that's for certain." Ozpin whispered back.
"Qrow is asking a valid question!" Weiss spoke up, hotly. "Why are they there instead of rescuing my sister or myself?" She asked, impatiently.
"Maybe they want Uncle Qrow's help?" Ruby spoke up with a small smile.
"Me? Helping Ice Queen over there?!" Qrow shouted incredulously but not without amusement. "When hell freezes over, maybe!" He snorted, Winter rolling her eyes in response.
Taiyang only looked down with a disgruntled look. "Castro and the Russians are all over Angola, we can't go in. The CIA have buried the mission. Schnee, and her squad, no longer exist."
"What?!" Weiss yelled out, wide eyed. "That can't be true!"
"I'm afraid it isn't too far fetched." Ironwood spoke up. "Before our time of peace, when the kingdoms were still poised to go to war with one another, Kingdom's would have to abandon squads if they were captured to avoid an international incident."
"Winter…?" Weiss turned to her sister, fearful.
"I'm afraid what the general is saying is correct, Weiss." She said softly.
"There's no need to be afraid, Friend-Weiss!" Penny spoke up with a happy smile. "According to my calculations, the probability of the Lt. Colonel visiting Qrow to recruit him is 98.63%" She said. Weiss snapped her head to the screen in response.
Qrow swore under his breath but North was quick to speak up. "We've got whatever you need Qrow. Name it." He said with an apologetic look due to the whole situation.
Weiss promptly released a sigh of relief, Winter smiling at the sight. She glanced over at Penny and nodded in thanks. Penny merely smiled back with a salute.
Qrow leaned over to his niece. "That girl is a little… weird…" He said.
"She's just like that. But she's nice!" Ruby whispered back, causing Qrow to snort before ruffling her hair.
Qrow hesitated but seemed to be thinking about it, before he glanced at Ruby. Taiyang immediately understood what he was thinking about and spoke up. "Ruby can stay with Raven, like before. She loves having her… she'll be fine." He gave Ruby, who had walked up to the group as they were talking, a small smile.
Yang perked up as Qrow tensed. "Wait… Did Raven never…" She trailed off, not really comfortable with revealing her personal life to so many people just yet. Thankfully, Qrow picked up on her hesitation.
"Looks like it, Fire Cracker." He said with a nod. Yang looked back to the screen with mixed feelings warring over her face, sadness and curiosity most prominent among them.
Qrow groaned internally and opened his mouth to make his decision but a tug on the sleeve of his jacked made him pause. "Dad… you said you'd never go back to the army." Her eyes teared up slightly at the thought of Qrow leaving her. "You promised me!" She said, pleading for him to stay.
A soft but high pitched squeal caused everyone to turn their attention to Nora who had her hands clamped over her mouth. "She looks so cute!" She exclaimed although it was slightly muffled due to her hands covering her mouth.
"Huh?!" Ruby shouted, flabbergasted and with her previous sadness forgotten as Yang, Weiss and Blake all snickered at her expense. Even Team JNPR joined in and Qrow gave up all hints of subtlety and burst out laughing.
Ozpin, however, despite the smile on his face, watched with a critical eye. 'She's distracting her… Well played, Ms. Valkyrie. Well played indeed.' He thought.
Qrow only sighed before looking Ruby in the eye. "It's Auntie Winter, Ruby… She'd do it for me." He said, before giving Ruby a small pat on the head. Ruby's tears spilled over and she hugged Qrow eagerly, a hug which Qrow returned, before the screen went black.
"So they were referring to me…" Winter said, as Weiss's heart sunk in her chest.
"I hope you'll be okay…" She murmured but yelped as she was tackled in a hug by her partner which, despite the overwhelming instinct to push the younger girl away, she instead very slowly wrapped her own arms around the younger girls waist.
"It'll be okay, Weiss!" She piped up happily but there was an undertone of sadness in her voice. Weiss let a small smile form on her face as she looked back towards the screen.
"I just hope we aren't actually related in this… That would be a nightmare…!" Qrow muttered jokingly, earning a jab to the ribs from Winter, which caused him to grunt and hiss in pain.
The sound of roaring flames appeared first, before the sight of them appeared next all along the screen. They burned brightly, the crackling of of the fire's fuel clearly audible with no other sound to drown it out.
"A… A fire?" Jaune asked, confused.
"Maybe they're making camp?" Ren offered with a shrug and uncertain look.
"That definitely isn't a far-fetched assumption." Glynda admitted with a small frown. "But something seems… off..."
Then a hand, so charred and burned from the flames that the skin had dissolved and pores and blistered had formed all over it, slammed against the screen, the sound of banging glass accompanying the movements. The hand banged against the glass over and over again as the man whom the hand belonged to scream in absolute agony.
"OH MY GOD!" Pyrrha shouted in absolute horror as her hand's flew up to cover her mouth.
"Shit!" Qrow yelped, dropping his flask and rushing forward to Ruby, trying to cover her eyes and ears before she could really take in what they were watching. He was only partially successful.
"W-what was that…?" Ruby whispered, her mouth and eyes open wide in shock behind Qrow's hands.
Weiss lifted a hand to her mouth as she forced back the bile that crept up her throat. Winter and Ironwood looked pale, their eyes wide with horror as they gaped in complete shock.
Ozpin himself shivered as a cold sweat covered his body, memories of his first death at her hands coming back to him. The fire that raged around them as their castle crumbled, before she loomed over him with fire in her palm- Ozpin shook himself out of his stupor and wiped away a stray tear, trying to compose himself as he stared wide eyed.
The screen brightened more, the darkness melting away to reveal the full form of the man, whom had become unrecognizable due to the third degree burns all over his body. His skin was black and red from the damage the fire had done to him and his hair was completely burned off. Only his uniform, which was nearly dissolved at this point, remained which identified him as a soldier.
Despite herself, even Neo was staring in slight horror. She was no stranger to brutal deaths but even being burned alive wasn't something she'd wish on someone. And that screaming… She glanced over at Torchwick and he had a similar look. "Fuck me…" He mumbled, his voice drowned out over the burning man's screams.
Jaune wanted to vomit, among a plethora of other things as he took in the terrifying sight before him. His breathing quickened and sweat gathered on his brow and he wasn't alone. He glanced over at Nora and Ren, the latter of which seemed to be close to hyperventilating.
"Ren?" Jaune asked slowly but while Ren didn't respond, Nora noticed and snapped her head to her partner.
"Ren? Ren?!" She asked as she grabbed his shoulders and shook him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? Nora, wha-" He asked as he got his breathing under control but Nora only hugged him in response.
"It's okay…" She whispered, so soft that only he could hear her. "It's okay, you're okay… We're okay…" She said before Ren hugged her back.
"NO!" Qrow shouted as he pushed himself back, before slamming his foot into the glass with all of his strength. The glass cracked but a foot couldn't do much against bullet proof glass. "I need help over here!" He shouted as he continued to kick away. "Hold on!"
Despite the hands over her eyes, Ruby could connect the dots enough to tell that someone was in danger. "Save him uncle Qrow! Save him!" She shouted as tears gathered in her eyes from the screams which she could still hear despite Qrow trying his best to shield the younger girl.
"He'll try Ruby! Uncle Qrow's got this! I know he does!" She said but even she didn't feel to confident. She spared a glance at Qrow and her heart sunk at the look on his face.
"This is horrible…" Blake muttered, her ears lowered on her head in distress.
A shout made him turn. "Qrow!" The voice said, which belonged to a large man with dark skin, black hair and a full beard on his chin. "Savimbi!" Qrow shouted with relief but didn't let himself get distracted. "You've got to help!" He said as he waved him over.
"Maybe that guy can help him?" Jaune asked with a crooked smile but even he himself could tell that it was wishful thinking.
"I- I don't think so Jaune…" Pyrrha muttered, the Mistralian tournament fighter flinching as she heard Ruby bite back a whimper from her words. "Even if they got him out, I don't think anyone can survive those injuries..."
"That poor soul…" Winter muttered as she shook her head.
Qrow spotted a nearby shovel, which he quickly grabbed before smashing it against the glass of the destroyed and burning vehicle. The glass cracked further and further but it did not break. "BREAK, DAMMIT!" He shouted, the man trapped on the inside trying to push against the glass despite the pain he was going through. Sadly, despite his efforts, Qrow was not able to save him. The man let out one last howl of agony as his suffering finally ended, his body going limp.
"NO!" Ruby shouted as her tears spilled over. "NO! NO, no, no…!" She cried as she dissolved into whimpering. Yang wrapped her arms around her, letting the younger girl press her face into her shoulder before she gently stroked Ruby's hair.
Qrow glanced at the screen with a glazed over look. He held in a sigh, before glancing at his flask which still lied on the floor. He picked it up before staring at it for a few seconds, after which he put it away with a grimace.
"That was dark… really dark…" Sun mumbled as Neptune rubbed his arm in discomfort beside him.
Penny was just confused. When she saw the man die she felt… Maybe it was sadness… Or fear? She didn't know how she felt. All she knew was that she didn't like it and that she wanted it to stop. She wished she could have saved him but her analysis showed that it wouldn't have been possible.
"The fire finished him." Savimbi said with sorrow as he knelt down next to Qrow, who turned to him. "Sometimes it's too late to save a man…" He comforted Qrow, before his expression steeled with determination. "We must move out, before we join him in death!" He gestured to the burning corpse of the soldier Qrow had tried to save, before handing Qrow a machete.
Ironwood sighed softly but he knew better than most that the words the stranger, this Savimbi he recalled, said were true. There would always be someone who wouldn't be able to be saved and God knows Ironwood had tried. He'd come to terms with that fact long ago but it still burned.
"Shit… That guy's kinda motivational…" Torchwick admitted with a shrug, having mostly calmed down now that the traumatizing event was over.
"Now that you mention it…" Qrow mumbled beside him. "You're not wrong..."
Qrow and Savimbi stood up and turned, revealing a sizable force of men and armored vehicles as explosion rang out on the rocks above them, the explosives missing their targets. One of Savimbi's men ran up to him with a grenade launcher and handed it to him. "The mortar fire means the MPLA is ready for attack!"
"MPLA…?" Blake mumbled to herself but Ozpin was already looking at the topic.
"It's a political party based out of... Angola, a nation on… the continent of Africa… This is a whole new world, not just a parallel Remnant like some of the other universes have been so far…" He said after reading the information on the Theater Scroll with a fascinated look.
"But…" Ruby sniffed, wiping away the last of her tears and lifting her head but still choosing to stay tangled in Yang's embrace. "Weren't they part of the military?" She said, uncertainly, referring to Savimbi and his men.
Ironwood's head dropped slightly in realization. "It's a civil war…" He said and the mood in the room dropped even further.
His men stood by, attentively listening to Savimbi as he spoke. "If they want a fight, we'll give them a fight!" He shouted, his words accompanied by the cheers of his men. "MOVE OUT!" He shouted, his men racing to complete his order.
Winter smiled slightly at the sight despite the mood. This man, Savimbi, reminded her of General Ironwood. They both had the charisma and will to lead their men and make tough decisions. It was why she respected the general so and if her read of the man was correct, she'd soon respect Savimbi too.
Blake's ears only dropped in sadness. The scene practically forced memories of Adam back into her mind, before she left the White Fang, before he became the person he was now. They had the same energy, the same drive, a natural ability to lead. She took a drink of some water that had appeared in her hand, trying to focus on other things.
As Qrow and Savimbi moved to one of the armored vehicles, Taiyang called in on Qrow's radio. "Qrow, you copy?" He asked.
"Go ahead, Tai!" He responded as he sheathed his machete.
"MPLA forces advancing on your position, about one klick North!" Qrow looked up to see Taiyang's helicopter fly overhead towards the battlefield as he spoke.
"Oh, damn! Is Dad flying that helicopter?" Yang asked with some excitement in her voice, partly genuine and partly forced to improve the sour mood.
"Your dad and flying just don't mix, kids… If he ever gets into the cockpit of a bullhead, run." Qrow said with a look so serious that Yang and even Ruby despite her sadness, couldn't help but giggle even if it was only lightly.
"We know! Savimbi's leading a counter charge!" Qrow said, as Savimbi climbed on top of one of the vehicles while Qrow hung on to the side.
On the other end of the line, Qrow heard Tai chuckle. "He's got balls. I'll give him that!"
"Damn right he does!" Sun spoke up as he pumped his fist. "The guy's getting me pumped!"
Glynda only sighed at the sight. She glanced over to Ms. Valkyrie and Mr. Ren and smiled as the comment from the Haven student seemed to have help them get back into somewhat good spirits.
The vehicle Qrow was on began to move as he readied his weapon, an RPD Light Machine Gun, Savimbi's men cheering all the while. "What about Winter?" Qrow asked. "Do we have confirmation on her location?" She shouted, due to the loud explosions and cheering nearby.
"Oh!" Ruby piped up at the sight of the weapon, smiling slightly. "That looks so cool! It looks like a light machine gun but by the receiver it looks like it's caliber is 7,62mm! I wonder how fast it can fire!" She said as Torchwick looked at her with shock.
"You're telling me… that you can tell what a weapon is and what it does just at a glance?" He asked, incredulous.
"That's my sister alright, little weapon nut that she is!" Yang smiled and ruffled her hair but this time Ruby only leaned into the touch, something that warmed Yang's heart.
"They've been moving her from one location to another!" Tai said back, which made Qrow click his tongue in annoyance. "We expect Savimbi's men to report back soon." The call went dead and Qrow looked back to the front, preparing for the inevitable battle.
"No…!" Weiss whined softly at the fact.
"Calm down, Weiss." Winter said softly behind her but to her surprise, Weiss whirled around with a scared and angry look on her face.
"No!" She shouted. "You might be hurt! And I don't even know how badly or where you are and… and-" She choked slightly as her eyes watered but a hug from her older sister, which surprised the both of them, she began to calm down.
"No matter what happens on screen Weiss, you must remember. I will always be right beside you. I will always be fine. Promise me that you'll remember that." Winter said softly as she looked into Weiss's eyes.
"I… Okay…" She whispered softly, and with one last squeeze from Winter, she sat back down.
As Savimbi's forces moved forward, the mortar fire abruptly halted in it's barrage which Savimbi noticed with trepidation. "The mortars have stopped…" He said. All was quiet for a few seconds, before the war cry of dozens of MPLA soldiers announced their arrival as they charged from over the small hill.
"What the hell…?" Qrow muttered as he took in the sight.
"They're just… charging…?" Pyrrha asked herself, almost unbelieving of what she was seeing.
"That's suicide… There has to be over a hundred meters of open ground between them. They'll be gunned down…" Ironwood whispered with sorrow.
Savimbi's forces opened fire as Savimbi himself turned to rally his men. "Here they come! Here they come, my brothers! FIGHT, MY BROTHERS!" He cried as the men at the front of the line fell, the MPLA soldiers charging at Qrow next.
"Look out Uncle Qrow!" Ruby and Yang shouted as one, fearful for their uncle's life.
He raised his machine gun and opened fire, cutting down half a dozen enemy soldiers although more kept coming.
A good portion of the audience cringed at the deaths in front of them, surprise and discomfort hitting them full force but nowhere near the level in comparison to earlier.
"Hold on…" Jaune spoke up. "Shouldn't their aura have protected them from that?" He asked, worriedly but he felt like he was forgetting something.
"It should have…" Winter spoke up. "But it looked like they lacked aura." She declared.
"But- that's crazy!" He said with a shout.
"It is unusual but not unheard of Mr. Arc." Ozpin spoke up. "There are a few in all militaries around Remnant who lack their aura. Even among terrorist organizations such as the White Fang." Blake's ears twitched at the mention of the group but she kept her cool. She didn't want to tip off the General of Atlas that she was technically a former terrorist.
Despite the losses they were suffering, Qrow and Savimbi's men steadily moved forwards and even as they paid for every inch of ground they took, they made sure the enemy paid for every inch of ground they lost.
Savimbi's men finally advanced up the hill, a small force acting as the vanguard. As they prepared to charge, a barrage of mortar fire cut them to pieces, blood and limbs showering the area of impact. Savimbi scowled and shouted over the gunfire. "Qrow! Target the mortar crews! They are behind the rocks!"
"Uhh… I can get some people not having aura…" Neptune spoke up with a raised hand. "But I haven't seen any indication of aura at all, actually…" He mumbled.
"No… No, you're right, Mr. Vasilias…" Ironwood murmured as he turned to Ozpin. Ozpin nodded in understanding as he tapped on the Theater Scroll for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he paled slightly.
"Ozpin?" Glynda asked, noticing his hesitation.
"I… In this universe aura doesn't exist either…" He murmured to the shock of some and while others were surprised, they, him included, remembered that earlier on they had come across this same question before. "I had completely forgotten that aura is not always accessible to the people of different worlds… It seems that it is unique to Remnant and it's parallel versions…"
"Then… Everyone on that battlefield-" Winter whispered, wide eyed.
"Lacks aura, yes…" Ironwood finished as he cursed internally. So much blood would be spilled, and for what? Political views?
Qrow nodded and rushed over to one of the sources of mortar fire. He grabbed a grenade and primed it, before chucking it over the rock. A second later, he heard a startled yelp, before and explosion cut it off abruptly with cries of pain to accompany it. From his position, he spotted the second mortar nest and fell to the ground prone. He set his machine gun down and opened fire, cutting down the crew and silencing the mortar fire.
"Nice one, Uncle Qrow!" Yang shouted towards her uncle. Despite the chaos happening on screen, it wasn't as bad as compared to watching that guy burn alive. Then Ozpin's words came back to her. 'Just think of this as a movie or something…' She thought to herself. Fortunately, it seemed to work.
"I'm the best, kid. You know I am." He snarked back with a grin.
He made to report his success but a MPLA soldier aiming an RPG at him forced him to hit the deck. The explosive sailed past him, smashing into an armored vehicle behind him, which exploded abruptly. Qrow pulled out his side arm and shot the man dead. He approached the man, picking up the RPG and the ammunition for it as he called in to Savimbi. "The mortar crews are down!"
Torchwick whistled at the near death experience on screen. "You are one lucky bastard, you know that?" He turned towards Qrow who snorted in response.
"Heh… Luck…" He murmured, a small smile on his face.
A shell whistled past, smashing into another armed vehicle. Qrow looked to the source and paled when he saw a tank, it's barrel still smoking from the freshly fired shell. "Damn it, Tai! They've got T-62 tanks in support!" He called in on his radio as he ran to cover. "We need you to take the heat off!"
"Look at those vehicles!" Ruby squealed, despite her puffy red eyes she was pushing past her grief just like Yang was. "They all look so cool! I wonder what caliber of shell they fire! Oh, or the thickness of their armor!"
"But, wait, if this is a whole new universe, we can assume it's a different planet too right?" Neptune asked warily. When he got nods, he continued. "Then, it's safe to assume that they're not using Dust either right?" That gave them pause.
"It's not hard to imagine humanity developing some other source of fuel and energy in its absence." Ozpin smoke up with a sip of hot cocoa.
"I wonder what it would be… Perhaps something powered by the wind or the sun? Maybe some other substance similar to Dust?" Weiss contemplated as the gears in her brain turned.
Taiyang called in after a moment of silence. "Qrow, I'll provide air support on your word." A second later, another armored vehicle exploded. "Take out the tanks, Tai!" Qrow shouted with urgency.
"Things blowing up?" Torchwick asked with an excited grin, Neo perking up next to him. "Yes, please."
Yang turned to the crook with a small grin. "You might be an asshole, but you have good tastes." She decided. Torchwick only flipped her off as she chuckled but even he let out an amused snort.
The sound of a helicopter could faintly be heard over the battlefield as Tai called in on the radio. "Beginning strafing run!" He said, as rockets smashed into some of the tanks as Tai flew by. As he did so, some small arms fire hit his helicopter and one missile barely missed. "Dammit I'm taking fire from the ground! Sooner or later, one of them is gonna get lucky!" He said as he finished his run and began flying back to safety.
"That's a nice view…" Qrow murmured as he leaned back in his chair.
"Why are all of these weapons so cool?!" Ruby squeaked. "I know that violence is horrible and everything but they're just so cool and the explosions look really big and pretty and I'll just stop talking…" Ruby slowly devolved from excited school girl to embarrassed little sister as she caught herself rambling, Yang snickering besides her.
"He's skilled as a pilot, there's no question about that." Ironwood appraised the man on screen. "I know more men who would panic due to a brush with death like that than those who would keep calm…" The general said, referring to the rocket nearly hitting the helicopter.
Qrow nodded in appreciation. "Nice work, Tai!" he said as he cut down another enemy soldier. He glanced over the battlefield and cursed as he saw several trucks with mounted machine guns peppering Tai's helicopter. "There's a couple of MG trucks targeting you!" He shouted.
"I can't make another pass till you take out those MG trucks!" Tai shouted back as Savimbi next to him shoved a machete through a man's chest, before cheering his men on. "I'll deal with them!" Qrow said as he began to move.
"That guy is… really brutal…" Blake spoke up as she squirmed in discomfort due to the sight.
"You got that right…" Sun spoke up with an easy going grin. "But you gotta admit he's also pretty cool."
"According to research, it has been shown that commanders who lead by example are often many times more effective in comparison to those who do not." Penny spoke up with a small smile, before blinking happily at Ironwood.
"That is correct, Penny." James responded with a small, pleased smile.
Qrow crouched on the ground and aimed his acquired RPG, before pulling the trigger. The rocket soared through the air and crashed into the side of the unarmored vehicle, which exploded in a shower of parts. He repeated the process with the second one and the Machine Gun fire stopped. "MG trucks are down! You're clear, Tai!"
Glynda rolled her eyes as some of the students tensed in anticipation, with even Qrow and Torchwick joining them. Just what was it that made watching things explode so fascinating? Was it the noises or perhaps the lights, maybe both? She turned towards Ozpin and her eye twitched as he looked similarly excited.
"Waiting on your go, Qrow!" Tai shouted, to which Qrow immediately shouted for him to go ahead.
"Okay, coming around again!" A few seconds later, the familiar sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air returned as Tai unleashed rocket hell onto the remaining tanks which exploded beautifully as the rockets crashed into their armored hulls.
"YEAH!" Yang cheered, pumping a fist into the air. "Go get em, dad!"
"You people are so uncivilized." Weiss spoke up with a role of her eyes.
"Come on, Weissy! You know you love us!" Nora shouted with a huge grin. Weiss, while she did scowl, did not refute the claim.
'Well she's certainly made a few friends…' Winter smiled lightly to herself.
"There's heavy armor still out there!" Qrow shouted and Tai doubled around, catching any tanks that he had missed in the smoke and carnage.
Qrow turned towards Savimbi as the last of the tanks were destroyed. He watched as he dueled with an enemy soldier, easily parrying the slashes with his machete, before plunging his own through the soldiers chest as blood exploded out from the wound. He turned his attention back to Tai as he spoke.
"Shit, Qrow! Stray fire took out the chopper guns!" Tai said and Qrow cursed at the news. "I can't make another run!"
"That's better than the alternative." Winter spoke up, referring to the possible destruction of the helicopter.
"Truer words have never been spoken. Nevertheless, it looks like Taiyang has done all he has needed to." Ozpin added with a small smile towards Ruby and Yang.
"They've got it in the bag, no question." Neptune said with a light smile.
Savimbi approached as the soldier he was fighting dropped to the ground. "Come, my friend!" He said, turning towards and climbing back onto the armored truck as Qrow followed. Once he was on, Savimbi rallied his men once more. "They are weak! We must finish them!" He shouted as he pointed towards the disorganized forces.
"Yep…" Qrow whistled at the sight. "It's over for those guys. That Savimbi guy and his men have pretty much won. Just gotta run them off the field."
"I guess so…" Ren spoke up softly. "I hope they surrender…" He murmured, Blake's ears flattening against her head as she heard it.
"Yeah… I hope so too…" She murmured.
"I think everyone does…" Ruby added softly. "No one wants people to die for no reason..."
Savimbi's men then began a general advance, steadily pushing forward as the enemy began to fall back under the pressure, dozens being cut down from both small arms and machine gun fire. Some small groups of soldiers performed rearguard actions but they were cut down, their lives sacrificed for little.
Ironwood sighed to himself at the sight. There would be no prisoners taken in this battle. This… This MPLA had been defeated and the winning army would make sure there was nothing less than total victory. He had done the same a few times in battles with the more zealous of the White Fang. He never liked it but he had come to terms that it was necessary.
"Brave…" Glynda spoke up with a somber frown. "But ultimately very foolish…"
Pyrrha frowned at the sight then imagined herself in a similar situation. Would she put her life on the line to save someone else? Even if it was almost futile? As much as she thought it over, she felt that she had already decided should that situation come to pass...
Sensing victory, Savimbi smirked down at Qrow. "Our journey to victory has begun!" He said, before tilting his head forward to the heavens and screaming with all of his might. "DEATH TO THE MPLA!" His men let out a vicious war cry, the enemies retreat quickly turned into a panicked route.
"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about all this… That guy is basically shouting for his men to kill everyone but the way he's saying it…" Jaune said as he fidgeted slightly.
"He is rather charismatic…" Weiss added with a contemplative frown. She paused when she heard a frustrated growl behind them.
"Alright kids, Uncle Roman is going to give you some advice." The crook spoke up with an annoyed look while Neo laughted silently beside him. "Those people? Yeah, those on the screen? As far as you should be concerned, as long as they don't have a face you recognize, don't care about them."
"But… But…" Ruby tried to speak up, aghast at the suggestion but Torchwick wasn't having it.
"Nope! They are not your friends, they are not your family, you do not know them and you will never meet them because as far as anyone in this room should be concerned, none of them exist!" There was a tense silence in the room, before someone clearing their throat broke it.
"Surprisingly… That isn't bad advice, Mr. Torchwick." Ozpin said with a small frown.
"But, how can you say that?" Ren asked slowly yet horrified.
"Because we cannot save everyone, Mr. Ren." The headmaster said sternly. "There is no use getting worked up over something we have no sway over. That is why at the beginning of all of this, I suggested that no one takes anything we see too seriously. We are here to gather information to sate our own curiosity and to simply enjoy ourselves while we can. If we cannot do that then there is no reason for us to remain here."
"We… We understand, sir." Ruby spoke up with a small frown, the other students nodding along with her. "We'll try not to get too worked up over this."
"On the bright side, it isn't a bad way to get over the emotional aspects of being a huntress." Ironwood spoke up comfortingly. "Conquering your emotions now will allow you to be a better Huntsman or Huntress in the future." Ruby appreciated those words, and smiled lightly at the General.
Finally, with the last of the enemy soldiers cut down, the battle was over. It was silent for a few seconds before one soldier cried out in triumph before being joined by his comrades. Soon, the entire victorious army was cheering.
"So that's it then, huh?" Qrow murmured.
"It seems to be so… It's a shame… All that life wasted…" Winter mumbled softly.
Qrow and Savimbi dismounted as Taiyang descended from above with his helicopter before landing, Savimbi's soldiers cheering their leaders name as he walked towards the helicopter.
Savimbi laughed as he neared Tai. "Hahaha! My friend from above!" He shouted happily. "You killed many men today eh?! Hahaha! Yes! We all did! Hahaha…!" A soldier ran up to Savimbi and whispered something into his ear. Savimbi's triumphant look was gone in an instant, a frown on his face replacing it.
"I know we just talked about this, but… The way that guy is just smiling and laughing like that…" Jaune said softly.
"I agree with you, Mr. Arc." Glynda spoke up. "It is fairly disturbing but not without it's reason."
"That's right. Many of my own soldiers try to take enjoyment out of the battlefield to black out the pain that comes with killing another living being. It's an effective strategy so long as you do not lose yourself." The general spoke, Jaune nodding softly in response.
Taiyang noticed this and leaned out of the cockpit. "Where's Winter?!" He asked over the cheers of the soldiers.
"The MPLA is not yet defeated…" He murmured before looking up at Taiyang with a seriousness that nearly made him flinch. "That's a very dangerous rescue, my friends!"
"That… doesn't sound good…" Yang said softly with some concern on her features.
"I hope you'll be okay, Winter…" Weiss whispered softly but a smile from her older sister reassured her.
Qrow approached him from behind and put a hand on his shoulder. "Where is she?!" he asked, his tone urgent. Savimbi turned to him. "She's being held captive by a Nicaraguan gun runner! A very dangerous man!" He warned gravely.
"Nicaragua?" Sun tried the name out on his tongue although it took him a few tries to say it right.
"I'd assume it's another one of these different nations on whatever planet they are on." Ozpin said.
"I wonder…" Qrow murmured, wondering if this man would be someone they've never seen before… Or someone they knew...
"WHERE?!" Qrow shouted, his impatience finally getting to him.
"About two miles north!" Savimbi tilted his head in that direction. "She's on a transport barge, on the Cubango river!" Qrow was already stepping onto the helicopter before Savimbi was even done talking.
"Come on, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted with an encouraging voice. "I know you can save her!"
"Of course I can kid! Qrow spoke up, ruffling her hair once again, much to her chagrin. "I'm me! She'll be just fine, I know she will."
"She may already be dead!" Savimbi shouted. Qrow gave him a grateful nod, before banging on the cockpit door. "Let's go Tai!" One of the injured MPLA soldiers reached out a hand on the ground but was swiftly executed with a bullet to the head. The men, Savimbi included, cheered as Tai and Qrow lifted off of the ground before flying away, hoping they could reach Winter in time.
"She won't be dead! She won't, I won't allow it!" Weiss shouted at the screen as her eyes watered but a hug from her partner calmed her down somewhat.
"Alright… This is actually tickling my taste buds… I'm liking the suspense." Torchwick spoke up, while Blake had a small internal crisis.
Now that she thought about it, if she thought about everything like a book, she had to admit that the plot of said… book… was really interesting and she was actually eager to see what happened next. That thought disturbed her though, given that the people at risk wore the same faces and had the same voices as the people in the room with her.
"The way they just executed that man at the end though… Couldn't they have just taken him prisoner?" Pyrrha asked softly.
"Perhaps they could have… But they didn't for one reason or another. Perhaps lack of supplies to sustain any prisoners or simply indifference to executing the man on the spot." Winter mumbled.
"Not to worry friends." Penny spoke up with a chipper smile, seemingly unaffected with anything. "It seems that we won't need to wait long at all to see the conclusion to this tale." She said.
"Well she adjusted fast…" Qrow mumbled.
"I do believe we should have a small break. If anyone simply needs a breather or to go to the bathroom, now would be the time. We'll continue once everyone is finished." A chorus of spoken agreements was all everyone needed as some simply decided to stay seated and much on some food while other got up and stretched their legs.
"How long do we got… 5 minutes?" Qrow asked as he stood for the door.
"That sounds like enough time." Ozpin responded.
"Right… I'll be back in a second…" Qrow mumbled as the door shut behind him. Ozpin only sighed.
"This has been turning out more interesting than I thought..."
A/N: Yo. It'sa me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I apologize if it doesn't seem as thorough as my other ones. I'm not too good at writing darker and more sad stuff within reaction fanfics. Humor is my shtick but I tried my best. Do let me know what you guys think though.
Also, you might have noticed that in this one, some people haven't been swapped out for the RWBY cast such as Castro, Colonel Oliver North and Jonas Savimbi. I thought it over and came to a conclusion, that, if a person in whatever it is they are reacting to, is or was a real person in some point in history, I will not swap them out. I'll only be swapping out fictional characters or unimportant real people.
Historical figures, popular youtubers or influential figures today will not be swapped in most cases. The only time I would swap them out is for like... Here's an example: Let's say I'm having the gang react to a let's play of Prop Hunt on YouTube. Unless I want them to specifically react to the youtuber who made the video, then I might swap out the people in said video and simply play it off as the RWBY cast playing video games in a "normal" universe, but other than that, real people are a no go zone for swapping.
The reason I'm doing this is because I plan to have them react to Earth history at some point and it would feel kinda weird if I replace Hitler in a video game for let's say... Sienna Khan, but then show them a documentary about Hitler and not swap him out.
I also hope that I displayed the interaction between Ironwood and everyone else, Torchwick especially, in the theater well. Soon enough, some people are gonna show up that aren't just a thieves or minor criminals like Roman and are people who have already committed severe crimes that are known about, unlike say Cinder, Emerald or Mercury (They will appear soon), and who haven't been outed as bad guys yet. So the people I'm talking about are Tyrian, Adam or even Salem, among a few others.
I don't know how I'll handle that since I do eventually want all of the more important members of the RWBY cast to appear sooner or later and I'm not really a fan of the "We have a TV so shut up and watch" method of getting sworn enemies to sit in the same room but I might have to bullshit something if I don't figure anything out. Help on that front would be appreciated.
With that being said, I'll see you all when the next one is up.
(P.S. - I'm sorry about the lack of Penny saying much, I don't know how to write her volume one self properly but I think I'll get the hang of it sooner or later.)