In the wake of RWBY World of Remnant 2, Chapter 4 approaches!
Chapter 4: Gold
Looking back on this event, I probably should have thanked those stupid boys for approaching us as we exited the elevator, or else I may have never met The Mercenary. Three of them saw us as we looked around the room, which was setup similarly to the fourth floor, save for the gym and cafe being replaced with multiple rooms filled with large, boxlike machines I took to be combat simulators. The first boy peeled off from the wall he was leaning against and began walking straight towards us. The other two quickly followed suit, flanking their leader. They all seemed to be Yang's age, or maybe a year or two older. They wore tan bodysuits, thick with padding around the torso and joints that I recognized as the uniform of a normal AC pilot. Or in their case, pilots in training.
The leader slicked back his short, brown hair with a palm as he stepped up to Yang trying to show off his muscles. She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, obviously unimpressed. Undeterred, the leader began talking, with a false suaveness in his voice.
"Hey blondie, haven't seen you around here before."
Yang, ever playing innocent with boys, responded in the most naive voice she could muster while I stood silently behind her. She was much more… femininely endowed, than I was, so I could usually get away with avoiding strange and kind of scary older boys when she was around. Sometimes I think she liked the attention.
"Oh no, we just got here from Aspina." She extended a hand, causing the leader to recoil in surprise that his apparent charm had been ignored. One of his goons raised a hand to suppress a chuckle as the leader hesitantly shook Yang's hand. "I'm Yang Xiao Long. And this is my little sister Ruby." she said as she stepped aside and pulled me forward. I withered a little under the gaze of these older boys, and tried my best to respond. I didn't like talking to strangers too much, especially ones who were obviously sleazy and not to be trusted.
"Uh, hi. I'm Ruby." I stuttered. They ignored me and focused on Yang. The leader spoke again with renewed confidence.
"So Yang, how about you come check out the simulators with us? They can give quite a rush." he said with a sly grin.
"Oh, that sounds great! Did you hear that Ruby? They're going to show us the AC combat simulators!" Yang said, shooting me a fake smile. I could detect the sarcasm in her voice as she spoke, but I'm certain all the boys heard was a gullible blonde falling into their trap. Except for one detail.
"Uh, just you, Yang. Your sister can't be in there, it's too… dangerous." The leader said. One of his goons chimed in, raising a hand up to his neck, just above where my head would be.
"Yeah, you have to be this tall to ride, sweetheart." he said with a sneer. Yang's smile instantly disappeared.
"That's too bad boys. Maybe you can show us around some other time. Come on Ruby, let's go back to the room, Mom and Dad are probably waiting." She said as she turned away, pulling me towards the elevator. One of the boys reached a hand out and grabbed her shoulder roughly, and she froze.
"Hey, where do you think-"
"Take your hand off me. You have three seconds." Yang growled, dead serious. The boys froze, until the leader spoke up, his hand still on Yang's shoulder.
"I said, where do you think you're going?"
"One."
The leader tried to pull Yang back, but she was locked in place and wouldn't budge. I stood off to the side, knowing what would happen if that moron didn't let go.
"C'mon blondie, it'll be fun." he muttered.
"Two." Yang said. Her hands slowly tensed up at her sides, unnoticed by the boys. The goons were backing up, but the leader remained arrogant in his dominance. It wouldn't last long.
"Alright you Aspina trash, I won't ask you again!"
"Three."
Yang's right arm shot up and caught the leader's hand in a vice-like grip. His face contorted in pain and terror as she bent down and reached up with her other hand, wrenching his arm forward and catapulting him above her shoulder. Releasing the boy mid-swing, Yang sent him flying across the room into the opposite wall, where he collided with a resounding thud. The padded suit should have lessened the pain, but he still stood up in a daze. Yang turned to the two goons, who hesitated before charging forward, fists raised. It was a huge mistake.
Yang ducked a wild swing from the closest one, then brought a fist straight up into his ribs. The sheer force knocked him over, and he hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. His friend let out a battle cry as he jabbed forward, but Yang turned away the punch with her forearm. With a deadly ferocity, Yang struck him twice under his outstretched arm before winding back and belting the goon in the jaw, dropping him straight to the ground.
I sighed as I watched it all happen. I had seen it many times. Boys think my sister is just some dumb blonde and fail to realize it takes intelligence and strength to become the boxing champion of Aspina. The leader had fully recovered by this point, and ran as quietly as he could at my sister's backside. I began to shout a warning, but I didn't have to. A foot appeared in the boy's way, sending him spiraling down to the floor again, his padded suit letting out a comical fart of air. Yang and I both laughed aloud at the sight, and the boy's face turned a bright shade of red. I looked over to see our protector standing over the boy, shaking his head at him. He wore a familiar green trench coat, and had short cut, sandy hair that was greying at the ends. His voice was firm and confident as he addressed the kid on the ground.
"Cardin, what are you doing? I just got back and you're already causing trouble." he hoisted the boy roughly to his feet. "If you have time to fight ladies, you have time to fight ACs. You're not leaving that simulator until your team survives the Silent Avalanche run or you die of exhaustion."
"B-but sir, no one can survive that! Silent Avalanche can take out NEXTs! All we have are muscle tracers and normals!"
"All that Silent Avalanche has are normals too. But they don't spend their time screwing around and harassing strangers. Maybe you would like the lady to take your place? She'd probably be better at it than you." The man winked sideways at Yang, and we both laughed more at the boy.
"No sir, I'll get started right away." He mumbled as he trudged off towards the combat simulators. His two friends followed silently behind, bent over with pain. The man turned to us fully.
"I apologize you two. Those boys from Anatolia just joined the Line Ark defense corps, and think they're hot stuff. They won't bother you again. My name's Hector, by the way." he said. I studied him with recognition that was obviously not shared by Yang. She introduced us both, and Hector turned to me as I stared at him. He remembered too.
"You were the girl at the helipad, weren't you Ruby? I thought I recognized you both from somewhere. You're lucky you have such a good sister looking out for you." he said with a smile. Yang elbowed me with an arrogant grin, though I shrugged her off. "You know quite a lot about NEXTs, young lady. It's pretty impressive for someone your age."
"Joshua taught me about them. I helped work on White Glint with him." I said. Hector's eyes turned down slightly.
"Hmmm. Interesting."
"Did you know Joshua?"
"I've met him before."
"Do you know where he is? And where Anatolia's Mercenary is? Are they hunting down Omer?"
Hector froze up when I mentioned Omer, obviously distressed. Yang stepped closer to me, tensing up.
"You know Omer was behind the attack?" Hector asked quietly.
"Yeah, they sent Palmette after us in Aspina, but The Mercenary took her down in seconds. You were there, you saw it, right?"
"I did see it, a little too close up for my tastes. You really do know your stuff, Ruby."
"So do you know where Joshua is? Didn't he ask Mr. Gustav to send The Mercenary to protect us?" I asked. Hector didn't reply, and I started to feel a little cold. The fear that had gnawed at me somewhere deep inside was surfacing, and I began to doubt Yang's theory about all this. "Where's Joshua? What's going on?" I cried, more loudly. Yang wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she realized the meaning behind Hector's silence.
"Hector, please tell me!" I yelled. Taking a step back, Hector sat down on a nearby chair, and raised his hands up to his face. He stared right through them, as if they were not his own. I was about to yell again, when I noticed the trench coat had parted at his legs, revealing a white jumpsuit. Unlike the tan, normal jumpsuit with padding, this one had a thinner profile and less haphazard positioning of the material contained inside. It was not filled with foam pads, it was filled with a gel. Neural interface gel. Made specifically for LYNXs. I looked up at Hector with wide eyes.
"You're Anatolia's Mercenary." I whispered. People were looking at us now from the training rooms. I didn't notice, or care, but Yang shot them all a look that could cut through primal armor, and everyone turned back to their own business. Hector met my gaze with watering eyes.
"Yes, I am."
"Please, where is he?" I asked once more, almost wishing Hector didn't answer. But he did.
"Joshua is dead, Ruby."
I covered my mouth to keep from screaming as the tears came pouring down my face. My legs went limp, and Yang carefully lowered me to my knees, holding my head tight against her as she tried to soothe me.
"Ruby, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." she cooed. It did little to help stem my crying. Joshua was really gone. I would never again see his green eyes, full of life. His proud and caring smile. Never speak with him again, never tune White Glint with him again. All that I had were my memories. His last smile, and whatever he had tried to say to me. Now I would never know.
I pulled my hands away from my face and tried to wipe my cheeks, but it only made my eyes water more. Yang leaned back to give me some room as I sat up straight and looked to Hector, still sniffling as I tried to compose myself long enough to ask my final question.
He sat in the chair like a statue, watching me on the ground as I mourned the loss of my best friend. His eyes were red and watery, and although no tears were flowing, I could see that he was in a similar state of despair. But from the way he was looking at his hands, I knew it would be much worse than what I had initially thought.
"D-did, you…" I stuttered, almost breaking out crying again. Hector knew what I meant to ask.
"I tried so hard not to. Joshua was using this massive prototype NEXT. It was all I could do to disable it. But the reactor had a flaw. It exploded as I went to get him." He raised his hands to rub his eyes. "Right afterwards, another NEXT attacked Anatolia. The LYNX was Celo, I'm sure you know him. He was the clean up crew, sent to kill anyone who survived. He failed." Hector's tone grew angry, and his hands now curled into fists. "And by now, Omer is spreading lies about me, claiming I'm an anti-establishment extremist. Maybe I should be. We shouldn't let Omer get away with this!" He sighed as he calmed down. "But for now, we have to watch our backs, and protect the city. Joshua was killed trying to save you all, and I will honor his last intent. I'll die before anyone touches Line Ark."
My eyes narrowed in hatred, which I focused on the company that had taken everything from me. The company that had taken the woman from that girl. That had taken Joshua. That had tried to take us all, had it not been for The Mercenary. At the moment, I was furious with Hector for what he'd done, but in the end I found it in myself to forgive him. Joshua had been his friend too, and I could see Hector would live with the torment of what happened every day. He wouldn't forget, and neither would I.
In the wake of the LYNX War, Omer rose to dominance amongst the companies, who temporarily rallied together and formed a new coalition dubbed The League, in order to preserve the balance of power between themselves. This plan failed, of course, and The League quickly became the plaything of Omer Science Technology, save the company Global Armaments. Known for their independent streak, they had strong sympathies towards Line Ark, in no small part due to gratitude for Hector's assistance in toppling their rival, the Bernard and Felix Foundation, and for saving an entire GA colony. GA was also a very powerful company, and helped rebuild BFF into a partnership with them, establishing two outlying mavericks in The League that could potentially rival Omer.
GA and BFF provided us with all manner of supplies, surreptitiously, of course. Food, weapons, normals, NEXT parts. Their contributions kept us alive as The League came to oppose Line Ark. Thankfully, the threat of retribution from Hector was enough to stave off any violence, so we lived in relative peace.
Yang's birthday came up soon, and with much fanfare in our small room. Our father bought her a pair of expensive, antique aviator glasses, which from then on she always had on her person, and our mother bought her a new set of fresh, bright yellow boxing gloves for training in the gym. My present was a little more situational. It was a homemade AC pilot's helmet, with a section cut out of the back near the bottom to allow Yang's golden locks to hang down, and painted a dark brown color. Mom and Dad were both surprised by this, and even more when Yang announced that she was going to enlist in the Line Ark defense corps, which I already knew.
She was quite the sight in her padded pilot's suit, with the matching helmet. The color looked good on her, but the padding stuck out awkwardly and was pretty funny looking. Yang took it all with a smile, and disappeared inside one of the combat sims, wearing her aviators even in the dark of the box.
After a year, Yang was at the top of her class, and I was still in mandatory general schooling. It was very boring apart from the tech classes, and only served as a barrier between myself and my goals. Yang was soon eligible for NEXT testing, and she invited me to come and watch. Only certain people possessed the psychic trait that made them compatible with the NEXT piloting technology, but even then only the best were selected. There wasn't much to see, she just stepped into one of the big, black, machine boxes indistinguishable from the regular combat simulators, and after a few minutes, came out with a wide smile on her face.
"Ruby! I'm compatible! I can fly NEXTs!" she screamed, throwing her arms in the air whimsically. She ran over and gave me a huge bear hug, nearly squishing the life out of me.
"That's great Yang… I can't breathe."
"Oh, sorry." she said as she relaxed her embrace. She was still full of energy as she bounced up and down on her heels. "If I'm compatible, you probably are too! Isn't it a genetic thing anyway?"
"Yeah, you're right. But I've still got a year until I can join the defense corps."
"Ah, but you'll ace that. You probably know more about NEXTs than some of the instructors. Except Hector."
I nodded in agreement. General schooling seemed to pass by faster now, knowing what was waiting for me in a few years. Yang was the only one in her class who was compatible with NEXTs and competent enough to fly them, scoring a 358 of 442 in Allegorical Manipulation System synchronization, an above average rating. High AMS scoring indicated the psychic ability of a pilot, and determined how proficient they would be with their NEXTs, which were controlled directly by neural impulses through their special gel suits. Yang now shifted from normal AC combat simulations to one-on-one training with Hector.
I barely saw her most days, and when I did see her, she was tired but confident, and excited to get out of Line Ark and take the fight to our enemies. Yang had signed a contract with GA, and soon after my eighteenth birthday, she headed out for their headquarters in the Pacific to build her NEXT and begin work. She called frequently, but every now and then she would return, although she couldn't bring her NEXT Ember Celica here because it would be tracked by the other League members. GA and BFF had no desire to be openly affiliated with what many others deemed a terrorist state, so Yang usually had to sneak in at night, and could only stay for a few days. She visited me a couple times in combat school, to give me a few pointers and talk with Hector. He actually asked her to teach a class once, which was quite a show. There were burns on the floor for weeks, and a large hole in one of the walls. It's better that I don't explain.
As it turns out, I did know more than most of the instructors, and in Hector's combat theory classes I was the only one who wasn't passing by the skin of their teeth. The year went by quickly, and like my sister I ended up at the top of my class, making me eligible for NEXT testing after I turned nineteen. Yang showed up for the event, and as I walked towards the machine, she gently clasped my shoulder. She pulled me back carefully and turned me around. Her hair had grown even longer over the years, as she got taller. But it seemed dull and tired in the afternoon light streaming in from the window, and the twenty-one year old was uncharacteristically serious.
"Ruby… whatever happens, you'll be fine, ok?" she said quietly. I looked at her in confusion. This was very unlike her.
"What, you mean if I'm not compatible? It's genetic, remember? There's almost no chance I'm not compatible."
"Even so… If you aren't, you can still pilot a normal and defend Line Ark."
"I know. But I won't need to, because I'll be fighting alongside you in a NEXT." I paused, studying my sister's eyes. She looked to the floor. "What's going on Yang?"
"Ruby, I just…" She sighed. "I'm just not sure how I feel about you flying a NEXT. I don't want you to get hurt. Hector is a great teacher, but nothing can really prepare you for what's out there. What you have to do, it's not like the simulators."
Yang kept her hands wrapped firmly around my shoulders, wanting to pull me away from my destiny. I could see that I was no longer speaking with Yang my sister. I was speaking with Yang the LYNX, a one-year veteran with a NEXT kill under her belt. I remember the night well.
I was taking a midnight walk down the long hallway just outside our room, the floor tinted blue by the moonlight filtering in through the glass wall. I clutched my data pad in folded arms as I waited for Yang's call. She had promised she would call every weekend, and so far she had. Suddenly, the pad buzzed in my arms, nearly slipping from my grasp and falling to the floor. I answered only to see a tired face that barely resembled my sister. Hair disheveled, dark circles under her eyes. It was clear something was very wrong. Yang was nearly passing out on the communication desk.
"Hey, sis, sorry I'm calling so late. How's it going? How are mom and Dad?"
"They're fine, just asleep. Yang… you don't look so good."
"Yeah, I know." she sighed. "Just had a really rough time lately. I had my first fight against another LYNX."
I was both excited for my sister and terrified. I was excited that she was already skilled enough to hold her own against probably a more experienced LYNX. I was terrified that she was already being sent forward to fight these more experienced LYNX in the first place. What if it was Otsdarva she had faced? The genius from Omer had risen to Rank 1 in a matter of months, and people were beginning to compare him to Berlioz. I grew cold thinking about the storm of gunfire and lasers that would devour Yang if they fought.
"Who was it?"
"Anil Hassan." she replied. I recalled the name from a report I read on special forces normal units. Anil Hassan had been a pilot in former Eqbal's (now Algebra's) deadly Bharat squadron, and was given a NEXT when he was shown to be compatible. He was a deadly opponent, and a veteran of squad tactics. Yang closed her eyes as she massaged her forehead. "GA is at odds with Algebra right now, so I was sent to make an attack on PA-N51. Bharat squadron and Hassan were waiting for me. I took out so many of their normals, but Hassan just kept right on me, swearing vengeance. He would've had me too, if he hadn't accidentally caught his leg on a half buried refinery while he was trying to flank me."
I listened to the story intently, as Yang tried to stay awake.
"It didn't matter in the end, anyway. Algebra was sending in two more NEXTs, and I had to retreat. It was all for nothing." she gasped as she slumped down in her chair. I didn't know what to say, so I tried to console her.
"I'm just glad you're okay Yang. I know you'll be alright, but Mom and Dad are worried about you."
"Yeah," she gave a half smile as she began nodding off at the data screen. "Tell them I said hi, and send them my love."
"I will, Yang. Be careful."
"Careful is my middle name, Ruby." She said with a smirk, her eyes closed. I smiled at the comment.
"Goodnight."
Now, as I stood before my sister in the flesh, I knew she was really trying to look out for me. But this was something I had to do. I owed it to Joshua to keep fighting his fight.
"Yang, I know the consequences of this path. If it gives us even the slightest chance to bring Omer to justice, then I'm going to take it." I said. Yang stepped back, defeated, but with a proud grin on her face.
"That's my sister."
I turned around and took a deep breath. This was it, the moment of truth. I walked towards the tiny door in the side of the black monolith before me. I stepped inside the dimly lit box, and the door closed behind me with a bang. An unfamiliar scientist ushered me onto a table, with a massive indention fitting the form of a person.
"Lie down." He commanded. I did as instructed and felt a slight heat on my back as the table sprang to life with a hum. The man attached a small band to my head, and walked across from me to a small, grey console. He seemed to push a button, and the room swam before my eyes.
I saw clouds, and the sun. Wind, blowing the sand around as I stood in Aspina. But I was far outside the colony, in the wastes. A form walked away from me through the dust, but I couldn't make out any features. I called out to it, but I got no reply. I ran forward, and suddenly the ground cracked before me, sending dirt and rocks everywhere, rending the earth in two. A large, red and black NEXT rose out of the hole, before chasing after the figure. I tried to stop running, but I kept going straight over the edge. I fell straight down into total darkness, wind rushing against my face until it forced my eyes closed and I felt a paralyzing impact.
Light returned to the world as I opened my eyes, sitting up from the table. The doctor stood immobile over his console. Reaching up to my head, I unfastened the electronic belt and laid it gently down on the table behind me. I looked back at the scientist.
"Sir?" He raised his head to look at me, staring in fascination. "How'd I do? Am I compatible?" I asked, concern growing in my voice. He stuttered a reply.
"You are d-definitely compatible, miss Rose. You had nearly p-perfect synchronization with the AMS system. I-I've never seen anything like it! Four-hundred and forty-one points of neural meshing. " The man's jaw dropped. "Young lady, you have the potential to be the most powerful pilot alive."
I stood in shock, just as surprised as the scientist. The words almost didn't register. But they would in time. I would train with Hector, improving my skills and becoming the best LYNX on the planet.
And then, I would take the fight to Omer.
Surprise time jumps!
Yes, I know, it advanced very quickly, but we still have a ways to go before Ruby sees combat.
Also, Cardin cameo! Expect a lot more visits from RWBY characters. While team RWBY will be the key players, others do show up and make an impact on the story.
Chapter 5 may be delayed a little, just a forewarning.