Mantle was a large collection of islands that, for the most part, were largely underdeveloped. Not necessarily unexplored, at least not for Weiss who had already scanned this planet many times over. While the Skyknights of Mantle were stationed far in the northern regions, the civilians lived elsewhere. It was said that Vacuan nomads landed here thousands of years ago, at around the same time Northern settlers also came down from that frozen hell they had to endure.
The peoples here had already assimilated long ago, now one people under the influence of the Empire. But nobody was really sure when the assimilation occurred. So for the longest time, nobody knew who really owned these islands.
All of that was no longer relevant, of course, now that Atlas had grown so powerful. But even with that power, there were times when Mantle went on unsupported. As such the Empire's power here had now been penetrated ever so slightly, but significantly with this new disease that plagued the land.
Arriving at a settlement near the shore, Weiss immediately witnessed the numerous bodies scattered all over the island. Some of them were long gone, others were on death's door. Struggling to even speak to the numerous doctors and nurses running all over the place to tend to those in need.
There were bodies stretching as long as a train, and other bodies being split in two, that were peculiarly still alive with no blood splatter anywhere. The sections being cut off did not show any of the internal organs as well.
A woman came up to Weiss to immediately barfed out in her general direction, which Weiss managed to dodge just in time, while simultaneously catching her as she collapsed on the ground. Another man approached in the next moment to have Weiss notice his head being turned completely around. He was still alive, breathing and well, but completely mad with his limbs being disoriented, contorted like rubber.
Carrying the two patients toward several of the doctors, the Atlesian soldiers took those two to a nearby tent as the rest saluted their Chancellor.
"We have no idea what on earth is going on," the head doctor told her, handing her his clipboard. "People are dropping like flies everywhere. There's no common symptoms among the patients. It's impossible to identify."
"How far along have you gotten with the substance in the water?" Weiss asked, handing him back the clipboard after speedreading it in under a second.
"Still nothing so far. We've been super occupied with the patients as well. The Fleet Admiral has already sent samples back home, so we should be able to get faster results."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Who would do something like this? And how? Right under our noses, too."
And answering that question, Weiss simply looked onward to a strange distance and said:
"Peter Port."
Creeping up from behind, he appeared without anybody noticing. Not even by Weiss' own super hearing. One of the doctors grunted a sudden painful expression, with his face turning into a hellish hue of pale white. Now, they then turned to see his eyes slowly deteriorating into a sickly yellow before they fully morphed into a familiar green color, one Weiss had already seen on the battlefield.
Oobleck.
Manifesting himself in the body of an innocent man, merely a pawn to be used by him in his scheme. There, his devilish smile crawled from ear to ear, stretching his cheeks as wide as he could, to an unnatural degree. Almost demonic in a sense.
"Peter was the calculator behind the brew," Oobleck told everyone, "but he needed a little… help. He was smart, but he has no imagination."
"I should've known it was you," Weiss folded her arms. "Only someone like you would be sadistic enough to come up with something like this."
"Chief Torturer, at your service as always," he bowed. "You've bested me, Daughter of Atlas. You did a real number on my Oobleck. I don't know how, but I'll have to regenerate. This is not going to stop me, however. The God King will reign again."
"You're strong, Oobleck," said Weiss, "I'll give you that. And you do have a Maiden on your side. But she is young, inexperienced. She will not be enough to break Atlas, nor our alliance with Mistral and its Queen."
"Maiden powers are paltry compared to conceptual divine forces," Oobleck scoffed. "You can feel this as well, can't you? You yourself are not Maiden. Or maybe you are, it's a little hard… to tell. But there is definitely something else there. I admit, even if we have three Maidens, I don't think it would be enough to defeat you. But what about… a Season?"
Weiss' eyes lit up the moment she heard the mention. She asked:
"What are you talking about?"
Oobleck cackled:
"The war drum still beats. The heart of the Valley. She is still alive. You've survived every physical thing thrown at you so far. But I wonder – what about conceptual energies?"
With that, Oobleck left the doctor's body, collapsing his limp lifeless body to the ground, which Weiss was quick to catch, to then put on a stretcher.
Universe 2…
"We should have time for a couple more sparring matches, class. Do we have any volunteers? We'll be drawing names if nobody steps up," Professor Glynda Goodwitch asked in front of a packed combat lecture hall.
"I'll do it!" Yang raised her hand, smiling.
"Miss Xiao Long, you have already participated in two previous bouts. I think it's about time we give other students the opportunity to spar as well, don't you?"
"If she's out," Nora shouted, "does that mean I'm in? Come on, I want in. Gimme, gimme!"
"You, young lady," Glynda pointed her finger, "has participated in three bouts this class. How about… let's see here. Ah, Miss Nikos and Miss Schnee. Neither of you has gotten a turn yet. I also have a note here about how you want extra time to practice for the tournament, is that right Miss Schnee?"
"It's true. I haven't been feeling super great since that train incident. I think I need to work on my stamina, and Aura management."
"Very well then. I suppose then we ought to put the two of you in a match together then. This should be educational."
The classroom instantly erupted into a flood of whispers and murmurs, for everybody here knew that Weiss and Pyrrha were the strongest students in the entire class, possibly even in the entire school. With Weiss being the embodiment of immaculate skill and hard work on top of a naturally powerful Semblance, while Pyrrha represented the overwhelming strength of a warrior, perfect in every way with no holes in her defense. It was not often they would even get to watch the two of them go at it against one another.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Yang kicked back, laughing.
"Go Weiss!" Ruby shouted. "I believe in you! Represent Team RWBY!"
But before either Weiss or Pyrrha could even grab their equipment, a hand shot up into the air, catching Glynda's attention.
And it came from none other than the exchange student Rubio Rose.
"May I get a shot at sparring?" He said, grinning like a robot.
And thus, shocking the whole classroom, for many students here did not even know who this young man was. And what was more concerning was the fact that they had now begun noticing the striking similarities between him and his 'cousin' Ruby Rose, almost to an uncanny degree. Which only sparked up further murmurs among themselves, filling the hall with new noises.
"Mister… Rubio Rose, is it? Ruby Rose's cousin," Glynda checked her notes. "I suppose we ought to give priority to our exchange students coming here to participate in the Vytal Festival."
"Thank you for the opportunity."
"So, do you have an opponent in mind, Mister Rose? Or shall I do the matchmaking for you?"
"Thanks. But why don't you put me up against – let's see here… ah, how about Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos? How does that sound?"
The implication was not lost on the students.
"No way."
"Is that kid crazy?"
"Who even is this guy? Is he new?"
"I don't know. But he's asking for it, going up against those two."
"At the same time?"
"Nah, he's joking, for sure…"
"For real. There's no way…"
"Bust out the popcorn, yo. It's about to get interesting."
Looking around the room, Rubio still smiled. Even with a wider grin now that the people had started talking. He turned back to Glynda, saying:
"Is there a problem?"
"Well… usually sparring sessions are one-on-one," said Glynda, "but sometimes we do allow more. To cover different scenarios, like when your teammates are down and out on a mission and you're all alone. I suppose there's nothing explicitly against the rules. As long as you can handle it."
"Thanks. I'll survive. Don't you worry about me."
The entirety of Team RWBY knew something the other students did not – the fact that Rubio will do much more than just simply surviving. As a matter of fact, they weren't even sure of his full potential just yet. So far, they had only seen a glimpse.
Weiss had thought of trying to protest, but deep down was also a curiosity that she felt rumbling into almost a hunger. One that formed into a straightforward expression that she could also read on Pyrrha's face. They had told Team JNPR of who Rubio really was, and what he was capable of. Or rather, what they saw so far of his abilities.
Taking out her Dust and Myrtenaster while Pyrrha was lacing up her boots, the two eventually made their way down the front of the class, in this wide-open space. There, Pyrrha wielded her sharp blade and shield, holding on tighter than any opponent she had ever come across in her life.
Perhaps feeling nervous for the first time. But it was somehow calmed by a strange sensation once she remembered back to what Rubio said to her when they first met – that being the fact that she seemed familiar to him somehow, and yet he was sure he had never seen her before in his life.
She puzzled over this, because deep down – she felt the same way.
Outside of the classroom, the trio of Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald walked by the lecture hall, with Mercury suddenly peeking his head into the classroom.
"Hey, Cinder," Mercury called her over, tapping her shoulder, "is that… the Rose girl fighting the Schnee and Nikos girl – at the same time?"
"What? No way," said Emerald. "Is that really her? She looks… different."
"Wait, no. The Rose girl is sitting over there," Mercury pointed his finger to the girl cheering for her team. "Then who on earth is that? She looks just like her."
"I think that she is a 'he' actually," Mercury squinted his eyes.
"What?"
"Yeah, crazy, right?"
"Cinder, what do you make of this?" Emerald asked.
Surprisingly staying silent, Cinder simply stared into the class with unblinking eyes. Cycling through many thoughts that began popping into her head, asking questions, but more importantly – recalibrating their plan with this new information.
After a brief moment of deliberation, she entered the classroom, saying to her two followers:
"Come, we should see what this one can do."
Now standing on opposite sides of the class, three combatants stepped forth. Facing his two opponents, Rubio could see glimpses of something ethereal he could not really explain. He thought it was their Aura, but it seemed different somehow. A lot more loose, perhaps underdeveloped. As if the energies coming out of their bodies were invisible and more esoteric than mere Aura.
Neither Weiss nor Pyrrha was paying attention to what Rubio was focusing on, however.
"I don't understand why you want to do this," said Weiss. "If you know you're going to beat the both of us with both hands tied behind your back then what's the point?"
"Oh, that's an idea," Rubio laughed. "I can handicap myself, just to make this more fair."
"I don't really understand it either," said Pyrrha, "but I welcome the challenge. I think it could be fun."
"There we go, now we're talking," Rubio smiled.
"But still," Weiss folded her arms. "I don't know."
"How about this," Rubio clapped his hands together, rubbing them vigorously. "How about I don't use my Semblance at all? No Silver Eyes, no superspeed, just me, my legs, and my Aura. How's that sound?"
Looking at each other, Weiss and Pyrrha nodded their heads. And it was at this moment, that Rubio could see their ethereal mystery between the two girls merging, uniting to form something bright. He wasn't sure if what he was seeing was the result of his Silver Eyes, but he was getting much more excited now that he was witnessing something new.
Or perhaps, something old.
Taking out Myrtenaster at the same time Pyrrha raised her shield and sword, who then transformed that crimson golden blade into a javelin. The famed weapon Pyrrha used to conquer numerous battles and win countless tournaments.
Rubio marveled at the construction of the blood-red sword that so quickly and efficiently morphed into this powerful spear. Which he immediately realized may have been a mistake on account that it made him feel distracted enough to notice the several Fire and Ice Dust projectiles that were already placed right in front of his face.
Already on one knee, which was something Pyrrha had never done in these sparring sessions, she unloaded every bullet in her chamber. Placing the rifle on top of her shield, placed in front for defense. The speed at which she morphed her javelin into the shape of a rifle was astounding. Nobody managed to keep track of it. Almost as if she was pulling it out of a magician's hat.
Standing behind Pyrrha, Weiss twirled her rapier like a graceful snow flower, unleashing a shower of fire and ice hailing from above to accompany Pyrrha's own offense. Which was then further enhanced the moment her white glyphs from her Semblance appeared to create multiple platforms surrounding where Rubio was standing. Thus, creating perfect surfaces for even more of her Dust projectiles to bounce off at different angles. Transforming the offense into something that was almost unbeatable.
Unbeatable against ordinary Huntsmen or students at least. Because when the smoke had cleared, the classroom was shocked to find no scratch on Rubio anywhere. Not on his clothes, nor his skin. Not even a speck of dust on that obnoxious smile of his.
"I swear," he chuckled, "I was not using my Eyes. It's back to fundamentals for me."
Abandoning their long-ranged tactic, Weiss activated her Glyphs at the bottom of both their feet, thus allowing for a massive boost in speed as the both of them dashed in, stabbing Rubio with the rapier and the red blade.
Only to then be completely shocked by Rubio's defense, as he had managed to block both stabs with nothing but a simple forward kick. What made this kick unique, however, was the fact that his feet never made contact against the steel of the swords. It was as if there was an invisible force field made of spiritual concrete physically pushing both Weiss and Pyrrha away.
Trying once more, Weiss twirled gracefully into a glyph placed above right behind her head, a platform placed there for her to launch forward, striking and slashing at Rubio in every way she knew how. Overhead, from below, and from the sides, all powered like a machine gun.
Pyrrha, too, followed suit, charging in with her shield, holding her lance behind, slicing in an incredibly precise and practiced manner, boosted by the power of the rifle, shooting from behind as if the weapon was a rocket to enhance the power of the skillful strikes, forming almost into a red tornado with the way she was spinning around. Leaping off the ground for aerial offense.
All of which, in the end, was countered and blocked by Rubio's equally skillful kicks. Constantly roundhousing the blades as they came. Even at one point hopping off the ground to tiptoe on the edge of Weiss' rapier. All the while keeping his hands behind his back to honor their agreement of a handicap.
"Holy crap," Mercury stood up, almost slamming his fist on the table.
"Wow, he's even better than you were during class the other day," said Emerald. "What do you make of this, Cinder?"
No reply.
"Cinder?"
Remaining silent, the woman's eyes were laser-focused on the battle, with an unfamiliar expression on her face that was difficult for Emerald to read. So in the end she decided to continue watching the match, not wanting to disturb Cinder's concentration.
"They weren't kidding," Rubio laughed, "you guys really are the best."
"This is pointless," Weiss cried. "Why do you even want to do this?"
"I don't know," Rubio shrugged. "There's something about the two of you that's kinda… weird. It's hard to explain. You'll find out about it one of these days, I'm sure. But for now, just know – you're not the only ones I want to show myself to."
By simply walking past both Weiss and Pyrrha in the next millisecond, he had already managed to shock the entire class on account that his walking speed just seemed supernaturally fast. In a way where neither Weiss nor Pyrrha managed to react. It was as if they were frozen statues, stuck in their fighting stance.
Only to, in the end, be completely struck by thousands of devastating Aura attacks that seemingly came out of nowhere, after Rubio was already standing behind the two of them. It was as if there were a hundred invisible fists simultaneously punching the two of them over and over again. At a pace that managed to shatter their protective Aura barrier in a matter of seconds.
Weiss and Pyrrha immediately realized, as they hit the ground, that this invisible force was the power of Rubio's Aura. This must have been what he meant by the fundamentals.
Falling into silence at the sound of their best students collapsing, the other students were left completely speechless after a long minute that seemed to last almost for an eternity. The two strongest in the class, the two smartest fighters, the most brilliant tacticians, ones with near perfect fighting records – completely overpowered as if they were nothing but schoolchildren.
"WHAAAAAAT!"
The whispers and murmurs continued with vigorous passion, with many not knowing how to process the situation, presenting forward a hundred questions, while others tried to rectify their confusion with battle requests against this supposed 'nobody' they had never seen before in their lives.
In the end, the chaos was calmed by Professor Goodwitch as well as the school bell ringing.
"That's the class for today, everyone," Glynda said. "I know you are all eager for more sparring, but I'm afraid that's going to have to wait. Please exit the auditorium in an orderly fashion. Don't forget to review the lesson's recordings and finish the exercise you've been assigned. It will be due next week. Team RWBY, can you all stick around a bit after class, if you please. I'd like to have a word with you and your new… friend."
The other students scattered out of the classroom, still having their eyes and attention glued on Team RWBY as they approached the front desk, but in the end, their curiosity was ultimately squashed by Glynda's strict serious stare, of which none of the other students wanted to upset.
So they said goodbye to each other as the room slowly emptied itself into a silence populated by the mere humming of the numerous light bulbs throughout the lecture hall. Even Cinder's crew themselves disappeared into the crowd, with many things they were eager to discuss among themselves back in their own dorm room.
Jaune and the rest of his Team JNPR helped Pyrrha back on her feet, to see her bright cheerful smile as the group waved goodbye to their friends. Nora being thrilled on the side on account of what she had just seen. With her excitement quickly curbed by Ren in order to not make a ruckus. And there, JNPR left the room, accompanying Pyrrha to the locker room.
Now, with nobody else in the room, except for Team RWBY, Glynda Goodwitch, and Rubio Rose.
"So, let's get to it," said Glynda. "That was… quite a performance, young man. Miss Schnee, you too have performed admirably. Might I suggest extra practice with your close-ranged offense? The speed and the angles were very impressive, but it was obvious you have not put in much time to practice those techniques."
"Yes, ma'am," Weiss nodded. "I'll try my best."
"Very good. Now, I understand that this – cousin of yours is transferring from Mistral. Highly unorthodox if I do say so myself."
"Yes, ma'am," Weiss nodded. "We realize this was pretty last minute and such."
"But there's been some personal issues with Rubio's family in Mistral," said Ruby. "Some private stuff. It's… hard to say."
"Say no more," said Glynda, "I understand that it is a delicate matter, but you must understand that we simply cannot allow just anybody into this campus without being made aware ahead of time. It's not only a security concern, but a systemic one as well."
"We… understand."
"That being said," Glynda continued, "you have managed to provide the proper documentation for his transfer. So I suppose I can make a special exception just this once and let it slide. It is, however, not yet a new semester, meaning we won't be able to fully enroll you into our school's system until then. That also means we won't be able to enroll you into our student housing system as well."
"That's okay, Goodwitch," Rubio smiled. "You don't have to pretend anymore."
"Excuse me?"
Staring on without blinking, to everyone's sudden extreme confusion, Rubio's grin grew more unsettling by the second as the silence stretched to what felt like an anxious inevitability. He said:
"I know you recognize me. I see now why I gravitated toward this universe. My eyes showed me."
The four girls did not know how to properly respond, turning to their teacher who they knew well for the last few semesters. They were sure, despite not knowing everything about her personally, she still looked like that same person. But still, something inside was stirring now that Rubio had disrupted this balance.
Yang simply mustered up a single word:
"Professor?"
Shaking her head, still staring at Rubio, Glynda said after clearing her throat:
"Young man, I do not know what you are implying. But we ought to stay focused on the topic at hand concerning your…"
"Professor, please," Rubio cut her off. "It's good to see you again. It's been too long. You are his right-hand woman. You know of the power of prophecy. Did he not tell you this was coming? Come now. I'm here now."
Right there and then – Glynda's eyes changed. Shifting from a stern look of a strict schoolteacher to that familiar steel gaze of a general who had killed thousands with a blade. The woman took off her eyeglasses, wiping them with her handkerchief before placing them back, readjusting them to match those silent raging eyes of a cold killer.
Team RWBY, too, had now started to notice something completely different. It was as if they were seeing a magic trick.
Or something of magick.
"The God King does not require your service," Glynda said as she snapped her fingers. And immediately from behind her desk – her sword flew out from underneath, landing straight into the palm of her hand.
"Why do you lie to me?" Rubio smirked, as he instantly drew out Crescent Rose. "Let me see him, General Goodwitch. This is a matter between those who can see the future."
Far above, in the Beacon tower where the headmaster's office was located, a bright green light bursting from a torch could now be seen from miles away. Holding onto this fire was that man, wearing a stolen face, one that was not his and yet exactly like himself. His face from another universe. The God King Ozymandias, taking the role of Headmaster Ozpin.
"Come to me, Son of Summer. We have work to do."
Through Rubio's eyes, he could see this, and thus he readied his scythe.
Back in the classroom, Weiss stepped forth, almost shouting:
"Okay, someone please stop and explain to me what is going on. Professor, please tell me this is just some kind of practical joke. Or perhaps a test of some kind for extra credits?"
"Yeah, yeah, this is definitely a prank of some kind," said Yang. "It's very funny guys, but you can stop pulling our legs now."
Without even paying the four girls any more attention, Glynda immediately lifted them off the ground with her Telekinesis, to then toss them straight to the left side of the room pinning the four of them to the wall, so much so that cracks began to form on the concrete surface. All that, with just a simple flick of her wrist.
"Professor!" Weiss yelled, trying to twitch her muscles to no avail. "What are you doing?"
"What's the meaning of this?" Yang cried.
"Rubio! What's going on?" Ruby shouted, trying her hardest to morph out of Glynda's grip using her Speed Semblance, but that too proved to be no use against Glynda's power.
"You know I can free them with my speed, right?" Rubio smirked.
Before Glynda instantly snapped her fingers again, this time summoning her purple General's uniform that flew down from the hallway and into the classroom, flying faster than sound, and then attaching themselves onto Glynda's body before morphing her teacher's clothes into this military attire, changing the very fabric on a molecular level with the sheer force of her Telekinesis. Letting the fabric wrap around her hands, forming into white gloves, and crawling onto her head to create that signature purple service cap she had always worn. One with the golden emblem of Vale decorating on the front.
"You are one of the most dangerous beings I know," said Glynda, "but you still have much to learn."
With another flick of her hand, the force of her Telekinesis lifted Rubio off the ground, to his absolute shock, incapacitating him as he too struggled to lift a finger and move a muscle. He was taken aback by the fact that somehow, some way – his future vision did not warn him of this attack, and furthermore was the fact that he had difficulty teleporting away out of Glynda's invisible grip.
Until he finally remembered the fact that his future vision could be overpowered by a strong enough gravitational field, which to him, implied that this same weakness could also be applied to other parts of his Semblance, thus limiting his movement.
He had always pondered the possibility at the back of his head, but he ultimately figured that nobody short of the Superman was strong enough to overpower and restrain him in this manner. Because Rubio's own protective Aura was nothing to scoff at. But here, running into Glynda, Ozymandias' right-hand woman, was absolutely eye-opening for the young man.
Because this was the woman who fought one of the Northern Giants.
"Fighting Ironwood almost killed me," Glynda explained. "But on Death's doorstep, I came back. It made me a lot stronger."
And there, pushing with all her might, focusing on the palm of her right hand, she tossed Rubio out into the distance, smashing him through layers upon layers of concrete walls, launching him so far, the moment Rubio regained his bearings – he realized he was actually on Mistral. Covered in a pile of smashed rocks and collapsed forests.