Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 82 – Search, Infiltrate, Rescue
"Well now, things are taking interesting turns…"
Jinn was currently floating in her and Woz's shared narrative space, looking at the various events that had taken place over a short amount of time.
"Of course," Woz said as he walked into view but kept walking as if he was going somewhere, "Recent graduate Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O. With Salem's arrival and Ironwood's refusal to cooperate alongside dangerous alliances being made, Miss Rose and my Overlord seek to turn the tables via a three pronged strike."
"Helping out Mantle and trying to get Amity running at the same time… those will definitely help progress plans even if your group is cut up," Jinn remarked, "However there are dangerous threats lurking all around."
"Which is why the group I am with is seeking to gather outside help," Woz replied as he continued to walk, "Now with all groups in place, we will commence all of our operations in hopes that we can come out on top."
"I wish you all good luck then," Jinn smiled as she watched Woz walk off and disappear.
Earth – Tokyo, Mid April 2019
"Are you sure it was a wise idea to leave Daiki behind?" Tsukasa asked.
"Hey, he said he'd help out wherever he could, so why not?" Summer reminded, "Besides, he seems serious about helping us out this time, which is pretty rare."
"I suppose… but still," Tsukasa sighed.
"Sounds like he's a pain," Qrow said as he followed alongside the two.
"Oh you have no idea," Woz remarked, "Especially given he is the same man who absconded with both the Relic and young Oscar at one point in time."
"I say we should just be glad he's willing to help," Summer said.
"Whatever you say," Tsukasa sighed further as he waved off the remark.
Tsukasa's team was currently walking along the streets of Tokyo as they made their way towards their first target. The four would soon end up stopping at an apartment complex of all things.
"So… why exactly come here first?" Qrow asked.
"Purely because it's the hardest one on their list," Tsukasa said as he looked at the apartment before taking out a familiar Ridewatch with a red base and grey dial/button, "Plus I'm curious to see if this will end up working out."
"Normally the Ridewatches would contain the history of a Kamen Rider," Woz mentioned, "However because of how things have changed these seem to only hold their power. I must admit I'm unsure what my Overlord thinks will happen."
"I suppose it's time to test his little theory," Tsukasa said as he walked forward with Woz.
"So how are you holding up?" Summer asked as she looked over at Qrow.
"As good as I can," Qrow admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Kind of glad Sougo was around so I didn't end up in prison… or worse…"
"Want to talk about it?" Summer asked as she put a hand on her friends arm.
"I don't know… I guess I finally found someone to be safe around? His Semblance was Good Luck, so I figured… that was that, you know?" Qrow replied as he tried to get his thoughts straight, "But then he decides that loyalty is more important than doing the right thing. And if Sougo didn't interfere he would've been…"
"Qrow you know you shouldn't think like that," Summer said as she gripped her friends wrist tightly, "Yes your Semblance, but you don't need someone with something that maybe cancels it out to feel safe."
"It sure doesn't feel that way sometimes," Qrow admitted.
"Come on, you remember when you were having fun with us back at Beacon?" Summer said as she thought back on her team's past, "Things weren't exactly the best once we were all out in the world post-Beacon so I don't blame you for wanting to forget. But you genuinely wanted to be around us and at most your Semblance was a minor inconvenience."
"So?" Qrow asked.
"So… a Semblance is an extension of our Soul," Summer reminded, "And I think really, what you need to do is look on the brighter side of things. Don't view it as a hindrance, but as a part of you that can grow."
"I'm… not sure how to do that," Qrow said as he began to walk forward.
"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Summer reassured, "At least I'm pretty sure you wanted to try and air out your thoughts since you decided to come with us."
"I suppose so… I just figured a change of pace was needed," Qrow replied.
"Well what better change of pace than finding and collecting a bunch of Kamen Riders?" Summer asked as she walked past her friend before turning and facing him, walking backwards, "That being said, don't be afraid to speak up at times. Tsukasa can be stupidly pushy at points but you've just got to push back."
"Good to know," Qrow smiled as he followed.
Remnant – Mantle Streets
Yang's team had managed to make it to the Sector that Robyn had asked them to round up. Ren and Geiz worked on making sure there was no Atlas surveillance while Jaune and Oscar went door to door to gather and inform the civilians that were holed up inside. Yang and Tsukuyomi meanwhile were with the main crowd of people, making sure they were all rounded up.
"The Crater…?" A mother asked, holding a snow shovel just to have some sort of defense, "Are you sure it's safe out there?"
"Absolutely ma'am," Yang reassured.
Suddenly everyone could hear screaming, several people running away from a pair of Sabyrs and a Teryx. The Teryx flew forward, aiming for the large group that Yang and Tsukuyomi were with while the Sabyrs lagged behind.
"Heads up!" Jaune took out a circular device that charged up before tossing it, forming a hard light shield upon impact, preventing the Sabyr's from moving forward.
"Geiz!" Tsukuyomi called out as she held out her hand, freezing the Teryx via time stop.
The Sabyrs attempted to claw at the shield only to howl out as Ren came in from above, stabbing down and kill them with one hit each.
[ZERO TIME! GIWA GIWA UCHI!]
Geiz gave a yell as he had pulled back on his Zikan Zax before unleashing an energy arrow that struck through the Teryx. The time stop faded as the Grimm dissolved instantly.
The shield deactivated, Ren kicking the device back to Jaune who used his shield's gravity dust feature to stick the device to it.
"Worked like a charm," Jaune gave a smirk as he went to pocket the device.
"Have the Grimm already pushed this far in?" Oscar asked.
"No, I think those were more from last night, still…" Yang trailed before getting an idea, "Ren! If Jaune hits you with his Aura Amp, think you can mask everyone?"
"We can give it a shot, but it is a lengthy trip through Mantle," Ren said and it was clear by the tone of his voice that he didn't like the idea.
Geiz and Tsukuyomi glanced at each other, wondering what that was about.
Jaune figured something was up but he paused when he heard crying nearby from one of the children, "No, no, that's a great idea. We'll have a Grimm free journey all the way to the crater."
"Do we really gotta shack up with those animals down in the slums?" A grandmother asked as a few civilians began to silently agree, "I'd feel a lot safer being up in Atlas."
"Yeah, I'm sure you would," Yang narrowed her eyes as she turned to address the grandmother, "But the people up top have decided you're not worth the trouble. The Faunus on the other hand, have been willing to lend all the help they can, regardless of whether or not you deserve it."
Yang's words managed to shut the grandma up while Geiz gave a sigh and walked forward to address everyone.
"Pack up as much as you can take with you but try not to overdo it," Geiz said as he looked around, "We're trying to look into getting Mantle back into livable conditions but the best place for you all to be right now is the Crater. That way even if living conditions aren't the best you all won't have to live in fear of Grimm attacks."
Geiz's words managed to get people back on track as everyone worked on getting the supplies they needed for the trip. Once everyone was prepared, the civilians were led forward by Yang on her hoverbike, Tsukuyomi riding with her in case of any Grimm attacks from the front. Jaune and Ren were riding in the center with Jaune driving while Ren's hand was on his shoulder. He used Aura Amp to boost Ren's Tranquility Semblance to mask the entire group aside from him and his allies.
Geiz and Oscar meanwhile were both at the back of the grouping, Geiz driving while Oscar watched the rear. The two could only give a sigh when they saw the grandmother trying to act up only for her daughter to try and get her to shut up.
"It should not be this hard getting people to just cooperate," Oscar sighed.
"Tell me about it," Geiz agreed, "But that's just human nature… even if it's self destructive due to the Grimm."
"Yeah…" Oscar said.
"Speaking of, you seem like you have a lot on your mind," Geiz noted, "I mean, given the voice in your head is back…"
'Did he really just call me a voice' Ozpin asked.
"Well that's what you are," Oscar said, "And I could not use the additional commentary right now."
'You have every right to be upset, especially you Oscar,' Ozpin apologized, 'I'm sorry I left you.'
"I'm not upset that you left," Oscar protested in a more upset tone, "I'm upset you came back. I started to feel like me. Not the same me I was before all this but, the me I always wanted to be. I felt, like I was actually a part of the team, especially when it was simple stuff back on Earth."
'I understand. But even though it may not have felt like I was with you, I was never truly gone,' Ozpin spoke up as Oscar pulled out the cane, 'You're gaining control of my remaining magic, recollecting my longest held memories… which means our two souls are still on the inevitable path to becoming one.'
"But, I don't want that," Oscar admitted in a frightened tone.
'Neither do I,' Ozpin admitted back, 'We need to find a way to work together, not just the two of us. All of us.'
"That's easier said than done given what Geiz said…" Oscar sighed, recalling Geiz's brief mention of Ironwood likely allying with the Time Jackers after getting a text from Sougo. That was until he remembered who he was next to, "O-Oh… sorry Geiz, Ozpin just sort of spoke up and stuff."
"Its fine," Geiz reassured, "I could only hear what you said but I can already guess how you're feeling."
"Yeah…" Oscar trailed, "Oz coming back sort of put things in perspective for me."
"We'll find some way to help you and him out," Geiz reassured despite having no clear plan in mind, "I'm not sure how but we'll find a way to keep the merge from happening, neither of you deserve getting mixed up like this."
"Geiz…" Oscar muttered.
"As of right now though, you are you, Ozpin is Ozpin," Geiz replied, "There's still that clear distinction and shift. So the best I can say is the two of you should work together as individuals instead of as one. Try and keep that separation for as long as you can."
'He really does have a way with words,' Ozpin chuckled.
"Thanks Geiz," Oscar gave a smile.
"No problem," Geiz said before narrowing his eyes at seeing the Aura Amped Tranquility start to flicker, "That being said…" he muttered as he realized something was definitely going on with Ren.
Jaune seemed to notice that Ren was straining himself, "Hey, you good?"
"It's just a lot to focus on," Ren admitted.
"You can do it Ren," Jaune reassured as he glanced back, "We're almost to the Crater-"
"I don't need a pep talk," Ren interrupted in a harsh tone, "I need to focus."
"Right," Jaune muttered as he looked away.
Remnant – Atlas Military Compound
The trip from Snow Shoe Shipping to the Atlas Military Compound was a bit of a rough one given the transport by the pneumatic tubes. Ruby and Blake were two of the last ones to come up with Weiss having taken Nora off to the side in an annoyed fashion, pulling her friend by the ear.
"Ow, ow, ow! C'mon that was a once in a lifetime experience!" Nora called out before her ear was let go, "Ow."
"Good," Blake spoke up as she shakily stepped out of the tube she rode, "Because I never wanna do that again."
"Come on Weiss, it was fun," Sougo said.
"Fun or not, I did not like getting sucked up all suddenly like that," Weiss gave a huff.
"Alright robo-girl, you're up," May spoke up as she watched Penny take the lead, "Which way?"
In an instant Penny's eyes shifted as she began scanning the area ahead of them. She then turned towards the group, "We'll cross the bridge, then go left, straight, right, straight, left, up, up, right, straight, right, right, straight, left, left."
Everyone could only stare dumbfounded, that was everyone except for Ruby and Sougo, the former of which had a smug grin on her face while the future king of time had a big grin.
Penny however soon held a bored look as she looked at May, "And my name… is Penny."
"Tsk…" May rolled her eyes before activating her Semblance.
After that it was a relatively easy trip through the facility for the most part. At least until they got on the elevator. They were heading up to the floor they needed to be on when they stopped at one of the ones below it, two Soldiers walking over, not noticing the group's presence. May had made sure everyone was backed against the wall while making sure her Semblance's field was kept close to them.
As the two guards chatted, the group waited for the elevator to arrive at the floor they needed. Once there the group slowly but surely inched their way out of the elevator. Though Nora had to get one last laugh in and swiped her hand over all the buttons on the elevator controls much to the Soldiers confusion.
The group then made their way down a wide corridor, with a large locked door in front of them. Penny was up next as she extended her index finger, the tip swiveling to reveal a connector plug.
"Cool…" Ruby and Sougo trailed in hushed awe as Penny interacted with the console in front of them.
"Welcome back, Doctor Polendina," The Computer spoke out as the door slid open, allowing the group to pass through.
"Alright," May said as she looked around, "Where to next, Penny?"
"Right through central command," Penny declared with a point off to her right.
The door then opened as a few workers walked out, revealing a bustling workplace with various officers and operators making their way through.
"Of course," Weiss groaned out.
"I can't maneuver us through all that," May admitted.
"Man, I kind of wish Woz was here," Sougo admitted.
"Do not worry," Penny stated as she already had a plan, "Ruby is capable of traveling at an extreme velocity from one point to another by breaking herself down to her molecular components, thus negating her mass and then reassembling them at the destination, theoretically making it possible for her to transport all of us in the same way, as mass no longer matters."
"Ah, so it's like that, huh," Sougo said as he crossed his arms and nodded in understanding despite the fact that he did not understand what was said, at all.
Needless to say, Ruby was also very confused, "I, uh, what?"
"You can use your Semblance on all of us," Penny broke it down to its bare-bone basics.
"Did…" Blake had to stifle a laugh, "Did Penny just figure out your Semblance mechanics before you did?"
"Blake, she knew you were a Faunus before I did!" Ruby called out in annoyance while her friends couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
Remnant – Atlas, Pietro Polendina's Lab
Watts was currently in Pietro's Lab, having been forced by Ironwood to try and find a way to disable or bring Penny back to Atlas' side. Of course he had a bit of motivation as there were several armed guards all aiming at him in case he tried anything funny.
"Apologies for the delay," Ironwood said as he entered and fiddled with his left arm before adjusting his tie, "Today has been… busy. Have you made any progress?" He then placed both of his hands on Watt's shoulders in a threatening manner, "I'd hate for us to have to try motivating you… again."
"Given what we're after, I've got all the motivation I need," Watts replied in a tense voice as he was aware of his situation but gave a frustrated groan, "Sadly it doesn't make taking down Pietro's magical science project any less cumbersome."
"She is a fascinating piece of work," Swartz admitted as he caught a glimpse of what Watts was working on, seeing the schematics on Penny.
"Oh, I trust you can come up with something," Ironwood said.
"Oh, the trust is palpable," Watts said as he glanced around before spotting Swartz, "And yet you don't seem to be covering all your bases."
"I think your concern shouldn't be with my new ally," Ironwood narrowed his eyes when he saw where Watts was looking.
"Right, right," Watts rolled his eyes as he kept working. He already knew that Ironwood's trust in Swartz was going to backfire. He was almost tempted to say something else when he got an alert before pulling up a map, "Speaking of the current project though, are you aware that dear Dr. Polendina is gallivanting around your military compound? Unless… of course, someone else is using his credentials."
Ironwood leaned in and could only growl at this news, standing up straight before going to make an emergency announcement. Swartz meanwhile kept an amused look on his face, clearly enjoying how the situation was going.
Remnant – Atlas Military Compound
"A security threat has been detected in the compound, status alert Level 3: Red. Lockdown initiated. Authorization granted to handle ANY threats with lethal force."
Ruby's team heard this announcement, the hallway lights turned from blue to red as sirens began to blare.
"You've got to be joking!" Weiss called out.
"The pneumatic tubes have all been closed off," Penny said as she checked the control system via a quick scan.
"Aw… I kind of wanted to do that again," Sougo admitted only to wince a bit when he saw Weiss actively glare at him.
"We're trapped," Blake realized.
"We passed a hangar, I can hijack an airship and get us off this floating rock," May suggested.
"Wait, we can still succeed," Penny quickly called out, "We are so close."
"Hmm…" Nora gave a thoughtful look before snapping her fingers, "Just get me through those doors and I can give us the cover we need."
"What's your plan?" Sougo asked.
"Just watch," Nora smirked.
May helped lead the group through the doors as an officer walked through, the invisible group moving before stopping shy of the central command center. Nora then spotted an office worker with a mug, the mug reading #1 DUD, the U being marked with marker over an A for Dad. She then held out her foot and tripped the man, causing him to gasp out as he felt and tossed his coffee forward as a result.
What happened next was absolute workplace chaos. The coffee had gotten over one of the consoles and one operator who screamed out due to the hot coffee spilling on his lap. As soon as that happened one of the man's co-workers began admonishing him while pointing at a No Food or Drink sign. The chaos grew further as it appeared as though this man, Bill, was the source of numerous problems with everyone just unloading their grief onto him.
May quickly broke off from the group while keeping invisible, leaving Ruby and her team out in the open. Ruby then used the chance to use her Semblance to carry herself, Sougo, Blake, Nora, Weiss and Penny, speeding along the wall and towards a set of stairs that led upwards and got them clear of the main central command area.
Ruby broke out of Petal Burst, striking a pose with a big grin and a few heavy breaths. Nora, Penny and Sougo were in awe at Ruby being able to do that, Weiss merely gave a smile, meanwhile Blake was holding onto the wall with a terrified look on her face.
"Another thing I don't wanna do… ever again," Blake admitted.
The group quickly pressed forward since they figured they were on a tight time limit, and Sougo admittedly was regretting his decision to send Woz with Tsukasa's team. From here on he decided to keep a tight hold of his Zi-O II Ridewatch just in case they were suddenly attacked. It wouldn't be long till they arrived at a raised walkway in a cavernous chamber, an electrified door standing at the other end.
"Stand back, please," Penny said as she went to interface with the control panel, everyone ready to draw their weapons or transform as the door was deactivated and opened up.
To their surprise a secluded and empty room of terminals was revealed, a main terminal sitting at the back wall.
"Uh, where is everyone?" Ruby asked.
"This is a highly classified area," Penny said, figuring that would be explanation enough for why no one was here at the moment.
Making their way inside, the door closed up before electrifying itself once more. Nora glanced at the electrified door before heading off to the side to wander around alongside Blake and Weiss. Sougo and Ruby meanwhile followed Penny to the back of the room.
Penny sat in the office chair at the main terminal and took a deep breath to brace, "Hey dad? I'm ready."
Her eyes suddenly turned yellow much to Ruby and Sougo's surprise before she began to move more stiffly in comparison to before.
"Ahem," Pietro's voice came out of Penny, "This process is a… little complicated. So I'm remoting into Penny from Amity Colosseum."
"I… see," Ruby trailed, glancing at Sougo, the two while understanding as to why this had to be done, were a bit unnerved by it. After shaking off the feeling, the two watched as Pietro went to work getting the authentication needed for Amity's launch sequence.
Remnant – Mantle Crater
Yang's group had finally made it back to the crater, parking the hoverbikes before going to lead the civilians downwards.
"Alright, that's everyone," Yang dusted off her hands as she watched the civilians be filed off.
"So what's the plan now?" Oscar asked.
"See what else Robyn needs," Geiz suggested, "We may have gotten a good group out of there, but there are likely more people scattered."
"Right," Jaune agreed, "Let's get going then."
"Hey, wait a moment!"
"Huh?" Tsukuyomi heard a voice before she turned with the others.
Approaching the group was a face that both Geiz and Tsukuyomi would recognize as Ceila Freze. Surprisingly however she didn't seem to be with the civilians as she had what looked to be an Atlesian Rifle slung across her back.
"Someone you guys know?" Jaune asked.
"Sort of," Geiz said before approaching Ceila, "I'm surprised you recognized Tsukuyomi and I considering we didn't see each other that much."
"Well the two of you did help me out in the end, so I kind of felt the need to remember you two," Ceila remarked, "Plus I never got to properly say sorry."
"Forget about it," Geiz held up his hand, "That was just the Time Jackers trying to take advantage of you. You were more a victim than anything else."
"Then let me properly say thank you," Ceila said as she gave a bow.
"So what exactly are you doing over here?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Well I might not be a full-fledged Huntress but I do have some training from when I went to Haven," Ceila admitted as she then gestured towards the rifle, "Got it off of a damaged drone. So I'm using that and my Semblance to help out wherever I can around the perimeter of the Crater."
"Hey, any and all help's appreciated," Jaune gave a thumbs-up.
"I take it you all have been helping out too?" Ceila asked.
"Yeah, just went and cleared a sector that Robyn asked us to," Geiz replied, "We're going to see what else she wants."
"Well good luck out there," Ceila said with a wave before turning and heading off.
"So, I take it she's from one of the incidents?" Yang asked.
"Yeah, an Ice Dopant was running around and framing her," Tsukuyomi explained, "Turns out it was an Atlesian Officer. But because of being framed the Time Jackers also got to her and had her become an Ice Smash."
"Jeez…" Oscar gave a wince, "The Time Jackers never give up do they?"
"No they don't," Geiz said, "And now they've got a good grip on Ironwood."
"Yeah, unfortunately unless we want to go for a full frontal assault, there's not much we can get done on that end unless they confront us," Yang admitted, "Let's just head down and see what else Robyn needs."
"Yeah, let's see what's up next," Jaune agreed as he followed after Yang who led the group downwards.
Eventually they'd make their way down towards the main area of the crater where tents and housing was being built and made. Soon enough they'd be able to spot Fiona, Joanna and Robyn looking over the group of refugees that had just arrived.
"Where's this group coming in from?" Joanna asked.
"That would be Sector 7," Yang said proudly as her team approached.
"You cleared 7 already? That's great!" Fiona said as she jumped up in excitement.
"I knew I could count on you guys to get the job done," Robyn smirked as she stepped up, "How is it out there?"
"Thankfully just Grimm," Geiz said, "Though it does give me a bit of unease."
"The Time Jackers, right?" Robyn asked.
"Those guys have been quiet," Joanna added.
"It seems they have their claws elsewhere," Geiz said, "Still that doesn't stop me from worrying."
"So where are you putting everyone?" Oscar asked.
"We're working to get most of them settled in houses or other shelters," Fiona explained, "A large portion of the community is also trying to get old mine shafts into livable condition."
"At least until we can figure out a way to get Mantle back into hospitable condition," Robyn admitted.
"Which we may have a plan for that but we'll have to wait for our backup to arrive," Tsukuyomi spoke up.
"Trying to work on the Heating Grid was one of the concerns we needed addressed when putting together our team," Geiz gave a nod.
"Until then though, we've got a lot of people to keep warm," Joanna mentioned, "Looting the SDC refineries is our best source of Dust. Fortunately no one's getting arrested during the apocalypse."
"Helps that Jacques Schnee is sitting in prison at the moment," Robyn added.
"Still…" Joanna looked up, "Just knowing those Grimm are circling out there doesn't feel great. What are they waiting for?"
"Whatever chance Salem's waiting for since they're likely her main offensive force," Geiz answered.
"And that's the worrying part," Robyn admitted as she crossed her arms.
"Fi!" A voice called as the badger Faunus that had helped Oscar out came running over, "We got another fight breaking out."
"Crap, thanks uncle," Fiona said before sighing, "We'll handle it…."
"I'll handle it," Joanna said as he put a hand on her friend shoulder, "I'm sure you can handle things without me for a bit."
"Just don't rough them up too badly," Robyn said though cracked a small smirk.
"No promises," Joanna smirked back before cracking her knuckles and walking away to deal with the disturbance.
Robyn was ready to say something when she heard something on her earpiece, giving a frown.
"What's wrong?" Fiona asked.
"Fi can I see a map?" Robyn asked as she watched Fiona produce a map of Mantle via Pocket Dimensions. She stared at it for a bit before sighing, "Yeah that isn't good, the east side is getting a good horde of Grimm, that'll make evacuations hard."
"You said east right?" Yang asked as she spoke up as she prepped Ember Celica, "We're ready and willing to go."
"You can count on us to deal with those Grimm," Geiz said as he punched the palm of his hand.
"You drive a hard bargain but sure," Robyn agreed to their assistance, "I'll leave it to you."
Remnant – Atlas Military Compound
Blake was currently swiveling around in an office chair before stopping, "I hope the others are okay. As much as I know our plan hinges on everyone splitting up… with the Time Jackers here…"
"Yeah, that's the worrying part," Weiss admitted, "I'm surprised they haven't shown their ugly mugs here given they're likely working with the General now."
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Nora waved it off, "Jaune's a great leader, Oscar's grown a ton, Yang is more than capable of protecting them all in a fight, and then we've got our secret weapons via Geiz and Tsuki."
Blake and Weiss waited for Nora to keep on talking only to tilt their heads when they noticed something odd.
"Oh, and of course Ren is- um…" Nora's usual pepped up composure faltered as she looked away, "I don't know what he is. Every time I think the two of us are making progress, he… we've been together our whole lives but I feel like I understand him less now than ever. And I don't know if that's his fault or mine."
"When you've been at someone's side for so long, after a while they become a part of you," Blake admitted, "But that's just it, they're only a part of you. Don't forget about the rest."
"I don't actually know who I am… without Ren," Nora admitted with a dry chuckle, "Pretty sad, huh?"
"Well, maybe take this opportunity to find out?" Weiss suggested, "Do something only Nora can do."
"Like what?" Nora asked, "Be strong and hit stuff?"
"I just have to… there," Pietro's voice broke their conversation alongside a few loud keystrokes, "Downloading the cloned imprint now. When Penny gets to Amity, we'll run the launch sequence. Amity's computer will try to connect to the general's terminal but get Penny instead."
Penny soon regained control, "And after the launch, I'll return to help you all with the evacuation."
"About that, Penny," Pietro's voice spoke through the communications, "When Amity goes up, I think you should be on it with Maria and I."
Everyone could only give conflicted looks, well everyone except for Sougo who gave a frown.
"But they need me here," Penny turned towards her friends, "Right?"
Sougo looked at Penny, "We-"
"Well, if you stay far out of Salem's reach, then she can't open the vault," Ruby interrupted, "She can't get to the relic. So…"
"Maybe it is for the best?" Weiss asked.
"Is it really?" Sougo asked.
"Um, maybe we should head to the hangar first," Blake suggested.
Everyone simply gave a nod before slowly heading back to the entrance, going to deactivate the electrified door as the others walked over.
"I guess we all have to do some things we would rather not," Penny said as the doors opened.
To everyone's surprise however, the remainder of the Ace-Ops in the form of Harriet, Elm, Vine and Marrow were now blocking their path.
"Hello, kids, overlord," Harriet said as she glanced at Sougo briefly before looking at Penny, "Time to come home now, Penny."
Nora brought out Magnhild in its grenade launcher form, Weiss and Blake brought out their Chalice Arrow and Gashacon Sparrow respectively while Ruby and Sougo prepared their transformations into Zi-O II and Roze.
"So your first time losing to us wasn't enough?" Weiss asked.
"We were holding back!" Marrow called out defensively.
"We have all said some things we regret, but please, hear me out," Vine spoke up, "I know you thought you were doing the right thing when you left with the Maiden power, but Salem is here now. Things have changed."
"If General Ironwood plans to leave Mantle behind nothing has changed," Penny answered.
"I thought you were supposed to protect the people, not hurt them," Vine sighed.
"I would never hurt anyone," Penny shook her head.
"If you keep refusing to do the right thing, people in Atlas AND Mantle are going to die," Harriet spoke up, her voice getting tenser by the second.
"You could stop all of this, Penny," Marrow said, "Just open the vault, hand over the relic, and you'll save Atlas."
"Can you really guarantee that?" Sougo spoke up as he stared straight at Marrow, "Especially now that you seem to be in contact with the Time Jackers. Can you really trust them to not stab you all in the back?"
"How about you shut up kid," Harriet gave a glare, "I knew you were a bad egg from the second we met in Mantle. But to think, you'd become a big bad overlord in the future? If there's any threat after Salem, it's you. That's why you're going down personally alongside the little red runt who was holding back valuable technology we could have studied."
"Leave. Them. Alone," Penny spoke in a dangerous voice as she stepped forward.
"And what are you gonna do about it, tin can?" Harriet asked, purposely egging Penny on.
Penny stepped forward past the door, which was a mistake as Harriet immediately drew out a remote and remotely activated the electrified door, cutting Penny off from the others.
"Penny, no!" Ruby called out.
Sougo narrowed his eyes.
SMASH
"Leave. Them. Alone," Penny spoke in a dangerous voice as she stepped forward.
"And what are you gonna do about it, tin can?" Harriet asked, purposely egging Penny on.
Sougo quickly rolled forward as soon as Penny had stepped past the door, Harriet drew out the remote and remotely activated the electrified door, cutting both Sougo and Penny off from the others.
"What kind of reflexes were those?!" Marrow called out in surprise, not expecting Sougo to somehow make it out with Penny.
Penny looked back in surprise before turning and seeing Sougo slowly stand, "Sougo?"
"I'm not about to leave you alone with them," Sougo gave a smile before turning and splitting Zi-O II and staring down his opponents, "Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) ZI-O! (ZI-O!) ZI-O~! II!]
Zi-O immediately drew out his Zikan and Saikyo Girades as he took a ready stance.
"Quick reflexes won't help you kid," Harriet growled out.
"Yeah, but now it's two on four," Zi-O said as he kept his stance, "The two of us are more than enough to deal with you."
Green flames began forming near Penny's eyes, indicating her activation of the Maiden powers as a small breeze picked up. It was to the point where the Ace-Ops were forced to brace themselves only for Penny to unleash an air current that barreled forward, knocking the Ace-Ops off their feet. Harriet and Elm landed just fine with the former trying to use her speed to break past the wind, the latter meanwhile brought out her hammer for Marrow to grab onto so he could regain his footing.
Vine meanwhile used his Semblance to stretch his aura out into arms, using it to launch himself over and behind the two. He was then forced to brace with his enhanced arms to block against a few slashes from Zi-O.
"You will NOT hurt my friends," Penny gave a glare towards the others.
"And you won't be hurting Penny either," Zi-O called out as he began to slash at Vine who was forced to pull out his weapon to deflect the strikes.
"Now while he's distracted!" Harriet called out as she began to rush forward using her speed Semblance, she managed to dash past Penny before striking at the Maiden's blind spot. Harriet then managed to follow up and hit Penny with a barrage of high-speed blows.
Despite this Penny seemed to have caught on, bringing her arm out before throwing her swords back all at once, striking Harriet and forcing the Ace-Ops member onto the floor. Penny didn't have a chance to counter as she was struck by one of Elm's rockets, sending her tumbling away.
"This isn't going to last that long," Zi-O called out as he pressed down on the Saikyo Girade while stabbing at Vine.
[RIDER! RIDER GIRI!]
Vine quickly braced but gave a gasp as the enhanced stab had managed to send him stumbling back. He had to use his Semblance to extend his Aura out and grip a handrail to keep from falling back first into the electrified door.
[FINISH TIME!]
"Penny, jump!" Zi-O called out.
Penny was slowly being bombarded by attacks from Harriet, Elm and Marrow before hearing Zi-O's words. She gave a nod and quickly used her boosters to launch herself into the air.
[BLADE GIRI GIRI SLASH!]
Zi-O gave a yell as he unleashed a blue wave of electricity forward, the electrical energy striking at the three Ace-Ops. The three backed away before wincing as their weapons began to spark slightly.
"Did he just try to fry us?" Harriet called out as she tried to stop her weapon from acting up.
"Now then," Zi-O was ready to move forward when he was suddenly grabbed by two large Aura hands, Vine having recovered and tried to capture him.
"Penny, surrender and I'll let him go," Vine spoke up.
Penny turned and gave a gasp the winds dying down, "Sougo!"
Weiss narrowed her eyes at the door, "Four versus two? They're cowards."
"At the very least it seems like this might be a redo," Blake reminded her teammates, "Sougo somehow knew to be on the other side before it was shut."
"Then let's not waste anymore time," Ruby said as she went to draw out her upgraded Watch, "I'll go Silver Roze and we'll bust down that door with Silver Crescent Rose. That door shouldn't be able to handle that… amount of…"
"Ruby…?" Weiss asked in concern when she saw her friend slow down.
Ruby slowly drew out only half of the Silver Roze Ridewatch, staring at it, "I only have one half…"
"Where did the other half go?" Blake asked.
"I'm not sure, I didn't transform with it…" Ruby was then reminded when she was ready to transform when confronting Cinder only for Finis to blast her back. Then in all the rush to escape alongside everything else on her mind she completely forgot about the other half that likely fell away, "Crap…"
"Please tell me you have something else?" Nora asked.
"I…" Ruby while she knew her Rider abilities were strong, she wasn't sure which Weapon Time would have enough raw power to deal with the door in front of them.
"Penny, don't worry about me!" Zi-O called out.
"But…!" Penny called out in concern.
"I've got this," Zi-O said as he managed to shift his arms despite the tightening grip.
[ZI-O SAIKYO! HAOU GIRI!]
A burst of colorful energy was unleashed from where Zi-O was standing, tearing apart Vines Aura projected hands and forcing him to reel backwards.
"Penny, go high, I'll go low!" Zi-O rushed forward.
"Right," Penny called out as she gathered Floating Array into two sets, charging up two energy cannons.
"Elm, Marrow, go after the tin can, I'll handle this kid," Harriet said as she rushed forward.
"Stay!" Marrow called out as he pointed, forcing Penny to stop.
"Sorry about this!" Elm called out as she launched a rocket at Penny, striking her and sending the machine down to the ground.
"Penny!" Zi-O called out.
"Vine, get a hold of her!" Marrow called out.
"Pay attention!" Harriet called out as she rushed past Zi-O and punched at him, managing to get a hit in even if it didn't do much damage. She then began pushing her Semblance to the max as she tried to outpace and trip up Zi-O to force him into a more prone position.
"She's fast…" Zi-O winced as he fell to one knee after a stumble as he went to access his future sight, "Not as fast as Geiz Revive… but…"
Harriet struck past him once, forcing him to step back. Harriet then circled around and struck him again to spin him around. Once he fully turned and gathered his bearings Harriet struck at him again.
"I can see it," Zi-O muttered as he was struck once by Harriet, taking a step back, "One," he said as he was struck again, causing him to spin around, "Two…" he trailed as he gathered his bearings but immediately stabbed forward, "Three!"
Harriet screamed out as her Aura took a massive hit, being sent tumbling back by the stabs and falling against the ground.
"Take this!" Elm quickly leaped up and slammed her hammer downwards.
Zi-O quickly brought out both of his weapons, gritting his teeth as he felt the impact from the hammer as he blocked.
"Not bad!" Elm called out with a grin, impressed to see Zi-O holding back the hammer.
"Hey, are you good over there Hare?" Marrow asked as he walked forward while still pointing at Penny.
"Shut up and just keep up your Semblance," Harriet winced as she picked herself up.
Zi-O slipped past Elm's strike only to raise his swords to block another swing.
"Not going to let this be easy for you," Elm remarked.
"We have to get out there…" Nora said as she stared at the door, brandishing Magnhild in its hammer state, "Be strong… and hit stuff."
"Nora, wait!" Weiss called out.
Nora quickly jammed her hammer into the door's power supply, siphoning off the electricity. She began to scream out from the strain of channeling that great amount of power, pink streaks appearing on her arm, chest and neck as her hair started to stand on end. Continuing to yell she reeled back and slammed the door with her hammer, an explosion of black smoke occurring.
The door exploded outwards and sent everyone that was currently fighting off their feet in a blast of smoke. Zi-O had thought quickly however, rolling and catching Penny while the Ace-Ops all tumbled to the other side of the room.
"That was pretty awesome," Nora breathed heavily as she gave a tired grin, her body crackled with pink electricity before her Aura shimmered, soon breaking. It didn't take long for her to pass out after that.
"Nora!" Penny and Zi-O called out, the Rider letting go of Penny who hurried over to check on Nora.
"Henshin!" Ruby called out as she rushed stepped in front of her fallen friend.
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
Roze drew out Crescent Rose and aimed it forward while Weiss took out the Chalice Arrow, Blake splitting her Gashacon Sparrow into its sickle mode.
Penny quickly stood up and flew upwards, Floating Array spiraling around her as she formed a dark storm cloud.
"Sougo…" Roze looked over to her friend who had both his weapons at the ready.
"I know," Zi-O said as he looked forward, soon accessing the future once more, "What will they do now…"
The Ace-Ops meanwhile all got a message on their private communications from Ironwood.
Harriet glanced in surprise, "But general, we-"
"We understand, sir," Marrow said.
[SAIKYO FINISH TIME!]
"Leave this to me!" Zi-O yelled out as he immediately charged forward while combining his weapons, "I can see it!"
Marrow's eyes widened "There are those reflexes again!"
Harriet gave a glare as she crouched forward, "You idiot, those can't be reflexes, he's-!"
[KING GIRI GIRI SLASH!]
Zi-O gave a yell as he went for a horizontal slash this time, golden energy erupting as his blade elongated. He swung from left to right, the Ace-Ops eyes widening as Vine quickly extended out his Aura to form a bubble shield around his allies. This didn't do much aside from helping them not take much damage, as they were all thrown off the side and sent downwards into the chasm.
"Sougo…!" Penny's eyes widened.
"We need to leave, now!" Zi-O called out in a rushed voice, and it was clear from his tone he wasn't playing around, "Penny, I need you to put Floating Array away, now. It's not safe for them to be out."
"You heard him," Roze said, knowing something was wrong just from her friend's tone, "Let's go."
Penny gave a nod and landed, retracting her blades before hurrying over to Nora to pick her up. She gave a slight wince when trying to pick Magnhild up due to it still having a bit of electricity coursing through it. Of course it didn't take long for them to leave the area, the group rushing off as soon as they made sure Penny was able to carry both Nora and her weapon.
Remnant – Mantle Streets
While helping civilians whenever they could was great, it wasn't easy given all the varying factors. Clearing out sectors of Grimm however something that Yang and her team could agree was easy. The group had been riding around on their hoverbikes, dealing with Grimm on the roads while also dealing with any low flying Grimm like Teryx's or Manticore's that showed up. They were all paired up as they were during their escort and were currently dealing with one of their last targets, a Teryx that had started to follow them.
Yang had managed to lead it towards a bridge while slowing it down with Tsukuyomi's help. Just as it flew under the bridge, Geiz and Oscar swerved into view with Oscar tossing a Wind Dust grenade that launched the Teryx straight against the bridge, forcing it to the ground. Ren and Jaune came in next, Ren driving while Jaune used his sword to easily decapitate the Grimm, Jaune giving a light yelp as he tried to keep his balance before sitting down.
"Okay," Yang gave a sigh of relief before contacting Robyn, "Robyn, that's one more problem taken care of."
"Good, cause we're getting reports of more Grimm coming in from the west," Robyn said on the comms, "I'd hate to ask this but the Huntsmen there could really use some backup."
"No it's fine, give us a bit and we'll be on our way," Yang said before slumping a bit, "Jeez, I know we said we'd help but it's getting tiring."
"It's all the negativity," Oscar reminded, "Salem's forces aren't moving in, but it's enough to start attracting the stragglers."
"You know all this Salem talk is annoying," A familiar female voice spoke up.
Everyone immediately turned when they heard the voice, Yang, Oscar, Geiz and Tsukuyomi in particular turning the quickest.
Ora and Uhr were now just suddenly in the area, the two looking fairly confident despite not having any Monster or Another Rider with them.
"Time Jackers…" Geiz narrowed his eyes.
"So you finally show up, huh?" Yang asked as she crossed her arms, "What do you two want?"
"Well you all want to protect this city, right?" Uhr asked.
"So we decided we'll get in your way," Ora said.
"Alright, I'll give," Yang said as she gave a bored stare, "What Another Rider or Monster have you got up to bat this time?"
Ora and Uhr could only look at each other before laughing, everyone staring at the two Time Jackers who kept laughing and laughing before slowly stopping.
"Let's shut you up," Ora said as she pulled out a black version of the Nebulasteam Gun that Rogue would use.
"Yeah, we aren't playing around anymore," Uhr said as he brought out a Ganma Eyecon.
"What the hell?" Geiz asked.
Ora drew out a strange purple and grey Bat Fullbottle and loaded it in before holding it upwards, "Let's go."
"Right," Uhr said as he pressed the button on his Ganma Eyecon before dropping it.
[BAT! MIST MATCH! BAT! BAT-BA-BAT! FIRE!]
[SUPERIOR PERFECT!]
Smoke erupted from Ora's weapon as the Eyecon stopped at Uhr's waist before it fell to the ground. Energy began launching from the Eyecon onto Uhr to complete the transformation while smoke fell onto Ora.
Soon enough the smoke was dispersed completing Ora's transformation as Uhr's finished at the same time. Standing before the group of six were Night Rogue and Ganma Superior Perfect that held a gold coat instead of the usual silver.
"What just happened?" Ren asked.
"I… I don't know…" Jaune admitted.
"They're using Rider tech?" Oscar asked before shaking his head, "No wait, Ganma aren't Riders… but that bat guy…"
"Looks like they're using pseudo-Rider tech," Geiz guessed.
"How did they even get it, though?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"The same way we got our other stuff," Night Rogue said as she stepped forward while inspecting herself, "Our new friend gave it to us so we could have some fun."
"So how about you two Riders transform already so we can get started?" Superior asked.
"We don't have much of a choice," Geiz gave a groan as he dismounted the hoverbike, "The four of you go on ahead."
"Wait, I can help," Yang spoke up as she was ready to get up only to feel a hand on her shoulder, she looked back, "Tsuki?"
"Geiz is right," Tsukuyomi gave a nod, "You're the leader of our group so you need to keep contact with Robyn. We'll be right behind you."
"Alright," Yang gave a nod.
Tsukuyomi then dismounted the hoverbike she was on before walking over to Geiz, the two time travelers readying their Ziku Drivers and Ridewatches. They glanced at each other before giving a nod.
"Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME!]
[KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!]
[KAMEN~ RI~DER~ TSUKU~YOMI! TSU-KU-YO-MI!]
Geiz and Tsukuyomi stood at the ready in their Rider Forms before charging forward. Superior and Night Rogue yelled out as they did the same. Geiz had gone straight for Superior while Tsukuyomi went for Night Rogue, the combatants ramming their arms against each other as they tried to push through. It wasn't long before the four backed away before charging again, attempting to overpower the other via hand to hand.
While Superior and Night Rogue were definitely powered up in the strength department, it was clear the two had no real fighting experience. And while Tsukuyomi was still getting used to fighting, she had been practicing all this time compared to the two Time Jackers who had only just started fighting on the front lines.
"Alright," Oscar said as he went to move to the front of his hoverbike, "Let's get goi-AH!"
Oscar had been tackled from above by the dog-like Grimm that had been stalking them. Its most distinguishable feature being that it had a large mouth but with no eyes. This was the same Grimm that Salem had met with earlier, The Hound. Oscar attempted to stand only to get bitten by the arm and flung to the ground as The Hound did not want him to get up.
"Oscar!" Ren called out in fear as he dismounted the hoverbike he was riding with Jaune.
"Huh?"
Geiz, Tsukuyomi, Night Rogue and Superior all paused when they heard Ren yell out Oscar's name. The four broke away from each other briefly as they saw the appearance of The Hound. Night Rogue and Superior looked at each other, giving a nod before rushing towards Geiz and Tsukuyomi. The two Riders were just barely able to react and block their opponent's punches in time. The two Riders gritted their teeth before trying to push forward, their Time Jacker opponents now clearly wanting to keep them busy.
The Hound meanwhile wasted no time in disabling Oscar, using all of its weight to pound down on Oscar with a pounce. Despite Oscar's scared attempts at retaliation and trying to get away, the Hound merely bit him by the leg and slammed him to the ground, knocking him unconscious while shattering his Aura.
In another frightening display The Hound howled out as its body began to twitch and spasm, cracks being heard as its body pulsed and morphed into a more bipedal form. It then was able to use one of its hands to grab Oscar while staring at him.
"Oscar!" Yang called out as she brought out her Blizzard Knuckle, using her Hoverbike to ride towards The Hound, planning on striking it to get it to let go. What she wasn't expecting was The Hound to hold Oscar up towards her in the last second forcing her to try and swerve away. The Hound then grabbed her by the face and slammed her into a nearby building wall.
Ren immediately tried to follow up, using the hook blade function of his weapons to dig his blades into the Hound's side. He then launched himself towards The Hound, the strange Grimm merely extending its arm and smacking Ren away before he could get close.
Jaune drew out his sword and shield at the ready only for The Hound to respond by holding Oscar towards him.
"Wait! It's using Oscar as a shield!" Yang called out.
"But Grimm aren't that smart," Jaune said.
Ren readied his weapons and pointed them forward, only for The Hound to use Oscar as a shield again, "Give him back!"
An audible popping sound was heard as the Hounds neck shifted and moved slightly. It opened its mouth, which everyone assumed would let out a growl.
"No…" The Hound spoke out, everyone suddenly freezing when they heard the Grimm before them talk.
"Did it just…?" Jaune managed to gasp out.
"What the hell…?" Geiz questioned.
"Huh… that's new…" Superior admitted, he turned towards Night Rogue, "That's new, right?"
"Yeah…" Night Rogue gave a nod before she glanced at her opponents.
Tsukuyomi meanwhile narrowed her eyes as she watched The Hound use everyone's shock to move away from the group slightly before it paused and hunched over. She quickly held out her hand, planning on using time stop.
[ELEC STEAM!]
"Pay attention!" Night Rogue yelled out as she brought out her Steam Blade, slamming it into the ground.
Geiz and Tsukuyomi turned and gave yells as sparks suddenly launched outwards and struck where they were, their suits sparking as they were forced to back up. The two were ready to recover when Superior quickly rushed in, bringing out a gold broadsword that he slashed with. Geiz and Tsukuyomi gave grunts as they raised their arms, blocking against the sword but being pinned against a building wall.
The Hound meanwhile let out a loud roar, black ooze erupting from its back to reveal orange almost web-like wings. It grabbed Oscar by the mouth before running forward on all fours, scaling up a building before launching up into the air and flying off.
"Fisticuff's, what's your status? West Side is taking heavy hits," Robyn spoke up on communications.
"What do we do?" Ren asked in a panic.
"All of you get going!" Geiz yelled out as he managed to kick Superior in the stomach to force him away, "We'll end this quickly and catch up! We do not need Oscar being taken to Salem!"
Tsukuyomi quickly held her hand out, using time stop on both Superior and Night Rogue, though it could be seen the two Time Jackers were trying to resist and break out.
"We'll be with you shortly, now get going!" Tsukuyomi called out as she brought out the Agito Ridewatch while Geiz brought out Geiz Revive.
Yang nodded before mounting her hoverbike again, Ren taking the vacant one left by Geiz while Jaune moved to the front of the one he was riding. The three soon sped off in pursuit of The Hound.
"Hey Fisticuff's, what's your status?" Robyn asked again through communications.
"We've got a big emergency on our hands, we're not going to make it," Yang spoke back.
"What? What kind of emergency?" Robyn asked with concern.
"Given this is something from our world that's entirely unprecedented… you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Yang admitted.
"Shit… that bad, huh?" Robyn replied, "Fine, get what you need to do done, I'll try and see if we can get other resources."
"Sorry about that," Yang apologized.
"No it's fine, you wouldn't be breaking off unless it was super important," Robyn reassured, "Now stop talking and deal with that issue of yours."
"Yes Ma'am," Yang gave a light smile before it turned to a frown as she stared up at the fleeing Grimm.
Remnant – Atlas Military Compound, Hangar
Ruby's team made their way into the Hangar only to pause when they saw nothing.
That was until they heard a whistle, "You coming or what?"
Ruby and the others hurried forward, entering May's invisibility field. May had managed to secure a Small Manta transport since that would provide them just enough seats and the size necessary for a quick getaway.
"All ready to-" May cut herself off with a gasp when she saw Nora's condition.
"She's in bad shape," Blake said, "We need to get her somewhere safe."
Everyone went to pile up in the Small Manta, it being somewhat cramped due to there not being much in the way of space. May and Blake took the front seats while Ruby, Weiss and Sougo were sitting in the back. Penny meanwhile activated her Maiden Powers and brought out Floating Array, supercharging the energy and creating a blast that tore open a hole in the hanger doors big enough for them to fly through. She then carried Nora into the Small Manta, setting her down on the floor as May immediately closed the hatch and took off.
"I'm so, so sorry," Penny apologized to Nora.
"It's not your fault," Ruby reassured, feeling a bit of the blame was on her since she wasn't strong enough to break through. If she had Silver Roze then she would have been able to help Penny and Sougo sooner, alongside making sure Nora didn't get hurt. Despite this she knew she couldn't dwell on it.
"It is time for me to go, isn't it?" Penny asked, realizing that their mission was complete and they were now out in the open air.
Ruby quickly pulled Penny into a hug, "We'll see each other again really soon, I promise."
Penny hugged back and managed to catch a glimpse of Sougo, Weiss and Blake, the three giving reassuring smiles to Penny.
May pressed a button to open up the windshield hatch, it retracting as Penny stood up and climbed onto her seat. Penny gave a salute before flying off, heading for Amity Colosseum.
Remnant – Atlas, Pietro Polendina's Lab
"We're sorry sir."
Harriet spoke as she and the rest of the Ace-Ops stared at the ground due to their failure to even follow their last minute instructions.
"This is unfortunate," Ironwood said as he stroked his beard, trying to keep his clear frustration in check.
"Unfortunately without even a weapon of hers, I can't go through with my plan," Watts said as he leaned on the desk, "And they're no doubt going to increase security on her. James, you've failed-"
"Shut your damn mouth," James immediately turned and slammed both hands on the desk Watts was leaning on and forcing the disgraced Atlesian Scientist to reel back, "If you were half the genius you said you were you wouldn't need this work around."
"Now, now," Swartz said as he held up his hands, "General, you do not need the power of the Winter Maiden or the Staff of Creation. I can give you the power necessary to protect Atlas."
"Really…?" Ironwood asked as he straightened up, "And what power is that?"
"Your men can attest to Zi-O's power," Swartz said as he looked over to the Ace-Ops before looking back at their General, "What if I told you I had access to a similar power?"
"You do?" Ironwood asked.
"Yes," Swartz said though he held a coy smile, "But it's not ready yet."
"Then why tell me?" Ironwood questioned as he narrowed his eyes.
"I want to prepare you for when you do receive it," Swartz replied before walking forward with his hands behind his back, "But until then I suppose the best option would be to give you the help that Mr. Watts cannot give you anymore."
"Excuse me, how dare you insinuate that-" Watts was ready to pick himself up when he saw Ironwood raise a hand, the Soldiers in the room all aiming their rifles at the disgraced Atlesian Scientist, "Carry on…"
"You can bring back Penny?" Ironwood asked as the hope in his voice was very obvious.
"Give me some time," Swartz said before grinning, "But I can potentially give you exactly what you want."
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"They were going to do something awful to her I know it."
"How they're truly connected…?"
"You would be wise to consider your current situation a lot more carefully."
"We clearly weren't ready."
"Complicated how?"
Chapter 83: Approaching the Turning Point
Author's Note: So yeah, this chapter was very much just putting both episodes 2 and 3 of Volume 8 into one chapter. Some slight changes here and there but as you can see thanks to Sougo we've seemingly avoided the worst case scenario in one of Penny's swords being stolen and her being hacked. Though whether or not that leads into something worse is uh… well that's something we call having to wait and see.
Of course Oscar was sadly still taken by The Hound, though with Geiz and Tsukuyomi planning on trying to catch up soon, who knows what will happen on that end. But yes, I've decided to give Uhr and Ora an 'upgrade' of sorts by giving them access to pseudo-rider/rider-like technology. While of course this isn't an immediate advantage given that tech can only push itself so far, it does make the two Time Jackers far more annoying to deal with. Plus it was a way to get them somewhat involved in the storyline since both Swartz and Finis are entrenched in two of our three factions for the battle of Atlas.
With that said, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.