Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 81 – Forging a New Path
Woz was currently making his way towards the Crater of Mantle, it being a place where many of the Faunus lived. The best it could be described as was rundown slums at the edge of the city borders. The one positive factor however was the fact that due to it being a mining pit, the natural heat was enough to keep warm enough without the use of a heating grid.
"As it is written in this book, recent graduate Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O," Woz narrated as he continued forward, "We have managed to escape relatively unscathed from the Atlesian Military and their attempts to capture us. Joining us now are Penny Polendina and her father Pietro, with Penny now being our new Winter Maiden. Meanwhile, Miss Rose's mother has revealed herself to us and we've gained allies in her and Tsukasa Kadoya."
As he continued to walk he made it to a more populated area where he noticed a few Faunus were gathering near an open fire. He spotted an olive coat and gave a smirk as he picked up his pace.
"The Queen of Grimm, Salem has arrived," Woz glanced up at the sky before putting his attention back to the front of him, "With her arrival we'll need to come up with a plan in order to stop Atlas from falling, and potentially defeat her. But first I must bring back our last missing member."
Remnant – Mantle Crater
Woz continued to walk through the slums, soon seeing Oscar sitting at a campfire with several Faunus. The young farmhand was being offered a bowl of water by a badger Faunus.
Oscar took a sip before handing it back, "Thank you."
The badger Faunus gave a nod before turning when he heard footsteps.
'We've got company,' Ozpin spoke up.
The Faunus that were nearby saw Woz approach and slowly began to back off due to feeling a strange presence within the chronicler. It wasn't long before it was just Oscar and the approaching Woz in the area.
"Huh?" Oscar looked over to see Woz walking over, "O-Oh Woz, what are you doing here?"
"I am here to retrieve you Young Oscar," Woz gave a smile as he walked over, "It will relieve the others to see that you are unharmed."
"As unharmed as I can be," Oscar admitted, giving a light chuckle.
"We should make haste back to the others," Woz suggested.
"Right, right…" Oscar said before giving a sigh, "Woz… I'm sorry, I thought-"
"There is no need to apologize," Woz reassured before giving a smile, "For my Overlord will be the one who leads us to victory on this grim day."
"You really think we can pull out a win?" Oscar asked though gave a soft smile, as if believing the chroniclers enthusiasm.
"Our prior pretense is gone," Woz explained as he unfurled his scarf, it beginning to wrap around the two, "Without having to hide ourselves we can go on a full counterattack against our enemies."
It wouldn't be long before the two vanished in a whirlwind of grey, leaving only a set of confused Faunus at wondering what they had just witnessed.
Remnant – Atlas Skies
Cinder, Neo and Finis had managed to come across a Small Manta to use, it being a fairly compact model with a more streamlined look to it. The interior was also fairly small as well, it having two pilot seats and a couch seat in the back. Neo was currently piloting with Finis in the co-pilot seat, Cinder sitting in the back. Finis did seem to notice something odd about Cinder however, and that was the claws of her Grimm hand scraping against Neo's seat in a slow rhythm.
Finis couldn't help but wonder just what was going on in Cinder's head at that moment, but the more they spent time with the Fall Maiden, the more they didn't regret their decision. They were broken out of their thoughts however when thunder began to rumble, red lightning illuminating the dark clouds ahead of them to reveal the massive Grimm known as Monstra.
Cinder moved forward and stood between both front seats, "There."
"Interesting…" Finis trailed as they stared at Monstra.
Neo however couldn't help but give a look of disbelief at what she was seeing, frowning as she made her way towards the side of the whale. Surprisingly, the whale Grimm was acting as a massive Air Carrier as there was an interior to it, there being a landing bay made out of bone-like substances and the whale's own flesh. It didn't take long to land, and despite the airship being unfamiliar to the Grimm, thanks to Cinder's presence, the Small Manta wasn't attacked.
Upon landing, Cinder went to lead the three towards the main chamber of Monstra. The main floor and centerpiece were made out of bone with various markings all around. In the center of the chamber was Salem who was sitting on a throne made of bone. Neo couldn't help but stare in shock while Finis looked around with great interest. The two walked forward when they watched Cinder step forward further.
Cinder went to step forward to kneel before placing her right hand to her chest, "My Queen."
"Cinder," Salem spoke up after she stood from her throne, turning and walking towards her servant, "When I chose you as my vessel for the Maidens, I put my trust in you. So I trust that you wouldn't possibly return to me empty-handed."
"The Relic of Knowledge," Cinder said as she went to hold out the Fake Relic, "I took it right from under Ironwood's nose."
Neo couldn't help but look in disbelief before giving a light glare, crossing her arms. Finis glanced towards Neo and couldn't help but notice this, but decided not to say anything.
Salem went to take the Relic of Knowledge, holding it by its handle only to narrow her eyes. She turned to the side, staring intently at the Relic.
"My Queen…?" Cinder asked as she noticed something off.
"This…" Salem gripped the Relic of Knowledge by its sides, tightening her grip on the lamp further and further before it suddenly began to crack from all over. She then shattered the lamp before allowing the pieces to fall to the floor, "This is a fake."
"Excuse me?" Cinder asked in surprise.
"I suppose I now have to question why you would dare bring me a fake," Salem said with a very dangerous and venomous tone to her voice though that seemed to fade as she spoke further, "However I shouldn't be surprised. Despite your usage of it, your kind is not accustomed to magic like I and one other are. And while that Lamp was made of a most peculiar magic… it is not the one I've been used to for all this time."
"Oh… there's only one explanation then…" Finis spoke up with a chuckle as they saw this.
"Who are they?" Salem turned towards Cinder as she raised a curious eyebrow at both Neo and Finis.
"Neopolitan has some very useful abilities and has proven to be a valuable asset," Cinder explained much to Neo's chagrin, "Finis on the other hand is very interesting and useful in different ways."
"I am Finis of the Time Jackers," Finis explained as they placed a hand on their chest and bowed slightly, "We've come to this world in order to crown a new King or Queen. And you have greatly piqued mine and my colleague's interest."
"You come from another world?" Salem questioned.
"In simple terms yes," Finis replied, "If you'd allow us to, we would be able to help you in your current objective. After all, it appears as though our enemies are one in the same, and they've already managed to plant a fake of something you were after in particular."
"I will decide if and when you shall help me," Salem narrowed her eyes, noticing Finis' high tone of speaking, "You will have to prove yourselves to me."
"Very well," Finis gave a further bow but smirked as she had no intention of truly allying with Salem, she just needed to keep in Salem's good graces so she could view Cinder more easily.
"There is also one other issue," Cinder mentioned before glancing at Neo.
Neo gave a nod before her form shifted, pink glass swirling around as her height and shape changed into that of Kamen Rider Woz.
"Huh, so you encountered one from their group as well," Finis said.
Salem's eyes widened as she saw the Kamen Rider standing before her, Cinder seemed to notice this response as well and was genuinely surprised. Salem was usually mute in expressions unless it was anger, and even then, no one truly saw her angry as they made sure to not be in a room when her anger peaked. But this was something else, this was surprise, this... was Salem being unnerved.
"I see…" Salem held a tense tone as she managed to keep her composure before looking at Finis, "So you know what this is?"
"Kamen Rider," Finis spoke up, "Armor that can enhance even an ordinary human and give them extraordinary powers, turning them into a masked hero. The world we come from holds many of them, but of the particular group we're facing, there are five of them."
"Hmm…" Salem went silent at this news.
It didn't take long for the squelching noise of a nearby membrane door to catch everyone's attention. Entering the main throne room of Monstra was the remainder of Salem's forces, that being of Hazel Rainart, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai.
"Cinder," Emerald said as she began to hurry over, "You're here! I knew you'd co-"
"Quiet," Cinder interrupted.
"Quite the small group you have," Finis mentioned as she looked over everyone in the area, "For someone aiming to siege a Kingdom, I expected… more."
"We are only missing two major members, and even then they've played their parts well," Salem said in an unconcerned tone, "Atlas is ours for the taking once certain preparations are in place."
"We have another issue however," Cinder spoke up, "Polendina's creation interfered with the transfer of the Winter Maiden power… but now I know she has it. And once I return to Atlas, it won't take long to finish what I started. Especially if I have Finis backing me up, that power will be mine."
"I've given no such command," Salem raised a hand to silence her subordinate.
"Ma'am, now is the time to-" Cinder ended up cutting herself off when she saw Salem turn away.
Salem placed a hand on the throne, the lights on the back of the throne shining brightly as a pulse was produced all throughout the floor and walls. Salem began to walk away from the throne towards the front of the room, the dark fog clearing from the wall at the front to reveal a view of the City of Atlas.
"This game is not yours to win, Cinder, it's mine," Salem explained, "Just because you're more valuable to me than a pawn, does not make you a player. Everything is already in motion. All you need concern yourself with is your ability to act when I tell you to."
"Of course," Cinder lowered her head, "Without you, I am nothing."
Salem gave a small smile at this and held up her hand, waving everyone off. Slowly but surely, her subordinates alongside Finis and Neo began to walk off as they were no longer needed. Once they were all out, Salem turned towards her throne and walked back to it, her smile turning to a frown as she recalled what she had seen when she contacted Ironwood.
"You aren't as in control as you think. If you really are coming personally to Atlas, then you better be prepared."
Her thoughts went back to Tsukasa's final words to her earlier. She couldn't help but grit her teeth at the thought of his words. Of course that meddler would show up during another decisive moment. The fact that there were five more with likely similar abilities wasn't a pleasing thought to her. Despite this she knew that she had to keep moving forward with her plan, she couldn't just postpone it.
"We'll see about that…" Salem muttered as if responding while she went to prepare for her next move, walking over and collecting the broken pieces of the Fake Relic.
Remnant – Mantle, Burger Bar
A grey whirlwind of fabric formed as Woz arrived with Oscar outside of an alleyway. Said alleyway led towards the back of the restaurant that was currently The Happy Huntresses' base of operations.
"Looks like you found your friend," Joanna remarked as she came to greet them before narrowing her eyes, "Inside, hurry."
Woz glanced back and gave a nod, leading Oscar in as Joanna took aim with her weapon, shooting a bolt that disabled a security camera drone that was passing by. Joanna then followed after the two, helping them keep the door open as they entered. Woz and Oscar passed a busy Robyn who was currently coordinating on the radio with the others members who weren't around at the moment.
Upon entering the main dining area, the two would see mostly everyone watching the current news reports. On screen was the current fugitive notice in place for Atlas. Listed were profiles of teams RWBY, JNR, and Zi-O alongside Oscar, Maria, Qrow with both Penny and Pietro having been added.
Ruby wasn't watching with the others as she was currently busy in a corner, huddled together with the rest of Team Zi-O as they were writing a list. Tsukasa and Summer were both nearby as they commented on some of the things being put on said list.
"I have returned with young Oscar," Woz proclaimed as he entered the room, catching everyone's attention.
"H-Hey there," Oscar held up his hand for a meek wave.
Nora gave a smile and immediately stood up, calmly walking over and giving him a hug. Oscar was a bit surprised, since he was expecting a huge tackle hug, but he didn't mind this and hugged back.
"When we heard you went off after Ironwood on your own, we…" Blake slowly spoke up but chose not to continue.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Oscar apologized, "I just wanted to try and make up for potentially having made this worse by telling Ironwood the truth back when the invasion first started."
"You don't have to apologize," Weiss said.
"Yeah, you were just doing what you thought was right," Yang replied, "Compared to some decisions we've all made ourselves, not the worst."
"All that matters is that you're alright," Geiz added.
"So I take it given Woz found you… it didn't work?" Jaune asked.
"Unfortunately not," Oscar shook his head, "He's so deep in his fear now only he thinks he's right and will likely only listen to people who agree with him. Thankfully I was able to get away."
"Young Oscar was residing in the slums," Woz added, "Luckily the locals there didn't seem to mind him as he was relatively fine when I arrived."
"That's good to hear," Weiss sighed in relief, "But how did you end up down in the slums?"
"It's a… long story," Oscar admitted with a sigh as he looked around, suddenly noticed Summer's presence, "But I get the feeling there's been a few of those tonight."
'Impossible…' Ozpin gave a gasp.
'Huh?' Oscar asked in his mind, 'What's wrong?'
'Oscar, that woman over there… she's…' Ozpin wasn't sure how to explain, "Is there any way you could let me shift into control for a brief moment?"
'You and I still have a lot to sort out...' Oscar was stern in his tone but mentally sighed a bit, 'But I guess I can allow it this one time.'
"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked before noticing where Oscar was staring, "Oh right, well… um, this is my mom."
"Hello there," Summer gave a smile.
"Right, about that…" Oscar sighed before holding his hands up, "I need everyone to not freak out but… there's someone who wants to speak up after being silent for all this time."
"Wait…" Yang trailed.
"Oscar going from Atlas to the Slums suddenly makes a lot more sense…" Qrow admitted.
"Yeah, Ozpin's back… I want to keep it brief though," Oscar said, "I still have a lot of things to talk to him about. But… he saved my life, and he really wants to help. But first, he has a few things he wants to say."
"Go for it," Ruby said.
Oscar gave a nod, his body shifting posture as his eyes flashed gold.
"I know I left all of you on… terrible terms, I failed everyone here," Ozpin admitted as he stepped forward, he glanced over at Summer, "I should have trusted you all with the truth, and because I didn't others suffered because I left out crucial details."
"Yeah, well some of that is our own fault…" Summer muttered a bit as she held her arm, Qrow putting a hand on his teammates shoulder to comfort her.
"I should have never run the day you all discovered the truth," Ozpin admitted, "I was cowardly, and assumed running from my mistake would fix it. Only just barely helping out when I should have been fully committed."
"While you did have a fair reaction…" Ruby trailed off, "It was still rough."
"Yeah, we did kind of blow up at you," Yang agreed, "Still…"
"Trust isn't as black and white as people think it is," Blake said, "Sometimes you have to lie, sometimes you need to tell the truth. It's a delicate sort of thing that I think we all realized after everything we've been through."
"I'm still admittedly a bit ticked off," Jaune spoke up, "But so long as you're willing to help us, I think that's all that matters."
"It's fine if you don't want to easily forgive me," Ozpin replied as he looked over towards Jaune but in particular, Qrow, "But at least accept my help."
"Pretty sure that's the least we can do," Qrow sighed, still not exactly the most comfortable around Ozpin, but he wasn't about to let that get in the way, "And we could use any help if I'm being honest."
"Yeah," Ruby said as she looked around, everyone else giving nods.
"As for why I in particular wanted to chime in…" Ozpin soon began to walk over towards where Summer was, "It was mostly because of you."
"Yeah I suppose my appearance is a bit shocking," Summer admitted with a chuckle, "After all, I basically vanished after my final mission."
"Knowing the truth about Salem… I knew it was impossible to hope for your safety," Ozpin admitted, "And yet…"
"Here I am," Summer spread out her arms before lowering them, "Unfortunately how I survived is a pretty long story. One of which we barely have time for."
"Right," Ozpin said as his eyes flashed, putting control back into Oscar.
"At the very least it looks like we've got our full team for this one," Oscar admitted.
"Yep, we're pretty much at full power aside from general tiredness," Sougo agreed, "I think we can do this."
"Alright, looks like everyone's here," Robyn said as she entered with Joanna, "Taking a brief break to get some kind of report here since you all have been lounging for a bit."
"You all ready to work?" Joanna asked in a blunt manner as she went to go rummage for some supplies, "The largest Grimm horde ever seen is hovering over the tundra, and out there is a city with no heat, and from what Robyn said, no more military protection."
"And while I'm absolutely happy to give us all a place to lay low, we do need to get working on some kind of plan here," Robyn admitted, "The people of Mantle need our help."
"How…?" Ren asked as he finally spoke up, "Ironwood is stopping all evacuations to Atlas. And we can't get them out of the city with Salem's forces surrounding us."
"There's the Crater beneath Atlas," Joanna spoke up, "It's not safe, but it's warm, and with everyone in one place, we can do a better job protecting them."
"I've already got some key spots and can coordinate to where you all would be needed most," Robyn added as she began to pace around, "The plan is to get everyone down into The Crater before nightfall. In the slums, we'll likely have a chance to survive until a proper solution presents itself."
"Which is why she was hoping you all might have something," Joanna said before looking over at Sougo, "With your team in particular kid."
"We've already got a list of the backup we plan on acquiring," Sougo held up a piece of paper full of various names, "I think we've got a sizeable amount of varied Riders that can help turn the tide but we'll need some time to gather them."
"Just give us a bit more time for now," Ruby spoke up, "I've been thinking it over and we need to approach this carefully if everyone is going to make it out of this."
"That would be appreciated," Robyn said before heading back into the kitchen, "I'll leave further preparations to you."
"Just don't take too long," Joanna said as she followed after Robyn.
"We're never going to sleep again, I just know it," Weiss sighed.
"If we pull this off you can sleep for a week if you want to," Geiz reassured.
"So what exactly is our plan?" Yang looked over at her sister, "How do we help Mantle?"
"Mantle's important but we can just piggyback off of Robyn's plan for that," Ruby nodded as she crossed her arms, "As for everything else… as much as I trust the Riders to have our back, we need to consider all kinds of scenario's here and we need to get the word out."
"You mean Amity, right?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Yeah," Ruby gave a nod, "We need to tell the world about Salem, we could use any kind of backup or at least warn them in case things go awry and we're here longer than we expected."
"Plus even if we don't get backup and we somehow manage to win, getting help with relief efforts will be key to making sure the Kingdom doesn't collapse," Geiz added.
"Those are good points," Blake agreed, "The Happy Huntresses are handling the evacuation better than we could. While we should spare some of our forces until the Riders arrive, we do need to think of the big picture."
"But Amity isn't even finished, right?" Yang asked, "I hate to be skeptical but that's going to need a lot of work."
"Doctor Polendina," Ruby spoke up as she turned towards Pietro, "What would you need to launch Amity now?"
"Uh… well we've made decent progress on construction and fuel collection, all potentially manageable," Pietro admitted before giving a hum, "Amity was designed so it couldn't launch itself without first being granted clearance from General Ironwood's terminal."
"There's no way Ironwood's going to cooperate with us," Yang sighed.
"Yeah, that would be the biggest surprise of today," Geiz admitted.
"But he doesn't have to," Ruby spoke up, "We just need the green light from his terminal, right?"
"You want to go back to the academy?" Yang asked.
"And after we worked so hard to make sure we escaped," Woz sighed.
"Actually… there is more than one terminal," Pietro admitted, "The one in his office and uh… one in the main Atlesian Military Compound… at the base of the city. You'd have to get into the compound somehow, then, uh, get inside the operations room, and then… hoo boy… I might need to think about this some more."
"And just to clarify, this is the easy option?" Oscar asked.
"So basically we've got an impossible task ahead of us with Amity," Yang said before giving a small smirk, "Granted that hasn't stopped us before, right?"
"Yeah, we're pretty good at ignoring the impossible," Sougo agreed before growing more serious, "If we get Amity then we can coordinate with our allies that are elsewhere in Remnant. I think it would be good."
"Yeah, Atlas is only Salem's current target," Ruby reminded, "She's not hiding anymore and once she's done here she'll move on to the rest of Remnant. And that's not factoring in the Time Jackers into this at all."
"And given both of our current oppositions… having more help would be good," Geiz agreed, already assuming that the Time Jackers were planning on worming their way into Ironwood's and Salem's good graces.
"That's all well and good, but…" Ren spoke up as he stood, "Shouldn't we put all of our efforts towards one front first? There are people in Mantle who need us right now. That's something we can actually do."
"But this isn't about just Atlas," Nora spoke up in a more agitated voice, "They're all right. It's about all of Remnant. They need to know in Vacuo, in Mistral, in Vale, what's coming so they can prepare, plus any help we can get out of it is always good."
"Okay, okay," Jaune quickly walked between everyone, mostly to keep Nora and Ren's tension from going further, "We've all made pretty good points on both sides. But thanks to the size of our group, we'd be able to tackle all of them at once."
"So that makes three goals, right?" Yang asked.
"Yep, we've got to split up into three teams," Sougo said as he stood up and held up a finger each time he brought up a point, "The first will be gathering the Kamen Riders we've selected. The second will be those who want to help Mantle out and make sure evacuations to the Crater will go smoothly. The third will work on Amity and getting the clearance from the Terminal."
"A three pronged attack, huh?" Oscar asked as he put a hand to his chin, "That might actually work."
"Or… let me take the Relic to Salem… and maybe she will call off her attack on the Kingdom," Penny finally spoke up after staying silent for so long.
"No way," Geiz answered immediately.
"Hand her basically what she wants?" Tsukasa asked, "It's an interesting tactic but there's no telling what she'll do after she gets what she wants."
"We've also annoyed her with the fake Lamp by now, more than likely," Woz added.
"Yeah, we can't trust Salem to actually leave," Oscar agreed, "And the moment she uses the Staff to create anything else, Atlas falls onto Mantle."
"Nobody's turning you over to anybody," Yang spoke up in a more stern tone.
"But…" Penny tried to speak up but couldn't find the words, holding her hands close to her as she looked down.
"Penny…" Sougo said as he walked over, "What's wrong?"
"I… this power… and the responsibility…" Penny managed to barely speak up.
"Ignore it," Sougo said.
"What?" Penny looked up in surprise.
"I mean, from what I remember being told, the Maiden Powers at their core were meant to help people," Sougo explained, "And that's what you want to do, right?"
"I do…" Penny gave a slow nod, "But…"
"I know you feel a lot of pressure with the Vault hanging over your head and everyone who wants the Staff," Sougo said before he took Penny's hands in a firm grip, "I promise you, that we'll make sure you don't have to be forced into a role that should have never been a thing."
"Sougo…" Tsukuyomi trailed as she saw her friend comfort Penny.
"A-Alright…" Penny gave a nod.
"He's right," Ruby nodded as she walked over and gave a smile, "We've got your back."
"That kind of power is a great responsibility, yes," Sougo admitted as he gently let go of Penny's hands, "But it's what you do with it yourself that shapes what it really is. Not the expectations of others, no one but you decides what you use those powers for."
"I see…" Penny said as she kept her hands close to her, staring at them.
Ruby meanwhile walked over and put a hand on Penny's shoulder to help her relax, giving a small smile when she saw Penny look over at her.
Sougo kept his smile before turning around, "Alright, I think we need to start working on teams."
"How exactly do we split up?" Oscar asked.
"I'm already leading the charge to gather the Kamen Riders," Tsukasa said as he raised his hand, "So who wants to group up with me?"
"I'm absolutely making sure you're on a leash," Summer crossed her arms, "Can't have your usual personality getting in the way."
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Tsukasa scoffed as he turned his head away.
"I guess I'll go with that group then," Qrow spoke up as he walked over to the two, "That is if you don't mind."
"Go ahead," Tsukasa said as he put his hands in his pockets, "I've admittedly wanted to meet you and the others for a while."
"She's talked about us?" Qrow asked.
"All the time," Tsukasa admitted.
"I think having three members will be good but…" Sougo put a hand to his chin, "Woz, go with them."
"Are you sure my Overlord?" Woz asked.
"You do chronicle the Kamen Riders," Sougo replied as he pointed towards Woz's book, "So you and Tsukasa working together will make it easier and faster to track them down."
"That means we lose access to Zi-O Trinity," Geiz reminded.
"I think we can handle things with Zi-O II, Silver Roze, and Geiz Revive for now," Sougo reassured, "Besides we got this far without really needing Trinity, right?"
"Okay, I'll lead the Atlas Infiltration team then," Ruby spoke up as she went to stand next to Sougo before glancing at Pietro, "But we're also going to need someone to guide us to the terminal."
"I'll go," Penny said in a low but firm voice.
"Penny," Pietro turned towards his daughter, "We can't risk-"
"I'll go," Penny fully raised her head now, the green fire that signified the use of her magic forming in front of her eyes as she held a determined expression. Everyone knew in that moment that she wasn't about to back down.
"I'll go with you all as well," Sougo gave a nod.
"Count me in," Blake spoke up.
"I think I might have a way to get in with relative ease," Weiss admitted as she had been thinking on an infiltration route ever since the idea had been brought up, "Still hashing it out."
"Really…? Nice Weiss!" Sougo called out with a thumbs-up with Weiss turning and blushing a bit at the compliment.
"I'll go with Ruby too," Nora spoke up.
"Nora?" Ren asked in surprise as he recalled her prior stances on the situation, "But what about Mantle?"
"Oh, I'm saving Mantle," Nora spoke up, "Because I actually believe we can do this."
"I think we've hit our cap then," Ruby admitted as she counted her group currently, six of them was already pretty hefty for an infiltration squad, "I'd rather not add anyone else on unless absolutely necessary."
"That's two teams then," Yang said before raising her hand, "I'll lead the Mantle Evacuation Squad if no one minds."
"Then whoever didn't chime in will be with that squad," Geiz said as he walked over to Yang.
"Yang," Pietro spoke up before grabbing something out of his pocket and tossing it towards her.
Yang caught it before looking at it, "A key?"
"Go by the pharmacy," Pietro answered, "I was developing some new tools for you all before… this happened. I'm sure you could find them very useful."
"Sounds good to me," Yang said.
"Wait," Tsukuyomi turned towards Pietro, "When you say new tools…"
"Yep, the very same ones I had your team help me get parts for," Pietro smiled, "They're pretty much ready to go."
"That's right," Geiz realized as he snapped his fingers, "That'll definitely help us out."
"Wait, what?" Yang asked, "You guys know what we're going after?"
"I'm sure you'll like it," Geiz gave a smirk as he didn't say any more.
"I'll hold you to that," Yang gave a grin.
"Looks like we've got our plans and our groups," Sougo looked around before holding up his Faizphone X, "Everyone with one of these, make sure to call if something comes up to keep us updated if calling by Scroll won't work."
"Wait," Tsukuyomi suddenly realized, "How exactly are we going to handle World Wide communications coming back online?"
"We need a message to play just to get everyone up to speed," Ruby said, "As much of a panic as it would cause, Remnant needs to know what's coming just in case we fail. So one of us should pre-record it and make sure it's good to go."
"But who should do it?" Jaune asked.
"I think we should let Ruby do it," Sougo said.
"W-Wait, you want me?" Ruby asked as she pointed towards herself with a stammer, "B-But I…"
"You technically are the leader of our ragtag group," Weiss reminded.
"Yeah, it'd feel weird if Sougo did it," Yang admitted before looking over at the future King, "No offense."
"No I agree," Sougo said, "It's why I suggested Ruby to begin with."
"I can help you write a speech if you want," Blake offered.
"I'll help too!" Sougo agreed, "I think you can do this."
"Uh… thanks guys…" Ruby said as she was glad for the help but also still worried about being broadcast worldwide, "I think?"
"I suppose all we have to do now is tell Robyn," Tsukuyomi said.
"Then let's get started," Geiz added.
Remnant – Monstra
Salem was currently alone in the throne room of her massive Grimm battleship. She had a pet project she had lined up for a while now just waiting to be released. She knew that this was the perfect test run but there was still doubt, this worry in the back of her head that somehow had been plaguing her for quite a while despite being confident mere hours ago. She had assumed it was unfounded but then Tsukasa and Summer had to show up again suddenly as she attempted to intimidate the enemy. She wasn't sure if that was a bad omen or not, but she put too much effort in to simply turn away and leave a damaged Atlas to reconstruct itself.
She was currently staring at the broken pieces of the Fake Relic of Knowledge in her hands. She knew she couldn't be angry at Cinder, when even she didn't expect this outcome. But it still infuriated her that she had been outplayed. Had Ozma expected her to immediately go after the Lamp so they made a fake? And if so where did they put the real one?
"Just what is going on…?" Salem muttered.
"What's occurring now is a war that you cannot possibly win."
"Who dares?" Salem looked up with a glare before her eyes widened, an Aurora Curtain forming in front of her throne. She had seen that wall before and was suddenly reminded of her attempt and failure all those years back when Summer had confronted her.
"I do not wish to be rude," The voice said as the Jester, or rather the man behind the costume walked out from the Aurora Curtain. The same tan coat and fisherman's hat on him as before, "I am Narutaki."
"Narutaki…?" Salem raised an eyebrow, "And why do you appear before me in this manner?"
"You sound very familiar with it," Narutaki said before the Aurora Curtain faded, he then stood up straight, "Then you've seen him, the devil known as… Decade…"
"And if I have?" Salem asked, deciding to play coy.
"Then you've seen his power," Narutaki said, "And even one with such great abilities and assets as yourself must at least admit that his power truly is dangerous."
"Why are you here?" Salem asked, avoiding the question while wanting to get to the point.
"The one you've met with, Finis," Narutaki gave a more serious expression, "Or rather the Time Jackers themselves will not be your key to victory. If you ally yourself with me, then I can provide all that you need."
"I do not wish to seek an alliance," Salem narrowed her eyes, not exactly wanting to be indebted to these otherworldly travelers, "Now leave my sight."
"Very well," Narutaki gave a bow before an Aurora Curtain appeared behind him, "But I will still try and offer some sort of assistance at a later date. Should things not be favorable to you, I'd consider taking it."
Salem could only keep narrowing her eyes as she watched Narutaki vanish into the Aurora Curtain. She then stood up before deciding to head off deeper into Monstra.
Eventually she reached another fleshy membrane door, it tearing open as she held up the pieces of the broken Fake Relic.
"I need to know what was done with the real one," Salem spoke to no one in particular as she held up the pieces.
A Grimm was behind the door, it being almost canine-like in appearance but without any eyes, it holding a fairly large jaw. It sniffed the Relic and opened its gaping maw, letting out an exhale.
"So I need you to find the one who held this last, and bring them to me…" Salem spoke to the beast which let out another exhale.
Remnant – Mantle Rooftops
Apart from Tsukasa easily whisking his team away with an Aurora Curtain, Ruby's team was the fastest to move after setup since Yang's team needed to delegate with Robyn on where they needed to go after stopping by Pietro's shop. Ruby was currently prowling across the rooftops as they made their way through Mantle, slowly but surely getting closer to where they'd be underneath Atlas.
"I'm surprised you decided to come with us," Weiss remarked as she glanced at Blake, "Given how you and Yang like to pair up."
"Hey now, I'm good at infiltration remember?" Blake reminded as she glanced to the side, trying to hide a small blush before clearing her throat, "Besides, Yang's got a good well-rounded group to help her out."
"That's true," Ruby gave a nod, "We've got some useful skills too when it comes to movement and retrying stuff."
"Zi-O II will definitely be useful," Blake agreed.
"It's exactly why I wanted to come," Sougo admitted before they all received a call on their ear-pieces.
"I can get Pietro out to Amity to prepare," Maria's voice came through, "But that doesn't answer how we're getting all of you up to Atlas."
"Weiss did say she had an idea," Sougo replied.
Weiss gave a nod, "Still hashing it out, but I think-"
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
Everyone looked around as a beeping tone was playing from someone's Scroll. Everyone there checked theirs but they weren't receiving a call. As a result, everyone looked towards the beeping before seeing it was Penny who had hers out.
Penny stared at the caller ID, it confirming that Ironwood was calling her. Penny looked up and saw Sougo give her a nod. She then nervously tapped the Talk icon to accept the call.
"Hello, Penny," Ironwood spoke in a calm voice, "I'm worried for your safety. Tell me where you are and I'll have you picked up right away. Atlas needs you, Penny. Salem is here."
Ruby walked over and held out her hand, taking the Scroll once Penny handed it to her, "She's not going anywhere until you change your mind about Mantle. We've got backup incoming, there's still a chance to work together if we can just talk-"
"Mantle… you're still worried about Mantle?!" Ironwood called out as his calm facade broke, "And you can forget about working together. I want nothing to do with your Kamen Riders or Zi-O in general now that I know what he is. I now have allies who can give me the power to match Salem and stop her alongside Zi-O, the power to save Remnant via the might of Atlas."
"General, do not tell me you did what I think you just did," Ruby spoke in a slow voice as a not ideal scenario was seemingly realized, "Do you know how dangerous the power you're playing with is?"
"I don't need to be warned by a girl who doesn't know the power she's handling," Ironwood spoke in a cold voice, "If you dare get in my way and mess everything up for Atlas, for Remnant, then all of the blame will be on your hands."
"The only one who's making a mistake and will mess everything up is you if you keep on this path," Sougo spoke up as he walked over, "General, you don't have to do this."
"Oh I do, Overlord," Ironwood spoke in a harsh and bitter tone before hanging up.
Ruby closed up the scroll before noticing Penny's distressed look, quickly pulling her friend into a hug.
"It'll be okay," Ruby reassured her as she kept a firm grip on her friend, giving a smile when Penny hugged back.
"Uh… what was that all about?" Nora asked.
"Nothing," Blake shook her head as she lied, not wanting to freak Nora out immediately, "It's looks like the Time Jackers managed to get to Ironwood and gave him some false information to completely shut us out from trying to talk to him."
"Yeah," Weiss agreed, "They just want to try everything in their power to keep us at a disadvantage."
"I'll let the others know," Sougo said as he went to text Geiz and Tsukuyomi on what had likely happened.
Remnant – Atlas Medical Facility
"Well now, I suppose diplomacy is out of the question with her," Swartz said.
"Unfortunately," Ironwood gave a nod as they walked through the halls of the medical facility with his new ally.
Just before calling Penny he had gotten a new prosthesis to replace the arm he had injured. While the wounds could eventually heal, he didn't want to waste any time and needed to be prepared to spring into action. So he ordered a new prosthetic arm to be given to him. Of course it wasn't fully plated due to the urgency and the exposed wires could be seen alongside a fairly bare and unarmored hand.
"How is it?" Swartz asked.
"Getting used to it still, but it won't hinder me," Ironwood said as he looked down and flexed his fingers a bit. It wouldn't be long before they entered the medical facility and entered a hall with various technicians that held two main rooms.
"Sir," The technicians held a salute before they slowly lowered it in confusion and worry.
"Oh," Ironwood realized why exactly they were looking like that before he glanced back and gestured towards Swartz, "There's no need to worry. He's a new ally I brought along."
"Please, don't mind me," Swartz smirked.
"Now then, most importantly… how are my men?" Ironwood asked.
"Well sir," A female technician walked over and began reading over the results she was given, "Specialist Ebi while unharmed seems to be in a deep sleep. There's no sign of fatigue or anything that needs to be healed and he won't wake up either."
"I see…" Ironwood said as he went to stroke his beard, a light sigh of relief escaping his lips. He glanced over towards the right room, through the window he could see the remaining Ace-Ops staring at their unconscious leader's body while it was placed on a medical bed with various monitors running.
"Now that is curious," Swartz muttered as he raised an eyebrow.
"We're unsure of what to classify it," A male technician added, "Though we do plan on carefully testing to see if we can do anything to get him to react and get out of that state."
"I see, and the next one?" Ironwood asked before he was gestured to follow the technicians, Swartz deciding to stand out in the hall near the windows of both rooms while Ironwood entered.
"Sir," Winter spoke up as she saw the General enter, but couldn't move at the moment and was currently facing away from the window.
This was due to two scientists and technicians working on fitting her body with a prototype of a new armor they were developing. Due to Ironwood's insistence on getting something done in regards to their Rider Research, the pair of scientists had decided to use medical braces already available while quickly modifying them.
The result was Winter's usual specialist outfit but with black pauldrons with red accents on her arms alongside leg armoring with the same color scheme. Both were attached with various straps to hold them together.
"Is everything working alright?" Ironwood asked the scientists.
"Yes, we just need to make sure some things are secure…" The first scientist said as he finished making sure the armor was attached correctly, "How are things looking?"
"Vitals are normal, it's functioning as intended," The second scientist listed off before directing his next comment towards Winter, "This should increase your performance dramatically now."
"I see," Winter said.
"Could you give us the room, please?" Ironwood asked as the technicians and scientists gave a nod, all of them shuffling out. He then looked over at Winter, "How are you doing?"
"I received no major injuries, so I'm doing fine," Winter said, admittedly she'd have to thank Geiz for that given he was the one who kept things from going too far with Cinder. She began to glance over her armor and stared at it for a bit, "Sir… are you sure that I should be wearing this? After what…"
"Winter, you're my top operative for a reason," Ironwood reassured, "Which is why I have to thank you. And that means giving you the strength and defense to withstand this latest assault on the kingdom. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Thank you, sir," Winter said and turned, she was ready to mention her acquirement of one of Ruby's Ridewatches but paused when she saw Swartz in the window. Recognizing his clothing as similar to Uhr's and Finis' she froze a bit, "Sir…"
"Huh?" Ironwood turned before seeing who Winter was staring at, "At ease Winter, I know you mentioned running into one during one of your missions. But the Time Jackers are here to help us."
"They… are?" Winter asked, a bit nervous by the fact that the ones that were once called enemies, especially if Swartz was related to Finis, were their allies.
"I know, I know," Ironwood noticed his subordinates concern and held up his hands, "But the situation has changed. Sougo was lying to us from the very start and was manipulating us to where we wouldn't be able to replicate his technology. He's a dangerous individual who has the ability to become a most despicable and powerful Overlord."
"He does?" Winter asked in shock, "Just what did you find out?"
"I'll brief you alongside the other Ace-Ops once your preparations are finished," Ironwood said, "Just know that thanks to Swartz and his allies, we won't need to worry about creating our own Riders anymore. Especially in these dire times… no one has ever seen a Grimm force this large before. The city's Hard-Light shields will hold, but not forever."
"So then, what will you do… sir?" Winter asked, as all thoughts of mentioning her acquisition faded due to the fear and doubt suddenly plaguing her.
"Wait, you can't be in here!"
Swartz turned to look over at what was going on, as the others in the rooms began to turn at the voice of the technician shouting. The remaining two members of the council, Camilla and Sleet were approaching, and neither looked happy. The Time Jacker leader simply decided to step back near the window of Clover's room, wanting to give them the space to get through.
"This is absurd!" Sleet shouted, "Let us through!"
"I told you, we need to speak to the general!" Camilla called out as she and her fellow Councilman managed to push past the technicians, "What in God's name do you think you're doing, James?!"
"I'm going to do everything I can to defend this kingdom," Ironwood answered Winter's previous question as he went to go greet the two Council members with his hands behind his back, "No matter the cost."
"And what's this about martial law?" Sleet asked as he reached his boiling point, "Have you lost your damn mind?! Are you that scared of what-"
BANG
Sleet was unable to finish his sentence, as soon as Ironwood had stepped into the hall to confront the two he drew out one of his guns and fired a single shot at Sleet, killing him. Winter and the Ace-Ops could only react in surprise at seeing their leader shoot Sleet without any hesitation. Camilla meanwhile could only scream in horror at what had happened.
Ironwood turned towards Harriet who had been at the doorway to Clover's room for a while since the yelling started.
"Get some guards and make sure she's placed back at her residence under custody," Ironwood said before walking off.
"Yes sir…" Harriet trailed off as she gave a salute.
"Well now," Swartz gave a smirk as he turned to walk off with Ironwood, leaving Winter alone with the technicians, scientists, and the Ace-Ops.
Winter looked over at Harriet, the two sharing a glance though Harriet glanced away to start typing away at her Scroll.
Winter meanwhile gripped the half of the Silver Roze Ridewatch in her pocket. It gave her some relief as she started to realize that Geiz's theory of the Time Jackers likely moving to someone else in the Military was completely on point. She'd have to tread carefully as the situation became a lot more complicated to her.
Remnant – Mantle Streets
Upon getting their first set of sectors to tackle, Yang's team began rushing through the alleyways. Thankfully aside from there being flying drones and cameras, most of Atlas' Forces had pulled out aside from a few Atlesian Knights. And even then those were few and far between as well as only being sent to key locations Ironwood assumed the group would head to.
One of those was Pietro's Pharmacy, two Atlesian Knights patrolling and searching the office. That was until they heard the door open, one turning only to get shot in the head, disabling it. The other turned and jerked its arms to try and shoot its rifle only for its head to get shot as well.
Yang and her team all had their weapons out and lowered them slightly once the two Knights were taken care of. They walked in as a news report was playing that had ended up being hijacked by Joanna who was getting the word out to people about the Crater plan.
"Only two guards?" Geiz asked.
"They could be further in," Ren warned.
"Let's approach carefully then," Tsukuyomi suggested as she looked around.
"So where are the tools?" Yang asked.
"Should be right here," Geiz said as he walked over to a door, "This should be the spot, right?"
"Yeah, I believe they were back there," Tsukuyomi gave a nod.
"Well…" Yang quickly pushed the door open and got in a fighting stance in case there were more Atlesian Knights. But instead they were met with silence alongside a dark room.
Jaune quickly slid to the edge of the door frame and slapped the light switch to turn on the lights. Yang gave a gasp and a smile while Jaune gave a big grin. Oscar and Ren peaked over, the two surprised at what they were seeing.
"No way, this is what he meant by tools?" Yang gestured towards the inside, "And you guys chose not to tell us about these bad boys?"
Inside was a workshop of various devices and tools that ranged from Hard-Light shield generators to Wind Dust grenades. The biggest and most eye-catching part of the arsenal they had discovered was a set of three hoverbikes.
"Well it was supposed to be a surprise," Tsukuyomi admitted.
"Surprise," Geiz said in a near bored voice as he raised his hands up halfway.
"What are these things anyway?" Oscar asked.
"The HBV Rhino, or at least that's what Professor Polendina referred to them as," Tsukuyomi explained, "I knew he worked fast but I wasn't expecting three of them to basically be done."
"Especially since he was also studying our gear," Geiz agreed, "Man's tenacious that's for sure."
"Alright its official, the others are totally missing out," Yang admitted as she walked forward to inspect the vehicles.
"From what I recall they use Gravity Dust and are pretty maneuverable," Geiz said, "Definitely what we need."
"Yeah, that'll definitely solve the problem given we left without asking to borrow the others bikes," Oscar admitted.
"Yeah, we only have the one Ride Striker with us, and I'd rather not waste the Time Mazines," Geiz said before he looked around, "Luckily there's six of us so we can each pair up."
"Well what are we waiting for?" Jaune asked, "Let's do this."
It wouldn't take long for the six to get the HVB Rhino's out of the Pharmacy and mounting them. Yang and Oscar took one with Yang as the driver. Ren was currently the driver of his and Jaune's, while Geiz and Tsukuyomi shared their own with Geiz at the front.
Yang was having the time of her life currently and gave a grin when she saw an overturned car that was at the right angle to act as a ramp. Despite Oscar's protests she shifted her hoverbike over towards the downed car and launched off of it, using Ember Celica to fire a round off against the wall and performing a flip in midair on the hoverbike as a result.
Jaune couldn't help but give an excited smile while Ren simply gave a sigh.
"Show off," Geiz scoffed as he made sure to keep clear of any debris.
The group of six however were unaware they were being watched. A Grimm-like figure holding the shape of a massive dog seemed to be watching them as it was perched on a bridge that they passed underneath.
Ruby's team meanwhile had gotten a bit of unexpected help once they confirmed and arrived at their destination. It turned out that once Robyn heard they wanted to get Amity up and running, she sent May over to accompany them in their infiltration mission.
"Alright, come on," May said as she removed the chain to a fence, a sign reading 'Authorized Personnel Only' as the team's target way an unassuming factory. Ruby and her team slowly began to file in as May held open the gate.
"Thanks again for coming," Nora said as she passed by.
"Don't mention it, once Robyn learned about Amity Tower she wouldn't shut up about it," May waved it off, "So when she found out you all wanted to complete it she personally sent me to make sure you guys had an easier time, plus we owe Sougo and his team for a lot of stuff. So we're cool."
"How's she doing by the way?" Sougo asked, recalling how busy the leader of the Happy Huntresses was at the moment.
"It's overwhelming work, but compared to me or Fi, she's getting it done perfectly," May admitted as she closed the gate once everyone was on the other side, "Plus we have the rest of your friends helping out in my stead."
"Yeah," Nora said but looked away, her thoughts still on Ren.
"So… are you sure this is safe?" Ruby asked as she stared at the building in front of them which looked to be a factory.
"Come on Ruby, this is Weiss, I'm sure she totally has this all planned out," Sougo said confidently before leaning over to Weiss, "This is safe, right?"
"Yes, it's safe," Weiss sighed with a slump before standing up straight and leading the group inside.
Inside the factory were various Atlesian Drones with light blue coloring on their displays instead of the usual black or blue. Not only that but they had the SDC Logo and insignia as well. The robots themselves didn't even react to the group despite the warrant and them being a similar model to the Knights. Instead they just went about their routine. At the center of the room were various control panels and tubes that would lead upwards into various Atlas facilities.
"Whoa…" Sougo trailed as he looked around before noticing something, "Hey wait, they aren't doing anything despite us being here?"
"Snow Shoe Shipping is an SDC subsidiary, meaning all the drones here report to the company, not the General," Weiss explained to ease everyone's worries, "The pneumatic tubes allow for Dust refined in the crater to be sent straight up to Atlas. We just need to find the one for the military base."
"Are there any buildings in Atlas that your family doesn't own?" Blake asked to which Nora giggled.
"That…" Weiss started before giving a huff and walking off, "Isn't relevant at the moment."
Everyone began to spread out in order to search, though Ruby noticed Penny seemed to still be troubled. Deciding that they still had enough people to search this small of a room she walked over to her friend.
"Hey," Ruby spoke up.
Penny looked over, "I do not like it when friends fight."
"I know," Ruby sighed, figuring out what Penny meant almost instantly.
"Winter, the General," Penny listed as she turned away and looked at the ground, "They were our friends. But then the Ace Ops attacked you. And the General, he said people were going to die, because of me."
"That was a lie," Ruby gave a frown as she turned Penny to look her in the eyes, "And he was only saying it to hurt you. To force you to do what he wants."
"I was the protector of Mantle, but now, I am much more than that," Penny added, "And I wish I was not."
"But, you're still you Penny," Ruby reassured as she took her friends hands, "It's like Sougo said. No matter what power you obtain, the most important part is that you're the one who decides how you use it. I mean, I became a Kamen Rider and I'm still me, right?"
"That is true…" Penny gave a slow nod.
"And even then, by becoming the Winter Maiden you did protect Mantle," Ruby added, "If you hadn't then Mantle would have been abandoned and easily exploited."
"Thank you Ruby," Penny gave a soft smile.
"We're friends, right?" Ruby smiled before giving her friend a hug.
Sougo had noticed their interaction and given a small smile before putting a hand to his chin. Once this was all over, and everything hopefully worked out well… he had an idea he'd have to run past Ruby.
"I found it!" Nora called out, catching everyone's attention as the group began to gather around the terminal.
"I suppose there's no turning back now," Blake said.
"Between our secret weapons," May pointed back at both Penny and Sougo before giving a bow and vanishing for a brief second, "And my Semblance, you all couldn't be in better hands."
"So how do we use this thing?" Nora asked.
"It should be simple," Weiss said as she went to sit in the tube where the cargo is loaded, "If you lie back in the tube and press launch-"
WHOOSH!
Weiss screamed out as she was immediately sucked into the pneumatic tube, her screams echoing and growing lower as everyone just stared in shock or surprise. Nora couldn't help but laugh a bit and jump up and down however, as she was the one who had ended up pressing the launch button.
"I want to go next!" Sougo raised his hand in glee and hurried over to the tube.
Remnant – Atlas Military Prison
"DAMN THAT STUPID KID!"
Tyrian Callows was not having a good day in the slightest, banging his head against the Hard-Light shield that was his prison cell. The prison cells were interesting as they were very basic and barebones despite the Hard-Light shields. It was a simple room that was extremely darkened, almost being a warehouse of sorts that was only just barely lit up by the Dust along the walls. The cells were all in a block and could be adjusted at any time, the only thing keeping the prisoners in being the Hard-Light walls.
Alongside Tyrian were both Jacques and Watts who could only stare as the madman of Salem's forces bang his head against the wall. What didn't help was that the scorpion Faunus had also had his wrists bound in heavy duty cuffs to keep him from trying anything with his arms. His tail was also patched up by this point but basically capped and curled up to keep him from trying anything with it as well.
"So is he always like this?" Jacques asked, lightly concerned by Tyrian's actions.
"Only when he's angry," Watts sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I must admit, despite all the noise the General made I'm surprised my partner was also taken in."
"It was because of that stupid brat!" Tyrian turned, his face filled with fury, "I had the perfect chance, the perfect escape. But then he stopped me, he beat me to a bloody pulp and then he had the nerve to not finish the job! And now because of that I cannot greet my Queen when I should have been able to!"
"Yes, well…" Watts trailed as he fixed his coat sleeves, "Unfortunately you're stuck in here with us. The most we can do is wait and be hopeful she hasn't abandoned us."
"Speak for yourself, I know the right people," Jacques gave a scoff, "I'm sure Whitley has reached out to my legal team and will have me out of here before you can say-"
"SHUT UP!" Tyrian yelled out before giving a glare, he glanced over at Watts, "This man is extremely annoying."
"Yet was instrumental in helping us cripple Mantle fairly well," Watts remarked.
A buzzer sounding off caught everyone's attention as three Atlesian Soldiers began to enter the room, walking over to Watts' cell and disabling the Hard-Light shield that acted as the main wall for the cell. The three then slowly approached Watts and stared down at him.
Watts raised an eyebrow, "You do realize you've already caught me-"
He was cut off by the nearest Soldier slamming the butt of their rifle into his face to force him into a daze. Jacques could only back up in surprise while Tyrian sent a glare the Soldiers way.
"You should try that on me…" Tyrian spoke in a dangerous tone.
"Like we'd be stupid enough for that," One Soldier remarked while the other two went to drag Watts out of the cell.
Remnant – Mantle, Time Jacker Hideout
"This is annoying," Ora sighed.
"You can say that again," Uhr gave a groan.
The two were currently lounging around in their hideout due to Finis and Swartz having gone ahead on their own Another Rider projects without the two younger members. This left them severely ticked off as they weren't sure what to do since any high priority targets to become Another Riders were already taken.
"So how much do you want to bet they'll just ignore us for the rest of our time here?" Ora asked.
"That's a high possibility," Uhr said before getting up from his seat and walking around, going over to the drawer that held all the monster equipment they had remaining, "Think we can stir up some trouble with this stuff?"
"I could care less…" Ora scoffed as she turned away, "The most we'd be doing is just making a distraction and that isn't the kind of chaos we need."
"Then what do you suggest?" Uhr asked.
"I'm half tempted to just head back," Ora said, "Start planning on the next Another Rider so that whenever Swartz and Finis come back I can show them up."
"That sounds like a good idea," Uhr admitted.
"Oh that won't do!"
The two perked up as they heard the Jester's voice throughout the office they were occupying. The two looked around before hearing a knock at the door.
"If you two really want to help out then I think I have the tools you can use."
Ora walked over and opened up the door before freezing time in front of her. To her surprise there was no one there.
"That dude kinda creeps me out," Uhr admitted as he walked over, hands in his pockets. He then looked down, "Huh?"
"What?" Ora asked before turning her head to where Uhr was looking, soon staring down at a wooden box. She picked it up before opening it up to reveal what was inside, "This is…?"
"Oh I think we can have a lot more fun now…" Uhr grinned as he saw the contents inside.
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"That's just human nature."
"I can give you the power necessary to protect Atlas."
"We need to leave, now!"
"Did it just…?"
"I only have one half…"
Chapter 82: Search, Infiltrate, Rescue
Author's Note: And as you can see, we're starting off Volume 8 with similar beats but with clear differences. The teams have been added to and we have a third, with them going to prior Riders who have been selected to come in as backup. Of course I'm not going to reveal who they really are until they appear though you are welcome to make guesses as to who will show up. As before, we're slowly but surely diverging from RWBY's canon timeline and this is only just the start of it.
Speaking of RWBY Canon, I'm enjoying Volume 9 well enough. It's a Volume that I'll need to see more of to get a solid opinion of, but I like what I'm seeing so far. Not much else to say but thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.