Last time on RWBY X Meta Runner: Worlds Collide…
Tari and Theo arrived on the ship Vekk-Torr called home and were on the run from the army of the robot warlord above. They managed to escape capture from his forces but fell into a trap he set up. After Vekk-Torr learns of Tari's origins, the heroes manage to escape after discovering Vekk-Torr himself was a "huntsman" as well. But what he hunts is the most dangerous game in numerous dimensions: powerful beings. However, Tari and Theo couldn't escape the warlord for that long. He managed to destroy the ship they were on but also sent the heroes and eight crystalline cocoons on board it, falling into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Lamar Williams entered Remnant (via the game) and managed to escape Haven Academy from the brainwashed team SSSN with the help of the robotic centipede, Arma-Kade. Now they, alongside Sage Ayana, the newly formed duo freed from Vekk-Torr's brainwashing due to their reckless stunt, are about to ask the genie in the Relic of Knowledge one question:
Who is Vekk-Torr? Stay tuned and find out!
As Lamar held out the Relic, the group was ready for their answer to his question. But he paused and turned to Sage.
"Is there any way to activate this?" Lamar questioned him.
"Her name is Jinn." The latter huntsman replied.
"Thanks. That's all we need to know." Arma-Kade acknowledged.
With the knowledge in hand, Lamar now raised the Lamp.
"Jinn," Lamar said to the Relic of Knowledge.
Time paused, and as the lamp gleamed with light, Jinn emerged from the Relic.
"She's hot," Arma-Kade interjected.
"Wonderful. Tell me, what knowledge do you seek?" Jinn questioned the trio.
"Have I got a question for you," Arma-Kade said.
"Who is Vekk-Torr?" Lamar interrupted.
"Vekk-Torr?" She asked.
Sage showed her an image of the warlord. She analyzed it well, and then, everything turned white. Then, light blue smoke revealed a metallic planet glowing in four colors, red, blue, green, and yellow. It then zoomed onto a few robots.
"In Camylon, a world beyond our own, a race of robots protected existence. The Camylonians." She narrated. "Many of them went to a reality they were assigned to watch over life itself. They were known as Spectators. Some serve as bodyguards to the Spectators and hunt down rouge beings, known as Distortions, to preserve realities. They were known as Rooks."
Lamar and Sage look at the numerous Spectators and Rooks at their jobs, with a Spectator observing a Remnant and ordering a Rook to execute a Beowolf as it became a Distortion. The Rook then fired a shot from its sniper rifle, killing the Distortioned Beowolf before it could kill a small human child. The child looked around to see who saved his life, only to see Ruby Rose in the Rook's place.
"There are a few who combine the skills of Spectators and Rooks. They also serve their king Ark-Thor, who can sense threats. These were The Knights of the Core." Jinn said.
The smoke then reveals four Camylonians around a round table. All of the individuals are the same size as Vekk-Torr. One was in the form of a chivalric humanoid alligator snapping turtle and colored green and brown with neon green light illuminating throughout his body and had a tree growing on his right shoulder. Another is similar in the design of a knight with birdlike qualities, colored goldenrod yellow and purple with yellow light illuminating his body. There also is one akin to a knightly merman with characteristics of a shark, squid, and dolphin. It is colored blue, teal, and aqua green, with blue light illuminating his body. Finally, one has the characteristics of a female knight with her head, which has two charcoal black eyes and hands made out of flames, and sports a red, white, and black other with red light illuminating her body. All four of them were watching a Spectator and a Rook approaching them. The Rook was Vekk-Torr, before his world annihilation ways. The Spectator, however, was a green and chartreuse humanoid robot with white and light blue robes akin to a mage, and his face is a screen displaying two dark green eyes. As mentioned earlier, they turned around and saw the doors open, revealing the duo.
"Vekk-Torr, a young and hotheaded Rook, destined to be a Knight. Alongside his friend, Roa-Nyn, he demanded a Trial of Knighthood. A test for Spectators and Rooks alike to determine if they are worthy of both watching and protecting simultaneously." Jinn continued. "For a Spectator to become a Knight, they must defeat each Knight in combat one by one."
For Roa-Nyn's trial, the Spectator faced the Knights in combat one by one. With his chosen weapon, a staff, he bested each of them. But then, a Knight landed in front of the Spectator. He has angelic armor colored silver, white and yellow, bird-like wings, and a head similar to Roa-Nyn with white eyes.
"Not bad… for a Spec." He remarked. "You passed."
The other Knights got up and knelt as Ark-Thor approached the successful Spectator. He had armor similar to Vekk-Torr, but more heroic and colored red, blue, and gold. His head resembled a lion with a gold mane and blue eyes. From his right hip was his sword, X-Calibrum. He pulled it out, and he knighted Roa-Nyn.
"Arise Roa-Nyn. Knight of the Core." He said.
He transformed into a knightly mage with midnight green greaves, sabatons, and a hood covering his head. The Knights and Vekk-Torr applauded Roa-Nyn on his promotion to Knight. By the time he finished, it was time for Vekk-Torr's trial.
"Reminds me of the Vytal Festival Tournament." Lamar chimed in.
"In a way." Sage complimented.
For a Rook to become a Knight, it must know every reality. Vekk-Torr quickly passed it.
"So, for a Spec to become a Knight, it's a fight, but for a Rook, a quiz?" Arma-Kade asked.
"Sort of, but yes," Lamar replied.
"May I continue?" Jinn interrupted.
"Go ahead. Sorry that I intervened." Arma-Kade informed.
"However, all the Knights and Ark-Thor saw something in him: darkness. And soon, turned their backs on him, ending his trial." Jinn informed.
Vekk-Torr then turned his back on them. He stormed out of the room to find someone who could make him a knight.
"He attacked his fellow Rooks. He was injuring some and sparing those who seemed worthy of joining. It caught the attention of Lii-Fain, the Dark Queen of Camylon.
The smoke revealed Vekk-Torr and Lii-Fain in a dark part of the planet. With her dark magic, Vekk-Torr immediately transformed into his current state.
"Arise, my herald." She told Vekk-Torr.
"Yes, my queen." He replied as he stood up.
The two then turned to the army that he had gathered. Alongside rouge Rooks and Spectators, he has gathered rustlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters, and desperados. Mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Viltrumite agents, Latinus Spicticus bandits. Biker gangs, mobsters, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, serial killers, misfit toys, Ass Boys, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and whatever the hell a "murder drone" is.
"My followers. Today, we strike the Core! We end the reign of Ark-Thor, and a new order will rise!" He proclaimed.
The army cheered in unison, and in moments, the Dark Queen and her herald soon took over the planet. Lamar, Sage, and Arma-Kade watched the battle worldwide as the smoke revealed each battle.
"Ark-Thor and his Knights, and numerous Spectators and Rooks held their ground, but Vekk-Torr's forces proved too much for them. At the Core, he stands above the fallen Ark-Thor." Jinn added.
The smoke then reveals Vekk-Torr standing triumphant over the defeated Ark-Thor.
"You won't get away with what you are doing." The injured king grunted.
"I already did, and now, for the rest of reality," Vekk-Torr replied.
"And so, throughout numerous realities, Vekk-Torr brought death, destruction, malice, and fear. No one can oppose him and his fearsome generals, whether they are on the side of good or evil. Every world he came across fell to him and got destroyed. Now here, in Remnant, his goal is the same. To defeat anyone who gets in his way and destroy the planet." Jinn concluded.
The smoke revealed Tari and Theo's escape from Vekk-Torr, failing as the warlord's plasma blast destroyed the ship. Lamar took notice of his friend, who was once presumed dead after sacrificing her life for Silica City.
"Tari?" He gasped.
"Who?" Arma-Kade interrupted.
"She's a friend. Saved my life as well as Silica City." Lamar responded.
"Not to mention escaping Beacon alive." Sage recognized.
Everything returns to what was before as Jinn's tale ends. Time resumes, and the trio exits the chapel. Lamar ran towards the ticket booth, with Sage following behind.
"You know where we are going. Correct?" Arma-Kade asked.
"Vale. That is where Beacon is." Sage replied.
Then, Lamar got towards one of them.
"Two tickets for the next train to Vale," Lamar told the cashier.
"Okay, that will be 30 Lien." The cashier acknowledged.
"Make that 27," Sage interjected showing his Haven license.
The cashier chuckled and gave them the tickets. Sage paid the amount, and they went to their terminal and waited for their train. In Vekk-Torr's ship, the warlord talks with a prisoner he acquired when he arrived on the planet. She screamed in pain.
"Oh, Salem. I got to admit, the control of the Grimm is awesome. But it needs a new master." He said.
"You're a sick, twisted bastard with no remorse on who lives and dies," Salem responded.
She was electrocuted by a Seer, now in the control of Vekk-Torr. The Witch screamed in pain as he headed towards the door. He paused.
"You cannot win." Salem badgered.
The warlord turned around to Salem and gave her a chuckle.
"I already have." He replied.
Vekk-Torr walked out of the room and headed to his quarters. He then saw Remnant and used his newly obtained Grimm powers to conceal the planet in total darkness, all thanks to a combination of Grimm Liquid and his technomancy. As it began to cover Remnant, people began to panic. Moments later, Grimm started appearing from nowhere, illuminating with ultraviolet light and eyes. Some have mechanical enhancements and mutations. They immediately started attacking the citizens of the planet. Many Huntsmen in each kingdom tried to repel the newly created Grimm. Alongside the brainwashed Huntsmen and Huntresses, Remnant was destined to become another cosmic casualty by the robot warlord. He watched on his monitors as chaos spread across Remnant like wildfire. He then began to cackle as he showed the footage to Salem.
"Hey Salem, grab popcorn and soda and enjoy the show." He taunted the jailed Witch.
With hatred towards Vekk-Torr in her pitch-black heart, Salem gritted her teeth and vowed to make him suffer as she has.
"You're going to pay. YOU'LL PAY!" She roared.
On the island of Patch, Tari, who somehow survived falling from the botched escape from Vekk-Torr, washed ashore on a beach. A wave then crashed onto the beach, waking her up. As she slowly got up, she saw the sky covered by the pitch-black substance Vekk-Torr used and a village under attack by a giant Karkinos, a crab-like Grimm.
"No." She gasped.
Tari unsheathed her sword and ran towards it. She jumped high and sliced the monster in half using her Air Dust. But as Tari rose triumphantly, she saw something fishy with that Creature of Grimm.
"Something's not right with the Grimm as well." She noted.
Then it came upon her. Tari lost her friend Theo after their ship had blown up.
"Oh no. Theo!" She exclaimed.
She then ran towards the forest to find her friend. The villagers left their homes and saw the defeated Grimm and the fleeing Meta Runner Huntress. A young girl ran after her, but a mysterious figure stopped her.
"No. I should pursue the Huntress." He informed her.
He then knelt and gave the girl a lollipop.
"Thank you, mister. Stay safe."
The two went their separate ways. The girl returned to the village while the figure went after Tari. In the forest, Tari ran as fast as she could. Hacking down every branch and slaying every Grimm in her way with her sword while doing it. However, the figure wasn't far behind. As soon as she could take a breather, she saw a monster truck-sized Death Stalker with a laser cannon mounted for its stinger and tank treads for its legs. As Tari tried to focus, it spazzed out and then exploded. As Tari was knocked on her ass by the explosion mentioned above, a humanoid mech the size of an Ursa Major with a spherical body and human-like arms and legs. It was colored green, yellow, and blue, and the windshield was blue. It then walked towards Tari, with her now struck with fear. But then, the cockpit opened and revealed Theo was the mech's pilot.
"Theo!" Tari gasped. "You're okay!"
"Of course I am okay! You told me to get into that escape pod. Which is now my new mech." Theo replied.
Then, they heard a sonic boom and heard seven more. They looked up and saw something in the blackened sky: a pentagonal trapezohedron-like crystalline meteor. Then, in a matter of seconds, it impacted the ground. Where the corpse of the Death Stalker was, the meteor transformed it into its crater. Tari and Theo ran toward it and saw the meteor.
"Say, wasn't that one of the cocoons from the last chapter that went flying before we did?" Theo questioned.
Across the planet, the other seven meteors started to make an impact. At Atlas, one landed in the courtyard of Schnee Manor, and in Meragerine, one made an impact in a White Fang outpost. One landed in an abandoned amusement park, where an underground fighting ring occurs in Vale. Mistral got hit the hardest as one landed on the outskirts of Mistral, one in a power plant, and another in an internet cafe in Argus. Vacuo was also affected, as one landed in the wastelands. When those meteors hit, they caught the attention of many, especially those in the impact zones where they landed. But the amazement was short-lived, as Vekk-Torr took notice. He summoned swarms of ephemeral Grimm and chased the bystanders back to their homes, only to disappear quickly. But then, something happened to all eight meteors: they began to glow. The one Tari and Theo encountered glowed red; the one in Atlas, white, Meragerine's ultraviolet, and Vale's yellow; the three in Mistral shone light yellow, pink, and green, respectively; and the one in Vacuo glowed scarlet. Suddenly, the meteor near Tari and Theo began to shoot out a beam, making cracks in Vekk-Torr's planet-covering substance. Soon, the other seven also started shooting beams of their respective colors. In a few seconds, they began to levitate off the ground. In amazement, Tari and Theo watched as the eight rays, mainly the one they were next to, began breaking the concoction that the warlord had created. On his ship, Vekk-Torr ran toward his command bay and saw what was happening on Remnant.
"What the hell is going on?" He screamed.
"Sir, the interlopers you encountered earlier managed to get into the same ship the Huntsmen and Huntresses in their cocoons are." A scientist explained.
"Tari." He grunted as he clenched his fist and slammed it on the control panel.
"Now, those eight individuals and about to hatch." It continued.
"Wait, what?" He shouted.
Just then, his substance began to crack by the combined power of the eight rays, and the warlord saw it happening in front of him.
"No. NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He screamed as his substance crumbled from the combined power of beams.
Fragments of it were blasted across the cosmos, revealing Remnant, the same as before his concoction covered it. The individuals began hatching inside their crystal cocoons on the planet's surface. As they emerged from the cocoons, their outfits differed from what they had worn before. Their weapons transformed, with many of them gaining a third mode. Their personalities changed, but they have their memories tact. Their Aura and Semblances were supercharged, with all of them gaining superpowers. The amazement of their new bodies and powers wowed them. But in a few moments, they realized their world was in danger. Back on Patch, the cocoon Tari and Theo saw the crystal cocoon that landed in front of them hatch before their very eyes.
A red blur came out as it shattered, and rose petals and red crystals trailed behind it. It then landed outside the crater to reveal itself as a fair-skinned young girl with a black crystal covering her left arm from the elbow. She wore an overbust corset with a black sleeveless shirt underneath and a gradient black-to-red skirt with a large silver print of her emblem on the right side and matching black tulle underneath. Her legs had gradient black-to-red stockings and black steel-toed boots with red rands, and she wore a silver lineman fingerless glove with red padding on her right hand. A red hooded cloak with the symbol of Beacon Academy on her right shoulder, and a black belt on her waist, with her belt buckle in the shape of her emblem, a rose, topped off her outfit. She then pulled back her cloak's hood to reveal her silver eyes and spiky neck-length black hair with red tips. She raised her left arm, trying to break her arm out of the crystal. But then, out of luck and her enhanced strength, the crystal on her arm shattered, revealing a Camylonian prosthesis of her left arm. It was colored black with red stripes across the forearm and ended at the wrist, with red knuckles on the hand. She looked at it and smiled.
"Hey, you there!" Tari said to get her attention.
The girl turned around to see the duo, mainly the Meta Runner, who called her name. She then bolted to them using her Semblance, Petal Burst.
"Hi, it's pretty funny emerging from a cocoon and becoming more awesome. My name is Ruby Rose." The girl responded.
Ruby then offered Tari a handshake.
"Tari. The little guy's name is Theo." Tari revealed.
But then, the Camylonian from before jumped from the trees, pulled out his staff, and focused on Tari. Then, the trio evaded the attack, and Tari pulled out her sword.
"Halt, Distortion." The Camylonian ordered Tari as he pointed his staff at her.
"Distortion? You must be confused." Ruby pondered.
"What is that?" Tari interrupted.
"A rouge entity that threatens a reality." The Camylonian answered.
"Do we look like we threat reality?" Tari asked.
"With that weapon in your hands, you seem like it, Tari." The Camylonian confessed.
"How do you know my name?" She questioned.
"My kind knows everything from every reality." He disclosed.
"Listen, you know it all. Do you have a name?" Ruby urged The Camylonian to give his identity to the group.
"My name is Roa-Nyn. My people sent me here to stop a warlord of my kind from destroying this world." He answered.
"Then we want to help," Ruby said.
"Very well. I will explain everything to you all tomorrow morning. Rest well, young ones." He nodded.
Roa-Nyn then ran into the forest and went back to his village.
"What a nice fellow." Theo proclaimed.
"Tari, Theo, my house isn't far from here. You can stay there for the night." Ruby hinted.
Tari and Theo nodded their heads in agreement.
"Sure, we'll stay there." Tari agreed.
Ruby then activated Petal Burst to lead the way. Theo got into his mech, and he and Tari ran after Ruby. As the trio headed towards Ruby's house, Vekk-Torr watched them from his ship, knowing his plan got foiled.
"Damn you, Tari. You have become a thorn in my side with those Huntsmen and Huntress freed from my clutches." He grunted. "It's time for Plan B."
He then summoned a table with the map of Remnant and where his generals were. He then stared at it and used his new powers to update the current situation and reveal a new plan of destroying Remnant.
"If that's how you want to play, it's on." He said.
Then, he gave a sinister laugh, signaling that he would not stop until he defeated her and her allies.
Alongside Ruby, who also changed in the unexpected phenomena that surprised Remnant?
What powers did each individual get?
And does anyone know where Crescent Rose is?
Be here when all those questions get answered in Chapter 4: Balance Patch!