Yeesh, it's been a while. If you were worried about things on my end, you needn't bother. I've seen every Volume 2 RWBY episode up until now, and I am aware of how things have unfolded.
Also, I've recently begun taking mixed martial arts classes to improve my confidence, self-defence and fitness levels, and much of it has taken up my time and energy for writing. So updates are still going to be relatively slow.
Chapter 29: Two, Four, Six, Eight...
The next day was the day before classes resumed, so Ruby had set about trying to organize some events for everyone to enjoy as a team. I, meanwhile, wanted to see if I could research certain topics on my own, wanting to build my knowledge of Remnant and try to be a bit more useful. I could have enlisted Blake's help with finding some books, but she seemed a little preoccupied, focussing solely on something in her notebook. Ruby and Yang would get bored silly, and Weiss would almost certainly refuse. As such, listening to music on my scroll, I turned the page, revealing a picture of four shapes in a line, coloured red, blue, yellow and green. Looking at the text below, I continued to read.
'Dust. By definition, it is a naturally occurring energy propellant that can be triggered by the aura of humans and Faunus. But in reality, it is much, much more. Found in four basic forms, Dust can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new, stronger types, each with unique properties. Since its discovery, man has concocted a multitude of ways in which to harness these mysterious crystals.
From airships to androids, Dust has made its way into practically every facet of technology. Some prefer to use Dust in its raw form: elegant, yet destructive. Those who choose to wield Dust in this state must posses a certain level of discipline, to ensure that their resulting powers do not break free from their control. Dust ammunition serves as a more practical application in today's modern society. With the technological advancements in weapon design, warriors need merely choose the right cartridge for the job and pull the trigger.
While this has become the standard method of use, it is not uncommon to find individuals still practicing more archaic forms of Dust manipulation, such as weaving it into clothing or even fusing it directly with their own bodies.'
Shutting the book, I added it to the pile that I had read through over the course of the morning. Letting out a yawn, I grabbed another book from a second pile of books, ones that had yet to be opened, and looked at the cover.
The Blade and The Barrel: A Basic Guide for Weapon Forging
Well, that wouldn't tell me much. My Iridescent Basilisks suited me fine, so I didn't see a need for learning how to forge another weapon. Putting it to the side, I grabbed another book and looked at the cover.
Advanced Aura Applications
Flicking through the book revealed minute incomprehensible writing, and faded diagrams of bodies in various positions. Even if I could read it, I wouldn't learn much in the next few minutes. Shutting the book, I reached for a third, the final book I planned to read that day, and looked at the cover.
But the strange part was it appeared to have no legible title. Some faded gold embroidery was etched into the brown leather, styled in a flower of some description, but it resembled nothing like any I had ever seen. Paying it no mind, I flicked it open, to find faded yellowed pages, torn and neglected, but without any words. Still, I kept flipping the pages, seeing if I could find something inside this tome. But it was all blank. Every page was as clean as the next.
"What are you hiding?" I whispered to myself, intent on finding out any secrets hidden in this book. But there was nothing inside it. Only hundreds upon hundreds of blank pages, slowly decomposing to time. Sighing, I just shut the book, and placed it in my bag. It would have to wait until later. Grabbing the pile of read books, I walked to the shelves to place them back in their rightful homes, when I heard my stomach growl. Looking at a nearby clock, I saw why: lunch would be starting soon, so if I wanted some good grub before it all disappeared, I'd have to hurry.
Haphazardly dumping the books onto the shelves, I grabbed my rucksack, heaved it onto my back, and began the short trek from the library to the cafeteria.
Walking across the courtyard, I tapped on my scroll, looking for any more information about the Fragment of Arcadia, Earth, human history, and the like. But all searches had been fruitless: everything I had read made no reference to what I was looking for. It was as if Earth was a ghost planet, though it was easy to understand why: as far as my knowledge reached, only eleven people knew of it's existence. Giving up, I shut my scroll, and looked up to see a familiar face walking towards me.
Sun Wukong talking to a blue haired boy.
Waving to him, he looked up and gave a wide grin. I ran up to the duo, shoving my scroll in my pocket.
"Hey, Sun. How's it hanging?" I joked, referencing his ability to hang upside down. He just folded his arms, and his smile changed to a frown.
"Not cool, bro. That's just not cool." He said darkly. I just scratched the back of my head awkwardly., and let out a nervous chuckle. Sun continued to leer, before his mouth twitched, and he burst out laughing.
"Oh man, you shoulda seen your face, D! Man, I really had ya there, didn't I?" He howled with laughter, clutching his sides, and bending over. I groaned. That was just like Sun. Make a joke out of everything, even when it seemed inappropriate. The blue haired boy stepped forward, and placed a hand on Sun's shoulder, slapping it hard.
"Don't worry about him, he always does that. Name's Neptune. Neptune Vasilias. Member of Team Sun. Pleasure to meet you." He regarded, extending his hand and flashing a wide grin, resulting in a dazzling twinkle on one of his teeth. I grasped his hand, and shook it firmly, trying to blink the glare from my eyes without him noticing.
"Darrel Conway, fifth member of Team RWBY. And yes, teams are usually four, but we're a special case. Long story." I smiled back. Neptune nodded.
"Oh, you're the guy who dressed up as a White Fang goon, and helped Sun and his girlfriend stop the robbery." He responded. Sun stopped choking on his laughter, and looked up at Neptune, defiance in his eyes.
"Neptune! She's just a friend, okay? Now drop it!" He glared. His teammate nodded vigorously, fear crossing his eyes for a split second.
"Okay, so, you were going to see Blake, weren't you?" I asked. Sun looked back at me, and grinned, his raging denial vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Yeah. You wanna come with?" He asked.
"Well, I was on my way over myself, so why not?" I shrugged. Sun nodded, and immediately resumed walking, using his tail to snare my wrist and drag me along with him. Neptune jogged after us.
"So how long have you known your teammates?" Neptune asked.
"Pretty much since initiation. They were always there for me when I really needed it. Especially since…" I trailed off, tossing the idea of telling the two of them about my origins.
"Since…?" Neptune asked, leaning forward and looking closely at me. I just shook my head.
"Let's just say I've had some troubles fitting in, and they've helped me through them." I finished. Neptune nodded in understanding.
"Ah, fair enough."
"So yeah, I'm really excited for you to meet these guys. The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys." Sun continued. Neptune and I shrugged.
"Eh, none taken." Neptune and I said in perfect synchronicity. Approaching the double doors, I reached for the handle, preparing to open one for the duo, when the two doors suddenly burst open, revealing a parade of students yelling, running, and scrambling to get away. Fortunately, I was able to dive out of the way before I was trampled, rolling to a heap beside Neptune.
"Was this… part of the welcome wagon?" Neptune asked confusedly, looking down at me. I quickly got to my feet, and dusted myself off.
"Call it a hunch, but I don't think the welcome wagon involved a stampede." I shrugged. As the crowd continued to romp out of the cafeteria, Sun, Neptune and I fought our way through the torrent of students, entering the hallway, and finding more scrambling for the exit behind us, clamoring as they went. I grabbed someone's arm, causing them to look at me.
"Hey, hey! What's going on?!" I yelled over the din. The fleeing student looked at me in terror, his eyes wide.
"RWBY and JNPR… they've gone psycho bonkers crazy! It's a food war!" He yelled back, before beating a hasty exit. Looking at the hall, he wasn't far from the mark: Team JNPR had piled a ramshackle mass of tables near the far wall, with some soda machines placed here and there. Nora's psychotic laugh echoed through the room.
"Ahahahahahaha! I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"
In front of the "castle", Ruby was holding a carton of milk tightly in her fist. She raised her arm, pointing a finger at Team JNPR.
"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" She yelled. Clenching her fists, crushing the milk carton in the process, sending milk squirting everywhere.
"IT! WILL! BE! DELICIOUS!" She screamed. Weiss, Blake, and Yang leapt behind Ruby, arms raised, ready for battle.
"YEAH!" They all yelled, before charging into a fray. Team JNPR leapt down from their shoddy construction, with Ren stomping on a table and catapulting three watermelons into the air, before sending them rocketing to their attackers with a flurry of kicks. Jaune leapt forwards and gripped a melon, using the momentum of a front flip to heave it skyward. Pyrrha grabbed two more, before letting them fly. Nora, meanwhile, gripped a table, and flung the remaining fruits at RWBY.
Looking at Neptune, he appeared to have a worried look on his face, while Sun appeared to be relishing the madness unfolding before our eyes.
"Umm… M-maybe I should stop this before it gets out of hand." I stuttered, still in disbelief at what was happening. Neptune gave me an incredulous look.
"I think it's too late for that, Darrel…" he muttered. Looking up, I saw what he meant: RWBY had charged headlong into the fray, Yang scooping up two turkeys over her fists like her gauntlets. Ruby in the meantime had used a tray to slide down a table, scattering it's contents on the floor. Blake had grabbed two baguettes and was now rushing to meet Pyrrha head on. Weiss, the last person I expected to be involved in this food war, gripped a bottle of ketchup, squirting it on the ground, and causing a charging Ren to slip. As Blake was thrown back from her baguette lock with Pyrrha, Sun elbowed me in the side.
"So, Darrel, you're part of Blake's team. Shouldn't you help her?" Sun asked, a wide grin on his face. I turned to him in shock.
"You want me to go in there?! In that chaos?!"
"Hey, you said it yourself. Fifth member of Team RWBY, remember?" Neptune shrugged. I looked back at the blue haired boy.
"Well, yeah, they are my teammates, and I should help them, but given that all I know is wrist blades and crossbows, this may be-"
I never finished, as a bowl of gazpacho struck me in the side of my head, drenching me with the freezing liquid. As the bowl slid off my scalp, I turned to look for who had thrown the food at me, causing my sight to be filled with Nora striking Yang with a watermelon stuck on a pipe, sending her crashing through the roof, and out of sight.
"Okay, that settles it." I growled, as one thought flooded my head
I am going to kill them all.
I held my right hand out to Sun.
"Wukong? Touch me."
Sun emitted a puzzled vocalisation, while confusedly looking at me. I just shook my hand, gesturing him to take it.
"My hand, dummy."
"Ohhh! You know, you could have said that from the start!" He stated, gripping my hand. Feeling his power, which I could only guess at this point, flow through my veins, I released his grip, and charged forwards into the fray. Snatching up two discarded carrots, I spun them between my fingers, before gripping them between my middle finger and ring finger on both hands. So that was the sword function of my weapons. All I had to do now was figure out a good alternative for others.
"Looks like a new challenger! Get him, Pyrrha!"
Jaune's voice rang out, and a baguette soon flew past, narrowly striking my chest as I leaned to one side. Looking in the direction of the thrower, Pyrrha was quickly sprinting towards me, with a leek at the ready, and holding a metal platter like a shield. As she swung the leek down for a perfect strike on my head, I used my carrots to block it, watching as it narrowly came close to slamming into my face. Pyrrha gritted her teeth, and put all her strength into her attack.
Now would be a good time to try and strike back. Channeling my energy into Sun's absorbed Semblance, I watched as my body glowed a vivid blue, and two bodies, made from something resembling hard light, emerged from my body, quickly striking Pyrrha with a punch and a kick. As she stumbled back, I dived out of the way, rolling towards a table. Skidding to a stop, I grabbed a strand of cheese from a table, still hot, as if it was about to go on a pizza. A grappling barb substitute. My mind was wondering how this all functioned, but at this point, insanity reigned supreme. So I decided not to think about it, instead focusing on killing them all.
As Pyrrha fought off my hard light clones, one of them effortlessly kicking her platter shield away, I whipped the cheese in circles, building momentum and getting a feel for it's stretchiness. Watching as Pyrrha smashed her leek into a light clone, causing it to dissipate, I finally swung the cheese, watching it as it flew towards Pyrrha's leek, landing true. Grunting, I yanked back and pulled Pyrrha's weaponized vegetable free from her grasp.
"Yeah, Darrel!"
Ruby's yell caught me off guard: as I turned around, something metallic and light struck me in the back of the head. Whipping back around, I saw the object that had beaned my skull.
A butter knife.
Looking up, Pyrrha had her hands raised, with countless pieces of cutlery pointed directly at me.
"Aw, nuts."
She flung her hands forward, and the cutlery began to streak towards me like tiny flechettes. Panicking, I tried to run, but some steak knives caught my wrists and ankles, sending me skyward. Yelling in fear as I flew up to the high roof, the knives plunged into the roof, anchoring me firmly to the ceiling. Looking down, I saw the fight continue beneath me.
While I had been busy with Pyrrha, Blake had engaged Nora, armed with a link of sausages as a whip. I watched as Nora flew back to one of the vending machines, denting it severely, and spilling it's contents on the floor. Unfazed, the valkyrie simply kicked a soda can into the air, and followed up with a violent kick to the projectile, sending it rocketing towards Blake. She continued to do this, generating an unrelenting assault of soda that could rival the grenades on Magnhild. Pyrrha, obviously deciding to lend her assistance, raised her hands, using her polarity Semblance to lift the remaining soda cans, creating two tendrils of explosive, sweet, sticky goodness, and direct them at Blake. The result was akin to a violent gale: no matter how much Blake resisted the onslaught, she was quickly swept away in the maelstrom.
Ruby, in the meantime, was now the only remaining combatant on our side. But this never fazed her, as she charged at Team JNPR, her Semblance kicking beyond overdrive. She became a single red arrow, wrapped in her own power, as she sped past JNPR. As she did so, they were plucked from the ground by a slipstream, and sent careening along with every scrap of untouched food.
Right before Ruby hit the wall, she stopped suddenly. But unlike her, the wind she had generated refused to do so, and slammed into the wall like a massive battering ram, causing the wall to crack violently, spiderwebbing to make a circular crater. A millisecond later, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren impacted into the wall, now pinned by the rush of air that had taken them there. The final nail in the coffin, however, was the wave of food speeding towards the trapped team.
What resulted could only be described as somebody mixing together every single colour into one massive multicoloured splotch on the cracked wall. The bodies of JNPR slid down to the ground, revealing four vaguely human-shaped areas that remained untouched by the wave of food.
The door behind Sun and Neptune burst open, and Professor Goodwitch marched in angrily. With a wave of her riding crop, she quickly restored the room to some semblance of order, dismantling the hodgepodge construction of Nora's "castle" to the standard rows of table. The food mess, however, remained untouched.
"Children! Please, do not play with your food."
I rolled my eyes, still pinned to the ceiling by my wrists and ankles. As the two teams gathered beneath me, my ears became alert to a familiar noise.
"…aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
With a deafening crash, Yang plowed through the ceiling directly above me, releasing me from my bonds and causing us both to plummet to the floor, debris raining beside us. I landed on the concrete ground stomach first, sending a wave of pain through my body. Struggling to get my breath back, Yang landed on top of me, flattening my body into a Darrel Conway-sized hole in the ground.
"Whoop, sorry, D. You okay?"
Raising my head, and taking in a large breath, I turned my head so that I could see Yang sitting on top of me.
"I'm okay. It's just my bones… and muscles… and organs… and I think my clavicle is currently trying to jostle my spleen."
"Soooo... is that a yes?"
"Hey, Weiss? Could you give me a boost?"
"You know the rules, Jaune. Professor Goodwitch said we weren't to use Aura to clean up."
"C'mon, just one tiny glyph…?"
"No."
Both teams RWBY and JNPR were now stained with sweat, mushed up food, and had stripped off parts of their uniform in order to work comfortably. The eight major participants were scrubbing the rear wall, trying to clear it of the massive technicolour stain that Ruby had generated. I, however, was stuck looking for loose cutlery, trays and scraps of food that had been scattered amidst the hall.
"You guys having fun?"
Sun was hanging from a section of exposed pipe by his tail, giving an upside-down grin at the massive cleanup job going below him. Neptune, now an unfortunate casualty of Pyrrha's soda stream, had left in a huff to change out of his sticky clothes. Ruby gave him a leer.
"We would, if you were helping out, Sun." She frowned. Sun shrugged, and flipped upwards, perched on the pipe like a… well, a monkey.
"Hey, why should I help out? You made the mess, not me. So that leaves you guys on cleanup crew." He rebutted. Blake looked up at him with a derisive look.
"Really? I could have sworn you were throwing a banana skin or two out there." She stated dryly. Sun leapt down, rolling to his feet.
"Blake Belladonna, I am shocked, that you would make such false accusations at me! Why would you stoop so low as to accuse your very best male friend of petty thievery and littering?" Sun raised a hand to his forehead, in a very melodramatic fashion, clearly enjoying hamming up his performance. I just knelt down, and picked up a stray banana skin. Looking up at the monkey Faunus, I wound my arm back, ready to let fly.
"Speaking of ham and cheese, here's egg on your face!" I yelled, swinging my arm forward, and slinging the skin towards the boy. Right as Sun turned, the skin impacted on his face with a resounding smack. Gripping the skin, he peeled it off hard, like a Band-Aid, and tossed it to his tail.
"Nice one, D!" Yang yelled out. I just turned to her, and raised my hands in triumph.
"And that is why I am the ultimate warrior without equal! Kneel before my might, puny mortals, for I am power incarnate! No victory will slip-"
My ridiculously hamtastic acting was cut short, as my foot quickly skidded on a slick object. Before I knew what had happened, I was lying flat on my back, feeling my skull throb as the pain-filled landing took it's toll on my body. As I sat up, something oily smacked onto my hair.
"Guess power incarnate needs to watch it's step." Sun remarked sarcastically, to the laughter of everyone present. As I lifted the obstructive headpiece, I noticed that it was the exact same banana skin I had pitched at Sun. I gripped it and turned to Sun, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"You dare make a mockery of me, Wukong?! Mark my words, your head will be mi—!"
"Mr. Conway, if you have the free time to engage in such theatrics, might I suggest putting your skills to work in our theatre group?"
Looking to the speaker, my blood turned to ice when I saw Professor Goodwitch standing at the door, a hard scowl on her face. Lowering my hand, I simply began twiddling my fingers together nervously.
"Um, my apologies, Professor Goodwitch. Ma'am. It-it won't happen again." I stuttered nervously. Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow at me before turning on her heel and departing with a whoosh of her cape.
"Soooo… what was that about power incarnate?" Sun asked slyly, surprising me. He had somehow sidled up beside me, and was smiling, as if relishing how easily I had been shut down. I turned to him.
"Oh, shut up."
And yes, Darrel's reading was lifted directly from the World of Remnant series. He hasn't seen them, and isn't able to, due to being in Remnant, so he needs to learn about these things in other ways.
Anyway, you know what to do: read, review, have a good day.