New chapter, glad y'all enjoyed the last one.
Guest at it again: To answer your review, I have plans for the Dance, very intriging plans I am eager to get on to. And as for Chaos, well, I'm doing my own take for this story that I hope will be both enjoyable and interesting for the fic, it's not something I ever see often and I really want to give some ideas a try here.
Now, some of y'all were asking about Promethium, as a bit of clarification, Santus was talking about HIS stores of Promethium. While he could get more oil and such to use, he has no idea where he can find any on Remnant. As Remnant uses Dust for literally everything as a power source, I am of the opinion that while Remnant likely has oil and other such combustables, they don't know anything about it because they have skipped several stages of human development via the use of Dust. Now, before you say "But A.D they have plastics!", I know haha, but it IS possible to make plastics without things like oil, and I would find it incredibly unlikely that Remnant has access to oil but NO ONE realises it can be used for energy.
So, if you were wondering about the Thunderhawk, that bad boy will be back, it would be heresy if Santus didn't repair it.
Anyway, clarification done and I'm glad y'all still enjoying this idea of mine.
Anyway, here we go...
"Tell me, does your world make use of Plastek?" Techmarine suddenly asked from next to Ruby, making her drop the small screwdriver she was using to tighten the grip she was working on.
In truth, she was already surprised when the yellow armoured engineer asked if she could assist him with a project he had begun working on, but what did he mean by Plastek?
"Uh, do you mean plastic?" Ruby asked uncertainly at the strange but familiar word. The Techmarine didn't seem to understand her, given the slight narrowing of his eyes as he continued to examine a small series of small lenses. Patting her pockets, Ruby quickly found a chocolate wrapper and showed it to the man, who seemed to nod in understanding even as his cool robot eyes never looked away from his task.
"I see, that is a good sign." He said ambigiously. "Tell me, your people use Dust as a power source for just about all technology correct?" Ruby confirmed his words with a nod before he asked, "Do you make use of Promethium?"
Promethium?
"I've...um...never heard of anything like that." Ruby admitted with an embarrassed smile. Thankfully, Techmarine didn't seem to mind as he merely nodded once more before placing the lenses down on the table with surprising care.
"I see. How do you make your plaste-" He paused a moment before correcting himself, "Plastic, how do you make your plastics?"
"Um, as far as I know, people use things like terpenes and recycled food waste." Ruby explained as she idily remembered a class she had in Signal about recycling. To be honest, the young huntress really hadn't paid much attention to it, but according to Uncle Qrow it was part of all aspects of education that had to be covered, even at Huntsmen prep schools.
Picking up a few pieces of metal, Techmarine brought his tenticle arm with the tools around to start slowly weld them together while inserting the lenses with his own cybernetic fingers as Ruby watched on in amazement.
"I see. Curious a planet would develop plastic in such a way before learning about how to make it from Promethium." Techmarine seemed to speak to himself as he spoke, before addressing Ruby, "Thank you, Ruby Rose. You have been most insightful."
That made Ruby blush as she quickly turned her face away to grab her screwdriver and returned to sealing what seemed to be the grip of some kind of pistol.
"S-so what are you making anyway?" She asked with an embarrassing stutter, trying to deflect the conversation. Sue her, she just got praised by a space warrior that was also a badass engineer like her, she couldn't be blamed for that!
Techmarine chuckled, but his tool tenticle seemed to have no issues working as he looked over at her.
"In truth, I desire to know the limits of what I will have to work with going forward. Whether what I know can be used to devise weaponry and equipment if required. As for now, I wish to see if I can develop one of the most commonly used weapons of the Imperium." Techmarine explained as he placed down his finished work, which now resembled a bulky upper frame of a handgun.
"What kind of weapon?" Ruby asked excitedly as Techmarine smiled at her as she pushed the finished grip towards the giant.
"A Laspistol, standard sidearm of the Astra Militarum and Commissariat, as well as many other informal units that fires focused photons to slay humanities' foes." He revealed as he swiftly took the two pieces and fitted them together as Ruby's eyes widened in shock.
He was making a laser gun!? And it was considered COMMON?!
"I presume such weaponry is unheard of here?" The giant teased her with a grin as he picked up a strange, small rectangle and inserted into the magazine release.
It was rather basic, unlike a lot of the customised weapons hunters used. It was a simple rectangular brick attached with a rather basic grip, while the strange thing he had inserted caused a basic LED panel on the side to light up red and a humming sound. With a satisfied look, Techmarine looked over at Ruby.
"Tell me, Ruby Rose, would you like to be the first to test such a weapon?" He offered to her.
The 'laspistol' disappeared from his hands in an instant as Ruby aimed the weapon at a piece of wall that still had it's plating. Before she could fire, a large yellow gauntlet gently pushed it down.
"First, I must perform the proper rites before this newly born Machine Spirit can be used." He explained as Ruby handed him back the gun with a fierce blush as she quickly looked away, hoping he wasn't angry with her for rushing to shoot it. Techmarine shook his head, but his expression reminded her of when Uncle Qrow would chastise her for doing something wrong but thought it was more amusement then actual danger.
Ruby watched as he put his helmet on, before lighting an incense candle and began to apply weapon oils to the weapon while his distorted voice seemed to let out a static sound. She waited in eager silence, the smell of the incense and the strange staticy sound surprisingly comfortable to the student. After a few more minutes, the man seemed satisfied with his work as he picked up the sidearm and handed to Ruby properly.
This time, she took it with more manners then she had before, then aimed it at the wall again.
"Is there anything I should know before it fires?" She asked, firearm safety being in mind as always.
"The safety is located just above the grip, it should not have much recoil though I am uncertain if the materials will hold. Be ready to throw it in that corner should it start to overheat and warp." He explained while pointing off to an emptied corner. Ruby nodded in understanding and activated her aura as a safety precaution. Red light shined across her body for a moment, making the man next to her still for a moment before relaxing.
Taking a breath, Ruby aimed at the wall's center of mass, then fired.
A bright, searing red light slammed into the wall, leaving a faint burn mark while in her hands, the laspistol barely even bucked as she pulled the trigger. After a moment, she fired again, then again, and finally once more. Three more burns stained the wall, but other than the red side light reducing somewhat, the handgun seemed fine.
Ruby turned back to face the other engineer with an exhilerated smile.
"OMGTHATWASSOCOOLDIDYOUSEETHATISHOTAFUCKINGLASERBEAAAAM!" Ruby couldn't help but squeel excitedly, completely unconcerned with the fact she swore even if Yang would have had a heart attack if she had heard. Techmarine just continued to smile at her, but nodded.
"That is correct. I suppose congratulations are in order for you are the first Remnanite to ever use lasweaponry." He offered in a indulgent tone as Ruby continued to fawn over the weapon. He then turned to face the wall with a critical expression. "Hmm...seems to be about mid-low power levels. Further production will require better lenses, perhaps some more robust steels to account to the extra heat."
Ruby quickly turned to face him with a wide smile.
"You are going to make more?!" She almost shouted in happiness, but her enthusiasm was lessened, only a little, when he shook his head.
"Not yet, there is other projects that require more of my time. However, given the results I am confident this world's metallurgy capabilities will be sufficent for my needs at the moment." He said as he picked up his scrollpad and proceeded to seemingly record the results of the firing test. Meanwhile, Ruby put down the laspistol, careful to reapply the safety.
Yang was never going to believe her until she saw the laspistol. And she was going to hold this over her head till the end of days.
"Like what? Can I help?" Ruby offered quickly, hoping her help would convince the superior engineer to agree.
To her surprise, the Techmarine didn't refuse her outright as he hummed thoughtfully.
"While there are certain things the uninitiated are not permitted to know," He started, making Ruby wilt slightly even if her mood would be impossible to ruin at this point. "There are some things that with your local knowledge may prove most efficient in aiding me."
It was a shame no one else was here to hear Techmarine say that about Ruby. He called her efficient!
As the Techmarine picked up the laspistol to store within one of the many locked cabinets under the workbench, he suddenly paused, then looked down at the sidearm.
"Most curious..." He muttered to himself, much to Ruby's confusion.
"Is...everything alright?" She asked, her voice losing it's excited edge as caution stepped in. Did she damage it? Or was it malfunctioning? Did she mess something up and ruin her chances of working with him again?!
It seemed none of those were to be, as the Lamenter turned to her, laspistol in hand as if pro-offering it to Ruby.
"How very intriguing..." He muttered again, before looking Ruby in the eyes. His robotic gaze seemed intense, yet Ruby found herself unphased as she could see them seemingly analysising her.
She shuffled, feeling like she was a prized horse on display.
"Ruby Rose." Techmarine said her name like he was a cop asking her for a statement. "I must inquire, the day before last I was visited by your...headmaster and his adjudent to discuss certain matters when he was called away due to something involving your team. I desire to know why he would have to 'collect' you at that time."
Ruby froze.
Was he going to be angry with them too?
"Um..." Ruby murmered quietly. "Are you angry with us too?"
Once more to her surprise, Techmarine shook his head.
"I merely desire to know what events lead to such a thing." He simply asked.
With an embarrassed expression, Ruby explained how they had gone out to find the White Fang, though she didn't mention Blake being a former member, and how they had been discovered and ended up fighting the Paladin in the streets of Vale.
As she finished, the man opposite of her, his hand still open with the handgun resting within, gave her a contemplative look. An awkward moment passed as he continued to examine her, for the lack of a better word, before shaking his head.
"Such as waste of efficiency to condemn perfectly capable abhumans and creating an insurrection of our own making." His voice had a hint of shame and disappointment, like he was personally offended by the idea of racism. Well, maybe that would make Blake a bit more happy about him, assuming she started to take it a bit easier with the White Fang.
Techmarine raised his open hand towards Ruby, the pistol's dull gray frame gleeming up at her. Ruby gave him a confused look.
"The young machine spirit within this humble firearm seems to have bonded with you." He explained, as Ruby gave him a look of both shocked realisation and complete confusion.
"The machine spirit?" She said without thinking, then quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, much to the giant man's amusement.
"All machines have a spirit. Though many will go their entire lives without realising it, there are those that know how to commune with the aspects of the Omnissiah, such as myself." He raised his hand closer to her, the handgun within easy reach for her to reach out and hold it again. "While the machines of this world are unusually compliant and humble, it seems this one has decided whom it wishes to wield it. A most unusual circumstance even back within the Imperium."
Ruby absorbed his words like a sponge.
On one hand, it sounded like some kind of religious thing, but at the same time, she had noticed a lot of the machinery around Forge 9 seemed to work perfectly fine for their host, and the door seemingly opened and closed by his own control. Sure, he COULD have put a virus into the system, but here he was, after going to put the laser gun away, offering it to her since apparently, the gun asked him to.
"Um...are you sure?" She asked uncertainly.
There was nothing she would do to have a hand held laser gun, but at the same time, she didn't know how to make this thing, and she didn't know if she was frankly worthy of that kind of responsibility. What if someone stole it, or it got damaged and she couldn't fix it?
"In truth, I am not." Techmarine admitted, making Ruby look down at the floor in disappointment. "However," Ruby's head perked up again, meeting his somehow soft gaze despite the man-made eyes. "Within you I see a young, proud woman that would not seek to abuse such technology for her own gain. I only ask, that should you agree to take up this holy weapon, that you treat it with the same respect as your own and only ever use it in defence of yourself or others."
Ruby nodded solemnly, and reached out.
"Uh, Cinder? I got something you might wanna hear."
Mercury's voice washed over her as the teen walked into their new abode for their time in Beacon. While Cinder would have preferred something a little more appropriate for someone of her power, it would suit it's purpose excellently.
"Report, Mercury." She stated simply as the grey haired man took a seat on the bed opposite of her own. She had been examining Beacon's layout again, after all those unprepared are those prepared to die, though she lowered her scroll to look at her subordinate.
"I overheard a few students talking about one of Beacon's forges. Apparently the ninth one has been locked up and someone's put weird symbols on the front." Mercury recounted as he pulled out his own scroll. "I decided to have a look and yeah, they are some weird symbols. Nothing I've ever seen." He handed Cinder his scroll as the black-haired woman looked down at it.
It was a pair of symbols either side of the door. One was a half skull that seemed half that of a normal skull while the other appeared to have some kind of cybernetics strewn across them, unlike anything she had ever seen in Atlas. The other symbol, however, was simplier yet no less foreign, a red tear surrounded by black wings like that of a bird.
Cinder narrowed her eyes down at the scroll.
"I'm going to assume we know nothing about what is going on there?" Mercury asked in an audacious tone, but Cinder let it fly this time. After all, he was stating the truth. "Do you think that's where She's been hidden?"
It was possible, and very risky. Would Ozpin seriously risk the Maiden's safety with a false flag like this or was this something uninvolved with the Maiden's powers? And if so, what?
"There is something else I noticed, though it's a bit of speculation on my part." Mercury added with an uncertain frown.
"Given this is a completely unforeseen development, all we have right now is speculation." Cinder allowed, before waving a hand towards the uncertain teen. "Speak."
He shrugged, before leaning forwards slightly.
"Now, I didn't see it happen, but when I was coming back from taking those pics, I spotted Little Red leaving the forges. I didn't see which one she was in but when she came out she seemed rather skittish, and took off before I could think to try and talk with her." He revealed. That, was valuable information.
"Well done Mercury." She said in a tone that could hide her pleasure at his unusual productivity. "Whatever Ozpin has going on there, clearly he wants that girl involved." She paused a moment, before frowning. "Go and find Emerald, your objective is to learn what they know about the forge. I have some people to call."
Nodding, Mercury got up and she gave him his scroll back, before leaving the room for Cinder.
Salem would want to know. And as much as she might despise him, she needed to know what was in that room.
"That's all? Three experienced engineers and this list of supplies?" Ironwood asked in a surprised voice, yet Ozpin merely nodded.
"It seems our guest is rather confident in his own abilities. When Glynda asked, he simply said he would require them to assist him with identifying and explaining our technology." Ozpin shrugged apologetically. "He also claimed that one of the students that found him, Miss Rose, has proven quite adept at assisting him." Ozpin's face took on a very intrigued smile. "Apparently, he gave her something, but has asked she 'be allowed to keep unless she proves herself a danger to mankind', in his own words."
That caused James to narrow his eyes at his fellow headmaster, who quickly raised his hands in a placating manner.
"I assure you, Miss Rose is an eager but honest soul. Her own team as well as JNPR were with Glynda when we located him, and I merely wanted to ensure our guest did not feel isolated by us, unintentionally or not." The ancient man admitted freely, and while James could sense the truth in his words, he couldn't help but wonder if Ozpin wasn't trying something else.
Much like he had made his career in Atlas, Ironwood took a gamble.
"You want to see if he can be trusted." He said simply. Ozpin paused for a second, then his smile took on a pleased edge, like a student telling a teacher the correct answer, despite both men being headmasters of schools.
"I'm glad to see you are as perceptive as ever. While I do mean what I said, it would be inhumane to isolate a man stranded by no fault of his own, by the man's own claim his purpose is to protect humanity as a whole. If he is truly stranded here until he dies then it would be for everyone's benefit that whatever knowledge he holds does not fall into Her hands." Ozpin confessed, an impressed smirk on James' own face.
"Ever the chessmaster, Oz." He said, smirk still on his face. "Well, I need all my engineers that I brought with my ships to handle their own responsibilities. I'll have one of my Specialists gather a team of trusted combat engineers travel to Vale under the pretense of taking leave for the Festival. That should prevent suspecion, though it would be best if they arrived around when Amity did."
Ozpin nodded understandingly, though he had a complex look on his face that seemed apprehensive yet not.
"He also asked whoever you send should be those that 'show proper respect to the machines they work on." Ozpin shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea what he exactly meant by that, though I presume he means whoever you send isn't the kind to try and beat a machine back together."
It was a very strange condition, even Ironwood had to admit. But, considering Ozpin had showed him the yellow brick that the Techmarine claimed to be his airship, he could believe the man might just be concerned about his only transport might be damaged irreperably.
"I have someone in mind that should fit the bill. Now, about your school's dance..."
It was only about five in the afternoon, so Ruby had quickly found herself running back to her locker to get her notebook as well as Crescent Rose, before arriving at the cliffs that not one semester earlier, she had found herself flung off to fight Grimm and get a team. Looking around, she saw no one in sight, then proceeded to draw her beloved scythe and fire herself into the distance, the Emerald Forest flying past her as she flew down towards the ground. As she began to reach the ground, she fired to slow her momentum, just like in Initiation, before repeating her landing strategy without issue.
"Still nailed it." Ruby said to herself proudly, before looking around. She had aimed for the ruins where they had found the relics, it's stone walls and pillars ruins still. She walked up to a pillar, then with some semblence and aura enhanced effort, lept to it's top then sat down and waited.
A few moments later, a small Beowolf came sniffing around only to spot her atop the stone pillar. The Grimm howled and charged at the pilliar, but it was too weak to knock it over. It tried to climb up, but Ruby simply drew her new baby, the Laspistol she had help make, and aimed it at the Grimm, switching off the safety as the small weapon started to hum. Techmarine had told her that the power of the sidearm was not as powerful as it could be, though in it's current configuration it would still be capable of putting a hole through someone.
He had told her to think of it as a large calibre bullet, but with little recoil and in the form of a handgun.
As Ruby slowly pulled her finger back on the trigger, she watched as the weapon cleanly seared through the Beowolf's neck, the Grimm falling back with an cry of pain before disappearing into smoke like all Grimm did.
Ruby grinned widely.
"That was perfect!" She squeeled quietly to herself as she hugged the laspistol, though careful to keep the potentially hot barrel from touching her. "Now, Techmarine said you wanted to fight with me. So you need to meet Crescent Rose, and then you need a name."
She placed the handgun on her lap as she pulled her scythe from her back and also placed it there. It was a strangely comforting weight on her lap, like the two weapons were meant to be there.
"So, here we have Crescent Rose, a high impact mecha-shift scythe sniper rifle combo." Ruby happily said to herself as she pulled out her notebook and flicked it open to an empty page. Someone people called her weird for talking to her weapons, but if what Techmarine had said, then their 'machine spirits' must have been able to hear her and acknowledge her words.
So hah! Turns out she was right to talk Crescent Rose all along Yang!
"But, we need to think of a name for the newest member of our little family..." She hummed in thought. Naming a weapon wasn't something to just do and forget. Names had power, her games and movies had made that very clear, and she didn't want to disappoint her new pistol's machine spirit with an unsuitable name.
Techmarine had told her that the pistol had chosen to bond with her, but he didn't say why exactly. He did say it was very unusual even from his own home, which meant this was something special. But the question is, why her? Was it because she helped make it, even it was only parts of the grip and some of the frame? Or was it something deeper then that?
Then the young redhead's thoughts turned back to the stranded man's words.
"In truth, I am not." Techmarine admitted, making Ruby look down at the floor in disappointment. "However," Ruby's head perked up again, meeting his somehow soft gaze despite the man-made eyes. "Within you I see a young, proud woman that would not seek to abuse such technology for her own gain. I only ask, that should you agree to take up this holy weapon, that you treat it with the same respect as your own and only ever use it in defence of yourself or others."
Was that it? Did the laspistol's machine spirit see that in her as well and decide it wanted to aid her in being a huntress to help people? As she gently caressed the laspistol's frame, it seemed to almost warm to her touch. She smiled and picked it up.
"I want to become a Huntress, so I can protect those that can't protect themselves, and save people that need my help. Is that why you wanted to come with me? So you could do that too?" She asked the sidearm, even if she knew it could not respond back. However, that same warmth could be felt in the grip.
She took that as a yes.
"Then you, me and Crescent Rose have to stick together so we can do just that." As she spoke, a name came to her almost randomly.
"Thorn's Light..." The laspistol seemed to hum clearer as she spoke the words.
That was his name.
Thorn's Light.
Howls echoed around her as a pack of Beowolves suddenly appeared around her and began converging on the ruins. Grabbing both her weapons, Ruby lept down and landed on her feet, aura absorbing the impact. With a flick of her arm, Crescent Rose extended in all her full glory as she raised Thorn's Light.
The first beowolf to reach her was met by a laser to face, smashing the plating around it's head open but not killing it outright. It howled in rage and pain as it charged at her in an attempt to tackle Ruby. The huntress dodge to the left and let it fly over her head even as she swung Crescent Rose around with one hand to cleave it in half. Another pair ran at her, claws ready to rip, as she jumped back and shot one between the eye with her pistol while she decapitated the other with semblence enhanced speed.
Landing on her feet, legs wide in a combat stand, Crescent Rose ready behind her and Thorn's Light aimed forward, she charged the Grimm with a smile as her weapons seemed to sing as they cut through the evil monsters with ease.
The last one standing, naturally, was the Alpha, who tried to rush her while she was finishing off the last of it's pack as she fired Crescent Rose to decapitate the Beowolf as she landed on top of it.
It nearly managed to hit her, and if it had the thought to come from an angle other than the front it just might have hit her. However, she quickly brought Crescent Rose up to tank the hit as she was launched back through the air. Sliding to her feet, Ruby simply raised Thorn's Light and proceeded to kneecap the Alpha before finishing of with a few headshots from her scythe.
With a satisfied sigh, Ruby lowered her weapons and sheathed Crescent Rose behind her back before smiling at her new baby.
"RUBY ROSE WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"
OH SHIT RUBY GOT A GAT!
Jokes aside, Santus doing some science and giving children very lethal weapons is very 40K of him. In case you are wonder why he would trust Ruby, as he outright said, he doesn't, but he is a good Techpriest and the last thing he is going to do is displease a machine spirit. Plus, who knows what he knows? Heh heh heh...(that's a reference I hope someone gets)
So Ozpin and Ironwood are being useful but also sneaky, Cinder got some unexpected information, and meet Thorn's Light. I hope you like the name, it wasn't easy to think of something both Ruby, 40k and also just a good name. This machine spirit has a new mum and got to have a nice family outing as Ruby would say. Oh and someone found Ruby with her new baby.
As always, advice and criticism is always appreciate, A.D.