The Deathstorm
15 days since The Onslaught

In The Deathstorm, Vekk-Torr is currently holding an intervention with his troops, Braane-Strom, and his three remaining generals on Remnant.

"MORONS! NIMRODS! GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SCRAPBUCKETS! CAN ANY OF YOU MINDLESS SLAPASSES DO ANYTHING?!" Vekk-Torr ranted to his VekTroopers, all wounded and scarred by the heroes.

The warlord then showed the map of Remant, with everything in purple.

"WITH VALE NO LONGER UNDER OUR CONTROL, WE ARE NOW VULNERABLE!" he bellowed, as the map showed Vale in neon green, signaling that Ruby, Tari, and her group had liberated it from his control.

"But sir," Braane-Strom pleaded. "It wasn't my fault. We should have some of our outside help. I recommend using a mercenary-"

"Not a word, Braane-Strom." Vekk-Torr interrupted. "Anyway, we have three kingdoms still in our control. So that means we still have the students of Haven, Atlas, and Shade on our side."

"He's right." A voice chimed in.

Suddenly, a cyan humanoid creature resembling a barracuda began pushing the VekkTroopers aside like a bully. He had yellow eyeballs and black irises, webbed feet like a frog, and stood four and a half feet tall. He wore a navy blue long-sleeved shirt with dark blue, black, and olive green camouflage pants reaching to his feet. He also wore a jetpack in the shape of fire hose ends, with navy blue chest armor with the symbol of a shark in black on it and matching kneepads, and an assault rifle-like blaster that fired dinitrogen trioxide-infused water.

"Move, you clanky jerks. I want to see the big man," It ordered.

Vekk-Torr then turned around and saw the figure.

"Gill Grunt. I am glad to see you alive after your latest bounty kept Barin in the same sapphire sphere that it has always been." Vekk-Torr greeted.

"I'm not in the mood for your praise. Now, who the hell am I up against?" Gill bellowed.

Vekk-Torr then displayed the six Meta Hunters from a hologram in his palm. Gill then looks at them, analyzing them for the first time.

"These individuals, known as the Meta Hunters, have been a thorn in my side, and I want you to take them out," explained Vekk-Torr.

"Please," sighed Gill. "They are nothing like The Seven—just superpowered jerks with massive egos. I can handle this all by myself."

"You will not be alone on this mission," Vekk-Torr added. "For the first time, you will have some backup."

"Yes," whispered Gill in excitement.

"Sir. We'll come to his aid." One VekkTrooper interjected as he started to pipe up the crowd, offering to help Gill.

The crowd then begged, requested, and spoke loudly to get Vekk-Torr's attention.

"Sorry, I have chosen his backup," Vekk-Torr replied as he silenced the crowd.

"Woooooo! The Certified Gs are back in town, baby!" Another voice emerged from the crowd. "Ssssstep asssside for Joe and Moe, the Komodo Brotherssssss!"

"Are you crapping me?" The gillman shouted.

Then, out of the crowd, two anthropomorphic Komodo dragons walked towards Gill. They each wore miniature spiked Ottoman-styled helmets, Arab shemaghs, robes with scalloped patterns along the hems, and plain white undershirts. Joe was thinner and slightly taller, had a long snout with two protruding fangs at the end, and three-toed feet. He wore an indigo shemagh and purple robe with yellow scalloped patterns along the hems. Moe was a bit shorter and fat and had a blunt nose, a prominent underbite, a trim beard, and two-toed feet. He wore a blood orange shemagh and cerulean robe with white scalloped patterns along the hems. Looking at them in disgust, Gill sighed and gave an upset gesture when they approached.

"Out of all the mercenaries, you two have to be the worst partners I have ever worked with." He sighed.

The VekkTroopers clamored and argued over the decision by Vekk-Torr. Just then, Rock-Skar received a notification from someone in Mistral. While the discussion between the VekkTroopers continued, he saw the perfect opportunity to announce it.

"Lord Vekk-Torr?" He bespoke. "I just got word about another Distortion spotted in Mistral!"

"Not now, Rock-Skar," Vekk-Torr informed. "We are currently-"

"Sir, he has a point." Shrapp-Null interrupted.

Vekk-Torr paused and turned to the monitors that showed his generals.

"WHAT?!" Vekk-Torr retorted. "Another one of those individuals that Tari freed?"

"Yes. This guy's a blonde with mad sword skills," added Rock-Skar. "Now, he's copying my whole flow."

"Then we'll send these three to stop Ruby, Tari, Roa-Nyn, and their meddlesome friends." Vekk-Torr proposed. "Then, they'll take care of your problem."

Then, at Vekk-Torr's plan announcement, the entire room fell silent. Many VekkTroopers agreed with this, while others considered another plan.

"Sssssssso, what do you want ussssssss to do?" Joe asked.

Gill then turned around and faced his partners.

"FIND OUT WHO HE IS AND JACK HIM LIKE A LOOTER IN A RIOT!" Gill yelled at the two Komodo Brothers.

"Cypress Hill. Good one." Joe acknowledged.

"Yesssir!" Moe responded as he headed toward the docking bay.

"Atta boy, Moe. You get to pick the music for the trip!" Gill smiled.

As the Vekk-Torr and his army saw the three mercenaries leave for Remnant, his group immediately continued their conversation.

"So, about that. Maybe we should launch a sneak attack on those meddlesome Meta Hunters, " Vekk-Torr suggested to his generals.

"Said the guy responsible for one dimension's first forfeit in World Series history." Rock-Skar retorted.

"I didn't even know they were a baseball team!" Vekk-Torr pleaded. "The Texas Rangers were their names, so I had to kill them."

"I hope Gill and his crew are faring better than us." Ram-Busch groaned.

Vale, Beacon Academy, Team RWBY's Dorm Room

Back on Remnant, Lamar places two sleeping bags on Team RWBY's dorm floor. As Theo entered the room alongside Tari, he jumped on top of Lamar and jumped on the top of Yang's bunk bed.

"Theo, I believe that some called dibs on that bed." laughed Lamar.

"But I already called dibs on it," Theo responded.

"That's not how 'calling dibs' works," Yang said as she entered the dorm.

Theo noticed the blonde enter the room and headed towards the bunk she slept in. She looked at him and knocked on the top "bunk" legs.

"That bed you claim belongs to a friend of mine." Yang continued.

"Is it the friend whose badge you removed from Vekk-Torr's sword?" Theo asked.

"No." She responded. "Someone else. And she'll be glad to see you."

Ruby and Weiss entered the room, ready to rest after the tense battles she and the rest of the Meta Hunters endured.

"Okay, everyone, listen up. We have a big day tomorrow. Weiss' sister is taking us to Mistral so we can knock the living tar out of Rock-Skar and his army." Ruby informed.

"Agreed," Weiss noted. "As soon as we land, we strike as one."

"Can't disagree with that. We are doing this for Earth." Lamar acknowledged.

"I'm glad to hear that, Lamar," Weiss replied. "You remind me of my sister. If she came from another world, that is."

The group chuckled and prepared to bed, hoping for another day of saving Remnant.

Deep Space

In the vacuum of space, it was all quiet. But then, two comets, one red and one yellow, zoomed through it, breaking the silence. Those comets were crystal cocoons that launched from Camylon. What was inside of them was a mystery on its own.

Atlesian Military Hangar
16 days since The Onslaught

The following day, the Meta Hunters arrive at the hangar at sunrise, where Winter awaits them. All six of them have their gear and are ready for the voyage to Mistral. Before the team boards Winter's ship, Lamar looks at the ocean with the sunrise before him.

"I'm going to miss this place." He sighed. "And whoever brought Silica City here must be a madman."

"I agree, Lamar," Weiss replied. "That person is a hero."

The two then entered Winter's ship alongside the rest of the Meta Hunters. As the six heroes entered the craft, they saw Roa-Nyn and Roman at the desk that Penny and the Atlesian Military installed. The six joined Roman and Roa-Nyn at the table as the aircraft took off.

"Looks like I'll join you on this flight, provided under Roa-Nyn's request, I bring some in-flight entertainment."

"And if you didn't?" Roa-Nyn retorted.

"Relax," Roman replied, pulling Roa-Nyn's cube from his pocket. "I got it under control."

He then flicked it to the center of the table, and it expanded into a holographic map of Mistral. The six heroes then sit around it and observe it.

"As of this moment, you six are off to Mistral, where you will encounter Rock-Skar." Roa-Nyn began.

"And Vekk-Torr said he'll be tougher than Braane-Strom," Ruby informed. "Anything else you want to tell us?"

"Lucky for you, Red, we got his file," Roman responded.

Roman then displayed the general's criminal file and photos of his criminal acts to the group.

"The kid was once a forger of counterfeit weapons and sold them to the highest bidder. Whether it was mafia cartels, two-bit gangsters, or the law, he always sells them out." He started.

"So you say he's a scam artist?" Lamar interrupted.

"Good call, Mr. Williams." Roa-Nyn acknowledged.

"Anyway," continued Roman. "He was skilled in making his own, using all the profits to fund his big projects. Mainly his career as a musician. Hence his name. But many saw him as derivative and unoriginal when his music career started. Not to mention that rock music isn't as popular as it was back then. Infuriated, he combined his two talents and went after the ones who shunned him. Therefore, he became a one-bot criminal band and has managed to string a record of terror acts and bank robberies. Impressed by this, Vekk-Torr planned to recruit him in the most unthinkable way possible—set him up. As he was about to crash a gala celebrating an acclaimed astronomer's birthday, Vekk-Torr framed him for stealing his iconic telescope. Once that rockstar punk arrived on the scene, the guards swarmed him like he was at the damn place. When they threw him into prison, the police cruiser was taken off course by a meteor shower, planned by that scumbag all along. As the ship crash landed, everyone survived it, and the punk escaped the cops easily. While hiding from the authorities, Vekk-Torr kidnapped him."

"And let me guess, he was working for him all thanks to his craftsmanship," Theo asked.

"You are correct, small fry." Roman chuckled.

"Since then, his rampage of hot lead, napalm, and rock and roll has been nothing more than chaos when he was on Vekk-Torr's side," said Ruby. "If we don't stop him soon, then Remnant will be engulfed in his hellfire."

"Uh… guys?" Theo interrupted. "You might wanna look at this."

Ruby, Tari, and Roa-Nyn headed to the cockpit and saw what Theo was discussing. They saw three techno-organic eagles flying around the ship.

"No, not them," Roa-Nyn grunted.

"What are you talking about?" Tari asked.

"The Council of Balance and Order. A group of my people who are so-called 'purifiers of realities' disguised as executioners." He explained.

"Who or what do they hunt?" Ruby questioned.

"Distortions," answered Roa-Nyn.

"Then we don't have time to prepare," Winter informed. "Everyone prepare for battle!"

Winter then grabbed her sword and turned on the autopilot for the ship. The rest of the group readied their arms and prepared for what would come. Unaware of this, Theo headed to the cockpit and saw what the eagles were doing. The flock leader was still near the cockpit, while the other two were at the side and screeched so loud that everyone on the ship got staggered. Then, the flock leader's eyes flashed, and a bright white light enveloped the plane.

The Council of Balance and Order's Chamber

As Theo opened his eyes, he saw he was in a council chamber. Worried, he looked at everyone in there, hoping to find a familiar face, only to see dozens of Camylonians in numerous shapes and sizes wearing black robes with hoods covering their faces.

"Tari! Ruby! SOMEBODY!" he shouted.

The room fell silent after Theo's yell. Then, the members stood up as a figure entered.

"All glory to balance and order! All hail High Counselor Star-Tera!" The Camylonians shouted.

Theo turned around to see that Star-Tera was entering the room. Walking aside from him is Roa-Nyn, who is in conversation with him.

"But, High Counselor, these Distortions aren't hostile, but they are our best shot at defeating Vekk-Torr." Roa-Nyn pleaded.

"I don't care if they are the best option in fighting Vekk-Torr. They are dangerous." Star-Tera responded.

"Dangerous in the wrong hands, yes. But we were lucky. We may have a chance to stop Vekk-Torr once and for all." the Knight contested.

"Believing in the false lies of Fyuz-Elot?" the High Counselor retorted. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I know he has been loco, but he may be onto something." countered Roa-Nyn.

"Another Distortion crisis to rival the Quintessons, I get it. He wants to wipe us all out," replied Star Tera.

As they approached the center of the room, Roa-Nyn paused and stood with Theo while Star-Tera headed to the center desk.

"The trial for the defense of Universe 2003-01-Eta-Cailyx will now begin." Star-Tera declared.

As the council members sat in their seats, Theo began to feel anxious that he and his friends were about to get arrested by the Council.

"As you all know, Universe 2003-01-Eta-Cailyx has a Distortion problem. However, none have been more hazardous to this reality than the Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx invaders." He began.

"Liar! We have been helping Remnant!" Theo bellowed.

The ensemble then noted what he said and whispered to each other about it. However, the High Counselor heard one of the whispers and raised his hand to silence everyone.

"So I hear you have been helping this universe, Distortion," said Star-Tera. "Tell me your name and why you are in that universe."

"My name is Theo," Theo responded. "And I am not from that universe. My universe is where video games are everything."

"You speak of Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx, correct?" asked Star-Tera.

"What?" Theo pondered.

"Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx is a universe where gaming is a part of life. And at the top of the gaming world are Meta Runners."

"Glad you mentioned that." chimed in Roa-Nyn. "It seems I have two more individuals from that universe."

With a snap of his fingers, Roa-Nyn summoned Tari and Lamar. Both were covering the eagles' supersonic screech. As they opened their eyes, they uncovered their ears and looked around to see where they were.

"Roa-Nyn?" Tari gasped. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"You are in a mysterious void that I was in," Theo answered.

"I can explain." Star-Tera interrupted. "You are in the chamber room of The Council of Balance and Order."

"And you must be the Council of Balance and Order," Tari noted.

"Correct," replied Star-Tera. "And you must be Tari of Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx."

"Yes, I am Tari," she answered.

"Are you a Meta Runner?" Star-Tera questioned.

"I am." Lamar interrupted. "And before you ask, I am a Meta Runner, and she was one too."

"Fascinating." responded the high counselor. "Tell me, why aren't you at your home universe?"

"My friend Theo and I wanted to explore a new game on my server. But when we entered it, something was a bit off about it. We were in Remnant itself, and it was not just a game." Tari explained.

"Me too," added Lamar. "And also Masa."

Everyone whispered about the story Tari told the high counselor. Most of them were surprised by this and considered their presence in Remnant a blessing in disguise.

"Intriguing." Star-Tera praised. "And who is this 'Masa' individual?"

"A friend and one of my teammates on MD-5, my Meta Runner team. He wanted to explore Remnant with me but got abducted by Vekk-Torr." Lamar replied.

"Vekk-Torr? He's there too?" Star-Tera gasped.

"Yeah, he and his forces were at Remnant," Theo replied. "But we were not alone. We had help."

"Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. Three huntresses from Beacon Academy who recently became supercharged with new powers and abilities." Tari added.

"Thanks, Tari," said Theo.

"Whoa, hold on a second!" interrupted the high counselor. "Did you just say 'supercharged with new powers and abilities', small one?"

"Yes. My name is Theo, by the way." Theo retorted.

"If what you said is true, we may have found a Positive Distortion." marveled Star-Tera.

"You have." A voice proclaimed.

Everyone in the room turned around and saw who said that. It was Lin-Noir, and alongside him were Ruby Weiss and Yang. The four walked toward the center of the room. As the rest of the group reunited, they turned to Star-Tera.

"Lin-Noir, you have been a formidable ally to every force of justice imaginable. But tell me, are these individuals Positive Distortions?" pondered the high counselor.

"They are," answered Lin-Noir. "The ones from Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx are also positive."

"And what of Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx?" asked Star-Tera.

"Destroyed," Lin-Noir replied.

The council members, Tari, Theo, and Lamar, gasped at the answer.

"No." Tari cried.

With tears in her eyes, she ran to Ruby and hugged her as she sobbed.

"Tari…" Ruby comforted.

"It is just I have feared." Star-Tera gasped. "With no one to stop him, Vekk-Torr will end everything we have sworn to protect—the omniverse."

Everyone began to worry about it. Weiss held Lamar's hand as he was about to cry. Yang felt fear as she knelt to the ground. Theo balled up in a fetal position as he shivered like he was in the cold and sobbed.

"They are gone. Sofia. Belle. Lucinia. Marco." Tari sobbed.

"Not quite," Lin-Noir spoke. "I and a Faunus from Universe 2003-01-Eta-Cailyx managed to save a city from Universe 2019-26-Xi-Cailyx."

Everyone then paused and looked at Lin-Noir.

"And Tari, your friends you mentioned earlier are in this reality." He continued.

Tari gasped and hugged the humanoid raven Camylonian.

"You're welcome." Lin-Noir smiled.

"Well, that rests this case," said Star-Tera. "I, as a result, declare 2003-01-Eta-Cailyx innocent! And can someone release Fyuz-Elot from the pit of misery on the double?"

"Yessir!" responded the one-armed council member.

He immediately got up and followed the high counselor's orders. With a sigh of relief, Ruby turned to the rest of the group with a smile.

"Guys." she began. "It seems that we are going home."

"Ruby, I thought we were going to Mistral," Yang confessed.

"All of you will be returning to Remnant," retorted Star-Tera. "But there is a problem you need to solve in Menagerine. Lin-Noir spotted Two Distortions there, and it is up to you to determine if they are friend or foe."

"We accept, high counselor," Ruby replied. "I will tell Winter to change course once we return to Remnant."

As they walked toward the exit, they returned where they came from, and from the walkway to the chamber, the one-armed council member returned with Fyuz-Elot, entangled in chains of light. As the council member brought the Knight to the chamber, the latter was freed of his restraints and fell to the ground.

"You bastards," the Knight groaned. "Once I'm free, I'll-"

"Now, now." Star-Tera interrupted. "We do not mean you any harm. It seems you have revolutionized the creation of Distortions. One to rival the creation of the Quintessons."

"Go on," Fyuz-Elot said

Winter's Airship

As the blinding light from the eagles faded, everything returned to normal.

"What the hell was that?" Winter asked.

Ruby and Roa-Nyn entered the cockpit.

"No time to explain. We have to go to Menagerine." Ruby ordered. "We need to find-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Winter snapped.

"Are you questioning us?" Roa-Nyn bellowed. "Madam Schnee, we are going to Menagerine, whether you like it or not."

Winter sighed and changed course to Menagerine.

"Let's hope this mission is brief," she said. "We are behind schedule from the looks of it."

Kingdom of Mistral

In a train station in the kingdom of Mistral south of Kuchinashi, a spacecraft of Barinian origin slowly lands on the ground before it opens for the day. The craft's shape was jet-like and had elements akin to a great white shark, with navy blue armor and neon green glass windows. As it landed, the back hatch opened, and the Komodo Bros walked out of the vessel, ready for their search for Jaune.

"Alright, bossss, we are waiting for the next train at the train sssstation," Joe reported.

"Roger that," responded Gill. "The train will arrive in five minutes. On boarding it, jump on the train so no one can see you."

"Affirmative." Moe agreed.

"Oh, and one more thing. Please enter through the VIP car, the one behind the engine." Gill added. "Breakfast will be served for you."

The two then headed to the station's roof using their parkour skills and waited for the train. As they did that, the ship that took them there took off and headed southwest and in pursuit of the Meta Hunters. In the vessel, Gill was piloting it towards his location. In it, five VekkTroopers await his orders, armed and ready to attack their opposition.

"Sir, do you know where you are heading?" one of the VekkTroopers asked.

"I do," Gill replied. "It is to intercept our opposition by surprise, and Manu Fe'ai will be the one to send them to their graves."

The jet then headed higher in Remnant's atmosphere, into the clouds where no one could see it.

"Trust me. Whether in the sky, the sea, or land, our foes will never know what hit them." He added.

Menagerie, Kuo Kuana

Elsewhere in Menagerine. It was a calm and pleasant morning in Kuo Kuana. But in the Belladonna household, it was ravaged by an unknown intruder. At the scene of the crime, Ghira was lying down on the floor of the entrance room when he got stabbed in the chest and was bleeding. As Masa entered, he saw the chieftain and ran toward him. He then knelt and held his hand once he approached him.

"Mr. Belladonna, who—who did this to you?" Masa asked.

"It was…" The injured chieftain groaned.

Ghira then coughed blood, but Masa managed to cover the chieftain's wound on his chest. Masa healed Ghira's wound in seconds with the Nevermore Energy inside him.

"Thank you. You are like a son to me." Ghira smiled.

"You're welcome, but who scarred you? Who attacked you?" Masa retorted.

"It was Blake." The chieftain informed.

Then, the images of her flashed, and her sinister laughter echoed in his mind. He gritted his teeth, knowing he had an unfinished task. He then walked toward the front of the house. As he reached the front door, Kali stopped in his way.

"Wait," Kali said. " I made you something."

She handed him a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and potato.

"Thank you, Miss Belladonna." smiled Masa as he headed outside.

He then started to eat his burrito as he started his search. In the White Fang outpost kilometers from Menagerie, the Albain brothers investigate the High Leader's chamber for someone breaking into it. With no light shining, excluding the open door, they searched through it to find someone.

"Any luck yet?" Fennec asked his brother.

"Not a thing, brother," Corsac reported. "How about you?"

"No dice," Fennec responded. "We should—"

Just as he was about to give an idea, he got stabbed through the chest by a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe. As Fennec's lifeless body fell to the ground, his brother bolted for the exit, only for the user of said weapon to unsheath it from the corpse of Fennec, throw it, and pierce it into his left leg through the quadriceps. Corsac fell to the ground, nudging the door to close even more. As she got up by climbing up a pillar, he saw Fennec's dead body and began to run for the door, only to trip when the figure grasped his ankle.

"Heheheheheheheheheh. Yes, suffer like your brother." a voice said to him.

"You! Who are you?!" Corsac yelled.

Then, the figure appeared behind him and prepared to slit his throat.

"Your end, Corsac," she replied.

"No. It can't be." Corsac gasped.

Just then, the figure slit Corsac's throat, and his lifeless body fell to the floor. The only thing remaining in the chamber was the figure, whose amber eyes glowed in the darkness. As she looked around the building, she could do nothing more than sinisterly laugh like a psychopath.

Who or what is this new threat in Kuo Kuana?

Who will become the High Leader of the White Fang?

And what will happen first, our heroes arriving in Menagerie or Gill Grunt stopping them?

Be here for when all of those questions get answered in Chapter 13: Crash Landing!