Chapter 4: Fallout

Disclaimer: Evangelion is owned by Hideaki Anno and Studio Khara. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. No monetary gain is intended from this work.

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No one said a word. What could they even say? They just watched a young man nearly be boiled alive while fighting a giant shape that fired a laser. How was someone supposed to reply to something like that?

It was undeniable to even Yang now. She was beyond stunned. Shinji wasn't from Remnant. She'd grown up reading fantastical stories to Ruby, but to think that something like this could exist...

Qrow was very much aware of Shinji's origins, and it was time to break the news that there was no way for him to get back to his home. Qrow awkwardly rubbed his forehead and prepared himself. The scene before him was a tense one. Ruby's muffled crying made it so much worse for the man. His poor niece wasn't going to like this.

The dusty old Huntsman took a breath and gathered his will to speak.

"Look, kiddo, I'm sorry you had to go through all that but… it's done now. It's finished. You don't have to worry about those Angel things ever again." Qrow attempted to break things slowly.

"What do you mean? Everyone at NERV says they don't know how many Angels will attack. I need to get back to Tokyo-3! B-Besides, this is a dream anyway!" He stuttered.

A look of desperation crossed the Third Child's face. He was desperately trying to convince himself that he was still asleep. Shinji was in full denial of his situation. He didn't want to accept the truth. He didn't want to accept that all he'd ever known was gone, never to return.

Qrow strode over to the boy, placed his hand on his shoulder, and bent down slightly to look Shinji in the eye.

"C'mon, kid, do you really believe you're in some sort of dream? Don't you think you would've woken up by now? We both know you're awake right now. You know this is reality, a-"

"IT'S NOT REAL! IT JUST CAN'T BE!" Shinji suddenly screamed.

His yell cut Qrow off and made Ruby and Yang jump slightly. He had powerful lungs for someone on the smaller side. Ruby's crying tapered off, and she removed her head from Taiyang's chest and turned to stare sadly at the scene unfolding before her. She felt terrible for him. The worst part was that she couldn't do anything for him right now.

"It is real. I'm sorry, Shinji, but it just is." Qrow said softly.

"HOW?! Things like this don't just happen, Mr. Branwen! Do you actually expect me to believe that I'm now on some other planet?! What else am I supposed to think, other than all of this being a dream!? Things like this aren't real!" He shouted and backed away from the Hunstman's grasp.

Qrow had to break him out of this state of denial, and he knew just how to do it.

"From what you've told us about your world, I bet you thought things like giant robots and monsters weren't real until you saw them either, huh?" Qrow stared into the boy's eyes.

"T-That's different!" Shinji stuttered.

Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"How is that any different? The impossible suddenly became possible, and you accepted it then. Besides, you told us that you and your robot got sucked into a monster that might as well have been a whole other dimension. Is it so hard to believe that it sent you here?" Qrow countered.

Shinji's mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. He was completely stunned. Qrow had a point. If you had told Shinji about the Angels or Evas before coming to Tokyo-3, he wouldn't have believed a word of it. He also wouldn't have believed an Angel was capable of sending Unit-01 to another dimension, but lo and behold, he spent 16 hours inside a cold, empty void.

If the Twelfth Angel was able to take a bite out of reality, was it that hard to believe that it could spit him out somewhere else beyond Earth? The logic was solid.

'It's real! I'm really not dreaming…'

He finally accepted it. With that thought in mind, one horrifying question came to his lips. Tears welled up in his eyes and slowly spilled down his cheeks.

"I'm not ever going home, am I?" He inquired, with a small hitch of breath.

"No, I don't think so, kiddo. We have no way of getting you back to Earth. Remnant is your home now. All you can do now is try and make the best of it. I'm sorry." Qrow lamented.

As the full weight of what Qrow was saying to him finally sunk in, Shinji stumbled backward and nearly tripped over the kitchen table. His eyes were wide and unfocused, his breathing ragged. He felt the urge to run away again, but his body refused to listen to him. Subconsciously, the memory of the night's earlier Grimm encounter had left him unable to move. His entire body began trembling and shaking. He felt sick.

A sense of vertigo washed over him and he stumbled again. He felt his legs go weak and saw the floor rapidly approaching his face. Yang rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground. She then carefully maneuvered him back into the living room and onto the couch.

Shinji momentarily lost the ability to process stimuli properly. His eyes could register people talking to him, but he had no idea what they were saying. The boy's mind raced between a million thoughts. What happened to everyone back home? Did those explosions kill the Angel? Were Asuka and Rei okay? Did they get absorbed too? Did the Angel win? Was everyone dead? What was going to happen to him now? What was he supposed to do?

"Shinji!"

A voice finally reached his ears and his eyes lethargically moved to its source. A pretty girl with blonde hair. What was her name again? Shinji couldn't remember. There were other people in the room too. He couldn't remember their names either. His eyes slowly scanned their faces and settled on a pair of bright silver eyes filled with worry.

Silver eyes… yes… He remembered now.

His hyperventilating frame began to slow down its shaking and he eventually got control of his breathing again.

SNAP SNAP

He was able to snap fully back to reality when his eyes focused on Taiyang's fingers snapping in front of his face. A quick look around revealed they were back in the living room. Wasn't he just standing in the kitchen?

"Wha… What happened?" He grumbled.

The family of Hunters looked relieved to see him speak.

"You had a panic attack, Shinji. Just breathe slowly." Taiyang told him.

A small whine caught Shinji's attention, and he saw Zwei cuddle next to him on the couch. The corgi's eyes stared up at him, and his stubby tail wagged slightly. Zwei then slowly clambered onto Shinji's lap and lay down. The Third Child raised a shaking hand to stroke the dog's back. The repetitive motion helped to further calm the boy until he was back to normal.

After watching the lad for a minute to make sure he was okay, Qrow turned to Taiyang.

"Tai, you got this under control?" Qrow asked.

The man nodded.

"Yeah, everything should be alright now." The blonde Huntsman assured him.

"Alright, well I'm gonna take off now. If you need me, call me." Qrow responded.

"Will do. Thank you, Qrow. I appreciate the help on this." Tai said, graciously.

"Anytime, buddy." Qrow responded with a wave before exiting the house.

Ruby watched her Uncle leave, and a shocked expression wormed its way onto her face.

"Where's he going?! Shinji just had a panic attack!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Your Uncle is going to try and help some people store Shinji's entry plug." Taiyang explained.

"What kind of people?" Yang inquired.

Tai's eldest daughter had moved to sit next to Shinji and was gently rubbing her hand up and down his back in an attempt to help calm him down.

"Some science types that Qrow knows. They're going to take the entry plug and put it into storage so they can study it. It's safer that way. We don't want people asking too many questions about it, and we can't just leave it on the cliff." Taiyang lied.

"Ohhhhh okay." Ruby accepted. It was sound logic.

With that, their attention turned fully back to Shinji. He sat in on the couch slowly stroking Zwei, body wracked with muted sobs. Tears flowed down his cheeks and his eyes took on a hollow look. He looked as if the life had been drained from his body.

A single question then struck everyone's minds.

What now?

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"What a fucking mess. Poor kid." Qrow mumbled to himself as he walked away from the house.

Once he was far enough away, he transformed into his avian form and took flight. The chilly night air made him shiver as he glided on an air current. He hated flying in cold weather. His corvid form's feathers and small size offered little in the way of protection from the elements. After a few minutes of flight, he closed in on the crash site.

He slowly circled the site and watched as two Beowolves both tried to force their bodies into the hatch the Ursa had been drinking from. When both realized the other was blocking their entrance into the plug, the Beowolves pulled back and snapped at the other. The beasts roared at each other before sinking their teeth and claws into their opponent's hide.

'Guess that explains all the skulls. They must really want that LCL crap.'

Qrow landed in a nearby tree and watched the free show. It wasn't every day you got to see Grimm tear each other apart. And Qrow had to admit, it was pretty entertaining.

Eventually, the larger Beowolf pinned the smaller one underneath its weight and delivered a bone-crushing chomp onto its brethren's throat. The smaller Grimm began fading into whisps of smoke until its skull dropped to the ground. Just another among the growing number of dead Grimm around the crash site. With its foe defeated, the large Beowolf went back to trying to clamber inside the plug.

'I'd better stop it before it damages the plug any more than it already is.'

Qrow flew from his perch and sped toward the beast. When he got within a few feet, he transformed in mid-air and unsheathed Harbinger from his back. Before the monster even had time to acknowledge Qrow's presence, the seasoned Huntsman had cleaved the Grimm in two. Qrow hit the ground and skidded to a stop.

Another skull was added to the pile of dead Grimm. He wished Ozpin would hurry up. They needed to get this hunk of junk out of here. The entry plug was likely going to keep attracting Grimm and Qrow didn't want any more Grimm near his family's house. Especially now with a very distressed boy staying the night.

Qrow pulled out his flask and took a drink. Or he would have, had he not drained the rest of it back at the house. He grumbled in annoyance and put away his flask. His eyes scanned the treeline. He couldn't see much from the ground, so he transformed once more and flew around the area. It was time to go on patrol.

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Roughly 40 Minutes Later

Qrow's patrol had yielded no results. No other pieces of the robot or anything else could be found. Ruby was right, the thing must've appeared and then crashed. There were no other pieces of wreckage nor any people or Grimm to be found. The site was dead quiet.

The sound of an airship's engines made itself known, and Qrow flew down and shifted into human form. A Beacon airship landed in the clearing next to the entry plug, and a very tired-looking Glynda Goodwitch stepped out into the frigid night air. She wasn't clad in her usual attire. Instead, she wore a bright purple coat and a pair of tight-fitting black jeans. A pair of winter boots adorned her feet, and her hair was done up in a simple ponytail instead of her usual bun.

'Bet she loved being woken up and told all this shit.' Qrow thought.

Qrow strode forward and met her halfway.

"Evening, Glynda." He greeted.

"Qrow." She nodded.

Her anger was palpable in her voice. It was further enhanced by having to yell over the airship's engines.

"So, this is it?" The blonde Huntress glared at the plug before her eyes shifted to Qrow.

"Yup. This is it." He responded.

"I see. How is the boy?" Glynda inquired.

Qrow awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before responding.

"He's not doing too well. He's really shaken up. The kid had a panic attack right before I left the house." Qrow explained.

Glynda's expression softened.

"Poor thing. I can't imagine what he must be going through." She stated.

"Yeah, me neither…" Qrow breathed.

The seriousness returned to Glynda's face. They could feel sorry for the lad later. Right now, they needed to remove the entry plug and get it to Beacon. Glynda looked over her shoulder and gestured for the airship to pull up. Qrow glanced over and caught a glimpse of Ozpin in the pilot's seat as the airship rose and hovered over the entry plug.

"That thing's hull is breached! If you want samples of that LCL shit, you're gonna have to close it up!" Qrow informed the blonde Huntress.

"I'll take care of it. Qrow, can you go close the hatch please?" Glynda asked as she removed her weapon, The Disciplinarian, from her coat pocket and transformed it into its riding crop form.

Qrow nodded, jogged over to the hatch, and quickly slammed it shut. He used his Aura-enhanced strength to rend the metal of the hatch closed. Qrow didn't want the barely attached hatch door to fall off mid-flight.

"Good to go!" Qrow yelled over the roar of the airship.

With that done, Glynda activated her Semblance and used her telekinesis to slowly raise the entry plug and the large rock that had punctured it into the air. She carefully rotated them both until the rock was facing toward the sky. With a flick of her wrist, the rock was ripped from the hull and lowered back to the ground. Glynda then swished her weapon again, and the metal of the plug creaked and groaned as the hole was forcibly closed.

"There. We should have plenty of samples now. No liquid should escape that!" She stated.

The blonde Huntress then waved her hand above her head and held a thumbs up. Ozpin saw her signal, and several small panels on the airship's bottom opened up, allowing tow cables to dangle down around the plug.

"I'll hold it steady. Qrow, tie it on!" Glynda ordered the drunk.

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" He snarked as he ran forward to begin securing the entry plug to the airship.

Within a few minutes, Qrow had successfully tied the cables around the plug and was now standing on top of it. He hopped up and down on the plug for a moment to make sure the cables weren't going to come loose. Qrow then quickly leaped down onto the ground before his Semblance had a chance to activate.

"Alright, that should do it! Ease up, Glynda." Qrow informed her.

Glynda then slowly decreased the power of her Semblance but kept her weapon up in case she needed to catch the plug if gravity proved too much for the cables. Luckily, the cables held strong and showed no signs of breaking.

"Okay, Oz, we got it!" Qrow shouted.

The airship's side door slid open, and the two Hunters leaped up into the airship. Once aboard, Glynda walked over and sat down in the co-pilot seat. Qrow made sure to sit behind her in the next row of seats. He did the uncharacteristic thing and decided to keep his mouth shut unless spoken to. He could practically feel Glynda's fury at Ozpin radiating from her and he didn't want to be on her bad side tonight. The two strapped themselves in and the airship began the flight back to Beacon, entry plug in tow.

Qrow pulled out his flask and again cursed at the lack of alcohol. He needed more booze after everything that went down tonight.

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Back at the house

All was quiet at the Xiao Long/Rose household. Ruby Rose lay awake, staring at her bedroom ceiling. She was at a complete loss. Her whole worldview had been uprooted tonight. She'd met someone her age who was a giant robot pilot from another dimension. And that same pilot was stuck here on Remnant and was now thoroughly miserable.

She felt so sorry for Shinji. The poor lad's life was in tatters, and Ruby had no idea what to do. What was going to happen to him? Was Vale's government going to take him away? They couldn't just abandon him, that wasn't what heroes did! Ruby closed her eyes and replayed the night's events in her mind for what felt like the millionth time.

Shortly after her Uncle Qrow had left, Shinji's crying had increased to uncontrollable sobbing until a wave of exhaustion caught up with him and he cried himself to sleep. Taiyang had then tucked the boy in on the couch and told his daughters to try and get some sleep and that he'd watch over Shinji. The girls reluctantly agreed and trudged up the stairs to their shared room. Yang had collapsed onto her mattress and lay on her side with her back turned to Ruby. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since they came upstairs.

Ruby sighed through her nose and opened her eyes. She gazed up at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers that she'd put on the ceiling with her Mother so long ago. She often took comfort in gazing at the stickers. They calmed her when she was upset but tonight they offered no such feeling.

'What am I supposed to do? Are they gonna put him in an orphanage or something? I'm pretty sure I remember Uncle Qrow saying that those places can be awful places to live.' Ruby thought.

She thought back to what the boy had told them. Shinji's family life wasn't very good if the comment about his father was any indication. The young Huntress-in-training didn't know what she'd do without her Dad. The thought of not being close to her father was a cold and alien thought to her.

Shinji didn't mention any brothers or sisters either. Was he an only child? If so, that must've been lonely. She couldn't imagine being without her older sister. Yang was the best sister she could've asked for. She'd always been there for Ruby.

But what Shinji did mention was his mother, or rather, his lack of one.

'I wonder if Shinji remembers his mom? He said she died when he was four.' Ruby pondered to herself.

Ruby knew all too well what it was like to grow up without a mom. She had no memories of her mother. Like Shinji, she was around four when her mom left on a mission and never returned. Unlike the rest of her family, all Ruby had of her mother were pictures and stories. The idea of her big sister getting to have memories of their mother while she didn't sometimes made her jealous of Yang.

Ruby hated feeling jealous about that. She should be happy that Yang got to remember their mom, but sometimes she just… couldn't be. It just wasn't fair. Her Mom was her hero and she'd never even had a conversation with the woman. She had been told her whole life how amazing Summer was and she strived to live up to the expectation of being the daughter of such a respected Huntress. It sometimes weighed heavily in her mind that she might not ever match her Mother's skill.

But she'd try her hardest not only to fight to the best of her ability but to be the kind of person Summer could be proud of. That meant doing the right thing no matter what. She swore to not sit idly by when she could help others.

What could she do to help in a situation like this? What would her mom do? Ruby bet her mom would find Shinji a good place to live on Remnant. Yes, Summer Rose would find him a place where he could belong and live the rest of his life happily. Unfortunately, Summer was gone and Ruby took it upon herself to fulfill this task. She'd find him a place to stay.

No, she'd find him...

"A home." Ruby whispered.

But where could she find him somewhere he could call home? Definitely not some orphanage, she wouldn't allow it. There was also a chance that the scientists her Uncle knew would want to take him away and study him along with his entry plug. She'd fight against it tooth and nail if she had to. No person deserved to be locked in a cage like some animal.

There weren't a lot of options for the boy.

Her thoughts bounced around until a crazy idea formed inside the girl's head, and she bit her lip. Was this the right thing to do? Would Shinji be okay with this? If she went through with this, it would change not only her life but her whole family's lives. There'd be no going back.

And so the redhead lay silently contemplating. She didn't know how much time had passed since she'd been lying there, her mind kept replaying Shinji's distraught visage. The sight of sad, cobalt eyes flashed in her memory once more, and she made up her mind. Ruby was convinced this was the right thing to do.

The girl rolled over onto her side and softly called out to her older sister.

"Yang… are you awake?" Ruby whispered.

"Yup." The girl responded quietly, popping the "P".The blonde teen rolled over to face her sister. "Kinda hard to sleep after all the craziness tonight." Yang continued.

"Yeah." Ruby agreed.

"So what's up? You okay?" The older teen asked as she sat up on her bed.

"Yeah… it's just... I'm worried about Shinji. What's gonna happen to him now?" Ruby pondered as she too rose to a sitting position.

Yang awkwardly scratched her arm.

"I dunno. Dad and Uncle Qrow will figure it out. They'll find him a place to live, I guess…" The blonde speculated.

Ruby's head lowered towards the floor and her hair obscured her eyes from Yang's view.

"Sis?" Yang questioned.

Yang watched as her baby sister took a deep breath and brought her face up to look her in the eye. A look of pure, undeterred determination was plastered on Ruby's face. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. Yang rarely saw her sister like this, and whatever she was about to say, she meant it wholeheartedly.

"I think Shinji should live here with us." Ruby addressed.

Yang's eyes widened, and she was stunned for a second. She quickly snapped out of it, stood up from her bed, and walked over to sit next to her sister. Yang wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"What's brought this decision on?" Yang pondered softly.

"Well, it's just that Shinji has nowhere to go. We can't just dump him somewhere!" Ruby argued.

"We can't just adopt him like he's a stray dog either, Ruby." Yang countered softly.

"What are we supposed to do then?! Just abandon him?!" Ruby exclaimed.

Yang bit her lip and turned her head for a moment. She hated the way Ruby phrased that. Yang took a breath and turned back to her baby sister.

"I didn't say that! Look, I know you feel bad for him. I do too! And I'm proud of you for rescuing him! But we hardly know the guy. And adjusting to a whole new world is gonna be really hard for him. You saw how he was tonight. He had a panic attack for God's sake!" Yang pointed out.

"That's exactly why we have to take him in! He's all alone and scared, Yang! He needs a home, not just a place to stay! He needs people that can look after him." Ruby pointed out. Her determination didn't waver in the slightest.

"And what if he doesn't want to stay with us, huh? What then?" Yang inquired.

Ruby snorted in response and crossed her arms.

"Well then, too bad!" She huffed.

"Huh?!" Yang was suddenly very confused.

Ruby looked over at her and grinned sheepishly.

"That's what I'll say to him if tells us he doesn't want to live here. You saw how polite he was. He doesn't want to impose, so he'll probably say that it's better if he lived somewhere else, even though he doesn't have anywhere to go." Ruby beamed at her plan.

"Well, you've got a point there." Yang shrugged her shoulders.

"So you're on board?" Ruby asked.

"Now, hold on, I didn't say that!" Yang exclaimed while holding up her hands.

"Why not? We have an extra bedroom." Ruby argued.

"I know that. It's not space I'm worried about. We hardly know Shinji. He seems nice, but what if he's not all sunshine and rainbows?" Yang said softly.

"He wouldn't do anything bad, Yang! He's got a good heart, I know it!" Ruby blurted.

Yang raised an eyebrow, and it was her turn to cross her arms.

"You know it, huh? Are you sure it's not just you getting attached to him because you feel bad for him and the fact that he's the first person whose life you've ever saved?" Yang inquired.

Ruby's shoulders slumped, and she shook her head.

"No, it's not that. I've been thinking about this since we came upstairs. Remember that video we watched in the kitchen?" Ruby questioned.

Yang shivered slightly at the memory of Shinji's horrific screams.

"How could I forget? Shinji sounded like he was getting mauled to death by a Grimm." Yang stated.

"Do you remember what he said after you asked him what that video was?" Ruby stared into her sister's eyes.

"Didn't he say it was the… Fifth Angel?" Yang guessed.

"Yeah… the Fifth Angel. The Fifth, Yang… " Ruby trailed off.

Yang's eyes widened as the implications of what Ruby was saying sank in. Were all the fights against those Angel creatures that bad? Before she could say anything, Ruby spoke once more.

"That was only the Fifth Angel! He suffered that kind of pain, and it was only the Fifth! But he still kept fighting! He still did the right thing and defended people from those things! So, big sister of mine, are you gonna help me do the right thing here and convince Dad to let Shinji stay?" Ruby stared into Yang's eyes intensely.

The older girl stared back, her mind processing what she should do. Could she really call herself a Huntress if she were to throw this boy to the wolves? No, she'd be just like…

A few seconds of silence passed until Yang couldn't take it anymore and flopped backward onto the bed. Her legs kicked wildly, and she placed her hands on her face. A loud groan was muffled by her hands. She then quickly shot back up and pointed a finger at her sister.

"Fine, you win! But if he makes any pervy moves towards either of us, he's dead meat and out of this house! You understand?" Yang emphasized her statement by throwing her thumb over her shoulder.

Ruby rapidly nodded and rocketed forward to embrace her older sister tightly.

"You're the best, Yang!" Ruby squealed.

"I know." Yang grinned exasperatedly as she hugged her sister back.

The two sisters pulled back from their hug, and Ruby's eyes sparkled with triumph.

"Now all we gotta do is somehow get Dad to let him stay. That's going to be an uphill battle." Yang said nervously.

That little tidbit burst Ruby's bubble a bit. Yang just smiled and tussled her hair.

"Don't worry, I've got your back. I bet together we can get the old man to cave! We'll both use puppy dog eyes! Works every time!" Yang smirked deviously.

The younger redhead smiled brightly at her sister for a second before she let out a massive yawn. A second later, Yang yawned as well.

"It's late. We should try and get some sleep. We'll ambush Dad with this in the morning." Yang announced as she stood and walked back over to her bed.

The two sisters then climbed underneath their blankets, got comfortable, and closed their eyes.

"Goodnight, sis, I love you." Yang whispered.

"Night. Love you, too." Ruby whispered.

And with that, the energy in the room was no longer stifling. It was nice, comfortable even. Within a handful of minutes, sleep claimed the two.

XXXXXXXXXX

"-by. Ruby, wake up."

The young girl awoke with an unladylike snort and blearily looked over to see Yang sitting on the edge of her bed. She let out a yawn and stretched her arms and legs. The redhead groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What time is it?" She groaned while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It's nearly 8:30. I took a peek downstairs. Shinji's still asleep, but Dad's awake. If we're going to do this, we'd better do it now before Shinji wakes up and has a chance to say anything to Dad." Yang explained.

Ruby's drowsiness evaporated as she hurriedly threw the covers from her legs and got out of bed. The two teens quietly crept out of their shared room and down the staircase. Once they got close enough to the couch, they saw Shinji was still out like a light. But his sleep was not peaceful. Every couple of seconds, he'd fidget or mumble something unintelligible in his native tongue.

Zwei had snuggled up next to the distressed boy's side and softly thumped his stubby tail against the couch upon seeing the pair. He was still doing his best to comfort the distressed lad.

Yang leaned forward and lightly petted his ears. "Are you keeping him company? Good boy." Yang whispered to the pup.

The sound of their father's voice in the kitchen caught the girls' attention, and they tiptoed over to the doorway. A look inside revealed Taiyang speaking to someone on his scroll. Upon noticing them, the blonde Huntsman gestured for his daughters to come into the kitchen. They complied and Ruby silently closed the kitchen door behind her.

"Yeah. Okay, no problem. Alright, talk to you later." That was the only bit of the conversation they were able to catch before their father hung up the call.

"Good morning, girls." Taiyang greeted his daughters.

"Mornin'/Good morning, Dad." They returned his greeting.

"Who was that on the scroll, Dad?" Ruby wondered.

"That was your Uncle. He was able to pull some strings and get all the necessary stuff Shinji's going to need to be a fully-fledged Valean citizen. We'll need to go into town today to get everything settled and get him some essentials." Taiyang smiled.

Both girls smiled back. It was a good sign that the poor boy wasn't going to be abducted by shady government agents like in the movies.

"That's good news!" Ruby said happily.

"I know. With that out of the way, Shinji has a starting point in this world. But that's a discussion for after breakfast." Taiyang told the two as he turned and began pulling out ingredients to make some bacon and eggs.

Ruby's excitement faded into muted nervousness as she stared at her dad's back. Yang softly nudged her in the side with her elbow and nodded her head toward their father. It was now or never.

"Hey, Dad?" Ruby probed.

"Yeah, what is it?" Taiyang probed as he began cracking the eggs.

"Last night I was thinking about what would happen to Shinji now and uhh... I uhh…" She couldn't quite find the words.

"You what, Ruby?" Taiyang asked.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her silver eyes opened, they were filled with determination. This was no time to be nervous, someone's future was on the line.

"I think Shinji should live here with us!" Ruby stated with conviction.

Taiyang stopped dead in his tracks for a moment before continuing to make breakfast as if he hadn't heard Ruby's words. A stifling silence descended upon the room. The two sisters shared an uncertain look. This wasn't the reaction they expected. The silence stretched on for nearly a minute until finally, he spoke. He kept his face and voice completely neutral as he peered over his shoulder to look at his daughters.

"Yang, do you feel the same way?" Taiyang questioned.

Yang crossed her arms and stood tall next to her baby sister.

"Yeah, I do. We want him to stay." She announced.

Taiyang turned his back to them again.

"Is that so?" He asked in the same neutral tone.

Before either teen could say anything further, he looked over his shoulder again with a big grin on his face. "I'm glad to see you girls had the same idea I did!"

Ruby and Yang's eyes nearly bugged out of their skulls. Of all the things they expected their father to say, this was not one of them! The two expected him to absolutely loathe the idea of a boy staying with them. They expected him to do everything in his power to dissuade them from trying to convince him to let Shinji stay, not instantly be on their side!

He chuckled at their shocked faces and turned to face them fully, hands on his hips.

"Guess I should explain, huh?" The blonde man idly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh, yeah!" Yang exclaimed.

Taiyang's faltered a bit.

"Normally, there'd be no way I'd let a teenage boy live under this roof, but this is an exceptionally unique situation. We can't send Shinji to a foster home or an orphanage. They'd send him to the psych ward or pump him full of drugs if they heard him talk about where he's from. And we can't just let him show those videos to people, willy-nilly. If the wrong person found out it could be very dangerous for not only him but for us since we found him. It could also cause a panic and nobody wants that. Shinji doesn't have to worry about all that if he lives here. It's not fair for him to have to live a life where everyone thinks he's crazy or worry about folks finding out about his origins." Taiyang explained.

The two girls were stunned, especially Ruby. Their dad had brought up points she hadn't even thought about! The redhead's expression changed and she let out a huge smile.

"You really mean it?! He can stay?!" Ruby squealed.

"He can stay." Taiyang confirmed.

The young girl rushed forward and enveloped her father in a tight hug. He chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Now, do me a favor and take Shinji's plugsuit up to the guest room. It's going to be his room now. Yang, you can help me with breakfast." Tai told the two.

They did as they were told, and Yang went to assist her father. Ruby moved over to the table and began to reassemble Shinji's plugsuit and put her tools away. After everything that'd happened, she couldn't be bothered to do it the night before. After she finished, she pocketed her forgotten scroll, grabbed her tools along with the suit, and quietly left the room. As she passed by the couch, she noticed Shinji's fidgeting had increased.

Was he having a nightmare? She hoped not. Ruby hated nightmares.

The young redhead rushed upstairs as silent as a field mouse and deposited her tools and Shinji's plugsuit where they belonged before returning downstairs. Zwei let out a happy whine when she neared the couch. She smiled and softly scratched her pooch's chin. The smile was wiped off her face when she turned her head to gaze at Shinji's face.

His face was scrunched up in agony as he slept. No doubt about it now, he was definitely having a nightmare. Ruby could stand the sight no longer and lightly placed her hand on Shinji's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the sleeping pilot.

His reaction to her touch was instant and unexpected. His eyes flung open, and he rapidly sat up, nearly spilling Zwei onto the floor. Startled cobalt eyes darted about the room. When Shinji recognized where he was, he began to calm down. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his face with his hand.

"U-Um, good morning." Ruby stuttered.

Shinji jumped and his eyes locked onto her so fast she was momentarily stunned. Bright blue eyes that were full of life and curiosity just the night before now stared at her with a dull hollowness. He looked at her like all the color had been drained out of the world. It made Ruby feel as if she was staring at a moving corpse.

"...Good morning."

His voice was barely above a whisper. It sounded emotionless and dead. It made the redhead deeply uncomfortable.

"A-Are you hungry? Dad's making breakfast." Ruby tried to get him to talk.

His eyes stared through her, and he answered.

"Okay."

It was all he said.

'Yang was right. This isn't gonna be easy…' She thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

Later that day

Taiyang had managed to coax the shaken lad into the kitchen after he and Yang had finished preparing breakfast. The mood at the table was a dour one, to say the least. The boy held his defeated expression the entire time they ate. The idea of eating anything made him feel sick, but politeness ultimately had the final say. It would've been rude not to eat the food he was served and he didn't want to offend the people who'd shown him such kindness. Somehow, he managed to choke it all down despite the nausea. His body still needed fuel after all.

There were several attempts during the meal to get him to engage in conversation, to no avail. Shinji would only speak when spoken to, and his answers were always short. But even if he didn't wish to talk, he still remembered his manners and thanked the family for the meal. He'd also made to wash the dishes, but Taiyang stopped him, telling him to take it easy.

After breakfast was finished, Taiyang informed the boy that they'd be going into town to get everything he'd need going forward. After that, everyone got ready for the day. The family gave Shinji first dibs on the shower because they knew he was probably feeling icky after being covered in LCL. He'd tried to decline, but they joked that Yang would use all the hot water to wash her hair.

She just grumbled and said that it took time and effort to make her hair as luscious as it was.

Taiyang had managed to cobble together some clothes for him to wear. None of them fit properly, of course, but they'd suffice for a single day. They'd be able to get the boy some clothes that did fit once they got to Palinwood.

Shinji was confused by Ruby's outfit of choice. He'd never seen someone purposefully wear a cape in public before. Especially not in tandem with a gothic-looking dress. Wouldn't she be cold wearing a skirt? He didn't care to ask. That required carrying a conversation, something he was very much not in the right headspace to do.

Once everyone was ready to go, the four left the house, piled inside the car and set off. Taiyang slid into the driver's seat, and Yang called shotgun, with Ruby and Shinji in the back. Shinji was surprised to find out that the steering wheel was on the car's left side. An unusual sight for the boy.

Unbeknownst to the group, a pair of glowing, red eyes watched them leave from the treeline. It would have to bide its time. It knew the blonde girl was dangerous.

As they drove down the icy dirt road, Shinji stared out the window at the snowy wilderness surrounding them. Icicles dripped from tree branches and sunlight reflected off fallen snow in a dazzling display of light. It was one of the most beautiful sights the Third Child had ever seen. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to care.

All he could think about was Tokyo-3. He wondered if this was the end. Was this the Angel that finally wore them down and won the war? Was this the Angel that finally caused the Third Impact and destroyed the rest of humanity? Did his fellow pilots survive? He hoped they hadn't been swallowed by the creature. Shinji had no way of knowing and the uncertainty of it all was eating him alive inside.

'It's all my fault! I should've waited for them to be in position!' He thought. He'd chosen to give in to Asuka's goading and he'd paid for it dearly. It was his own fault, he'd been swallowed. Perhaps if he'd waited and hadn't fired, they could've defeated the Angel.

What was going to happen to him now? All Taiyang had said was that they were going to get the essentials he'd need to live on Remnant. Where exactly was he going to live? He had no money and no marketable skills. Was he even old enough to get a job here? Shinji had no idea what to expect. He was in completely unknown territory.

Another reason he couldn't enjoy the sight was knowing that there could be more Grimm just out of sight. From what Qrow had told him, there were more of those things out there. Shinji's eyes scanned the treeline, looking for anything that looked even vaguely monstrous. He kept expecting something to leap out toward the car every few seconds.

His nervousness was so palpable Ruby could practically see it in the tenseness of his body.

"Hey, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked. It was the first thing anyone had said since they'd gotten in the car.

Shinji flinched slightly at her question before turning his eyes in her direction.

"That monster from last night... that... Grimm. There are more of them, right?" His right hand clenched tightly.

"I was wondering when you'd ask about that." Taiyang cut in. The blonde Huntsman glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that he now had the boy's attention.

"Yes, there are more. Unfortunately, this world is full of them. It's just something people here have to deal with. It sucks, but that's the way things are on Remnant. You shouldn't worry about it too much, though. This island doesn't have very many Grimm. You'll be safe as long as you're with one of us, but don't go wandering off by yourself outside of town. You don't have your Aura unlocked and that leaves you vulnerable." He told the lad.

Taiyang had made the hard decision to hold off telling the boy that Grimm were attracted to negative emotions and forbade his daughters not to tell him either. It wouldn't do him any good to know he was constantly ringing the dinner bell for monsters. Once he'd settled in and his mood had become more balanced, Taiyang would spill the beans. In the meantime, they'd have to patrol the property more often to take care of any beasts that got too close.

"Mr. Xiao Long, what IS Aura exactly?" Shinji inquired.

"Aura is the manifestation of the soul. Think of it like a force field that wraps itself around your body. It makes you stronger and faster than regular folks. It also allows your body to heal wounds faster. You become more than you were before. Superhuman, even..." The man explained.

"Does everyone have Aura here?" The boy pondered.

"Nope." He answered, popping the 'P'.

"Why not?" The boy wondered.

"It's because Aura is a double-edged sword. While yes, it does protect you, it takes time and training to learn how to utilize it properly. Without that, the average person only prolongs their suffering if a Grimm catches them. The only people who proactively have their Auras unlocked are Hunters and people who work in emergency services. There are also exceptions though. For example, people who've been injured to the point where they need their Aura to survive long enough to get medical attention." He informed the boy.

"Another reason not everyone has Aura is that it very slightly attracts Grimm. It's not by very much, but it does draw them in. I heard some scientists on TV say that Grimm don't even realize they're being drawn to it." Yang added.

Taiyang's eyes narrowed slightly for a split second. He wished Yang hadn't said that. He was going to save that little tidbit for when he talked to Shinji about Aura later down the line. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk.

A look in the rear-view mirror revealed that his new ward didn't like the sound of what his daughter had just revealed to him. Shinji gulped slightly and spared Ruby a tentative glance.

"You're wondering if Dad and I have our Auras unlocked too right?" She asked.

He nodded in response, and she smiled proudly.

"We sure do! We all have ours unlocked because we're all Hunters!" She explained proudly.

He had no idea what she meant.

"Correction: I'm the only real Hunter in the car. These two are still in training." Taiyang pointed out.

A look of confusion plastered itself on Shinji's face.

"What's a Hunter?" He questioned.

Ruby took it upon herself to tell him before anyone else could.

"We slay Grimm and save people! We're professional heroes!" She beamed.

Taiyang chuckled a bit at his youngest daughter's explanation.

"Well, that's one way of putting it. Huntsman and Huntresses act as the Kingdoms' first line of defense against the Grimm. We use our Aura in combination with our Semblances and specialized weapons to go up against any potential danger. We also act as law enforcement and emergency services when necessary." Taiyang explained.

"I… see." He responded before turning to stare out the window again.

Ruby's smile fell from her face. She'd been so excited to tell him about her future profession. For a moment, he looked like he might've been interested in what she had to say. Then it was gone. The same lifeless expression he'd had the entire morning returned. Her shoulders slumped, and she turned to look out her own window.

Yang let out a small sigh. She was relieved to see Shinji begin to talk a bit and ask questions. That relief disappeared when he withdrew into himself once more. The atmosphere in the car was stifling, and she couldn't stand the awkward silence. She had to say something to try and get him talking again.

"Y'know, Shinji, you're kind of like a Huntsman yourself if you think about it. You protected your home from those Angel creatures. That's pretty heroic, I think." She smiled at him softly.

Ruby caught on to what her big sister was doing and turned back to the boy.

"Yang's right! You're a hero, Shinji!" She praised.

His eyes flicked over in her direction before returning to the window once more.

"I am NOT a hero." He growled. He wasn't even looking at the scenery anymore, he was just glaring at his reflection.

The sisters' eyes widened. The amount of pure anger and self-loathing in his words shocked the two into silence. A look between them said more than any words could. They'd try and cheer him up again later. Nothing they said or did now would reach him. He was a sailor lost at sea, never to return home.

The uncomfortable silence returned and Taiyang switched on the radio in an attempt to make things a bit less tense.

A few minutes later, the forest ended and gave way to a series of farms and open fields. Small houses, barns, and a few windmills could be seen sparsely populating the area. Various types of livestock roamed throughout their pastures, turning to stare at the car. A few people out and about in the chilly morning weather waved at the four as they passed. Ruby waved back to every person she saw.

As they'd passed all the farms Shini's eyes were drawn to the windshield. A town lay just down the road. A large stone wall that seemed to stretch around the entire town in a semicircle, ending at the sea. From the bay, a series of large, metal towers completed the circle around the town. He felt the car bounce a bit as the road changed from dirt to concrete. The green SUV slowly came to a stop at a huge mechanical gate that stood closed. The gate looked old, with faded paint and a few flecks of rust here and there. Despite that, it looked sturdy enough to withstand any Grimm that tried to knock it down. Its walls must've been several feet thick.

Shinji then saw several of what appeared to be guards or sentries moving about atop the wall. Each person wore a navy blue uniform with grey patches on their shoulders, and assault rifles were clutched in their gloved hands. His gaze followed them as they patrolled, and he noticed that every hundred feet or so, large pillbox-like structures with huge gun turrets on top of them had been built atop the wall. They all faced outwards and looked like they could do a real number on any approaching Grimm. They must've been some kind of defense system, like the ones Tokyo-3 utilized during Angel attacks.

He heard a shout from one of the uniform-clad people above, and the mechanical gate began to open. A loud creaking sound signaled that the gate desperately needed some oil. Once it had fully opened, Taiyang accelerated, and they were moving once more. Shinji's eyes panned this way and that, taking in the sights of people going about their day.

It all seemed so… normal.

Cars drove up and down the paved streets, people strolled down the sidewalks, and various shops were open for business. It didn't feel like he was in another world. It felt like he'd merely taken a trip to the United Kingdom. Quaint old-fashioned brick buildings lined both sides of the road. The architecture looked like it'd been torn straight from a fairy tale and given a modern makeover.

"Well, Shinji, welcome to Palinwood. It's not much, but it's home." Taiyang said.

As they rolled through the streets, the family took turns telling him all about the various buildings and landmarks they passed. The Third Child couldn't keep track of them all.

"And if you look over there, you can see Signal Academy. It's where Ruby and I go to school. Dad's the combat teacher there." Yang pointed out the windshield.

Shinji followed her finger and saw a very fancy-looking stone building that was much larger than most he'd seen in Palinwood so far. It was no skyscraper, but it was still quite bigger than the buildings around it. A series of courtyards surrounded the building with various types of training equipment scattered about. The only thing keeping people out of said courtyards was an old chain-link fence that wrapped around the school. Not much in the way of security for humanity's future defenders. Though, if all of the students had powers like Yang did, Shinji doubted anyone would dare to trespass willingly.

'Super-strength… I wonder what kind of power Ruby-san and Taiyang-san have…' Shinji wondered.

"Hey, Dad? Where are we going first?" Ruby pondered, curiously.

"We have to go to town hall to get Shinji's citizenship and have me registered as his legal guardian." Taiyang explained.

That certainly got the boy's attention. A bit of life came back into his eyes.

"Huh?!" He gasped.

"You didn't think we were going to throw you to the wolves, did you?" He chuckled.

He didn't know what to say.

"I-I… I don't know. I…"

For a moment, the two locked eyes in the rear-view mirror.

"We're not going to abandon you, Shinji. You have my word as a Huntsman on that." He assured the boy.

Again, he was completely stumped. The young pilot could tell by the look in the Huntsman's eyes that he meant every word.

"T-Thank you." He stammered sadly.

"You're welcome. And listen... I know things are hard for you right now, but keep your chin up. It'll get better in time. That hurt you're feeling will fade. Trust me, I've been there. It'll get better, you'll see." The man told him.

The two sisters felt a small pang of hurt at hearing their father's words. It brought back memories of drunken screaming matches between their dad and Uncle Qrow. Memories of an empty house with no parental figures in sight with Yang taking care of Ruby by herself. The blonde girl let out a breath. Those were a rough few years. Thankfully, their dad had gotten over his slump thanks to Qrow, some therapy, and Zwei.

Yang smiled slightly. The little corgi had been crucial to her family holding itself together. His therapy training helped their father when he felt nothing else could.

In the back seat, Shinji felt a pang of anger grip his heart as he pondered the man's words. He didn't believe what Taiyang had said. How could this kind of pain simply fade away? The blonde Huntsman had no idea what he was talking about. He hadn't felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Shinji may have damned the human race, and for what? Bragging rights over the highest synch score? What a joke.

His sullen thoughts drifted to the Xiao Long/Rose family. The Third Child wasn't used to this kind of treatment from strangers. He didn't understand why these people were treating him with such kindness when he didn't deserve it. Why be nice to him? He'd potentially failed to save billions of innocent lives and they called him a hero.

In a way, it reminded him of when Misato took him when he first arrived in Tokyo-3. One small act of kindness by the lavender-haired woman changed his life. He had a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to come home at night, a reason to keep fighting against the Angels. Now that reason was gone.

He closed his eyes and pictured his guardian's happy smile as she cracked a cold beer after a long day. God, he missed her already. He missed everyone. He missed Asuka's signature smirk, Ayanami's curious stare, and Touji and Kensuke's teasing remarks. He'd taken all those things for granted and he didn't even realize it until they were gone.

Shinji opened his eyes and peered out the window. He noticed that he could see the ocean from the road they were on. It was a deep blue in color, with flecks of bright sunlight reflecting off its surface. Waves crashed down upon a golden beach that lay further down the road. Several boats moved to and fro on the salty sea, a cold winter breeze giving wind to their sails. A few seagulls aimlessly glided over the sea. It was a beautiful sight.

However, in Shinji's eyes, it was easily outdone by the snowy landscape they passed on the way here. He'd seen sights like these most of his life.

'It's so much like before…' Shinji contemplated.

The little town of Palinwood reminded the lad of his days living with his teacher. He'd long since grown used to seeing the ocean after living near it for almost a decade. Then it all changed with one little letter. After that, it was skyscrapers and underground chambers.

A minute later, he felt the car slow up. They'd parked in front of a building that looked different from most of the ones he'd seen so far. Unlike the rustic buildings they'd passed, this one was more modern and had an almost futuristic look to it.

"Welp, we're here. This is the town hall. Let's get this over with." Taiyang said.

The four exited the car and went inside.

XXXXXXXXXX

2 Hours Later

"Man, that took forever!" Ruby complained as they strolled back out to the car.

"It wasn't that long. Besides, it had to be done." Taiyang replied as they all hopped back into the SUV.

For Shinji and Taiyang, it hadn't felt like a long time because they'd been busy answering questions and filling out crucial information to get Shinji everything he needed to live on Patch. For Ruby and Yang, who'd been stuck in the main lobby, it'd been an exercise in boredom. They'd brought their scrolls to occupy themselves, but after a few minutes, they'd gotten bored of them. They both wanted to know how Shinji was doing and it made them fidgety.

Shinji was glad it was over. He was tired of talking about himself. The boy was also grateful to Taiyang for coming up with a cover story for why he was now going to be living with the Xiao Long/Rose family. It seemed like the "nomad whose family was killed by Grimm" excuse was so common that the nice lady who helped them with the paperwork thought nothing of it and simply offered her condolences. That made Shinji wonder how many kids had lost their parents to the Grimm. It must've been a lot for people to believe that cover story so easily.

After they'd sorted out the matters of citizenship, living quarters, and appointed Taiyang as his guardian, it was revealed that he'd been placed in the Valean Orphan Fund. The lady who helped them explained to him that it was a government fund that gave every orphan who'd been registered in the legal system a bit of money to help them out until they were old enough to support themselves. The amount of Lien they received was separated into several tiers that varied depending on age and whether they lived in an orphanage, a foster home, or with a legal guardian.

Since Taiyang, a registered Huntsman, was now Shinji's guardian and he was only a few years away from becoming a legal adult in Vale, he was placed on the bottom tier. He was told that he'd receive a monthly check in the mail, and the money would then be placed into a bank account that Taiyang had control over until Shinji had become a legal adult. Once Shinji turned 17, the checks would stop arriving.

While filling out legal forms, Shinji noticed something very odd. No one batted an eye when he told them his birthday was June 6th. A glance at the electronic clock on the office wall revealed it was a Saturday.

Remnant used the Roman calendar! How was that possible? He'd turned to whisper a question about it to Taiyang when the lady's back was turned, but the man had no idea what he'd meant. Taiyang had told the boy that it was the same calendar that Remnant had used for hundreds of years. Shinji chose not to think about it too much, lest he give himself a migraine trying to figure out what it could mean.

With their business at the town hall finished, the family set off to their local bank to set up Shinji's bank account. Thankfully, doing so took much less time, and they were in and out within ten minutes. Taiyang made sure to make a little withdrawal from his own account before they left. He'd need it for where they were going next.

For their last essential stop of the day, they went to the mall to get Shinji some clothes that fit him, along with some toiletries. As they walked through the building, people turned to stare at the boy. It wasn't every day the locals of Palinwood saw some unknown scrawny kid wearing clothes that were far too big for him stroll along with one of Signal Academy's professors.

The attention only made the pilot's bad mood even worse. People gawked at him like he had three heads but didn't bat an eye at Ruby who was wearing a cape for God's sake! He hated that familiar feeling. The feeling of being the new face in town. It reminded him of the vague memories of what people said about him and his father when they thought his back was turned when he moved in with his teacher. It reminded him of the awkward school days in Tokyo-3 before he befriended Kensuke and Touji. The days when everyone looked at him but no one wanted to talk to him because he was the new kid.

After getting the bathroom essentials, they moved on to clothes. When asked about what kind of clothes he liked, he just replied that he wasn't picky and would wear whatever they recommended. Upon hearing that, Yang's eyes lit up like Christmas trees, and she assured him that she'd make sure he was "dripped to the core". He had no idea what the hell she meant by that.

He quickly came to learn that it was slang for making sure he had clothes that looked stylish. He didn't particularly care what his clothes looked like so long as they fit and were comfortable to wear. Yang was picky in her recommendations and had an eye for the small details. Ruby was far less so and just recommended everything she could find in red that looked like it would fit him. Yang deterred her at every turn, saying that red "wouldn't match his eyes".

The outfits he got were a combination of mostly darker blues with some white and black thrown in the midst. He got one red shirt so that Ruby wouldn't feel left out. A few pairs of shoes completed his new wardrobe.

"Only one thing left…" Taiyang announced as they left the shoe store.

Shinji was curious as to what that might've been. He thought they'd gotten everything he needed. Taiyang surprised him by asking the girls to familiarize him with how to use a scroll and then got him one of his own. He'd tried to politely decline, but Taiyang told him he'd need one in case of an emergency. Normally, he'd protest the purchase more than he did, but with monsters roaming around his new place of residence, he decided Taiyang had a point.

GRRRRUMBLE

The group had just exited the electronics store when Yang's stomach rumbled loudly, and everyone turned toward her. She just grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I guess it is almost lunchtime. What do you say we get some grub before we head home?" Taiyang asked the kids.

"Sounds great." Ruby smiled.

"You already know my answer." Yang joked.

Shinji didn't say anything. The family looked at him and saw that he was lost in his own little world. Ruby lightly tapped his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"W-What?" He stammered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you hungry?" She questioned.

"Oh… uh, sure I guess." He replied halfheartedly.

The group made their way to a cozy little diner near the mall called Arlin's to grab a bite. The food was good, but Shinji couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. He couldn't bring himself to enjoy much of anything. Negative thoughts kept creeping their way into his mind, pervading every second he spent on Remnant.

They'd tried to get him talking over a meal again, and it somewhat worked this time, although everything he'd said was still short and to the point. He'd talked a bit about how similar things were to his home and how bizarre they were to him.

The family listened with rapt attention as Shinji described glimpses of a world they'd never known. He was on a roll until he mentioned something called NERV and then clammed up. Taiyang remembered that the lad had mentioned this "NERV" the night before, and his curiosity about it was boiling over. From what Shinji had said, it had something to do with the Evangelions.

"Shinji, what is NERV? Last night you said someone named Dr. Akagi worked there." Taiyang inquired.

Shinji's right hand clenched and unclenched.

"NERV is… NERV was the organization in charge of protecting humanity from the Angels. They're the ones who built the Evas." The boy explained

"Ahhh, I see. It's all starting to make sense now." Taiyang noticed the change to the past tense.

"It's also the place where my gua-... where Misato and my Father worked." He had to stop himself mid-sentence to remind himself that Misato was no longer his guardian.

From the look on the boy's face, Taiyang knew he'd struck a sensitive spot for the boy. After that, Shinji barely spoke a word until they arrived back at the house. Upon their return, Zwei ran to the front door to greet them, barking and yipping happily. The four trudged up the stairs and helped the boy settle into his new room.

Once everything had been put away, Shinji politely announced that he was tired and asked if it was okay for him to take a nap. Taiyang had given him the okay and would come and get him when it was time for dinner. They'd all seen right through the facade. They could hear the muffled sobs on the other side of the door.

Ruby reached to open the door, but Taiyang grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

"Let's give him a little space, for now. He needs some time to just let things out. You gotta remember, we're strangers to him right now. He'll be alright, it's just going to take time for him to heal inside." The man explained.

Ruby nodded. She didn't like it, though. It didn't feel right at all to leave him in there alone. But her dad had a point. They'd only just met, and there was no telling how he'd react to her trespassing into the one space in the world he now had to himself. She swore she'd try and cheer him up after dinner. Or at least give him a shoulder to cry on.

"This sucks. I feel so bad for him." Yang grumbled as they descended the stairs.

"I know. I do too, honey." Tai replied.

Ruby let out a colossal sigh and flopped down onto the couch. She felt drained.

"What do we do now? I'm so anxious I can't sit still!" Yang remarked.

"I'm going to go walk Zwei. You want to go on perimeter patrol with us?" Taiyang asked.

"Heck yeah I do. I need to burn off some energy." The blonde girl announced.

The blonde Huntsman looked at his youngest daughter. "Ruby, you stay here. Someone needs to stay and keep an eye on Shinji. We can spar when your sister and I get back, okay?"

"Okay. Be safe out there." She waved at them.

"We will." Yang assured her.

Yang and her Dad were out the door, and she was now alone in the living room.

Ruby leaned her head back onto the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Normally, on a pretty Saturday afternoon like this, she'd be outside training, on patrol like her big sister was, playing video games, baking, tinkering with Crescent Rose, or literally anything else she liked to do. But this Saturday afternoon, the word "fun" wasn't in Ruby Rose's vocabulary. She opened her eyes and switched on the TV. She aimlessly flipped through channel after channel, but nothing interested her. Not even shows she liked.

No, her mind was focused on the real-life horror movie that was the video of the Fifth Angel's attack. She'd been trying to forget it all day and had done a good job of trying to keep a cheery face. It was especially difficult to maintain her happy demeanor in front of the world today but she'd done it. Now that she was alone, the mask came off and she let her distress show

She could still see it every time she closed her eyes. The image of a skyscraper melting and the sound of Shinji shrieking like a dying animal were ingrained into her mind. She knew that being a Huntress meant she would likely see awful things, but seeing someone nearly die right in front of her put a new perspective on the matter. She felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her, awakening her to the potentially terrifying things that awaited her in the future.

She wondered what else Shinji had gone through. What other horrors of war had Shinji experienced? How else had he suffered in order to keep his entire planet safe?

The curiosity ate at her. She desperately wanted to know. No, she NEEDED to know. Her hand twitched and pulled her scroll from her pocket. She unlocked it and swiped over to her recently downloaded files. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she would see.

An hour of viewing later, she sat on the couch, horrified at what she'd seen.

The battles she saw in those videos had been gruesome and extremely destructive. She now understood what Shinji meant when he said that the Angels were creatures that made no sense. They were biological anomalies. When you cut a Grimm in half, it died rather than splitting into two smaller versions of itself! Then there was the giant shape that she'd first seen in the video from last night. When she'd gotten to the second battle with Ramiel, she heard it this time. The damn thing screamed before transforming its body and firing a laser that partially melted a mountain.

Dear God, why did it scream like a person?!

But that wasn't the only detail that made her skin crawl; oh no. She didn't notice it at first but the more she watched, the more it became apparent. Whenever his Eva took damage, Shinji reacted as if it was his body that'd been damaged. And there was one more teeny tiny little detail that chilled her to the bone.

Ruby Rose was quite a good mechanic, especially when it came to weapons. She could take apart just about any kind of weapon, clean it, and put it back together. What she didn't know a whole lot about were robots. She was unsure if she'd be capable of taking apart a robot and putting it back together. But there was one thing she did know about robots.

Robots weren't supposed to bleed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tokyo-3

The operation to destroy Leliel had gone off without a hitch. All the remaining 992 N2 mines in UN and NERV's possession were dropped into the Angel, with the resulting blast having been contained by Unit-00 and Unit-02's AT Fields. The beast had been completely annihilated, with the resulting blast incinerating an entire section of the city. A small price to pay for humanity's continued existence.

It was only after the operation was completed that things went straight to hell.

Unit-01 had seemingly been obliterated alongside the Angel. No trace of the titanic war machine could be found after it was all said and done. The science division was left scratching their heads, and none of them were more confused than Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. She'd done the math. The Twelfth Angel should've spat what remained of Unit-01 out after its body was destroyed by the N2 mines.

But it hadn't. That shouldn't have been possible, especially with how tough Evangelions were. The Evas were designed to be able to take that kind of destructive force. Not only that but there was nothing left of Leliel either. It was truly puzzling. There should have been SOMETHING left of Unit-01 or the Angel. But there just wasn't. It was like the Angel and everything it consumed had been vaporized. Or perhaps it was as if they'd never existed at all.

Ritsuko didn't know what to make of it. And the Twelfth Angel's disappearance was only one of the many things on her mind. Unit-01 was vital to Gendo's version of Instrumentality. The whole reason he even bothered with his Scenario in the first place. All gone in brilliant flashes of light and crashes of thunder.

Now that she wasn't staring into Misato's furious eyes, Ritsuko wondered what the future would hold.

When it was revealed that Unit-01 was gone, Ritsuko's old friend snapped and delivered a vicious haymaker to the blonde's face. She was lucky that Hyuga and Aoba had such quick reflexes. The two men restrained the enraged Major before she could continue her assault. After that, Misato broke down and sobbed like a child as Section-2 hauled her off.

That wasn't the only violent incident they'd had either. When the Evas returned to base, the two remaining pilots disembarked from their Units and were both highly distressed. Rei felt moisture from her eyes and realized she was crying. She'd never cried for anyone before, not even the Commander. She knew that she had a bond with her fellow pilot, but she only now realized how deep that bond had been. Shinji was the closest thing she had to a friend, and he was gone.

Asuka tried not to let the grief she felt slip through her carefully constructed mask. The Second Child did what she always did when she was upset and resorted to aggression to hide her pain. It proved to be the wrong thing to do in Rei's presence this time. When the First Child overheard Asuka say "the idiot deserved it for trying to play the hero", her emotions bubbled over and she did a very un-Rei-like thing. She angrily strode over and slapped the Second Child across the face.

Despite what Asuka may have said, she was not a doll. And hearing such awful things being said about her maybe friend who'd just perished in battle was something she would not tolerate.

Asuka's rage and pain now had an outlet and she unleashed it upon the unprepared Rei. The two girls began fighting right there in the Eva cages. Poor Rei wasn't good in a brawl outside of Unit-00 and quickly found herself no match for Asuka's martial arts training. She only managed to land a few lucky hits against the redhead before Asuka knocked her down and mounted her, raining blow after blow down on her face.

Rei felt her nose break and intense pain shoot through her every time Asuka's fist impacted her face. But as Rei lay there on the gantry, it was as if time slowed to a crawl. She stared up at the Second Child and saw the tears that streamed down the redhead's face as Asuka continued beating her. She understood then what Asuka felt.

She'd miss him too. She just wished she could've said goodbye.

The entire fight lasted only around 38 seconds. Workers in the cages scrambled over and dragged the two girls apart. Asuka shrieked like a banshee and struggled to break free of their grasp. A medical team was called, and they carefully lifted Rei onto a stretcher and rushed her to NERV's private hospital in the Geofront. After her bloodied face had been treated and a cast placed on her nose, she lay there alone in her hospital room, gazing out the window. She wished it had been her who'd been killed instead. She could be replaced after all.

Both of these two incidents had indeed been bad. But neither were the worst incidents that happened after Leliel's defeat. The absolute worst of it all was about to unfold.

XXXXXXXXXX

Misato Katsuragi sat in the dark, lamenting everything. A cloud of despair hung over her head. Her lip trembled and a fresh wave of tears leaked from her tear ducts.

After she blackened Ritsuko's eye, Section 2 swiftly apprehended her and placed her in a holding cell until Commander Ikari could decide what to do with her once he and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki returned. She didn't know how long she'd been in here. It could've been an hour or maybe even a day. The constant darkness made every second feel like an eternity. She wished the Commanders would hurry up and get back if so she could get out of this room.

She felt empty. She was finally getting her revenge against the Angels, and what did it cost her? The life of the closest thing she had to a son. She felt like human trash. She'd willingly sacrificed a piece of her family to satisfy her sense of righteousness. Misato wouldn't be surprised if Commander Ikari decided to shoot her dead when he returned. Or maybe she'd shoot herself. The feelings of guilt and shame were overwhelming.

'Maybe that's for the best. I'm a terrible woman…'

Misato hoped that whatever happened to her, someone would be there for Asuka. The redhead needed someone to care for her. As much as Asuka insisted she could look after herself, she was still very much a child. Misato wished she could go back in time and be the guardian the girl needed. That Asuka and Shinji both needed.

Misato regretted that she'd shown favoritism towards Shinji. The purple-haired woman cared about Asuka, but she didn't truly know how to deal with the redheaded firebrand. It was the same even when she'd been younger back in Germany. With Shinji, things were just… easier. Asuka's aggressive nature kept people from getting close to her, and Misato's cowardice convinced her to just let things be. She should've been the mother figure to Asuka that she was supposed to be.

She'd likely never get the chance to tell either of those children what they meant to her. She'd never get to tell them that… she loved them. Maybe if she begged Commander Ikari, he'd let her say a few words to Asuka before she was imprisoned for life, killed, or whatever fate awaited her. But she'd never get the chance to tell Shinji.

The former Major hugged her legs to her chest and buried her face in her arms. Misato let out a shuddering breath and thought back to the happy memories of her strange little family. It was all for naught. The last attack kept replaying like a broken record in her mind. Misato desperately wanted to drown herself in alcohol and never wake up again.

BANG!

Misato's head jerked up at the sound of a nearby gunshot. It sounded like it came from just outside her cell. Before Misato had a chance to react. the cell door slid open, and she was momentarily blinded by the hallway's fluorescent lights. When her vision cleared, instead of the usual Section-2 goons, or the furious face of Commander Ikari, she was greeted by...

"Kaji?! What are you doing in here?!"

The unshaven rogue held a smoking gun in one hand and a nearly panicked look in his eyes. He grabbed the woman by the hand and yanked her to her feet before pulling her into the hallway. Now outside of her cell, she could see that there was indeed a member of Section 2 that'd been guarding her. The man lay dead on the floor as blood gushed out all over the floor from the bullet hole in his forehead.

"Wha…?! You shot him! What the hell are you doing, Kaji?!" She screeched.

He ignored her question and instead handed her a second pistol he had tucked into the back of his pants.

"Take it! We have to get Central Dogma now! Stay close to me!" He ordered.

She had no idea what was happening but Misato knew Kaji must've had a good reason for doing something so extreme. She decided to trust him and took the offered gun. As soon as she had, he took off down the hall at a sprint, and she followed suit.

"Kaji, what the fuck is going on?!" She snapped.

He spared her a small glance out of the corner of his eye.

"It's all come out! The truth about NERV, Seele, the Evas, the Angels, Second Impact, everything! All of NERV's dirty little secrets are being broadcast all over the world! It's on every social media platform, every website, every news station, all of it!" He explained as they ran through the halls.

Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack for a moment before she regained composure.

"H-How?!" She stammered.

"It was the Commanders! They're the ones who uploaded proof of everything onto the net!" He growled.

"Holy shit… Why would they do that all of a sudden?!" Misato panted.

"We'll be sure to ask them…" The ponytailed man snarled

Misato's mind was a storm of questions and confusion. Why would the Commanders upload the truth for all to see now when they'd kept everything so tightly under lock and key for so long?

"So why'd you shoot the agent guarding my cell?! Explanations, now!" She demanded.

"I couldn't take any chances. He saw me running towards your cell and went for his gun. We don't know who to trust right now! We've got firefights breaking out all over the base, it's pure chaos out here! SDF strike teams have infiltrated the Geofront and they're hunting priority targets!" He explained.

A hardened scowl made its way onto the Major's face. Her boyfriend didn't have to explain who the priority targets were. They needed to end this, fast. She wasn't going to let anyone else die. She'd lost enough.

Kaji stopped at an intersection and scanned each hallway for any hostiles. They were clear. The two were off and running once again.

"If we can get to Central Dogma, I can inform my superiors in the Japanese government that you and the pilots weren't in on the whole thing! I might be able to get them to call this whole thing off!" He told her.

Misato nodded as her tactical mind began kicking into overdrive. She mentally prepared herself for a possible fight against the full might of the JSSDF and the UN forces stationed in Japan.

"What about the kids? Where are Asuka and Rei?" She inquired.

"They're safe inside their Evas. Both Units are standing by." He panted as they filed into an elevator.

A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened and they arrived at Central Dogma. They were shocked by what they found. Both Commanders and Ritsuko had been handcuffed and were being held at gunpoint by Aoba. The other two Bridge Bunnies were sorting through the mass of information and trying to get in contact with the JSSDF, the UN, and the Japanese government. General alarms were starting to go off all over the base. The MAGI kept displaying messages warning of intruders inside the base. It was absolute chaos.

Misato had a feeling that things were about to get very messy.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rural Germany

To say Chairman Keel was beyond panicked was a bit of an understatement.

"GODDAMN YOU, IKARI!" He yelled as he forced his elderly body through the halls of his state-of-the-art mansion.

Decades' worth of time and planning down the drain, all thanks to two parasites disguised as men. His fellows on the council had made suggestions of replacing Gendo, and he'd brushed them aside. He never expected Ikari to make such a foolish move. He should've had the miserable worm killed long ago! And now, thanks to the man's idiocy, Instrumentality was slipping through his grasp!

The members of Seele were scattered to the winds. Two of their members had already been captured by their respective governments. Keel knew that it was only a matter of time before the German KSK would be breaking down his door.

But Human Instrumentality might still be within his grasp!

He hobbled into his study and over to his desk. The old schemer leaned down and pressed his thumb onto a hidden fingerprint scanner, causing the wall on the opposite end of the room to open up and reveal an elevator. He shuffled inside and pressed the down button. The doors slid shut, and he felt the elevator lurch as it descended into his mansion's hidden chamber.

Within a minute, the elevator stopped and its door opened, revealing Seele's most guarded secret. A large underground laboratory. The lab had originally been part of a cave system that ran underneath his mansion. He'd converted the space into his private bunker for catastrophic occurrences like the one he was now facing. And for decades, it remained just that, an unused bunker.

Until one stormy night, 11 years ago. Keel was sitting at his desk, having just finished a meeting with the other Seele members when his computer received an alert from the room's motion sensors. But that was impossible, something couldn't have been moving within the bunker. There was only one way in and out, and he was the only person who knew the bunker even existed. All the details of its construction were destroyed, along with the workers who built it.

So, he'd sat calmly in his study and sent his private security team down into the shelter, expecting them to find an interloper or some animal that'd weaseled its way in. Or perhaps it was just some faulty hardware. He would've hated to replace his private security team simply because of faulty machinery but he didn't come so far by not being cautious.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and the screams of his security teams over the shortwave comms. Keel heard bones crack and break and the meaty sounds of flesh being rendered apart. The last thing the old man heard from the shortwave comms was a wet gurgle and what sounded like footsteps padding across the floor.

Then he saw the light above the hidden elevator kick on, indicating it was coming back up. And when those doors opened, he knew true fear for the first time in his life. The old man shuddered at the memory. His earlier rage at Gendo Ikari waned as the full reality of what he was about to do set in.

His eyes meandered as he strode through the room. Various workbenches with bits of machinery lay scattered about. Several multicolored crystals could be seen here and there. To the right lay a massive computer terminal, its holographic screen a bright blue color. Several servers were connected to it, their multicolored lights flickering. To the left were huge glass containers filled to the brim with black liquid. In front of them floated a jellyfish-like creature with sharp spines on the ends of its tentacles.

At the back of the room, a large "tear" of sorts stretched from the floor to the ceiling. It looked as if someone had cut the air with a knife and pulled it apart like some twisted cartoon trick. Black tendril-like appendages stretched out of the tear and impaled themselves into the walls and ceiling, keeping the tear from closing. Crimson runes surrounded the tear and pulsed with light. On the inside of the tear, Keel could see a dimly lit stone hallway with purple crystals jutting out of the wall.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and timidly stepped through the rift from Germany into the halls of Evernight Castle.

The old man knew what he had to do next and dreaded it greatly. He wouldn't be here if there might be another way to regain control of Instrumentality, but his back was against the wall. The howl of some distant beast outside made him jump as he trudged through the candlelit halls. Keel hated this place. It reminded him of the classical depictions of Hell.

The sight of a familiar face made him slow down.

"Chairman Keel? What are you doing here? It isn't time for your weekly report yet." Arthur Watts said suspiciously.

"I need to speak to Her Majesty." He answered as he approached the Atlesian scientist.

Watts quirked an eyebrow. This was an unnatural event. Keel never set foot inside Evernight Castle if he could avoid it. The old man only came once a week to inform their master about how things were actually going after their Queen had spoken to the entire Seele council via the Seers she'd given them. Their master didn't trust the old men to always tell the truth and had made Keel her personal watchdog of the group.

So why was he here in the middle of the night?

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Our Queen has retired to her chambers for the night." Watts informed the man.

Keel tried not to let his frustration show, but it was a losing battle.

"It's urgent! Seele has been compromised!" He snapped.

For once, Watts had no snarky comeback. The man's eyes widened for a moment, and he was shocked beyond belief. How did this happen?! Seele had the world at their fingertips. How had they been compromised?

"What?! How?!" He demanded.

"It was Ikari! He betrayed us!" Keel snarled.

Watts rubbed his temples and groaned. He always had a feeling the old fools would slip up. It was a shame their master never let dispose of them and run Seele by himself.

"Her Grace needs to know about this. Come with me." He ordered the man.

Keel did as he was told and quickly followed Watts through a section of the castle he'd never been to before. After climbing what felt like an endless number of stairs, they arrived at the castle's highest point. They walked down a short hallway and arrived at a massive set of double doors. Keel estimated they must've been 5 meters high. Unlike most of the castle, the doors were made of wood. Elaborate symbols and words had been painstakingly etched into them.

Watts strode cautiously to the doors and knocked on one of them softly.

"Your Grace? Are you still awake?" He called.

The sound of Salem's muffled growl chilled Keel to the bone.

"This had better be important, Arthur."

A look at Watts revealed that he, too, was frightened. An angry Salem was a terrifying sight indeed.

"It is, Your Grace! Chairman Keel is here to see you! He says the Seele Council has been compromised!" Watts reported.

The chamber doors exploded open, nearly smashing Watts into the wall. The gust of wind they created snuffed out all the candles in the hallway. The only light left was the moonlight streaming in from a meager window beside the two men. Keel began sweating heavily as he stared into the pitch-black room in front of him.

He heard movement from inside the room and a pair of blood-red eyes appeared, staring into his soul from where he assumed her bed was.

"Explain yourself, Lorenz." Salem ordered

"W-We were betrayed, My Queen. Yesterday, the Twelfth Angel arrived, just as the Dead Sea Scrolls predicted! The Evangelions engaged it in combat, and Unit-01 was consumed by the beast. NERV waited until its life support gave out before dropping all our remaining N2 mines into it and... we lost Unit-01. After the battle concluded, Ikari betrayed us! He and that coward, Fuyutsuki, uploaded every bit of information about the Scenario onto the internet!" He announced.

Her eyes narrowed in fury and a black tendril came rocketing out of the room, sweeping Keel's feet from under him. The old man collapsed onto the ground with a shout.

"I told you to observe Ikari very carefully!" Salem growled.

His master's words sounded less like an angry woman and more like a feral beast. Keel had never sweated as hard in his life as he was at this moment. He was utterly terrified.

"Yes, yes, you did! We should've kept Gendo on a tighter leash! But all is not lost, Your Majesty! With your support, the other members and I could pool our remaining resources and we cou-"

"No." She interrupted.

"No?! What do you mean no?! My Queen, there's still time! If we act fast, we might still be able to salvage the Scenario!" Keel blubbered.

"Lorenz, do you remember what I ordered you to do when I let you join my inner circle?"Salem asked.

"I-I… You told me to continue the Scenario as planned." Keel stammered.

"It was a simple task, Lorenz. I've let you have free reign to follow through on that order any way you please for 11 years, with only access to Gehirn's genetic research in return. I feel I've been extremely lenient with you. You disappoint me, Lorenz."She growled.

Keel bowed his head as he kneeled before the witch.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but please reconsider! The Scenario can still be saved if we move quickly enough!" The man pleaded.

"And risk discovery by Earth's governments?! I think not!"The Grimm Queen snapped.

Keel stood dumbfounded. This just couldn't be! Why was she turning him down? He knew she couldn't die, so why was she hesitating? With her help, they could crush any force that came after them!

A few seconds of silence passed before Salem spoke again.

"It's become clear that you've outlived your usefulness to me, Lorenz…"

Keel's gaze locked onto Salem's, and his breath quickened.He heard the witch snap her fingers before she spoke once again.

"Go on, my pet. Enjoy yourself…"

CLACK CLACK CLACK

The sound of claws tapping against the stone floor of Salem's chamber made the old man scramble to his feet and backpedal in horror. The source of the sound stepped into the moonlight cascading through the window, and Keel silently began sending prayers to any deity who would listen.

Keel was beyond petrified of the creature in front of him. The beast was an affront to God that he wished he'd never had a hand in creating. The Grimm that emerged from Salem's chambers resembled a rottweiler if it were the size of a lion. It had no visible eyes but somehow managed to see everything clearly. Its body shimmered and flowed like it was made of liquid. Its back was covered in bony spines, and it was missing part of an ear.

The Hound's jaw twisted until a demented smile had formed on its face, and it took another step forward. Keel regained his senses and turned to flee, but it was too late. The beast lunged forward, knocking Keel to the floor. Its teeth sank into his left arm and tore it free of his shoulder. The old man screamed in agony and pleaded with Salem to spare him, but his cries were ignored.

The Hound swallowed Keel's arm whole and took another bite out of the man, tearing flesh from bone.

Watts had watched the entire exchange in silence, choosing to turn away from the gruesome scene of Salem's pet enjoying its latest kill. He shivered slightly. No one under Salem's thrall liked that monster. Tyrian absolutely loathed the creature. When Salem announced the beast would be her personal guard 10 years ago, the man was outraged and challenged the creature's loyalty to his "Goddess".

Salem found it amusing and allowed the scorpion Faunus to duel her new pet. If her Grimm lost to Tyrian, then it wouldn't have been fit to be her high guard. Safe to say, the man had soundly lost. The massive scar across his chest had been proof of the mauling he'd received during the battle. Watts had no intention of making the same mistake as Tyrian. He'd keep to himself and leave the beast be.

"Arthur."

Watts' attention snapped over to his master.

"Yes, Your Grace?" Watts began to sweat.

"Wake the others and go to Earth. Secure all our assets and make sure Seele leaves no trace of our involvement in their Scenario. Kill the rest of them before they talk." Salem ordered.

Watts bowed low.

"It will be done, Your Grace. But if I may ask, what should we do about Ikari and Earth's governments?" Watts inquired.

"Ikari knows nothing about us. If he had, I would have brought him into the fold long ago. As for the UN, you will inform me of any pertinent information regarding Earth's governments. Make them chase their tails trying to find the council. We can use the following chaos to our advantage."Salem's eyes looked past Watts for a moment.

A look over his shoulder revealed that the former Chairman had already been fully devoured by Salem's Hound. The foul thing was licking the remaining blood off the floor. He turned back to Salem.

"Is there anything else, My Queen?" He asked.

Her furious eyes stared through him. "No. You may go now. Report to me when you have something worthwhile. Use whatever means necessary to accomplish your mission."

The Hound finished its meal and stalked back into the darkness of its master's bedroom. The large doors suddenly slammed shut hard enough to rattle Watts' bones. His mission now underway, Watts turned and began making his way downstairs to the living quarters.

"Incompetent fool…" He muttered.

Watts scoffed at Keel's idiocy. Seele were such imbeciles. The old men thought they could become Gods, but in reality, they were simply looking for a way to stave off death. They were so afraid of dying that they'd destroyed half their planet following a prophecy that might not even come true. And if Keel had kept Gendo Ikari on a tighter leash, they might have destroyed the rest in their pursuit of eternal life.

They'd worked with the old men for over a decade, taking painstaking measures to ensure Seele's Scenario stayed on track. Salem was especially curious about what would happen when the Third Impact occurred. If the Dead Sea Scrolls were true, then every person on Earth would become a God. Watts didn't believe such nonsense. What he did believe in was Salem's backup plan.

If Third Impact destroyed what was left of humanity on Earth, Salem could use the planet's empty space to begin amassing an army of Grimm so large they could crush the Kingdom's defenses in one fell swoop. His master told them of how she'd tried it before, long ago, to no success. Ozma's hold over the Relics, especially the Relic of Destruction, had kept her from destroying the standing Kingdoms. And now, in the age of technology, with the Kingdoms being able to monitor large hordes of Grimm thanks to global communications, it was that much harder.

Watts grinned to himself. Once their plan to destroy Beacon was completed, things would turn out quite differently. Without the CCT, Salem's Grimm hordes could march on the Kingdoms and they could seize the Relics for themselves! Of course, that was assuming Third Impact allowed them free reign over Earth, which was looking less and less likely. Oh well, Salem would come up with a new plan.

She always did.

XXXXXXXXXX

IMPORTANT UPDATE: If you read this story before 3/14/2024 you might want to go back and re-read Chapters 1-5 because they have retooled. And I hear you guys loud and clear, Ruby is still going to be our 2nd protagonist.