Gamer4 in. Real quick, cry pardon for the... skosh of a meltdown I had last episode. I'm sure you can appreciate the frustration in pouring my heart into several episodes and only receiving requests for something else in return. But I digress. Xenoblade X is, as anyone who knows the series can tell you, very much the black sheep. I know I said I'm trying to meld the series all together, but after long and hard deliberation, I've basically had to throw my hands up with X. It just doesn't fit. But I'm not about to abandon it either, so... mental gymnastics ahoy! I'm about to tie myself into knots trying to fit this in! And... this episode is going to be mostly exposition. Cry pardon for that, too. Still, it must be done, so let's get to it.
Episode XVI
Childhood's End
Orientation
"Are there cool weapons?" Ruby asked urgently.
Vanessa looked her in the eye. "Did you like the gears and mechs?"
Ruby broke into a grin. "Then yes, we want to see more!"
"That'll be a yes from me, too, then," Yang grinned.
"And me," Qrow raised a hand.
"I suppose I have no principled objections," Winter decided.
"Alright, let's get to it."
Blake led Jaune to another platform on the catwalks, which descended back to ground level. As it moved, there was a chime as a voice spoke over an intercom:
"Good morning, New Vytal. This is Deputy General James Ironwood speaking. Once more, I come to you with news I am truly delighted to share."
Jaune looked up at the tower he'd noticed before- in place of the percentage was what looked to be a live feed of a tall man with a dark military crew-cut.
"Oh, good, time for the Ice Queen to start fangirling," Qrow grumbled.
"I will do no such thing!" Winter narrowed her eyes. "It's merely a statement of fact that the city will be well protected under Ironwood's leadership."
"That's one way of putting it," he fired back.
Blake glanced at Jaune- his eyes had widened and his breath had hitched. "Are you okay?"
Something was stirring in the back of his mind- the beginnings of a memory?
Another face projected on a building- a faux affable woman's voice speaking to the masses... "Welcome- welcome to City 17. You have chosen, or been chosen to relocate to one of our finest remaining urban centers..."
"Jaune?" Blake asked again.
Jaune blinked. "Oh, right, sorry. Um... it's nothing."
"The heck was all that?" Yang tilted her head.
"Sounds like someone was slinging some propaganda wherever he was comin' from," Qrow summed up. "Funny that Ironwood's reminding him of that."
"Because they're both projecting their faces," Winter pointed out. "That's the only connection we have right now."
Ironwood, meanwhile, continued speaking. "It is my great pleasure to inform you that we have recently repatrioted ten new survivors from the crash- today, they will be joining us in our efforts to forge out a live here on Mira."
Blake glanced back up at the feed. "Still... when did he start calling himself 'Director General?'"
"Oh, that started about four days ago," spoke a new voice. Jaune and Blake turned to see a man and woman in uniform approaching- it was the man who had spoken, with a note of humor in his voice. "Give it a couple of months, and I'm sure he'll be the God-Emperor."
"Yup, sounds about right," Qrow chuckled.
"You think far too little of him," Winter hissed.
"Or maybe you think a bit much," Qrow countered.
"Well, that's Neptune," Weiss noticed. "And that woman..."
"Ilia," Blake sighed. "A chameleon faunus. I think we've seen her before, but I wouldn't blame you for not remembering."
"Are they together-together?" Nora asked eagerly.
"No, no... unless this world is very different," Blake shook her head.
"Typical man," Ilia scoffed.
"Good to see you, Neptune... Ilia," Blake greeted, to which they both saluted.
"Wonderful work as always, ma'am," Ilia said respectfully.
"Oh... one of those," Jaune shifted uncomfortably.
"Yes... apologies in advance," Blake groaned.
"It's not you and it's another world- you've got nothing to apologize for," Jaune smiled weakly.
"I'm guessing you three... know each other?" Jaune asked awkwardly.
"We served together in the Coalition Forces- the Spoecial Operations Heavy Armor Training Unit... or the Skelleton Crew, as Yang called us." Blake wrinkled her nose as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"Hey, that's the look she gets whenever I make an awesome pun!" Yang pointed out. "But I didn't even make a pun this time!"
"First off, your puns are atrocious," Weiss scolded without mercy. "Second... I'm sure it will be explained in time."
"My rank was colonel, Ilia was my lieutenant, and Neptune... well, he'd not ranked above private before the crash. Of course, with our reorganization, those old ranks don't really mean anything anymore- as I keep reminding them."
"You're still colonel to me, ma'am- no reorg will ever change that!" Ilia said quickly. "It's not a matter of rank, it's of respect- you've earned it."
"And the award for 'best ass-kiss' goes to..." Neptune chuckled under his breath.
"I mean... he's not wrong," Nora chuckled as well.
"As you can see, all efforts to convince them to ditch the 'maa'ams' have been failures," Blake sighed.
"So, this must be one of the survivors Ironwood was talking about," Ilia guessed, sizing Jaune up.
"The only one I found," Blake confirmed.
"Ah, of course," Ilia scowled. "Ironwood never was one to let the truth stand in the way of a good speech."
"Or perhaps there were other military members who rescued other passengers," Winter offered an alternate take.
"Nah, she's right, he's definitely making crap up," Qrow shook his head.
"Still, every survivor counts." Ilia turned towards Jaune. "Ilia Amitola- Interceptor."
"And I'm Mr. Vasilias, also and Interceptor," Neptune grinned. "Feel free to just call me Neptune, though."
"We should be getting back to work," Ilia decided. "Until next time, Colonel."
She led Neptune off.
"Not sure how I feel about her," Pyrrha admitted.
"Don't worry, neither am I," Blake shrugged.
"We should get going, too," Blake nodded. "We'll set you up with some temporary quarters in the Administrative District, until you figure out what you want to do."
She was leading him towards a road- an actual paved road the likes of which one might see in a city on earth. Jaune was even starting to feel more at home... until he looked up and saw a large humanoid mech flying through the sky.
"Sooo cooool!" Ruby was all ready to fangirl.
...Correction. Crashing from the sky. There was a very obvious plume of smoke coming from the unit on the back that seemed to be granting it flight, sending it spiralling down towards the road in front of them.
"Man, I pity the sucker who was driving that thing," Yang crossed her arms.
The mech crashed on the road with a heavy grinding of metal and a giant plume of smoke. The cockpit opened and a blond woman staggered out, coughing violently into one arm as she used the other in an effort to wave the smoke away. "Damn dirty exhaust..."
"...Maybe I should have seen that coming," Yang sighed at all the smirks being directed at her.
A car came screaming down the road, coming to a stop right next to the fallen mech. The door opened and out popped a girl in a red cloak. "Yang, Yang, are you alright?"
"Oh, good, Ruby got off," Yang sighed heavily, a tension releasing that she hadn't noticed til it disappeared.
"She doesn't look old enough to drive," Weiss observed.
"Maybe she got fast-tracked in that regard? The way she got bumped two years ahead to Beacon?" Blake speculated.
"Yaaaay..." Ruby shrunk into herself.
"I was fine, until exhaust started flooding the damn cockpit," Yang grumbled.
"What? That's impossible!" Ruby shook her head, wide-eyed.
"Sister, dear, you know I love you," Yang crossed her arms. "But I know exhaust when I smell it, and there was exhaust."
"But there- there shouldn't have been- wait a minute!" Ruby had produced a scroll-like device and was moving it around the ruined mech. "The intake/exhaust pipe is reversed! Good thing I caught that!"
"You didn't catch shit," Yang scoffed.
"Hate to say it, Rubes, but I'm taking my other's side this time," Yang sighed. "Don't take credit for that you did not do."
"Who are you and what did you do to Yang?" Weiss side-eyed her.
"Hey, I can be responsible... sometimes!"
"True," Blake agreed as she stepped over to the feuding twins. "But that's unusual in itself. Are you doing okay, Ruby? I can't remember the last time you flubbed a flight check."
"Oh, I'm fine!" Ruby grinned as she turned to greet her. "Blake! And... this must be one of the survivors!"
"Jaune Arc," Jaune greeted.
"Nice to meetcha!" Ruby beamed. "I'm Ruby Rose; BLADE mechanic and all-around fix-it girl!"
"Sounds right," Jaune nodded.
"Oh, I just noticed she's got little Crescent Roses in her hair!" Yang fawned. "It's so cuuuuuute! Almost makes me want to forget she nearly got me killed!"
"I'm not living this one down any time soon," Ruby groaned.
"And you're..." Jaune looked her up and down, trying not to be rude, but Blake seemed to guess the question.
"Fifteen. Yes, she's as young as she looks, but trust me, she is one of our top talents."
"When she feels like it," the still-rattled Yang slipped in. "Yang Xiao Long, harrier. And more importantly, this little runt's sister."
"And a great one, at that!" Ruby nodded eagerly. "So, Blake, you'll be taking him to the barracks?"
"Sounds like that's the plan," Jaune nodded.
"Then how about I take you on the transport? It's a great way to see the city- I'll give you the grand tour!"
"Sounds fine to me," Blake agreed.
"I guess... I don't have any objections," Jaune shrugged.
"Well, I do!" Yang interjected. "You're not really gonna leave me behind to clean up your mess, are you?"
"Don'tmindtheexhaust,I'lltakecareofittomorrow!" Ruby motormouthed as she led the others towards a nearby bullhead.
"Wait, Ruby, don't you- Ruby!" Yang called after them, to no effect.
"What a little brat," Whitley sniffed.
"Oh, like you're any better, rich boy?" Yang sneered- before turning to Ruby. "Seriously, though, you ever do anything like that to me, you won't be eating cookies for a month."
"I won't!" Ruby pleaded, wide-eyed.
The bullhead seemed to function identically to the bullheads in their own world, jets firing against the ground for liftoff before turning to carry them to where they needed to go. The low flight and open doors allowed Jaune a fantastic view of New Vytal, accompanied by Ruby's narration.
"Sometimes, I like to just take a ride to see the sights," Ruby sighed happily.
"It beats walking, certainly," Blake calmly agreed. "Now, if you please... the express tour. Just the highlights."
"Gotcha!" Ruby beamed. She then made quite the show of clearing her throat. "New Vytal is divided into four districts- we are now leaving the Industrial District, home of food production, skell development... industrial stuff! On the outskirts, you'll find the Roadhouse, everyone's favorite spot to relax and unwind at the end of the day!"
"And opposite that, the West Gate, through which you and I entered," Blake put in. "As one of the city's main entrances, you should expect to pass through it fairly often."
"What are 'skells?'" Winter immediately picked up. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"Those would be the mechs you've heard tell of," Vanessa answered simply.
"Personally, I'd like to hear more about that Roadhouse," Qrow chipped in.
"Of course you would," Winter rolled her eyes.
"Hey, never underestimate the importance of a cold drink to unwind at the end of a long day," Qrow chastised.
"I might be more impressed if you ever stopped drinking."
"Next up, the Commercial District!" Ruby continued. "Restaurants, galleries, cafés, clothes, grocieries! The best- and only- deals on the planet!"
"I suppose it's our equivalent of a 'downtown,'" Blake considered.
"World's end or not, gotta have a place to shop!" Nora nodded approvingly.
"I wonder if a new planet would offer new varieties of tea?" Ren pondered.
"Over to your right, you'll see the Residential District, home to most civilians. Classic suburbs, a nice park or two, and our cathedral!"
"Huh, I'd have thought people would've ditched the idea of God after everything," Qrow threw out.
"Au contraire, it's during such times of hardship that we most wish to seek audience with a higher power," Ozpin corrected. He was unwilling, however, to discuss his raw dealings with Remnant's own higher powers.
"Frontier Park has always been my favorite place to unwind with a good book," Blake put in. "I've only been to the Roadhouse against my will."
"Yeah, that sounds about right too!" Yang chortled.
"It's very important to let us introverts recharge our social batteries on occasion," Blake sighed.
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded quickly, slapping Blake a low-five.
"And last but not least, our final destination, the Administrative District! The beating heart of New Vytal! Please note the distinct dual-level structure! The upper level holds BLADE Tower, headquarters of BLADE and the government alike! At its base, you'll find Armory Alley and the BLADE Barracks!"
"Blade this, blade that... Road to Shambhala had blades, Chariots of Fire had blades, everything is blades!" Nora freaked out.
"They all meant something distinct," Pyrrha pointed out. "Based on context, I suppose this BLADE is an organization- likely the one to which Blake belongs."
"That matches my assessment, yes," Ozpin nodded as he took a drink of coffee.
"The lower level, on the other hand, is a hangar for skell maintenance and repairs! Aaaand... this concludes our tour! Thanks for flying Rose Airlines!"
The bullhead was landing on a dock in front of the building with the percentage symbol- identified by Ruby as BLADE Tower.
"Thank you, Ruby," Blake said with a small smile as the bullhead touched down. "Alright, let's continue this conversation in the barracks. I can write up my report while I'm at it."
"Quickest way to the barracks is through Armory Alley!" Ruby pointed out excitedly.
"Yes, but let's try not to get sidetracked," Blake instructed sternly. "We have an orientation to complete."
"Heheh... right." Ruby tapped her index fingers together sheepishly.
"Sounds like she's just as much of a weapon nut in this world," Weiss sighed.
"Wouldn't be Ruby if she wasn't!" Yang chuckled.
Armory Alley was a short road filled with shops Jaune recognized as selling weapons of various types- guns and melee alike. There were types he was familiar with- basic pistols, shotguns, and automatic rifles, alongside swords, knives and lances, but then there were large back-pack sized rifles claiming to fire lasers, and laser swords?
"I... want... to visit... this world..." Ruby drooled.
"That's Ruby, alright," Jaune laughed. "You could show us the darkest, most hellish world imaginable- put some cool weapons in it, and she'll still wanna go there."
"Bring... up... Warhammer..." Vanessa scribbled in her notebook.
Blake was struggling to keep Ruby from gazing longingly at every single display (some physical, some on holographic screens,) but eventually managed to drag them to a small door set into a large building with the word BLADE emblazoned next to it. "This is it- the BLADE Barracks. Please consider yourself a guest until we get you registered. That said, there are no particular restrictions you have to follow- feel free to come and go as you please."
"Er... resgistered?" Jaune repeated.
"Please, allow me to address that."
Jaune jumped, quickly turning to face the man who had walked up behind them with barely a sound- a tall man with white hair, drinking casually from a mug.
"Ah, I seem to be present in this one as well," Ozpin observed.
"Hmm... you look kinda old compared to our world," Qrow noticed.
Ozpin's mouth twitched slightly- if only they knew how old he really was. "Yes, he does seem to have his share of wrinkles...and a scar or two, if I'm not mistaken."
It was one scar, but it started near his nose and went down, past his lips, beneath his chin, perhaps giving the illusion of two. He smiled in Jaune's direction. "You must be the latest rescue."
"Jaune Arc," Jaune repeated. "And..."
"Secretary Ozpin," Ruby whispered.
"Secretary?" Qrow laughed.
"Probably Secretary of Defense, if I had to guess," Weiss speculated.
"Yeah, probably somethin' like that, but I can't help thinkin' of Oz in Glynda's clothes!" Qrow chortled, to the disgusted looks of the Schnees and the joining chuckles of his nieces and Nora.
"Good morning, Ruby," Ozpin greeted. "Glad to see you're chipper as ever."
"'Chipper' is my middle name!" Ruby saluted eagerly.
"I suppose you need to be cheerful enough for you and your sister- she seems significantly less upbeat," Ozpin commented. "Hmm... perhaps you might know the cause of her melancholy?"
"Oooooohhhhh, Rubes is in trouble," Yang teased.
"Can't you just come out and accuse me?" Ruby pleaded. "I don't get it, but beating around the bush somehow makes it worse!"
"Eheh... nothing you need to worry about..." Ruby started tapping her index fingers again.
Ozpin held her gaze as he took a drink from his mug. She gulped.
Finally, he nodded. "Wonderful. I have no desire to see strife amongst the members of BLADE- between siblings least of all."
"Ah, no need to worry about that, old man," Yang chuckled. "I'll just put her on strawberry probation for a while, and we'll be good."
"Not the strawberries!" Ruby whined.
"As for you, Blake," Ozpin continued, turning towards the faunus in question, "I'm glad to see your forays have paid off once more."
"I'm just doing my job," Blake quickly brushed aside. "How about we go inside before we start talking? There's a lot to cover."
"Oh, boy, this is the part where they have to explain everything," Nora groaned dramatically.
"Considering how much we've been left to speculate about in other worlds, a little exposition doesn't sound too unwelcome here," Ren shook his head.
"Yeah, it would be nice to have some idea of what's going on for a change," Jaune agreed.
"Of course," Ozpin agreed. "I'm sure our guest is still weary from the stasis. Please, after you."
The door slid open automatically as they approached it, revealing a corridor divided into two sections- an upper balcony-like area that the door opened on to, and a lower area to the side filled with machinery Jaune couldn't identify. An arch to the left led to what looked like a combination of living room and kitchen, several couches laid out in a rough U-shape around a large table. Behind the far sofa was a kitchen unit with refrigerator, walk-in freezer, stove, oven, and a microwave. On the opposite side of the couches was a small set of stairs leading to another large table that Jaune couldn't make any details of from down here. Rather than step up to investigate, he followed the others as they took their seats on the couches.
"Nothing fancy," Pyrrha noted.
"Here's a tip, kid," Qrow chimed in. "We civvies get all excited when we hear something is 'military grade,' but that just means 'just barely good enough to get the job done.'"
Winter wanted to argue on principle, but had no rebuttal of substance.
"I'll put on some tea," Ruby said, moving to the kitchen and putting some water into a teapot.
"Thank you, Ruby," Ozpin nodded, before turning his attention to Jaune. "Allow me to formally introduce myself- my name is Ozpin Baum. If you remember me at all, it will be as the White Whale's captain. Since the crash, I have become New Vytal's secretary of defense. All military and police matters are technically my jurisdiction."
"That makes him our superior officer," Blake pointed out. "When you're ready to look for work, he's the one you'll want to talk to."
"If I may make a suggestion, we're always accepting applications at BLADE," Ozpin indicated.
"Subtle as a trainwreck, Oz," Qrow rolled his eyes.
"He has the talent," Blake agreed, "but I'd like to give him more information first, give him the chance to make an informed decision. Stasis-sickness hit him badly- he barely remembered his name."
"Unusual, but not unheard of," Ozpin nodded as Ruby rejoined them, placing a cup of tea in front of each. "Well, we've only been here two months- catching up shouldn't take too long. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?"
Jaune took a drink of the tea Ruby had offered him. "How did... we end up here, exactly?"
"Well, I'm sure Blake gave you the condensed version," Ozpin supposed. "It began in the year 2061- there was an incident at a lab in Vacuo. I don't know the details- as far as I can tell, nobody that made it onto our ship does- but it acted like a beacon, firing off into space, inviting all sorts of alien life to our doorstep. And rather unfortunately, they were not all friendly."
"A... lab in Vacuo?" Pyrrha considered. "Well, I don't think we have anyone here from Vacuo."
"Sun or Neptune might know something if they were here," Blake suggested. "But... they aren't."
"I'm unaware of any projects going on in any of the kingdoms that could have the effect they're describing," Winter shook her head. "I think it's safe to say whatever it was, it's exclusive to this world."
"In a matter of seven hours, Earth found itself under total control of an invading force- we that managed to escape in the White Whales were the lucky ones. Everything else that happened, we know only from broadcasts we've picked up since- another alien race appeared, fighting back against our invaders in order to conquer the planet for themselves. Hardly an ideal position for humanity.
"We don't know how long the war lasted, but the conclusion was nearly inevitable. The last transmission we received from the planet was a video of it being rent asunder by the warring races. The planet is gone."
"That's still so hard to believe," Weiss whispered. "There are plenty of stories of conquest from alien invaders, but for the planet itself to simply be gone..."
"It's not something any of us want to think about," Whitley begrudgingly agreed.
"I wonder... if I'd been there..." Blake began.
"There's nothing you could have done," Ozpin stated firmly.
"Why would you think there was?" Yang stared at her partner. "Not to say you're a weakling or anything, but if they blew up the planet as collateral damage, what would one person more have accomplished?"
"Well... it's like that... that man said," Blake shuddered as she recalled the man who had appeared to Jaune in a vision. "'The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.'"
"It's probably survivor's guilt cropping up again," Jaune suggested. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the ship had similar thoughts at one point or another."
"It's not your fault, Blake!" Ruby agreed, nodding fiercely. "I mean, if the Free Man couldn't stop it, what makes you think you could?"
"Er... Free Man?" Jaune asked.
"Something else we received on our transmissions," Ozpin addressed. "We attempted to remain in contact with the planet, until its destruction- we heard many tales of someone the people left behind called 'the one true free man.' A beacon of hope around which the survivors were rallying, seemingly fighting back against the invasions almost single-handedly. How much of it is true, we don't know, but I'm sure you can appreciate the morale boost the mere idea of such a man created."
"He definitely existed!" Ruby stood firm. "I wish I could have met him! He sounded like a total badass!"
"A classic messianic archetype," Ozpin observed. "In such times of trial and tribulation, it does the populace a great deal of psychological good to believe in such a hero."
"But it can be dangerous, too," Blake shifted uncomfortably. "If the people who believe in the messiah get carried away with what they do under his name..."
Nobody had to ask what was making her so uncomfortable.
"Well, Free Man or no Free Man, Blake, you are the reason Project Exodus was able to save as many people as it did," Ozpin posited. "We grieve for all our fallen brethren, but we mustn't let ourselves be consumed by them. We're still here- it's up to us to live on in their name."
Blake pursed her lips and nodded, but did not respond.
Due to all this, Jaune felt more awkward than ever as he asked, "Er... Project Exodus?"
"Oh, right," Ozpin blinked. "The governments of the world were aware of a potential alien threat in advance, and thus began development of the White Whale ships- codenamed Project Exodus, or the Earthlife Colonization Project."
"As I said, all we know is what happened to our White Whale," Blake reminded him. "We're not entirely sure how long we spent wandering in space. We spent most of it in stasis. All we could do was hope that we would one day find a habitable planet to settle on. There was no telling how long it would take- two years, twenty, or two hundred. Ultimately, the decision was made for us."
"One of the races hunted us down," Ozpin agreed bitterly. "It's difficult to say whether we should consider ourselves lucky that we were so close to Mira when we were gunned down. They destroyed our engines, and gravity took it from there."
"It's only thanks to Ozpin's quick thinking that we deployed the repulsion gel in time, softening the blow to the habitat," Blake stepped in. "From there, we were left to try and rebuild. BLADE was established to search for survivors and resources, a provisional government slapped together for some sort of leadership."
"Must have been rough," Nora scratched at her neck.
"It's tantamount to restarting society from scratch- of course it was rough," Whitley furrowed his brow.
"I wonder... do you think... any of us were left behind?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Let's see... we've seen you and Yang," Pyrrha recalled immediately. "And Blake and Jaune are right here, of course... and Ozpin. Which leaves the Schnees, myself, Ren, Nora, and Qrow as potential 'left-behinds.'" She shuddered. "I... I really hope we all..."
"We saw Weiss in Jaune's... dream sequence, for want of a better word," Ren reminded them. "Though... without understanding its full context, it's difficult to say if that means anything for her survival prospects."
"I... I see..." Weiss's throat was suddenly very dry.
Jaune rested his chin on his folded hands. Hearing it a second time wasn't making it easier to take in. "I need to ask this before I lose my mind... what's BLADE, exactly?"
"An acronym," Ozpin answered promptly. "'Builders of a Legacy After the Destruction of Earth. I'm quite proud of it myself."
"Are you? To me, it sounds like someone really wanted that to spell 'BLADE,'" Yang crossed her arms.
"It's a very new organization," Ozpin continued, unaware of his otherworldly critic. "Only as old as our time on the planet itself. Project Exodus left us well-equipped for our journey, but everything changed-"
"-when the Fire Nation attacked!" Nora butted in.
"...Beep beep, Nora," all of team RWBYJPR groaned.
"-but everything changed with the crash. The habitat unit was all that survived intact, representing a mere five percent of the ship as a whole. We needed food, water, search and rescue, surveyors, police... I'm sure you understand. As an answer to all these needs, BLADE was formed. One central organization with several disciplines fit to our various needs. It is mostly former soldiers, but civilians are absolutely encouraged to do their part. Despite the name, however, actual fighting is rather low on our list of immediate priorities."
"Indeed, in a situation like this, gathering resources must surely come first," Winter agreed. "First water, then food, then continuing down the hierarchy of needs."
"Would have thought a distinguished soldier like yourself wouldn't be happy if you didn't have a gun to someone's head," Qrow scoffed, earning himself a glare.
"Far more important than that is our number one mission, which supercedes all others- to find and recover the Lifehold."
"Er... you lost me again," Jaune admitted.
Blake cleared her throat. "As you can imagine, the White Whales were meant to carry large numbers of passengers, all held in stasis. Housed in the ship's core, which we call the Lifehold. Essential personnel were awoken as necessary to tend to the ship's needs, but then it was back into stasis- we had no idea how long we'd be searching, remember. We were all awoken for that final emergency, but still, a large portion of the crew was left in the Lifehold. And they're still there... waiting for rescue. If that's not bad enough, it broke apart along with the rest of the ship during the crash. We have no idea where all the pieces landed, which is... just as comforting as it sounds."
"So... all those people... locked into sleep... are just out there, exposed to the elements?" Jaune gulped.
"No," Blake shook her head. "We hope that they are. It's very possible that something else has already gotten to them."
"Always a ball of sunshine, Blakey." Yang tried to come off nonchalant, and not as though she was busy stripping her fingers of their nails.
"Needless to say, recovering those missing units is our number one priority," Blake concluded.
"...Lovely..." Jaune nodded, trembling. "Okay, this is... this is less, after everything else, but... about that registration?"
"Fortunately, that is much simpler," Ozpin agreed, with a note of humor. "All citizens of New Vytal are required to register their name, age, and occupation. We would also ask that you report any personal assets, and fill out a short survey in regards to your health. All purely precautionary, I'm sure you understand. After all, we have no idea if any of the other ships survived- as the potential last of humanity, we can take no chances."
"Yeah... I understand," Jaune agreed- considering everything else he'd learned in the past few hours, hearing that he'd have to register as a citizen ranked very low on his list of things to get upset over.
"Yeah, it's really one big nothing-burger in comparison, isn't it?" Yang chuckled.
"Once you've got all that junk out of the way," Ruby chipped in, "you can access basically any public service we have!"
"Hmm... it's quite a bit to digest," Ozpin acknowledged. "I'm sure you'll want some time."
"Time... would be good," Jaune agreed.
"Well... Ruby?" Ozpin turned to the youngest. "Even I'm tired of listening to my voice- perhaps you could take Mr. Arc on a brief tour of the district? I'm sure the fresh air would do him good."
"Sounds like a plan!" Ruby rubbed her hands together eagerly. "C'mon!"
Jaune nodded, swallowing the rest of his tea and rising to his feet, following Blake and Ruby out the door they'd entered not too long ago.
The sun was high in the sky as they stepped back out onto the concourse.
"Hmm... not every day we're authorized to show a civilian around the Administrative District," Blake considered.
"Yeah," Ruby chuckled. "Ozpin really wants Jaune to join up, doesn't he?"
"We are shorthanded," Blake considered. "Are you doing alright, Jaune?"
"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." Strangely, it wasn't too far from the truth- somehow, stepping out and seeing the hustle and bustle of people around him was enough to cure some of the melancholy he'd been feeling.
"I suppose I would feel better, knowing that," Jaune agreed.
Blake looked closely, but ultimately nodded. "If you say so... now, the Administrative District could just as well be called the BLADE district- much of it is dedicated to filling out our needs as BLADEs. First, let's go- Ruby?"
Ruby was distracted, watching a large mech walking by, its footsteps thundering on the pavement beneath. "Get... a load... of that skell! Even the way they walk is soooooo COOL! Oh, yeah, work it baby! Mmm, mmm, mmmm!"
Everyone except the younger and elder Schnees facepalmed- they were too busy looking flabbergasted. "Leave it to the pipsqueak to catcall a damn mech," Qrow let out an exasperated chuckle.
"Er... I don't look that weird, do I?" Ruby squirmed.
"Only on days ending in 'Y,'" Weiss groaned.
"Oh, good!... Wait a second..."
Jaune chuckled. "They do look pretty awesome-"
"Now this guy gets it!" Ruby leapt on the validation. "Aren't they just... the coolest? Everything about them?! Lasers, force fields, bipedal/vehicular transformations! Have you ever had that dream where you're inside one, and it's transforming back and forth, over and over again?"
"You gotta cut her off..." Yang pleaded. "You're letting her build up steam!"
"I... um..." Jaune blinked, taken aback.
"Yeah, you know what I'm talking about!" Ruby was clearly in her own world. "Actually, I... I, uh... I don't usually show people this, but I've been working on some skell fanfiction..."
"Okay, okay, I do not write fanfiction!" Ruby protested, raising her arms in an X-shape.
"I'd hope not," Yang snorted. "What sort of no-life loser would write fanfiction?"
"Yes... quite so..." Blake coughed as she quickly moved to hide one of the notebooks she'd been scribbling in.
Jack smirked as he leaned towards Vanessa. "Should we tell them?"
Vanessa considered for a second. "...Nah, they wouldn't get it."
Blake cleared her throat.
"Oh, right," Ruby blanched. "Sorry."
"As I'm sure you can tell, they were originally developed as a defense against alien attacks," Blake explained. "For all the good it did. But still, a great deal of the progress we've made in the past two months is thanks to skell technology. I'm sure you'd love to see for yourself, but... it's not so simple."
"Of course not!" Ruby nodded emphatically. "You think we can afford to let just anyone have one of those? First off, only BLADEs are even considered for licenses- and that's the second thing, too! You need a license, which you can only get after a test!"
"Okay, then... where do I sign up?" Jaune asked jokingly.
"It's not that simple," Ruby shook her head, her expression taking a turn for the mournful. "They choose you, not the other way around. Only BLADEs that have proven themselves through distinguished service get that tap on the shoulder."
"They're not toys," Blake pointed out. "They're complex machines with extremely powerful weaponry. And... a precious resource. There's only so many parts to go around."
"But I'm sure you're up to it!" Ruby added cajolingly. "Whaddya say? Become a BLADE, work hard, take me for a ride in your skell?"
"This girl knows no shame..." Weiss lamented.
Blake cleared her throat again. "That will do, Ruby. We have a tour to be conducting. Perhaps we should show him the mission control board first. Where we get our assignments."
"Makes sense to me!" Ruby nodded brightly, hopping across the street to a large holographic board, where a tall, platinum-blond haired woman stood, watching as countless BLADEs approached and intereacted.
"Hello, Goodwitch," Blake nodded respectfully.
"Blake," Goodwitch returned the greeting. "New blood, is it?"
"Hi- name's Jaune Arc," Jaune greeted for the umpteenth time.
"Ah, yes, I can see Goodwitch monitoring the request board," Ozpin nodded approvingly.
"Not sure she'd be a fan," Qrow considered, "but I can see it, too."
"Wait... so our guy wakes up in a new world unlike his own, with no memory, and the first thing he does is join a guild in the middle of a town that takes requests on a board?" Nora piped up. "Is it just me, or is this just the most sci-fi isekai I've ever seen?"
Yang slapped herself in the face. "Look, Nora... I'm not going to say you're wrong... but don't say that kind of thing in front of Blakey!"
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Blake shoved her notebook further into her bag.
"I see, a tour, is it?" Goodwitch assessed. "Well, welcome to the request board. We don't have an official dispatch system, so this is where BLADEs choose assignments. If anyone in the city needs assistance with anything, they contact me or Dr. Oobleck, and we add it to the board." She took out a small, scroll-like device. "From there, any BLADE is welcome to accept at their discretion."
"Sounds like something out of an isekai," Jaune considered, glancing at the hologram, filled with various screens for the various BLADEs to interact with.
"Y'see?" Nora threw her hands up.
"Well, I certainly hope we don't see... other isekai trends popping up," Pyrrha muttered, glancing at the various women around them.
As he looked at one screen, it seemed to flicker, and for a moment, he thought he saw that man... the man he'd seen just before Blake had awoken him- the man with the dead, green eyes. Before he could even say anything, it had vanished, leaving him doubtful he'd seen it at all.
"EEP!" Ruby yelped. "Creepy guy is following Jaune!"
"He'd better not be threatening him," Nora growled.
"Looks like the sort of G-man the government would send out to deal with UFOs," Qrow commented.
"G-Man... that sounds right, for some reason," Jaune considered. "Y'know, he might be less scary if we have a name for him- all in favor of 'the G-Man?'"
"Aye," everyon except the adults and Whitley agreed. They then paused for a second.
"Nope, thinking about him is still creeping me out," Yang readily admitted.
"Most BLADEs open their shifts by stopping by here," Ruby continued, clearly oblivious to Jaune's moment of surprise.
"And if you pull an assignment that seems too difficult to handle alone, there's never any shame in asking another BLADE for help," Blake chimed in. "Which takes us to the Scout Console." She pointed to a smaller holographic screen to the mission board's right.
"When the going gets tough, the tough goes to the scout console!" Ruby nodded.
"It lets you search for other BLADEs that may have the skills or experience to aid you in your missions," Blake explained.
"You can't spell BLADE without TEAM!" Ruby beamed.
"...Yes you can," Whitley said simply.
"Yes you can," Jaune pointed out.
"Well... you know what I mean! Look, are you ready to join up yet?"
Blake rolled her eyes. "Can we at least finish the tour before we start badgering him?"
"What? I'm just saying you'd have to be a complete idiot to not want to join BLADE!"
"Oh, good, I was afraid for a moment you were pressuring him," Blake crossed her arms.
"Apology accepted!" Ruby grinned.
"...She didn't apologize," Winter observed.
"She... marches to the beat of her own drum," Weiss explained heavily.
"It did take her quite some time to recognize when I was being sarcastic," Blake mused.
"Yang, everyone's bullying me..." Ruby pouted.
"...Exhaust," Yang answered simply.
"Now!" Ruby clapped. "Time for the best shopping in all of New Vytal!"
"I thought we were sticking to the AD?" Jaune pointed out.
"Wha- oh, right!" Ruby bopped herself lightly on the head. "Okay, I kinda lied, there is one other shopping place. Armory Alley!" She led the trio back to the alley they'd passed through on their way to the barracks.
"This is where we requisition our equipment," Blake explained.
"It's a dangerous job," Ruby admitted. "There's more to the proper loadout than fashion- it's about survival out there!"
"That goes for skell equipment, too," Blake agreed. "If you ever get one, this is where you'll be getting parts for it."
"Or even where you could buy a skell!" Ruby hopped up and down with excitement. "Can you imagine owning your own skell?!"
Blake cleared her throat a third time. "Ruby, the tour?"
"She must have a bad cold," Nora said in a voice of concern.
"I... don't think that's it," Ren shook his head.
"Oh, right," Ruby flushed. "Well, I think the only other thing is BLADE Tower." She walked them around to the front of the tower they'd landed in front of. "Most of us grunts don't really need to bother with it- it's mostly HQ for the higher-ups like Ozpin and Da- er, Commander Xiao Long."
"Wait, Pops is the Commander?!" Yang caught quickly.
"Well, whaddya know?" Qrow chuckled. "And he said he'd never make anything of himself."
"Why... do I have to call him Commander?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Hmm... based on your tone, I think it's just a formality," Ren assessed. "Not that he'd force you to call him that in private."
"Might help explain why she got into BLADE so early," Whitley considered, not a little scathingly.
"Er... I mean..." Ruby sweated.
Yang glared at him, then sighed. "Y'know, now that we're on the subject, I kinda wish the old man could be here, too..."
"Is that so?" A nearby door broke down as the crazy woman- Lana- burst in. "One Taiyang Xiao Long, coming up!"
"Wait, no, nonono!" Vanessa leapt to her feet. "You are not bringing in more reactors! You are going to stay here and fix this doo- she's already gone." She grumbled. "Okay, you keep with the universe, I guess I'll have to fix the door... again."
"It's also the government's base," Ruby continued. "Like 'Director General' James Ironwood, for instance." She could barely get through the title without giggling.
"Well, don't forget this place, either," Blake recommended. "It is where we report assignments of particular import."
"And... yeah, that's about it!" Ruby clapped her hands. "So, you ready to join up yet?"
"Maybe you should have been a car saleswoman," Blake rolled her eyes. "I won't lie and say I wouldn't like you to join, but BLADE service is voluntary." She punctuated the word with a glare in Ruby's direction. "If you decide you'd rather be a farmer, or something, we're in no place to criticize."
"Though this story would be pretty boring if you learned all about this place and just decided not to join up," Nora pointed out. "Just sayin'."
"Yeah," Jaune chuckled. "Like one of those video games where they keep saying 'it's your choice, it's your choice,' but the only real choice you have is which way to say 'yes.'"
"Well, back to the barracks we go," Blake decided. "I'm sure Ozpin is on tenterhooks, waiting for your decision."
Jaune remained quiet as they headed back down Armory Alley towards the barracks, where, sure enough, Ozpin hadn't yet moved from his seat.
"Oz-peeen, you've got some 'splainin' ta do!" Ruby called with a grin.
"Very amusing."
"Last I checked, you'd never seen an episode of that show," Qrow squinted.
"The memes... the memes..." Ruby declared dramatically.
"More tea?" Ruby suggested, already firing up the teapot again.
"None for me, thanks, I'm due at BLADE Tower within the hour," Ozpin declined. "I'm only here to pass on a request from the Commander."
"I suppose Mr. Xiao Long has also taken an interest in our new arrival?" Blake crossed her arms.
"Correct. He contacted me while you were on your tour. He intends to stop by at a later point, but that I shouldn't wait to ask you."
"I can actually hear the words in his voice," Blake sighed.
"I have no doubt. He wants to fast-track Jaune for BLADE duty."
Jaune blinked in surprise. "Really? Didn't he hear about my... little... memory problem?"
"I informed him, yes," Ozpin nodded, "but it didn't affect his decision. 'Memory or no memory, he can hold a damn gun, can't he?' were his exact words, I believe."
"Exactly the words I imagined."
"Sounds a little more like something Jimmy would say, but... eh, desperate times," Qrow shrugged.
"Given our situation, I can't fault his thinking," Ozpin conceded. "However, as Blake has pointed out many a time, BLADE is a volunteer organization. So, Mr. Arc... what do you say?"
Jaune looked down at his hands for a moment, everything that had happened in the past few hours playing in his mind. Earth was gone. These were the survivors, eking out a life on this strange new planet. He had no idea who he was, but he could absolutely fight- the gun and knife Blake had handed him felt entirely at home in his hands, for reasons unknown even to himself. If he joined them, was it possible he'd eventually regain his lost memories? Even if he didn't... there was something else. Some compelling force from deep within him. He took a deep breath and looked up to Ozpin's face.
"Sign me up," he decided. "Make me a BLADE."
"That's our Fearless Leader!" Nora cheered.
"WHOO!" Ruby whooped. "I knew you weren't an idiot!"
Ozpin smiled and extended his hand- Jaune shook it. "I'm pleased to hear it. Blake, if it's all the same to you, we'll assign him to your team- at least until he's officially registered. I'll give you a training assignment right away."
"I have no objections," Blake nodded.
"I see... joining Blake's team immediately," Pyrrha pursed her lips.
"I guess she's technically the one I've known the longest- you know, for four hours or so," Jaune shrugged.
"She also seems to have a great deal of influence within BLADE," Ozpin considered. "She may not be a colonel anymore, but her reputation seems to be a fine one indeed."
"Hurrah..." Blake mumbled under her breath.
Ozpin glanced at his communicator. "It's late in the day, and I'm sure you're still feeling somewhat lagged, so we'll start you off with a simple assignment- to get your feet wet, so to speak. A probe installation- just the thing."
"A... probe?" Jaune asked, suddenly somewhat nervous.
"You keep away from him- I've seen what aliens do with their probes!" Nora declared protectively.
"I... don't think that's what they're getting at, Nora..." I hope, thought a luminescent Pyrrha.
"Perhaps we should back up a bit," Blake suggested. "New Vytal uses a specialized computer system we call FrontierNav- it operates a grid of sensors across Mira. Through it, we gather all sorts of information about our surroundings."
"Expanding the grid and filling in the blind spots is one of our top priorities," Ozpin explained. "If I may demonstrate..."
He tapped at his communicator a couple times, and it began projecting a holographic map of a continent, split up into hexagonal quadrants. "We call these blocks 'sectors,' and together, they form our grid. Taken together with the limited range of our probes, we've determined this as the most efficient method. Thanks to this, we know where we need the probes- all that's left is to install them."
"They report back on resources, weather conditions... potential threats," Blake picked up.
"And much more," Ozpin agreed. "For this basic exercise, we'll send you to this segment here." A tap of the communicator, and one of the blocks lit up- just outside the city walls. "Go there, install a probe, and then... well, it will be rather late by then, so perhaps Ruby can show you the Roadhouse."
"Sounds like a plan!" Ruby perked up.
"Hold up, hold up, is this Roadhouse place a good spot for Rubes to go to?" Yang raised her hands.
"Yang, I'm not a kid anymore!" Ruby pouted childishly.
"They serve drinks, but there's nothing particularly adult-oriented about it," Jack assured her.
"So, we'll be leaving through the East Exit?" Blake assessed.
"Correct. The state of alert was recently lifted- you should be able to walk right out," Ozpin confirmed. "I'll leave the details to you."
"Of course, Mr. Secretary," Blake bowed her head in respect. "So, are you two ready?"
"YEAH! Let's install the hell outta that probe!" Ruby beamed.
"I... well, yeah, what she said," Jaune chuckled, unable to top that.
"It would definitely be nice to see something actually happening," Nora groaned.
"Yes, yes, and when you inevitably forget all of this and have no idea what's going on, I'll be sure to remind you," Ren groaned himself.
"And that's why you're such a great friend!"
Blake took the lead out of the barracks this time, leading them around the corner and towards a very large tunnel that opened up onto the vast, sprawling plains Jaune had crossed not too long ago- albeit a very clearly different part. The second they'd left the city walls, they were once again surrounded by bizarre creatures- house-sized turtles on long, spindly legs, horses with blades emerging from their legs and foreheads...
And a pile of monkeys. Giant monkeys. Giant... dead monkeys.
"That... does not bode well," Weiss fretted.
"What... the hell... happened here?" Ruby stared, wide-eyed.
Blake looked around, and spotted another creature lumbering around nearby- a bizarre cross of turtle and insect, with a bulging thorax behind its shell. "Ten o'clock- cinicula."
"But... but one cinicula, against four simiuses?" Ruby shook her head. "That doesn't make sense!"
"You just said a bunch of words," Yang pinched the bridge of her nose.
"They're clearly types of creatures on this planet," Whitley scoffed. "Keep up, if we keep stopping for every term, we'll be at this 'til the end of time!"
Blake narrowed her eyes. "It's a tyrant."
"Er... I've seen tyrants," Jaune piped up. "I don't think a giant turtle-bug counts."
"Not that type of tyrant," Blake shook her head. "You couldn't know this, but under ordinary circumstances, a simius-" She pointed to the dead monkeys- "would eat a couple ciniculas for lunch. But that cinicula just killed four of the creatures that should be its predators. There's only one explanation- it's a tyrant. A creature that, by some way, has become much stronger than its brethren."
"Like an alpha grimm?" Jaune asked.
"That sounds like what they're describing, yes," Pyrrha agreed.
"Running a check," Ruby announced, tapping away on her communicator. "Yes! There's been a cinicula tyrant spotted recently- they called it 'Rial, the Pursuer.' But it was a couple sectors further out!"
"It's on the move," Blake narrowed her eyes at it. "Without a probe out here, it's walked right up to our doorstep."
Jaune reached up and readied his gun. "Well... sounds like something we can't afford to leave alone."
"Yeah, Fearless Leader! Show 'em who's boss!" Nora cheered.
"I'm behind you... so long as you understand the risks," Blake warned. "Even elite teams have come back with serious injuries after taking on tyrants- assuming they came back at all."
Jaune aimed his gun. "I understand. I'm still going."
"And so am I!" Ruby declared immediately, readying a gun of her own- what Jaune had previously taken for a backpack opened to reveal a minigun.
"Want..." Ruby gazed through wide, envious eyes.
"If we're gonna settle on this planet, we gotta get used to dealing with tyrants! Besides, worse come to worst, I don't have to be faster than it- just faster than you two!"
"I suppose that's true," Blake agreed with a wry grin.
"Cold... but true," Yang admitted.
"But let's not get carried away. Running away is a viable strategy- if we have to run away, but we lured it away from the city, that's still a victory. Once the probe is ready, it won't be able to sneak up on us again."
Jaune nodded, taking careful aim. "Ready?"
"Born ready!" Ruby nodded, readying her gun.
"As I'll ever be," Blake nodded, readying a pair of swords.
"Three... two... one..." Jaune squeezed the trigger and let loose a short burst at the cinicula, which immediately turned towards them, growling. It began lumbering towards him and lunged. Jaune managed to dive out of the way, firing back at it.
"Go for the legs!" Blake advised, jumping up and striking at the joint in one of its six legs. It roared in pain and attempted to turn towards her- until Ruby let loose with a long stream of fire from her minigun.
"Over here, ugly!" she called.
"I don't think it understands you, Ruby," Weiss rolled her eyes.
"But it understands yelling... and pain," Ruby pointed out.
Indeed, the cinicula was now turning towards her. Jaune's gaze zeroed in on one of its back legs- he rushed forward and leapt up, managing to use the curve of the leg to get onto its back.
"GET UP ON THE CINICULA'S BACK!" Nora cried in joy.
He aimed his gun at the 'ground' and unleashed the rest of the clip, earning screams from the beast beneath. It proved very difficult to reload when it began thrashing around.
"The belly! The belly!" Ruby called.
"Sliding slinger!" Blake called, sliding beneath the creature. She'd put away her blades in favor of a pair of automatic handguns that she let loose with, causing the creature even more pain.
Jaune gave up on trying to reload, instead crawling towards the head- he pulled out his knife and drove it into where he judged the skull should be. With a sickening crunch, the cinicula began to stagger forward. When it was low enough, it was met with Ruby wearing a wide, wicked smile and pointing her gatling gun directly into its face. "Bye-anara!"
A second later, it no longer had a face.
"That's my girl," Qrow grinned.
"And our leader," Pyrrha reminded him.
"And Blake was there, too," Weiss pointed out fairly.
"Well done, all of you," Ozpin chuckled. "Not bad for a first mission. Not bad at all."
"We are awesome!" Ruby preened as Jaune clambered off the creature's back.
"Good work, you two," Blake praised, putting her own weapons away. "Now, that probe."
"How do we tell exactly where to plant it?" Jaune asked, looking around.
"Communicator," Ruby grinned, raising hers- Jaune looked through it and saw a column of light emerging from the ground. "They interact with FrontierNav to show off the spots best suited to planting probes!"
"Nifty," Yang admitted. "Always been a fan of that Augmented Reality junk."
"We should move quickly," Blake advised, reaching into her own pack and producing several metal parts that she began combining. "The tyrant's roars may have scared away the other indigens... or something else might come to see what all the fuss was about."
Once the pieces were all together, it resembled a miniaturized railgun pointed into the dirt.
"Rail... guuuuuuun..."
"Probe is ready for insertion!" Ruby announced. "Now, I just need to boot it up!"
Blake pointed to the cylinder in the railgun's center. "The top half is the probe itself- the bottom half is a laser that liquifies the dirt, lets it burrow to the proper depth. If you're wondering why we didn't have a probe this close to the city yet... well, we did, until we got a harsh lesson about burying them instead of leaving them on the surface."
"A self-evident problem, I'd have thought," Winter crossed her arms.
"Then again, who knows how long it took them to realize they weren't alone... or to develop the burrowing model," Ozpin pointed out fairly.
"We are all set!" Ruby declared, turning and handing the communicator to Jaune. "Will you do the honors?"
Jaune accepted the communicator, which only had one message on its screen:
PROBE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT
DEPLOY?
YES/NO
He tapped 'yes,' and a laser fired from the bottom of the cylinder. A moment later, with a sound like a gunshot, the cylinder fired into the ground.
"Good. Give it a minute, and it'll be all ready," Blake nodded approvingly. Jaune handed the communicator back to Ruby, who kept an eye on it.
"Here we goooo... installation complete!"
"Wonderful," Blake nodded again. "At the end of the day, there's really not much to it. We already did the hard part, calculating the ideal spots. Now all that's left is to go out and set them up."
"A lot of this techno stuff is going over my head, but it sounds cool," Nora admitted.
Blake looked towards the horizon, where the sun was beginning to sink. "Hmm... I'll go back and file the report. I think Jaune deserves a break after everything he's been through today- want to take him to the Roadhouse, Rubes?"
"Do I?!" Ruby grinned.
"The Roadhouse... that's the place at the Industrial District, right?" Jaune recalled.
"No better place to unwind after a long day of work!" Ruby nodded quickly. "But... are you sure you don't want to come, Blake?"
"Quite sure," Blake agreed.
"Quite sure," Blake agreed. "It's hardly my type of place, but I'm sure Jaune will enjoy it."
"If you say so," Ruby pouted slightly.
Jaune recognized the look on Blake's face... somehow. "Yeah, she really doesn't want to come. Come on, Rubes, let's get going- you can show me what you like so much about this place!"
Blake flashed him a look of thanks as Ruby turned back towards the city.
"Okay, let's see this place," Qrow leaned forward. "It better not be anything too bad."
The camera cut to what looked like a combination of bar, arcade, and dance hall- there were several arcade cabinets, including pinball machines along one wall- on the opposite wall was the bar in question. In between was a mix of tables, booths, and open area for dancing- presumably to the music being played by the band up on the stage at the hall's head.
"Hold up!" Qrow raised his hands suspiciously. "That band... you're kidding me." He turned to glare at Jack and Vanessa. "Is this all some weird sales pitch for your own damn band?"
"No, I promise it's not," Vanessa groaned. "Believe me, I was against this, too, but it looks like we've got others in some of these worlds as well. Don't worry, I'm sure they won't participate too much."
"Let's see... I see you, and Jack... there's that crazy girl..." Yang leaned in. "Who's the black guy with the wolf ears?"
"Tom," Jack answered quickly. "Been my best friend since grade school."
"And he's a faunus?" Blake tilted her head.
"Well, in worlds where they exist, of course."
Jaune looked around as Ruby led him in. "See? Did I tell you, or did I tell you?"
"This place is pretty awesome," Jaune conceded, bobbing his head to the music the group on the stage were playing.
Ruby's eyes lit up, and she slunk away- the music halted for a moment as she hopped up on stage and whispered something into the ear of the lead singer- namely, Jack.
"What is that girl planning?" Weiss narrowed her eyes.
When he returned to the microphone, Jack was smiling. "My friends, it has been brought to my attention that we have a newcomer to the city here tonight! Not gonna draw attention to him, but what we are gonna do is play him a more upbeat song, give him a nice, warm, New Vytal welcome!" He glanced to his bandmates and flashed them a series of numbers on his fingers. Lana beamed, Tom shrugged, and Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Alright, here we go!"
When they started their next song, it was, as promised, bright, cheerful, jazzy number. Jaune looked around at the other patrons of the bar as the music blared overhead.
"Oh, I like this song!" Ruby grinned, bobbing her head.
"I prefer something a little... quieter," Blake shook her head.
"At least it's not that monkey screech crap Raven always-" Qrow cut himself off with a scowl.
After a long moment, Jack began to sing:
"Look at all the faceless gazes that are passing by,
Fix this hole in my heart if I go left or right!
The sky is this limit,
This planet, everything on it
So bizarre-
Yeah!"
Yang entered the bar not long after them, but didn't seem to notice, striding over to a booth where a young man with a lock of magenta hair over similarly colored eyes sat sipping on some tea. "Well, Renny, you won't believe what I have been through today."
"Probably not, but I bet you're going to tell me anyways," he sighed as he placed his cup back on the table.
"Umm, Yang?" Nora asked in a tone of cloying sweetness. "Why are you sitting at a table with Renny?"
"I... I don't know!" Yang said quickly, panic in her eyes.
"Well, you'd better start thinking if you wanna keep your kneecaps~"
"(Just a morning passing by)
And reluctantly I'm smiling!
(Victor undecided)
And I'm drawn to the mystery
(Hidden starting line)
Lurking in the shadows,
Somewhere on this planet..."
There was one man sitting on his own- tall and slim, with snow-white hair. He glanced over at Jaune with only cursory interest. "So, that's the one, is it? They say he bested some grexes before even entering the city. Hmm... perhaps he'll be of some interest."
"As high and mighty as I'd imagine," Pyrrha narrowed her eyes in Whitley's direction.
"Please, forgive my other for not immediately prostrating himself at the new blood's feet," Whitley rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I can do something to atone for such a grievous sin."
"The time flies, and we're flowing free!
Bickering the day away as we
Are dancing all the way around
This crazy, noisy bizarre town!"
"Hey, Cardin, sounds like we've got some new blood in town," said a man with green hair to the red-headed mass of muscle across from him. "Wanna go stake him out?"
"Oh, lovely, he's here to-" Blake started, but was cut off.
Cardin slammed the beer he'd been drinking down on the counter in front of him and yelled "KAAAAAAAAAATSU!"
Sky blinked as he nearly fell back over his seat. "Um... yeah?"
"We have to give him time to build himself up- we don't rush in and drag the newest recruits out against the harshest indigens, what are you thinking?! Once he's proved himself worthy... only then do we approach him."
"I... never expected to hear him say something so reasonable," Pyrrha admitted.
"Er... approach me for what?" Jaune couldn't help asking.
"They're testin' you, they're cursin' you,
Bewitchin' your life!
A drawn bow and arrow,
Or the edge of a knife!
You can't understand-
Trust your heart, take a stand
And you'll be fine!
Yeah!"
Qrow sat alone in his own corner. "A new guy, eh? I'll have to keep that in mind... if I'm lucky for once in my goddamned life, he might be exactly what I'm looking for..." He punctuated this thought by slinging back a mug of whiskey.
"That's the good stuff," Qrow sighed wistfully.
"And what, pray tell, are you looking for?" Winter crossed her arms severely.
"Hell if I know, it's my other, isn't it?"
"(Cowardly Conviction)
And it's breaking every silence!
(A destiny decision)
And it's tied ever selfishly!
(Around the corner healing)
Kid, your senses better sharpen
If you're tryin' to win this town!"
A woman in a red dress sat at the bar, slinging back drink after drink. After a moment, a woman in a white dress approached. "Miltia, did you... did you hear the news? It sounds like we've got some new blood. I wonder if... if he might know anything about-"
Miltia turned to glare at her. "Melanie, it's bad enough I have to see your face in the damn mirror. Get away from me before I have to break your nose just to make it more bearable."
"O... okay..." Melanie winced away.
"What... the hell?" Yang crossed her arms. "Those two were inseparable when I met 'em! Fought like they were one person! What crawled up red's butt?"
"Hmm... it seems their sisterhood was damaged far worse than that between you and Ruby," Ozpin observed.
"The time flies, and we're flowing free!
Laughing every day away as we
Are dancing all the way around
This crazy, noisy bizarre town!"
In the booth at the far corner of the floor was a lone woman, watching Jaune carefully through two different colored eyes- one pink, one brown. Her hair was equally mismatched- though in the opposite arrangement. As she watched, a man approached and plopped himself down across from her. "Word is, he's already beaten a tyrant."
Handsome and strong? Just my type of man, she giggled to herself, incapable as she was of normal speech.
"Okay, it's official, if I see that lady in our world, I'm breaking her legs," Nora growled.
"Well, that would make things awkward," came Lana's voice. Everyone turned to see her stepping through the door she'd earlier broken.
"Did you find my old man?" Yang asked.
"Nah- I tried, but I got jumped by like, four bandits, so I brought them instead. Hope you can keep track of them, V, kaythanksbye!" Lana disappeared, leaving four new arrivals in her place.
"You bitch!" Vanessa wailed. "What did I do to deserve this!"
The others, however, were caught by the arrivals- one was the spitting image of the chimera that had just been on the screen, and at her side was a tall man in a bowler hat. "Well... what fresh hell is all this, then?" he was muttering as he pulled out a cigar to light.
"Where did that- Blake?" the man at his side was caught even more off guard, though the boney white mask on his face made it difficult to tell.
And lastly was a woman with black hair framing red eyes, currently receiving stern glares from both Yang and Qrow.
"Sis," Qrow greeted as casually as he could.
"Raven," Yang hissed, with none of the pleasantries.
"The time flies, and we're flowing free!
Bickering the day away as we
Are dancing all the way around
This crazy, noisy bizarre town!"
"The time flies, and we're flowing free!
Laughing every day away as we
Are dancing all the way around
This crazy, noisy bizarre town!"
XXXX
This episode is brought to you by my inability to ever get a good night's sleep, ever. Also, lots of mountain dew. As thanks for putting up with mounds of exposition followed by me going off my meds, next episode will be a return to Road to Shambhala, as promised. I would appreciate any reviews any of you have to offer- they make me feel appreciated in return, and encourage me to write more, better, faster. I'm off to slip into a coma- don't you dare go hollow, Gamer4 out.