In Memory of Rooster Teeth
Chapter 36
As Team RWBY and Blue Team search the ship to find clues on where the spy or traitor that is working for some dark forces that is trying to cover-up the facts about the 'Dark Half'. They head on over to the preservation tanks where all the different aliens and creatures are being kept. However, they come across another museum section.
"Guys?" Tucker stops and look at it. "Am I seeing this right?" He sounds like he is in shock of what he is seeing.
Everyone head on over to Tucker and find something surprising. The museum section they come across is Rooster Teeth with the original logo rather than the new one along with posters of all their works including Red vs. Blue and RWBY. They are completely stunned by what they see with some of their jaws hanging down.
"Oh my god!" Caboose sounds excited, "It's us! We're all in movies!"
Caboose mistakes the posters as movie posters.
"I don't think that's the case." Yang is still stunned by this new revelation.
Ruby asks, "Should we go inside?"
"I don't think we should." Carolina addresses everyone. "I don't think I'm ready for something this meta."
"But that's us!" Blake points out, "This... I mean... How...?"
"I'm just as stumped." Weiss is feeling uneasy.
"I have no idea what the fuck I am looking at." Washington is also feeling unease by this.
They all just stood there and are confused, scared and unsure along with an uncomfortable feeling about what they are seeing. Whatever is inside, they are not prepared for something that can cause an existential crisis among the whole group. Or everyone. Every single person on the Spearhead of Hope about to realize they are figments of someone else's imagination with the realization that they are all just characters that are meant for entertainment purposes. However, Caboose opens the door and heads inside.
"Caboose!" Tucker shouts, "Dammit! I'm going in to get him."
"I'll contact the Reds and let them know." Wash then radio the others.
Everyone head inside to get Caboose. Yet upon entry, they stop and take in all the different pieces they see. Statues of the giant robots of Gen:LOCK, figures of themselves and other characters with familiar background scenery, weapons on display and other items, a life-size replica of Freckles, pictures of scenes of everything they have been through. They are both impressed and frighten by everything they see and are at a lost for words with Caboose being in awe like a child. Because, you know, idiot. They all look around with stunned look on their faces with things they are familiar with that only existed in media in their own world such as X-Ray and Van, Camp Camp, and Nomad of Nowhere. It is so uncanny and disturbing that they feel uneasy as they continue to find more and eventually found, well, themselves. Life-size models of themselves along with different versions of themselves from other volumes.
Ruby is the first to approach the model of herself. She raises her hand and tries to touch the model. She only touched it with the tip of her fingers for less than a second before retracting back her hand and herself. Ruby stares at the model with a look of fright with everything she know being shattered.
"Yang." Ruby look at her sister, "Are we real?"
Yang is just as frighten as Ruby and doesn't answer. Everyone's reality just shattered (except for Caboose) and are going through an existential crisis.
Weiss starts to hyperventilate before screaming, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" and runs off.
She made it to the exit and bumps into Sienna's boobs, face first. The real Sienna as she appears with the rest of the White Fang and Red Team.
"The fuck?" Adam look at the displays. "The hell is all of this?"
Weiss grabs Sienna by the shoulders, "Am I real?!" She is in a hysterical state as she shakes Sienna, "TELL ME I'M REAL! NOT SOME CHARACTER MADE TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE!"
Sienna slaps Weiss on the cheek. Hard. Giving Weiss a nasty bruise on her left cheek.
Grif is looking at a model of himself, "Jesus. They got all the armor details right." He is just as disturbed as everyone else.
Sarge on the other hand is admiring the memorabilia of Red vs. Blue.
"Now these bring back some memories." he look at the different armors of himself.
"Why aren't you freaking out!?" Ruby says to Sarge, "Aren't you scared to discover the fact you are a character in a completely fictional work meant to entertain people and finding out you aren't a real person?!"
Simmons runs around screaming, "MY LIFE IS A FUCKING LIE!"
"Well, so what?" Sarge replies.
"So what?!" Weiss snaps, "I mean, look at all of this!"
"Believe it or not, it doesn't really matter."
Everyone look at Sarge. Even Simmons stops and look at Sarge.
"Just because you're completely fictional in one scenario, doesn't mean you aren't alive. To be, I consider it an honor."
"A...honor?" Blake raises an eyebrow.
"Affirmative! You see; even if you're a made-up character used for entertainment, means there are a lot of people that love ya."
Caboose shows up, "Like inspiring a generation of people with our tales and deeds."
"That's correct, Caboose!"
Tucker is surprised, "Really?!"
"Indeed. Look; it doesn't matter if you're real or not. What matters is that we are here right now. And these memorabilia is meant to honor our tales and stories that people loved in the future. Whether you're a soldier, a dumbass Blue, a monster hunter, or whatever; we played a part in people's lives and touched their hearts. Through our tales, we gave people laughter, tears, scares and hopes that they wish to experience with us rather than going over what we've been through. Hell, we may have inspire people to make their own works. It is pretty much the same about fairytale characters learning they aren't real. How do you think they'll feel when they discover that?"
"They would...feel the same?" Weiss tries to answer.
"Right. But the most important thing is that they come to terms and see a much bigger picture of what they have left behind. Even though my entire military career is a lie, both actual and metaphysical, but dammit all! I'm me! Colonel Sarge of the ever glorious Red Team! For that is who I am!"
A few moments of silence filled the room as everyone is surprised to hear something like that from a redneck/mad scientist/egotist/gun enthusiast.
Grif broke the silence, "Okay, who are you and what the fuck did you do to Sarge?"
"Shut your trap, Grif!" He point is shotgun at Grif, "Or I'll give you a shotgun court marshal!"
"Ah, there he is."
Simmons look at Grif, "Had me worried there for a moment."
"HEY GUYS!" Donut shouts, "TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!"
Everyone head on over to where Donut is at and came across something they were not expecting. They found RWBY versions of the Justice League, both movie and comic. Standing on either side.
Donut look at Ghira, "I didn't know you guys knew the Justice League."
"To be honest, I have no idea who the Justice League are?"
"Comic book superheroes." Blake replies, "Found a museum section of them at Warner Bros."
"Like the Marvel ones at Disney, got it."
"Wow!" Ruby's eyes sparkle, "We got to meet real superheroes!?"
Yang walks past, "Let's see if we can find those comics and movies. Also," she starts to get serious, "there is something else I would like to see."
They check on other exhibits and learned a lot. Including the fact Penny was an android, Tucker became the new Meta and killed Sarge, the four Artifacts along with their spirits, the people of Strangerhood and much more. It was a lot to take in but they continue. Everyone then walk pass the villains section and recognize Cinder, Neo, Emerald, Roman, Adam and Mercury along with some they haven't met before. Keep in mind that all the RWBY characters were taken between volumes 2 and 3 so they haven't met Tyrian Callows and Arthur Watts. But they did see Salem yet look different from the person they saw on the Halo ring. No matter the appearance, the evil Salem is still unsettling. They then go pass the section that shows the various Grimm of Remnant.
"Damn." Wash look at the monsters, "To be honest, I thought the Grimm would be more..."
"Monstrous?" Ilia tries to finish what Wash was saying.
"Savage. But yeah, close enough."
Simmons ask, "Are they to scale?"
"Not really." Adam replies, "These are a little smaller than the ones we have fought before. Although the Apathy, Boarbatusks, and Geists are close."
Ghira stops at one of the models, "Is that a Nuckelavee?"
They all take notice of a life-size model of a Grimm that is an infusion of an Imp and Horse Grimm.
Weiss replies, "I believe Ren and Nora told us that their village was destroyed by one of those."
"I found some mutant Grimm!" Blake found more Grimm variant models.
"I think we've fought those before." Yang states, "Before the tournament."
"Found something!" Tucker shouts.
Everyone then comes across a very small shelf full of all DVDs of Red vs. Blue, RWBY, Strangerhood, Camp Camp and other titles that Rooster Teeth has made along with some comics of RWBY and video games.
"Should we?" Ruby asks.
"I think it best that we wait." Carolina replies, "Besides, we still have that one mystery to solve. The people that tried to hide the truth about Dark Half. The people who are hiding the truth."
"Right."
However, Ruby spotted something that she gasp.
"LOOK!" she runs over, "PLUSHIES! PLUSHIES OF US! There's a me plushie, a Weiss plushie, a Blake plushie, a Yang plushie. *gasp* AND AN ADORABLE ZWEI PLUSHIE!"
Weiss runs over to the Zwei plushie, "Dibs!"
"What did I just say!?" Carolina is now upset that Ruby completely forgot what they were suppose to do.
Everyone left the museum and head on back to find the ones in cryostasis to find the 'traitors' among the populace of the giant station.
Blake stops, "Delta?"
Delta appears, "Yes, Blake?"
"Can one of you AI go and find any records of people that had access to the glass tablet room? Before our arrival."
"Already on it. And I have alerted everyone about what is happening."
"Good."
"Also, there is a stellar storm in our path that is preventing us from reaching our location. It will take longer to get to. The odds of finding the traitor or traitors before we reach our destination is 9099184055929942184 to 1."
"That's a big number."
"This is a moon-size vessel. It could take a long time to find out who the people are."
"Okay. Take as much time as you need."
"Affirmative." and Delta vanishes.
Carolina was listening, "Being thorough?"
"Just to be on the safe side. This is a huge ship with lots to explore."
"True. But there are somethings I just can't believe. Like Tucker turned into the Meta after what happened on Chorus."
"And the fact Penny was an android and Ruby kept that secret."
"Well, there's one thing I learned. It is a big multiverse where anything is possible. Like all of us used to be creations of some company meant to entertain everyone."
"True. But what are the odds?"
Blake and Carolina catch up with the others.
"Maybe Delta can tell you that."
"No thanks."
As they all head out, Ruby just had a realization.
"Hang on everyone."
Everyone stop and pay attention to Ruby.
"Remember back on that one ship where we encountered people in stasis with part of the ship missing?"
"Yeah." Tucker put his hands on his crotch, "That's where I was raped by a hot and sexy ogre girl."
"Well, it's about Team BRIR. The pods had my teams name on it, which was odd. But after going through that museum, I realize that they're from where we're from. Remnant. Whoever they are, they must've come from a later volume or one of those games."
Yang starts to remember, "Now that I think about it, yeah. But they got chipped."
"What's on your mind, Ruby?" Adam asks.
"I just had a disturbing thought. If Team BRIR is on that ship, what if they're also here on this ship? As a matter of fact, we might encounter duplicates of ourselves."
"You mean like clones?" Weiss asks.
"More or less, yeah."
Everyone is now freaked-out by the thought of meeting duplicates of themselves.
"It was just a thought!"
Donut goes, "Damn, never thought of that. I bet I might look great!"
"At least someone think it might be a good idea." Adam sound less enthusiastic.
Blake sighs, "Better prepare for whatever there is in this space station. It's gonna be a looong trip."
"I concur." Caroline agrees.
Sarge on the other hand, "Hope he won't take charge! Last thing I need is another me ruining my operation! I can do it on my own."
Lopez switches to Spanish, "¡Finalmente! ¡Admites que tienes un problema!"
Translation: "Finally! You admit that you have a problem!"
"Indeed, Lopez! I am the greatest colonel ever!"
"Me alegro de haber vuelto al español."
Translation: "Glad I switched back to Spanish."
Sanchez speaks in Portuguese, "Sim, o cara é um idiota completo e total."
Translation: "Yeah, the guy is a complete and total dumbass."
Grif goes, "Fuck that! I'm the only one that gets to eat everything insight! Not some fucking counterfeit!"
"Maybe having another me would be good." Simmons actually supports the idea, "We can do calculus, do all sorts of science projects, have all sorts of fun!"
Caboose pops up, "Yay! More friends!"
Sienna says to everyone, "How about we go over this when we do find our duplicates? We have some tasks to do."
Then everyone left to find the traitors, prepare to reach the Grand Paradise System, learn about Dark Half, and many other things they have to go through. However, the bigger evil is creeping ever closer to them. Finding their trail and creating all sorts of monsters that are meant to take them down. Evil Salem, Monster Salem, or whatever she is now is closer than ever.
Somewhere out in space, Salem has done something terrible. On her ship, all of her advisors and supporters have been put in cocoons. Everyone. Tyrian, Arthur, Diesel, South, everyone. All the lifeforms have been encased in these cocoons to create new lifeforms based on intellect, DNA, powers and so forth. Her ship is an unholy fusion of organic flesh, technology and Grimm sludge that make it look like a gothic H.R. Geiger horror with magic and electronics.
Evil Salem looks at a hologram of the planet she has colonized, Triora, as it has been terraformed into a dark and unholy realm full of Grimm creatures and something new. Beings that are just like her. She then look at some cocoons that have been formed. Filled with new life that will serve her. Her 'children' as they are.
"Arise." she commands.
The cocoons pop to reveal an entirely new race. A race that is similar to Salem yet not monstrous as they appear human. However, they all have Salem's traits. Deathly white skin with purple veins, bleached white hair, jet black sclerae with glowing crimson irises, jet black nails and diamond-shaped markings on their foreheads. However, some have more additions to their anatomy. Some have scorpion tails like Tyrian Callows. Some have aquatic features like those of the Blue Minions. Some have more fiery red claws and forearms like that of the Red Minions. But there are creatures that are more monstrous that look like an unholy fusion of mutants, Locust, Grimm and cyborgs with all of them serving their queen via a hivemind.
Salem points to her left for the monsters to go. The monsters receive all sorts of augmentations to them with some crude, frightening armor with some weapons to go with their horrific visage. Salem then points to her right for her more human-like children. They all go and enter pods that give them armor. Armor that look similar to the ones the villains of Red vs. Blue but have a more insectoid-like carapace to them. Like the MJOLNIR armor, it has energy shields and motion sensors. The armor also has built in abilities such as temporal distortion, active camouflage, overshield, domed energy shield, and everything The Meta has. However, they can use all the powers of the Viper Syndicate such as teleportation, holo-echo and enhanced strength. Salem grins at her new army with delight as she plans to hunt down her prey.
Outside the ship, pods are dispersed full of the Grimm liquid that travel across various solar systems to find habitable worlds that will corrupt and terraform along with creating more creatures. Planet-size factories for Salem to make a galaxy expanding army. However, they are gonna take time as they would take years to make. Since Evil Salem is immortal, she has all the time in the galaxy for her conquest. After she finishes what she had plan before appearing to this new galaxy...