A rewrite of a rewrite. Pretty meta, if you ask me.
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"Breaking news! Reports of an explosion breaking out in downtown Vale has left the authorities baffled, as the building in which the explosion supposedly occurred was later reported to have been completely fixed, with absolutely no visible damage. Locals say that after the shockwave and initial fireball, the flames disappeared in a blink of an eye, as if it never happened. In other news-" the clip ended abruptly, the screen going dark.
"So, what do you think it is? Magic?" Qrow's gruff voice cut the silence in the clockwork-like office. Ozpin's inner circle were rarely gathered over something as mundane as an explosion in downtown Vale, as it was accepted that gang violence was typically the cause. This, however, was cause for concern.
"I don't believe so, all the Maidens and Relics are accounted for, and none would have an ability like that," Ozpin spoke, gently tapping his finger on his desk as he hummed in thought. The immortal had seen a lot in his time on Remnant. Reversing an explosion was a first, he was willing to admit.
"Perhaps it's a Semblance? Something akin to yours, Glynda?" James' staticy voice called out from the Scroll that was propped up on the desk.
"I wouldn't write it off. It's entirely possible, given how varied Semblances are. If that is the case, an ability like that would be incredibly potent to have in our ranks. Perhaps as a student, given how the next batch should be arriving for initiation in the next week or so," the lone woman responded, pushing her glasses up. "If possible, I'd like for someone to scout out the area around it," Glynda trailed off, giving Qrow a pointed look.
Said man sighed, quickly taking a sip from his flask before tucking it back into his jacket. Dusting himself off, he stood up. "Yeah, yeah. Turn into a bird and see if anyone stands out more than the average citizen."
"Thank you, Qrow," Ozpin smiled kindly at the half drunken man. "As annoying as a job like this is, we just simply can't risk it being one of Her pawns."
"Also, Ozpin, there seemed to be a heightened frequency of White Fang-" James' voice was cut off from Qrow's hearing as he jumped out the window.
Stupid fucking bird power, he lamented to himself, flying towards Vale.
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"Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck!" The usually calm teen yelled. If being sent through a time portal alone didn't sound pleasant, being greeted with an explosion and then the sudden lurching of time being rewinded in that very small vicinity was the worst possible feeling imaginable. Besides being late for classes back in high school... Luna had left a bigger impression on him than he'd ever like to admit ever since that relationship had sailed.
"Kid, you need to take a breath and calm down!" the gruff voice of his partner called out, materializing himself from the gauntlet on his left wrist.
"Easy to say when you're just a being made of frickin' waves!" Geo yelled back before scanning his surroundings. He was in a clearly abandoned apartment, the dusty smell lingering in the air being the first thing he noticed. It was small and cramped, reminding him of the dressing rooms he used to have to stay in when working with Sonia. Hope she at least got home safe…
Letting a deep sigh out, Geo turned to the windows to see what the world looked like outside of the claustrophobic room. The streets and buildings below looked far too… old? The architecture just seemed off from what he was used to.
"Kid, put on your visualizer. This city isn't making sense…" Mega said in a grim tone.
Geo slid on his glasses. His jaw dropped the moment the Wave Roads hit his eyes. "This can't be possible. Even the Internet back in 20XX had a somewhat sensical layout!" he whispered harshly. The roads were jumbled, like anything and everything was trying to connect and disconnect from each other. It's like looking at a tangled mess of wires…
"Also, the moon's, uh, the moon's a little fractured," Mega pointed up at the sky. Sure enough, the night sky held a moon that had been split apart. "Kid, I think we might've been sent too far."
"Too far? That doesn't make any sense. The buildings around us are like how cities used to look back in 19XX!"
"But in all of history, the Earth's moon never looked like someone took an Andromeda-sized bite out of it! Something like that should be obvious to a space nerd like you!" The AM-ian barked back. "There's only one way we'll know for sure. We have to go out and look around."
"I…" the spikey haired teen paused for a moment before taking a breath and sighing. "You're right. There's no point in yelling back and forth about our clearly unknown situation," Geo said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Giving himself a quick look over, he noticed he was back to his regular, un-wavechanged form. His bright red jacket with little white stars on the shoulders intact, if only a little dusty. His shorts and boots were in a little worse shape, some singe marks present on the fabric. His trusty pack of Battle Cards neatly on his waist, and his father's pendant still around his neck.
"The only difference is that you're still technically attached to me in your gauntlet form. Wonder how that works?" Geo noted as he did a quick inspection of his left arm.
"Beats me, honestly. I wonder if Battle Cards work? Can you still activate my buster mode?"
"Let me give it a shot," Geo quickly slotted in a Sword card. Immediately, the gauntlet transformed, a blade made of glowing energy erupted from his arm. "I guess cards work. Let me try switching it to the Mega Buster." The blade receded and the gauntlet returned, the muzzle of his trusty weapon coming to form.
"That answers that," he said, transforming his forearm back to its original form. He looked up at Mega. "I get the enhancement of our fusion, but still look normal. Cool."
"Yeah, 'cool'. Now, seriously, we should really try to look around. I want to see this city."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Bossy ass alien… Geo thought as Mega returned to the gauntlet.
Once they reached the streets below, the first thing they noticed were people with animal features walking about. Not like the cosplay stuff they'd seen back in 22XX. It's definitely real… I should see about getting to a library… Looking for the closest person nearby, he settled on asking a man on the corner who was looking at some sort of device.
"Excuse me, sir, could you point me to the nearest library?" Geo asked the man in red sunglasses and a black suit. The man stopped for a second, unsure how to respond at first. He regained his composure and nodded.
"I'll do you one better, follow me."
Geo never noticed the smirk on the man's face.
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Qrow was doing his best. At least, that's what he'd tell everyone around him. In actuality, he was fucking about above the streets of downtown Vale. Being in bird form had its perks, one of which was being able to fly and do cool air tricks without the need of an airship. Qrow would've continued fucking around if he hadn't heard a scream ring out below him.
Less than a block away from where that anomalous explosion happened.
Diving down, he quickly spotted the perpetrators in a nearby alleyway: a group of Red Axe gang members trying to take down a-
What the fuck is that thing!? Qrow quickly changed back into his human form, landing on the rooftop of the neighboring building to watch the chaos below unfold.
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It wasn't the first street brawl he and Mega had been in together. Ever since the Meteor G incident, Mega has been able to interact with the physical world, thus helping Geo out when they had been caught in sticky situations without a way to wavechange.
"Kid, these punks are a lot more durable than regular people! It's like they're Jammers!" Mega barked from behind Geo. The man they asked for help from hadn't been all too friendly, leading Geo to a dark alley to jump him with two of his friends. "At this point, do us all a favor and end this quickly with the buster or a card-" the AM-ian grunted as he swung his fist at the goon closest to him, knocking him on his ass.
Nodding, Geo ducked under a hook and rolled to the side. Swiftly, he dug into his pouch and inserted a Break Saber card, his forearm bursting into a drill-like weapon. The gang members, already spooked from Mega's sheer existence, jumped back in shock and fear.
"Hey, I think we're dealing with some Hard Light Dust weaponry!" the leader, if you can call him that, exclaimed. "We need to leave, like, now! I was fine with the weird glowing monster, but Hard Light? That shit is way too volatile!" The two other members paused before booking it, leaving the duo confused.
"I, uh… the hell is 'Hard Light Dust'?" Geo wondered aloud with a sweatdrop falling from his head. He sighed before reverting his arm. I was actually kinda hoping to use it…
"Just as lost as you are," Mega shrugged. "On the bright side, whatever it is, it definitely helped us get out of being robbed," he tilted his head up towards the rooftop of the building next to them. Crossing his arms, he turned his attention upwards and called out, "I have no idea who you are, or if you're even a threat, but it'd be nice to talk."
Catching on to Mega's antics, Geo chimed in as well, "We have no idea where we are. We just need information, if possible."
They heard a groan before a rough looking man in a cape jumped down from the roof, landing in a lazy way.
"So…" a voice similar to a cement mixer came from the newcomer. "I don't know what the fuck you are," the man pointed at Mega, "but I sure as shit can't just let you run rampant in Vale," he sipped, what Geo assumed, alcohol from his flask. "Listen, my name's Qrow. Since you need information, I just happen to have the best possible connections for that."
Geo and Mega shared a look before both turned back and quirked their eyebrows at the disheveled man, their doubt being beyond clear. The man groaned, face palming.
"I get it, some drunk dude doesn't step in to help a kid and his whatever-the-fuck while they're getting jumped by some gang members. It doesn't exactly scream competent," Qrow leaned against the wall and put his hands in his pockets. "Although, from the looks of it, you two ain't got anywhere to go. I also have a sneaking suspicion you know something about the weird explosion earlier. You come with me, and I'm sure we can work something out."
"Give us a good reason, then."
"Because otherwise, you'll have to deal with the Red Axe gang breathing down your neck the next time you're spotted in their territory," Qrow shrugged. "Personally, I couldn't care less, but I got orders."
Geo let the words sink in. If this place is anything like Netopia, what he's saying may hold some weight. "You have a deal," he started, Mega frowning in disapproval. "However, if anything even remotely seems shady, I'm hauling ass outta here."
"Fair enough. All I ask in return is that you figure out something to keep your glowy little friend there out of sight."
"Fine," the alien said, rolling his eyes before popping back into Geo's gauntlet.
"I can already tell this upcoming meeting with Oz is gonna leave me with a headache…"
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The walk though the streets was about as awkward as it could get, at least it was for Geo. The city seemed so… alive. Not like busy alive, but alive. It felt lived in. So detached from the technology he was so accustomed to. No floating advertisements every 3 steps, no Wizards beckoning customers into their stores. It was organic, all with people filling the roles he had seen so many Wizards take as soon as they were available.
He kinda hated it.
"You got something to say, kid?" Qrow asked, turning his head slightly to look at Geo, who simply shook his head.
"It's just so… different from the cities I'm used to. Much more calm. Not sure I like it."
"You call this calm?" the man scoffed, waving lazily at the crowded streets. "Whatever cities you're used to would be hell for me. This right now is already too much, can't imagine what more busy looks like."
"I couldn't explain it, even if I wanted to. You wouldn't get it."
"Eh, probably not, but it is what it is. The only place I could think of that's as busy or busier than here is Atlas, but you don't look the type."
"Atlas? Like the Greek god?"
"The fucks 'Greek'?" Qrow glanced at Geo like he had 2 heads. "No, Atlas, the giant floating city?"
"The only floating city I know is in Electopia. But I don't think that name would ring a bell…" Geo sighed, slumping his shoulders.
"Nope. No fuckin' idea what 'Electopia' is, either."
"This is one hell of a start to a new adventure, huh, kid?"
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Hope you guys liked it.