Volume 3, Chapter 8:
The following chapter of A Gentleman in Remnant is inspired by the mind and characters made by WWE Legend, Windham Rotunda aka Bray Wyatt. May he Rest in Peace.
Team RWBY alongside Ace-Ops were marching back to the room where The Doctor was standing in front of what saw, a mysterious and old door. After the girls disturbing story by Steven Moffat about what he encountered, it made them more concerned as to what exactly has been behind those walls all these years. As for the Ace-Ops, they had to go through a list of the people that lived temporarily at the former shelter when all these incidents were happening but a majority from the list have passed away. The Doctor immediately contacted Marrow to return alongside everyone else as he printed out the list of the remaining people alive.
Once they approached the room, they all entered immediately and froze at the sight of the door that had appeared where the crack on the wall used to be while the Doctor remained seated and staring at the door.
Weiss: Doctor?
Clover: Give us a report?
The Doctor: *stands up* It just appeared. I look away for one good second and it appears right in front of me. I scanned it as well, no sign of anything radioactive or poisonous. What do we have from both sides?
Marrow: This is a list of the remaining people still alive today. It's not much but I highlighted the names of children that were here.
Ruby: There was only one man who stayed in Mantle and was handling the construction of this room. His name is Steven Moffat...and he said he saw some terrifying things when he got pulled in.
The Doctor: What did he see?
Ruby: It was...a lot to take in...he saw these mysterious humanoids that didn't look human either. They were led by this thing named...Uncle Howdy? One of the humanoids chased Steven and dragged him back but with the help of his coworkers, he was barely able to escape...but forever traumatized.
Yang: Their boss tried to report the situation but one of those greedy bastards didn't believe him and kick them all out. Some people just don't care when others are traumatized beyond repair.
An alert rang which startled everyone until it came from Clover's scroll which cause some relief and annoyance considering the situation they are already dealing with. By the looks of Clover's face, another situation was brought up.
Clover: We got a bit of a problem in one of our local jails. Amoncio Glass has escpaed.
Ruby: WHAT?!
Blake: You're kidding right?!
Clover: I know! I know it's not the news any of you want to hear especially right now. That being said, Vine, you'll accompany me in tracking Amoncio. Marrow, Harriet, and Elm, you three will stay behind and help the Doctor and Team RWBY with this situation. And no Harriet, my decision is final.
Harriet grunted as she crossed her arms while Clover and Vine made their departure leaving the remaining teams behind with the Doctor who already had a mischievous grin on his face now that Clover is gone. Team RWBY all noticed and gave out a very annoyed reaction at their time lord friend planning something risky but adventurous for him.
The Doctor: UNCLE HOWWWWWWDYYYYY! The Doctor will see you now! *Knocks on the door*
Team RWBY: *panics* DOCTOR!
Harriet: What the hell are you doing?!
Elm: You've gone mad!
The Doctor: I've been mad for quite some time my dear. *Knocks again* I know you're in there with your little buddies.
Weiss: Doctor! Usually, I don't mind the risk you take in a situation, but this is one you haven't dealt with and one I do not agree on.
The Doctor: Well my dear loving Ice Queen. If there is one thing you should always know about life and the adventures it brings you, the adventure comes without us looking for it.
Weiss: *sighs* We'll never convince you to take a step back.
The Doctor: Nope! *Knocks again* OH HOWDY! I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE!
Grabbing his guitar and activating it on high volume, The Doctor began to play music which was a little too loud for everyone, especially Blake and Marrow. The Doctor played the first notes of "Master of the Puppets" by Metallica and while it was chaotic, Team RWBY had to admit his guitar skills are unreal. It didn't stop at all even when fog started to crawl out from the bottom of the door which caused everyone's attention, including The Doctor to stop playing.
The Doctor: *smirks*Have I gotten your attention now? *Looks at everyone* One very important note for all of you to keep for whatever life will bring you. You feel that pounding in your heart? That tightness in the pit of your stomach? The blood rushing to your head, do you know what that is? That's adventure. The thrill and the fear and the joy of stepping into the unknown.
Without any second thoughts, The Doctor carefully walked inside to the dark room while the others were hesitant about going in but Weiss was the first to follow in then the rest of Team RWBY. The Ace-Ops looked at each other in confusion until Marrow followed them leaving Harriet and Elm baffled.
Harriet: Are you serious?
Marrow: There is no guarantee this will be an easy mission but if the Doctor has a solution in the end which solves this, there's no need to not follow.
Harriet and Elm gave up in defeat and followed the others as everyone was now within the Funhouse as the door closed behind them which startled everyone.
The Doctor: Yang, give me an insight with your Sonic Sunglasses.
Yang: Got it! *Puts them on and scans* This is weird. Doctor, come take a look!
The Doctor: *puts on the sunglasses and reads* Interesting.
Ruby: What is it?
The Doctor: It's just like the TARDIS. Interdimensional transcendental which means behind the wall is just a part of the building but entering the door replaced it with this room.
Weiss: Like how it's a police box on the outside but a spaceship on the inside?
The Doctor: Correct! Which means this is something supernatural that could defy the odds around us. We have to be ready for anything.
Everyone nodded as they pulled out their weapons and made their walks further to the funhouse as the fog was building up. As the fog was becoming much more difficult to see around, The Doctor and Team RWBY activated their sonic devices for proper lighting to continue walking but sometimes was starting to feel off. Despite the lights making it easier to walk through, the fog was still in the way of seeing everyone else.
The Doctor: This was not done by an alien or machine. This had to be done by someone who was here at the time this place was having people stay.
Marrow: I still have the list with me of the remaining people who were here though most of them were children or teens at the time.
The Doctor: Read me the names if you can. Weiss, can you point your screwdriver towards Marrow so he can read the list?
No response
The Doctor: Weiss?
The Doctor and Marrow stopped for a moment as they turned around only to see nothing within the fog. The Doctor carefully walked through the fog only to see no one behind them at all.
The Doctor: Oh no...
Marrow: Where are the others?
The Doctor: I'm so stupid. *facepalms* The fog. THE FOG! It surrounded us to separate us cause that's what those creatures want.
Suddenly, the single key piano note begins to play which the caught the attention of both men and they knew the best option at the moment would be to make a run for it and hope to find the others. As they ran, a figure appeared from the thick fog wearing red and black striped pants with a black shirt and withered black jacket. His gloves containing his claws and dreadlocks followed by a terrifying white mask with razor teeth, bloody red eyes, and the urge to kill. It was known as The Fiend, and he is out to hunt.
While still walking through the fog, Ruby and Weiss tried to catch up to the Doctor who wasn't anywhere to be seen or heard. Even the brightness of their screwdrivers was not enough to see far in the thick fog.
Weiss: Doctor? The fog is still thick to see any of you but it's looking clear for us to walk through. Doctor?
Ruby: Weiss, something doesn't feel right about this.
Weiss: Let me try something.
Weiss made her hand glow using her Time Angel powers as she released a small wave of energy through the fog and clearing the view only to see no one in sight terrifying both girls.
Weiss: DOCTOR!
Ruby: YANG! BLAKE!
Weiss: Ruby! Stay close!
The White Rose duo stood back-to-back as the fog began to block the view once again as the piano note began to play again getting the girls' attention. A dim light rose from the fog and a shadow was approaching them as both girls had their weapons ready. As the figure got closer, she had nothing but an old and dirty long white dress, and long-sleeved gloves with her dark fingers showing. And beneath the hair that covered her face was a white porcelain mask that could terrify anyone and there she stood standing in front of Ruby and Weiss. Her name is Abigail.
Weiss: Who are you? What have you done with our friends?
Abigail just swayed back and forth as she began to weep quietly, confusing and scaring the girls even more. The two nodded and slowly moved back, hoping to disappear within the fog. The weeping stopped followed by an ear bleeding screech from Abigail sending both girls flying back. Both got back up only to see the woman gone. They stood back-to-back searching for her as the weeping was heard once again.
Weiss and Ruby: Might be a good time to use your power!
Both girls looked at each other as the light bulb flashed through their brains and nodded at a very special plan they had in mind. Taking a deep breath, both girls turned around to face each other as the weeping stopped and Abigail jumped out of the fog. Weiss felt it and ducked down as Ruby uses her silver eyes to blind Abigail then it was Ruby ducking down as Weiss activated her time wings and landed a critical hit on Abigail. Carefully approaching the mysterious woman on the ground. Ruby and Weiss inspected her, and she was a terrifying thing of a child's imagination.
Ruby: Okay! We could interrogate her, or we bring her with us and have her help find our friends!
Weiss: Or both. But we need to act fast and make sure those other creatures aren't around-
Uncle Howdy: There you are!
That deep voice startled both girls to death as Weiss turned around to be met with Uncle Howdy in person. The top-hat man as Steven explained and he truly was terrifying to the point where she was frozen. She couldn't move her own hand to attack as Uncle Howdy just continued to stare at her.
Ruby: WEISS?!
The trance broke when a scream and a thud was heard. That caused Weiss to turn around to see Ruby being dragged away into the fog by Abigail who was now giggling before disappearing away as well.
Weiss: RUBY?!
As Weiss turned back to Uncle Howdy, she was grabbed by him and placed in a locked position. She felt her body loose and her eyes lose its light before Uncle Howdy snapped back and planting the execution on Weiss neck first, killing her immediately.
Elm and Harriet continued to walk around very cautiously as the fog was still hard to walk through or see but the silence was bothering them most. And from within the fog, another figure stalked both women before disappearing again.
Harriet: Marrow, don't go too far! It's getting too hard to see around!
Silence once again struck the room as no response from their Ace-Ops member worried both of them even more until a shadowy figure was slowly approaching them.
Elm: Marrow? Is that you?
More silence as the figure stopped and only observed the girls. The way it acted was an immediate warning for Harriet and Elm that this isn't Marrow. That same piano keynote began to play as slowly approaching them was a freak with long white dreads hanging from his head, a vulture-like skull mask, and dark claws. This was Buzzard. And immediately, both Ace-Ops members gear up.
Harriet: Who are you? What have you done with our crew?
Elm: We don't need to fight. We don't know what you even are, we just need to find our friends.
Buzzard remained still before disappearing in the fog once again as both girls looked around for any signs of him. And in a flash moment, Buzzard appeared grabbing Elm and choke slamming her to the ground and kicking her weapon away in the fog. Harriet notices and speeds to Buzzard sending him back. She tries to help out Elm as she notices Buzzard is gone once again. That's when an idea clicked on Harriet's mind as she used her speed to run around in a circle to clear out the fog.
Elm: L...Look OUT!
Harriet heard Elm's warning but couldn't see it on time as Elm's hammer knocked Harriet out cold. Buzzard struck her ruthlessly before confronting Elm once again as she regained her balance. Elm got into a fighting stance and ran towards Buzzard as the two collided into a fight. Both were throwing punches back and forth, it was becoming a wrestling match. Elm had an idea to knock out this vulture freak then activate her semblance to keep him down under her foot causing both of them to be unmovable, but she needed to find an opening on striking him down.
After a few blocks, dodges, and hits, Elm grabs Buzzard from behind and let out a strong German Suplex and repeats it again a few more times until Buzzard struggles to get up. Activating her semblance, Elm was ready to curb stomp the freak as she lunged towards him, only for Buzzard to move aside then trap Elm using the mandible claw which began to weaken the strongest Ace-Ops member. She struggled and tried to get a hold of him, but she was getting weaker and weaker until she fell to her knees and began to fade out. Her mouth now infected with some kind of dark liquid knocked her out as Buzzard stared at both unconscious women before grabbing both of them and dragging them into the fog.
The Doctor: COME ON!
The Doctor and Marrow continued to run through the fog as they were feeling like they were in some sort of maze with no exit at all. They continued to run as they felt something chasing after them but did not dare to look back. The running stop after Marrow tripped and a sudden scream came from him startling the Doctor as well.
The Doctor: Marrow! Don't look back! *Picks him up* Cmon!
Marrow: W-W-WEISS!...
The Doctor felt his heart stop for a moment and turned back to see Weiss laying motionless on the ground. He checked her pulse but there was none which made it clear she was killed. He noticed her neck twisted as he slowly picked her up and held her close.
Marrow: Is...Is she...
The Doctor: Dead? For the moment, yes.
Marrow: For...the moment?...
The Doctor was about to reply until he saw a glow of yellow appear from Weiss's neck as her body glowed momentarily, surprising Marrow and relieving the Doctor that even inside the Funhouse, Weiss can still regenerate. The glow disappeared as Weiss slowly opened her eyes to be met with her time lord's eyes.
Weiss: Hello sweetie...
The Doctor: Are you okay?
Weiss: *gets up and holds my neck* I should be. The pain is still there though. Last thing I remember was getting my neck snapped by- *eyes widened* UNCLE HOWDY!
The Doctor: You saw him!
Weiss: Yes! And they took Ruby! This woman in all white with a doll mask took her away while Uncle Howdy snapped my neck!
The Doctor: That's their plan! That's why the fog grew thicker for all of us to struggle seeing. They are picking us apart one by one! We need to-
The Fiend: *growls* Yowie...Wowie...
The three turned around to be met across the room with The Fiend as he stood there stalking the three and growling like he was hungry for blood. His claws clenched together, heavy breathing, and eyes sharp right at the trio.
The Doctor: Change of plans. We stop running from them...and let them run to us!
Marrow: Uhhh what?!
Weiss: We don't know what they are capable of Doctor! Especially this one!
The Doctor: As long as we fight it, as long as we protect each other, we'll beat it down and then the others will come along with our friends. You trust me right?
Weiss: Even at difficult...scary times like this, Always! Marrow, get behind us! You're going to be our little sniper in this fight.
Weiss went full Time Angel mode to the amazement of Marrow as the Doctor held his Sonic Screwdriver directly at the Fiend while Marrow had his weapon ready for any open attacks. The Fiend licked its mouth before roaring and charging at the three.
Two girls stood back-to-back and walking carefully as they knew from the moment it went all quiet, they were separated from the others. That ended up being Blake and Yang as they kept guard of anything coming their way. Their focus was to find the others and get the hell out of there!
Yang: Nothing?
Blake: Nope. My ears detect nothing which means it's just us and this fog.
Yang: You think the others are okay?
Blake: I really hope so. For us, it's kinda getting used to dealing but for Ace-Ops, it's their first time.
As the two continued to walk, the single piano note played once again startling both girls but readying themselves for anything that came in their way. Large footsteps were heard like a mighty giant approaching them as the large shadow loomed through the fog. That one large shadow turned into two which was a big uh oh for both girls. Both standing over 6 feet were large figures, one dressed in a white robe with purple details on some parts and the white hood covering his face with a gnarly animal skull. He was known as the Exalted One.
And standing next to him was a giant beast that looked like it wore old and ripped hillbilly clothes, a giant sledgehammer, and a horror-like bunny mask that would scare the kids. That would be the Rambling Rabbit. Both stood face to face with the Bumbleby duo as their size has both girls a bit concerned.
Yang: What is it that you and your leader want with us?
Blake: And what did you do with our friends?
Exalted One: All shall come forward for we wait for him to return to us.
Blake: Who's him?
The Exalted One did not respond but only signaled his hand as Rambling Rabbit walked towards Blake and Yang while swinging his sledgehammer back and forth. Both girls fired their weapons at the Rambling Rabbit only for the bullets to be disintegrated by the Exalted One.
Yang: Not fair!
Blake: YANG!
Yang noticed Rambling Rabbit swing his giant mallet and just dodged it but did make Yang lose her balance and fall onto the ground. Blake got right in between Yang and Rambling Rabbit as he swung his hammer towards them, only end up being illusions as the Bumbleby duo hid in the fog which impressed the Exalted One.
Exalted One: They are playing clever, my dear brother. If you can fight with brute strength, fight with tactics.
His hand glowed purple as the Exalted One cleared out the fog but no sign of either Blake or Yang. They searched around until Rambling Rabbit looked up and received a dropkick from Yang while Blake landed on the Exalted One with a Hurracarrana.
Yang: If weapons or semblance won't work against you, we'll just need to stop you two tag-team style.
Standing across from each other were the huntresses and the mysterious creatures as the Rambling Rabbit dropped the mallet and cracked his knuckles. Yang and Rambling Rabbit were once again the first to go after each other with both giving out a few hits, but it was all about strength vs skill. Blake and Exalted One was more of a game of chess with who made the first move and who would have the advantage. The Exalted One wasted no time as he tried to clothesline Blake, only to discover it was another illusion by her as the real Blake appeared from behind with a backstabber.
The Bumbleby duo looked at each other with confidence and switched spots as Yang goes for a massive punt to the Exalted One's head while Blake latched on to the Rabbit's head and pulled him down for a Jumping DDT. Both girls regrouped and stood together to catch a breather, but they were pumped to see these behemoths not so unstoppable. Unfortunately, both of them got up with ease as if the maneuvers were little to no damage.
Yang: Okay, new plan?
Blake: Keep fighting. *Looks at the mallet* And we hit them back with their own weapon.
Yang: Don't gotta ask me twice.
The girls' motion was stopped when the Exalted One let out a quiet but menacing cackle. Their attention was moved away when the single piano note began to play faster then another figure appeared within the fog near Blake and another figure near Yang: Abigail and Buzzard. This went from good to horrible as they were now surrounded by these freaks.
Uncle Howdy: There you are!
Both girls turned around and froze at the sight of Uncle Howdy right in front of them. Their visions were beginning to be blurry as their bodies were starting to become weaker similar to the Apathy. Blake knew this was bad and tried to regain focus only to be clotheslined by the Exalted One leaving Blake out cold.
Yang: BLAKE!...*grunts exhausted*
Despite drained and weakened, Yang held her strength together and got into battle stance while covering Blake. The odds were against her and she knew they would perhaps end up captured by Uncle Howdy but she hoped they hadn't caught the Doctor yet for he always finds a solution even in situations like these. She heard a familiar giggle from behind and slowly turned around to see a horrifying sight...
Yang: Ruby...
Ruby: *giggles* Come play with us Yang!
Rambling Rabbit appeared behind Yang with the mallet in his hand as she remained in a frozen state before Rabbit swung the mallet on Yang head first. Both girls were out cold as Uncle Howdy approached them and inspected them. A smirk appeared on his face as he gave the go ahead to the Exalted One, and he signaled the other creatures to take the girls away.
Exalted One: Only three more remain. They are dealing with the Fiend.
Uncle Howdy: *chuckles* Let's go pay them a visit and give them a true welcome. After all, this is the Firefly Funhouse, and it will always be.
Uncle Howdy and the Exalted one were the last two the walk and disappear into the fog with Uncle Howdy carrying the lantern from earlier on one hand and the ruby gem necklace on the other hand as the entire clan were onto their final targets: The Doctor, Weiss, and Marrow...