Winter looked out at the small fleet gathered for the expedition to the new continent. Too her side stood the Ace Ops, a mixture of excitement and anxiety clear on their faces.
Clover still had an air of calm about him, yet she could see a lingering curiosity in his eyes.
Harriet was clearly trying her hardest too maintain an air of discipline, only allowing an air of unease to linger around her.
Elm stood tall, rather nonchalant with a small smirk on he race.
Vine was calm, truly calm, with his face the very definition of neutrality.
Marrow wasn't even bothering to hide his nervousness, his ears just making it easier too see such things.
Eventually Ironwood arrived, one hand tapping away at a scroll as he approached. "Specialist, Ace Ops.." he paused, eyes running over each of them with the after effects of his semblance washing over them. "I understand that you all know why you're here." Ironwood chided as he stood up straight with his arms behind his back.
"Two days ago a massive continent manifested, completely altering the geography of the world. The CCT system was overwhelmed by the sudden flood of information that existed in this world's "Internet."" Ironwood stopped, letting them absorb the information. "The four kingdoms have given Atlas the go ahead to send out an Expeditionary fleet to scout out the land of this new world and make contact with the present factions." Ironwood announced.
Winter saw the Ace Ops eyes widen as she digested the information.
"Now I know this must be shocking, but this new Continent is filled with humans, and many other strange things." Ironwood said. "We managed to filter and categorize the flood of data that had overwhelmed the CCT, as we speak vital information is being sent to your scrolls for review before the expedition." Ironwood stopped as their scrolls all beeped.
They all stood still before Ironwood made a small gesture to retrieve their scrolls. Immediately everyone had grabbed their scrolls from pockets and pouches and began rifling through the data. Winter was no different, fishing her scroll from a small pouch on her belt and opening it.
The information present elevated both her concern and her curiosity.
Names of Countries she had never seen before, estimations on their locations relative too the landmass, small snippets on wildlife.
Then she stopped, her eyes rereading the section to ensure that it was not lying.
Ghouls, a form of human suffering from a horrid poison known as radiation. Living for an unknown period of time and slowly going feral. Appearing as though they were walking corpses.
Super Mutants, beings once human and now something else. Green skinned and sporting hulking muscles, strong enough to wield massive weapons with only one hand. Some highly intelligent, others dumb as a sack of bricks.
Oh, what such revelations such beings would bring to Remnant. Groups that she would meet face too face in a few weeks if the estimated travel time was precise.
If everything went well, she would be back in time to visit Weiss at Beacon at the start of the Vital festival.
Six huffed as he read over the sorted data the Big MT had gathered. The nagging of a migraine growing worse the deeper he delve into the information.
Still, he had to be prepared.
If the NCR can get these "Kingdoms" to the meeting table then things should settle a bit. Maybe they could even get some trade agreements set up, save the horse from going extinct here.
Or their technology, some of which rivaled if not surpassed the technology of Pre-War America.
Their airships, their weapon tech, whatever the hell Dust was...
Six ceased his musings as pain flared around the spot the bullet had struck his head. "Damn it... Damn you Benny... Why?..." Six almost begged as the last words left his mouth.
He stopped, letting a mix of painkillers flood his bloodstream from his artificial heart. "I need... I need someone... " Six ran a hand to the keyboard on the terminal. Closing the information from Remnant and switching to his contacts. "Time to check a favor with Hanlen." Six mused as he typed in a message. "We need someone with information... and only one person knows how to find them." Six said to himself as the message was sent.
He waited for a response, knowing that Hanlen may not be in his office at this time. Then the terminal dinged, and a small reply had been sent.
"Understood, will send her on the trail as soon as possible." was all the message said. Six nodded before as he began to type out another message.
Salem ran a hand through her hair as she looked out upon the desolate wastes that surrounded her castle. Pitch black stone and oceans of Grimm Essense stretched as far as the eye could see.
Yet she felt something was amiss.
A deep pain resurged through her head at every moment.
Like something was looking down at her, waiting for her to make a move.
It was a feeling she hadn't been exposed to since the Brothers left Remnant. Now it was back, yet different. The eyes of the Brothers was a clear divide, one bore an intense yet comforting heat while the other held an uncomfortable and still cold.
This feeling was akin to having tens of thousands of eyes shifting to stare at her for a moment only to turn away the next like waves on the ocean. No two eyes ever holding the same feeling.
Yet she could not place such things, where or why these eyes now passed down judgement upon her. All that could been seen was the plain fact that they were related to the breaking of the sky and the emergence of an entire continent on the world.
One that may have been free of Grimm, but not for long. No place on Remnant would ever be free of the Grimm, not as long as she lived.
Nate leaned back as he looked at the screen showing Mary's face. She had landed back in the ROC not long ago and had sent him a message.
Against his better judgement he accepted, now staring Mary screen too screen.
"Well Nate, I have good news." Mary announced.
"That news being?" Nate inquired.
"The NCR is already attempting communication with the locals of this new world. Six sent a message a few days ago." Mary said.
Nate let his face shift to a grimace, knowing that he had already read the message.
"Now, I must ask, do you already have a plan if they can get this new world to the table?" Mary inquired.
"Hitch a ride with Six and see what this new World has to offer." Nate replied calmly and quickly.
"I see, well before you hitch a ride there's something you should see." Mary said as the terminal beeped.
Nate looked down, his eyes widening as he saw a picture of a continent shrouded in darkness too the south of the map of the new world.
"The satelites that Six is using haven't caught up to this spot yet, but my "eyes" did." Mary said, an unspoken truth in her words.
Nate knew instantly what she meant, though he shouldn't have been surprised that it came with them.
"So, what has our old buddy Zeta seen?" Nate inquired.
"Those beasts, the Grimm, the whole continent is infested with them. Coast too Coast, North too South." Mary said.
"A priority target, should time pass." Nate said.
"Also a decent target should we need to show our teeth." Mary stated.
Nate shook his head at that, knowing that such an action would have dire consequences should the wrong message be sent. "You're informing me of this, why?" Nate inquired.
"Six will see it too, But he's busy with things at the moment." Mary explained. "What I am asking... Is that we truly stand together should this meeting go wrong." Mary said.
"Aren't we already?" Nate inquired.
"Not to the extend necessary, I've run the numbers. If things go wrong and the Wasteland is drawn into a war it would be devastating." Mary explained.
"We have barely a fraction of the population that these Kingdoms sport, not to mention what else we found." Mary said.
"You mean this "Aura" that those "Huntsmen and Huntresses" possess?" Nate said.
"Yes... while only one kingdom maintains an actual military the others are filled with beings of supernatural strength and power. Its how they've managed to spread out so much despite the pressures presented by those "Grimm" creatures." Mary explained.
"Understood, anything else?" Nate asked.
"So you'll support the action if it becomes a necessity?" Mary inquired.
"Only IF it does." Nate said, making sure to emphesize the IF.
"Oh good, now onto other news they have cat girls." Mary said.
Nate paused, the drastic one eighty that Mary had just hit him forcing his mind to reboot.
"Cat Girls?" Nate asked nervously.
"Well... Demi Humans like those Pre-War series from Japan to be precise." Mary explained.
"Still not making sense." Nate said, wondering why a woman in her late twenties would be so excited by such a thing.
"They have to be supernatural... Not scientific like Ghouls or Super Mutants... Its amazing." Mary said in a tangent.
"Can we get to the point?" Nate asked, knowing that he did not have the time for such a long deep dive.
"They have a small nation on an island, created after a world war over their rights ended." Mary said, taking Nate's attention.
"They have more rights than Super Mutants even Ghouls in some places, but they have some bad apples." Mary explained. "This group called the White Fang, little more than a group of terrorists." Mary stopped as Nate leaned closer too the screen. "You know how all our groups would react to such things." Mary said as Nate nodded.
Memories of the strikes against Super Mutant bases, the culling of Feral Ghoul Hordes.
The "Liberation" of Nuka World.
Nate stopped, shaking his head to ease out the bad memories.
"It would be all out war, one that this White Fang would not like to fight." Nate said.
"And a point that would risk any positive standing we could have with this world. The White Fang attacks... Then Wasteland "Justice" takes hold." Mary paused as Nate leaned back. "We all know many places still despise Ghouls, ever more so when it comes Super Mutants." Mary stopped.
Nate knew where she was going, an unpleasant memory coming to life from his time visiting NCR territory.
That Asshole from Vault City.
"One group attacks, suddenly all of them are fair targets in the eyes of some." Mary said.
"Something that would escalate to drastic measures." Nate finished for her.
"Yes," Mary confirmed.
"Is there anything else?" Nate inquired once again.
"That was it, just a few warnings and a heads up. Best of luck Nate, keep your ears too the sky." Mary said before she ended the call.
Nate shook his head once again, looking away from the terminal as he looked out at the night sky. A frown forming on his face as he looked at the shattered moon. A silent glare was let out as he stared at it for an unknown amount of time.
News was abuzz throughout all of Beacon, all of Remnant even.
A whole new world had appeared.
Sure there was panic, a strange light taking over the sky for a moment would do that, but now things had calmed down.
Yet the idea of a place untouched by Grimm, not settled by anyone from the four kingdoms was a romantic subject.
Ruby was one such individual already captivated by the idea of such a paradise. Such ideas akin to a mirror that she could look do, a reason to drive her in her work.
The fact that such a thing had occurred just before their second semester at Beacon only fueled some of the more wild parts of her imagination.
What would they find on this new world. What strange creatures, strange people, strange everything.
She couldn't wait to tell her teammates or... what was left of Team JNPR about them.