Beacon

Fuse

Walking by all of these school children really does get me nostalgic for a time when I was still in High School, thinking, "Thank God Trump is gone. I can finish up High School, figure out the rest of my life in college, and live the American dream."

Of course, it didn't pan out that way. That rat bastard clung on for way too long, and now I'm here as a direct result of those ghouls wanting to fight rather than surrender.

God, I can practically taste their blood on my hands…

Daydreaming aside, I should focus on my current objective right now, which is to find these RWBY main characters that the other Gamers were lusting over.

I'll be honest, I don't give a damn about any of them. I just needed them as human shields.

As I turned the corner, using [Observe] on anyone that comes into sight, I keep finding unnamed students. But eventually, I get a hit.

Ruby Rose

I don't even bother checking the stats. I know I'd dumpster her in a fight, and I know the other Gamers could do the same.

Walking up to the edgy girl who was innocently eating her lunch in the cafeteria, I loomed over her and greeted her, "Hey."

Ruby immediately panics at the voice of an adult she didn't recognize, dropping her fork into her pasta. Then, she warily looks up at me, then she panics even further at the sight of the rumor man standing in front of her.

"You- you- You're one of the Gamers, right?! I saw you-" Ruby began to stammer out before I interrupted her.

"Yeah, yeah. I have a great deal for you and the rest of your team," I reach my hand out towards her, "How about it?"

Ruby obviously didn't trust me. She knew of me probably through just listening to whispers or even just checking whatever her equivalent of a phone was in this world.

The other Gamers probably found her at one point and told her about the whole "keeping you alive" situation. It's only natural she wouldn't trust anyone with the label.

Narrowing her eyes at me, she cautiously asked, "How do I know I can trust you? I know you came in with Ozpin, but, uhh…"

There's literally no way they can. At the end of the day, I probably end up killing a shit ton of people in Vale in my goal to kill all of the Gamers there. But I should be able to bribe my way out of this.

I can tell Ruby doesn't really have any mana, so giving her a magic weapon might be an acceptable bribe.

I sighed, deciding to pull out the Wand of Sparking I had in my inventory, allowing it to fire off a small fire to show it off, "This Wand of Sparking shoots sparks of fire from its tip. If you let me speak to your team for just a few minutes, it's yours."

Somehow, that was exactly what was needed for Ruby to come on my side, "Oh! Deal!"

Should I be concerned that she was swayed so easily? Maybe. But it is what it is.

Ruby looked at her pasta, guiltily looking at him, "But, uh, let me finish eating Breakfast first?"

It's still breakfast? What in the goddamn…

Sitting down next to her, I agreed, "Sure thing. I have a few hours to kill until Ozpin hooks me up with what I need."

Surely, Ozpin is already well on his way with his investigation.

Headmaster's Room, Beacon

Ozpin

If no one else in the world had his back, he knew James Ironwood would be there to, at the very least, pester him.

"Ozpin, how are you allowing one of them to so brazenly enter Beacon?!" James shouted out at him from the other side of his scroll.

Frowning, Ozpin calmly pointed out, "I'm sure you might've figured this out by now, but I don't think we have anything that could confidently put Fuse down. Trying to antagonize him now would end with our heads detached from our bodies. Furthermore, Fuse represents an opportunity for us, actually."

Narrowing his eyes, He cautiously asked, "How so?"

"His goal is actually to kill one of those Gamers. Potentially all of them, depending on how the dice rolls."

James' confused look did give him a small amount of joy before he schooled his face, "Are you saying that man is a traitor?"

Remembering his conversation with Fuse, Ozpin clarified, "More like an Alien. He wasn't in the initial batch of the 90 Gamers that came down in Vale. He arrived today."

"That sounds worse," James bluntly stated, "Now we know more can come in from the outside world and completely ignore that barrier…"

Nodding along, Ozpin said, "True, that is a distinct possibility… But we shall ignore it for now. Right now, what we should be doing is aiding Fuse to take down all 90 Gamers inside of Vale. Are you with me?"

"Are you sure he can do it?"

"I have been assured he's the only man who can."

The Great And Terrible Internet

Twitter, probably

Lexas:

BREAKING NEWS: NEW GAMER SPOTTED WALKING OUT OF VALE.

VIDEO HERE.

Pegasus:

They can walk out of there now?

FUCK.

Albatross:

Ozpin, the headmaster of Vale, brought that THING into Beacon. We might be cooked if he knows mind control like Keto does.

Yim:

Well, I live in Vale and saw Fuse briefly square up with Pyrite when he first entered Vale. Didn't look too friendly, but Fuse went with them anyway.

MVGA:

Who gives a shit? Why bring him to Beacon? Does Ozpin not care about keeping the kids safe?

Pamala:

Jesus Christ, their "balance" is about to be undone. It might be time to get the hell off of Vale, if not the continent.

?

Azure Dragon

His puppet is ensuring that the Pawn is walking the path he laid out for him.

The fools who claim themselves omnipotent yet holding the wit of children will no doubt be scheming under them. But they will be brought to kneel before him soon.

The dominoes he set up shall all fall in quick succession. He has been waiting for this day for what feels like years…

…But the Pawn will not see it his way. He is fated to never see it his way.

But one day, Fate shall be broken.

I must be the first to destroy it.

AN:

Look, I'm blaming this short chapter on the fact I started it like 3 hours ago. And I still haven't totally recovered from December.

Also, I've got it locked in. I'm going to spend the entire month of March trying to finish out Manifest Destiny.

Of course, the 15th and 17th are both update days, so you'll get updates then. But I'm saving the majority of my Manifest Destiny energy for March. So expect 1k chapters for chapter 56 and 57.

Of course, the upload schedule is still going to be 2 weeks. Unless I actually finish Manifest Destiny in March, at which point it'll be 1 week every American holiday.

But we'll see how the dice rolls.