Well, that was an awful weekend of work and sickness. Still feeling rough this morning and having gotten precious little sleep. On with the week! Blurgh.

Cover Art: Kirire

Chapter 120

Officially, the anomaly was labelled as "fixed?" with a question mark added for good measure. The details listed possible anomalous means and dimensional shenanigans, along with an addendum that the local office could not prove whether it was still alive or not and had no way of doing so. Attached were a week's worth of records showing no adverse reactions among passengers, which didn't quite serve to proof it was gone, but at least served to prove it wasn't still hanging around.

Blake was surprised ARC Corp accepted that, but Jaune told her there were a number of records with similar entries in the system. Not every anomaly left evidence of its demise, and so a certain amount of trust had to be given to the teams on the ground. Its listing as a "?" entry would mean someone would keep an eye on it – likely some subcontractor from the Blades Office, which was the largest in the organisation – but as long as no further evidence cropped up, the company would take them on faith.

Not because they trusted Jaune but because they needed him busy on other things.

Blake decided she'd take the freebie this time, enjoy the "easiest case of our lives" and enjoy what little time off she was liable to get. It was a nice change from life-threatening escapades and city-wide anomalous tree-based plagues.

Despite having their new facility on Patch, they still spent most of their time in the office in Vale. The facility didn't have that many anomalies in it that warranted hanging around for, only the few inert items and objects from Jaune's office. Timothy remaining at the office (and hidden) provided even more reason to stay there and look after him, and Blake never really felt safe in the facility anyway. Too much monitoring and security from Jaune's family left her worried her every word was being listened to.

"We have... well, we sort of have a case," Jaune told her, when she arrived at the office one morning. Blake settled down into the office couch with the six-foot spider crawling onto her knees for his morning scratches. Blake soon had him hissing and clicking in satisfaction.

"Sort of have a job? Is it something you don't think is an anomaly?"

"No. No. This definitely is an anomaly. It's one that has been retrieved by my father."

"Retrieved? Not destroyed...?"

"That's what's so unusual about it." Jaune sounded unusually excited himself, and Blake wasn't sure she liked it. "Normally, father would destroy even the most harmless of anomalies just on principle, but he decided to keep this one alive. He wants us to store and look after it."

"Why...?" Blake couldn't help her suspicious undertones. It was just so unlikely that Nicholas Arc would let an anomaly live and, even if he did, hand it off to the son he didn't trust. "Jaune, this has to be some kind of trap."

"I don't see why it would be. If he wanted us dead, he wouldn't need a trap to do it. The facility is probably rigged to blow and he could catch us in it." As ever, Jaune had an amazing way to instil confidence. Blake groaned. "And this anomaly is special, Blake. It's one that father thinks will be so useful and so important to the future of the company, even the protection of Remnant, that he wants it protected and monitored at all times. Don't you see what that means?"

"We'll be under immense pressure?"

"No! Well, yes, but no – that's not the main thing. What it means is that we're being trusted with it. Also, if it really is so useful, this greatly reduces the odds of them just detonating the facility. They'd at least come and retrieve this first."

"Are you saying the thing we should be happiest about is having something to take hostage in case they turn on us...?"

"If that makes you happy, sure."

"Worryingly, it does." Blake sighed. "Fine. What is this anomaly anyway?"

Jaune's laugh was a little nervous. "Ha ha... well... I don't exactly know yet."

"Jaune!"

"Father chose not to say and I know better than to question. If he wanted us to know, he'd have told me. I'm sure we'll be briefed when he arrives."

Blake swore. "He's coming here!?"

"To the facility, and this afternoon. Don't worry, he won't see Timothy."

"Thank goodness." Blake relaxed once more and continued stroking the cute arachnid. "So, aside from protecting it, what are our duties going to be? With the Schnee gone, I don't see anyone trying to steal this thing."

"I'm sure that's something we'll be told this afternoon."

No details yet again. Blake sighed, but she knew it wasn't Jaune's inability to ask, so much as it was his family's unwillingness to include him in just about anything. They'd just have to wait and see what it was Jaune's father had found.

And just how much of a pain in the ass this would be.

/-/

Nicholas Arc arrived on the dot at one in the afternoon in a Bullhead landing down in an empty clearing on Patch. Jaune and Blake stood on the ground, their coats buffeted by the wind and their hands at their sides. ARC Corp had no official salute, but they stood still and firm regardless, aiming to appear as professional as they could. The co-pilot hopped out and wrenched the side of the Bullhead open, allowing Nicholas Arc to step out and drop two feet to the ground. He carried with him a black briefcase and, most curiously of all, he was smiling.

That worried Blake more than she cared to admit.

"Chief Director!" Jaune greeted.

"Director Arc. Agent Belladonna. I appreciate the swift response."

"No worries, sir. We finished our last job and had time to spare."

"I had heard. I've an agent watching over the tunnel for you. You'll be notified if anything changes. Now, I trust you have a cell ready for this." He hefted the briefcase. Thankfully, they had.

"Yes sir. We've prepared several."

Lacking details, they'd prepped low, medium and high security sections of the facility for it, with the idea of giving Nicholas the choice. Funnily enough, he chose low security. Not at all what either of them would have expected. Unless this really is a trap, Blake thought. And he wants it to break out and cause a breach we have to deal with.

But why would he? It would only risk ARC Corp as a whole.

The low security wing of the facility still had decent levels of security, including blast doors leading to and from it. The real difference was the number of them, and the distance between cells. High security included cells cut off and alone, each with its own corridor that could be sealed and even collapsed via remote detonation, well and truly stranding each room underground.

Low security, by contrast, had a single lobby area serving as a decontamination area between two blast doors, and then three corridors fanning off from that with individual cells for anomalies. Each was locked, but they could be opened remotely and the main lobby had presumably once been to allow sentient but cooperative anomalies to roam and interact with one another, back when the SDC ran this place.

The cell they'd prepared was four metres by four metres with a raised plinth in the middle. Glass could be lowered and raised around it to seal off the object within, but that was about it. It was low security for a reason.

"This will do," Nicholas said, marching to the plinth and setting the briefcase upon it. He entered the code, opened it up, and pulled out a black laptop, then set that on the platform before removing the briefcase and tossing it to Jaune. "The anomaly is not the computer but a component within it. Specifically, it's the device that allows for internet connectivity – though calling it that is incorrect given what it's capable of."

"And what is it capable of, sir?" asked Jaune. "It's best we know."

"Of course it is. The two of you shall be in charge of communications using it and reporting back to ARC Corp on what is discovered." Nicholas turned back to them. "This device does not connect to the internet, but to a sister device. It is closer to a walkie-talkie than a computer."

"Then it's whoever this connects to that has you interested," Jaune said. "Who does it connect to?"

Nicholas smiled. "Us."

A device from ARC Corp capable of contacting ARC Corp was not interesting. Not on its own. "I'm assuming you don't mean the us as we are now."

"Of course not. This device communicates with an alternate reality version of ourselves – one that mirrors our universe in many ways but differs in others. ARC Corp still exists, and our foundation as having formed from the collapse of the old ways stands true as well. I am the Director of the Blades Office, and Chief Director of ARC Corp in their world as well. In both universes, we have gained control of what they are calling the Interdimensional Chatroom."

What a ridiculous name.

Still, it told them everything they had to know.

"Is it just the two entrants in chat?" asked Jaune.

"For now, yes. It's possible other iterations in other worlds will be discovered but, for now, it is them, listed as AC01, and us, listed as AC02."

"ARC Corp doctrine calls for its destruction," Jaune pointed out. "What's different here?"

"Normally, instances of an interdimensional anomaly would call for immediate destruction as you say, but that is only due to the risk of dimensional cross-contamination. Doorways and such can lead to dimensional spillover that could prove catastrophic. This is a contained chatroom that allows for text communication only. Files can be transferred, but only text files. Images become blurred and do not cross over."

"Are we even sure this is ARC Corp?" Blake had to ask. "And not the anomaly cleverly mimicking us?"

"It's possible." Nicholas allowed it, and even looked pleased by the paranoia. "But it's passed all ARC Corp tests. Our codes differ in some ways, but the basis of them remains the same. Also, I've spoken to myself in their dimension and many of our childhood memories match. I've also had Saphron discuss with her alter-self, and she agrees it's so close as to be an identical match. After much discussion and negotiation, our two versions of ARC Corp have agreed to cooperate on cases."

And there it was, the reason why this was to be "useful" enough to be left alive. A chatroom alone wouldn't have been of enough value, but it was more the fact the user on the other side was an alternate version of ARC Corp.

"What kind of cooperation?" Jaune asked.

"Case files, anomalous information, after-action reports. We both agree the value of being made aware of anomalies could prove invaluable. Their ARC-Corp, which we are referring to internally as Alter-AC, might discover anomalies before we do, and vice versa on our end. By sharing that information ahead of time, we'll be able to close in on more anomalies, and often before they reveal themselves."

"That's assuming the locations of them match..."

"Of course. An alternate dimension does mean alternate facts – we've seen that already with our histories varying in some ways – but we've also tested databases and shared some cases and found results. Associate-Director Saphron was able to locate and close down an antiques seller who had come across an anomalous item, after reading a report on it from Alter-AC. In that report, the item would go on to cause sixteen deaths, all of which have now been avoided through this interaction."

"Incredible," Jaune said, and it was. There was no doubting that. "So, even if not every shared case leads to something, the few that can will prove worth keeping this anomaly alive and functional."

"Exactly. However, there's also risk for abuse if this were to fall into those looking to plug it for information. As such, we need it securely kept away. You are the only secure containments facility that ARC Corp has in operation. Every other office could be infiltrated either by outside agents or curious members of our own staff. It makes sense to host it here."

Grudgingly, Blake had to accept that. At least this was sounding less and less like a trap, especially since the value of it to ARC Corp was so high. Blake asked, "Can we use it? Our last case has a big question-mark slapped on it, and I'd be interested to see if they dealt with it as well."

Jaune winced. "Sir, forgive her—"

Nicholas cut him off. "You may use it," he said, shocking Jaune. "In fact, we want the two of you to make regular use of it and act for the company with it. Otherwise, we'll have to fly here every time we want to ask it a question. Your budget will be expanded as a result, and I am even considering allowing you an additional member of staff to lighten your workload."

Two shocks in as many minutes. Jaune's jaw was hanging open. "S—Sir...?"

"This is an invaluable tool. It must be used for the sake of ARC Corp. I have discussed this with the alternative version of myself and he agrees. In fact, you might be interested to know that the alternate reality versions of yourselves are going to be the ones handling the other side of the device. Less of a coincidence and more alter-AC choosing to mirror our decision to make communications easier, but still an interesting point."

A worrying one in Blake's mind. She just wasn't sure what she thought about the ability to speak to another version of herself. Obviously, it would be interesting, and there were a lot of things she'd love to ask but...

There were a lot of things in her life she was scared to ask about. Adam, the White Fang, the book on her waist, Jaune, the matchmaker app, and, of course, the fact that they'd hidden a host of anomalous creatures on Menagerie. What if the alternative versions of them hadn't? There was no way they could dare bring any of that up for fear their alter-selves would snitch on them to someone else.

But Jaune obviously didn't agree; he was brimming with excited curiosity.

"Then we're not only free to use it but encouraged...?"

"Yes. That's another reason why you were selected. Other members of the family would find it difficult to look past their dislike of anomalies and would be tempted to either neglect it or even find a way to damage it. I knew you would not."

"Of course not!" Jaune couldn't hide his smile. "This is amazing! And this could solve so many cold cases we have!"

"Precisely. You'll be provided a list of those we want you both to work on, but feel free to use it for your own ends as well. In a way, it'll be the personal interactions that help us prove once and for all whether this is another ARC Corp or just an anomaly faking it. Note down anything you find interesting and pass it on. However, remember their time is no more infinite than our own, and they also have information they want from us. Give as much as you take. Cooperate with them."

"Yes sir. And our extra member...?"

"Associate-Director Saphron has issues with it."

Blake snorted. "What a surprise."

"Professionalism is key," Nicholas said, a quiet chastisement. Blake rolled her eyes. "And I shall be speaking to my daughter on that as well. You shall be notified of the privilege once a decision has been agreed upon."

"We understand, sir," Jaune said, before Blake could speak. "And thank you for keeping our workload in mind. As it is, if we get an active case then we'll have to leave the Interdimensional Chatroom unused."

"I understand. Alter-AC does as well. Their versions of the two of you also have their own jobs and won't always be available. However, they did not lose people in the Twilight City as we did, so, even when they are busy, they believe they can assign someone else to man the device for us. We've yet to have that liberty, which is precisely why I'm considering letting you have an extra member."

"Understood."

"I need to go. I have my own cases." Nicholas stepped away from the device. "The password for the computer has been updated on your systems along with the list of cases we want you to look into. More will be added as we find them. Good luck."

They escorted Nicholas out and back to his Bullhead, which took off in the direction of Atlas.

Jaune wasted no time hurrying back downstairs to use the computer.

Blake didn't feel so certain.

/-/

"It's amazing!" Jaune gushed to her later, waving his hands animatedly. He'd been on the computer for the last two hours, leaving Blake to read books in the control room and pretty much have a day off.

"Hmhm."

"No, seriously!" He pushed her book down, determined to force her to share his excitement. "There's so much that's the same and so much that's different! Did you know my mother is still alive over there? Alter-Jaune has said he'll ask her to come talk to me sometime! They contained Mountain Glenn. They took it down early!"

"Great. Rub our failure in our face, then."

"No. No. There are cases they handled worse than us. Their world isn't an ideal variant of ours, it's just different." A small relief at least. "But it's incredible just talking to another version of myself. He shares my thoughts on containing anomalies, too. I've even spoken to their world's Blake, and she wants to talk to you."

Blake tensed up. "I'm not sure I want to talk to her..."

"You have to. It's our job." Jaune bulled over her reluctance. "And it won't be bad. I asked her how she got hired, and it turns out she met alter-me in the Welcoming House as well. And that was before I even mentioned it, so that's further proof they're not mimicking us. They knew about it before I brought it up."

"Could be reading your mind."

"Blake." Jaune laughed. "You need to be less cynical about this. Talking to yourself is... It's a liberating feeling. Trust me, it's like talking to someone who is closer than a best friend. We connected instantly. There's just something that clicks. Trust me, you'll feel it as well. That Blake will become like a sister to you."

Blake hummed, still not convinced nor excited. She didn't want a sister, and she sure as hell didn't want to deal with another version of herself. She wasn't sure why, but she couldn't shake the feeling she'd hate herself. Maybe that pointed to self-loathing or guilt, or maybe it was just an obvious conclusion to make given how messy her past was.

I'm an ex-terrorist who fed her ex-boyfriend to an anomaly. I've done awful things. I wouldn't want to meet me if I were a stranger, so I definitely don't want to meet any version of me.

But, as he'd said, it was her job to do so. This wasn't something she could up and hide from.

"Gnh. Fine. But only for a short time. And I'm going to focus on the list—"

"That? Oh, I completed it."

Blake's mood plummeted even further. "Already!?"

"They're really cooperative, Blake. I just transferred the list as a text file and they said they'll gather the requested files tonight. I got a list from them in return." He waved it, a printed out copy. "I recognise some of them, but some I just don't know – that's just as exciting. These could be files of anomalies we haven't found yet, which will mean chances for us to get hold of them. I saw The Blank Slate in here, so they definitely did that case just as we did. I wonder if they identified the missing student."

"I don't see how. Technically, there's a three-person team in Beacon right now and no one can identify it. No one can even count the members and notice there's one missing."

Ozpin had tried. He had even had them try, looking down over a registrar, but even though there absolutely was a team missing a person, no one could see it. It looked, for all the world, like every team had four members.

Except that one didn't. One had an empty bed. But even that team couldn't figure out the fact they were missing someone. Anomalies were strange like that, especially the ones that messed with memories.

"Just go in there and talk to yourself for an hour. Have fun. Talk about books if you like."

Blake grimaced. "And Menagerie...? Are we keeping that secret?"

Jaune winced. "Yes. Yes, I think it best not to take any chances there. Timothy, too."

"Good. At least you haven't completely lost your marbles over this."

/-/

The screen was blinking when Blake sat down at it. The chatroom looked some twenty years out of date, not at all slick and unobtrusive, but formed of ugly grey boxes with blocky characters and a "room list" on the right with big font. There, a green light indicated AC01 as present and active, while AC02, their own designation, was blinking yellow for absent.

Blake could still see the last few messages between Jaune and his alter-self but chose not to read them. There was something about the thought of reading someone else's chat logs that made her feel squeamish. It was just wrong.

When Blake touched the mousepad, the light by their designation blinked green, sensing activity. Blake winced.

AC01: Ah. You're there. Is that the other version of me?

AC01: Blake, I mean. This is Blake. Agent Belladonna. Or just Blake...

AC01: Since I guess you're ME. Or another me. This is strange.

Damn it. She hadn't been ready to start, not having collected her thoughts and planned what to say, but this stupid thing had caught her by surprise, and now she couldn't undo the green light. Why hadn't Jaune manually set it to "away" on the menu? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Blake grimaced and considered not typing, but knew she'd have to explain herself if she did that. If this other version of her was confident enough to chat, she couldn't be the coward. Blake began to type, scowling at the "AC02 is typing..." message in the bottom corner.

AC02: This is Blake. Our bosses have already exchanged the necessary information. I'm not sure what there is for us to do.

AC01: We could talk. There's so much I'm curious about.

Blake grimaced. Jaune had said she'd connect instantly, but she already kind of hated her other self. Why couldn't she be antisocial? At least Jaune had set text from the other person to be in bold, making it somewhat easier to read who was saying what.

AC01: Jaune – my Jaune, that is – tells me you had the case of the Awakening Trees recently, though I think you called it something else. You also found the lab, then?

AC02: Yes. We're currently using it.

AC01: Same! I wonder if we're in the exact same room. Cell C13?

Blake looked to the door. Interestingly, it was not the same. Paranoid it might somehow be a trap, Blake chose to give a slightly inaccurate room number. In the same wing, but down another corridor.

AC02: No. We're in A6.

AC01: Low security? Really? We put our version in high. I wonder why the discrepancy.

AC02: I couldn't say. It was deemed low risk by the Chief Director.

AC01: By Nicholas? He must be a lot more easy-going in your world.

For the first time, Blake laughed – but only because her alter-self had said something so ridiculous.

AC02: Hardly. He's a prick. I can't stand him.

AC01: Really? I know he can be incredibly work-focused but he hasn't been so bad to me, other than never being satisfied with how we're doing. It's always training, training and more training. I'm a little tired of all the para-office training courses.

AC02: Para-office courses...?

AC01: You haven't had those? It's where all the offices get together and are put through literal hell. We have to face off against one another or sometimes against the Blades Office. It's awful.

AC02: I've never had official training of any kind.

AC01: Oh. I'd apologise but I think you're lucky to miss them. It must be because of Mountain Glenn. I heard it went bad over there.

AC02: A lot of people died, yes.

AC01: I haven't read the file yet but Jaune suggested as such. From what I caught, it doesn't sound like it was anything you all did wrong that made it go so bad. Jaune says his mom is dead in your world, though. Maybe that was the difference. Juniper is crazy strong, so maybe not having her with you made it worse.

It wasn't a bad thought, really. Blake had met the woman, but she'd been crazy at the time, driven mad by the hell that was Mountain Glenn, even if she'd retained her sense of duty. It wasn't hard to imagine things going better if they'd had two people of Nicholas' experience with the team.

AC01: Isn't there anything you want to ask me?

Blake scowled. There were a lot of things, but she wasn't sure what she felt comfortable sharing. A lot of her past had remained in the past, and she didn't like opening it up. In the end, she went with something safe.

AC02: Did you join a protest group in a moment of anger?

It took a whole minute for her alter-self to write back a message.

AC01: Are you asking if I fell in with a bad crowd? Hypothetically speaking...

AC02: Yes.

AC01: I might have. It's something I regret. You?

The other Blake was being evasive. That would have come across suspicious if she wasn't fairly sure she knew the reason why – and understood why it was happening. It looked like her alter-self had made the same mistakes she had.

Blake wasn't sure why that was such a crushing relief.

AC02: Yeah, I joined the White Fang. That's what you did as well, right?"

AC01: Yes.

AC01: It's kind of a relief you did. For a moment, I thought I was talking to someone who didn't, and I felt like a failure.

Blake laughed silently. Yeah, she knew how that felt. It looked like Blake Belladonna was destined to make poor choices across any reality. Maybe Jaune had been right about them connecting.

AC02: I was worried about the same.

AC01: I guess it makes sense we'd think the same way. I did apologise to mom and dad later, once I realised it wasn't the right way, and after I nearly got eaten by a sentient house.

AC02: Looks like our circumstances are close to identical.

AC01: Our history at any rate. It feels like ARC Corp itself is where things differ. Juniper is alive, Nicholas is less mean – probably because his wife is still alive – and the company is doing a lot better for it.

AC01: But we were still born to the same parents, had the same upbringing, and made the same mistakes.

AC02: Looks like it.

This wasn't so bad. Maybe now the fear of being upstaged was out the way, she could chat more openly with a Blake who had made just as many crummy decisions in life as she had. It was like talking to someone who knew you perfectly. Blake could see how it could become addictive.

AC02: Did you shack up with Sun?

AC01: Sun Wukong!? No. Why, did you!?

AC02: We dated for a bit but it didn't go anywhere.

AC01: ...

AC01: Was he any good...?

Blake snorted.

AC02: It didn't go that far. He felt it was too sudden despite that he was only here for the Vytal festival.

AC01: Seriously? Talk about prudish.

AC01: I'm actually dating Yang at the moment.

AC02: Ruby's sister!?

AC01: Yes. We met through her.

AC01: Why? Does that sound so unlikely to you?

AC02: Yes. On account of Yang HATING us.

AC01: Really? Yang isn't even aware of what we do in this world. I've kept business and personal life apart.

AC02: It's Mountain Glenn. A straggler from the city made it to Vale and ended herself in front of Yang. Scarred her and forced her to find out about the anomalous.

AC01: Ah. I guess that would turn her off me. You, I mean.

AC02: Yeah...

AC02: Let's just say Yang isn't a fan. The fact she's partnered with Weiss doesn't help.

AC01: SDC, right? I heard you dealt with them late. The family was dissolved before I even joined in this world.

AC01: Nicholas and Juniper dealt with them four years ago. Willow and Jacques were killed, Winter arrested, and the rest of the family were forced to join ARC Corp.

AC01: Over here, Weiss is an affiliate agent.

Wild. Absolutely crazy. Though, in a way, Blake could see the logic. If Weiss and Whitley had been so much younger, they'd have needed new guardians, so why not adopt them and train them to join the company. It was a little shocking to join the group that killed your family, but the Weiss in this world hadn't exactly been hurt that they died, so she imagined there weren't many happy familial feelings in the other world either.

AC02: Sounds like you've had an easier time of things.

AC01: I wouldn't say that. We've had our fair share of tragedies here as well. Beacon got hit by White Fang and a woman known as Cinder at the Vytal Festival. Hundreds died.

AC01: Not anomalous, but a terrorist attack Jaune says never happened in your world.

AC02: It didn't. Cinder attacked us and tried to steal anomalies, though.

AC02: We forced her back and then Salem herself intervened to summon her back.

AC01: Salem...? Who's that?

AC02: I'll ask Jaune to send files through on her. Easier than explaining it.

AC01: Cheers. I'll mention it to Jaune. Sounds like a promising lead for us. Bright side, Ozpin died. Is he a prick in your world?

AC02: Abso-flipping-lutely.

AC01: lol. Good to hear.

AC01: Anyway, I need to ask you some serious questions. First of all, I need a list of every NoL book released in your world – because if there are ones you have that I don't, I'm going to need them transcribed and sent over to me.

Blake laughed and got to typing. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. It was new, and fun, to be able to talk to herself like this. Perhaps her paranoia had all been for nothing. With a smile on her face, Blake stayed for a full hour, until Jaune came and told her they needed to head back to their office. Almost reluctantly, she said her farewells to someone who was fast becoming her closest confidante and logged off.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Jaune asked. "And my mom is alive. Not my mom but close enough. I can talk to her, ask her things I was never able to." He took a shuddering breath. "It'll be the closest I'll ever come to hearing if she's proud of me."

Blake grasped his shoulder. His infernal heat could be felt even through his clothes. "I'm sure she will be, Jaune."

"Yeah. I hope so..."

Next Chapter: 28th October

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