Dust and Echoes (RWBY/Halo)
Chapter 14: Glasslands
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"This is a cryo-chamber, otherwise known as a cryotube," one of the UNSC's many engineers explained as he led Remnant's Huntsmen and Huntresses into a cryobay.
The cryobay was specifically laid out just for them, with more than enough pods to house each of them, including their unexpected additions. Qrow honestly couldn't believe the Happy Huntresses got away with that stunt of theirs, although he did agree with the motivation. Atlas did tend to ignore Mantle at best, but the same went from Mantle to Atlas. It was a situation high above his paygrade, and if this ended up being a first step for the two cities to finally start seeing eye to eye, then he'd accept it.
The pods themselves were gunmetal grey tubes lined up against the wall in neat, inclined rows, with the front covered in glass. On the inside was a form-fitting gel bed for someone to lay back on, and at the bottom of the pod's front face was a nametag detailing which Huntsman and Huntress it was assigned to. Only the Happy Huntresses were unassigned, which made sense given how they showed up uninvited. He was admittedly worried about the additional four on logistics, but Commander Keyes explained that the Midsummer Night had enough food and extra space to accommodate them and then some.
Or at least that's what Robyn explained after she returned from the bridge, her face ashen white as she was brought up to speed about the true purpose of their mission. Apparently, she also had a call with both Admiral Cole, who was set to depart back to the frontlines, and General Ironwood, neither of whom were happy. In the end, though, they accepted Commander Keyes' proposition, but it was clear that if anything were to go wrong, it would fall on both of their heads.
"So, we're…going to have to get into this?" Harriet Bree asked, clearly uncomfortable with being sealed into the tight space.
"That is correct, Bree," the engineer replied, turning towards her while pressing a button on the pod's control panel, causing it to open upward.
"Mind telling us why?" Qrow asked, crossing his arms.
"Space travel is long and dangerous," the engineer explained, folding his arms behind his back. "More importantly, long voyages use up a lot of resources, and trying to keep everyone awake would only exhaust them faster. As such, UNSC protocol for long-distance travel specifies that all non-essential personnel goes into cryogenic suspension for the duration of the trip."
"Am I to assume that 'cryogenic suspension' means this will freeze us?" Vine Zeki asked.
"That is correct. On the plus side, the aging process is almost completely halted during it. You could be in here for months and have only aged a day."
At the engineer's answer, many of the Huntsmen and Huntresses looked at each other apprehensively. None of them were particularly comfortable with being turned into human popsicles. It sounded dangerous and insane, but the fact that the UNSC apparently did it on a regular basis was also a cause for concern.
Seemingly picking up on their distress, the engineer raised his hands placatingly. "No need to worry. We are taking every precautionary measure to ensure nothing goes wrong, and Shakespeare, the Night's AI, will be monitoring you at all times."
"So it's safe?" Sienna Khan asked, but to everyone's alarm, the engineer shook his head.
"I never said that, which is what I want to talk to you about now," he explained, snapping his fingers towards an overhead observation bay where a projector was set up. The lights in the cryobay dimmed, and the projector came on and showed an image of a human male's muscular system.
"Cryogenic suspension carries a lot of benefits, which is why the UNSC uses it, but it does carry risks as well," he said. "That's only to be expected after putting someone in the freezer."
"Could you please explain what these risks are?" one of the Huntsmen from Vale, a faunus with the legs of a goat, asked demurely.
"Of course, Mr. Cornell. To start, in order to prevent ice crystals from forming in your cells, we inject a drug called cytoprethaline into your subcutaneous tissue. Without it, cryo-sleep is as fatal as you'd otherwise expect from freezing someone alive."
He gestured towards the cryobay door as medics carefully prepared injectors with long, thin needles and two bottles of cytoprethaline on the top. While most of the Huntsmen and Huntresses were able to keep their composure, a few gulped nervously. Tellingly, Harriet Bree looked at those who did and dismissively rolled her eyes at them.
"Anything else we should be concerned about?" Elm Ederne asked, remaining professional.
"Besides the ice crystals, your lungs are perhaps at the greatest risk of damage during cryo-sleep. As such, you will be required to ingest a bronchial surfactant, an enzyme that coats and protects the lungs during cryogenic suspension. Upon reawakening, your body will attempt to regurgitate the fluid, but you will have to swallow it. The surfactant replaces vital nutrients lost during cryo-sleep."
"Well…that sounds pleasant," May Marigold quipped. "Does it at least taste good?"
"Personally, I don't have an issue with it, but Commander Keyes insists that it tastes like lime-flavored mucus."
Everyone cringed at that description, and Qrow personally hoped he wouldn't have that reaction. But, given his luck, he doubted it.
"But," the engineer cut in, his face hardening slightly, "our biggest concern is what we call freezer burn."
"Freezer burn?" Robyn asked, tilting an eyebrow as the engineer turned to face her.
"It's a colloquial term, one that describes a condition where pharmaceuticals used during cryogenic suspension break down and are trapped in the muscles and joints. I've had it a few times during long stretches, and it's…agonizing."
The projected image changed to show the buildup of chemicals as detailed. True to the engineer's word, it looked remarkably uncomfortable, especially from the accompanying video showing a UNSC marine suffering from the condition inside a medical bay.
"Hold on, why is that marine naked?" Fiona Thyme asked, pointing towards the video in question.
True to the sheep faunus' word, the marine being tended to was, indeed, naked, causing everyone to look at the engineer questioningly. Slowly, though, Qrow and a few of the others began to form an inkling as to why that was the case, which was only confirmed when the engineer folded his arms behind his back once again and began to speak.
"During cryogenic suspension, cloth and other materials, such as bandages, can rub against the skin and cause severe cellular damage, resulting in freezer burn. Specifically large welts and rashes on the covered areas," he explained, and Qrow felt his stomach drop.
"Oh, Gods…" someone muttered, coming to the same realization he did.
"As such, most marines and naval personnel going into cryo-sleep do so naked or, if they're lucky, wearing one of the specially designed cryo-suits. Otherwise, they're going to have to deal with the pain that will ensue. Unfortunately, the Midsummer Night was not issued those suits."
"Are you telling me I have to get into one of those things completely in the buff?" a Huntress from Vale asked incredulously.
"That is correct, Ms. Marine."
"Well, I'm not doing it," she rejected, crossing her arms with a huff. "I can handle a bit of pain."
"Unfortunately, Ms. Marine," the high pitched, artsy voice of Shakespeare spoke up from the ship's intercom, "I'm afraid we can't allow that at this time."
"Why the hell not?!" Harriet demanded, clearly not wanting to strip down to her birthday suit in front of everyone. Hardly any of them did, not even Qrow.
"Because, frankly, you are among the first individuals from Remnant undergoing cryosleep," he pointed out, "and the prevention of freezer burn is a trivial matter. While your biology is mostly similar to that of Earth's, there is still a noticeable difference. To not ensure your first use of this procedure is as safe as possible would be grossly irresponsible. As such, we cannot allow for any unforeseen medical complications, especially one that is completely avoidable."
"We have our Aura to protect ourselves," Clover Ebi pointed out. "I'm certain it can heal something as simple as rashes."
"I understand that, Mr. Ebi, but the point remains. After our return to Remnant, you and the kingdoms are free to undergo extensive testing on the interactions of Aura and cryogenic suspension, but at the moment it is not advisable."
"Question," Vine spoke up calmly, as though he had already accepted what he had to do and was now only speaking up for everyone else. "Can you show us what happens if we don't?"
"Of course," Shakespeare happily replied. A moment passed, and the image on the screen shifted to a marine who chose to get into a cryo-pod while wearing his uniform.
"Ooh!" everyone cringed and recoiled as they saw the poor bastard's skin. It was completely covered in rashes, blisters, and welts, looking more like raw meat than skin. Each and every moment looked agonizing for the man, and the medics tending to him were only able to do so much.
"If any of you were to go into cryo wearing your…illustrious apparel, of which I am a great fan of, by the way, that is what awaits you," Shakespeare declared. "What's it going to be? Your health, or your modesty?"
A heavy silence fell over the group as they tried to figure out what to do. Then, after a moment, Qrow sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt and slipping off his pants. Everyone stared for a moment, with the exception of Vine who had already begun to strip as well, and with great reluctance, they followed suit. After that, they were all left standing stark naked in a neat row, some trying to cover themselves with their hands while others didn't even bother, and all of them trying to avoid eye contact (or getting caught with their gaze wandering at least), the UNSC medics administered the cytoprethaline and the bronchial surfactant. True to Keyes' word, it tasted like a fruity mucus to Qrow, but he endured it all the same as he stepped into the cryopod which sealed shut behind him. Laying back against the gel bed, he waited anxiously for a few moments before the entire pod was filled with cold gas. The glass was covered in a layer of frost, and the last thing Qrow saw before everything went black was the engineer checking something over on his terminal, ensuring that everything was going well.
UNSC Midsummer Night, Stalwart-class Light Frigate
Slipspace Transit
March 15th, 2541 0630 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
The first sensation that Qrow Branwen felt was a newfound sense of rejuvenating warmth flooding through his body. The process was slow and steady, but soon Qrow's heart began to beat normally, blood pulsated through his veins as it was supposed to, and his breathing went from shallow to heavy. A few moments later, the bronchial surfactant he and the others were forced to ingest prior to their cryosleep spewed forth from his lungs, and it took all his training to not immediately throw up the lime-flavored slime. Instead, he forced himself to swallow just as the cryopod began to open with a pneumatic hiss. At the same time, the frost-covered glass began to thaw, allowing him to see a pair of technicians wearing yellow and grey uniforms waiting on him. That being said, his vision was blurry, so he wasn't able to make out much. Nor could he really speak, as his throat felt dry and constricted.
"Alright, vitals are green," Qrow heard one of the engineers say as he worked on the control panel. His voice was muffled through the glass and the ringing in Qrow's ears, but with each passing moment, Qrow's senses readjusted.
"Let's get him out of there," the other engineer, this one a woman, added as she stepped back, allowing for the cryopod door to open upward.
For the first time in a month, Qrow felt the dry, recycled air of a UNSC starship hit his bare, naked skin, but he didn't really care as he took a few tentative steps forward. His vision cleared and sharpened, allowing the veteran Huntsman to finally see what his attendants actually looked like, and found that his ears hadn't lied to him. There was a dark-skinned bald man and woman with a pale complexion and short brown hair that went down to just above her shoulders looking over him, trying to determine if there were any complications getting out of cryo.
"Everything looks good. No signs of freezer burn," the woman said as she finished circling the naked Huntsman, who remained absolutely still.
"Same here," the balding man added, then stepped back and placed his hands on his hips. Looking up at Qrow, he declared, "You know, for your first time, you're taking cryosleep pretty well."
A brief, heavy silence fell over the trio as they stared at each other. Then Qrow could no longer handle it, and he fell to his knees and let out a low groan.
"God DAMMIT!" he screamed out in pain as he held his body close, feeling as though he was simultaneously burning and freezing to death.
"Yep, there it is," the woman quipped, but Qrow didn't acknowledge her as he flared his Aura as much as he could.
"What the Hell?!" Qrow yelled, his teeth chattering as he rubbed his arms back and forth as fast as he could, trying to regain his sense of touch. It was agonizingly slow, but when it started to return he suddenly felt the sensation of his bare skin against the metal floor. It might as well as have been hot lava as he stood straight up, futilely trying to get as far away as possible. Part of him was even tempted to transform into a crow to fly up from it and cover himself with the protection of his feathers, but he wasn't that desperate. Not yet, at least.
"Here, take these," the man offered, grabbing a set of red and black clothes for Qrow to change into. As the Huntsman ripped the garments out of the engineer's hands, not even caring that they weren't his normal attire, the engineer added, "Yeah, cryosleep is great for long voyages, but it's a bitch to get out of. Especially the Mark VIIs. The moisture balancing on those sucks. You're gonna have cryo-itch for about a day or so, by the way."
"Well, that's good to know!" Qrow growled as he changed into the clothes, desperate for any protection he could get.
The woman rolled her eyes, but Qrow chose not to retort in favor of zipping up the warm clothes and slipping on a pair of shoes that were provided. He took a few moments to breathe, allowing his Aura the chance to fully heal his body. After a few moments of rest and heavy breathing, he looked around and saw other technicians beginning to wake up the other Huntsmen and Huntresses, all of whom were in a similar state of dress as he was. Judging by his own experience, though, he could only assume that they were in for a rude awakening. The same went for the Happy Huntresses, who had a squad of marines waiting in front of their pods on standby.
"Sorry about that, Branwen," the male engineer spoke back up, bringing Qrow's attention back to him. "Trust me, cryosleep isn't pleasant for anyone, but it's necessary. Normally we would have trained you all beforehand, but given the nature of this mission…"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Time was of the essence," Qrow droned. Sighing and rubbing the back of his head, he muttered, "This is definitely going in my report…"
"Hopefully not the only thing," the woman replied, placing her hand on her hip and resting her weight on one leg. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to run a maintenance diagnostic on your pod. We kept getting some weird fluctuations on it all month that forced Shakespeare to intervene a lot."
"…Yeah, I'll let you get on that," Qrow stated, having a good idea about what caused those fluctuations but choosing not to say anything. The last thing he wanted was to be treated like a liability because of his Semblance. He already did that to himself, and there was no need to add to it.
He turned his attention towards the rest of the Huntsmen and Huntresses. As he expected, most of them reacted exactly as he did, writhing in pain and barely controlled agony. A few of the tougher, or at least more prideful, members outwardly displayed little discomfort, but even he could tell that was just a thin mask as they flinched with almost every breath.
"We're going to have to go into cryo-sleep every time we need to jump anywhere, aren't we?" Qrow asked, and to his dismay, the two engineers nodded.
"Yep," the male engineer, whose nametag was still incomprehensible to him, replied, and Qrow sighed and hung his head.
"Gods dammit."
It took nearly an hour for the Huntsmen and Huntresses to be fully cleared after they awoke from cryosleep. Rather, it took an hour for the UNSC to clear them of any medical issues, of which none were found. The waiting was more of an annoyance than anything, and Qrow's discomfort had alleviated mostly within twenty minutes outside of a persistent itch that just would not go away despite his best efforts, but he couldn't fault their caution. As the UNSC said, they were the first people from Remnant to undergo cryosleep, and given its prevalence in space travel, it was a high priority to ensure everything went smoothly. Now, though, he and the others were finally able to leave, and the first thing they did was head straight to the mess hall.
Turns out that being frozen for a month tends to make one extremely hungry. While the food the UNSC provided wasn't anywhere close to what he could make at home, it might as well have been a five-star meal.
"Harriet, slow down," Qrow heard Elm say as he filled his tray with large amounts of food. "It's not a race."
Harriet gave her fellow Atlesian Specialist a sideways glare while continuing to shovel scrambled eggs into her mouth, and after swallowing remarked, "I haven't eaten in a month, Elm, and I'm starving."
"So are we, but the last thing we need is for you to accidentally choke on your food," Clover said, calmly eating his food at a somewhat quickened pace. "Slow down before you do, please, and don't make me order you."
Harriet Bree looked at her superior officer for a bit, then sighed and nodded in acceptance. Happy that their teammate was responding to reason, they returned to eating their food in relative peace. All around them, sitting together in groups on different tables, were the rest of the Huntsmen and Huntresses. As Qrow expected, they chose to group themselves up by Kingdom, with the exception of the Happy Huntresses who sat at their own table, under armed guard of course. Granted, there probably wasn't anything those marines could do if Robyn and her team decided to act against them, but doing so would invite the wrath of every person on board.
After gathering the rest of his food, Qrow found an empty table near the corner and sat down. It gave him a good vantage point, allowing him to properly observe everyone. The cafeteria looked like any other UNSC room on the ship, being boxy and utilitarian in design. The tables and stools were metal plates that extended upward from the floor, which weren't all that comfortable. There wasn't even a back for Qrow to lean on. Scores of marines and ODSTs, all wearing casual dress, were in with them, but many were openly gawking at the amount of food the Huntsmen and Huntresses were eating.
"How can they eat that much?" one of them muttered under his breath.
"That's enough food for like…five people," another pointed out.
"Are we gonna have enough?" someone else openly wondered.
Qrow wasn't really surprised by the reactions they were getting. For one, Huntsmen and Huntresses had always required more food on account of their strenuous lifestyle. Can't fight Grimm and bandits on empty stomachs, after all. At the same time, it had been found that humans and faunus from Remnant, or Remnantian as they were beginning to be collectively called by UNSC personnel, had higher metabolisms than humans from Earth and its colonies, whom Remnant media had begun to call Terran as an easy shorthand in turn, which meant they consumed more food by default. Thankfully, Commander Keyes had taken that fully into account, and had insisted that they had enough resources to last. There would be a few stops along UNSC colonies for resupply, obviously, but that was only to be expected.
He turned his attention from the marines back to the Huntsmen and Huntresses he would be calling his teammates for the next year or so. After having to stand around and wait for the UNSC to medically clear them, he had finally managed to learn their names and get an inkling of their personalities. Joining him from Vale were two Huntsmen and one Huntress, led by a short man only five feet tall with golden brown hair, tan skin, and a gold hoop dangling from his left ear named Sepia Honeycreep. Joining Sepia was a woman named Casper Marine. She had an olive complexion, with long black hair that went down to her upper back. Her face had this determined yet hesitant look to it, which Qrow could understand. Finishing out the Vale group was the only faunus among them, a man named Thomas Cornell whose legs, below the thighs, were those of a goat. The UNSC weren't able to make pants to accommodate them, which meant he had to wear a pair of shorts that left the reddish-brown fur, the same shade as his curled hair and goatee, exposed. More than a few marines openly gawked at them, with the bravest among them coming up and outright asking questions which Thomas was more than happy to answer. Out of the entire group, he seemed to be the most comfortable around people, which meant he was doing most of the talking.
Shifting towards the group from Menagerie, all of whom were faunus, he saw that they were in hushed conversation amongst themselves. All it took was a moment's glance to see that Sienna was in charge of this group, all of whom were deferring to whatever she said. The one sitting next to her, who Qrow could only assume was her second in command, was Gron Traekke, a faunus whose skin was entirely replaced by green, reptilian scales to the point where he had no hair on his body whatsoever. If one didn't know any better, they would have thought he wasn't a hominid at all. From the look on his face as he disdainfully glared around the room, sizing up everyone who wasn't a faunus, Qrow could tell that Gron didn't have the greatest opinion of humans, from either Remnant or the UNSC.
On the other hand, Abby Redwall, a short, pale-skinned faunus with a pair of light brown mouse ears atop her head, was looking around in barely concealed excitement. She was almost bouncing in place, openly gushing about how they were in space and how she couldn't wait to tell her parents when she got home. Her head was moving around so quickly that her long, braided hair was moving around like a whip, at least until the final member of their group stopped her, a man whose hair was replaced by dark-blue feathers named Yuri Grammy. Yuri was fairly tall, nearly reaching Qrow in height, and he had this sense of cool detachment around him that masked the fact that he was, in actuality, doing the exact same thing Qrow was doing. Occasionally the two of them would lock eyes for a split second, but soon separated to go back to their own observations.
Turning away from Menagerie's group, Qrow took a moment to observe everyone as a whole. On the surface, everything seemed peaceful, but underneath Qrow could tell there was a hint of tension and distrust. For starters, no one was intermingling, neither with the UNSC nor their fellow Huntsmen. That could pose a problem, especially if things went sideways, but at the same time Qrow wasn't really all that worried. Not including the month in cryosleep, this was only the first day traveling via spaceship. They were in the most alien environment anyone from Remnant had ever experienced, and when combined with the class and racial tensions brought with them from home, it was only natural that they'd segregate into their own cliques.
"Do you always sit by yourself, Branwen?" a familiar voice asked, interrupting Qrow's thoughts. Looking up, he saw that Sergeant Johnson was standing in front of the table, holding a tray of food and a disposable bottle of water.
The two men stared at each other for a moment, then Qrow shrugged and remarked, "On occasion."
"I bet. Room for one more?" he asked. Seeing no problem with it, Qrow nodded, and Johnson sat down. Taking a few bites from his food, he downed it with a drink of water then added, "You know, for a mission meant to bring us together, not a lot of mingling going on."
"Yep," Qrow noted, taking a drink of his own water. "What can you expect, though? They've only been awake for an hour after a month on ice. Give it time, they'll warm up."
"I understand that," Johnson replied, pointing his fork at Qrow, then added, "just as we both know that one is going to interact with each other if they can help it. Not without a little push. Know what I mean?"
Qrow looked at Johnson for a moment, then once again glanced around the room. For anyone paying enough attention, it was obvious that the sergeant's observation was more than accurate. In fact, every time the Happy Huntresses and the Ace-Ops glanced in each other's general direction, heated glares were exchanged between them. He wasn't worried about a fight breaking out, but it didn't look like the ice would be breaking anytime soon. The same was true for the UNSC's forces towards Remnant's fighters, and vice versa. Outside of a few brave individuals with quick, passing questions, they mostly stayed to their respective groups.
He turned back towards Johnson, then nodded and said, "Yeah, I get what you mean."
"I know that being a marine and a Huntsman are two entirely different things," Johnson admitted after swallowing a bite of toast, "but trust me when I say that a unit's survival depends on its members being able to get along. All the skill and experience in the world means nothing if no one can cooperate. A dysfunctional team is a dead team."
"Are you expecting a fight?"
"God, I hope not, but it's best to be prepared. Know what I mean?"
Qrow took a moment to think it over, then nodded. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Question is, what are we gonna do about it?"
"I think this is a good start, don't you think?" Johnson pointed out, referring to his seating at Qrow's table. "Besides, you looked lonely."
Qrow flatly stared at the veteran marine for a few moments, then groaned .Johnson chuckled at his reaction before going back to eating in relative silence. At the same time, they felt the stares from everyone, hoping that this would be enough of a first step to finally start getting both sides to get along.
It took about an hour for all of them to finish eating, but once they were done Commander Keyes requested they come up to the bridge. As Qrow expected, the Ace-Ops were the first to comply, with the rest of the Huntsmen and Huntresses following suit, although Menagerie's was noticeably the last to follow. Not by much, so it wasn't a concern, but it was still noticeable. When they arrived at the bridge, they were greeted by the sight of Commander Keyes standing over a holotable while the rest of his bridge crew attended to their stations. Through the glass windows they saw nothing but a black void, unnaturally devoid of any stars or other points of light. Clearly they were still in Slipspace, but Qrow had no idea how much longer that would be the case.
Next to the commander was the holographic projection of the ship's onboard AI, Shakespeare. This was the first time Qrow had ever seen a UNSC artificial intelligence, so he focused his attention on it. The AI's avatar was that of a bearded man with a moustache and long hair. He was wearing thick, black, gaudy clothes with a white frill around his neck, and the skin, for lack of a better word, was a light blue that shimmered as dust particles went in and out.
"Welcome," Commander Keyes greeted, folding his arms behind his back while addressing the Huntsmen and Huntresses. "I trust your time in cryo-sleep was comfortable."
"With all due respect, Commander, I wouldn't call it that," Clover politely replied, speaking for everyone. Qrow was happy that he did. Had he spoken, he doubted his response would have been as appropriate. Rather than be offended, however, Commander Keyes merely chuckled and shook his head.
"Yes, I figured as such," he admitted. "In my own personal experience, it took several times going into the freezer for me to grow used to it, although the cryo-itch has never stopped being uncomfortable and the surfactant always tastes foul."
"Like lime-flavored mucus," Qrow repeated, involuntarily shuddering from the foul taste, and Commander Keyes nodded sympathetically.
"Indeed," he said, then his face hardened and he straightened himself. "But I didn't call you up to complain about cryogenic suspension. Shakespeare, if you please."
"Of course, Commander," Shakespeare replied, and the holotable sprung to life, showing twelve planets and a large, dense asteroid field orbiting an orange K-class star.
"This is the Eridanus system," Keyes explained as several pieces of text, written in both English and Vytalian, came on screen, "located roughly 25 light years from Remnant. While the entire system was colonized and settled, with a total population of nearly four million, most lived on the second planet, Eridanus II."
The hologram zoomed in on the planet in question, showing a lush, vibrant world with large continents and scattered islands surrounded by water. A few large cities could be seen, their lights glowing in the darkness. In many ways, it reminded Qrow of Remnant, but he didn't allow himself to be deceived. There was only one reason why they would be showing him this image, and most of his fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses recognized that as well. A few were more casual, but whether that was out of genuine disbelief towards the planet's most likely fate or simple ignorance, he didn't know.
"Before the Covenant's arrival, Eridanus II was mostly a peaceful rural settlement, devoid of pollution and crowding. In addition to its climate controlled weather, it boasted beautiful landscapes and prestigious institutions of higher learning," Keyes continued. "Insurrectionist activity was prevalent, unfortunately, including a rebellion in 2494 and an attempted coup against the civilian government in 2513, both of which were thwarted and put down."
"Can't imagine why they'd rebel twice," Gron Traekke muttered under his breath, but before he could say anything else Sienna gently drove her elbow into his side. He caught the message and clammed up but, from the quick sideways glance that Commander Keyes shot the faunus with, he was heard loud and clear. Rather than respond, however, Keyes refocused and continued.
"By 2525, the system had managed to calm down, but just five years later, it was found by the Covenant," Keyes declared, prompting the holographic projection to shift.
Qrow and everyone else winced or gasped as the lush planet of Eridanus II was replaced by a glowing, molten fireball. The oceans were gone, boiled away from the heavy plasma bombardment, and the once vibrant cities were now nothing more than dead, gutted wastelands. It was exactly how Ozpin described seeing the glassed remains of Harvest. It was a somber sight to behold, but what scared Qrow the most was the knowledge that, if the UNSC was telling the truth, this would be the exact same fate awaiting Remnant should the Covenant find them. Remnant would go the same way as Eridanus II, a planet practically at their cosmic doorstep.
"Now the entire system is uninhabited, and out of the four million people who called Eridanus home, only five-hundred thousand managed to escape," Keyes quietly revealed. A heavy silence fell over the group as they took the information in, and Qrow closed his eyes and clenched his fist before releasing it.
"I take it this is where we'll be going?" Robyn asked, and Commander Keyes nodded.
"Correct. It's the nearest planet to the Oum system that suffered complete glassing," Keyes confirmed. "We would have been here sooner, but in accordance with Cole Protocol, we made a random jump to an uncharted system prior to heading here."
"Understandable," Yuri replied, crossing his arms. "When will we be entering the system?"
"Roughly two days from now," Keyes answered. "In the meantime, we will be prepping you for dropping planetside, namely full-body suits to protect you from the hazardous environment. Luckily Eridanus II has roughly the same gravity as Earth and Remnant at 1.01 G, so we shouldn't need extensive training in handling different levels of gravity. In addition, although Ms. Thyme has graciously volunteered to test Dust's capabilities outside of Remnant's atmosphere using her Semblance, we cannot bank on that succeeding. As such, Chief Donnelly, the Midsummer Night's chief weapon engineer officer, has requested that you all report to the armory so that you can oversee the modification of your weapons to suit our standards."
Qrow immediately understood the subtext of that statement, given that the same department had already offered to take care of the modifications on their own before they'd been put in the freezer. Commander Keyes might as well have been shouting out, "Our guys couldn't understand a single thing about your crazy weapons, so please do it yourself before we accidentally break something."
It was a request he and the others more than happy to oblige, and so they left the bridge after being dismissed. The marines escorting the Happy Huntresses led the way. After traveling down a few floors and through several identical hallways, they found themselves at the armory. It was structured like any other he'd seen, with several lines of lockers and weapon racks containing boxes of ammunition, pistols, rifles, and more. The heavier weapons were stored in separate, specially marked rooms, and laid out on several tables were their own weapons, all of which were in fine condition.
"Ah, there you all are," Donnelly remarked as they walked towards him. He was a middle aged man with a thick mustache over his upper lip, and short cropped brown hair.
"I gotta admit, these are some of the most…creative weapons we've ever seen," Donnelly admitted while scratching his head and walking over to one of the tables. As Qrow expected, the weapons were arranged by Kingdom, with Harbinger laying next to the rest of Vale's arsenal.
"While you all were in the freezer," he continued, "we tried modifying them to accept our ammunition, seeing as how your ammo isn't available at the moment, but it didn't take long for problems to prop up. Namely, your weapons are the most complicated I have ever laid eyes on. I read the reports, so I know that the Grimm prompted the creation of these transforming monstrosities, but frankly my men and I were afraid of breaking these things if we so much as looked at them funny. So, if you don't mind helping us out, we would greatly appreciate it."
"Of course, sir," Clover replied, stepping forward with a smile on his face. "We'll be more than happy to—"
"Speaking of," Donnelly interrupted as he shifted his attention to Clover, causing the Specialist to stop in his tracks. When he pulled a collapsed pole handle from the table, the other Ace-Ops immediately grinned and bit back a chuckle while Clover merely sighed, knowing exactly what was coming next as Donnelly continued, "is this…weapon yours, Specialist Ebi?"
"Kingfisher is mine, yes," Clover admitted, taking the weapon and pressing its trigger guard, causing it to extend outward and showing its true form.
"It's a fishing pole," Donnelly remarked.
"Yes, it is."
"How in the bloody hell do you expect to fight with a fishing pole?"
"Very carefully, sir," Clover said with the air of an old running joke in his voice. A few of the other Huntsmen and Huntresses chuckled, but Chief Donnelly wasn't amused and he frowned deeply.
"Now, I know I'm not in a position to criticize what you all can do," Donnelly started, causing everyone to quiet down, "and since you're here, I don't doubt you can make this fishing pole into an instrument of death. But I'm going to go off on a limb and say that these weapons were primarily meant to kill the Grimm and criminals. Am I correct in that assumption?"
"You are, yes," Qrow replied, crossing his arms and leaning back against one of the lockers. "Look, I know that our weapons might look crazy to you, but we make them work. There's no need to worry about us not being able to support ourselves if things go sideways."
"I'm not denying that," Donnelly replied, leaning forward and resting his weight against one of the tables, "but here's the thing: I don't doubt these weapons are great against the Grimm, and some of them I can even justify. A shotgun-sword is a bit redundant, in my opinion, but I can understand it. A rocket launcher-hammer sounds like it could be useful, if a bit too dangerous for my tastes, and frankly the sniper rifle-spear is the sanest one I've seen out of the bunch. Hell, I wished our men had the type of exoskeletons that Specialist Bree uses."
Qrow spotted Yuri preen up slightly at the compliment, and Harriet smiled proudly before admitting, "Thanks, but if I'm being honest it has some kinks left to fill out. The arms don't collapse which restricts my movement and the Dust battery is cumbersome. Might make it impractical to give to your marines just yet."
"Figured as such. But, anyway, the rest are just swords, crossbows, a fishing pole, and a horn. As in the musical instrument. Honestly, the fishing pole makes more sense as a weapon than that in my opinion."
"Hey," Thomas Cornell muttered, slightly insulted at the derision his weapon was getting. A few of his fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses looked at the goat faunus sympathetically, while the more practically-minded (or "Boooring~!" as Qrow imagined little Ruby would say) of them nodded in agreement.
Donnelly continued, "All of those might work against the Grimm, but against the Covenant? That's an entirely different story. I read the reports from the Vytal Conference. Everyone on the Night did, as per Commander Keyes' orders, so I think I have an inkling as to how the Grimm operate. The Covenant don't fight like the Grimm do. They're an organized military force, and they're going to fight you like one. That means you can't expect them to just charge you out in the open to meet your sword or your club. Some Elites or Brutes armed with energy swords and gravity hammers might, but most will just gun you down with concentrated fire from plasma weapons well before you get the chance to get to them. Maybe not at first, but eventually they'll waste you. Fighting an army is a lot different than fighting animals."
Qrow frowned, but at the same time he couldn't fault the engineer's logic. Neither could the Ace-Ops, who perhaps agreed with the man before even Qrow did. The rest were a bit of a harder sell, especially the Happy Huntresses and Menagerie's, with the exception of Yuri.
"It does have ranged attacks, though," Thomas gave a muttered protest, then more quietly added, "Or at least it does if the Dust is working…"
Then Abby Redwall politely raised her hand to be called upon. Clearly the mouse faunus was young, probably only a few years post-graduation, and when Donnelly called upon her she cleared her throat and straightened herself.
"Well, while I guess that makes sense, I have to ask what do you want to do? My claymore's been in my family for generations, and I've trained for years on how to wield it. So I'm not exactly willing to give it up for something I have no idea how to use," she admitted.
"Don't worry, I understand what you mean," Donnelly replied. "All we're asking is that, in addition to any modifications deemed necessary to let your primary weapon work with our supplies, you carry a sidearm with you. A magnum or SMG should work fine for now."
Abby thought it over and pursed her lips in thought, then glanced at Sienna for approval. After a moment, the tiger faunus nodded, and Abby turned back towards the engineer and smiled before saying, "That works for me."
"Perfect. Anyone else have any objections?" he asked, turning around the room.
When no one said anything, he nodded once again then ordered his engineers to come up and help the Huntsmen and Huntresses. Soon the entire room was filled with the sounds of tinkering and mixed conversations, with the Huntsmen and Huntresses explaining their weapons to the engineers who, in turn, offered solutions on how to best mix and match.
Some, like Abby and her basic claymore, Sienna with her chain, Gron with his arming sword that could inject or disperse poison, Casper with her sword that had a horn built into the hilt, Thomas and his horn, Clover with his fishing pole, and Vine with his chakram didn't require much, if any, modification. Or rather, they'd all require full redesigns to add firearm functions to them in the first place. As such, they quickly moved towards selecting a UNSC sidearm and familiarizing themselves with it in the adjacent firing range.
Harriet's exoskeleton was a bit trickier, but after a while they managed to hook it up to UNSC power cells meant to be carried in a large rucksack. Since the Happy Huntresses all used similar crossbow staffs, and Robyn's own wrist-mounted crossbow, the only modifications they got were specialized bolts that Shakespeare had taken the liberty of manufacturing with the ship's onboard assembler, and were simple enough to keep them all thoroughly stocked.
The rest, namely Qrow himself, Yuri with his sniper rifle-spear, Elm with her rocket launcher-hammer, and Sepia with his revolver-rapier, had to have the entire weapon disassembled, with the internal barrels and receivers carefully replaced with UNSC specifications, carefully redesigned by the owners to work with the different shifting mechanisms. After a few hours of workshopping and testing, followed by the choosing of a sidearm, they were all confident that what they had would suffice. With any luck, they wouldn't need to do anything, but better to be prepared than not.
UNSC Midsummer Night, Stalwart-class Light Frigate
Eridanus System
March 17th, 2541 1245 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
"We'll be exiting slipspace in roughly five minutes, Commander," a member of the Night's bridge crew called out.
"Good," Keyes replied, chewing on his pipe as the rest of the Huntsmen and Huntresses gathered behind him, all facing the glass in rapt attention. "I want stealth systems online and engaged as soon as we enter real-space. Shakespeare, just in case the Covenant happen to patrol this system, I want us ready to jump out as soon as possible."
"Of course, Commander," Shakespeare replied, giving a dramatic bow at the same time.
Keyes nodded towards the Smart AI, then turned towards the Huntsmen and Huntresses, all of whom were wearing specially-designed and fitted full-body suits, courtesy of the ship's onboard assemblers. For the most part, they were simply wearing fitted ODST BDUs with external oxygen tanks. Thomas Cornell's goat legs required the pants of his BDU to be extensively modified, but Keyes' technicians were able to get it done. None of them were armed, as they didn't expect any resistance. The only things they carried were tools meant to gather samples and take photographs, all of which would be handed over to the Kingdoms once they returned to Remnant. At first, there was some apprehension, but Covenant patrols were infrequent in this area, and any Insurrectionist presence in the system was wiped out along with the rest of the colony. Once they exited slipspace, they would be the only living things in the Eridanus system. It was a sobering thought, especially when one considered how just a little over a decade ago Eridanus was home to millions.
Besides, if the Covenant were to arrive, they wouldn't be doing any fighting. Not if Keyes could help it.
"Once we arrive at the edge of the system," Keyes began to explain, "and assuming there aren't any Covenant patrols, the Midsummer Night will head straight to Eridanus II. We'll be dropping you off at the ruins of Elysium City. Before the Covenant arrived, it used to be one of the planet's major population centers."
"How long will we be staying on the ground?" Sienna asked, holding her helmet in her hands.
"No more than ten hours," Keyes revealed. "I'm not willing to risk us staying any longer."
"Seems fair," Qrow admitted while giving a slight shrug. Part of him also figured that there would be ample opportunities to see more of the Covenant's handiwork in the future. They'd be on this ship for the rest of the year, at least.
"Entering real-space in five," one of the helmsmen declared, causing Keyes to turn towards the glass. After just a few seconds, they felt a shudder as the Midsummer Night left slipspace and entered the dense asteroid field that surrounded Eridanus. There were a few shakes and bangs as small meteors impacted against the ship's titanium hull, but there was no risk of structural damage.
"Scanning system for transmissions," another helmsman at a comms station called out, leaning into his monitor so that he wouldn't miss a thing. After a few moments, he leaned back and turned towards Commander Keyes, announcing, "Everything's clear, Commander. We're the only ship in system."
"Perfect. Chart a course straight to Eridanus II," Keyes ordered, letting out a small, relieved smile as he held his pipe in his hand. "Park us in between the planet and its moon, Ehilend."
"Yes, sir," the helmsman replied.
Once again Qrow and the rest of the Huntsmen and Huntresses felt a faint shudder as the ship's thrusters ignited, hurtling them through the vacuum of space towards the planet. It was remarkably fast, far faster than anything Qrow might have otherwise imagined, and it wouldn't be long before they'd arrive at Eridanus II. But it wasn't until they passed a gas giant that it finally sunk in for Qrow and everyone else. They weren't just flying through space away from Remnant, they were flying through space in another solar system entirely. Distant stars and planets that, at one point in time, seemed impossible to reach were now right in front of them. They were the first people in Remnant's history to leave the bounds of their solar system, and suddenly everything just felt so small. Their kingdoms, their planet, everything when compared to the vastness of space. A vastness they were now able to directly explore.
For the next hour, everyone was silent, basking in the grandiose nature of their presence here, but soon Qrow's attention was brought to a pale dot in the distance. At first it was tiny, barely the size of a pinhead, but soon it grew larger and larger with each passing minute. It wasn't hard to figure out what the dot was, and Qrow steeled himself for what was to come. He prayed to the Gods that it wouldn't be true, but he knew better. They all did.
"By the Gods…" someone muttered, but Qrow didn't know who. It might have been him for all he knew.
"Commander, now orbiting Eridanus II," a helmsman quietly said. "Pelican dropship on standby in the hangar bay."
"Thank you," Commander Keyes replied, folding his arms behind his back as they took it all in.
Long gone were the blue oceans, green forests, snowcapped mountains, and vast plains that made up Eridanus II's previous state. Instead, the entire planet was a barren wasteland, marked with deep scars that crisscrossed the planet's surface like claw marks. The ground shimmered slightly as the sunlight reflected off the glass, and although it had long since cooled, it wasn't hard to see the evidence of intense, direct heat that caused the scarring. But what shook Qrow the most was a particular shape carved into the center of the largest continent. Rather than a simple gouge in the earth, instead there was a deliberately made pattern. The design was composed of a circle with a dot in the center. From that dot came a half-circle that extended northward, with each end capped with another dot.
"When the Covenant found and glassed Eridanus II," Keyes slowly began, the entire bridge completely silent except for him, "they carved one of their glyphs into its surface. They don't always do it, but here they did. According to our intel, this symbol means 'Faith' in the Covenant's language."
"Faith?" Abby incredulously repeated, her eyes wide as she took it all in. "How could this…this…destruction represent faith?"
"The Covenant believe humanity's existence to be an affront to their gods," Keyes said, his eyes never leaving the symbol. At the same time, a hard, intense, and infuriated glare formed in them, and he nearly spat out, "This is how they show their faith."
No one else said a word. Instead, they silently stared at the planet's brand, one that stood for nothing but the millions of lives that were taken because of it. After a few minutes of silence, Qrow turned around and silently marched to the hangar bay. The others were right behind him, and they all piled into the Pelican without saying a word. Instead, they slipped their helmets on, hearing a hiss as the oxygen began to flow. Their pilots, seeing how angry and confused they were, stayed silent as well as they took off, flying down through the air towards Elysium City. There was still an atmosphere, so they experienced some turbulence but none of the Huntsmen or Huntresses cared. Instead, they stared silently at nothing, waiting for the moment when they touched down and were able to see everything up close and for themselves.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was only a few minutes, the Pelican slowed to a gentle stop. A loud crunch and shattering was heard as the lechatelierite below the dropship was crushed under its weight, but once again no one said a word. When the troop bay doors opened, they were greeted only by the sounds of a wailing wind over a vast empty plain of glass.
"…Gods have mercy," Casper muttered under her breath, her voice carried over through their helmet's comms.
"The Gods had nothing to do with this," Sepia countered, his voice filled with barely concealed rage and disgust.
"According to the Commander, they had everything to do with this," Yuri calmly pointed out, but it wasn't hard to hear the anger in his voice as well. He was just better at masking it.
"Everyone quiet. We've got a job to do," Clover said as he stepped out of the Pelican and onto the ground, which shattered slightly under his weight. He was trying his best to remain calm and collected, but everyone could tell it was a taxing action. Of the rest of the Ace-Ops, only Vine seemed completely composed, with Elm and Harriet doing nothing to mask how infuriated they were feeling.
"Yeah, just…be careful," Robyn gently said, following Clover as she sadly looked over the desolation. After spotting the ruins of Elysium City nearby, she added, "This is a mass grave, people. Let's treat it with respect."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Walking through the glasslands towards the city certainly felt like going into a graveyard at the dead of night. Passing by the ruined spires of buildings, Qrow could only imagine what the city used to look like. He imagined tall skyscrapers covered in shiny, reflective glass, people walking on sidewalks underneath the shade of broad trees, and cars driving along on wide streets. More importantly, he imagined the air being filled with conversation and laughter, insects chirping, dogs barking, birds flying overhead. Any signs of life, really. But now the buildings were twisted heaps of metal, the concrete streets repaved with lechatelierite, and nothing else. Anything that once called this city, and this planet, home was long since burned away. Occasionally, he thought he heard the echoes of terrified screams as people futilely tried to escape their demise, but it was only the wind moving through the twisted metal like whistles. It created an eerie atmosphere, one that he knew would haunt him for the rest of his days.
A particularly strong gust of wind pelted him with a hail of debris, causing Qrow to momentarily stop in place. His Aura and suit protected him and everyone else from the worst of the damage, but thanks to the built-in monitor in his helmet's HUD, he could see a noticeable dip. After a few more gusts, he reasoned that the air itself was filled with shards and granules of glass, making it difficult, if not outright impossible, to breathe unassisted. Suddenly he felt very glad about having this full-body suit, as Qrow didn't want to think about the damage he would take after breathing in glass particles.
Eventually, the Huntsmen and Huntresses split off to cover more of the area, once again segregating themselves by Kingdom and group. Only Qrow stayed by himself, but they all made sure to stay in contact over their comms at all times.
"I…I think I'm in what used to be a school," Thomas said over the radio. "But…I just…there's burns on the…"
"Found a passageway under an overpass. Looks like it was mostly protected from the plasma bombardment," Fiona stated, her voice sad and almost as though she was about to break into tears. "Didn't save them, though."
"Take samples and pictures wherever you can," Clover ordered. Before anyone could protest, he added, "I know, trust me, but Atlas, Vale, Menagerie…they need to see this. They need to see all of it."
Qrow sighed, knowing that Clover was right, yet still he couldn't shake the feeling that doing anything was tantamount to disturbing a grave. He continued his walk through the remains of an apartment complex. Or at least, he assumed that's what it was, judging by the similar lots left behind on the ground. Qrow never claimed to be an expert in urban planning. One spot was smooth, and he knelt down to run his gloved fingers over the glossy surface. There was hardly any friction, and he supposed the only reason why he wasn't slipping all over the place was the spiked treads in his boots. Everything was so finely melted down that it was impossible to see what was in it, but he once again let his imagination wander.
Was this truly a home? If so, who lived here? What did they do? Did they live alone or did they have a family? Were there any kids? Those questions and more flew through Qrow's mind at an endless pace, and more and more he thought back to his island home on Patch. The one he shared, at times, with Taiyang and his young nieces, Yang and Ruby. Qrow saw their happy, jubilant faces, then as he glared into the glassed ground, he saw their faces shift into terror and agony as everything around them, including themselves, was consumed by fire.
He shook those thoughts away. That wasn't happening right now, and with any luck, they'd make sure that it never would. But in order to ensure that dark future never came to pass, they had to make sure that Remnant knew exactly what they were dealing with. It could afford nothing less.
The hours ticked by, and during the entire time there were maybe only a couple dozen sentences uttered. Otherwise, everyone was silent, simply taking it all in. Their helmets automatically took pictures and recorded video, and whenever they found a good spot they took a hammer and chisel to the lechatelierite. Any and all samples they found were placed into specially marked bags, which would be sealed and later sent back with them to Remnant. This included the few ruined, but still recognizable objects that they managed to find from the everyday lives that were snuffed out here. Mementos like a half-slagged bottle, a charred wristwatch or a carbonized doll. Not the kind of souvenirs that Qrow ever planned on showing to his nieces. Eventually, they got the call that it was time to bug out, and with a haste in their step that they didn't previously have, they returned to the Pelican without saying a word.
No one spoke as the Pelican took off and flew back towards the Midsummer Night, for there was nothing to be said. Nothing that would accurately reflect the horror they bore witness to. There was one thing they were certain of, though. Any thoughts that the UNSC was lying about the Covenant were thoroughly dashed and destroyed, much like Eridanus II. All of them were horrified and wanted nothing more than to return home, but all of them knew that they couldn't. They had to keep pressing on, bear witness to more of the horrors and atrocities the Covenant inflicted on their interstellar brethren.
If they didn't, Remnant would be doomed.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here's the latest chapter of Dust and Echoes! Special thanks to Jesse K and NaanContributor for all their help in bringing this chapter to life.
The Huntsmen and Huntresses have bore witness to the horrific aftermath of a Covenant invasion, the infamous glasslands of Eridanus II. Now they realize the scope of what they are getting into, and you can imagine that similar events unfolded across human space. Even if they see other glasslands, this will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Now, onto the Q&A:
KiySky: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! We have a lot to share, and I hope you stick around to see it.
Guest (1): You're gonna have to wait and see how that unfolds in future chapters.
Guest (2): Actually, the Covenant calling Huntsmen "Hunters" is perfectly fine and justifiable. That's because the term Hunter, in the Halo sense, was a human designation, not Covenant. What humans called Hunters were called Mgalekgolo by the Covenant. The same goes for all the other species in the Covenant. Despite what the games may indicate, lorewise the Covenant don't call themselves Elites, Grunts, Jackals, etc. They're Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and San'Shyuum. In fact, they tend to get insulted when they hear humans call them Elites, etc. Except when it concerns the Jiralhanae/Brutes, as most believe that is completely accurate. So yeah, it's justifiable. May be somewhat confusing, but remember that the terminology used depends on the perspective being given. If it's from a human perspective, they'll use the Halo terms we all know and love. If it's a Covenant perspective, of which those will come, they'll use the Covenant lore terminology. Basically, if a human is talking about a Hunter, then it's the Halo Hunter. If it's an Elite, then it's a Huntsmen or Huntress.
Mr. Salty: You will have to wait and see how things unfold in that department. Just remember, Remnant isn't part of the UNSC. They're a sovereign planet, which means ONIs capabilities are limited.
I Am The Prophet: That is correct. More on the ARTEMIS armor later.
Cyberpunk1-009: I do a lot of research into all of my stories. While I definitely aim for my stories to be understandable and enjoyable by anyone without an encyclopedic knowledge of canon, there's definitely details in here that lore-savvy readers will pick up on. As for their homeworld, they did see it, it's just that it happened offscreen. We already showed their reactions through Ozpin and the other Headmasters, so it wasn't necessary to do it again. At least so close to the previous.
War: Don't worry, I'm not going to let any of my stories die. Not if I can help it. I intend to finish all of my stories, and I already have endings and major events planned out.
AXL999: None of the Huntsmen and Huntresses will be dropping in via HEV Pods with the ODSTs anytime soon. That requires specialized training which they don't have at the moment.
SilverRei: Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad that this story is getting so much attention in the first place.
The Last Z Fighter: There's definitely gonna be some butterfly effects due to the UNSC's arrival, that's for sure. You're going to have to wait and see how, exactly, that falls.
Guest (3): Ironwood's sanity falling was, honestly, his fault at the end of the day. It was his actions that led to the breakdown in relations between Mantle and Atlas. His problem is that he is entirely focused on the big picture. In this case, he had to stop Salem and warn the world around her. A good plan, in theory (Volume 8 seems to indicate Salem was actually pleased by the world knowing about her), but his problem was that he went way too far in trying to enact that plan. When the world thought that Atlas was becoming warmongers, rather than reach out to placate people, he withdrew, closed their borders, and enacted a Dust embargo far longer than necessary, thereby hurting everyone. He focused entirely on getting Amity up and running while completely neglecting Mantle, which already had a history of being viewed as second-class citizens when compared to Atlas. Case in point, the giant hole in Mantle's wall that Atlas didn't repair. Instead, any and all resources were diverted towards Amity, even resources that were supposed to go to Mantle. This led to the Happy Huntresses, who normally would have been great allies for Ironwood as they are genuinely good people, to act out and do what they did, which only got worse after Watts took advantage of Atlas' flaws to rig the election for Jacques Schnee. Finally, Ironwood has a hero complex in that he believes that he and he alone is the hero. He needs to be the hero, in fact. There was a whole song about it. As such, he only trust himself, especially after Ozpin's death. This isn't helped by the, frankly, toxic political climate Atlas fosters (shown through Jacques' charity ball in Volume 4), meaning Ironwood justifiably feels like the only sane person in the room. This leads to him taking on the weight of the entire world upon his shoulders as he doesn't trust anyone else to do it. Eventually, that weight grew and grew until he finally snapped, becoming the monster he was trying to stop. With that in mind, RWBY and JNPR were only trying to help him how they felt was best, especially with what happened at Haven and the revelations about Ozpin/Ozma. Unfortunately, it only added to the break, but honestly that break was a long time coming. It wasn't their fault, at the end of the day, and it's a tragedy more than anything else.
mellra: Oh yeah, that's certainly part of it. You can expect similar sentiments to appear over the course of the story.
ShinP: You'll definitely see more of that kind of stuff as time goes on, that's for sure.
CheesusChrist15: The idea, basically, is that the materials stored in Fiona's pocket dimension enter into a state of limbo, essentially. Whatever status they were in once they arrived remain like that when they come out. As such, the hope is that by storing activated Dust crystals in the pocket dimension, then taking them out on a proper atmosphere, they can prove that Dust can work outside of Remnant.
SPRTN544: That scene is actually what inspired Keyes' actions. He has a sharp eye, so we felt it was believable.
kpmh2001: Honestly, I think that STRQ was the RWBY of that generation in that Ozpin included them as part of his inner circle. I mean, Qrow, Raven, and clearly Summer knew about Ozpin's reincarnation, magic, and what not, so why should Taiyang be excluded? As for the Forerunners, most of the UNSC doesn't know about them, but we figured that the higher ups know at least the basics. Glad you liked the inclusion of the Ace-Ops and the Happy Huntresses. They really fit what we want to do with the upcoming chapters as well as allow us to highlight a canon issue (in-story issue) regarding the Atlas/Mantle divide. Also, I was not issuing a personal attack regarding your story.
Blazblade: Most of what I will be including in this story will have come from canon, but with some obvious modifications due to the nature of the crossover. A few fanon weapons might appear, but they'll be things like a Brute Needler, in which they're canon weapons but modified in certain ways.
Guest (4): You will have to wait and see what I do with Raven.
FloridaMan722: Adam's not nearly old enough for that to happen, honestly, so he didn't come. Also, I'm going with the rules I established for Raven's Semblance in Hunters of Justice in that she can go anywhere on the planet, but the longer the distance, the greater the Aura expenditure. As such, she cannot cross interstellar distances due to her Aura shattering almost immediately, but she can still feel if they're alive.
23debal01: You'll have to wait and see on that front.
Alexdel27: She was just spying on them in order to satiate her own curiosity as well as figure out what the hell was going on.
Evinco: Physical strength isn't the only thing that leads to abusive relationships. It's much more more multifaceted than that, which I don't really have the time to go into. Needless to say, Jacques isn't the physically abusive kind of abuser, rather he's emotionally abusive and very much controlling. He's been doing this for so long that the entire family feels trapped, and none of them are heartless enough to physically lash out at him. They aren't murderers, for instance, like Cinder. Instead, they reacted in different ways. Willow turned to alcohol in order to cope, Winter joined the military to become her own woman, Weiss became a Huntress in order to restore the good name of the Schnees after Jacques tarnished it, and Whitley went along with it and played the role of the dutiful son despite not liking Jacques at all. Case in point, he wasn't in any hurry to get his father out of jail and, in the end, helped Weiss and Nora, as well as the others, when they came to the Schnee Manor for rest and aid.
BOOTYboy: Glad you liked the chapter! As for how Remnant will react, you'll have to wait and see.
The-Killer40513: You'll get the answer to that in due time.
Vein Bloodborne: Thank you. Glad you liked it.
Ghostly: That'll mostly come later. As for now, they're focused on the Covenant.
nliochristou: It's exclusive to Remnant at the moment. Why that is the case will be revealed in due time.
Dragon lord Syed 101: You'll see, don't worry.
Steelrain66: Both of that is true. As for Keyes, the UNSC and ONI is pretty observant. They figured out pretty quickly that Ozpin was in charge of all the other Headmasters, and Qrow worked directly for Ozpin. Which afforded him some special treatment. They don't know he can turn into a bird, though.
Iron117Prime: That is coming, don't worry.
The Avenging Titan: That's what I do, throw curveballs at you all. As for Qrow's reaction, you're exactly correct. He doesn't want to believe they're real, but at the same time he can't dismiss it. Not entirely at least. Unfortunately for him, those doubts have now been thoroughly extinguished.
SulliMike23: No, no it was not. Added some much needed levity to an otherwise bleak chapter.
That's it for this time. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know us know what you all think. See you next time!