Let's get one thing out of the way first and foremost.
Lexigirl504, thank you, fucking thank you. I'm really glad that readers like you exist cause you GET IT. Thank you for loving the story Jeb, Bullet and I are constructing and understanding all of the details some may have missed and our endgame goal. You're awesome and I can only hope to continue to entertain you with this story. If you guys wanna know what I'm talking about, go to the reviews for Chapter 9. Again Lexigirl, thank you.
Second, Happy 2023 everyone, let's hope we get a good year.
And let's start it off now.
Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.
Avengers Age of Remnant Chapter 10: Monsters, missions and meetings
He was flying at full speed, his thrusters humming at full power, his HUD guiding him to his destination.
Tony Stark almost couldn't believe the luck he and the others had when stumbling upon this. A simple satellite test run yielded the immediate result of finding a wayward Avenger and friend.
"Friday."
"We're already going at full power, boss." His suit's AI informed him, making him scoff.
"Are we? Are we really?" Tony said with a roll of his eyes. "Surely we can-"
"Steve and the others haven't left the island yet." Friday interrupted. "Bruce is unlikely to go anywhere."
"Not taking any chances." He said, shaking his head. "In our line of work, I'm starting to see that nothing is off the books and whatever isn't there is likely written on the next page."
"Whatever you say."
It didn't take that much longer for the billionaire hero to arrive at the island of Menagerie, flying down, his HUD picking up on the multitude of civilians all taking notice of him. Many were confused but that confusion morphed into a sense of fear and trepidation as he was flying quite fast and right at the island.
"Screeching" to a halt in midair, Iron Man hovered over the gathered Faunus with guards among them all pointing their weapons at him.
"People of this fine island nation." Tony spoke in a tone of exaggerated grandeur. "I come from far and wide, from the sun and stars themselves to ask you one question."
He held out one hand and from it flickered a full-size holographic image of the man he came to see.
"Have you seen this gangly, slightly neurotic liar of a doctor? Therapy counts as some form of help and he failed during our last session."
Most were bewildered by this introduction to the armored Avengers. But the rest soon recognized who it was on display, some murmuring 'our doctor?' under their breath.
Many people pointed to a particular location right away.
"Thank you, fair citizens." Tony Stark said Shakespearean-like. "Your assistance for this simple, humble man owes you a great debt of gratitude."
He flew by them all, many murmuring as to what that was just now whilst the guards quickly moved to follow after the man.
Guided by his systems to the signatures of the other Avengers present on the island. He landed in front of, what he could describe being a ramen shop, stepping out of his armor and putting it on sentry mode.
Stark took a moment to look the place over, humming in appreciation.
"Nice place he wound up in. The surf, the sun." Pushing through the doors of the establishment, he saw a buxom blonde beauty sitting on Bruce's lap. "And the ladies. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, I always knew you had that potential in you."
Upon hearing his voice, Bruce looked up and his jaw dropped, standing upright.
The woman appeared ready for this as she curled up against Banner's chest, hands lacing around his neck as she wiggled against him. Realizing this, Bruce hooks his arms beneath her knees and shoulders, the blond woman smiling brightly at him, peppering him with kisses.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Tony asked, a brow raised at the open display of affection.
"She's been doing this all day." Said an accented voice to the side.
Stark looked over to see Wanda and Pietro seated at a nearby booth, both having large bowls of noodles that they were eating. Standing next to them was Cap and a woman around his age with black hair and cat ears poking out from them.
"Kat." Bruce said casually. "Can I please-"
"You're no fun sometimes, you know that?" The buxom woman complained with her cheeks puffed out.
"Jesus, it's like the opposite of Gomez and Morticia." Tony commented, walking forward, hand outstretched. "Tony Stark. Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist. This man's mentor on all things science and ladies."
"Are you gonna use that for every introduction now?" Steve asked with a raised brow, 'hmphing' at the memory when he first heard those set of self-descriptive words.
"Only towards the ones that matter most." Iron Man shot back, shooting the blond woman a charming smile. "Like this lovely pearl that can't get enough of our resident dork."
Said woman smiled salaciously, leaning on Bruce who seemed to just accept all her advances.
"You must be Tony Stark." She said, propping her chin on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm Kat. Bruce and his friends told me all about you on your way here."
"I hope not everything." Tony shot back, already liking the woman's attitude. He then turned to the other woman he had yet to meet. "And you are, good lady?"
She smiled politely at him, bowing her head slightly. "Kali Belladonna. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark."
"Tony." He quickly corrected. "No need for such formalities since, as I can see," Stark grinned at Bruce. "You've been treating my good friend here quite well."
Bruce only hung his head, smiling in slight embarrassment and amusement.
"I see you haven't changed much, if at all." The gamma-enhanced human commented.
"How can I? It's only been what? Two, three months?"
Banner let out a huff before stepping forward and embracing his friend, Tony returning the gesture.
"Good to see ya again." He quietly said.
Stark patted his back emphatically. "Yeah, well, next time you and jolly green decide to go for a quinjet joyride, give us a heads up."
Before they were able to speak any further, a small commotion was heard outside, making everyone turn to the entrance of the food joint.
In came several guards, all appearing somewhat sweaty and a bit out of breath.
They were quick to spot Kali, quickly addressing her.
"Miss Belladonna, there's an unknown-"
"He's right there." Kali quickly cut them off, gesturing her hand at Tony who was staring at them all. "And he's my guest, he was invited here."
The guard all stared blankly at the Avenger, looking at the other Avengers before becoming somewhat embarrassed, both by their entrance and their slightly frazzled look.
"Ahem." The lead guard coughed into his hand awkwardly. "We'll just uh, we'll just leave you to it, ma'am."
"Thank you, Mesmer." Kali kindly said.
"By the way, how bad of a show was it?" Pietro asked from his booth before the guards left.
"It wasn't that bad." Tony said quickly.
"You scared most of the locals into believing it was an attack from Atlesian extremists or bandits." Was the guard's deadpan response.
Stark scoffed in faux offense. "Bandits? Would bandits have something like that?"
The guards all turned their heads back at the Iron Man suit still in sentry mode.
"Maybe?" A young female guard said, in a weak attempt at justification.
All she got was a flat look in response from the former playboy, her appearing sheepish and the guards exiting seconds later.
Once they were gone, Tony turned back to Bruce who was once again having Kat drape herself over him.
"So Gomez, mind telling me about Morticia here?"
Tony, along with the rest of the Avengers here soon got a tour of the island, courtesy of Kali who personally showed them around.
They went to the marketplace, docks, and residential areas before arriving on the main strip of land that connected the island's many paths and streets, Kuo Kuana city.
"Nice~" Tony noted, taking stock of it all. "If not a bit congested."
"Least it's more spacious than Manhattan." Rogers idly said.
"Meh, you should've seen Sokovia." Pietro dismissed, eyeing a few Faunus women before getting "flicked" in the back of his head from his sister's powers.
He gave her an annoyed look which she didn't respond to, only looking innocently ahead.
"It's our safe haven." Kali plainly said. "This is the only piece of land in all of Remnant inhabited exclusively by Faunus. People like Kat and Bruce are a rarity here as we are in the rest of the world."
There was an underlying current of pain and bitterness in the cat Faunus' tone as she said this, something the others easily picked up on.
"We make the most of what we have and our island has prospered." Kali went on, briefly stopping at a booth, grabbing the tiger Faunus' hands quickly, a silent exchange of greetings before moving on. "Without my husband's direction, who knows what would have become of our island and our people."
"I understand that this place is mostly covered in desert." Tony spoke up, looking over some fruits at another booth. "I can imagine this wasn't necessarily in the memo when you guys first got this island."
Kali's ears fell slightly. "It… was never easy, not always. We would expand more if it weren't for some Grimm hot spots."
"Hot spots?" Steve spoke up, curious now.
"Nests. Some areas are in the desert, where Grimm would hide underneath the terrain. We even have ruins of some bygone era that are infested with them."
"I've tried what I could." Bruce quietly said. "But… Hulk's been…"
The other Avengers were silent for a few moments until Wanda spoke up.
"We can help out." She stated, garnering a look of surprise from Kali.
"What?" She stammered out, unsure of what they were offering.
Pietro was quick to jump in. "Yeah, we can see if we can help you guys out, take out a nest or two… or two dozen. It'll be a cakewalk for us."
Kali was certainly surprised by the offer, her eyes widening at such a gesture.
"Wha-but why would you do that?" She asked, a bit thrown off by such a notion.
"Consider it repaying a favor for keeping Bruce relatively safe and sound." Tony remarked, arms around the man, patting his shoulder.
Kali's feline eyes narrowed, arms crossed over her chest. "I don't think that's actually the entire excuse for helping."
The billionaire had a hand over his chest, a look of pain flashing on his face. "You wound me, good madam."
Rogers, seeing she still held skepticism, stepped forward with a firm expression for her to see.
"We'd do it 'cause we have to." Steve plainly said, hands on his belt, eyes down on the ground before looking up at her. "We do it because we have the power to do so. Cause it's our responsibility."
Bruce gave the Captain an odd look whilst Kat held Kali's suspicion.
"Yeah, but from what I've heard from your friends, you're working for Atlas." Kat pointed out.
"With, not for. And we don't work for anyone other than the world itself." Tony corrected, further bewildering Kat and Kali. "See, we're the Avengers. And what we do is we help and save people when we see that we can."
"And let's just say that one of our newest members gave us a bit more perspective with who we are and what we have." Steve added, sharing a look with Tony.
"And I have a big heart." Stark cheekily finished, giving Kali a smarmy, joking smile.
"We want to do this because we should." Wanda no spoke up, a hardened and determined look in her eyes. "If we can help with your Grimm issue, let us."
"And if ya don't, we'll just do it anyway." Pietro stated almost dismissively. "We don't like looking the other way. Those bastards shouldn't harass your only home."
The wife of the leader of Menagerie was completely taken aback by what was just offered to her and her home. Kali was unsure of what to say in response yet when looking into their eyes, she couldn't find an ounce of deceit or ulterior motives.
Well, not exactly from Stark but he didn't exactly seem like a bad guy. The hug he shared with Menageries doctor got a level of trust from the woman and the ones from earlier appeared friendly enough as is.
"Why?" Kali quietly said, making them look at her once more. "Why would you help us? You don't even know us and we don't owe you anything. Not I-"
"Blame the kid for that one." Tony said with an over-dramatic sigh. "That Great Power and Responsibility schtick kinda defines why we do what we do. Coming from a ten-year-old makes me feel like we really need more introspection."
Though she was still hesitant to put such trust in these new people she had only met minutes ago, she found herself nodding in appreciation all the same.
"Well, if you would, follow me to my home." Kali said with a more pleasant demeanor. "I think some of my personalized tea is in order. We can have that while we discuss plans."
"That would be lovely." Said Wanda.
"Ooooh~" Kat cooed. "Breaking out the tea~ looks like Kali likes you guys."
"Oh hush, Kat." Kali chided playfully.
As they walked towards the home of the Belladonna's, Tony had a question that he could not hold back any further.
"So her being named Kat and you with, you know, isn't some kind of joke right?"
"Tony?!"
Rather than get offended, Kali shook her head, an amused smile she shared with the blond bombshell. "Honestly, I think it was a joke made by the Gods."
Elsewhere on Menagerie…
"Ease up there, boys." Said a large bear Faunus with a construction hat. "Don't wanna have a landslide like last time."
He didn't get any verbal responses, simply seeing his men do as they were told.
A new mine was being worked on. Survey teams had shown this present location had lots of potential for a new source of income some days ago.
Two-thirds of the island was covered by desert so any resource that could be found needed to be used intelligently. They were limited to their island, unable to muster other forms of trade so they needed to make do with what they had.
So when the prospect of finding Dust on Menagerie was discovered, an immediate mining job was put together by Ghira and the rest of the leadership of Menagerie.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen." The leader of this mining rig spoke through a speaker. "Here we go."
From his position, he quickly surveyed the rest of the crew, ensuring that all were clear of the cave where the supposed Dust was found.
After a few moments of baited silence, the bear Faunus pressed down on a red button and an explosion from the cave followed suit.
The dust and debris expunged themselves out, wafting into the air before settling down after several minutes.
Walking inside, the miners found themselves in an extremely large cavern with so many dust crystals littering the walls of every color imaginable. Their eyes were wide and mouths open, their silent awe turning into cheers and hollers.
"We got it!" One dog Faunus cheered, jumping in place. "We actually got Dust!"
"There really are Gods." A deer Faunus exclaimed, throwing his arm around the shoulder of the dog Faunus.
"Check these Dust motes." One feline Faunus said excitedly, with the dust sparkling in the reflection of her eyes. "There's a lot of dust down here."
"Not to mention the sizes of them."
"Enough to maybe rival some of the mines the SDC has up in Solitas."
"That's an exaggeration."
"Is it? I worked at one of them before moving here. Look at the size of this one right here."
As more of the miners filtered into the newly discovered treasure trove of Dust, a mole Faunus was examining the walls of the cave.
"Hmmm," He had his scroll out, recording and taking note of the place at the same time. "Seems stable enough. Lines on the wall here indicate this has been here for some time. No sign of any other movement that isn't natural."
"Hey Royce." A horned Faunus came up from behind, patting the man on the back. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Just cataloging." Royce responded, not looking up from his scroll.
"What for?"
"Just a hobby of mine. And to make sure there aren't any structural weak points that may cause this cave to collapse."
"That's… reassuring… so-"
"Nothing to worry about." Royce quickly said. "Just have to be careful when using the equipment. The way the Dust is laid out within this cavern makes it sturdy so to excavate it, we'll need more pinpoint means of harvesting the materials here. Thankfully, Ghira saw fit that our equipment covers such bases."
"Ha, good 'ol Ghira, thinkin ahead for all of us." The horned Faunus cheerfully remarked.
Exploring the massive cave a bit more, one of the Faunus picked up something from the corner of his eye. He would've thought it to be nothing, a simple piece of curved rock. Yet upon a closer inspection made him reconsider the idea.
"Hey Royce?"
"Yeah?"
"What's this?"
The Mole Faunus craned his head over to the Faunus that called him and went over to what he found.
"What?"
"This." The Faunus pointed at the wall in front of them, at a specific shape on it. "Right here? Looks like a horn."
Royce squinted his eyes at the shape, tilting his head from side to side. "I mean… I guess."
"You guess? Don't you know caves?"
"Yes, I'm a speleologist, not an archeologist."
Several other Faunus nearby heard their conversation, one with a feline tail speaking up.
"Huh… is it… like a fossil?"
"Really?"
"Sure looks like it."
"Don't see those quite often."
Royce rubbed his chin in thought. "It can be the only likely conclusion. Is there anything else in this cave like it?"
There was a brief moment of silence as those nearby looked around at any portion of the cave walls.
The workers somewhat ignored it as they began working on digging out the dust crystals. One of them, however, began to focus on the fossil. He figured it'd be better to get this out of the way first and to him, the dust mattered more than the pile of bones in the wall.
Chipping away on the packed earth around the horn, the miner was making some progress until his tool struck it along the side.
"Oi!" Royce shouted, noticing where the miner was working. "What the hell are you doing?!"
The cry of warning came too late as the miner, having been startled by the Mole Faunus' shout, struck the horn with one of his tools. The tool pierced into the horn, cracking it significantly. There was a beat of silence before a rumble went on in the cave. Most of the miners and inspectors thought they were experiencing an earthquake.
This wasn't the case at all. The cracked horn in the wall abruptly began paling to a near bone, ashen color. A few inches away from the horn, a sharp, ovular shape "opened", looking like that of a blood-red eye.
A loud growl was now heard, one that sent a shiver down the spine of all inside the cave.
The quakes continued and escalated before the one wall where the fossil began breaking away. The brownish wall began blackening into a tar-like color along with other bone-colored shapes coming into form. Hulking, clawed, gorilla-Esque arms burst out from the wall, followed by a head that had two horns, sharp teeth and a deadly look that was directed at the terrified Faunus.
*RHREEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH*
Turns out the fossil wasn't a fossil at all.
"We awoke a dormant Grimm!"
"We gotta get outta here!"
"Run!"
Everyone within the chamber began running out. Some began pulling out weapons, hoping they can hold off the Grimm long enough for everyone else to flee.
Yet such an act is wasted, due to them being decimated within several moments. They were either swatted away or crushed beneath their fists.
"Radio in help, now!"
Back over at Kuo Kuana…
"This tea is amazing." Tony commented, taking another sip out of the cup Kali had given him and the other Avengers. "Where did you get it?"
"I made it myself." Kali said with a proud smile. "I have a little garden out back where I grow my own tea leaves."
"It's very soothing." Wanda said, taking a whiff of her tea before drinking it.
"Helps keep me calm, can tell ya that." Bruce remarked, holding a large mug that he shared with Kat.
"So~" Tony's face was coy as he stared at his friend with the gorgeous woman resting her chin on his shoulder. "How did this come about?"
"You haven't really told us either." Steve admitted, leaning on the kitchen counter, arms crossed and a small smirk that matched Starks. "Can't deny that we're all a little curious for the full story."
"Oh God." Wanda shook her head. "Tony, you do know Steve asked the same question already in that exact same tone."
"Oh~ even better." Stark cheerfully declared. "Steve knew the priority from the get-go."
"And we still haven't gotten the story." Pietro piped up. "So come on Banner, spill. How the hell did you land a girl like her?"
Kat only let out a sultry "mmm", leaning her head on Bruce's, arms wrapping around his chest. Her lover only hung his head, his free hand covering his face with a clear sign of embarrassment.
"It was more like I landed on him." She said, pecking his cheek. "Right on top of him."
"Oum help me." Kali said, head in her hands. "Kat…"
"Wow, she is just hungry and thirsty for ya." Tony stated with a nod of his head. "Well done, Brucey."
"But seriously, how did you guys meet?" Steve asked, now a bit more serious and curious. "When we lost Bruce, the quinjet went with him. Did he crash or…"
Kat bobbed her head from side to side. "Well-"
Abruptly, a loud banging was heard from the front door of Kali's house. The group was thrown off by the noise and before anyone was able to respond, they flew open and in ran one of Belladonna's guards.
"Mesmer?" Kali was startled by the man's arrival. "Is there a problem?"
He nodded rapidly, pointing behind him "Grimm attack! It's with the miners!"
The group within the Belladonna home froze up until the fastest Avenger stood from his seat.
"Well would ya look at that," Pietro said, wide grin in place, rolling his head and shoulders. With a satisfying crack and pop of his bones, he slammed his fist into his other hand. "That's our cue."
A silvery-blue blur was left in the man's wake, shocking Kali and Kat with the speed the 12-second older twin displayed. The guard was equally stunned though the surprises had yet to end.
"Pietro." Wanda yelled out in an admonishing matter, running outside the house before utilizing her powers to fly after her brother.
"Huh…" Was all Tony said before mentally calling back his Iron Man suit, the armor opening up and quickly closing around him. "Better catch up, Cap."
And with that, he rocketed after the twins, leaving Steve, Bruce, Kat and Kali.
"Well then." Steve pulled out his helmet and placed it over his head. "Guess I gotta make up for lost time."
"I'll take ya." Bruce spoke up, standing from his seat. "Kali here with her husband helped me move the quinjet out back."
Rogers smiled at his friend and Avenger, the pair about to depart when Kat chimed in.
"Oh no you don't." She grabbed Bruce's arm, pulling him close to her. "Where you go, I go. Besides, a girl needs other forms of excitement that ain't just in the bedroom."
"Too much information there." Steve blandly said, now really getting uncomfortable with how forward she was with Banner.
He felt an old man itch coming up, almost falling into the generic "back in my day" argument but he shook his head.
Promiscuous as this woman acted, when he saw the way she looked at Bruce, it wasn't one of lust… well, not exclusively lust, but she appeared to genuinely hold a deeper degree of affection toward the man.
And though she didn't say or infer it, she seemed undisturbed or frightened by the… other guy.
Still, if Bruce found a good woman, then good for him.
Steve just wasn't used to such open degrees of wanton desires and he remembered some of the looks he got when he first toured as a circus act during the war.
Soon enough, going out the back of the house and into the forest behind said home, Bruce led Steve and Kat into a forest clearing where the good captain was reunited with the old quinjet of the team.
"Strange to feel nostalgic when it hasn't been that long." Rogers commented, the trio entering the jet.
"With our lives, every other event tacks on the feeling of a decade."
"So by this point, we're well into our hundreds if… that's the logic you're going for." Steve commented, doing some mental gymnastics that he regrets.
"Yeah, didn't know what I was going with there." Banner admitted with a laugh, seating himself in the pilot's seat as the ship began powering on.
As the ship lifted up off the ground, the three Avengers that went ahead were arriving at the mine, seeing some fleeing whilst a few stayed behind with weapons, shooting at the Grimm.
"Whoa, look at the size of that bastard." Pietro stated before he dashed forward.
His speed and momentum helped him with his attack, using his shoulder to ram it into one of the back legs of the abnormal Grimm, the beast buckling back. Several Faunus were thrown off by the sudden arrival of the Avenger but didn't have much time to dwell on it as they found themselves a good distance away from the Grimm.
They were naturally confused as to what had just happened but they soon saw others joining them having been dropped off by a silver-blue blur that dashed by them.
"What the hell was that?"
No answer was able to be formulated as another shocking sight was witnessed soon after.
The Faunus in the area saw a human woman garbed in a scarlet outfit flying towards the gargantuan Grimm, being joined by what appeared to be a red and yellow flying robot.
Iron Man rocketed ahead of Wanda, thrusting his arms forward and fired his repulsor beams at the Grimm. Following this, Wanda threw several psionic blasts before landing on the ground. As the Armored Avenger kept firing from the air, the Sokovian used her powers to throw large rocks at the enemy.
Being struck several times, the Grimm roared and swung its arms in retaliation. It didn't land any hits, due to its opponents quickly evading the blows.
"So what kind of Grimm are we dealing with here, Stark." Pietro said from the ground, running around the large beast. Him having helped evacuate the workers away from the area before properly assisting the others. "Don't think I've seen these in any of the books they have on these bastards."
"He's definitely a new one, that's for sure." Iron Man replied, flying back to avoid one of the massive arms of the Grimm. "Tough armor and big arms."
Wanda took a moment to gaze at said arms. "They're differently colored. Aren't all Grimm black and white with red?"
"Huh." Tony saw the beefy arms, firing missiles at the monster. "I didn't notice that. What's up with that color?"
"Let's ask it after we kick its ass." Pietro declared, rushing up the back of the Grimm, stomping on its head and jumping off, being caught by his sister's telekinesis.
All the while, the quinjet neared the area with the occupants spotting many people running from the vicinity of the mine. Fighting could be seen from what they could tell as a large Grimm barged its way out into the open with a mighty roar.
"Ain't that a scary one." Bruce commented from the pilot's seat.
"All Grimm typically are." Steve said, standing behind him, looking out the window.
"Though this would rival Hulk in size and intimidation."
Hulkish in size was an understatement.
This Grimm was unusual and different from what the Avengers were familiar with in the bestiary.
It was indeed the same kind of size and stature as the Hulk with the blackened form with rippling muscles with the occasional bones seen and protruding from its body. The boney skull appeared similar to a demonic ram for some terms of comparison with the reddish lines appearing on its surface. Its feet were canine or feline in nature. It bore a serpentine-like tail. And what stood out the most were its arms as they were more brown in color from the elbow down with sharp white claws.
While the Avengers couldn't quite understand what type of Grimm this was, the other occupant in the quinjet lay her eyes upon it and froze.
'It can't be.' She thought with dread. 'How is one still here?'
The Grimm roared angrily at the missiles it was just struck with, almost swatting Iron Man out of the sky if it weren't for Wanda grabbing hold of its arm with her scarlet energy.
Narrowing her eyes in determination, she saw the button that opened up the back and slammed on it.
"Kat?" Bruce said in bewilderment, looking back as he saw her leaving for the exit ramp. His eyes widened when he realized what she was going to do.
"Kat, wait!"
It was too late as she jumped out of the quinjet, free-falling to the ground
Reaching into a pouch from her hip, she pulled out a metallic orb that rested in her palm. Closing her hand, she focused on the material, a glow emanating from her hand that soon began to encompass her entire body.
To the onlookers, they saw her appearance begin to change as everything about her soon appeared to match the metallic orb she had pulled from her punch.
Once her entire body had turned into metal, Kat reared her arm back and sent out a punch once close enough to the Grimm. The power behind the punch was enough to send a visible shockwave, the Grimm bellowing in pain.
"Whoa." The fastest Avenger said aloud after witnessing the punch. "God damn Bruce, you found a keeper."
Back on the quinjet, Steve blinked in surprise.
"Did you know she could do that?"
"I knew she could but not apply it in that regard." Bruce admitted looking on in slight awe. "That's a hell of a punch."
Rogers let out a 'hmph' of amusement, turning to join the fight.
"You feel like giving Menagerie a show, Bruce?" Steve asked just before he was about to jump out.
"I think four Avengers with Menageries' best cook can handle this one Steve." Bruce replied, content to simply stay in the quinjet. "Besides, this thing has guns."
Steve simply nodded, sliding his helmet on, rolled his shoulders and then ran out the back ramp and plummeted down, angling himself shield first at the Grimm.
The Grimm didn't notice until the last second having turned its head around in time to get one of its eyes smashed in by a dive-bombing Captain America.
It let a literal deafening screech, those within the area actually shielding their ears from the cry.
In this, the Grimm managed to actually grab Captain America just before he fell to the ground and flung him at full force.
"Oh shit." Tony said.
"I got him." Wanda quickly said, hastily catching Steve with her telekinesis though it was too late.
The super soldier crashed into a nearby tree, the telekinetic hold only softening the blow.
"Alright, that hurt." Rogers grunted, forcing himself to his feet.
"This thing is pretty tanky." Iron Man noted, continuously flying around and firing at the Grimm who appears to just keep shrugging off the attacks. The only noticeable ones that were visible for them to see were the one Cap just delivered to its eye and the powerful punch Kat landed on its back. "Any ideas on how to kill it?"
"Just hit it harder?"
"Nice try Pietro, anyone else?"
"This Grimm isn't like the usual variants you see." Kat said aloud. "This is an Enkidu Grimm, one of a rare breed that gives it a greater degree of power and other possible abilities most other Grimm may not possess."
"Like what?"
Just as that question was asked did the Enkidu raise its two massive arms and begin smashing them repeatedly into the ground.
The earth shook and moments later, pillars of stone erupted from the ground.
"Whoa!" Pietro said, screeching to a halt in front of a stone pillar before another burst up from beneath him, launching him in the air.
He was quickly caught by his sister, helping set him down atop a pillar with a flat enough surface.
Tony had managed to scoop up Kat and Steve, getting them into a safe distance away from the Grimm.
"Ok, so that's something it can do." Iron Man idly commented. "Thick skin and bones and it looks like it's getting better. Any ideas?"
"We keep with the numbers advantage." Captain Rogers said. "There's five of us so we keep at it. Kat, you're familiar with these types of Grimm, right? Any suggestions?"
"Normally, these kinds of Grimm aren't alone but this one is." Kat quickly said. "That means it's disoriented but it will fight more wildly since it's by itself. We just need to dismantle or severe the movement of the limbs and then finish it off with a good hit to its chest or head."
"So rip it to pieces." Quicksilver stated. "Sounds simple enough."
"Simple but never easy." Rogers said. "Let's move Avengers."
The group reengaged the Enkidu who roared in defiance, managing to stand upright before slamming both fists down. An earth shockwave followed suit with the team moving to dodge the oncoming set of rocky pillars.
Abruptly, the Grimm was assailed with lead. From the sky, the bullhead was firing upon the Enkidu.
"Come on you bastard." Bruce said through his teeth, continuously firing at the beast.
It growled, grabbing a nearby boulder and hurling it at the quinjet.
"Whoa!" Banner exclaimed, sharply pulling the ship out of the path of the rock.
"Hey you stupid, horned Fuck! That's my man you're attacking." Kat snarled viciously, now changing her silvery metallic look into a bronze one.
The venom and anger in her voice were enough to make the other Avengers pause, a shiver going down their spines.
"Jesus H, Bruce, where did you find her?" Tony asked through the comms.
"Yeesh. She is clearly made for him."
Kat was sprinting at full speed toward the Grimm, smashing away any pillars or obstacles that had gotten in her way, sometimes grabbing them to throw at the Enkidu.
The rocks bounced off the Grimm without hurting it but it did aggravate the creature more than it already was.
It got into a crouching position, ready to pounce on the oncoming woman when a missile to its face momentarily blinded it.
"Thank you Bruce!" Kat cheered, jumping forward. "I love you!"
Once the smoke cleared, the Grimm saw just in time to see Kat, the blond bombshell smashing the heels of her metallic feet into its snout.
It screeched out in pain, smashing its fists into the ground again.
"My God, it's like an overgrown baby with that tantrum." Iron Man bemoaned, annoyed at the quaking ground and multiple rocky growths that kept popping out.
"Bruce, give it another fire. Wanda, use some of the rocks here against it. Pietro, use your speed to kick up dust around it, keep it blinded. Tony, Kat said to sever its mobility by targeting the arms so that's what we'll do." Steve ordered in rapid succession, the team moving to enact his instructions.
Wanda began levitating multiple boulders and rocky pillars, repeatedly flinging them at the Grimm.
Her brother blurred to the visible eye, rapidly running around the Enkidu with dust being kicked up in his wake.
Kat, Iron Man and Captain Rogers attacked in tandem, the trio managing to land a direct hit on its left arm.
The Grimm roared, the limb going limp.
It glared with vitriolic hatred at its attackers and lunged forward.
Kat was the unfortunate one caught by its other working arm, having grabbed her into the air before viciously slamming her down to the ground.
"KAT!" Bruce said aloud from the Quinjet, his blood beginning to boil. He fired at the back of the Grimm yet it appeared unbothered by the bullet as it continued on, smashing and clobbering Kat. Her defenses crumbled a bit as her metallic layer began breaking apart, showing her flesh underneath.
"HEY!" Iron Man yelled. "Hands off my bud's lady."
He flew right in the face of the Grimm, making it pause in its attack and got a faceful of a unibeam from Tony's chest.
This beam was powerful enough to crack apart and send a number of the skull mask the Grimm had off its face.
"Wanda." Steve shouted, flinging his shield in her direction.
Instinctively, she grabbed the shield with her telekinesis, spun around and propelled it even faster than before. It sailed through the air and slashed right through the other arm of the Enkidu.
Roaring in fury, the Grimm charged forward and whirled to and from. Despite no longer having any arms, its sharp tail and horns were still as dangerous for the others.
"Can we just kill this thing already?" Pietro complained, getting fed up with this Grimm.
"I agree." Kat said in a pained voice.
"Any ideas?" Wanda asked from the air.
"Let's just hit this bastard really, really hard." Tony stated.
"Agreed." Steve said. "Bruce, missiles please."
"Aye-aye Captain." Bruce said, angling the quinjet around and firing several missiles and the "disarmed" Enkidu.
It struck hard, this time leaving more visible damage. Pietro then dashed forward and ran around the Grimm. Pushing himself harder, Pietro formed a small tornado to have the Hulking Grimm begin to hover above the ground.
With it relatively vulnerable, a bombardment came down hard onto the Enkidu.
A combination of the Quinjet's weaponry, Wanda using her powers and the full arsenal of Iron Man's suit hit every single inch of the Grimm.
Steve in the meantime got an idea.
"Kat." He turned to her and held his shield up. "Think you can absorb this metal?"
"What is it?" She questioned, eyeing the shield curiously.
"Back home, it's the strongest substance we've ever known. Virtually indestructible."
Hearing this, Kat found an excited grin worming its way onto her face as she nodded and slapped her hand on his shield
Concentrating on it, she found it difficult to identify or make sense of at first but eventually, her body accepted the vibranium and she soon became encased in it.
"Whoa~~~" She exclaimed. "This metal is crazy! I feel freakin' powerful!"
Steve grinned at her excitement, the pair jolting at the ground shaking. They looked over to see the Enkidu having fallen to the ground, Pietro off to the side, exhausted and out of breath.
The Grimm groaned in pain yet it was still alive and looked like it was about to get back up.
Not wasting any more time, Steve and Kat ran forward, the former getting ahead of the latter to get in front and position himself shield first.
Catching onto the idea, Kat bent her legs in time to jump up and land on Cap's shield. With the combined momentum of the pair, Steve launched her into the air and she sailed at the Grimm, both hands reared back.
Just as the Grimm raised its head, Kat crashed into it, smashing her hands right through the bony skull of the monster with an emanating sound akin to Cap's Vibranium shield.
It violently jerked once it realized what happened, mouth open in a silent roar of pain that did not come out.
Its red eyes trembled before dimming moments later.
The Grimm slumped forward and crashed onto the ground, at long last dead.
Kat ripped her arms out, making a 'yuck' face at the black viscous on her arms that were easy to flick off thanks to her vibranium body and reverted back to normal.
"Whew." She said, stretching her arms briefly. "Haven't had a workout like that in a while."
Off to the side, Tony observed the Grimm body that had remained. "Huh… body ain't disintegrating like the typical Grimm."
"It's not a typical Grimm." Wanda reminded. "We've never seen one like it."
"She did." Pietro pointed out, gesturing to Kat who was rushing to Bruce who landed the quinjet.
Upon coming out, he was pounced on by his girlfriend, the woman instantly locking lips with him in a less-than-chaste manner.
"Oh my." Steve remarked, watching the two, mostly Kat, almost throw their clothes off though Bruce managed to "talk" his lover out of it.
"She is gonna eat him alive." Stark said with a wry grin. "But the good news is the crisis is averted and the Faunus here were relatively saved."
"All of them were saved." Pietro corrected.
"All," Tony said, pointing at the speedster appreciatively. "Time to tell Kali the good news. And to give those two some privacy."
-Scene Cut-
Within the Atlas lab of one Pietro Polendina, the man was drumming his hand against the table he was in front of. On it were multiple screens displaying energy readings, the outline of a stasis pod and a synthetic being that lay inside.
He was checking over every screen, making sure that every detail was accommodated and nothing was left out.
They already went through all the tests and safety precautions. Yet what was about to occur was still nerve-wracking.
Looking from behind a room with dense safety glass, the occupants looked on to see a pod hooked up with all kinds of tubes and wires.
Part of how this was made was the courtesy of Tony Stark, who took inspiration from what his father created seventy years ago called Project Rebirth and mixed it with something he called a Regeneration Cradle.
The Iron Avenger didn't bring up much specifics on the finer details of the aforementioned pieces of technology, but the pod in general would help bring Pietro's pet project to life.
"Somewhat wish Tony was here to see this." Polendina commented, frowning at the empty space next to him not occupied by General Ironwood.
The General of Atlas snorted at this, shaking his head. "Perhaps it's best that he is not."
"And why's that?"
"I don't know." James admitted with a shrug. "Just a feeling he'd cause a scene to ruin what's to come."
"He's not as bad as you make him out to be." Pietro said good-naturedly.
"I am well aware." Ironwood rebuked. "It's just his insufferable need to comment and have the last word on everything. Always has a smart-aleck thing to say. And I thought Qrow was annoying. Least the man has an excuse."
Polendina only chortled at the rather childish attitude Ironwood had towards Tony at times.
They hoped this project could work.
Such a thing could be considered unethical to most people.
For you see, they were attempting to create artificial life.
Not like what they've seen with Tony's AI, Friday. No, but something more.
Since this was Pietro's project, he volunteered in having part of his Aura, his very soul, harvested in making this all possible.
Flipping several switches and levers, Pietro, James and everyone else saw the chamber lighting up and whirling to life. The sounds emanating began to grow louder and louder by the moment to have everything go underway.
Soon enough, the big event was about to get underway.
"Moment of truth."
Pressing the activation button, they saw the pod activating.
Energy sources coming from collected dust crystals and Tony's arc reactor, the power input could be considered overwhelming.
10%
20%
30%
The pod greatly glowed from within when it was reaching 40%.
"Power is stable at 50%."
The scientists began cranking up the power.
60%
70%
The lights began fluctuating before intensifying more and more.
80%
90%
Sparks began to break out everywhere in the chamber as the power input went to 100%. Before long, it exceeded with a power overload.
The light emanating from the pod became blinding to anyone looking towards it.
Once the light reached its peak, everything suddenly went dark.
"What happened?"
"Power outage, sir."
"I can see that."
"Is everything fine?"
"More or less." Lights soon flickered on. "Backup generators are a little slow."
"Thought they'd be on point."
Seeing as this was happening, Pietro was furiously typing away and was trying to have the pod open up. Yet whatever occurred caused a malfunction in their systems.
Operating his mechanical chair, the scientist exited the operating room.
Entering the chamber, Pietro came up to the pod and manually unlocked it. He hissed in pain with his aura fluctuating, due to the heat emanating from it. No doubt he'll receive burn scars for this, but it didn't matter to him.
Twisting the lock and opening the pod, a massive plume of steam and smoke came out.
After several moments, Pietro saw the project inside begin to move, little by little.
Their creation was female in design. Her synthetic orange hair was shoulder length and her form was thin and small, which was rather suited given her model was based on a mid-teenager. There were no blemishes on her synthetic skin.
Soon enough, the eyelids opened up to reveal glowing green eyes which died down after several moments. They scanned the room in utter curiosity.
"Where… Where am I?" The orange-haired girl asked in nervous uncertainty.
Pietro had a wide smile in place, moving forward to stand in front of the teen and holding his hand out for her to take.
"You're in Atlas, Penny." He gently said. "And I am Pietro Polendina. Your father."
"My… father?" The newly named Penny asked, unsure but also incredibly curious. "And my name…"
Pietro frowned slightly. "You don't like it?"
"No, I…" She had a look of concentration. "Penny… Penny Polendina?"
The scientist's smile returned and he nodded. "That's right. Might as well keep the alliteration, don't ya think?"
Penny didn't understand why but she produced a wide smile at the man who was her creator/father.
"Penny." She said aloud, slowly moving to exit her pod. "Penny Polendina. I'm Penny Polendina."
Pietro was now beaming at her, which only grew when she grasped his hand and began jumping up and down.
"I'm Penny Polendina!" She said once more, joy radiating off her being.
"That you are." Pietro laughed at her overexuberance, finding it to be infectious. "Happy birthday, my daughter."
"Yay!" Penny exclaimed, leaping out of the pod and throwing her arms around her father in a bone-crushing hug that he disregarded, simply happy at his success.
-Scene Cut-
'Deep breaths.' Was the mental instruction to herself. 'You've done this a thousand times, this target is no different.'
Her finger trailed over the trigger, the sound of her steady heartbeat drumming in her ears like a metronome, adding to her focus.
She tuned out the noise around her with her vision seemingly sharpening until she saw her target as clear as day. Not wasting a single second, breath or movement, she pulled the trigger and fired, hitting her target dead center. Once that was hit, she ran from her position and went further into the area.
Left and right, targets sprung up from nowhere. A split second later, they were hit by bullets. They didn't just appear from the ground or in the trees, but also from drones flying in from above.
Each bullet was used sparingly, one for each target.
Her rifle was her only tool in her present endeavor as she used her skills to traverse the vicinity. Time was not on her side as she had to react to everything around her, even to herself.
She counted each shot so she wouldn't waste a moment for what she was presently in. Quickly unloading a magazine, she let the empty container drop as she jumped over a massive gap. Once putting in a fresh magazine, she fired a shot at another target.
It wasn't long before the targets began firing back at her.
Sliding to cover, the sharpshooter took a breath, calming herself to a degree before finding a rock large enough for her to throw. Hurling it to the side, she saw it broken apart by the targets' weaponry before rolling into the open. Pulling the trigger, she fired at the desired target in quick precision to not only destroy it but have it twirl as it began firing at some nearby ones in the process.
She didn't spare time in savoring her little trick moment as she kept on moving.
More and more targets were struck with them firing in retaliation.
It felt like forever as each magazine kept being emptied and quickly switched out in her trusted rifle.
After so long once reaching the end and taking down the final target, her ears picked up the cheer from those who had been watching.
"And there you have it folks!" A commentator was heard from the crowd. "Atlas' very own sharpshooter, the eagle-eyed Caitlyn Kiramman! Let's hear it for our winner!"
The blue-haired girl stood up, looking back at the crowd with a proud smile, resting her prized rifle on her shoulder.
Her eyes landed on her friends and family, her father clapping at her accomplishment. On his left were two old friends of hers that she grew up with, Jayce and Viktor, grinning at her with the former giving her a thumbs up. To the right of her father was her mother who, while more subdued than the others, still held a look of pride and a hint of resignation.
Though she said nothing, her eyes were all Caitlyn needed to see.
After the small little award ceremony, Caitlyn now stood with her friends and family, medal around her neck and trophy in hand.
"So, what does that make it now?" Jayce coyly asked. "Your tenth? Eleventh trophy?"
"I do believe this makes fifteen." Viktor remarked with a smirk. "Well done, Caitlyn."
"So proud of you my dear." Her father stated, hugging her tightly.
"Thanks everyone." She happily said, basking in the praise.
"Yes, well, I wouldn't have expected any less." Spoke a mature, female voice that made Caitlyn roll her eyes.
She turned to her mother who stood apart from the group, a bit hesitant to join.
Her husband released a sigh, already knowing what was bothering his wife.
"Come on honey." He said expectantly. "You made a deal with her."
"Yes but that does not mean I get to like it." She petulantly said, sounding very childish, much to the amusement of the rest.
Shaking his head, Tobias Kiramman glanced over at Jayce and Viktor, gesturing his head at the two in silence. Getting the message, the men stepped away, leaving Caitlyn with her mother who let out a sigh.
"I know I promised that I would let you go to Beacon if you won-"
"Which I did." Caitlyn proudly declared, holding up her trophy for her mother to look at.
Cassandra Kiramman deadpanned at the gesture, eliciting a laugh from her daughter.
"But why must you insist on going, Caitlyn?" Her mother asked. "Why not stay here and go to Atlas as I did? Like so many in our family have?"
"It's for that very reason, mother." Caitlyn argued, going up to her with a determined look. "If I go to Atlas, all anyone will say is how I'm there just because of my family name, not 'because of my own accomplishments."
"Fifteen first-place trophies aren't enough of an accomplishment?" Cassandra rhetorically asked.
"Mother, you know what I mean."
The matriarch of the Kiramman family released a small, resigned sigh.
"I know, dear, I know." She muttered. "Is it that hard to believe or see that I just don't want to see my baby girl go?"
Upon hearing that, Caitlyn had a smile that trembled slightly. Setting her trophy down, she moved to hug her mother, which Cassandra quickly reciprocated the gesture.
"Nothing better and worse than a mother seeing her daughter grow up so fast." She whispered against her hair and Caitlyn couldn't fight back the stray tear that escaped from her.
"Aw mom, why'd you have to go and say that?"
"Guilt you, perhaps, into staying." Cassandra freely admitted with a laugh, getting the same reaction out of her daughter. "Come on, we've got a bit of celebration to have."
The pair joined the boys, the group having a dinner get-together to commemorate Caitlin's achievement as well as her farewell.
"So where are you gonna go, Caitlyn?" Jayce asked.
"Last you mentioned, it was Beacon, yes?" Viktor brought up, seeing Caitlin nod.
"I heard that there is a set of new courses and teachers being introduced this year." The blue-haired sniper excitedly said. "But I hear that things in Atlas have been interesting too. Something about a new professor working there as well."
Jayce and Viktor laughed.
"Nothing like that, I can assure you." Viktor stated. "But the man whom you are referring to-"
"Is brilliant." Jayce finished for his friend, almost giddily. "He's one of the smartest guys we have ever met."
"Heimerdinger speaks highly of him and his understanding of technology is astounding." Viktor added on in equal reverence. "Mr. Stark has worked with us on several occasions now on our project and it is astonishing what he knows."
"He sounds like an interesting man." Tobias remarked. "I saw him in one of those stuffy balls Schnee always hosts but wasn't able to meet him."
"I hear he has something of a power suit." Cassandra brought up, clearly intrigued by this man.
"He does and it is glorious." Jayce emphatically said. "I've never seen anything like it."
"The technological prowess and knowledge needed to construct such a suit is something I can't even comprehend at this stage." Viktor said, just picturing the Iron Man suit clearly in his mind. "I saw him fly off earlier though, I don't know where he has gone."
"Flies faster than any bullhead, I can tell you that much."
The dinner went on for the group, an overall pleasant and happy experience with the scientific duo of Jayce and Viktor leaving afterward, the Kiramman family returning home.
But only two made it home.
Upon arriving at their home, the trio stopped upon seeing that someone stood before their home.
Someone they were quite familiar with.
"Winter?" Caitlyn said aloud, the eldest Schnee sibling smiling slightly at her, walking toward them.
"Councilman Cassandra, Doctor Tobias, Cait." She greeted them all respectively. "Good to see you all again. And congratulations on your trophy Cait. You always were a better shot than Weiss."
Caitlyn smiled strangely at her as she was happy for the compliment and in seeing Winter but still confused as to why she was here.
"Is something amiss, Winter?" Tobias asked, a small edge to his voice.
Winter shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. Nothing serious to be exact. Just that General Ironwood would like a moment of your daughter's time."
'The general is here? And he wants to talk to me?' Caitlyn thought with curiosity.
"Is the General inside?" Cassandra asked, Winter nodding at her.
"In the living room, Councilor. We only just arrived a few minutes ago."
Confused by all this, Caitlyn briefly looked to her parents for their judgment on this with both seemingly shrugging for the go-ahead. Nodding, she turned back to Winter who gestured her to follow, the younger woman trailing behind the special operative before arriving in her living room.
There she saw the tall, imposing figure of James Ironwood standing next to the fireplace.
Noticing their arrival, the General of Atlas turned to them, a nod directed at Winter to leave him and Caitlyn alone.
"Caitlyn." Ironwood greeted. "Apologies for this late night and sudden visit."
The sharpshooter nodded before walking closer. "You wanted to see me, general?"
"Yes, please." James gestured for her to sit on one of the couches as he moved to occupy one for himself.
Once both got comfortable, James went on. "First off, congratulations on your latest competition."
"Thank you, sir." Caitlyn brightly said.
"How many does that make? Thirteen?"
"Fifteen, sir."
"Fifteen straight?" Ironwood let out a whistle. "I do believe that's an Atlas record, Ms. Kiramman."
The young teen grinned cheekily at hearing this until she saw the General shift into a more serious demeanor.
"I saw on your request form you wish to attend the other academies with Atlas being placed at the bottom instead of at the top. Mind telling me why?"
'Ah, this meeting was probably about this.' She thought. 'Me refusing to attend the academy here.'
Caitlyn soon explained to the Atlesian general her reasons. As this went on, James could somewhat understand where she was coming from.
Her mother, Cassandra, has one of the seats of the Atlas council. Her family lineage is amongst the founders of Mantle which soon transitioned to Atlas when the city was raised into the sky.
In a manner, Caitlyn was like the Schnee sisters.
Winter sought to get out of her father's shadow and joined the Atlas military once graduating the academy, which cost her being the heir to the SDC. And Weiss is following a similar route, but instead of attending here at Atlas she is apparently seeking to attend Beacon. In James' mind, such an action would no doubt cause Jacque to make his son, Whitley, his heir as he doesn't seek to be a Huntsman at all.
This is where Caitlyn differed from the Schnee sisters. Miss Kiramman was still the heir to her House and was still encouraged of being a Huntress to carry on the family legacy.
Yet she wanted to make a name for herself, leaving a foothold in her life.
Digesting everything told to him, James responded in turn.
"While you aren't planning on attending Atlas Academy, this development has actually granted me some advantages that could prove useful in the grand scheme of things. Though, this first request is that of a favor, Ms. Kiramman."
"A favor?"
"You are friends with Weiss, yes?"
"I am."
They grew up somewhat together with the occasional playdates their mothers had set up years ago. Though they weren't as connected when they were attending school for the past number of years, they still spent time together whenever they could.
Sharing the ambition in becoming Huntress's can help keep a friendship going strong.
"Weiss plans on attending Beacon, starting in the upcoming school year. With one favor, Specialist Schnee would like you to keep an eye on her sister and interact with her more."
Caitlyn nodded, somewhat understanding what was requested. She could work with this but can't guarantee any desired results.
"I doubt this is all you're requesting of me, general."
Ironwood nodded, now pulling out a datapad that he extended and held up for the marksman. "Another comes in the initial factor of the favor I'm asking here. I want you to be a handler for this person here."
Caitlyn was soon presented with the image of one Penny Polendina on the nearby monitor.
"Is there a reason why?" She asked, unfamiliar with whom she was looking at. "Who even is she?"
"Outside of me and several others, everyone else in Remnant will believe Penny is merely a normal, teenage girl wanting to be a Huntress." James began. "In truth, she is not a normal girl."
It was from here did the general begin debriefing her on "Project Penny" by showing a number of her schematics. Clearly, the sharpshooter was surprised when seeing this before her.
An actual cyborg that has been imbued with aura.
She was essentially looking at a robot that has a soul.
"In order to properly be her handler, you'll need to become her partner, or at the very least be in her team once you complete your initiation in Beacon." Ironwood already made sure to have spoken with Ozpin on that matter.
For Caitlyn, this was quite a task to be sure. "But general, why me of all people? I'm just good with a gun."
"You're a sharpshooter so keeping her in your sights of locating her shouldn't be too much of a difficulty. But also, I believe you are best suited for this endeavor. When speaking with specialist Schnee in this regard, she recommended you over her sister as a more appropriate candidate in handling Penny and helping her assimilate into Beacon. I've also been reviewing your exams and performances in your academy and you have displayed an exemplary degree of initiative when needed whilst understanding the need for unit cohesion. Penny can learn a lot from you and you will be able to… keep her comfortable, if you will. Help her adjust and you in turn since you'll be leaving for Beacon."
Caitlyn wasn't quite sure of what to make of all this.
She was going to Beacon to become a Huntress not… essentially babysit.
Handling Weiss is one thing, she's her friend and it's more her just keeping an eye on her for the sake of her sister. But handling this Penny, who is a sentient android, is a whole matter entirely.
"I can't guarantee that I can become her partner, let alone be on her team."
"I already have that handled." Ironwood easily dismissed, making Cailyn nearly face-fault.
Of course the General already had that foresight. Why wouldn't he?
If she wasn't nervous about attending Beacon before, she would be now with a sense of anxiety now going to bubble and grow from within.
-Scene Cut-
Jaune Arc sat on an empty bench, idly eating a sandwich while looking out for his two youngest sisters.
He smiled to himself as Jessica and Jane ran around in circles going down the slide only to quickly rush back up to go again.
At the top of the point, Jane waved at her older brother happily who waved back with a grin as he watched her slide down once more before dashing off to the swing set with Jessica hot on her trail.
Jaune chuckled to himself at their behavior and he leaned back to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere the playground was giving off.
"Hell of a feeling isn't it?" An adult voice said from beside him "I'd rather watch this any day of the week than constantly do my job sometimes"
Confused by who spoke, Jaune glanced over to the source of the voice.
It was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties, or early thirties, wearing simple blue jeans and sneakers, a white shirt with a light jacket and cap.
Jaune was momentarily put off by the man's sudden appearance. He looked down at him, shooting a disarming smile, pointing to an empty spot on the bench.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked politely.
"Uh, y-yeah, sure." Jaune murmured.
The older blonde sat down on the opposite end of the bench where both bore their own respective forms of relaxation.
Jaune wasn't quite sure what to make of the guy next to him but he didn't seem like a bad person. Didn't give off that bad vibe.
He wondered what the guy even wanted.
The young Arc got his answer soon enough.
"You know, there are a few people I know of that would love to have nothing more than this kind of life." The man said reminiscently. "Just letting life take you on its flow, have those moments of tranquility without the looming sense of danger over your head."
Jaune glanced over and saw the older blonde's eyes held a far-off look, that of a wary warrior who had seen too many conflicts with no end in sight. They were much like one's many Huntsmen and Huntresses have, yet this man held experience that seemed much more than them.
"Right."
After some moments, the man turned and held out his hand. "I'm Steve Rogers. And you are…"
"Um, Jaune Arc."
"A pleasure to meet you Jaune." Said Steve with a smile.
Jaune tentatively reached out and took the hand, a brief shake between them. On the contact, the younger blond could feel the rather firm grip from the momentary action.
Pulling his hand back, he tried to subtly flick his hand whilst Steve went back to watching the kids play.
"Here alone?" Steve asked. "You look a bit young to be a dad."
Jaune blushed in embarrassment, shaking his head. "No, no, I'm here with my sisters."
He gestured at Jessica and Jane that ran by the latter holding onto the former to keep up with her.
"Ah, a responsible older brother." Rogers said approvingly. "Always nice to see that."
The young Arc said nothing, only nodding and watching on.
'Who is this guy?' Jaune thought to himself.
He saw the man pull his scroll out of the corner of his eye, casually looking through it when…
"So tell me Jaune," Steve said conversationally. "You've applied to Beacon Academy, am I correct to assume that, yes?"
Jaune blinked.
"Uh, yeah" He confirmed. "Yeah, I sent in my applications a while back and am waiting for a response."
Something then dawned in Jaunes mind.
"Wait a sec, how do you know about that?" He asked in alarm, now facing the man who appeared nonplussed by his reaction.
"Well, I should really know. I am going to be teaching there come the start of the new semester." Said Steve, not noticing Jaune's eyes widen. "And since this will be my first time teaching, I wanted to get a feel for it and interview a few of the students who have applied to Beacon." He further elaborated. "You were my first pick."
Jaune felt a heat of anxiety and panic surge through his chest. He was his first pick?! A horrifying thought then made its way into his head. He didn't know about this when he got those fake transcripts from that shady dealer?!
"M-Me?" Jaune stuttered. "Why me?"
Rogers, instead of answering, pulled up several documents on his scroll and placed it between himself and the young teen. Jaune glanced down and saw that it was his application form for Beacon.
The boy began to feel his heart rate increase considerably.
"Tell me something Jaune." Steve began, tone neutral. "Where are you from really?"
Jaune stared blankly. "Huh?"
"Where are you from Jaune?" Steve asked again, holding up his scroll for Jaune to see.
The young Arc squinted at the screen and after several seconds saw that he was pointing to his place of birth.
"It says here." Steve said, turning the scroll back around to read off of it. "That you're from Anima. Yet when I dived deeper for one Jaune Arc, I found out that wasn't the case at all. You and your family are based here in Vale and have lived here since before and after the Great War. Only your sister, Saphron, lives there with her wife; but not you."
And just like that, a looming feeling of dread began to sprout from Jaune's gut. He felt the feeling creeping up his spine.
'Oh, I'm totally screwed!' The young Arc thought with panic.
"I'm not one to beat around the bush here, Mister Arc so I'll say it straight." Steve spoke in complete seriousness. "If you're gonna forge documents you better be sure that it's good enough to fool me next time."
That horrible gut feeling sped up to completely engulf Jaune's being as Steve put away his scroll, his face revealing nothing.
"When Ozpin told me about someone forging their way into Beacon, he had the same thought as I did." Steve said in mild seriousness. "Who would go through so much effort and trouble to fake their way into one of the four most prestigious schools for training Huntsmen and Huntresses? It must have been really important if the person in question was willing to do such a thing."
"Am…" Jaune gulped. "Am I in trouble?"
"That remains to be seen." Steve answered. "I came here with this knowledge in hand and with one purpose. To find out why exactly. Why did you do this Jaune?"
The way Steve asked wasn't one of an accusatory tone.
No, it was one of a man who wished to know out of pure curiosity and understanding.
"If I recall correctly, the Arc family has been known to produce exceptional Huntsmen and Huntresses for the past eighty-plus years or so since the War." Said Steve. "But I do need to know this Jaune. If it had been anybody else, you may have gotten in severe trouble at worst or a plain rejection at least."
Jaune found himself slumping back more and more as Rogers spoke.
"Which is why I wanted to know from you personally." Steve said, locking eyes with Jaune. "Why did you do it? Why choose to go after this path above all others? Why choose the path that leads to loss and pain?"
Jaune found himself frozen, but not in a way of terror.
In a way of self-evaluation.
"Was it for fame? Fortune? Upholding family tradition?" Steve listed down the possible answers, with small moments of time to allow Jaune to jump in at any time.
"I don't know." Jaune found himself saying aloud. "I wanna do this because I want to… because my family… because I have to…"
"Because you have to?"
Jaune didn't say or do anything in response.
"You could be something else you know." Steve suggested. "You don't need to be a Huntsman to be a productive member of society. There are always other ways of being a hero in Remnant." The upcoming Beacon professor began listing off some examples. "You could be a social worker like your sister. Work at a cafe and make people happy with your attitude like some people I know. Work with the government. There's many others that come to mind once you go through your normal school life; but I want to hear your reason for all of this."
Hearing that, however, made Jaune feel a powerful emotion stirring within his heart at Steve's words. While that was not something his father or mother had said, the way he said it was all too familiar to him as he has heard many variations of that phrase a good time over.
"I have to do this." Jaune said resolutely, finding himself surprised by the sudden steel in his tone, making Steve's expression change. "I must do this, not for fame but for myself, for my family as well."
"That seems a bit selfish." Steve noted, now intently observing the teen.
"I know it is." Jaune admitted with no shame. "But that's not the real reason that I wanted to join. Not the reason why I lied to get in."
"Then what is the reason, Jaune Arc?" Steve asked expectantly, leaning forward now, locking eyes with the fellow blonde. "Why did you lie when you applied for Beacon and the other Academies?"
Jaune paused, taking a moment to look over the park and adding a mental checkmark to himself upon seeing his two baby sisters were still on the swings safe and sound.
"I… I couldn't let myself let go of that dream." Jaune whispered but Steve still heard it.
"Dream you say?"
Jaune nodded.
"Ever since I was a kid, all I ever saw was my parents' old collection of small news snippets of them helping out other people across Remnant during their time as Huntsmen and Huntresses. By the time I was born, my two oldest sisters were already training to become Huntresses and my third oldest sister was getting ready to enroll herself. That's what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a hero like them. To help others and keep them safe."
Jaune sighed, his face dejected. "But I was never good enough."
Steve only listened intently, allowing Jaune to continue to talk.
"I was never anything like my older sisters or my parents." Jaune said sadly, his eyes getting a bit glossy. "I wasn't skilled or athletic or could handle a sword so easily. No I was just Jaune… the Arc who could do nothing. And that stuck with me for years. Every night and day that's all I could think of and was reminded of."
"My family… I love them so much but I never truly belonged." Said Jaune. "But I wanted to and the more I saw it and the more I thought about it, I knew I had to. Because I said to myself it's not just about me at all. It's about what you had to be. Men and women were laying down their lives for the safety of others. If those people, my family included, are putting their lives on the line for others, then I'll do the same 'cause that's nothing less than what I have to do, no less than them. Just standing behind a desk or something like that is just… it's an insult, really. To the name and people who've sacrificed their lives for it. I have to need to do this."
Steve was nothing short of shocked.
This… this was too much of a coincidence in hearing those words come from this young lad who was desperate to find a place in this chaotic world.
And here he was, listening to the speech of Jaune Arcs' motivation for becoming a Huntsman.
Steve felt a tiny smile creeping up on his mouth, a great deal of satisfaction rising within him.
Standing up, Steve adjusted his hat and gave Jaune an approving look.
"Well then Jaune Arc." Steve finally said. "I expect to see great achievements from you."
Jaune gaped at what he just heard.
"Wh-what?"
The older blond laughed, patting the teen on the shoulder.
"I expect you to make good on your promise of doing nothing less than what is asked and needed." Steve said with his hand held out again. "Welcome to Beacon. I look forward to seeing and teaching you."
Jaune could do nothing but remain still, unable to comprehend what Steve Rogers just told him.
He didn't even realize that he had already raised his hand to shake. With a satisfied nod, Steve stood and bade the young man goodbye.
Jaune watched him walk off, still in a bit of a daze until he let out a small laugh of disbelief.
"What in Oum's name just happened?"
-Scene Cut-
Something…
Something was amiss.
Something has gone wrong.
He could feel it.
And see it.
What was it?
He wasn't one to miss or ignore the minuscule details. It is in those details that he knows that what he once knew is no longer there.
What has gone wrong?
A screen appeared in front of the man as he began scrolling to find the irregularity.
He couldn't have missed an irregularity. How could he?
He's the smartest, most accomplished man of his era, if not all eras.
Any challenge that has come before he was overcome, any obstacle that dared stand in his path was thrown down, any confrontation he stood before was conquered.
So this was nothing more than a…
Wait…
That… that's not supposed to happen!
They weren't supposed to go there! None of this was meant to be!
Do they not understand what they have caused?! The fools! They would undo everything he had worked towards!
How did they wind up there of all places?
Looking over the breadcrumbs, he found the source and groaned as a result.
How could he have missed that? What stupidity and cosmic coincidence led to that winding up there?
Wait… that wasn't the only one.
Why are there two diverging paths?
What was this?
The man shook his head, dismissing the thought. He needed to focus on what he can influence now.
The other he can course correct in due time.
After all, he had all the time in the universe at his disposal.
AN
Ok so we're back, happy New Year, let's hope 2023 is better than last year. Got a lot to discuss but instead of just droning on, we're going to address this matter here and now and never again.
Jebest4781: Ok, we've gotten some questions concerning Ilia with why she was essentially axed off from the story back in the last chapter.
Straight up on the point, Ilia didn't get used that much at all, only through Volumes 4 and 5 and first episode of 6 of the original source material. All she was used for was a weird guilt trip for Blake leaving the White Fang while teasing stuff on Ilia with a Blake pairing or whatever that didn't go anywhere. It may have been explored and enhanced if Ilia traveled with Oscar, Qrow, Team RWBY and NPR to Atlas; yet she went back to Menagerie and relatively wasn't seen or heard from again.
Reason why we axed her off was because we have too many characters to go through in this story and it's gonna be a tad hard to properly work her in. After all, many fans in the RWBY community thought of her as the rehash attempt on the Adam redemption arc that didn't take off.
Before any of you argue with us perhaps squeezing Ilia in due to what was done with Infinite Wars of there being a large cast list; well that story is intentional. With Infinite Wars, we're spanning a planet and a galaxy's worth of characters and locations while Age of Remnant we're spanning only two planets. The cast list in this story is already expanding from those on Remnant, the Avengers, regular MCU Earth, the Guardians of the Galaxy and those from the League of Legends as opposed to the huge amount of regular MCU Earth, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers and the expansive Star Wars properties.
FMW: So yeah, Jeb said EVERYTHING he, myself and Bullet discussed about Ilia and that's it. We're not gonna be addressing this anymore. She's just a character that held no interest for the three of us and we had no plans on using her. There, it's done. On to other matters, lot done in regards to introducing more characters in this chapter and other meetings like Jaune and Steve.
We've also been hard at work, not restructuring, but trying to iron out the needed details for the outline of this story. With how much of Phase 4 material we're gonna use in this story, the three of us are waiting until Quantumania to figure out the entire play for the endgame of the story.
We don't wanna make it like the previous one or Infinite Wars, gotta make it unique so we'll wait and see till then. Might not update as much until then due to us waiting on top of working on our other stories but we'll try when we can.
So other than that, thanks for reading.
Rate Read and Review, Happy New Year again and as Always Have Nice Day.