Author's Note:

So a new chapter has been completed kinda starting a few things as well actually nearing the conclusion of this story

As well after multiple drafts Bishop and I have made a outline for the upcoming chapters and thank you for everyone who reads and give their thoughts

Upcoming stuff:

Hyper Battle Video is almost done as well another death of a major character of the original cast

As well another Note at the end from Bishop

Till next chapter, Apzeta and Bishop

[ Vacuo –Refugee Camp – Investigation 'Room' ]

The desert winds howled outside the sturdy canvas tent. Inside, two groups were gathered around a makeshift table, a scroll projecting a large map of Vale into the air.

Team CFVY — Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi — stood on one side, while Team SSSN — Sun Wukong, Scarlet David, Sage Ayana, Neptune Vasilias, and Nolan Porfirio — gathered on the other.

The atmosphere was tense but focused.

Coco: (Adjusting her sunglasses) "Alright, play it again from the top. I want to catch every little detail."

Sun: (Nodding, rewinding the footage) "You got it."

The scroll replayed the familiar message — Ruby's broadcast to all of Remnant — her face determined but desperate, calling for unity and hope. The room was silent as they watched.

Then came the abrupt hijack — the screen glitching before the ominous insignia of MetsubouJinrai net overtook it,

followed by the stoic and commanding presence of Akira, flanked by Amethyst, Adam, and Onyx.

Sun paused the feed.

Neptune: (Frowning) "Man... I remember when this first aired. Scared the hell outta everyone. Thought the end was coming."

Coco: (Squinting at the screen) "Same here. Back then, we only had bits and pieces... Now, we know these faces."

She tapped her scroll and screenshots of Akira, Amethyst, Adam, and Onyx appeared, neatly lined up.

Scarlet: (Crossing his arms) "They look like a damn hit squad. No wonder Atlas freaked out."

Sage: (Pointing at the images) "Especially that Akira guy. He shattered the moon... again. If that's not overkill, I don't know what is."

They flipped through the next slides — a high-res image of the MetsubouJinrai net logo now filled the air.

Nolan: (Leaning in) "Pretty hardcore for a logo. Those symbols where hard to decipher... 'Destruction,' 'Swift,' 'Thunder,' and... what was the last one?"

Velvet: (Softly, reading)" 'Death.' When you put it all together… it spells out 'Metsubou Jinrai.' Destructive, fast, deadly... yeah, fits them."

Sun: (Hands on hips) "Thing is — we know Adam was labeled an extremist way before this. Back when he was in the White Fang."

Coco: (Muttering) "And now he's got a new cause... but it doesn't add up."

She flicked her finger, switching to a new feed: Zaia Enterprise's first media appearance.

Ruby's image appeared — her stance was no longer desperate, but composed and professional

Neptune: (Scratching his head) "Okay, hold up. Ruby Rose — Miss 'Protect Everyone' — is now standing there like a corporate assassin?"

Sun: (Shaking his head) "Something's missing, dude. Ruby wouldn't just jump ship like that."

Yatsuhashi: (Rumbling voice) "Agreed. There's a piece of the puzzle we're not seeing."

They all stared at the chaotic spread of images, reports, and maps. Red string would've looked right at home connecting it all.

From the first reports of stolen military items on Argus all the ways to Atlas before and after it's destruction

Coco: (Tapping her chin thoughtfully) "There's a pattern here... look at their outfits for starters."

She flipped through the photos again:

Akira's sleek black and neon blue serpentine coat, Amethyst's black and dark purple aesthetic, Onyx's sharp, tactical gear, Adam's signature black and red.

Velvet: (Tilting her head) "They all have a... unified style. Sharp, militaristic. Like a private army or a rebellion force."

Scarlet: (Raising an eyebrow) "But they're helping the refugees now, right? Even though they're branded terrorists?"

Nolan: (Sarcastically) "Yeah, real 'terrorists' who set up food shelters and medical stations. Makes perfect sense."

Sun: (Grinning wryly) "Atlas labeled them terrorists... but Atlas wasn't exactly making the best choices toward the end either."

Coco: (Zooming back into the map of Vale) "Maybe there's a bigger connection..."

She dragged the map slightly outward, focusing on the borders of Vale, far from the protection of the inner kingdoms.

There a name popped up on the map projection:

Daybreak Town.

Coco's sunglasses slid down her nose a little as her eyes sharpened.

Coco: (Voice tight) "There."

She highlighted the ruins.

Velvet: (Eyes widening) "Daybreak Town…"

Scarlet: (Confused) "Wasn't that place wiped out? Way before the Fall of Beacon?"

Velvet: (Nodding, ears twitching nervously) "I read about it. A wave of Grimm attacked it... and when the Grimm left, bandits picked through the remains. Almost everyone died."

There was a heavy silence.

Sage: (Thinking aloud) "So what... Akira's from there?"

Coco: (Crossing her arms, lips pressing into a line)

"It would explain a lot. If he grew up in a place outside the kingdom's protection — watched his home get destroyed by Grimm and bandits alike — he'd have every reason to hate the system."

Sun: (Whistling low) "Man... that would mess anyone up."

Neptune: (Leaning back, processing it) "No wonder he sees Huntsmen and Huntresses as just another threat."

Velvet: (Quietly) "It's not just hate. It's survival... and revenge."

Coco: (Resolutely, standing up straighter) "Alright. We have a working theory."

She looked around the group, the scroll projection bathing them all in pale blue light.

Coco: "Akira, Amethyst, Onyx, Adam — they're not fighting for chaos. They're fighting for something they think is justice. And Ruby... maybe she saw that too."

Sun: (Cracking his knuckles) "Guess we're gonna have to find out ourselves."

Coco: "Then let's make a trip to Daybreak Town"

They all exchanged looks. Whatever lay ahead, it wasn't going to be simple.

[ Vacuo – Refugee Camp – Staging Area ]

The hot air of Vacuo pressed in around the temporary metal structures set up near the refugee camp.

Inside one of the larger makeshift bunkers, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Qrow, Taiyang, Winter Schnee, Jaune, Ren, and Nora were gathered, gearing up.

Weapons were checked, Dust was loaded, and armor pieces were tightened.

Their goal was clear: Get Ruby back.

Yang: (Clenching her fists, "Omen" strapped across her back) "We go in fast. Get Ruby out. If Akira stands in our way... we bring him down."

Blake: (Her eyes narrowed) "He's not getting away again. Not after everything that's happened."

Weiss: (Coolly, checking Myrtenaster) "The longer Ruby stays near him, the worse it'll be. We can't afford to wait anymore."

Winter: (Steely) "This time, we end this properly and for everything we've lost."

Before they could move out, footsteps echoed against the metal floor.

Oscar and Emerald quickly made their way in.

Oscar: (Breathing a bit heavily) "Wait! Wait—hold up!"

Yang: (Blinking in surprise) "Oscar? Emerald?!"

Jaune: (Stunned, then smiling faintly) "Man... It's been a while."

Blake: (Nods) "Last we saw you was during the evacuation..."

Nora: (Cheerful but confused) "What are you guys doing here?"

Emerald: (Crossing her arms) "We could ask you the same thing. But... we figured you'd be heading straight for trouble."

Oscar's gaze swept over the room, stopping on Yang for a moment — and the weapon on her back.

Omen, Raven's weapon.

Oscar: (Frowning) "You're planning to storm Zaia Enterprise, aren't you?"

No one answered, but the look in their eyes said everything.

Oscar: (Sighing, stepping forward) "Listen. I know you all want to get Ruby back. But if you do this without thinking... you might lose for real."

Qrow: (Scoffing) "You think we don't know that, kid?"

Oscar: (Firmly) "I'm serious! Akira... he's dangerous. But Ruby isn't being held prisoner. If you attack them head-on, you'll be giving Akira the excuse to turn the whole city of Vacuo against you."

Taiyang: (Growling) "You're saying we just sit here?!"

Emerald: (Voice low) "No. We're saying you have to be smart about it. Ruby's... she's not brainwashed. She's there because she chooses to be.

Winter: (Coldly) "We can't. After everything he's done—kidnapping me, copying our Semblances, theft, he's a criminal."

Oscar: (Gently) "Maybe. But there's more to him than you think."

Jaune: (Torn, gripping the hilt of his sword)

"It's not about trusting him. It's about trusting Ruby. We can't just rip her away without listening to her first."

Yang: (Tense, eyes burning with frustration)

"After what he did he doesn't deserve a second chance!"

Jaune ( Thinking ): "Besides it's our fault things ended up like this... A fact that we almost forgot.

The air was thick with anger and hesitation. They all knew it wasn't going to be simple.

[ Zaia Enterprise – Akira's Office ]

The inside of Zaia Enterprise was surprisingly modern — sleek silver panels, holographic displays, and cool blue lighting. Business was booming.

The first shipments of the "Zaia Spec" devices were meeting Akira's ambitious targets. Workers and techs bustled about below.

Standing by the massive window that overlooked Vacuo's capital in the distance, Akira tapped at a sleek tablet, checking the first sales reports.

The elevator dinged behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Akira: (Without looking) "Ruby what a surprise."

Ruby: (Stepping inside) "I figured we could to talk."

Akira: (Finally turning, offering a small smile) "Of course. What's on your mind?"

Ruby hesitated for a moment, then blurted out her question.

Ruby: (Frowning slightly) "Who are you, really? I mean... before all of this. MetsubouJinrai, Zaia Enterprise... Atlas calling you a terrorist... everything.

Akira was silent. For once, he let his guard down. A deep, slow breath escaped him as he leaned against the edge of his desk.

Akira: (Quietly) "Have you ever heard of Daybreak Town?"

Ruby: (Nods) "Yeah. It was... destroyed. They said Grimm wiped it out. Then bandits finished what was left."

Akira: (A haunted look flashing across his face) "I lived there."

(He looked out the window.)

Akira: "I was just a kid. I survived by hiding in the ruins for weeks... months. I taught myself how to fix broken tech. How to fight. How to... stay alive."

Ruby: (Softly) "You were alone?"

Akira: (Nods) "Until bounty hunters found me. I didn't even have my Aura unlocked. They... fixed that.

Thought I'd be useful. Took me on jobs. Some clean, some... not so much."

He rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing at the memories.

Akira: (Quiet)

"I survived. That's all I did. To this day... I still don't know what my Semblance is. Never really learned to use my Aura properly either. Just enough to not die."

Ruby watched him carefully. This wasn't the version of Akira she'd seen through the lenses of propaganda, or even in battle.

This was... real.

Ruby: (Voice soft) "You're not the monster they make you out to be."

Akira: (Chuckles bitterly)

"Maybe not. But sometimes... monsters are born because the world refuses to save them."

They both fell silent, staring out through the window. The desert stretched endlessly, shimmering under the unforgiving sun.

Akira: ( looking at the window ): Then I return back to Daybreak Town and found started scavenging and found the only building that wasn't to ruin and turned it into my hideout

Vacuo's capital city, bustling and alive, sat on the horizon.

Ruby: (Quiet) "You're not the only one the world tried to forget."

Akira glanced at her — and for the first time, saw not the ex-leader of a team, not a symbol — but someone with a kinship

[ Vacuo – Pietro Polendina's to Clinic ]

The desert sun beat down outside the sturdy structure serving as a medical and technology clinic for Vacuo's growing refugee population.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted rapidly from hopeful to tense as a group approached — Yang, Blake, Weiss, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Qrow, Taiyang, and Winter Schnee.

Pietro Polendina, adjusting a patient's arm brace, looked up — his mechanical eye whirring in surprise.

Pietro: (in awe) "Good heavens! Children You're alive?!"

He rushed forward, carefully but emotionally, pulling each of them into quick, heartfelt hugs.

Pietro: (choked up) "We thought… we thought you were lost when Atlas fell."

Yang: (gruff but smiling) "Heh, it'll take a lot more than that to get rid of us."

Blake: (softly) "We're glad to see you too, Pietro."

Pietro: (wiping his eye) "What brings you here? You're not just visiting, are you?"

The smiles faded, and the group exchanged serious looks. It was Yang who stepped forward first.

Yang: (grim) "We need your help. We're getting ready for a battle… against Zaia Enterprise."

Pietro: (blinking, confused) "Zaia Enterprise? That's… ambitious. But why? What would drive you to fight a corporation?"

Blake: (crossing her arms) "It's about everything. It's about stopping Akira."

Yang: (clenching her fists) "It's his fault Penny lost control… His tech, his influence. He's turned her into one of his weapons."

Pietro paled, his knees nearly buckling.

Pietro: (voice shaking) "You… you're referring to the Ark, aren't you?"

The room fell silent.

Weiss: (stunned) "You… know about the Ark?"

Qrow: (narrowing his eyes) "Doc. can you elaborate"

Pietro sighed, moving toward a workbench cluttered with scrolls and schematics. He leaned against it, gathering his thoughts.

Pietro: (quietly) "Before… before the world branded him a terrorist, Akira came to me. Not as an enemy. As a curious mind.

He was in my clinic, reading by books… asking questions about tech, Aura, machine learning.

I thought he was just… a lost soul, looking for a purpose."

He paused, looking haunted.

Pietro: (sorrowful) "I even… I even helped him understand some things. Helped him nurture the Ark without knowing it. He told me… he wanted to help Remnant. To make it better."

Ren: (angrily) "He sure has a twisted way of showing it."

Nora: (fists shaking) "He nearly killed Jaune — twice!"

Jaune clenched his fists, looking down. He opened his mouth to speak — to confess — but Winter interrupted first, stepping forward with a grim expression.

Winter: (coldly) "There's something else you should see."

She reached into her satchel and carefully placed a device on the table — battered, charred, but unmistakable: a Zetsumeriser, with a cracked Zetsumerisekey next to it.

Everyone but Pietro, Qrow, and Tai immediately stiffened at the sight.

Pietro: (picking it up, examining it) "What… what is this?"

Yang: (voice heavy) "Something else Akira made. It corrupts machines… like the Atlesian Knights. Turns them into monsters loyal only to him."

Blake: (scowling) "It's how he took control of Penny. Twisted her mind."

Pietro: (analyzing the device, murmuring) "Fascinating… it overrides core protocols, rewrites command subroutines… forcibly stabilizes corrupted transformations through a Regulator… Good heavens."

His hands trembled.

Pietro: (heartbroken) "And I… I unknowingly helped him lay the groundwork…"

The weight of it all visibly crashed down on him. He closed his eyes tightly, trying not to cry.

The group gave him a moment, until Jaune, voice raw and shaking, finally spoke up.

Jaune: (softly) "Pietro… there's something else you need to know. About Penny."

Pietro looked up, hopeful… then terrified.

Jaune: (tears welling) "Before Atlas fell… before Akira... everything… Team RWBY... managed to do it. turned Penny into a human."

Pietro: (whispering, breathless) "You… what?"

Jaune: (choking on his words) "She… she was really alive. Flesh and blood. No circuits. No programming. Just… just Penny."

Pietro staggered backward into a chair, his hands clenching the edge for support.

Jaune: (voice breaking) "She… she asked me… when she got attacked by Cinder… to… to…"

He couldn't finish. Tears streamed down his face.

Jaune: (sobbing) "She begged me to kill her… so the Maiden powers would pass to Winter… so Cinder wouldn't take them."

Winter closed her eyes solemnly, clutching her arms.

Pietro: (in horror) "No… no, my sweet girl…"

Jaune: (through sobs) "And it… it was all for nothing. Akira probably… probably killed Cinder himself. Took her stolen Fall Maiden powers. Penny… she… she didn't have to…"

The room was heavy with grief. Pietro looked like a man who had lost his soul.

Pietro: (voice barely above a whisper) "She… she should have had a normal life… She should have…"

Tai walked over silently, placing a firm but gentle hand on Pietro's shoulder.

Taiyang: (softly) "We're gonna make sure it wasn't for nothing. We're stopping him."

Pietro: (nodding weakly but hesitant) "Yes… yes. Whatever you need… I'll help. I owe it to her."

The group lingered for a moment longer before slowly filtering out to make final preparations for the coming battle, leaving Jaune behind with Pietro for a few more minutes.

Jaune wiped his face with his sleeve, trembling, as Pietro quietly grieved the daughter he had created… and lost.

[ Zaia Enterprise – Amity Tower Ark ]

The sterile hum of machinery and clanking of metal filled the massive experimental sector.

Scientists in crisp uniforms and engineers in specialized gear moved in swift, coordinated motions. Mechanical arms whirred and hissed as they fabricated intricate parts under blinding lights.

Amidst this organized chaos, Akira and Amethyst strode purposefully down the main aisle.

Employees parted instinctively as the two approached — everyone knew who they were, and no one dared slow them down.

Suddenly, a lead scientist, identifiable by a silver-trimmed coat and enhanced Zaia Spec eyepiece, approached, tablet in hand.

Lead Scientist: (bowing slightly) "President, and Vice President — the latest update on Project: Amity Tower Ark."

He tapped the side of his Zaia Spec, projecting a 3D hologram into the air. The massive structure of the Amity Tower Ark slowly rotated, intricate designs glowing across its surface.

Lead Scientist: (gesturing to the hologram) "After installing the Fall and Spring Maiden Progrisekeys into the Ark's system, construction efficiency has increased by 800%.

The Ark's assimilation protocols are integrating the Maiden energies seamlessly, expediting structural generation."

Akira: (quietly analyzing) "...Good. Faster than expected."

He turned his gaze across the room, watching as enormous 3D printers and mechanical arms tirelessly pieced together core components of the Tower. Blueprints flashed across monitors.

Amethyst: (smirking) "Almost poetic. A tower built to bring salvation..."

Akira: (low) "...A necessary evil."

Without further delay, they moved on, the lead scientist bowing again before returning to his team.

[ Zaia Enterprise – Defense Division ]

Opening the heavy doors to the defense section, Akira and Amethyst entered another hive of activity. Here, huntsmen and huntresses hired into Zaia's private military were lining up in neat rows.

At the front stood Neopolitan, her parasol tapping lightly on the ground, and Peridot, holding up a strange key-shaped device for demonstration.

Neopolitan: (smirking and doing a demonstrating by motion)

Neopolitan: An like this you active the Progrisekey pretty simple and effective

She pressed the Rise Start Button on the key, which chirped mechanically

Invading Horseshoe Crab Progrisekey: [ Hard ! ]

Neo: Equip !

Raidriser: [ Raidrise ! ]

Neo inserted it into a Raidriser on her belt. Instantly, hard light armor resembling an armored crab formed around her briefly before dissipating.

Raidriser: [ Invading Horseshoe Crab ! ]

Raidriser: [ Heavily produced battle armor equipped with extra battle specifications. ]

Peridot: (clapping once for attention)

"Activation is simple! Press the button to initialize, insert the Progrisekey into the Raidriser, and transform. Understand?"

The assembled huntsmen and huntresses nodded, their Zaia Specs flashing as they absorbed the procedure almost instantly through accelerated learning.

Peridot: (snapping fingers) "Good. Line up to receive your Raidriser and Progrisekey. Efficiency is expected."

Amethyst: (muttering to Akira) "Soldiers, scientists... one big family."

Akira: (low) "You can say that but more like a better Huntsman Academy."

They turned away, leaving the defense section to its distribution process.

[ Zaia Enterprise – Akira's Office ]

Inside Akira's dark, metallic office — walls lined with monitors and relics of past conflicts — Adam Taurus waited, arms crossed, a tablet under one arm.

As Akira and Amethyst entered, Adam stepped forward, offering the tablet.

Adam: (professional tone) "Report from Onyx. He's finished interrogating the Happy Huntresses — Robyn Hill, Fiona Thyme, Joanna Greenleaf, and May Marigold."

Akira: (narrowing his eyes) "I see"

Adam: "They became... more cooperative after realizing we share a common enemy of sorts. They're still stubborn, but information is flowing."

Akira took the tablet, scanning the initial reports.

Akira: (thinking aloud) "...Their Semblances could be useful. We should copy them before cutting them loose."

Adam: (nodding) "My thoughts exactly. Efficient and clean."

Akira set the tablet down, glancing over at the swirling display of the Ark's expanding calculations.

Akira: (muttering) "I'll run their data through the Ark... get a few predictions."

Amethyst: (stretching her arms) "And I'll check on Ruby. She's still rough with the Attache Shotgun... but she's learning."

Akira: (without looking) "Next step on your lesson plan?"

Amethyst: (smirking) "Teaching her the Attache Arrow. More precise. More fitting for her."

Akira gave a single nod, his attention already on the Ark's interface, suspicion gnawing at the edge of his mind.

Akira: (thinking) "Something's brewing... I can feel it."

Amethyst quietly left the room, a soft smile playing at her lips as she prepared for Ruby's next lesson.

[ Dessert of Vacuo ]

A figure in a White Cloak is walking past a ton of Grimm now turn into stone with the figure looking at the distance

A variant of a Monstra being a eight-headed Grimm snake along with tons of Grimm are heading towards Vacuo

Second Author's Note:

After we are done with this story it would be ported to AO3