Hey everyone! Took me a while to get rolling on this, and I apologize to those of you who have...
Hazredous Interruptions - HunterS
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Chapter One - A New Day
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Hey everyone! Took me a while to get rolling on this, and I apologize to those of you who have been waiting. But without further ado, Hazredous Interruptions Book II - HunterS.
If you're here without reading the first book, go to the following link first, as this is a sequel to a previous story: 'Hazredous' Interruptions (MSLN/RWBY Crossover)
'Hazredous' Interruptions - HunterS
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY
Chapter One - A New Day
"Okay, team, gather close! We gotta plan fast before Raising Heart finds us!" Crescent Rose Harvest displayed a holomap of the combat zone at a wave of Ruby Rose's hand, portions of the map flashing in reds and yellows and blues. Airborne dust and grit cast flickering shadows through the display, but it was readable nonetheless. Ruby pointed at one point on the map. "JNPR is pushing down the main thoroughfare, but when they hit here they're going to run into heavy concentrations of infantry. They're tankier than we are, so they'll be fine against the rest of the ground pounders, but they're going to be taking a beating from everything the OpFor has. We need to take the heat off them, which means dealing with the artillery support."
"Oh, right, just the artillery support." Yang Xiao Long cracked a grin, even going so far as to peek out the window to scan the skies overhead. She ducked back, shielding her eyes against the flare of pink that lit up the sky. "A full team of hand-picked flight mages led by Nanoha. That'll be easy!"
"And an irritable Nanoha at that. Fate's been on deployment for months now, and she gets like this every time…" Blake Belladonna shook her head with a sigh. "Who thought it was a good idea for her to be leading the OpFor again?"
"It's that or we take the thoroughfare and deal with Signum. Pyrrha said she can fight her to a standstill for a minute, I'll take that bet. Besides, we don't need to beat them, we just need to hold them long enough!"
"Look at it this way, Yang," Blake murmured, looking over the holomap. Her ears twitched and flattened against another concussive boom of unleashed magic. "If we go after Nanoha, you'll get to play with Vita."
"Oh, Dust, I hadn't thought of that." Yang grinned, flexing her hands. "Okay Rubes, I'll keep the Juggs-ernaut off your back. Blake and Weiss should be able to keep the others distracted, but Nanoha's your playmate."
"If we can drag them down to street level, we'll disengage one at a time to pull up Aura. Give it to 'em rough in close-quarters."
"And if this all goes to plan," Weiss Schnee gave Myrtenaster Absolute a twirl, peering through the scrying window she left hanging in the air, "then SSSN and Cardin will slip through in the confusion and slag the objective."
"That's the plan." Ruby heaved Crescent Rose to her shoulder with a nimble spin. "Let's do this!"
"In Remnant galactic affairs, the first wave of Hunter trainees in the TSAB military are graduating from their vocational training, and are now full-fledged members of the TSAB armed forces and graduate Hunters both. While there are reports of Bureau-wide civil unrest due to Remnant's accelerated inclusion in TSAB policy, I hope that I am not alone in wishing Remnant's rising stars the best in a productive career."
"Upon landing in the Emerald Forest, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years at Beacon Academy. You and your partner must make your way to the ruins northeast of here, retrieve a relic, and return with it to this location."
One of the initiates, a barely five foot tall girl wearing roller skates of all things, pushed blue bangs out of her eyes and smiled at the red-haired girl next to her. They were the two TSAB transfer students in this batch of initiates, and their dossiers had proven an interesting read, one more so than the other. Still, enrolling at the age of fourteen! Even Ruby Rose had been fifteen years old when he'd offered her a place at the academy… but the pair's superiors were confident in their capabilities, and he wouldn't be the one to judge them prematurely.
"For those of you joining us from Administered Space, your enemy will be the Creatures of Grimm. Make no mistake, the Grimm will be attacking you with lethal intent, and your only path to success will be to kill them before they kill you. You have been given emergency transponders if it is necessary to use them, but understand that activating your transponder is an automatic disqualification from initiation. If you wish to succeed, you will be on your own, with only your partner and the other initiates to depend on. Good luck." The tip of Ozpin's cane pressed down on the small pad next to him.
As if on cue, the red-haired girl raised a hand. "Uhm. Headmaster, you said upon landing in the forest. Teleporting is still iffy on the planet, right? Where's the dropship?"
KA-CHANK! The first student catapulted into the air, already assuming a gliding posture.
The redhead went pale. Ozpin sipped his coffee, hiding his smirk. KA-CHANK! "Ah, there is no dropship. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"My own landing strategy? I don't have a landing stra-" KA-CHANK! "-aAAAAAAAAAAA!"
KA-CHANK! The blue-haired girl followed her skyward, yelling. "WIIIING ROOoooaaa…"
Ozpin tilted his head, watching as a path of blue light shot out ahead of the girl, letting her skate effortlessly into the distance to catch her falling friend. He could faintly hear her shouting something about them being partners forever.
"...interesting. They haven't technically landed yet, so that may be against the spirit of the rules, but..." He shrugged. The term would likely prove interesting.
"Worldwide, the Huntsmen Academies report that attendance is at an all-time high. While this number does include exchange students from TSAB boot camps and even from Administered World private interests, the Academy Headmasters have given the joint statement that to see such numbers is heartening, and all four academies are making plans to break new ground for their own expansion efforts."
"So, with everything moving forward so strongly, you should understand the necessity of the increased budget. More students means we need more professors, which means bringing in experts from off-world, which means we need the additional facilities to house them and keep them busy when they're not teaching. The university is an R&D campus as well as instructional, after all."
Kasta Kazella, the CFO of Starmetal Industries Incorporated, met the eyes of the president's holographic avatar, waiting for a moment before giving a small nod. "You're right, Mrs. Opal. I'll finalize and forward your budget request to Ms. Schnee, and I'm sure that your justifications will be enough for her to approve the adjustments. Do you have a list of potential hires?"
"We've received dozens of applications from across TSAB space already, and a few of them are looking rather promising for our needs. I can forward the resumes to you if you'd like."
"That would prove useful. I'll request some background checks from Ambassador Harlaown, I'm sure she'll make the time if I bring them over personally."
"Excellent." Opal keyed a few commands, her hands flickering across a keyboard not represented in her hologram, and the files popped up on Kasta's scroll.
She gave them a quick once over. "Donald Durango from Mid-childa, Gefangnis Chrysler of Ruwella, and Bethany Martin of Mid-childa. I'll get these to Lindy as soon as possible."
"Appreciated. It must be nice having a personal line to the Ambassador."
"Speaking of breaking ground, today marks the first anniversary of the opening day of the Starmetal Fabrications Advanced Sciences University. In grand ceremony, University President Opal broke ground on a twenty-seven acre expansion, upon which dormitory, classroom, and research structures will be built to answer the two-hundred percent increase in numbers from the first year of attendance. Starmetal Fabrications Incorporated CEO Weiss Schnee said in a D-comm interview two days ago that she is, and I quote, 'exceptionally pleased with the progress the university has made in one year's time,' and she looks forward to further growth and development."
"No need to stand on ceremony, Sienna. We were friends before I left the Fang, and I should hope that we can be friends now. Sit, please. Kali is making tea." Ghira Belladonna gestured for her to take her place at the table across from Richard Xerxes. "I'm just glad you're finally here to talk to us."
Sienna Khan hesitated, her ears drooping a little against her hair, then gave herself a little shake. There was no sense in delaying any longer, but the inability to follow up on her promise still hurt. "Adam Taurus is gone, Ghira. I can't find him, the Fang can't find him. He either found a hole so deep only the Grimm could sniff him out, fled off-world during the first exoduses off the planet, or he's dead."
"He's not dead," Xerxes scowled, though not directed at her. "The bastard's too damned cunning to die that easily. He'll be back someday, and we'll have to deal with him."
Ghira sighed, gesturing again and waiting until Sienna finally took the offered seat. "With our luck he threw in with Breeze. But, it's a problem for later. The important thing is that you tried, Sienna."
"I promised you his head on a platter, Ghira. The Khans keep their promises."
"We don't want his head on a platter, Sienna! Imagine the mess I'd have to clean up afterwards." Kali bustled into the room, setting out cups and pouring tea with practiced ease. "You three are here to talk about tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. Better things to come!"
"A better tomorrow." Sienna picked up the teacup, holding it gingerly between her fingers; Kali always favored tiny, delicate ceramics, and they were so damned fragile. She would have preferred a heavy stein, or at least a coffee mug… but that was Kali, and they were in her house. "Not to dwell on the past, but Taurus' assault on Vale was a disaster in the making. I can't fathom how bad it could have gotten if the kingdom had actually fallen that day…"
"Bad enough, that's for certain. Taurus had gone off the deep end long before that point." Xerxes fixed her with a look. "Your ideologies took him there-"
"My ideologies would have worked, if things had stayed sane," she shot back, "but they didn't. I didn't realize he would stoop so low, I left Vale to him because I had three other chapters to worry about. He hid his true intentions too damned well, and I couldn't see behind that Grimm-bedamned mask." She cursed again, and drained her tea, holding the cup out for a refill. "And then the Bureau came out of the woodwork, and the whole world got thrown on its head."
"I admit I was wondering why the masks came off. Haven't seen a Fang wearing one in over a year now. The uniforms, sure, but no more masks." Xerxes tapped his fingers against his own cup, and a small smirk spread his lips. "I have to admit I like it more this way."
She scowled, sipping her refreshed drink and giving Kali a belated nod of thanks. "No more masks. I want to see the faces of my subordinates." Setting the cup down, she sighed, rubbing at her eyes. "It galls me to say this, but Bastion has had the right of it these last two years. I still say my ways would have worked, if not for all the madness with Taurus and the Bureau, but… this way is better. For everyone."
"No one can see the future, Sienna, and hindsight is twenty twenty." Ghira reached out and took Kali's hand, smiling up at her. "But as my lovely wife says, we're here to talk about tomorrow."
"In other Menagerie-related news, yesterday Chieftain Sienna Khan of the White Fang met behind closed doors with Menagerie Chieftain Ghira Belladonna and Bastion Spokesman Richard Xerxes. According to a press release by all three leaders after the session ended, Chieftain Khan has agreed to bringing the White Fang under Menagerie's direct leadership. While the White Fang has been thankfully non-confrontational in the two years since Remnant joined the TSAB, this agreement puts an official stance to the White Fang's posturing. While some people believe that this 'toeing the line' by the White Fang is a blatant attempt to avoid repercussions for past actions, Chieftain Belladonna has stated that he views this as a good decision on all sides. When Ambassador Harlaown was asked for the TSAB's official stance on the matter, she only said that the TSAB takes no issue with local jurisdictional decisions."
"This is Lisa Lavender, Vale Network News."
[ *** ]
It was a nondescript warehouse in a nondescript city on a backwater world far off the normal patrol lanes. It's sole notable feature was that it was beneath notice- or that's how bad detective fiction would've described it, at least. In truth, it was a world with a rich history, explosive culture, and any number of great things to know, do, and see… but only if one cared to look.
The night sky was blanketed by low, heavy clouds, their fat underbellies dimly lit by the yellow glow of street lights below. A dozen figures were gathered inside the warehouse, cracking open crates with a myriad arrangement of tools. They'd happened upon a freighter that had been knocked off course by a dimensional storm, and the battered ship had been easy prey for their fast, well-armed cruiser. The haul was a lucrative one, and the crates were filled with luxury goods, medicines, and other low-volume, high value commodities.
Under the harsh cones of ancient incandescent light cheers and arguments both broke out with the contents of each revealed crate, as the band of pirates and smugglers debated where best to pawn off their ill-gotten gains.
"Mid-childa's a terrible idea and you know it," one was saying. "Ruwella's a bad idea too, everyone on the planet toes the Church line. I'm telling you, it's either Orusea or Remnant. Orusea hates the TSAB, and Remnant has the Mistralian black market!"
More shouting broke out, and rude shoves accompanied the bandied insults, which meant no one immediately noticed the figure stepping into the circle of dingy light provided by the flickering bulbs overhead. "Amazingly enough, your friend there is right on the Lien about going to Mistral. The undermarket has a buyer for anything and everything, if you have the right contacts."
There was a moment of shocked silence, and then an alarming array of weapons and devices were pointed at the intruder. Roman Torchwick smiled widely at the crowd of criminals, resting both hands on the curved handle of his cane. "Now now, let's not be hasty here. I'm just here to talk."
If anything, they stiffened even more, heads swiveling to scan the shadows around them. The leader took a more measured look at him, narrowing his eyes. "You walked into the wrong place, friend. You've got guts, I'll give you that."
"If that's how you want to put it, I suppose I won't argue." Torchwick pulled a cigar from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers for a moment. "But like I was saying, the upper class of Mistral love to get their hands on new things, and it's only been two years since Remnant joined up. Everything TSAB is still new to them. Your best bet would be to take that haul to Remnant, normally."
"I told you guys Remnant would be the place to go!" A man in the back crowed in glee, earning a punch in the shoulder from another.
The leader didn't join in the carousing, tilting his head. "What do you mean normally?"
"Well, you see, you guys have been causing a lot of trouble the last few weeks. Probably thought you were being pretty smart, hiding out so far off the main lanes. What's this mudball called again? Earth?" Torchwick held the cigar out to the side, out of the circle of light's perimeter. There was a sharp snick and a brief flare, and he placed the lit stogie between his lips. "Well, whatever the name is, they know their smokes."
A few eyes widened at the implications, as the group looked from his cigar and back into the shadows. "What, you thought I came in here alone? Please, don't take me for some rank amateur. But if it'll put you at ease, fine. C'mon out, girls."
Two figures stepped into view behind him. Both were on the adorable side of petite, though the familiar form of Neopolitan rocked her hips with no small amount of self-assured swagger. Neopolitan rested the point of her parasol on the concrete, giving the pirates a small, secret smile. Torchwick took a long puff from his cigar, blowing out a stream of smoke. "Not that it matters, but this is my associate, Neo. She's my bodyguard."
"But who's the kid?" A particularly burly man asked, pointing at his other companion.
"I'm the muscle!"
Torchwick sighed, twisting at the waist to look down at the shaggy mop of blonde hair. "Mint, we've been over this. What does the muscle not do?"
"...the muscle doesn't talk," came the dejected reply.
"Good girl. Anyways!" He turned back to his audience, pulling the cigar from between his teeth to gesture at the pirates. "As I was saying. You guys have been causing a lot of trouble out here in bum-fucking Vacuo. This hole is pretty out of the way, never going to have to worry about the big bad TSAB looking for you way out here. Who cares about Earth, right?"
The leader opened his mouth, and Torchwick slammed the tip of his cane into the concrete, sending spiderwebs through the cheap pour with a loud crack. "Wrong. An associate of mine takes great offense to your very presence here, and so I get to play the fucking trashman. You have two options, idiots. You can put down your guns, sit down in a nice little circle and wait for the Enforcers that are already on the way and maybe, just maybe get a chance to work off your rap in the ground forces, or you can do the stupid thing and try to fight back." Torchwick put the stogie back between his teeth, grinning around it. "Pick the latter, please. At least give us something to do on this stupid milk run."
They didn't disappoint. The first thrown packet of magic glanced off Torchwick's shoulder, exploding in a flash of light against his Aura, and by that point Neo was already in the thick of them. Shouts and yells echoed through the warehouse as the first thug spun head over heels to slam into a crate, his weak barrier jacket sundering into motes of light.
Most of the thugs turned toward Neo, trying to bury her under weight of numbers. D-ranks and nulls the lot of them, he figured she'd have absolutely no trouble. Two charged straight at Torchwick; the leader and the big bruiser. The pirate captain drew a cutlass from his coat- how cliche-, bringing it down in an overhead chop which Torchwick effortlessly turned aside with Harmonic Bludgeon, and he spun the cane around to beat the man into submission.
The huge bruiser charged at his side, seeing him exposed and distracted. Mint yelled a high-pitched warcry, plunging her arms into the floor and tensing. Massive concrete hands erupted between Torchwick and his new assailant, wrapping him up in foot-thick stone fingers and squeezing. "Easy, Mint! Don't kill him! You're the muscle, not a thug!"
"Yeah yeah! I got him, I got him!" She was smiling widely, grinning back up at him, mismatched eyes shining with cheer.
By the time he turned back around, nine bodies were scattered across the warehouse floor, and Neo was slowly advancing on the last man standing. He was backed against a crate, fumbling in his jacket for a weapon. Despite her facing away from him, Torchwick could feel Neo's grin.
The man ripped a handgun free, bringing it up and pulling the trigger. The flash of light from the barrel was dazzling, and the booming report nearly deafened Torchwick. Neo's head snapped back, jackknifing her backwards and slamming her down against the floor, her Aura cracking through and vanishing.
Before Torchwick could even shout, she was back on her feet, the man's neck in her hand as she used him to shatter the crate he'd been using for cover. She tossed the unconscious pirate over toward the rest, then reached up to rub the red spot in the center of her forehead.
Torchwick let out a breath, glancing around to make sure all the targets were down before making his way over to her. "You okay, squirt?" She grimaced, giving him a thumbs up.
Mint ran up behind him, hopping in place. "That's everything, right? Did I do good?"
"You did great. Nicely done, everyone. Now then… Mint, bind everyone up, use the floor like you did that big guy. The Enforcers can break 'em loose when they get here. As for us, I'll let Paige know that we're done here. Neo, check 'em for credits, local currency, you know the deal."
As he was turning away, a glint of silver caught his eye. He knelt down and scooped up the handgun that the last man had used to shoot Neo, looking it over with a critical eye. A heavy, short-barreled revolver, the six-chambered cylinder swung out to one side to reveal five rounds and a single empty cartridge. Impressive. Neo weighs every bit of two hundred pounds now, and this thing put her right on her ass… Dumping the remaining rounds into his hand, he pocketed the weapon. "To the victor go the spoils, and all that."
[ *** ]
"Target on screen, Captain. They're making a run for transfer clearance."
"Helm, heading two hundred by sixty five, flank speed." Chrono Harlaown leaned forward in the captain's chair, watching the main screen as The Four Seasons rumbled beneath him. Earth hung below them some three hundred thousand kilometers distant, disappearing from the screen as the cruiser turned.
Their quarry was a pirate cruiser, disconcertingly similar in design to the one that had ended the Arthra's career around three years ago. Similar enough, in fact… "Redirect fifty percent power from the omnidirectional wards to the fore hardshields. Load Dust Rails with Gravity and Lightning."
The answering chatter was on-point and professional, economical and clear amidst the muted din of combat operations.
"Fifty percent power to fore hardshields, aye!"
"Dust Rails one and two… hot! Calculating firing solution!"
"Comms, give them their chance to surrender."
The Four Seasons was not as quiet of a ship as a standard TSAB Cruiser. The oversized engines that provided their primary thrust had a different character, and perhaps were a great deal more forceful than the gravity drives he'd been used to, but the tradeoff was that the crew could feel the acceleration despite the inertial dampeners. Every change in vector sent small rumbles through the bulkheads.
If asked in confidence, he would be forced to admit he liked it, in a primeval, visceral way. This is what a warship is supposed to feel like, was the thought in the back of his head.
"Target is turning! They have target-lock!"
So be it. "Dust Rail One, fire."
"Dust Rail One! Firing!" The Four Seasons shuddered as the ship's frame absorbed the recoil, the rail cannon spitting out a blast of charged Gravity Dust at respectable percentage of light speed. By the time his eyes registered the tunnel of twisted starlight that the round left behind, it had already impacted against the pirate cruiser's wards and detonated in a deep purple, almost black implosion of light. Unable to withstand the conflicting, tearing mass field, the cruiser's wards sundered in a flash of released energy.
The pirates fired back, blasting out a garish burst of piercing power. The shot punched clean through their omnidirectional wards only to stop dead against their second layer of defenses. "Report!"
"Wards ineffective, barrier piercing effect confirmed! Hardshield Two Alpha… at twenty percent, sir!"
"Cycle hardshield Two to Beta. Rail Two, fire. Take them out."
"Dust Rail Two, firing!" This time, he could just see the crackling yellow bolt as it tore through the two thousand kilometers of empty space, and the round exploded against the pirate ship's unshielded prow. Lightning arced across the hull, tearing hull plates loose in its wake and opening a third of the ship to vacuum. Her running lights flickered and died, and the pirate vessel hung dead in space, sparking and listing as air rushed out of the breaches.
"The target has gone silent. Life signs… detected."
Chrono nodded in satisfaction. "Good shooting, gunnery team. Commander Schnee, Team Alpha to the teleport bay. Board and secure."
"Sir." Standing at his side, Winter Schnee snapped a sharp salute, then pivoted on her heel. Her uniform flashed, replaced by her barrier jacket, and the hatch swung closed behind her.
"Ground Team status?"
"Green across the board, they're storming the ground-side site now. All targets… already subdued, sir. Looks like Candle already took care of things for us."
"Is he still on site?"
"Negative, sir. Just a little note left pinned to the ground site leader."
Chrono scowled. "Acknowledged. Secure the site, and prepare to take on prisoners. And…" Thinking for a moment, he came to a decision. "Send a transmission to the local comm buoy. Message as follow: Burning Bright."
[ *** ]
Cranagan, Mid-childa. The figurative center of Administered Space, home to millions of citizens of the TSAB. A city of shining steel and clean concrete, rebuilt from the ground up in the wake of the Belkan Civil War to stand as a monument to cooperation and forward thinking. The Ground Forces HQ building towered over the center of the city, a slender needle that pierced the sky, surrounded by smaller skyscrapers in the shape of a triangle.
It made for an impressive skyline, bracketing the early morning sun and dominating the eastern sky. Weiss Schnee always took a few moments to appreciate the view while she enjoyed her morning coffee, letting Myrtenaster's crystalline, collected tone bring her up to speed with the daily occurrences of Starlight Fabrications Inc.
For the first time in months, Weiss had nothing pressing keeping her to her strict morning routine; upon graduation, their teams had been given a month of leave time to travel back to Remnant and participate in a proper ceremony. There was no morning roll call, no daily duties with the Ground Forces, nothing other than maintaining proper decorum in the public eye, and that last item was something that came to her as naturally as breathing. Even with her short, pixie cut length of hair sleep-mussed, and wearing little more than a bathrobe, poise was second nature to her.
"Mmm… yes. Myrtenaster, please draft a voice memo. Ahem- 'The prospective budget increases for the Advanced Sciences University are approved, effective immediately. I expect daily summaries and weekly itemized reports of expenditures. In addition, I trust President Opal with the hiring process for new personnel, but I also expect dossiers for any new employees along with the weekly reports.' End memo, transmit to Kasta Kazella."
She finished her coffee, and cool fingers touched hers as they collected the cup. "Memo delivered. Would you like another cup of coffee, Madam?"
Weiss gave the indistinct, ice-white figure a smile. "No, but thank yo-"
The door to the bedroom flew open, reinforced hinges dampening the slam to something approaching civilized. "Weiss, we're gonna- oh, hi Myrte." Yang gave the figure a jaunty wave, which the projection returned. "We're gonna hit the gym before starting the day, you in?" The blonde was already wearing shorts and a slightly-strained sports bra, grinning as bright as the sun outside.
The roll of her eyes couldn't take away from the smile spreading her lips. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready. That will be all, Myrtenaster."
"Of course, Madam." The device's projection set the empty cup into the sink before scattering into a small flurry of snowflakes, which melted away into nothing.
Yang shook her head, then busied herself with tying her voluminous hair back into a ponytail. It had taken most of the last two years to regain the full volume and length of her hair after losing most of it to the Maiden of Summer, but her mane of blonde locks was finally back to the way she wanted it, maybe even a little longer than before. No small amount of her pay went into the best care for it. "I swear I'm never going to get used to that. None of our devices can make their own bodies."
Weiss crossed the floor to her closet, throwing it open and selecting a set of black workout clothes. Technically she didn't need to with the plethora of clothing options her barrier jacket could take, but old habits… "It's just an application of principles behind my summoning glyphs. It's much easier for Myrtenaster to manifest a quasi-physical form than it is for most other devices, since she's borrowing from my, ah... Rare Skill, is the non-Semblance term." Letting her robe fall to the floor, she stripped off her nightshirt and tossed it aside, but before she could pull on her workout top Yang had snatched it out of her grasp.
"Damn, girl," Yang snorted, flipping it inside out to read the tag.
"Yang!"
"What? You turned into compe-tit-tion the last year or so, I gotta know if I need to be worried!"
Weiss grumbled, snagging the sports bra back and pulling it on. "For your peace of mind, I don't want to make you worry. I can only imagine what my back would say."
"Good! Three years ago I'd never have guessed you'd take after your sister after all!" Yang grinned as she left the room, calling over her shoulder. "Five minutes, Snowglobes!"
"YANG, you ASS!" A well-timed glyph slammed the door despite the hinges, and the yelp of surprise told Weiss she'd been right on target.
[ *** ]
"Push!"
"I am!"
"Like hell you are!"
"It's heavy!"
"You swing a scythe around that weighs as much as you do, this is nothing! Stop making excuses and push! One more, you pansy!"
Ruby bit back her retort, putting everything she had into one last go. The barbell slowly started to inch higher over her chest, only to slow and wobble at the halfway point as her arms started to tremble. "Ffffffff-"
He yelled at her, as abrasive as he ever was. "COME ON, WIMP!"
"-fffaaaaAAGH!" Her grip tightened, and she forced her arms to straighten, pushing the bar as high as she could. One hundred kilograms hung poised over her in the air for an instant, then started to dip back down.
Large hands, one skin and one painted metal, slipped under the bar, taking the strain off her arms and easing the weights back onto the bench rack. Ruby let herself sag down against the bench cushion, panting, then flashed a grin up at her spotter. "Happy?"
"Yeah, yeah." Cardin Winchester tossed her a towel, and she snagged it out of the air to mop the sweat off her face. "Eight reps of a hundred kilos is a new record for ya. Not bad, shrimp."
Ruby rolled herself up to a sitting position, then stood to help him switch the weights. "What are you lifting for this?"
"One seventy five for twelve." Cardin took her place after wiping down the bench. She felt his aura disperse even as she brought her own back up, and Ruby took the spotter position. The big squire wasted no time in lifting the bar off the rack, lowering it down and pumping it back up with mechanical timing. Ruby kept count for him, keeping a close eye on him despite the want to glance around the gym.
The dozen reps passed in moments, and Cardin bumped fists with her before moving on to another weight machine. Ruby sat back down to take a breather, watching the others exercise.
On one side of the gym, Yang and Weiss were brutalizing a pair of punching bags, while Blake practiced with some battle ropes nearby and tossed playful barbs their way. Pyrrha and Jaune were sparring, a full-contact boxing match that had been going for nearly five minutes with no end in sight, while Ren and Nora were putting the treadmills through their paces.
They'd been in Weiss' gym for around an hour now, and Ruby knew everyone would be winding down soon. She pushed back to her feet, moving over to the wall intercom and tabbing the button. "Klein? I think we're about done here, is breakfast ready?"
"Ah, Ms. Ruby! We should be finished within ten minutes."
"Great! We'll be down after we finish our cooldown laps!" Ruby released the button, clapping her hands twice to get attention and then moving to the running track. The track itself could transform, undulating into hills and valleys like the world's most elaborate treadmill. It had been stupidly expensive, but JNPR, RWBY and Cardin all looked at it with the same thought- fun!
One by one, her friends fell into step with her. Just behind her, Weiss started belting out a marching cadence, and they all shouted their responses playfully.
Five minutes to cool down, and a five minute shower to wash off the sweat, and they all assembled in the dining room at oh seven hundred sharp. Klein and the kitchen staff had set up a buffet line for them, and one by one they filled their plates and sat down at the long table.
Six months ago, Weiss had felt comfortable enough with Starmetal Industries' profit margins to buy a 'small' apartment tower in Cranagan, a five minute drive from base. Contractors had renovated the top three floors into a sprawling penthouse complex where they all could stay together, and the bottom nine floors remained as high-class apartments for anyone who could pass a background check and had the credits to pay for them.
They didn't all live there all the time; Yang and Blake had a small condo on base, and Team JNPR had another. Cardin actually lived with the Yagamis, due to both being Vita's personal squire and never quite feeling at home with JNPR, but Weiss was happy to keep a guest room ready for him as well. While still surly, the sole remaining member of CRDL had come a long way in two years, and meshed well enough with their teams that no one lamented his presence. Yang sometimes joked that Vita'd had to beat him into something resembling proper form.
He didn't argue the point.
Ruby, though, lived with Weiss full time, and wouldn't have it any other way. Klein went out of his way to keep the pantry stocked with extra goodies for her, even if Weiss sometimes scoffed at the off-brand cookies Ruby preferred. Imported from Vale, even off-brand junk food got expensive, but it was important to keep that little taste of home around.
Speaking of home… "Weiss, what's our schedule today?"
Weiss swallowed her mouthful of eggs, wiping her lips with a snowflake-embroidered napkin and clearing her throat. "We're free for the morning, but we have to be at the spaceport at twelve thirty for check in. Chrono sent me a message, The Four Seasons will be reaching orbit on time, and we're taking a shuttle up to transfer over. There's a layover at Starburst Station to effect a prisoner transfer from their last mission, then it's straight to Remnant."
Blake glanced up from her tea. "Where are we meeting Sun and Neptune?"
"They're already on board. Junior Enforcers, they were part of the mission."
"Aweshum! Glad they're makin' it for graduashun, Navy training'sh been throwing them all over the galaxy." Yang didn't bother to clear her mouth before talking. Even Weiss hadn't been able to break her of the habit, and had complained that the blonde was doing it on purpose.
"Everyone's packed already, right?" Ruby glanced around the table, getting a series of nods in return. "Awesome. We'll meet at the spaceport at eleven. Cardin, you were gonna swing by the training base, right?"
"Yeah. A group of modern Belkans recruits is coming through and Vita wants me to help school 'em." The big squire covered a burp, thumping his chest before standing. "Somethin' about them not giving Aura and Semblances the respect they deserve. You in?"
"Of course! Jaune, Pyrrha?"
"Not this time. I think we're going to visit that cafe by the spaceport and have an easy morning." Jaune perked his eyebrows at Pyrrha, who nodded. "You have fun though."
[ *** ]
"All right you kids! You're here because you call yourself Belkans, and you're too damned proud to toe the line and follow normal training procedures! The Training Division has had enough of your incessant whining about getting to go to Remnant, and so they've given you to me." Vita Yagami, the Iron Hammer Knight, paced back and forth in front of the squad of six recruits, rolling Graf Eisen between her fingers and letting the shaft rest against her armored shoulder.
She cut an imposing figure, having decided to remain in her post-adolescent form following the events of Remnant's joining the TSAB. Two years of 'natural' aging let the knight top off at an even six feet tall, and the bulk of actual maturity gave the impression that she didn't so much lift iron as eat it. That, combined with the crimson full plate she'd grown fond of gave her a physical presence that simply could not be denied. Her armor still bore Hayate's unmistakable thumbprint- not that she minded.
"You want to go to Remnant because that's where real action is. You practice Modern Belkan magic, which you think means that you're the best there is at the front line." Vita spat on the dirt, stomping on it. "What that actually means is that you know a couple physical enhancement spells, you're good at point defense because no melee combatant doesn't know how to snap off a quick shield, and you might just be able to form a kinetic shooter bolt.
"So here's the deal, worms! There are in fact six reserved berths on The Four Seasons. I should know because I'm the one who asked Captain Harlaown to keep them open. Whether or not you clowns get to sleep in those berths tonight depends entirely on how satisfied I am with your performances in the next two hours!"
The man at the center of the formation smirked, taking the bait. Vita whirled on him, not quite looming over him; he was too tall for that. But, she let her 'ire' roll over him like a tidal wave, and in the face of an angry Wolkenritter a bare inch from his nose, he paled. "Cadet Broadstein- what the hell kind of name is Broadstein anyways. You're Mug now. Cadet Mug, front and center! Activate your device and call up your barrier jacket!"
Instant obedience made Vita perk an eyebrow. In a flash the tall, muscular warrior was decked out in silver plate, hefting a broadsword. "So you can follow directions after all! Good. Prepare to defend. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT."
"Knight Vita." She didn't even need to look. Cardin was always ready, she'd drilled that into him early on.
"Beat his ass."
Cardin's charge caught the cadet by surprise. He bodychecked the recruit through the rest, scattering them like bowling pins. Vita squared her feet, planting Graf Eisen's head on the ground and resting her hands on the shaft. "Get back in formation, you slugs! Devices and jackets, now!"
More shouting and clashing echoed through the field as Cardin and the unlucky cadet traded blows. Vita ignored them, fixing her attention on the remaining five. "On Remnant, they didn't know our kind of magic until the Arthra crash landed in Vale. You may have heard of Aura if you ever used your ears for anything more than keeping your hats from falling off.
"Aura is a simple thing. In practical matters, it's a barrier jacket and a physical enhancement effect, wrapped up into one neat little self-sustaining package. Most professional warriors get theirs unlocked during secondary education- that's at thirteen and fourteen years old for you apprentices. If a hunter is lucky, they'll have learned their Semblance. As far as we're concerned, a Semblance is a single spell. They spend their lives knowing only that single spell, practicing only that single spell, fighting with only that single spell. Hunters use Aura, possibly a Semblance, and weapons, and they have been fighting this way since Al Hazred fell! If you are a mage and you only know a single fucking spell, you can be damned well sure that you get really, really good at using it. SERGEANT."
"Sir!" Ruby was next to her in a blur of motion, rose petals swirling away in the wind of her own passage.
Behind them, Cardin was still pounding at Mug. To the recruit's credit, his barrier jacket was still mostly intact. "You five get to fight my Reaper. Rose, show them what a Semblance can do. No device magic."
"Yes, sir!" Crescent Rose Harvest unfolded smoothly, sunlight glinting off the blade. Ruby, being a good sport, gave them a moment to realize what was about to happen before a typhoon of rose petals appeared in their midst, the reaper already spinning into her first attack routine. Vita, meanwhile, took the moment to sip from the cup of coffee that Ruby had dropped into her hands. When one of the recruits rolled to a stop at her feet, she just booted him back into the fight. "This is a good blend, Rose!"
"Thank you, sir! Would you like another?"
[ *** ]
"Uh oh. That doesn't look good."
Brunch at the cafe had been as easy and enjoyable as they'd hoped it would be, and the clear sky and light wind made for a nice walk to the spaceport. But, the good feeling was fading away, rapidly overtaken by apprehension.
There was a throng of civilians outside the spaceport gates, shouts and screams merging into a constant roar of angry displeasure. Jaune and Pyrrha traded a worried look before moving approaching, and he squinted against the glare of the sun off the signs and posters they were waving around. "What are they protesting?"
Pyrrha's mouth set into a grim line. "Us."
Sure enough, as they got closer, he could make out some of the signs. "'Kinetic Killers go home,' 'Unfair favor, Remnant ignores the laws.' I mean, it's clear it's about us, but what are they protesting?"
"Remnant as a whole skipped a lot of steps to join the TSAB. Most administered worlds had to unite under a single planetary government before they could petition for acceptance. On top of that, Remnant alone out of all the signatory worlds still maintains the legal usage of kinetic projectile weapons, and we're allowed to because we need them against the Grimm." Pyrrha gestured toward the crowd, which thankfully hadn't spotted them yet; their attention was focused on something else. "Some people feel like Remnant cheated." Looking the group over again, her eyes narrowed.
"That's… I don't want to say stupid, but…" Jaune shook his head, glancing down the street. "Maybe we should go around, there should be a side entrance we can get into, uh…" Pyrrha was already moving forward, striding toward the mob. "Pyrrha?"
"It's too late, Jaune! RWBY's already caught up in them!"
"Oh, hell." Jaune hurried to catch up, getting a better grip on his kit bag. He really hoped he wouldn't need it, but Crocea Mors was inside it with the rest of his luggage.
Thankfully, nothing seemed to have escalated beyond shouting and a few rough shoves by the time they got within reach. Cardin's height and bulk, combined with his obviously artificial arm, was doing a good job keeping those nearby intimidated, and while Yang wasn't nearly his size, she matched him in sheer presence. In the center of their tiny cordon, Ruby was calling into the tiny boom-mic connected to her device visor, harried and strained.
One of the sign-toting men was braver than the rest, and was shouting right in Yang's face. "-told you to get off our planet, you gun-toting murderers!"
"Maybe if you weren't blocking the doors, we'd already be in orbit!" Yang yelled right back at him, going nose to nose with the protestor.
"You shouldn't even be here in the first place! We don't want you!"
"Yeah? Well tell that to General Gaiz, see what he says! I'll wait!"
Jaune edged forward through the crowd, eventually having to shoulder a few people out of the way. He put on his most disarming smile, trying to work his way in front of Yang. "Whoa, whoa! Can't we settle this peacefully? She's right, we're just trying to get ho-"
He never saw who threw the rock, but he saw it coming early enough to catch it right before it would have slammed into his temple. The first spike of anger made itself known in his thoughts. "What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
The ringleader shouted something incoherent, shoving Jaune. He stumbled back a few steps, thumping into Blake; she kept her balance, but Jaune fell sprawling. Above him he heard Ember Celica unfolding on Yang's wrists, and Pyrrha pleading with the brawler to keep calm. This is bad, this is real bad!
"What is the trouble here?" The question cut through the yelling and screaming like a knife, leaving silence in its wake. Heads all around swiveled, locking onto the source.
Signum strode through the crowd, the people making way around her. A few hushed whispers could be heard, fear and incredulity at the very presence of the General of the Raging Fire amongst them. "I ask again, what is the trouble here?"
Still no one dared to respond to her directly. "Am I to believe from your silence that there is nothing wrong? Because I see unfounded discord. I see foolish anger, directed at those undeserving of it. If you wish to hate, so be it. You may hate me, if you so desire. But if you no longer have the heart for it, I suggest you all go to your homes."
Stopping next to Jaune, she reached down and yanked him onto his feet, before turning back toward the crowd. "The Belkan Code dictates that I not raise my weapon in anger against those undeserving. The Time Space Administrative Bureau provides allowances for public protest and demonstration, and you are well within your rights to do so. But, you have made the decision to assault my squire. Do not force me to choose between the Code and the Law. Go home."
The protestors scattered, what had nearly become a riot vanishing in moments to leave an empty street and a few discarded signs. Yang cupped her hands around her mouth to shout after them, but all that came out was a yelp when Blake stepped on her foot, hissing out a reprimand. "Don't instigate them further!"
Jaune let out a breath of relief. "Thanks, Signum. That was about to turn really nasty."
"Fear is as much a weapon as any magic or blade, and I am still very feared by the general population. But your name and appearance are publically linked to mine, and I have reminded them of that fact. There will be… gossip. Your association with the Wolkenritter will do you no favors with civilians."
"I'll take that tomorrow over a riot today. Ruby, are you okay?" He turned toward her, concerned. Their years of training included psychological evaluation for all of them, and he knew Ruby had gotten her fair share of attention, but now that the immediate tension was gone, she'd started shaking like a leaf.
"F-fine! I'm fine, I'm okay!" Ruby's grin was more of a grimace, but she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and forcing her trembling away. "Just… uhm…"
"Bad memories," Weiss finished for her, wrapping her up in a hug. "Let's get inside before anyone else out here has a bad idea. We're almost late."
[ *** ]
Ruby straightened to attention after she stepped off the shuttle ramp, issuing a sharp salute, and behind her everyone else mirrored the motion perfect. "Teams RWBY and JNPR requesting permission to board, sir!"
"Permission granted," Chrono replied, returning the salute with due gravitas. "At ease, teams. Welcome back."
"It's good to be back!" Ruby forced a smile, trying to relax her posture.
Of course, Chrono saw right through it. "Are you okay, Rose?"
"Yes, sir. There was an anti-Remnant protest outside the spaceport. It got… heated, but Signum scared them off." Ruby pursed her lips, finally letting the tension out with a huff. "I don't like riots, sir."
"I remember. Take whatever time you need, your teams are off duty for the flight, after all." Chrono moved along the line, giving each of them a handshake and a word of congratulations.
"How was your deployment?" Ruby asked, once he'd finished.
"Eventful. Weiss, you'll be pleased to know that The Four Seasons has been performing exceptionally. The full details will be discussed at a debriefing at Headquarters, and your presence is expected."
"Understood," Weiss nodded. "What's our ETA? I'll need some time to get my paperwork prepared."
"Sixteen hours. You'll have time to relax; the VIP suite is prepped for you. Commander Schnee is off shift for the time being, she's looking forward to seeing you."
"Thank you, Captain. If I may be excused?"
"Dismissed. Clear the bay, please. We're expecting the rest on another shuttle."
Jaune cleared his throat, even as they filtered out of the compartment. "The rest, Chrono?"
Chrono actually cracked a smile. "You aren't the only teams receiving your Hunter credentials. We've all been keeping pace."
"Awesome!" Yang threw her arms up, hurrying into the hallway. "Party at the mess!"
"Yang, there will be plenty of time." Blake's tone was mildly admonishing as she followed, shaking her head. "It's a week's voyage to Remnant after we leave HQ, remember?"
"Yeah, but that's then! This is now!"
[ *** ]
Unlike for the rest of Team RWBY, Weiss had visited TSAB Headquarters over a dozen times in the last two years. Never as an enlisted member of the Ground Forces, but always in her position as CEO of Starmetal Industries, the corporation that had gained its footing constructing dimensional ships for the TSAB. She'd earned her place as a valued and important provider for the galactic agency.
But like the rest of Team RWBY, Starburst Station never failed to awe her with its presence. The station was so large that it was always in some way under construction; maintenance for the gigantic docking spires that earned the station its nickname, upgrading and refurbishing existing portions with newer technologies, and more besides. It had been said with utmost seriousness that the day work stopped on Starburst Station would be the day the TSAB fell.
Wearing her finest white business suit, Weiss was escorted through the halls by Chrono himself and a quartet of Navy Enforcers, and she strode through the open doors to the conference chamber. Some of the highest ranking individuals in the Navy waited within. The three legendary admirals were present; Midget Crowbell, Largo Kiel, and Leone Phils, each still holding rank in advisory positions. Murano Lockheed, the TSAB Chief of Operations. A dozen more, all involved somewhere in the deployment of the Maiden class cruisers.
"Ms. Schnee." It was never her admittedly low rank within these chambers. She was here as a private citizen, not an armed forces member.
"Admirals and staff. Thank you for the invitation to these proceedings."
"Of course. Welcome to Headquarters." Lockheed gestured for her to take her seat, and she did with poise and bearing. Chrono moved further down the table to sit next to the other Maiden-class captains; there were four others there, one for each of the cruisers that had entered operation.
A few necessary pleasantries were exchanged before they delved into the nitty-gritty. At Lockheed's request, each captain stood to give a verbal report of their ship's performance, backed up by holodisplays showing graphs and hard numbers. The Spring's tandem deployment with the Fall in a stretch of dimensional badlands, hunting down fugitives trying to use the unstable sectors of space to hide, had been a resounding success, as the ships' hybrid natures provided more rigorous durability in the face of dimensional instability. The Winter maintained a patrol pattern near Remnant along with a small flotilla of smaller vessels, keeping the world safe from offworld threats, and the Summer had distinguished herself in a combined action in a wide-area patrol group of standard cruisers.
Chrono's own report made her raise some eyebrows, even as she took down notes of her own. Combat action against a pirate cruiser that had, apparently, been designed specifically to combat standard TSAB technologies, including Ward-piercing weaponry. Had it not been for the Remnant-style hard shields, the lead ship of the Maiden-class cruisers could have been seriously damaged in the battle.
What followed those reports was a lengthy discussion involving the future of hybrid-design technology in TSAB ships of the line. More research for Starmetal Industries' R&D division, what it would require to step up production of specific types of equipment. Weiss replied to her full ability, making what promises she could and holding no qualms about dictating what would require further development efforts. It was a back-and-forth she'd grown used to in these chambers, and the pace of the discussion was almost exhilarating.
Some four hours later, Weiss projected her own worksheets and calculations, written up on the fly, for the TSAB command staff to vet. A few of her personal notations were struck as being Top Secret, but only in the details of how the information was provided.
Finally, her part in the conference came to a close. "Your input is most appreciated, Ms. Schnee. However, at this time, discussion must turn toward Navy Operations."
She nodded, rising to her feet gracefully. "My thanks to TSAB Navy Command for my inclusion in the discussions regarding the Maiden-class. I will take my leave." A short bow, held just long enough to show that she held no displeasure at her dismissal, and she turned for the door.
It parted silently for her, and two of the four Enforcers waiting outside fell into step alongside her. She paid them little heed other than a nod of acknowledgement; their job was to see her back to the public sector of the station. She was Ground Forces, after all, and Navy Command decisions beyond her ships were not her business.
[ *** ]
Once the doors slid shut, Murano Lockheed stood from his chair, gesturing. A holodisplay expanded, a three-dimensional image of the pirate cruiser currently being disassembled in one of the station's secure bays. "Three years ago the first time was unexpected, and we lost the Arthra because of it. I don't believe in coincidences."
"Neither do I, Admiral." Chrono pointed up at the display, giving his head a shake. "The Arthra's data stores were too corrupted from unshielded exposure to Remnant's field to recover the sensor readings from the first ship. We were lucky; I recognized the visual signature, and The Four Seasons was capable of countering."
"My commendations to The Four Seasons and her crew for preventing a repeat occurrence. But, this is still a second encounter with a ship designed to combat our fleet. If anything other than a Maiden-class cruiser had been there, we might still be searching for survivors."
"If Starmetal Industries is as capable as Ms. Schnee assures at stepping up production of the hard shield systems," another Admiral spoke, leaning forward in her chair, "I would like to see our patrol cruisers retrofitted with them as soon as possible. Even if this was actually a second singular and unrelated event, the importance of upgrading our fleet's survivability cannot be overstated."
Murano nodded. "Agreed. Captains, until our fleet is capable of withstanding the firepower these pirates are able to bring to bear, your cruisers will be our front line against them. I'll be redeploying the Spring, Fall, and Winter as part of our patrol groups along with the Summer. Captain Harlaown?"
"Sir."
"Your current patrol loadout is one Mage Team and one Mage/Hunter hybrid team, correct?"
"That is correct, sir."
"I want The Four Seasons restocked and staffed for a heavy combat loadout. I'm assigning a third Mage Team to your ship, and I want your input as to which team here at HQ will best compliment your current teams' skill sets. We don't have anything concrete to deploy you for yet, so you will continue with your flight to Remnant, but I want The Four Seasons ready at a moment's notice."
"Yes sir."
"Captains, you are dismissed. Specific orders will be forthcoming post haste."
If you're here without reading the first book, go to the following link first, as this is a sequel to a previous story: 'Hazredous' Interruptions (MSLN/RWBY Crossover)
'Hazredous' Interruptions - HunterS
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY
Chapter One - A New Day
"Okay, team, gather close! We gotta plan fast before Raising Heart finds us!" Crescent Rose Harvest displayed a holomap of the combat zone at a wave of Ruby Rose's hand, portions of the map flashing in reds and yellows and blues. Airborne dust and grit cast flickering shadows through the display, but it was readable nonetheless. Ruby pointed at one point on the map. "JNPR is pushing down the main thoroughfare, but when they hit here they're going to run into heavy concentrations of infantry. They're tankier than we are, so they'll be fine against the rest of the ground pounders, but they're going to be taking a beating from everything the OpFor has. We need to take the heat off them, which means dealing with the artillery support."
"Oh, right, just the artillery support." Yang Xiao Long cracked a grin, even going so far as to peek out the window to scan the skies overhead. She ducked back, shielding her eyes against the flare of pink that lit up the sky. "A full team of hand-picked flight mages led by Nanoha. That'll be easy!"
"And an irritable Nanoha at that. Fate's been on deployment for months now, and she gets like this every time…" Blake Belladonna shook her head with a sigh. "Who thought it was a good idea for her to be leading the OpFor again?"
"It's that or we take the thoroughfare and deal with Signum. Pyrrha said she can fight her to a standstill for a minute, I'll take that bet. Besides, we don't need to beat them, we just need to hold them long enough!"
"Look at it this way, Yang," Blake murmured, looking over the holomap. Her ears twitched and flattened against another concussive boom of unleashed magic. "If we go after Nanoha, you'll get to play with Vita."
"Oh, Dust, I hadn't thought of that." Yang grinned, flexing her hands. "Okay Rubes, I'll keep the Juggs-ernaut off your back. Blake and Weiss should be able to keep the others distracted, but Nanoha's your playmate."
"If we can drag them down to street level, we'll disengage one at a time to pull up Aura. Give it to 'em rough in close-quarters."
"And if this all goes to plan," Weiss Schnee gave Myrtenaster Absolute a twirl, peering through the scrying window she left hanging in the air, "then SSSN and Cardin will slip through in the confusion and slag the objective."
"That's the plan." Ruby heaved Crescent Rose to her shoulder with a nimble spin. "Let's do this!"
"In Remnant galactic affairs, the first wave of Hunter trainees in the TSAB military are graduating from their vocational training, and are now full-fledged members of the TSAB armed forces and graduate Hunters both. While there are reports of Bureau-wide civil unrest due to Remnant's accelerated inclusion in TSAB policy, I hope that I am not alone in wishing Remnant's rising stars the best in a productive career."
"Upon landing in the Emerald Forest, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years at Beacon Academy. You and your partner must make your way to the ruins northeast of here, retrieve a relic, and return with it to this location."
One of the initiates, a barely five foot tall girl wearing roller skates of all things, pushed blue bangs out of her eyes and smiled at the red-haired girl next to her. They were the two TSAB transfer students in this batch of initiates, and their dossiers had proven an interesting read, one more so than the other. Still, enrolling at the age of fourteen! Even Ruby Rose had been fifteen years old when he'd offered her a place at the academy… but the pair's superiors were confident in their capabilities, and he wouldn't be the one to judge them prematurely.
"For those of you joining us from Administered Space, your enemy will be the Creatures of Grimm. Make no mistake, the Grimm will be attacking you with lethal intent, and your only path to success will be to kill them before they kill you. You have been given emergency transponders if it is necessary to use them, but understand that activating your transponder is an automatic disqualification from initiation. If you wish to succeed, you will be on your own, with only your partner and the other initiates to depend on. Good luck." The tip of Ozpin's cane pressed down on the small pad next to him.
As if on cue, the red-haired girl raised a hand. "Uhm. Headmaster, you said upon landing in the forest. Teleporting is still iffy on the planet, right? Where's the dropship?"
KA-CHANK! The first student catapulted into the air, already assuming a gliding posture.
The redhead went pale. Ozpin sipped his coffee, hiding his smirk. KA-CHANK! "Ah, there is no dropship. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"My own landing strategy? I don't have a landing stra-" KA-CHANK! "-aAAAAAAAAAAA!"
KA-CHANK! The blue-haired girl followed her skyward, yelling. "WIIIING ROOoooaaa…"
Ozpin tilted his head, watching as a path of blue light shot out ahead of the girl, letting her skate effortlessly into the distance to catch her falling friend. He could faintly hear her shouting something about them being partners forever.
"...interesting. They haven't technically landed yet, so that may be against the spirit of the rules, but..." He shrugged. The term would likely prove interesting.
"Worldwide, the Huntsmen Academies report that attendance is at an all-time high. While this number does include exchange students from TSAB boot camps and even from Administered World private interests, the Academy Headmasters have given the joint statement that to see such numbers is heartening, and all four academies are making plans to break new ground for their own expansion efforts."
"So, with everything moving forward so strongly, you should understand the necessity of the increased budget. More students means we need more professors, which means bringing in experts from off-world, which means we need the additional facilities to house them and keep them busy when they're not teaching. The university is an R&D campus as well as instructional, after all."
Kasta Kazella, the CFO of Starmetal Industries Incorporated, met the eyes of the president's holographic avatar, waiting for a moment before giving a small nod. "You're right, Mrs. Opal. I'll finalize and forward your budget request to Ms. Schnee, and I'm sure that your justifications will be enough for her to approve the adjustments. Do you have a list of potential hires?"
"We've received dozens of applications from across TSAB space already, and a few of them are looking rather promising for our needs. I can forward the resumes to you if you'd like."
"That would prove useful. I'll request some background checks from Ambassador Harlaown, I'm sure she'll make the time if I bring them over personally."
"Excellent." Opal keyed a few commands, her hands flickering across a keyboard not represented in her hologram, and the files popped up on Kasta's scroll.
She gave them a quick once over. "Donald Durango from Mid-childa, Gefangnis Chrysler of Ruwella, and Bethany Martin of Mid-childa. I'll get these to Lindy as soon as possible."
"Appreciated. It must be nice having a personal line to the Ambassador."
"Speaking of breaking ground, today marks the first anniversary of the opening day of the Starmetal Fabrications Advanced Sciences University. In grand ceremony, University President Opal broke ground on a twenty-seven acre expansion, upon which dormitory, classroom, and research structures will be built to answer the two-hundred percent increase in numbers from the first year of attendance. Starmetal Fabrications Incorporated CEO Weiss Schnee said in a D-comm interview two days ago that she is, and I quote, 'exceptionally pleased with the progress the university has made in one year's time,' and she looks forward to further growth and development."
"No need to stand on ceremony, Sienna. We were friends before I left the Fang, and I should hope that we can be friends now. Sit, please. Kali is making tea." Ghira Belladonna gestured for her to take her place at the table across from Richard Xerxes. "I'm just glad you're finally here to talk to us."
Sienna Khan hesitated, her ears drooping a little against her hair, then gave herself a little shake. There was no sense in delaying any longer, but the inability to follow up on her promise still hurt. "Adam Taurus is gone, Ghira. I can't find him, the Fang can't find him. He either found a hole so deep only the Grimm could sniff him out, fled off-world during the first exoduses off the planet, or he's dead."
"He's not dead," Xerxes scowled, though not directed at her. "The bastard's too damned cunning to die that easily. He'll be back someday, and we'll have to deal with him."
Ghira sighed, gesturing again and waiting until Sienna finally took the offered seat. "With our luck he threw in with Breeze. But, it's a problem for later. The important thing is that you tried, Sienna."
"I promised you his head on a platter, Ghira. The Khans keep their promises."
"We don't want his head on a platter, Sienna! Imagine the mess I'd have to clean up afterwards." Kali bustled into the room, setting out cups and pouring tea with practiced ease. "You three are here to talk about tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. Better things to come!"
"A better tomorrow." Sienna picked up the teacup, holding it gingerly between her fingers; Kali always favored tiny, delicate ceramics, and they were so damned fragile. She would have preferred a heavy stein, or at least a coffee mug… but that was Kali, and they were in her house. "Not to dwell on the past, but Taurus' assault on Vale was a disaster in the making. I can't fathom how bad it could have gotten if the kingdom had actually fallen that day…"
"Bad enough, that's for certain. Taurus had gone off the deep end long before that point." Xerxes fixed her with a look. "Your ideologies took him there-"
"My ideologies would have worked, if things had stayed sane," she shot back, "but they didn't. I didn't realize he would stoop so low, I left Vale to him because I had three other chapters to worry about. He hid his true intentions too damned well, and I couldn't see behind that Grimm-bedamned mask." She cursed again, and drained her tea, holding the cup out for a refill. "And then the Bureau came out of the woodwork, and the whole world got thrown on its head."
"I admit I was wondering why the masks came off. Haven't seen a Fang wearing one in over a year now. The uniforms, sure, but no more masks." Xerxes tapped his fingers against his own cup, and a small smirk spread his lips. "I have to admit I like it more this way."
She scowled, sipping her refreshed drink and giving Kali a belated nod of thanks. "No more masks. I want to see the faces of my subordinates." Setting the cup down, she sighed, rubbing at her eyes. "It galls me to say this, but Bastion has had the right of it these last two years. I still say my ways would have worked, if not for all the madness with Taurus and the Bureau, but… this way is better. For everyone."
"No one can see the future, Sienna, and hindsight is twenty twenty." Ghira reached out and took Kali's hand, smiling up at her. "But as my lovely wife says, we're here to talk about tomorrow."
"In other Menagerie-related news, yesterday Chieftain Sienna Khan of the White Fang met behind closed doors with Menagerie Chieftain Ghira Belladonna and Bastion Spokesman Richard Xerxes. According to a press release by all three leaders after the session ended, Chieftain Khan has agreed to bringing the White Fang under Menagerie's direct leadership. While the White Fang has been thankfully non-confrontational in the two years since Remnant joined the TSAB, this agreement puts an official stance to the White Fang's posturing. While some people believe that this 'toeing the line' by the White Fang is a blatant attempt to avoid repercussions for past actions, Chieftain Belladonna has stated that he views this as a good decision on all sides. When Ambassador Harlaown was asked for the TSAB's official stance on the matter, she only said that the TSAB takes no issue with local jurisdictional decisions."
"This is Lisa Lavender, Vale Network News."
[ *** ]
It was a nondescript warehouse in a nondescript city on a backwater world far off the normal patrol lanes. It's sole notable feature was that it was beneath notice- or that's how bad detective fiction would've described it, at least. In truth, it was a world with a rich history, explosive culture, and any number of great things to know, do, and see… but only if one cared to look.
The night sky was blanketed by low, heavy clouds, their fat underbellies dimly lit by the yellow glow of street lights below. A dozen figures were gathered inside the warehouse, cracking open crates with a myriad arrangement of tools. They'd happened upon a freighter that had been knocked off course by a dimensional storm, and the battered ship had been easy prey for their fast, well-armed cruiser. The haul was a lucrative one, and the crates were filled with luxury goods, medicines, and other low-volume, high value commodities.
Under the harsh cones of ancient incandescent light cheers and arguments both broke out with the contents of each revealed crate, as the band of pirates and smugglers debated where best to pawn off their ill-gotten gains.
"Mid-childa's a terrible idea and you know it," one was saying. "Ruwella's a bad idea too, everyone on the planet toes the Church line. I'm telling you, it's either Orusea or Remnant. Orusea hates the TSAB, and Remnant has the Mistralian black market!"
More shouting broke out, and rude shoves accompanied the bandied insults, which meant no one immediately noticed the figure stepping into the circle of dingy light provided by the flickering bulbs overhead. "Amazingly enough, your friend there is right on the Lien about going to Mistral. The undermarket has a buyer for anything and everything, if you have the right contacts."
There was a moment of shocked silence, and then an alarming array of weapons and devices were pointed at the intruder. Roman Torchwick smiled widely at the crowd of criminals, resting both hands on the curved handle of his cane. "Now now, let's not be hasty here. I'm just here to talk."
If anything, they stiffened even more, heads swiveling to scan the shadows around them. The leader took a more measured look at him, narrowing his eyes. "You walked into the wrong place, friend. You've got guts, I'll give you that."
"If that's how you want to put it, I suppose I won't argue." Torchwick pulled a cigar from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers for a moment. "But like I was saying, the upper class of Mistral love to get their hands on new things, and it's only been two years since Remnant joined up. Everything TSAB is still new to them. Your best bet would be to take that haul to Remnant, normally."
"I told you guys Remnant would be the place to go!" A man in the back crowed in glee, earning a punch in the shoulder from another.
The leader didn't join in the carousing, tilting his head. "What do you mean normally?"
"Well, you see, you guys have been causing a lot of trouble the last few weeks. Probably thought you were being pretty smart, hiding out so far off the main lanes. What's this mudball called again? Earth?" Torchwick held the cigar out to the side, out of the circle of light's perimeter. There was a sharp snick and a brief flare, and he placed the lit stogie between his lips. "Well, whatever the name is, they know their smokes."
A few eyes widened at the implications, as the group looked from his cigar and back into the shadows. "What, you thought I came in here alone? Please, don't take me for some rank amateur. But if it'll put you at ease, fine. C'mon out, girls."
Two figures stepped into view behind him. Both were on the adorable side of petite, though the familiar form of Neopolitan rocked her hips with no small amount of self-assured swagger. Neopolitan rested the point of her parasol on the concrete, giving the pirates a small, secret smile. Torchwick took a long puff from his cigar, blowing out a stream of smoke. "Not that it matters, but this is my associate, Neo. She's my bodyguard."
"But who's the kid?" A particularly burly man asked, pointing at his other companion.
"I'm the muscle!"
Torchwick sighed, twisting at the waist to look down at the shaggy mop of blonde hair. "Mint, we've been over this. What does the muscle not do?"
"...the muscle doesn't talk," came the dejected reply.
"Good girl. Anyways!" He turned back to his audience, pulling the cigar from between his teeth to gesture at the pirates. "As I was saying. You guys have been causing a lot of trouble out here in bum-fucking Vacuo. This hole is pretty out of the way, never going to have to worry about the big bad TSAB looking for you way out here. Who cares about Earth, right?"
The leader opened his mouth, and Torchwick slammed the tip of his cane into the concrete, sending spiderwebs through the cheap pour with a loud crack. "Wrong. An associate of mine takes great offense to your very presence here, and so I get to play the fucking trashman. You have two options, idiots. You can put down your guns, sit down in a nice little circle and wait for the Enforcers that are already on the way and maybe, just maybe get a chance to work off your rap in the ground forces, or you can do the stupid thing and try to fight back." Torchwick put the stogie back between his teeth, grinning around it. "Pick the latter, please. At least give us something to do on this stupid milk run."
They didn't disappoint. The first thrown packet of magic glanced off Torchwick's shoulder, exploding in a flash of light against his Aura, and by that point Neo was already in the thick of them. Shouts and yells echoed through the warehouse as the first thug spun head over heels to slam into a crate, his weak barrier jacket sundering into motes of light.
Most of the thugs turned toward Neo, trying to bury her under weight of numbers. D-ranks and nulls the lot of them, he figured she'd have absolutely no trouble. Two charged straight at Torchwick; the leader and the big bruiser. The pirate captain drew a cutlass from his coat- how cliche-, bringing it down in an overhead chop which Torchwick effortlessly turned aside with Harmonic Bludgeon, and he spun the cane around to beat the man into submission.
The huge bruiser charged at his side, seeing him exposed and distracted. Mint yelled a high-pitched warcry, plunging her arms into the floor and tensing. Massive concrete hands erupted between Torchwick and his new assailant, wrapping him up in foot-thick stone fingers and squeezing. "Easy, Mint! Don't kill him! You're the muscle, not a thug!"
"Yeah yeah! I got him, I got him!" She was smiling widely, grinning back up at him, mismatched eyes shining with cheer.
By the time he turned back around, nine bodies were scattered across the warehouse floor, and Neo was slowly advancing on the last man standing. He was backed against a crate, fumbling in his jacket for a weapon. Despite her facing away from him, Torchwick could feel Neo's grin.
The man ripped a handgun free, bringing it up and pulling the trigger. The flash of light from the barrel was dazzling, and the booming report nearly deafened Torchwick. Neo's head snapped back, jackknifing her backwards and slamming her down against the floor, her Aura cracking through and vanishing.
Before Torchwick could even shout, she was back on her feet, the man's neck in her hand as she used him to shatter the crate he'd been using for cover. She tossed the unconscious pirate over toward the rest, then reached up to rub the red spot in the center of her forehead.
Torchwick let out a breath, glancing around to make sure all the targets were down before making his way over to her. "You okay, squirt?" She grimaced, giving him a thumbs up.
Mint ran up behind him, hopping in place. "That's everything, right? Did I do good?"
"You did great. Nicely done, everyone. Now then… Mint, bind everyone up, use the floor like you did that big guy. The Enforcers can break 'em loose when they get here. As for us, I'll let Paige know that we're done here. Neo, check 'em for credits, local currency, you know the deal."
As he was turning away, a glint of silver caught his eye. He knelt down and scooped up the handgun that the last man had used to shoot Neo, looking it over with a critical eye. A heavy, short-barreled revolver, the six-chambered cylinder swung out to one side to reveal five rounds and a single empty cartridge. Impressive. Neo weighs every bit of two hundred pounds now, and this thing put her right on her ass… Dumping the remaining rounds into his hand, he pocketed the weapon. "To the victor go the spoils, and all that."
[ *** ]
"Target on screen, Captain. They're making a run for transfer clearance."
"Helm, heading two hundred by sixty five, flank speed." Chrono Harlaown leaned forward in the captain's chair, watching the main screen as The Four Seasons rumbled beneath him. Earth hung below them some three hundred thousand kilometers distant, disappearing from the screen as the cruiser turned.
Their quarry was a pirate cruiser, disconcertingly similar in design to the one that had ended the Arthra's career around three years ago. Similar enough, in fact… "Redirect fifty percent power from the omnidirectional wards to the fore hardshields. Load Dust Rails with Gravity and Lightning."
The answering chatter was on-point and professional, economical and clear amidst the muted din of combat operations.
"Fifty percent power to fore hardshields, aye!"
"Dust Rails one and two… hot! Calculating firing solution!"
"Comms, give them their chance to surrender."
The Four Seasons was not as quiet of a ship as a standard TSAB Cruiser. The oversized engines that provided their primary thrust had a different character, and perhaps were a great deal more forceful than the gravity drives he'd been used to, but the tradeoff was that the crew could feel the acceleration despite the inertial dampeners. Every change in vector sent small rumbles through the bulkheads.
If asked in confidence, he would be forced to admit he liked it, in a primeval, visceral way. This is what a warship is supposed to feel like, was the thought in the back of his head.
"Target is turning! They have target-lock!"
So be it. "Dust Rail One, fire."
"Dust Rail One! Firing!" The Four Seasons shuddered as the ship's frame absorbed the recoil, the rail cannon spitting out a blast of charged Gravity Dust at respectable percentage of light speed. By the time his eyes registered the tunnel of twisted starlight that the round left behind, it had already impacted against the pirate cruiser's wards and detonated in a deep purple, almost black implosion of light. Unable to withstand the conflicting, tearing mass field, the cruiser's wards sundered in a flash of released energy.
The pirates fired back, blasting out a garish burst of piercing power. The shot punched clean through their omnidirectional wards only to stop dead against their second layer of defenses. "Report!"
"Wards ineffective, barrier piercing effect confirmed! Hardshield Two Alpha… at twenty percent, sir!"
"Cycle hardshield Two to Beta. Rail Two, fire. Take them out."
"Dust Rail Two, firing!" This time, he could just see the crackling yellow bolt as it tore through the two thousand kilometers of empty space, and the round exploded against the pirate ship's unshielded prow. Lightning arced across the hull, tearing hull plates loose in its wake and opening a third of the ship to vacuum. Her running lights flickered and died, and the pirate vessel hung dead in space, sparking and listing as air rushed out of the breaches.
"The target has gone silent. Life signs… detected."
Chrono nodded in satisfaction. "Good shooting, gunnery team. Commander Schnee, Team Alpha to the teleport bay. Board and secure."
"Sir." Standing at his side, Winter Schnee snapped a sharp salute, then pivoted on her heel. Her uniform flashed, replaced by her barrier jacket, and the hatch swung closed behind her.
"Ground Team status?"
"Green across the board, they're storming the ground-side site now. All targets… already subdued, sir. Looks like Candle already took care of things for us."
"Is he still on site?"
"Negative, sir. Just a little note left pinned to the ground site leader."
Chrono scowled. "Acknowledged. Secure the site, and prepare to take on prisoners. And…" Thinking for a moment, he came to a decision. "Send a transmission to the local comm buoy. Message as follow: Burning Bright."
[ *** ]
Cranagan, Mid-childa. The figurative center of Administered Space, home to millions of citizens of the TSAB. A city of shining steel and clean concrete, rebuilt from the ground up in the wake of the Belkan Civil War to stand as a monument to cooperation and forward thinking. The Ground Forces HQ building towered over the center of the city, a slender needle that pierced the sky, surrounded by smaller skyscrapers in the shape of a triangle.
It made for an impressive skyline, bracketing the early morning sun and dominating the eastern sky. Weiss Schnee always took a few moments to appreciate the view while she enjoyed her morning coffee, letting Myrtenaster's crystalline, collected tone bring her up to speed with the daily occurrences of Starlight Fabrications Inc.
For the first time in months, Weiss had nothing pressing keeping her to her strict morning routine; upon graduation, their teams had been given a month of leave time to travel back to Remnant and participate in a proper ceremony. There was no morning roll call, no daily duties with the Ground Forces, nothing other than maintaining proper decorum in the public eye, and that last item was something that came to her as naturally as breathing. Even with her short, pixie cut length of hair sleep-mussed, and wearing little more than a bathrobe, poise was second nature to her.
"Mmm… yes. Myrtenaster, please draft a voice memo. Ahem- 'The prospective budget increases for the Advanced Sciences University are approved, effective immediately. I expect daily summaries and weekly itemized reports of expenditures. In addition, I trust President Opal with the hiring process for new personnel, but I also expect dossiers for any new employees along with the weekly reports.' End memo, transmit to Kasta Kazella."
She finished her coffee, and cool fingers touched hers as they collected the cup. "Memo delivered. Would you like another cup of coffee, Madam?"
Weiss gave the indistinct, ice-white figure a smile. "No, but thank yo-"
The door to the bedroom flew open, reinforced hinges dampening the slam to something approaching civilized. "Weiss, we're gonna- oh, hi Myrte." Yang gave the figure a jaunty wave, which the projection returned. "We're gonna hit the gym before starting the day, you in?" The blonde was already wearing shorts and a slightly-strained sports bra, grinning as bright as the sun outside.
The roll of her eyes couldn't take away from the smile spreading her lips. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready. That will be all, Myrtenaster."
"Of course, Madam." The device's projection set the empty cup into the sink before scattering into a small flurry of snowflakes, which melted away into nothing.
Yang shook her head, then busied herself with tying her voluminous hair back into a ponytail. It had taken most of the last two years to regain the full volume and length of her hair after losing most of it to the Maiden of Summer, but her mane of blonde locks was finally back to the way she wanted it, maybe even a little longer than before. No small amount of her pay went into the best care for it. "I swear I'm never going to get used to that. None of our devices can make their own bodies."
Weiss crossed the floor to her closet, throwing it open and selecting a set of black workout clothes. Technically she didn't need to with the plethora of clothing options her barrier jacket could take, but old habits… "It's just an application of principles behind my summoning glyphs. It's much easier for Myrtenaster to manifest a quasi-physical form than it is for most other devices, since she's borrowing from my, ah... Rare Skill, is the non-Semblance term." Letting her robe fall to the floor, she stripped off her nightshirt and tossed it aside, but before she could pull on her workout top Yang had snatched it out of her grasp.
"Damn, girl," Yang snorted, flipping it inside out to read the tag.
"Yang!"
"What? You turned into compe-tit-tion the last year or so, I gotta know if I need to be worried!"
Weiss grumbled, snagging the sports bra back and pulling it on. "For your peace of mind, I don't want to make you worry. I can only imagine what my back would say."
"Good! Three years ago I'd never have guessed you'd take after your sister after all!" Yang grinned as she left the room, calling over her shoulder. "Five minutes, Snowglobes!"
"YANG, you ASS!" A well-timed glyph slammed the door despite the hinges, and the yelp of surprise told Weiss she'd been right on target.
[ *** ]
"Push!"
"I am!"
"Like hell you are!"
"It's heavy!"
"You swing a scythe around that weighs as much as you do, this is nothing! Stop making excuses and push! One more, you pansy!"
Ruby bit back her retort, putting everything she had into one last go. The barbell slowly started to inch higher over her chest, only to slow and wobble at the halfway point as her arms started to tremble. "Ffffffff-"
He yelled at her, as abrasive as he ever was. "COME ON, WIMP!"
"-fffaaaaAAGH!" Her grip tightened, and she forced her arms to straighten, pushing the bar as high as she could. One hundred kilograms hung poised over her in the air for an instant, then started to dip back down.
Large hands, one skin and one painted metal, slipped under the bar, taking the strain off her arms and easing the weights back onto the bench rack. Ruby let herself sag down against the bench cushion, panting, then flashed a grin up at her spotter. "Happy?"
"Yeah, yeah." Cardin Winchester tossed her a towel, and she snagged it out of the air to mop the sweat off her face. "Eight reps of a hundred kilos is a new record for ya. Not bad, shrimp."
Ruby rolled herself up to a sitting position, then stood to help him switch the weights. "What are you lifting for this?"
"One seventy five for twelve." Cardin took her place after wiping down the bench. She felt his aura disperse even as she brought her own back up, and Ruby took the spotter position. The big squire wasted no time in lifting the bar off the rack, lowering it down and pumping it back up with mechanical timing. Ruby kept count for him, keeping a close eye on him despite the want to glance around the gym.
The dozen reps passed in moments, and Cardin bumped fists with her before moving on to another weight machine. Ruby sat back down to take a breather, watching the others exercise.
On one side of the gym, Yang and Weiss were brutalizing a pair of punching bags, while Blake practiced with some battle ropes nearby and tossed playful barbs their way. Pyrrha and Jaune were sparring, a full-contact boxing match that had been going for nearly five minutes with no end in sight, while Ren and Nora were putting the treadmills through their paces.
They'd been in Weiss' gym for around an hour now, and Ruby knew everyone would be winding down soon. She pushed back to her feet, moving over to the wall intercom and tabbing the button. "Klein? I think we're about done here, is breakfast ready?"
"Ah, Ms. Ruby! We should be finished within ten minutes."
"Great! We'll be down after we finish our cooldown laps!" Ruby released the button, clapping her hands twice to get attention and then moving to the running track. The track itself could transform, undulating into hills and valleys like the world's most elaborate treadmill. It had been stupidly expensive, but JNPR, RWBY and Cardin all looked at it with the same thought- fun!
One by one, her friends fell into step with her. Just behind her, Weiss started belting out a marching cadence, and they all shouted their responses playfully.
Five minutes to cool down, and a five minute shower to wash off the sweat, and they all assembled in the dining room at oh seven hundred sharp. Klein and the kitchen staff had set up a buffet line for them, and one by one they filled their plates and sat down at the long table.
Six months ago, Weiss had felt comfortable enough with Starmetal Industries' profit margins to buy a 'small' apartment tower in Cranagan, a five minute drive from base. Contractors had renovated the top three floors into a sprawling penthouse complex where they all could stay together, and the bottom nine floors remained as high-class apartments for anyone who could pass a background check and had the credits to pay for them.
They didn't all live there all the time; Yang and Blake had a small condo on base, and Team JNPR had another. Cardin actually lived with the Yagamis, due to both being Vita's personal squire and never quite feeling at home with JNPR, but Weiss was happy to keep a guest room ready for him as well. While still surly, the sole remaining member of CRDL had come a long way in two years, and meshed well enough with their teams that no one lamented his presence. Yang sometimes joked that Vita'd had to beat him into something resembling proper form.
He didn't argue the point.
Ruby, though, lived with Weiss full time, and wouldn't have it any other way. Klein went out of his way to keep the pantry stocked with extra goodies for her, even if Weiss sometimes scoffed at the off-brand cookies Ruby preferred. Imported from Vale, even off-brand junk food got expensive, but it was important to keep that little taste of home around.
Speaking of home… "Weiss, what's our schedule today?"
Weiss swallowed her mouthful of eggs, wiping her lips with a snowflake-embroidered napkin and clearing her throat. "We're free for the morning, but we have to be at the spaceport at twelve thirty for check in. Chrono sent me a message, The Four Seasons will be reaching orbit on time, and we're taking a shuttle up to transfer over. There's a layover at Starburst Station to effect a prisoner transfer from their last mission, then it's straight to Remnant."
Blake glanced up from her tea. "Where are we meeting Sun and Neptune?"
"They're already on board. Junior Enforcers, they were part of the mission."
"Aweshum! Glad they're makin' it for graduashun, Navy training'sh been throwing them all over the galaxy." Yang didn't bother to clear her mouth before talking. Even Weiss hadn't been able to break her of the habit, and had complained that the blonde was doing it on purpose.
"Everyone's packed already, right?" Ruby glanced around the table, getting a series of nods in return. "Awesome. We'll meet at the spaceport at eleven. Cardin, you were gonna swing by the training base, right?"
"Yeah. A group of modern Belkans recruits is coming through and Vita wants me to help school 'em." The big squire covered a burp, thumping his chest before standing. "Somethin' about them not giving Aura and Semblances the respect they deserve. You in?"
"Of course! Jaune, Pyrrha?"
"Not this time. I think we're going to visit that cafe by the spaceport and have an easy morning." Jaune perked his eyebrows at Pyrrha, who nodded. "You have fun though."
[ *** ]
"All right you kids! You're here because you call yourself Belkans, and you're too damned proud to toe the line and follow normal training procedures! The Training Division has had enough of your incessant whining about getting to go to Remnant, and so they've given you to me." Vita Yagami, the Iron Hammer Knight, paced back and forth in front of the squad of six recruits, rolling Graf Eisen between her fingers and letting the shaft rest against her armored shoulder.
She cut an imposing figure, having decided to remain in her post-adolescent form following the events of Remnant's joining the TSAB. Two years of 'natural' aging let the knight top off at an even six feet tall, and the bulk of actual maturity gave the impression that she didn't so much lift iron as eat it. That, combined with the crimson full plate she'd grown fond of gave her a physical presence that simply could not be denied. Her armor still bore Hayate's unmistakable thumbprint- not that she minded.
"You want to go to Remnant because that's where real action is. You practice Modern Belkan magic, which you think means that you're the best there is at the front line." Vita spat on the dirt, stomping on it. "What that actually means is that you know a couple physical enhancement spells, you're good at point defense because no melee combatant doesn't know how to snap off a quick shield, and you might just be able to form a kinetic shooter bolt.
"So here's the deal, worms! There are in fact six reserved berths on The Four Seasons. I should know because I'm the one who asked Captain Harlaown to keep them open. Whether or not you clowns get to sleep in those berths tonight depends entirely on how satisfied I am with your performances in the next two hours!"
The man at the center of the formation smirked, taking the bait. Vita whirled on him, not quite looming over him; he was too tall for that. But, she let her 'ire' roll over him like a tidal wave, and in the face of an angry Wolkenritter a bare inch from his nose, he paled. "Cadet Broadstein- what the hell kind of name is Broadstein anyways. You're Mug now. Cadet Mug, front and center! Activate your device and call up your barrier jacket!"
Instant obedience made Vita perk an eyebrow. In a flash the tall, muscular warrior was decked out in silver plate, hefting a broadsword. "So you can follow directions after all! Good. Prepare to defend. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT."
"Knight Vita." She didn't even need to look. Cardin was always ready, she'd drilled that into him early on.
"Beat his ass."
Cardin's charge caught the cadet by surprise. He bodychecked the recruit through the rest, scattering them like bowling pins. Vita squared her feet, planting Graf Eisen's head on the ground and resting her hands on the shaft. "Get back in formation, you slugs! Devices and jackets, now!"
More shouting and clashing echoed through the field as Cardin and the unlucky cadet traded blows. Vita ignored them, fixing her attention on the remaining five. "On Remnant, they didn't know our kind of magic until the Arthra crash landed in Vale. You may have heard of Aura if you ever used your ears for anything more than keeping your hats from falling off.
"Aura is a simple thing. In practical matters, it's a barrier jacket and a physical enhancement effect, wrapped up into one neat little self-sustaining package. Most professional warriors get theirs unlocked during secondary education- that's at thirteen and fourteen years old for you apprentices. If a hunter is lucky, they'll have learned their Semblance. As far as we're concerned, a Semblance is a single spell. They spend their lives knowing only that single spell, practicing only that single spell, fighting with only that single spell. Hunters use Aura, possibly a Semblance, and weapons, and they have been fighting this way since Al Hazred fell! If you are a mage and you only know a single fucking spell, you can be damned well sure that you get really, really good at using it. SERGEANT."
"Sir!" Ruby was next to her in a blur of motion, rose petals swirling away in the wind of her own passage.
Behind them, Cardin was still pounding at Mug. To the recruit's credit, his barrier jacket was still mostly intact. "You five get to fight my Reaper. Rose, show them what a Semblance can do. No device magic."
"Yes, sir!" Crescent Rose Harvest unfolded smoothly, sunlight glinting off the blade. Ruby, being a good sport, gave them a moment to realize what was about to happen before a typhoon of rose petals appeared in their midst, the reaper already spinning into her first attack routine. Vita, meanwhile, took the moment to sip from the cup of coffee that Ruby had dropped into her hands. When one of the recruits rolled to a stop at her feet, she just booted him back into the fight. "This is a good blend, Rose!"
"Thank you, sir! Would you like another?"
[ *** ]
"Uh oh. That doesn't look good."
Brunch at the cafe had been as easy and enjoyable as they'd hoped it would be, and the clear sky and light wind made for a nice walk to the spaceport. But, the good feeling was fading away, rapidly overtaken by apprehension.
There was a throng of civilians outside the spaceport gates, shouts and screams merging into a constant roar of angry displeasure. Jaune and Pyrrha traded a worried look before moving approaching, and he squinted against the glare of the sun off the signs and posters they were waving around. "What are they protesting?"
Pyrrha's mouth set into a grim line. "Us."
Sure enough, as they got closer, he could make out some of the signs. "'Kinetic Killers go home,' 'Unfair favor, Remnant ignores the laws.' I mean, it's clear it's about us, but what are they protesting?"
"Remnant as a whole skipped a lot of steps to join the TSAB. Most administered worlds had to unite under a single planetary government before they could petition for acceptance. On top of that, Remnant alone out of all the signatory worlds still maintains the legal usage of kinetic projectile weapons, and we're allowed to because we need them against the Grimm." Pyrrha gestured toward the crowd, which thankfully hadn't spotted them yet; their attention was focused on something else. "Some people feel like Remnant cheated." Looking the group over again, her eyes narrowed.
"That's… I don't want to say stupid, but…" Jaune shook his head, glancing down the street. "Maybe we should go around, there should be a side entrance we can get into, uh…" Pyrrha was already moving forward, striding toward the mob. "Pyrrha?"
"It's too late, Jaune! RWBY's already caught up in them!"
"Oh, hell." Jaune hurried to catch up, getting a better grip on his kit bag. He really hoped he wouldn't need it, but Crocea Mors was inside it with the rest of his luggage.
Thankfully, nothing seemed to have escalated beyond shouting and a few rough shoves by the time they got within reach. Cardin's height and bulk, combined with his obviously artificial arm, was doing a good job keeping those nearby intimidated, and while Yang wasn't nearly his size, she matched him in sheer presence. In the center of their tiny cordon, Ruby was calling into the tiny boom-mic connected to her device visor, harried and strained.
One of the sign-toting men was braver than the rest, and was shouting right in Yang's face. "-told you to get off our planet, you gun-toting murderers!"
"Maybe if you weren't blocking the doors, we'd already be in orbit!" Yang yelled right back at him, going nose to nose with the protestor.
"You shouldn't even be here in the first place! We don't want you!"
"Yeah? Well tell that to General Gaiz, see what he says! I'll wait!"
Jaune edged forward through the crowd, eventually having to shoulder a few people out of the way. He put on his most disarming smile, trying to work his way in front of Yang. "Whoa, whoa! Can't we settle this peacefully? She's right, we're just trying to get ho-"
He never saw who threw the rock, but he saw it coming early enough to catch it right before it would have slammed into his temple. The first spike of anger made itself known in his thoughts. "What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
The ringleader shouted something incoherent, shoving Jaune. He stumbled back a few steps, thumping into Blake; she kept her balance, but Jaune fell sprawling. Above him he heard Ember Celica unfolding on Yang's wrists, and Pyrrha pleading with the brawler to keep calm. This is bad, this is real bad!
"What is the trouble here?" The question cut through the yelling and screaming like a knife, leaving silence in its wake. Heads all around swiveled, locking onto the source.
Signum strode through the crowd, the people making way around her. A few hushed whispers could be heard, fear and incredulity at the very presence of the General of the Raging Fire amongst them. "I ask again, what is the trouble here?"
Still no one dared to respond to her directly. "Am I to believe from your silence that there is nothing wrong? Because I see unfounded discord. I see foolish anger, directed at those undeserving of it. If you wish to hate, so be it. You may hate me, if you so desire. But if you no longer have the heart for it, I suggest you all go to your homes."
Stopping next to Jaune, she reached down and yanked him onto his feet, before turning back toward the crowd. "The Belkan Code dictates that I not raise my weapon in anger against those undeserving. The Time Space Administrative Bureau provides allowances for public protest and demonstration, and you are well within your rights to do so. But, you have made the decision to assault my squire. Do not force me to choose between the Code and the Law. Go home."
The protestors scattered, what had nearly become a riot vanishing in moments to leave an empty street and a few discarded signs. Yang cupped her hands around her mouth to shout after them, but all that came out was a yelp when Blake stepped on her foot, hissing out a reprimand. "Don't instigate them further!"
Jaune let out a breath of relief. "Thanks, Signum. That was about to turn really nasty."
"Fear is as much a weapon as any magic or blade, and I am still very feared by the general population. But your name and appearance are publically linked to mine, and I have reminded them of that fact. There will be… gossip. Your association with the Wolkenritter will do you no favors with civilians."
"I'll take that tomorrow over a riot today. Ruby, are you okay?" He turned toward her, concerned. Their years of training included psychological evaluation for all of them, and he knew Ruby had gotten her fair share of attention, but now that the immediate tension was gone, she'd started shaking like a leaf.
"F-fine! I'm fine, I'm okay!" Ruby's grin was more of a grimace, but she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and forcing her trembling away. "Just… uhm…"
"Bad memories," Weiss finished for her, wrapping her up in a hug. "Let's get inside before anyone else out here has a bad idea. We're almost late."
[ *** ]
Ruby straightened to attention after she stepped off the shuttle ramp, issuing a sharp salute, and behind her everyone else mirrored the motion perfect. "Teams RWBY and JNPR requesting permission to board, sir!"
"Permission granted," Chrono replied, returning the salute with due gravitas. "At ease, teams. Welcome back."
"It's good to be back!" Ruby forced a smile, trying to relax her posture.
Of course, Chrono saw right through it. "Are you okay, Rose?"
"Yes, sir. There was an anti-Remnant protest outside the spaceport. It got… heated, but Signum scared them off." Ruby pursed her lips, finally letting the tension out with a huff. "I don't like riots, sir."
"I remember. Take whatever time you need, your teams are off duty for the flight, after all." Chrono moved along the line, giving each of them a handshake and a word of congratulations.
"How was your deployment?" Ruby asked, once he'd finished.
"Eventful. Weiss, you'll be pleased to know that The Four Seasons has been performing exceptionally. The full details will be discussed at a debriefing at Headquarters, and your presence is expected."
"Understood," Weiss nodded. "What's our ETA? I'll need some time to get my paperwork prepared."
"Sixteen hours. You'll have time to relax; the VIP suite is prepped for you. Commander Schnee is off shift for the time being, she's looking forward to seeing you."
"Thank you, Captain. If I may be excused?"
"Dismissed. Clear the bay, please. We're expecting the rest on another shuttle."
Jaune cleared his throat, even as they filtered out of the compartment. "The rest, Chrono?"
Chrono actually cracked a smile. "You aren't the only teams receiving your Hunter credentials. We've all been keeping pace."
"Awesome!" Yang threw her arms up, hurrying into the hallway. "Party at the mess!"
"Yang, there will be plenty of time." Blake's tone was mildly admonishing as she followed, shaking her head. "It's a week's voyage to Remnant after we leave HQ, remember?"
"Yeah, but that's then! This is now!"
[ *** ]
Unlike for the rest of Team RWBY, Weiss had visited TSAB Headquarters over a dozen times in the last two years. Never as an enlisted member of the Ground Forces, but always in her position as CEO of Starmetal Industries, the corporation that had gained its footing constructing dimensional ships for the TSAB. She'd earned her place as a valued and important provider for the galactic agency.
But like the rest of Team RWBY, Starburst Station never failed to awe her with its presence. The station was so large that it was always in some way under construction; maintenance for the gigantic docking spires that earned the station its nickname, upgrading and refurbishing existing portions with newer technologies, and more besides. It had been said with utmost seriousness that the day work stopped on Starburst Station would be the day the TSAB fell.
Wearing her finest white business suit, Weiss was escorted through the halls by Chrono himself and a quartet of Navy Enforcers, and she strode through the open doors to the conference chamber. Some of the highest ranking individuals in the Navy waited within. The three legendary admirals were present; Midget Crowbell, Largo Kiel, and Leone Phils, each still holding rank in advisory positions. Murano Lockheed, the TSAB Chief of Operations. A dozen more, all involved somewhere in the deployment of the Maiden class cruisers.
"Ms. Schnee." It was never her admittedly low rank within these chambers. She was here as a private citizen, not an armed forces member.
"Admirals and staff. Thank you for the invitation to these proceedings."
"Of course. Welcome to Headquarters." Lockheed gestured for her to take her seat, and she did with poise and bearing. Chrono moved further down the table to sit next to the other Maiden-class captains; there were four others there, one for each of the cruisers that had entered operation.
A few necessary pleasantries were exchanged before they delved into the nitty-gritty. At Lockheed's request, each captain stood to give a verbal report of their ship's performance, backed up by holodisplays showing graphs and hard numbers. The Spring's tandem deployment with the Fall in a stretch of dimensional badlands, hunting down fugitives trying to use the unstable sectors of space to hide, had been a resounding success, as the ships' hybrid natures provided more rigorous durability in the face of dimensional instability. The Winter maintained a patrol pattern near Remnant along with a small flotilla of smaller vessels, keeping the world safe from offworld threats, and the Summer had distinguished herself in a combined action in a wide-area patrol group of standard cruisers.
Chrono's own report made her raise some eyebrows, even as she took down notes of her own. Combat action against a pirate cruiser that had, apparently, been designed specifically to combat standard TSAB technologies, including Ward-piercing weaponry. Had it not been for the Remnant-style hard shields, the lead ship of the Maiden-class cruisers could have been seriously damaged in the battle.
What followed those reports was a lengthy discussion involving the future of hybrid-design technology in TSAB ships of the line. More research for Starmetal Industries' R&D division, what it would require to step up production of specific types of equipment. Weiss replied to her full ability, making what promises she could and holding no qualms about dictating what would require further development efforts. It was a back-and-forth she'd grown used to in these chambers, and the pace of the discussion was almost exhilarating.
Some four hours later, Weiss projected her own worksheets and calculations, written up on the fly, for the TSAB command staff to vet. A few of her personal notations were struck as being Top Secret, but only in the details of how the information was provided.
Finally, her part in the conference came to a close. "Your input is most appreciated, Ms. Schnee. However, at this time, discussion must turn toward Navy Operations."
She nodded, rising to her feet gracefully. "My thanks to TSAB Navy Command for my inclusion in the discussions regarding the Maiden-class. I will take my leave." A short bow, held just long enough to show that she held no displeasure at her dismissal, and she turned for the door.
It parted silently for her, and two of the four Enforcers waiting outside fell into step alongside her. She paid them little heed other than a nod of acknowledgement; their job was to see her back to the public sector of the station. She was Ground Forces, after all, and Navy Command decisions beyond her ships were not her business.
[ *** ]
Once the doors slid shut, Murano Lockheed stood from his chair, gesturing. A holodisplay expanded, a three-dimensional image of the pirate cruiser currently being disassembled in one of the station's secure bays. "Three years ago the first time was unexpected, and we lost the Arthra because of it. I don't believe in coincidences."
"Neither do I, Admiral." Chrono pointed up at the display, giving his head a shake. "The Arthra's data stores were too corrupted from unshielded exposure to Remnant's field to recover the sensor readings from the first ship. We were lucky; I recognized the visual signature, and The Four Seasons was capable of countering."
"My commendations to The Four Seasons and her crew for preventing a repeat occurrence. But, this is still a second encounter with a ship designed to combat our fleet. If anything other than a Maiden-class cruiser had been there, we might still be searching for survivors."
"If Starmetal Industries is as capable as Ms. Schnee assures at stepping up production of the hard shield systems," another Admiral spoke, leaning forward in her chair, "I would like to see our patrol cruisers retrofitted with them as soon as possible. Even if this was actually a second singular and unrelated event, the importance of upgrading our fleet's survivability cannot be overstated."
Murano nodded. "Agreed. Captains, until our fleet is capable of withstanding the firepower these pirates are able to bring to bear, your cruisers will be our front line against them. I'll be redeploying the Spring, Fall, and Winter as part of our patrol groups along with the Summer. Captain Harlaown?"
"Sir."
"Your current patrol loadout is one Mage Team and one Mage/Hunter hybrid team, correct?"
"That is correct, sir."
"I want The Four Seasons restocked and staffed for a heavy combat loadout. I'm assigning a third Mage Team to your ship, and I want your input as to which team here at HQ will best compliment your current teams' skill sets. We don't have anything concrete to deploy you for yet, so you will continue with your flight to Remnant, but I want The Four Seasons ready at a moment's notice."
"Yes sir."
"Captains, you are dismissed. Specific orders will be forthcoming post haste."
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- Location
- Australia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Nice to see this up and running, with the plot not hesitating to kick into high gear as well.
Sienna not suffering death by idiot fucknugget is more than welcome.
Weiss calling her company Starmetal is very pleasing, as is the fact Klein left her fathers service.
'Kinetic Killers.' Always fun to see civilians of an 'enlightened' civilisation be hypocritical fuckwits.
So, I'm guessing Nanoha and co will be the third Mage team.
Sienna not suffering death by idiot fucknugget is more than welcome.
Weiss calling her company Starmetal is very pleasing, as is the fact Klein left her fathers service.
'Kinetic Killers.' Always fun to see civilians of an 'enlightened' civilisation be hypocritical fuckwits.
So, I'm guessing Nanoha and co will be the third Mage team.
- Location
- Somewhere in the USA, EST
Glad to see you on board! And you also got the dubious honor of first reply, at that.
As a matter of fact, no! Nanoha and Co. will not be the third mage team. More on that when Chapter 2 goes up, which hopefully will not be a three month wait from now. I don't intend it to be, at least. Hell, I'm already eight pages into it or so.
- Location
- Australia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hey, I was with the original from Chapter 1, of course I'm gonna give the sequel a try.
Extra note: I love the names of the Maiden class.
Mega1987
A TTK somewhere at Kancolle's Iwagawa Airfield
- Location
- somewhere at Kancolle's Iwagawa Airfield
the one i like in the opening chapter is Teana getting launched in the similar way as jaune did....
but she got her best bud/partner/you-know-what to catch her....
I was laughing when teana was launched while she's still speaking... hahahahaha
but she got her best bud/partner/you-know-what to catch her....
I was laughing when teana was launched while she's still speaking... hahahahaha
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You know what you did.
More seriously, I found that particular scene rather enjoyable. Friendly reminder to the so-called hardasses, these are deathworlders they're dealing with. Their world wants them dead and routinely attempts to enact its desire. They're still kicking, and have actually managed to carve out a real civilization from their hellscape of a world. Underestimate them at your own peril.
- Location
- Australia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
All of it directed by an evil, immortal witch with a history of genocide and eugenics. And Remnant has endured. Good morning 'hardasses', this is your wake up call
Judge Mental
Stranger In a Strange Land
I must say, this is an unexpected and delightful surprise.
Bonus points for the Saint Kaiser Formerly Known as Vivio growing up to be an adorable punch-monster, despite not being raised by Nanoha this time around. I can already tell, she and Yang are going to get along like a house on fire.
Others I can think of or find include: Prevernal, Vernal, Estival, Serotinal, Autumnal, and Hibernal; Monsoon, Dry, and Harmattan; Inundation/Flood, Emergence/Growth, and Harvest; and Hurricane, Tornado, and Wildfire. Some of those would work, but others are either getting a little obscure or don't feel quite as poetic as the big four.
Also, in before Cinder somehow winds up on the Fall.
Bonus points for the Saint Kaiser Formerly Known as Vivio growing up to be an adorable punch-monster, despite not being raised by Nanoha this time around. I can already tell, she and Yang are going to get along like a house on fire.
They are rather nice, but I do wonder what Weiss is going to do when the naming scheme uses up all the readily-recognizable seasons.
Others I can think of or find include: Prevernal, Vernal, Estival, Serotinal, Autumnal, and Hibernal; Monsoon, Dry, and Harmattan; Inundation/Flood, Emergence/Growth, and Harvest; and Hurricane, Tornado, and Wildfire. Some of those would work, but others are either getting a little obscure or don't feel quite as poetic as the big four.
Also, in before Cinder somehow winds up on the Fall.
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- Location
- Somewhere in the USA, EST
I've been thinking about further names for Maiden class cruisers, and there are a couple possibilities. The first one is to just... diverge from the naming theme and not worry about it. The second is to go for synonyms, of course, maybe a few things more like weather conditions more than actual seasons (no there will not be a cruiser called The Nino). The last option, and one possibly more feasible, is that the 5 ships of the Maiden-class are the only ones to be produced, and a newer model is already being designed. Which would make sense, in a way, because the Maiden-class cruiser design, for all that it -does- work, was a hell of a rush job. I mean seriously, six months from inception to launch date? That's -insane-.
And I'm glad you appreciated the Muscle!
- Location
- Australia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, if they're after themed names, I'm sure Ozpin knows a few Maidens that deserve to be remembered.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
The names of some former maidens might be a good source for the names. I am sure Ozpin knows some.
It is nice to see that this is being worked on again. I look forward to more.
MWKillKenny84
Lurking from the Trauma Switch.
- Location
- Vado Ligure
WATCHED!
Is it me, or have Yang and Vita a rivalry based on their bust sizes?
... so Vivio now as an Ice Cream-based name (like her big sis Neopolitan) and has been raised by Roman?
Uh, intersting.
Just a question: has Jail took lab and daughters to Remnant, whose policy on Mad Scientists could be summed in "If their work help against the Grimms, give them fat paychecks and have them nearly acclaimed as heroes."?
After all, I feel Jail would look at the Grimms, how they came to be, the inability of the locals (including the 'central command's intelligence' aka Salem) to permanently destroy them, and say "Challenge accepted. Time for SCIENCE!"
Is it me, or have Yang and Vita a rivalry based on their bust sizes?
... so Vivio now as an Ice Cream-based name (like her big sis Neopolitan) and has been raised by Roman?
Uh, intersting.
Just a question: has Jail took lab and daughters to Remnant, whose policy on Mad Scientists could be summed in "If their work help against the Grimms, give them fat paychecks and have them nearly acclaimed as heroes."?
After all, I feel Jail would look at the Grimms, how they came to be, the inability of the locals (including the 'central command's intelligence' aka Salem) to permanently destroy them, and say "Challenge accepted. Time for SCIENCE!"
Suryn
On the wings of a Dragon
I was wondering about Mint.
It would not surprise me if Jail was doing research on the Grimm. The question is how much total time is he spending on the issue with the half a million other things he is doing
MWKillKenny84
Lurking from the Trauma Switch.
- Location
- Vado Ligure
Well, the Brains do not know if Grimms can leave Remnant (or if Salem could decide to 'Revive Al-Hazard' at the Bureau's expence), should have no intention of discovering it first hand, and thus more likely to order Jail "Drop anything that is not at full completion and/or do not require your effort 24/7 and go to Remnant to find a solution to that mess. Possibly one that does not involve bombarding the planet with multiple Arc-En-Ciels."
- Location
- Reading, Berks, UK
When last seen Jail asked Roman to look after Vivio/Mint, because he was more interested in Remnant than powering up the Cradle.
And Danicia has most of the knowledge he's compelled to look for, so he's probably trying to work out how to woo her. With added SCIENCE! being Jail.
I'm expecting that either he or Uno are members of the science team TSAB are bound to have sent to take Salem up on her offer.
TikiTau
Commander Pangolinski
- Location
- Texas
...Huh.
Evil canon plot derailed by Mad Scientist Magpie Syndrome.
'Sir, weren't you going to clone an ancient and beloved magical girl ruler to use as the basis of a Belkan superweapon to cap off showing how your robotic weapons are superior to mages?'
'That was yesterday's experiment! LOOK AT REMNANT! AURA! GRIMM! ACTUAL ANCIENT AL-HAZREDI! SO MANY THIIIIIIINGS TO INVESTIGATE!'
'What about the Ancient Magical Girl Ruler Clone?'
'Oh. Huh. Right, I'd already made her. Hm. Um...Hey, Torchwick? Here, it's an Ancient Belkan!'
'What.'
'Yeah, we were doing a special this week. You get a free clone with your Bodyguard Cyborgization!'
'What.'
'Toodles! Off to SCIENCE!'
(I mean, I'm sure he'll end up Accidentallying A Plot later, either directly being the cause of it or just something he researched that other people used, because Jail, but...The fact that is apparently kinda what happened just amuses me a ton.)
Plus, Torchwick is easy to bribe.
'You say you have a source of fantastic cigars? Sold! I'll go punch Criminals for you! Besides, their lack of finesse and skill is insulting.'
Also, huh.
Someone's making Anti-Bureau Warships. And possibly weaponry, given Neo got shot by something that knocked her on her ass despite (presumably) her (very fashionable, given Neo) barrier jacket.
Sounds like Remnant's not the only one Thinking With Kinetics (Which are Just Better. Ho ho ho, Forum Name Joke Reference!).
...5 Lien on it somehow being the Brains' fault.
Oh, and poor Teana. She never really had a chance of escaping GaoGaiSubaru.
'Partners Foreeeeveeeeeeer!'
Also, huh. That's right, Sentra Lockheed, aka Heavy Weapons Mage, was mentioned as being the CNO's grandaughter in the previous story. I'd forgotten about that until now. Neat!
(I liked her, she was amusing.)
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ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
Indeed, though I'm sure we'll see Adam again at some point.
Meanwhile we get to see Happy Fun Vivio learning the fine and adorable ways of the Master Criminal. That is just SO fun.
And the Team RWBY Ship Tease continues to sail. Freezerburn is on!
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Indeed, though I'm sure we'll see Adam again at some point.
Meanwhile we get to see Happy Fun Vivio learning the fine and adorable ways of the Master Criminal. That is just SO fun.
And the Team RWBY Ship Tease continues to sail. Freezerburn is on!
You're way late to the party, the story was confirmed whiterose back in Hazredous Interruptions during the dance arc.
- Location
- Reading, Berks, UK
I suspect the second should be Commander Schnee. Unless she's been promoted or heavily demoted in the intervening period.
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That, and whatever Sun/Blake/Yang is. Freezerburn hasn't been in the cards for a long time.
MWKillKenny84
Lurking from the Trauma Switch.
- Location
- Vado Ligure
ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
That's why I said tease.
Altria_Pendragon
(Verified - SG-i13 Rhongomyniad)
- Location
- World's End Pillar
Estival/Hibernal/Autumnal/Vernal for the solstices and equinoxes. Equinox and Solstice both work. That's just 6 extra for now though...