Chapter 221: RWBY Prime—Hero from Another World (7)

~Third POV~

Winter and Weiss walk down a highly monitored hallway in a hospital. They pass through a door with a guard posted on each side, then down a staircase and through another long hallway with many cameras; four AK-200s guarding a door on the far end of the hall.

Winter leads Weiss into an observation area overlooking a patient's room with a one-way window. There is a small kitchen and a machine with a pair of pods inside.

One wall near the bed has a few different hangings on it, and there is an easel with a painting on it next to the bed. Winter enters a moment later talking to the Winter Maiden Fria as she explains to Weiss about it shocking her greatly.

*Beep*

That was when Winter's Scroll beeps. She opens it to see a message from Ironwood. The top of her Scroll's screen says, 'This message comes from a contact who has marked all communications with you as CLASSIFIED'.

The message she just received from Ironwood was sent at 18:05 and says, 'Check the news'.

The message is followed by a link to a video of a live news broadcast on the Atlas Broadcast Network, which Winter opens talking to Weiss, "Speaking of the family name."

In the video, Jacques steps up to a podium in front of the Schnee manor. Weiss walks over to watch with Winter asked confused, "What is he doing?"

As Jacques speaks, a news ticker at the bottom of the screen scrolls by it says the following:

"Missing Journalist Found Slain in Her Midtown Apartment"

"Perimeter Wall Damaged Last Month - Resources and Funding Are Stalled"

"Surface Level Grimm Attacks Increasing - Mantle Protection Agency Advises Staying Indoors"

"Weather Special - How to Keep You and Your Family Safe from Hypothermia and Frostbite"

The two Schnee sisters began to carefully look at each other thinking about what their father is doing…

Jacques begins to present himself demonizing Ironwood as he spoke out clearly trying to appease those in Atlas Kingdom and not Mantle of his election with promise, "If I'm elected Councilman, I've made it no secret I will be opposing General Ironwood and his senseless embargo that is crippling all of Atlas. It is my belief that these measures are not only reckless but criminal."

/////

People in a Mantle bar watch the broadcast on a hologram TV screen, and miners in a Dust mine watch it on a Scroll hearing Jacques, "With no shipments allowed to enter or leave the kingdom, I know many are suffering. And my family has been weathering the same storm as many of you."

Drinking Buddy walks along a sidewalk to a building with a Closed sign. He attempts to open the door, but it is locked as more of Jacques's words come out from the hologram TV screens, "Effective immediately, I am forced to shut down all nonessential SDC operations."

The building has a Schnee Dust Company sign above it. The Closed sign taped to the window says: 'CLOSED. Until further notice, all operations will be suspended. SDC.'

Drinking Buddy turns and looks at a hologram screen across the street, which is broadcasting Jacques' announcement.

He walks over and watches with a small crowd that has gathered getting angrier at the words coming out from Jacques, "If elected to office, I will make the changes necessary to fix what Ironwood has broken. I hope you ask yourself before the vote, can you trust anyone else to stop Ironwood? Will Robyn Hill be able to get your jobs back?"

News anchors eagerly hold their microphones up to Jacques, talking over each other and asking questions. He puts his hand up and turns away, and the broadcast ends.

The citizens in Mantle begin shouting angrily.

"What the hell!"

"I need that for my family!"

"Fuck what do I do without any Fire Dust for the night!?!"

"You fucking, Schnee bastard!"

As the escalation of Jacques's actions resulted in the people to begin rioting as the drinking Buddy turns and walks away from the TV. He picks up a trash can and throws it at the screen, shattering the glass.

*Crack*

*BAM*

*THUD*

The crowd begins shouting even louder. Atlas soldiers become nervous and run away, while citizens tip over a car.

/////

Weiss and Winter's eyes widen seeing the background from the news going on.

Winter first spoke out of pure shock that her father just ignited a spark leaving behind unforeseen consequences of his actions, "I think… I think Father may have just provided the spark that's going to set this kingdom on fire."

The two sisters were unaware of how right Winter truly was in their current moment…

And yet fate has a funny way of proving that fact…

/////

In the next early morning currently on a ship to the Beacon Academy Port side with Jack with a slap mark is shown revealing his face as Ruby, Pyrrha, and Penny had their mask on snickering at him getting slapped by Glynda earlier came by, as they were all prepared for the reclaiming of Beacon Academy.

Jack rubs his hand over his face with a hand print on it recalling how Glynda slapped him across the face mumbling to himself, "Seriously? Am I forever cursed to have every Glynda be angry at me for my antics yesterday progressing things?"

Penny pats his shoulder shaking her head and speaking out to him of his usual antics, "I think it's the fact that you go overboard in your broadcast to everyone in Vale. It worked but kind of breaching privacy."

Jack points his finger up to rebuttal but not before Pyrrha mentions some facts causing Jack to shut up immediately, "Let's see… using water guns against a guy that has a weakness of water, a prank went wrong with the Fall Maiden, being nude in public television, and now publicly announcing a conversation meant to be secret in the open now?"

Listening over Pyrrha listing over very possible and likely reasons why Glynda would retaliate on him more than once replied in a defeated tone, "Yeah… that would about do it… Fuck I don't actually have the means to defend myself here."

"And you better hope you don't try again."

Flinching turning around seeing Glynda along with Port and Oobleck coming around from behind begins speaking out, "Of course, we couldn't let a chance get away from us now. You said you can repair the CCT right? I see, what you can do. What YOU can really do against a horde of Grimm? Think you can pull off another miracle as you did before?"

Jack hearing Glynda's words immediately became serious agreeing with Glynda's words about seeing him how killed off a large number of Grimm by himself using <Soul Archive> to show her what happened, "Of course. Unlike last time those one's caught me by surprise. This time I won't have to worry the sooner we reconnect with Remnant the better."

Glynda could only sigh a breath of relief as Oobleck began to introduce himself to them with a happy tone, "It's a pleasure to meet such brave-hearted people these days. I'm Oobleck young man and I'm impressed with what you did with the Vale Council show. Didn't think there would be a day when we could finally get Remnant connected again."

Shaking his hand Jack agreed with Port viewing Ruby, Penny, and Pyrrha's outfits blinking and rubbing his eyes talking a bit surprised, "I'm sorry to look young ladies but… you three seem oddly familiar for some reason. Did we perhaps meet somewhere before?"

The three flinched at that with Oobleck agreeing with Port's words talking to them when he gets a view on Ruby specifically, "I actually agree… you there. The one with a red hood? Are you perhaps… a fan of miss Rose from the Vytal Festival perhaps?"

Ruby being drawn in tried to dissuade them for a bit before calming down slightly trying to trick them a bit, "Uh… yeah? I'm a big fan of Ruby's clothing and weapon design I mean she has this cool scythe and red hood along with the rose petals –"

"Ruby?"

Not before long Ruby froze seeing another person coming on short notice the person who called her out was Tai looking at her responding with Glynda calmly speaking out, "No worries. I trust my trusted colleagues to know the truth no need to hide."

Jack's eyes widen at this slightly using <Telepathy> to read their thoughts and sighed at that speaking to them, "Sigh… could've said so sooner, Glynda. No worries Pyrrha and Penny they know. And they also about Salem."

Their eyes widen at that but regardless took off their mask Pyrrha asked with clear surprise in her voice, "You told them to Port and Oobleck about her?"

Glynda sighs at this and not before long explains to them the reason she did so was because of their positions, "Sigh… of course I did. These two were going to be my assistant after what happened to Ozpin. It would be best to trust those close to us. Especially in these dire trying times."

Tai held onto Ruby tightly hugging her speaking to her softly speaking out, "Even though you hid behind that mask… you are still my little girl I just wish my Ruby was here. To tell her how much I miss her and her sister."

Stopping himself letting go as Ruby took time to process his apologizing to her about the sudden action realizing what he did, "Oh… sorry but… I—I couldn't help myself after not seeing my little girls after 2 years finding out who caused this."

Ruby didn't reply for a moment processing everything again before finally calming her nerves again with Jack, Pyrrha, and Penny gazing at each other worriedly about their Ruby current state of emotional affairs.

But then smiled lightly talking to her dad kindly responding to his actions with a determined glint in her eyes, "Oh. It's no worries but the sooner we help out everyone fixing the CCT again… maybe then you can call her again. And have a talk after a long time."

Tai was shocked for a bit before tearfully replying in a happy tone to the outworlders, "Yeah… when I saw the news and a way… I was the first to do it just for the chance to see my family after a long time."

Ruby nodded but, in her thoughts, she couldn't help but think to her other counterpart in this Remnant as she unconsciously clenches her hand into a fist, 'Me… I know you want to save everyone like I do but… why did you have to leave dad after 2 years… is saving everyone really more important than our own family…?'

Those thoughts soon plagued her own mind as Jack gazes at their destination seeing the Beacon Academy Port pathway speaking to them, "Look out people were about to reach the Port of Beacon Academy. After that, it's time to finally help reconnect people of Remnant together once more."

The eyes of everyone listening to Jack's words as they see their way to Beacon Academy Port in the distance ahead…

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