Chapter 198: RWBY (4)
~Mash B. POV~
[Hours Later, Vale Kingdom, Lower Cairn]
I so wanted to fight Qrow and show that old drunk his place. It was nothing personal since I managed to share the memories of his with mine knowing the places of Remnant for me to portal into.
Especially during the Bandit Camp against Raven. But that's for later since we returned to Lower Cairn entering a private room for the night all paid by Qrow's expense.
Qrow takes a sit and Amber sits on the bed as he starts questioning us in a cautious tone, "Now that we're here. Talk. Who are you two."
Ryuko eyed me as I explained to the both of us in a simple tone, "A passerby."
His eyes narrowed as he continued asking questions, "Okay, then who do you for?"
I replied again in a simple tone with my arms crossed to his question, "No one."
He clicks his tongue, frustration showing on his face being direct in a blunt tone, "How did you know where Amber was?"
Amber tried to speak trying to defend me in an innocent tone, "Q-Qrow, it could be just on cha-"
But I interrupted her words being blunt staring at the literal bad luck charm as she gasped at my words, "I was following her. I knew that Salem's agents were after the Fall Maiden, and I knew when they were gonna attack."
He leers intently glaring at me in a serious tone spoke, "So you know, huh? How much?"
Being a cheeky bastard I replied having held my hands together in a confident tone, "More than you."
He held his weapon handle tighter as he asked in a serious tone despite protest from Amber of his actions, "You're not making this easy for me. Last question, I need you to answer this… or else. How can you use magic?"
The silence was tense, to the point where I could almost hear all our heartbeats. I gazed at Amber who looked extremely uneasy. Qrow looks serious, his eyes narrowed.
Ryuko seemed calm trusting me to handle this situation her eyes glinted curiosity in them wanting to know my goals. But I already got all I wanted from Qrow's memories understanding the world a bit better.
I spoke in an honest tone shrugging my shoulders on a suitable answer for them, "I was born with it. Whether you believe it or not is your choice."
Taking a stand up I gave him a folder neatly folded with Ryuko following suit in a calm tone with a curt bow, "Give this to Ozpin, it will explain a few things. I'd rather not be involved in what would count as the most annoying shadow war of the century."
He takes my letter, and I gaze at Amber for a second time back to Qrow as I speak in a calm tone, "My job here is done. If you'd like to contact me, let Ozpin on this first. I'll answer as much as I can when we meet again."
Before I left turning my back I was stopped by Amber speaking in a thankful tone, "Wait! Thank you. For saving me."
I slowly nodded and went on my way, smirking as I saw Qrow's wide eyes reading the letter with Ryuko finally asking in a curious tone, "Sooo… what's the real reason you saved her? I doubt you did it out of your good heart unless you could gain something from it."
Smiling I see Ryuko knows me very well as I replied in a calm tone pointing at my head in a whisper close enough for them to hear, "His memories. Qrow is the closest agent to Ozpin and has been around Remnant… specific locations and secrets they only know."
Her eyes widened at my implications with a surprised expression impressed with my forethought planning, "Damn… and you did that saving her all so you can get close to him. That's some scary dedication right there."
Shrugging my shoulders it wasn't nothing compared to her sister who's more impressive in my opinion with her patience praising her, "True but not compared to Eyebrows. She waited fucking 12 or 13 years to get her revenge when it comes to patience, we can both agree she beats us in that department."
We made silent nodding gestures agreeing on that. Soon I began talking to Ryuko opening my portal with my Gamer Ring in a tempting tone, "Since I know where to go I have a place in mind to start searching. Want to see the coldest place on this planet? Be warned though you might need a jacket."
She smirked as she replied with an excited grin on her face with the adventure thus far gone through, "Heh. You are on smartass. Let's see what craziness you have in mind next."
I could only grin as I opened the portal showing the rainbow kaleidoscope. We quickly entered inside to not notify Qrow of the latest incident of magical energy in the area alarming him.
/////
[Atlas Kingdom, Mantle Outskirts]
Arriving at the Kingdom of Atlas I was hit by the fresh cold breeze this place has to offer blinking mildly surprised. The cold air blasted me and Ryuko with her clinging to me for warmth in a startled tone, "I knew from what you told me I might need a jacket but I didn't know it was this fucking cold!"
Senketsu changed into a jacket to provide some warmth. The same Koketsu did for me as I wasn't that cold shrugging it off, but I told Ryuko in a serious tone, "Okay since we're here it's about time we look around the place. There should be someone important in Mantle I need to collect his memories from before we start anything else. Especially with this world of racism."
That seemed to get her attention as I placed my hand over her face 'sharing' the meal from Qrow's memories using my Authority of Gluttony, [Gluttony] getting her up to speed on the situation.
She grimaced seeing my point of view from Qrow's memories getting up to speed in an annoyed tone, "Bloody hell… and here I thought racism was a stupid small issue back home resolved. But here it's a bloody mess just waiting to happen."
I nodded my head agreeing with her about the circumstances in this world. Sadly, though I only came here to gather info and technological ideas not play peacemaker here.
*Swf*
With that in mind, we both quickly entered through the portal I created thanks to the Gamer Ring. Fortunately, though, I made sure we were inside Mantle finding a nice alley to go unnoticed thanks to my enhanced eyesight.
After finding a nice place to go out unnoticed we both examined the city of Mantle with fascination and mild disgust. It was every bit as dark and gritty as in the show. I started by looking around first and occasionally bumped into a few people on purpose to use [Gluttony] to share their memories and meals to get the lay of the city from the local's memories as I flinched.
I found out that Mantle's Faunus discrimination is worse than I thought. Aside from the slums in the Mantle Crater and the area around it, most shops refuse to serve Faunus as a rule.
Unfortunately, or fortunately enough, that's on the other side of town since we are both humans we should be found. But I could feel the stares of all the humans glaring at us reading their thoughts I frowned that they're not that welcoming to foreigners…
No… they're glaring at our attires. Right. To them wearing our Kamui, they thought were the elites of the Atlas Kingdom but we ignored them. It was something new to us as Honnouji Academy experienced such glares at us as the norm considering we challenged Satsuki at the time.
*Swooosh*
*Crack*
We both tilted our heads to avoid a bottle being thrown at us with our instincts kicking in. I looked over to see the bottle broke on the street, turning to see a drunkard who started threatening us in a cold tone, "Get out of here, you… you parasites!"
We just stared at him feeling mildly annoyed by this mongrel. The drunkard clearly did not like our staring glares as he walked up trying to throw a punch at me, "What are you looking at – ahhh!!"
I merely let the mongrel hit me as the drunken fool landed his blow, he got hurt instead with my defenses up. Or rather an invisible string of life fiber from Koketsu glaring daggers at the poor bastard as he cried out in pain, clutching his fist.
Before he could do anything else, Ryuko grabbed him by the neck and lifted him by the neck and lifted him off his feet. She warned him with a venomous tone her eyes devoid of life only malice, "You can either turn around and go back to whatever hole you crawled from, or I can break your bones harming my man, your choice mongrel."
I couldn't help but smile at Ryuko standing up for me and using a mongrel. Ah… how times fly by makes me happy I'm in a relationship with her. As he tried to break free from her grip she gave his neck a light squeeze to make a point, and the mongrel panicked and started demanding her, "Put me down! Put me down you crazy bitch– "
*SWOOOSH*
Before anything could happen, I opened a small portal beneath him as Ryuko threw him inside with a cold expression. Wiping her hands together and cleaning herself I spoke ignoring the startled people gazing at us in a calm tone, "You know you didn't have to do that babe I could've handled it myself."
She merely huffed but a light blush muttering in a silent tone almost whispering, "True… but I didn't like how he started assuming who we are. Or who he thought we were… but calling you a bitch? He gets what's coming to him."
Patting my Gear Eyes I sighed as we continued walking pecking her on the cheek in a comforting tone, "Thanks for defending me, Ryuko. But let's get going before any idiot tries something else."
She merely grinned nodding at me complimenting her. The portal I opened under him that Ryuko tossed was a couple of blocks away and just high enough that he would get a fracture depending on where he fell.
The people surrounding us now looked at me with fear and hate. But we ignored these idiots as we continued to head to the crater to find a place to stay for the night. But still, I'm starting to dislike my stay here in the kingdom.
/////
[Atlas Kingdom, Mantle Crater, Inn]
It took us a while, but we finally found a nice little tavern near the slums. A Faunus ran it with a pair of badger hands and claws realizing this man was Fiona's Uncle and was friendly enough to give us a heads up on the dos and don'ts of Atlas and Mantle.
Agreeing with Fiona's Uncle we decided to mainly keep near the Crater for the most part and learn that only Faunus allowed up in Atlas are students of Atlas Academy. Learning this complicates things, but I'll manage somehow one way or another.
We sighed as we went to the room I paid for and laid down on the bed sighing at our day coming to this Kingdom in an annoyed tone, "Sigh… I would think coming here would be special… seems like the racism is bad here."
Ryuko lay down next to me grasping my body as she whispered feeling tired from the ordeal today in a tired tone, "Yeah. The people here are batshit crazy. But with you here it's bearable. How about we just sleep this off together hmm…?"
Smiling happily I grasped Ryuko under the covers of the blanket on the bed as I let my [Unseen Hands] set up a bounded field to make sure no one annoys us. I comforted my girl in a kind tone, "Now that's a great idea. Very well my love. Let's take this moment to sleep this off for today…"
We both cuddled allowing this brief moment of rest. I swear if Atlas gets worse I'll fucking speedrun and leave this planet for fucking good.