Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 56

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My boot-steps echoed against the cold floor. Around me was mist, thick and grey. In my hand, I held my weapon, Joyeuse. It looked anachronistic, an old timey rifle anyone from the 20th Century would appreciate at first. They would be horrified however at its applications. A branch was crushed and I immediately swivelled to face it, Joyeuse's rifle stock squared against my shoulder. My heartbeats were starting to quicken, nervousness coursed through my veins. I willed it to stop, my breaths slow and steady.

There was nothing, silence.

Then, chains rushed forth from the darkness, metal screaming towards me. I rolled to the side and saw fit to reply. My gloved hand squeezed the trigger and Joyeuse fired quick rapid shots. Thunder boomed in repeating cycles. Boom! Boom! Boom! The trees suffered massively as the rounds struck them first before detonating, sending forth shrapnel flying everywhere. The fell, their leaves and trunk crashing down on the earth.

I paused firing, the silence returning.

Just as I felt things settled down, my instincts screamed at me. I tried to turn back but I was too late as I felt metal dig into my back. "Argh!" I screamed as Emerald's sickle struck me. But I did not take it lying down. A finger pressed onto Joyeuse then servos turned. Metal flashed. A wicked axehead sprung from under Joyeuse's barrel and I swivelled it around to meet Emerald but she was no longer there. I corrected my stumbling legs, my narrowed eyes scanning the environment around me.

"Surrender," her voice echoed through the mist. "And I won't have to end this."

"I don't think so," I bit back. "I'm not going to give up let alone to you, sunshine."

There was a dismissive snort. "So be it, then."

Just as expected, Emerald appeared again. Not from the back but from the front this time, rushing and charging at me with her twin scythe-revolvers. I raised Joyeuse and fired some more but Emerald seemed to dodge them. She leapt high into the air then descended down towards me. Another button press then Joyeuse sported a bayonet, thin and long. I thrust it forward just as Emerald neared. She would have been speared if she hadn't adjusted herself to balance on Joyeuse, her weapon aimed directly against my face.

"Surrender, Alex," Emerald warned. Thief's Respite shifted into its revolver form, her finger threatening to squeeze the trigger. Its cold barrel was pressed into my head. "I have the high ground."

I took in a breathe. I had lost. "I cease resistance," I said simply. Emerald flashed me a grin as she hopped off my weapon and landed on her feet.

"Simulation end!" Emerald cried out. The world then changed from the dark spooky forest we were in to a sterile gym. As the world returned to normal, she looked up at me, eying me for injuries, her hands stowing away her weapons.

"I did not hurt you too much, did I?" Emerald asked, concern in her voice. My finger moved, returning Joyeuse back to its rifle form as I rested it against my shoulder.

"Thank the Gods for aura then," I said, glancing at a far screen. My aura was dangerously close to breaking at ten percent. Emerald on the other hand had eighty.

"You need to practice more," Emerald scolded me, her green eyebrows furrowed. "How will you expect to hold out in a fight if you neglect your skills?"

"Well," I said dryly. "I've been busy. Plus if there is an actual fight, Emerald, I do not plan on fighting it fairly. I will cheat, lie, use every single advantage I have to win. That is why Royal and Imperial is pushing the envelope to develop weapons."

I had been busy, yes. The Royal and Imperial of then was virtually outdated compared to the Royal and Imperial of now. One part due to my need to make new things. The other? Vol 1 was nigh. We were going to need every single advantage we could get as the actual story of RWBY was going to take place.

Emerald on the other hand crossed her arms, frowning. "Still a bad idea to neglect your own combat skills. A titan will get destroyed, guns will run out of ammo. All you have left is you."

Still, she had a point, loathe I was to admit. "Alright, sunshine," I finally gave in. "I'll train more."

Finally, she offered me a small smile. "That's all I could ever ask for," Emerald said, relief on her face. She then walked up to me and enveloped me in her arms, her head buried into my shoulder. I laughed, my hand patting her back as she did so.

"Alright, alright. I'll do as you want, I promise," I assured her. She stayed in that hug for a few more seconds before pulling back, her face as stoic and unmoving as a rock.

"So," I spoke up. "You've graduated your secondary, Em. What do you want to do now?" I asked, my head cocked to my side.

​She looked at me, confusion evident in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

It was my turn to be confused. "You've graduated your secondary, girl. Top of the class even. What would you like to do now? Head to Atlas Academy? You'd be sent straight up officer ranks if you would like with achievements like yours. If not, you could take a sabbatical? Travel the world?"

There was something which flashed in Emerald's eyes that I could not identify. She turned away, eyes settled on the floor. After a moment's quiet, she spoke up. "I don't know."

Ah, I began to understand. Typical teenage insecurity. Been there, done that.

"Well, if you aren't opposed to advice, I'd be happy to give you some," I offered. In her age, I shouldn't make something sound like an order. She was on the cusp of adulthood now. The last thing she would tolerate was me giving her orders.

Emerald perked up on that. She turned back to me, interested. "What is it?"

​"You've already finished up your education here in Atlas," I began. "But what about pursuing more of your education somewhere else? How about going to Beacon in Vale?"

Each Huntsman Academy had distinct traits for their graduates. Shade produced hardy Huntsmen thanks to its desert enviroment. Atlas Academy made sophisticated ones thanks to the high tech nature of the Kingdom. Haven made strong fighters competent fighters. But out of all of them, Beacon produced creative sorts that thought out of the box. And as the first Huntsman Academy to be formed, it was the more prestigious to graduate from.

"But I would be away from Atlas," Emerald spoke up as her concern. "Away from my friends. From you."

"Well," I smiled a conspirators smile. "Good thing then that there are some issues that's happening in Vale that need my attention, darling. So, you won't exactly be alone. Plus! It's also a good opportunity for you to make friends there too!"

"I don't need more friends," Emerald grumbled as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Neon and Illia are enough. Neon's personality makes up a whole crowd."

Ah yes, the Nyan cat and Blake's simp. "How are they, by the way?" I asked.

Emerald glanced up. "Neon's going to Atlas. Ilia, she's planning to join the Shields."

Between the two, Illia joining the Shields was a surprise. I remembered that she had only joined the White Fang to avenge her parents who had died in a SDC mine explosion. Now that hadn't happened, she wasn't radicalized. Well, good for her, I supposed. My concern at the moment was Vale. There were issues that needed my attention there. Firstly, Torchwick was starting to pull of his assery in stealing Dust from the locals. If canon was still a thing then there was still that dumb ass plan to blow up Vale's walls with a dust-filled train. That needed to be stopped, pronto. God, this world had changed so much yet changed so little.

"Good luck to the two of them, then," I smiled. "I am certain that Ilia will do well with the new Shields."

The old Shields had largely left my employ now, returned to Mistral after completing their service. Chen Ming walked into the city practically unopposed. The disturbances in Mistral had largely been inconclusive coupled with the fact that the corruption of the elite had made no gains. The Mistralis were so desperate for new leadership that she was welcomed with open arms. They were still fighting the Khan however who still controlled a considerable portion of territory. But that was a concern for another day.

"If I go to Vale, will it...will it make you happy?" Emerald asked tentatively. I blinked at her question.

"It would. I'd be pleased you'd be nearby. But in the end, its your choice and its your life, Em," I assured her. She then nodded firmly.

"I'll go to Beacon," Emerald promised.

I smiled and turned away, missing the look Emerald sent my way.

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Again, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Solitas has of course risen high. The reunited cities have combined significantly; Mantle's higher population providing the manpower boost that Atlas did not have. The old city had been rebirthed anew or improved further with dilapidated buildings torn down to make new ones. Recently, President Theo had ordered the construction of a new metro rail system to ensure that anyone could be anywhere in the city under five minutes maximum or he was liar. Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I was keenly aware that the cost of living in Solitas was absurdly expensive. A good standard of life required high taxes after all to pay for everything and many were grumbling about the 35% tax rate. Hell, even Royal and Imperial was not spared from absurdly high taxes that a Gilded Age Capitalist would hate. But it was all worth it. Solitas enjoyed high-speed rail, clean streets, a standard of living that was the envy of the other Kingdoms, and a massive military that was keeping out the monsters from entering their lives. 

Vacuo was the surprising rising star. From his palace, King Asturias has energetically spent his rule trying to raise Vacuo's standing. The ancient buildings and avenues that was Vacuo had been renovated and expanded. He had, to everyone's surprise, loosened Vacuo's laws to allow for foreign investment to enter his kingdom. Well, mostly Solitan investment. While it had funded his army, his ambitious construction projects...it has also attracted opposition from many in his court. Well, I was rather amused to find that Cinder of all people was his Queen-Consort, having birthed him two kids. Cinder wore pregnancy well, to be frank. Vacuo was a kingdom of confusion, I had to admit. A nationalist government led by a nationalist King but his wife was foreign and his kingdom's economy relied on foreigners. 

Now, Vale. Oh, Vale. There was nothing wrong with Vale. It was performing okay by any standard but it wasn't exactly doing anything right. The Fleur still maintained considerable presence there but they were slowly losing influence as their principal chief was really getting into his years, the dear Cardinal Rouge, and a new political bloc of young folk was starting to agitate who I was pretty sure aligned with Ozpin. Speaking of which, I had to go talk to him about getting Emerald into Beacon. She was going to be my eyes and my ears in his little kingdom. The thing is, I had interests in Vale. One which was to of course foil whatever plan Salem and her clique had by mustering a full force of Silver Shields to beat the ever living shit out of them with ultraviolence. Secondly, I had to go over there to once more contest the Valean government regarding Patch and my rocket facility there. To say that Rouge and his clique were displeased was an understatement. They were even more pissed off when I refused to let them have a share or any insight into the fucking place and barely agreed to that treaty they had penned regarding the usage of space.

Vae Victis, dear Cardinal. 

Anyway, I had finally decided on a course of action with space. I was quite sure that while we could empty Remnant of Grimm, Salem could still spawn more of them with a wave of her hand. Shit, if only I could deploy the full arsenal of the Shields as well as getting Ironwood to deploy the might of Solitas, we could destroy the world five times over and still have enough firepower for seconds. But back to space however, plans for sending people out there were right around the corner. I had not been idle these past few years and sending someone to Remnant's moon was the next stage. But because we could, the moon landing wasn't just going to be a walk like Neil Armstrong did.

No, it was going to be Remnant's baby steps to break free of the planet with the establishment of a moonbase. It could be done with the technology we could deploy. 

​Lastly, there was Mistral now under the rule of Cheng Ming desperately trying to revive her nation. She had entered the fray around three years into the Mistrali Civil War, kicking the elites out or keeping those that had helped her enter. The reaction to which was a bit mixed. The Southern Mistrali League, the coalition under Khan, refused to recognize her as she was seen as a opportunist monarch and well, the Mistrali monarchy was largely blamed for Mistral's misfortunes. It also did not help that she had spent so long under my service that many had thought she was my puppet. If she wanted to squash such rumours and prove herself, she needed to sever ties with me. I did not think she was going to have a hard time with that considering she left with a massive bag of resources gained from my service. I wasn't particularly interested in anything in Mistral except for Haven which housed the Jinn but that problem sort of solved itself since Raven was either dead or missing. 

Now...the elephant in the room. The SML as they were formally known or the Red Fang, their dinghy informal name. Despite the fact that Chen Ming's Royal Army had titans, cash for days, and loyal experienced troops, the boonie republic as I was going to call it now was rapidly becoming a Vietnam for the Mistralis. Really, if I was Ming, I would just grant the bastards independence. Even if they would secede, Mistral still controlled huge swathes of territory that were arguably more developed and richer than the South. Shit, I would be happy to do business with the Southern Mistralis but no, we cannot have nice things as they raided the ever living shit out of the SDC not just in Mistral but also in Vale for their groceries. And by groceries, I quite literally mean it. Dust was the main prize but consumer goods that they could not produce themselves were also raided. The black market in the South was quite lucrative, it would seem. And there were rumours that Khan had cultivated connections to the criminal underworld from west to east. 

Ironwood was seriously considering on military action against the Red Fang. And so too was Vale. There was an issue however and that was both our kingdoms watching the Mistralis struggle to operate in the piss-poor south. Plus, they weren't really centralized. Khan kept on moving from village to village or hid somewhere in the endless forests and mountains of Mistral. 

Incidentally, the mood towards the Red Fang was a bit mixed. On one hand, they weren't exactly a full faunus group like the one that was in canon so people couldn't exactly lump them all as faunus terrorists. It had both humans and faunus working together trying to resist the oligarchy and monarchy of Mistral from taking control of them. On the other, they were quite literally raiding the shit out of the SDC almost spitefully. 

Ultimately, I wasn't too concerned about them. 

The important thing was Salem and Space. The war against her, a war which was coming, was going to be prosecuted with extreme prejudice. I had exhausted my brain and my literal soul pushing for faster development in arms and equipment so that when Götterdämmerung would come, we would be armed and ready. That was the former. For the latter, well, we did need a place to retreat to if the final conflict would end in defeat. It is a useless thing to fight a futile battle when retreat is an option. Thankfully, I already had a solution for that and that was to take the Relic of Creation and have it turn Solitas into a self-sustaining colony ship and fuck off from Remnant. The closest comparison I could have for it was the Rock, the fortress-monastary of the Dark Angels from Warhammer. I...I was not quite sure if the Relic of Creation could actually do that. Sure I knew that it could make anything really but that sounded a bit too much.

Fuck's sake. I am going to have to ask Jinn that. But I can't exactly go to her when Raven was missing. 

Oh well. 

​I just hope it would never come to that. I would very much like us to not be space refugees or something. 

​I miss Winter. 

​I should drop by Argus for the sole purpose of cuddles. She'd been promoted and was posted there to organize the troops. 

Yeah, you know what?

Dropping by Argus first THEN Vale. 

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A/N: The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Next up, Emerald finds out the insanity of Beacon. A mop of blonde hair meets a failed lesbian. Oh and organizing the liberation of Mount Glenn. 

Also, I will put up lewds of characters that otherwise would not happen in the main story first here on Patreon then on QQ.

First up, Willow x Gerard. Secondly, Emerald x Alex. Thirdly, I would like to hear from you guys what you'd like to see.

EDIT 2: The ships here will be labelled with canon or non-canon tags. The ones I listed up there are a sequence of stuff I will be putting up teehee.