Chapter 1: Old Secrets

Location: Unknown Year: Unknown

In an issolated place, filled with darkness, stood a woman; a woman of pale white skin with red veins coursing through her body, and eyes of shadow, and pupils of blood red.

She spoke, "This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait to watch you burn. And the same... goes to you."

XXXXXX

'Edward's POV...'

I woke up harshly, gasping for air as I just witnessed the same vision of Salem for the 5th time of the other half of the month. We were in a cave in the middle of nowhere, within a forest.

I looked around me and saw the others were still asleep, except for Ruby.

Ruby asked me in a whisper, "Hey, Edward? Are you alright?"

I sighed and replied, "It's the same goddamn vision. But, I'm alright. Thanks for asking."

Silence fell unto us until Ruby asked out of the blue, "Do you ever wish to go back to your world, Edward?"

I was caught by surprise from the question, but I replied, "This is my home now, Ruby. I'm not leaving here."

Ruby nodded and said, "That's good to hear, Edward. Because we really don't want you to leave us. We think of you as our older brother, you know?"

I nodded and said, "I know. Your father told me."

Silence once again fell upon us for a few, until I said, "Let's get some sleep, Ruby. We need it."

Ruby nodded and she went back to her bedroll and went back to sleep, and I continued to lay there, on mine, before finally falling asleep.

XXXXXX

'6:30 A.M. in the morning...'

We were all preparing to continue our journey until I recieved a message from Ironwood.

I answered, "Ah, General Ironwood! Hows it going?"

"Good. Hows Penny?" he responded.

"She's alright, don't worry. So what's up?" I responded back.

"Me and Atlas have dug up some old Atlas Classified files, and one of them says there is an abandoned Top Secret Atlas Research Facility near your location. I want you to go there and wait for us there, deal?" Ironwood replied.

"Sure thing, General." I replied and hung up.

Pyrrha came up to me and asked, "Who was that?"

"General Ironwood. He says to find an abandoned Top Secret Atlas Research Facility and search around while we wait for him to come." I replied.

Nora gets excited, "Oooh! Maybe there's prototype weapons there!"

I then turned to Penny and asked, "Do you know about this place, Penny?

"I'm afraid not, only that it was around during the Great War, 80 years ago." Penny replied.

"Well... let's investigate on why the hell he wants us there." I said.

Weiss asked me, "Why didn't you ask Ironwood about that?"

Silence came until I finally replied, "I... didn't think of that... DAMNIT!"

XXXXXXXX

'An hour later...'

We finally arrived at the location and I gotta say, it's creepy as fuck. Who knows what's in there, maybe Grimm for all we know.

But when we entered into the building, it was empty.

I then turned to teams RWBY and JNPR, Penny, and Ralphie, and said, "Alright. We should split up."

I turned to JNPR and Penny and said, "You guys, look for the generators. See if you can turn on the power in this place."

They all nodded and then I turned to RWBY and Ralphie, and said, "And you guys, follow me."

XXXXXX

'A few minutes later...'

We came to a large room with a large archway and terminals. Then all of a sudden, the power turns back on.

I said, "It looks like that team JNPR and Penny found the-"

I was interrupted by the large archway activating and a swirling vortex appeared.

"-generators." I finished as we looked at it.

Blake then asked, "What is this?"

I suggested, "Maybe some kind of gateway?"

Then I began to walk up to it, with Ruby and Ralphie following behind, and I hear Yang shouting, "Guys! Be careful!"

Weiss added, "Yeah! Who knows what it will do!"

I just waved it off and replied, "You guys worry too mu-"

But I was cut off as Ruby, Ralphie, and I were consumed by a white flashed of light.

XXXXXX

'3rd POV...'

They stared in disbelief as they saw Edward, Ruby, and Ralphie being engulfed by a white light, then disappeared.

Yang shouted, "RUBY!"

Blake shouted, "EDWARD!"

Weiss was speechless and couldn't respond.

As they tried to run after them, the gateway closes.

XXXXXXXX

'Edward's POV...'

The white flash began to slowly fade away and noticed we were in an urban area... which was abandoned and in ruins.

Ruby asked, "Where are we? What just happened to us?"

"Uh, I don't know, Ruby." I replied.

Then we saw these dead tree-like things, shooting out of the ground next to a children's playground and something else caught my eye.

I ran up to it, with Ruby and Ralphie following, and found two guns. One was a shotgun and a pistol.

Ruby picked up the pistol while I grabbed the shotgun. I responded, "Oooh, this looks beautiful!"

"Maybe we should hold on to these, since I doubt there's a Dust shop around here." Ruby suggested.

I nodded and said, "Let's look for more."

Ruby nodded and we searched around, then I found a bulky rifle and a big-ass revolver.

I shouted to Ruby, "Hey! I found two more guns over here!"

Ruby ran up to me and asked, "What are they?"

"A bulky rifle, yet still the same weight as any of my guns." I replied as I handed it to her, seeing as big grin on her face.

Then I showed the revolver and continued, "And a big-ass revolver, which I'm keeping."

Ruby nodded and then we heard something. A sound of a gate opening, then after it shuts, is followed by voices.

"Huh. Kinda antisocial, aren't they?"

"Uh, it's pronounced 'assholes'."

"Come on, we still got options. There's even an old grocery store 'round here. Let's see if my coupons are still good."

I turned to Ruby and Ralphie and whispered, "Quick! Hide!"

Then we both hid behind a van. Ruby pulled up her hood and hold on tightly onto the bulky rifle, since she wants to save the ammunition for her Cresent Rose, and I held tightly onto the big revolver.

As I peeked over, I saw four individuals. Three males and one female. All are military-like. But then the woman of the group turn to our direction and I quickly stopped peeking.

Ruby whispered, "What?"

"I think one of them saw me." I replied with a whisper.

We then overheard the woman, "Hey! Who's there? Come out!"

"They saw me, great." I replied.

I yelled, "Okay, just don't shoot, okay?"

Then I heard, "Alright."

The Ruby, Ralphie, and I came out and saw that they were easing up.

The one with blue goggles said, "Eh, they're just Stranded."

Then the one with the helmet and 'Grub Killer' written on his chest plate said, "I don't know, those guys are weird-looking Stranded, especially her. Err... no offense." as he looked towards Ruby.

"None taken!" Ruby said.

I asked, "Can we ask your names?"

"Sure! I'm Augustus Cole, and this is Damon Baird..."

"'Sup." Baird replied.

"... Clayton Carmine..."

Carmine waved and replied, "Hey."

"... and this is Sam Byrne."

"'Ello." Sam replied.

Then Cole asked, "And you guys are?"

"I'm Edward Vaughn."

"Ruby Rose!" she announced.

I then said, "And this is Ralphie."

They all looked towards Ralphie as he beeped in greetings.

I then inquired, "Do... you guys need any help or what?"

Cole answered, "Yeah! Sure man! We can always use help."

But then Baird argued with Cole, "What!? Why Cole? Why are you accepting their offer? I doubt she can even fight!" as he pointed to Ruby.

I turned to Ruby and said, "Ruby, show them your sweetie."

Ruby nodded and she pulled out her Cresent Rose, catching them off-guard.

Baird sighed and said, "I stand corrected..."

Carmine responded, "Jeez Louise! Is that a scythe?!"

Ruby replied, "It's also a customizable, high impact velocity sniper rifle!"

They were all silent, except for Sam.

"Nice!" Sam replied.

Then I began to ask, "So.. what are these weapons we got right now, because we just found them."

Cole looked to me and answered, "You have a Gnasher Shotgun and the Boltok Pistol..."

I nodded my head in approval, and replied, "Sweet!" as I put them away in my Pipboy. They all had a face of shock.

I sighed and replied, "Let me guess, you're wondering how I did that?"

They nodded in response and I showed them my Pipboy. I replied, "It's this thing on my wrist."

Then they nodded and Cole turned to Ruby, "And you got the Hammerburst Rifle and a Snub Pistol."

Ruby's eyes brighten up as she heard the weapons' names. I then saw that they were holding rifles with... chainsaw bayonets?

"Uh, is that a chainsaw bayonet?" I asked.

Baird asked in annoyment, "Were you guys living under a rock?"

Me and Ruby looked at each other and I answered, "Yeah... you could say that."

Cole then answered, "Yes it is."

I grinned, "Nice!"

Then Cole said, "Come on, we still need to get to that old grocery store."

We all nodded and before we do so, Cole got on his comms and reported, "Hey, Marcus!"

"Yeah? What is it?" asked Marcus on the other side of the comm with a gruff voice.

"We just got some new folk helping us out! They have potential, that's for sure!" Cole replied.

"Acknowledge, Cole. Thanks for the update."

Then Cole motioned to us to follow, and we did. We came up to a gate to the playground and...

"Damn shame we ain't got Jack to rip that gate. I miss that little guy!" Cole said.

Baird replied, "Hey, he isn't scrape yet, okay! I'm just looking for a power supply for him. He'll be better than you know! Let's just do this the Delta way."

"Uh, the Delta way?" I asked.

Cole kicked open the gate, as if answering my question.

I replied, "I like the Delta way!"

As we enter, Cole began as he laugh, "Hey Baird, why don't you hop on, and I'll give you a push." as he motioned towards the swing set.

"Uh, yeah, you know what? No thanks." Baird answered.

Ruby began to ask, "So... what happened here?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that." I replied.

But before they could respond, a small earthquake erupted and a giant tree-like thing popped out of nowhere.

Baird yelled out, "We've got a live one!"

The others dodged out of the way as it launched a Merry-Go-Round into the sky. But then something popped out the thing. A creature glowing yellow, screeching at us and grew tentacle-like arms.

I yelled out, "The fuck is that thing?!"

"Whatever the hell that is, that's a new world record in ugly!" Cole shouted.

I then switched to my Power Armor and pulled out my 'Avenger' minigun and Baird yelled out, "Damn!"

I then unleashed my fury and shredded through the ugly-ass thing. But when it died, it exploded.

'Well, at least I know that it's dead for sure.' I thought.

Then I overheard Sam shouting, "Target at the pods!"

I looked over at the thing and noticed the pods spewing out more of those... things.

I muttered, "This is going to take a while..."

To be continued...