Project Remnant

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I do not own RWBY

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"thoughts"

"Speech"

'words with implied meaning.'

Regular text

"Disembodied voice."

"disembodied thoughts /Memories."

~ Prologue ~

"This is it, isn't it?" The knight said, looking up at the witch in the red dress. Those terrible burning amber eyes.

"What makes you say that?" She said, smirking down at the defeated knight. She caressed her blade, chuckling darkly as she sauntered over to him. All you had to do was give up, and none of this would have happened. This is all your fault."

The knight grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. "Damn it!" He shouted, punching the ground. "Why?"

The witch laughed at him, walking around, making her way over to the young reaper laying dead, not more than a few paces away. "Because we were interested in you. That's why. I'll say you did put up a good fight, but in the end, you weren't good enough. Impressive for someone at your level, though. However." She scowled down at the reaper. "You should choose your friends better next time."

The Knight laughed bitterly. "Thanks for the advice, but she was my first friend. I would never throw that away."

The witch frowned, glaring at the dead reaper and kicked her body. "Stupid girl."

"Don't do that!" The knight shouted, rising to his knees, slashing at the witch. She brought her blade up faster than he could complete his swing and batted his feeble strike to the side before kneeing him in the face knocking him onto his back. He groaned, rolling onto his side, gripping at the dirt.

She studied him and rolled her eyes. "Why do you care what I do to her? It's not like it matters." She daintily crouched down in front of him, pulling his head up by the hair. "You showed so much promise. But I guess this is where your adventure ends. I was going to let you live and ask you to join us because she was interested in you, but I'm kind of itching to stab someone again."

"Fuck you." The knight said with a glare.

"Not interested." She frowned as her sword ran him through. He coughed, feeling weak, and looked down at the sword sticking out of his chest. "…Damn it."

She put her foot on his chest and pushed him off her blade, watching his body land next to the fallen reaper. "I take back what I said. You just got lucky."

~ .Hack/Roots O.S.T. Dwindled Bible ~

She stood up, sheathing her blade as she walked off, heading for a trail between the trees. There was a rustling in one of the bushed off the path, and she stopped to see if anyone else had been hiding. A body stumbled from the bushes before falling over.

She smirked as the brunet lay motionless.

"Well, gotta say. Didn't expect one to be hiding in the bushes." A tall assassin said as he walked out from behind a tree. He dusted his hands off, looking from the body up at the witch. "Man gotta say though." He looked over at the knight and reaper. "That was pretty cold even for you, Cinder. I think they were dating, and then you just… damn." He shook his head with a grim smirk.

Cinder gave him an aloof look and folding her arms, offering him a shrug. "Well, you didn't have to watch Mercury. You know how I do things." She tilted her head and continued down the path, placing a hand on her waist, a sway in her hips as she walked by him.

He watched her hips for a second before following after her."And miss the show? Are you kidding? It was great. Somewhat poetic. Gotta say that knight was pretty impressive all things considered. But then at the end." He facepalmed. "I mean? He turned down the offer without even considering it."

Cinder sighed, folding her arms again, frowning at the ground. "Yeah, I know."

"His loss." A third voice said from the tree above them.

Mercury looked up with a playful grin. "So you were watching to huh Em."

The girl up in the tree rolled her eyes and jumped down. "Well, I was watching the fight, not too sure what you had your eyes on, though." Mercury frowned as Emerald looked at Cinder and smiled. "Hey, Cinder." She said, giving a small wave to the witch.

"Nice to see you, Emerald." Cinder said, returning the gesture before heading off down the road. "You know it's almost time."

Mercury's eyes widened, and he slapped a fist down into his other hand. "Oh yeah, it is about that time, right? Man time flies."

"Idiot. Emerald said with a sigh."

"Hey, I bet you forgot too!" He shouted back.

Emerald smirked at Mercury. "Nu-uh. Eighteen hours, twenty-three minutes, forty-seven seconds, and counting."

Cinder laughed at the face Mercury's made as he blanched. "You have the time remaining memorized?"

Emerald grinned, offering him a victory sign. "Of course. That's when It all goes public, and the noobs will start to play. Ain't that right, Cinder?"

Cinder paused and looked up at the sky through a hole in the treetops admiring the god rays.

"Of course, but that does mean it'll be harder to find good people to join the guild though. Only the best of the best had access to the Beta after all. No telling what kind of scrubs will start playing once it goes public."

Emerald sighed, folding her arms, eyes closed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Mercury folded his arms behind his head and leaned back, looking up at the sky as well. "Hmm. I wonder if anyone interesting will join this time?"

Emerald nodded in agreement. "Hope it's not like the last one. The guild just fell apart."

Cinder sighed again, looking over her shoulder. "You know they had other things to do. Life takes precedence, and stuff came up. They still got on now and then."

Mercury grunted in acknowledgment while Emerald grumbled. "Still, the group just fell apart."

Cinder smiled back at her. "That's why we're looking for new members. This beta was a good opportunity to find some dedicated talent. Like… like last time."

The other two stopped and shot each other worried glances. They frowned and looked back at Cinder with sad looks. "I'm sure we'll find some more people," Emerald said, trying to be cheerful.

"Yeah, and we'll make the guild famous," Mercury added in.

Cinder stopped at the edge of a cliff they came up to and turned to look at them. The sun was setting, and it basked her in a golden glow that made her look stunning. "Thanks, you two."

They smiled warmly back at her walking up on either side of her and looked out over the Kingdom of Vale. "Well. The world of Remnant launches tomorrow. Are you guys ready?"

Mercury rubbed under his nose with a grin, and Emerald smirked, putting a hand on her waist. "Without a doubt." They said together.

~ Song End ~

~ Ch 1 ~

~ The world of what? ~

*De de de deet, de de de deet!*

"Ughnmmmm. Five more minutes."

The beeping stopped.

"The time is currently 7:45 am. You usually get up and dressed by 7:30 am. Traffic has occurred, and trains, as well as buses, are running fifteen minutes later than expected. If you do not leave by 8:00 am you will be late for your lecture Mr. Arc. Please get up."

*de de de deet, de de de deet, de de de deet!*

"Urgh. Alright, I'm up, I'm up." Jaune rolled out of bed with a groan, falling onto the floor with a huff. The beeping from his alarm stopped, and he opened an eye glaring at the android maid standing by his bedside table.

"Thank you for getting out of bed, sir." She turned and walked over to his bedroom door, stopping as she opened it. "I have set your clothes by the bathroom door. If you take a five-minute shower and get dressed in the same amount of time, you will have five minutes to eat breakfast I have prepared for you."

Jaune groaned as he got up and let out a sigh. "What's for breakfast?"

"BLT with a sunny side up, cooked well, and put on a slice of toast."

His stomach growled, and he took a deep breath. Now that he was up, he could smell the food from here. "Alright, I'll be there in ten."

"Very well, sir."The android left the room, but Jaune called after her, and she turned to look at him.

"Hey, wait."

She blinked at him and tilted her head. "Yes?"

He paused and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Thanks. For well, for everything." He smiled at her.

She just stared back at him. "Thanks are not necessary, sir. I am a maid created for the sole purpose of executing what is required of me to assist you in your day to day activities. I was purchased by A John Arc and instructed by Joan Arc to help you as you attend college."

Jaune frowned and looked away. "Yeah… I know." He took a deep breath. "Thanks anyway, Penny. I just wanted you to know I appreciate you."

The maid nodded and smiled at him, offering a bow. "Then I accept the praise, sir. It is good to know I am of use to you."

He looked back at her, taking in the appearance of her ginger hair and the pastel pink bow tying it up. Her deep green eyes and the cute freckles dusting her cheeks. That warm smile added with her custom uniform comprised of the small green and foliage colored dress along with the white top with her black stockings. The decent swell of her chest and the nice waist to hip ratio. He felt his cheeks flush, and he slapped himself mentally. What the hell was he thinking? She was an android for crying out loud!

"Sir."

He was pulled from his thoughts and looked back at her with the flush in his cheeks dying down. "Yeah, Penny?"

"It is 7:50. You no longer have time to eat breakfast here. I will pack it for you to eat at Beacon university."

"Shit!" He looked at the digital clock by his bed with wide eyes. "God damn it." He rushed passed her, throwing his clothes off as he went and jumped into the bathroom. The sound of the shower turning on accompanied by a shrill scream signaled he was taking an ice-cold shower.

Penny smiled while watching the door and shook her head as she moved to gather his clothes. "He is a strange man."She placed his clothes in the hamper by the washer and headed into the kitchen to pack his breakfast up. She looked down at the BLT and took the ketchup bottle writing a message on the egg. He always seemed a little happier when she wrote messages on his food. It was peculiar, but what did she know about humans?

~ 0 ~

Jaune rushed out of the bathroom, pulling his clean clothes on as he stumbled to the front door. He finished tightening up his tie and tried slipping his shoes on while pulling his coat on, but he tripped. "Oh shit." He closed his eyes, preparing for impact, but instead of hitting the floor, he landed against something warm and soft.

He opened his eyes, seeing Penny standing there, smiling at him with her arms wrapped around him. "P-Penny?"

She nodded. "That is my name."

He flushed straightening himself up and looked away. "Um, thanks again."

"You're welcome, sir."

He stood their looking at her. He'd never actually touched her before. It was strange but pleasant in a strange way. He'd expected her to be hard and cold, but she surprisingly wasn't. It felt the same as when he hugged his mom. Just what was she made of? He wondered silently.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the tugging of his tie and looked down at Penny. She was straightening up his clothes with a small smile, and then she looked up at him. "There, now you look presentable, sir." She bent down, lifting a bag with a Tupperware inside and offered it to him. "Your breakfast, sir."

He took the bag quietly. This whole thing felt oddly familiar to the way he grew up seeing his mom treat his dad. It was a nice feeling, but he had to honestly wonder if it was a good or a bad thing. Hell, she wasn't human. This had to be wrong or bad for his mental health.

He looked at her smiling nervously. "Thanks, Penny, you're the best." He waved as he backed out the door.

She walked up to it and waved with a warm expressing, smiling back at him. "Have a good day, Jaune."

He felt his heartstrings tug and fought down the blush coming to his cheeks. Damn it. This android was going to ruin him for real women. He'd read somewhere that boys found girls that acted like their moms attractive and easy to be around and god damn it this android was proving it. He didn't know how he felt about that.

~ 0 ~

Penny watched her charge as he made his way down the hall and waved again when he looked back at her while waiting for the elevator. Once the doors had closed and he disappeared from view, she stepped back inside and closed the door, locking it. She turned to the empty apartment and sighed. A strange thing for an android to do, but she was the most advanced model there was. Decades ahead of anything else and one of a kind.

She walked over to the washer and hamper, checking the pockets of Jaune's dirty clothes for anything and found his billfold. She shook her head before putting his dirty clothes in with soap and freshener before starting it up. With that done, she washed what utensils and dishes she'd used to make Jaune his breakfast and set them on the drying rack. After that, she cleaned up the small mess around the stove, and then like clockwork, the phone rang.

"Joan Arc calling."

"Seras, answer the phone," Penny said while drying her hands.

"Answering the phone."

"Hello, Penny."

Penny walked into the living room where the phone was located and faced the holographic screen displaying the image of a beautiful blond woman in her late forties. She bowed to the image and smiled. "Salutations, Mrs. Arc. I hope you are having a good morning."

The woman, on the other end, smiled with a nod and then pulled out a seat from off-screen sitting down. "Please, Penny, call me Joan. So tell me. How is my baby boy doing?"

Penny smiled and then went on to tell her in detail about everything he'd told her about his day yesterday and how his morning went just now. When she finished, she looked at Joan, seeing her giggling softly. "Is something amusing, ma'am?"

Joan covered her mouth as she giggled and then waved Penny off. "It's nothing, just. Well." She smiled at Penny. I'm glad he's doing better. I appreciate you taking care of him."

Penny watched Joan with a calm expression. "Juan said the same thing this morning. I told him he did not need to thank me. It is my job to take care of him."

Joan shook her head with a smile and stood up. "Well, then keep doing your job, Penny. It means a lot to us."

With that, the call ended, and the hologram went dark before shrinking to the calling device. Penny looked over to the window at the sky outside. It was a calm, subdued day. The sky was cloudy and overcast but not in an ominous way. Light drizzle pattered against the window, and she frowned, looking over to the front door. An umbrella lay there. She remembered the news saying it would drizzle and rain later today. How had she forgotten to remind Jaune to take his umbrella?

With a nod, she made her way to the washer grabbing his billfold and then headed to the door putting on a trench coat before grabbing Jaune's umbrella and her own, then unlocking the door stepping outside. He'd need this, or he'd get soaked on his way home. He'd walk into the apartment cold and frowning, and that made her… something.

~ 0 ~

"And so what I was saying, theoretically, is this would create an economic boom. What you should…"

Jaune sighed, resting his chin on his palm as he looked out the window next to his row with a sigh. It was drizzling, and his scrolls weather app said it was gonna rain later. It figured he'd forgotten his umbrella. He groaned, letting his head drop to the desk covering himself with his arms.

First Cardin, the universities star quarterback had stolen his breakfast, which he hadn't even gotten to look at. The teasing he'd gotten about a girlfriend too good for him didn't help either.

On top of that, He'd been singled out as the piggy bank for the cheerleaders today and ended up spending what cash he had on him because he'd left his wallet at home like an idiot.

Now he wasn't a pushover, but he wasn't stupid either. If he'd refused them, then they would complain to the football team. That, in turn, would bring their collective wrath down on him. They had lots of fans and supporters, not to mention the fact anything they did short of murder, the school would let them get away with. Up shit creek without a paddle as the saying goes.

Honestly, the money didn't mean much to him. His family was wealthy due to his father winning a 14 billion Lien jackpot when he was around 7, and fortunately, his parents weren't stupid. They'd bought properties and stock in a few significant companies as well as starting their own, thus giving them a sizeable steady income. So funnily enough at the moment, they had more money in the bank and more credit than they did right after winning.

Call it a fluke on how they got into the 1 percent, but they sure as hell knew how to stay in it. Despite almost being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his father had stressed to him and his siblings the importance of school and a good work ethic. He and his sisters had been given 10,000 Lien on their 18th birthdays and told to do whatever they wanted with it. His sisters had all spent it on material things and saved a bit of it while he had handed the money right back to his dad for a share of his companies stock. A good investment if the zeros in his bank account were anything to go by.

"So if the economy were to crash due to an artificial boost then…"

Hence his major in economics and his minor in business and statistics. His dad had seen potential in his decision and put him on the path to becoming a businessman. That was all well and good, but he'd learned early on the way money affected people and friends. His solution was to act and look poor, which wasn't very hard considering his taste In clothes.

It had been pretty easy, that is until Penny had shown up. She'd been sent by his parents to help make things easier for him, but she'd taken to getting his clothes ready and dressing him up in nice, expensive clothes. Her reason. "The heir of the Arc estate and corporation should look the part." His mother had agreed after seeing him over the feed from their call that day.

At first, things weren't so bad. The other rich kids, who had their parents paying for them, had mocked him after the repeated shows of his new choice in clothes and being driven to school in a limo on a particularly nasty day they'd finally caught on. Oh, the 'friends.' He could have made that day.

With another sigh, he let his arms slide off the table and turned to see Ruby looking at him from across the room. He smiled at her, but she quickly looked away with a frown.

He winced and looked back at the professor. She'd been treating him like that for a few months now. It all started back when they got Pk'ed. She'd been invited to the beta for some game he'd never heard of due to her skill in MMORPG's. She'd given him a key so they could play together, and so every day after class, he'd headed home with her and her sister to hop on, whatever the game had been called.

After a few days, she'd commented on how surprised she was. Jaune could keep up with her, and she mentioned he was pretty good skill-wise. It wasn't his first time playing a game like the one they'd been on, but he wasn't precisely a gamer. He did play games regularly, but he was more casual about it with single-player games on his PC.

After her praise and a couple more days, she'd told him they would do good in a higher level area, and so she'd headed off with him following close behind. Fifteen minutes into their last excursion together, they'd been attacked by another player who was a lot higher in levels than they'd been.

It hadn't been a fun experience. The girl had torn them apart with minimal effort, or at least he thought so. He'd barely been able to stay alive doing the best he could, but in the end, they'd both been killed.

He didn't think it was such a big deal at the time, but Ruby had freaked out and started to cry, saying something about losing access. He'd told her it was just a game and that it didn't matter. That had been the wrong thing to say.

She'd started yelling at him about how it was important, and he didn't get it. That he should pay more attention and be more empathetic, he'd responded with an apology which might have worked had he not followed it up with something along the lines of her being immature and needing to not dwell on the small stuff.

He honestly hadn't meant it in a mean way, but it had come out wrong, and she'd punched him so hard he'd fallen out of his chair before she ran out of the room sobbing. Her sister Yang had come in not even a second later with a glare that could kill. The last thing he remembered was a fist coming at his face. He honestly didn't remember how he got home that night only that Penny was there the next morning cooking him breakfast.

It had freaked him out, to say the least, but that's how he found himself here. With Ruby giving him the cold shoulder and ignoring him while her sister shot him glares whenever she could.

Their mutual friends seemed to know everything the next day and had sided with Ruby, or at least that's what it looked like. Nobody talked to him much anymore save for three people, and even Nora, the most energetic and friendly person he knew, didn't act the same around him. He understood that mutual friends didn't like getting in the middle of things, and more than half of them had been friends with her before him, but it was just so frustrating.

She'd been his first friend here at Beacon, and he'd been hers. They'd been hanging out since day one. He'd even tried apologizing to her. On several occasions to boot, but the best reaction he'd gotten was a silent nod, after which Yang stopped shoulder checking him in the halls.

"And that's all for today's class. Everyone, I expect your papers on the great depression and how it could have been avoided when we come back on Monday. I'll be in my office if anyone has any."

He sighed again, blocking out the rest of his professor's end of the class speech and looked to his left to stare out the window again. He blinked. Well, he would be staring out the window, but someone was standing next to his desk. He looked up, seeing a familiar smile. "Penny?"

"Good afternoon Jaune." She continued smiling at him and held out his umbrella. He looked down at it and blinked a couple more times before reality sank in. He sat up straight, taking the article and chuckled softly. He had to admit, just about whenever he started feeling down, she seemed to show up and somehow make his day just a little bit better. His grip tightened on the umbrella, and he smiled up at her. "Thanks, Penny."

She smiled down at him with a happy, closed-eyed expression. "You're welcome." He shook his head, leaning back in his seat. He never could understand just why she did those little things. It wasn't like she needed to, being an android and all. But he wouldn't lie. It did make him feel like he was talking with another person, and it had been a godsend the past few months.

"H-hey! Whoa. Excuse you."

Jaune turned to look at the commotion seeing the ends of a black and red dress slipping out the room and his friend Sun leaning awkwardly on a desk looking out the door at the person who'd just knocked him over. He sighed with a frown. "Ruby."

"Is everything alright, Jaune?" Penny asked from next to him. He just slumped in his chair, putting the umbrella on his desk and nodded. "Yeah, everything's alright. Thanks again, Penny."

He looked over to Sun, again seeing him grinning back as he straightened up. That look always meant they were going to go hang out. He smiled softly as Sun waved him over. The guy really was one of a kind. He never mistreated his friends, excluding the odd practical joke, and he'd made it a point to keep in touch and hang out at least once a week ever since the fallout. He grabbed his things and stood up, turning to Penny with a slightly less happy smile than before. "I think I'm gonna be home a little later today. I'll see you at home."

She looked back at him with an almost unnoticeable worried expression. Not thirty seconds ago, he'd seemed happier than when she'd arrived, and just like that, he'd slipped back into whatever funk he'd been in before. She frowned slightly and nodded. "Alright, I'll have dinner prepared for when you get home. Oh, yes, here." She pulled out his wallet and handed it to him. "You forgot this at home in your pants from yesterday."

He took the billfold and waved at her as he walked off to meet Sun. She watched him for a second and then frowned even deeper. "He doesn't have the Tupperware I sent him off with this morning."

~ 0 ~

"Hey, Jaune! So, how's it going?" Sun said as they walked out of the lecture hall. The tan blond had his arm wrapped around Jaune's shoulders and was half dragging half leaning on him as they made their way to the nearest exit.

He looked at Sun, lifting his free hand, making a so so gesture. "Eh, it could be better. Got pinched for what cash I had on me today."

"Oooh. Ouch. Was it the cheerleaders again? Or did Coco give you the talk about investing in a future clothes designer again."

Jaune sighed as he pushed the door open, lifting his umbrella and opening it. "It was both."

Sun shook his head. "Dude, you gotta stop letting them walk all over you like that," Sun said, pulling his umbrella out as well. "I mean Coco is alright considering she actually uses the money for something constructive and she does remember favors. But the cheerleaders? Man, you know they have fans and boyfriends ready and willing to buy them whatever they want, right?"

Jaune nodded as the two of them headed off-campus. "Yeah, I know it's just… easier." He said after a pause. "You know, to give it to them. I already went to the Dean, and he said there was nothing he could do, considering the football team and cheerleaders are the main staples of Beacon. This being a sports college first and foremost with sciences being second."

Sun frowned at that. "Yeah, I remember. Can't believe he's letting the son of two big donating alumni get bullied."

Jaune chuckled bitterly and shrugged. "Cardin and his gang, as well as Nebula and her group, are all third-generation students as well, though. You and me both major in economics, so you know as well as I do siding with me would put him at risk of losing finances for the school."

Sun grumbled, putting his hands in his pockets. "Doesn't make it fair or right."

They glanced at each other with small smirks speaking at the same time. "But theoretically, what I was saying is, is that it would cause economic destabilization and throw the system into chaos."

They both started laughing, and Sun punched his shoulder. "I swear that guy, professor Port, can be such a weirdo. Theoretically, this and theoretically that. He never gives a straight answer."

Jaune shook his head, grinning as they turned onto the main street. "We're in college. You know what they say, it's all theory until it works."

Sun made a mock thinking pose and hummed. "Then why do they still say theory it has to have worked before, right? I mean, I'm paying them to teach me stuff that'll work in the real world, right?"

Jaune gasped, going wide-eyed. "Am I wasting my money?"

Sun burst out laughing and slapped Jaune's back. "Okay, let's head over to that pizza place you like, what was it called again?"

Jaune shot Sun a sidelong glance and a smirk. "You mean Blake?"

Sun snapped yeah Blake, and then we'll hit up Mr. Robot. There's this game I think you'll like I wanna get ya."

Jaune smiled at Sun, waiting for it to hit him. Sun just looked over at him as they made their way down the sidewalk. "What?"

Jaune rolled his eyes and pushed Sun with his shoulder chuckling a bit. "Nothing, man. Alright, lead the way." He said, gesturing for Sun to take the lead.

"Thank you." The tanned blond said, stepping in front.

"After all, ladies first." Jaune tacked on with a sly grin.

"Arc!" Sun yelled at his friend, throwing a lazy punch at him that Jaune dodged before he shot off down the sidewalk laughing with Sun hot on his heels yelling about smartasses and blonds.

~ 0 ~

Thirty minutes later, the two were sitting outside the pizzeria called 'Bonum Cibum,' under one of the large umbrellas. The inside had been packed due to the rain now falling freely down around the city. They'd decided to sit outside despite the weather and ordered a grilled chicken, bacon, and mushroom pizza with Alfredo sauce and double cheese.

"So, what's the game you wanted to show me?" Jaune asked as their waitress put the pizza down on their table.

"One grilled chicken, bacon, and mushroom pizza with Alfredo sauce and double cheese." She looked at the two of them, putting the towel she used for carrying the pizza over her shoulder. "Don't know why you guys like it so much. Anyways, as usual, my name is Blake, just call if you need anything else. Well, enjoy, later Jaune."

The blonde smiled at her as he took a slice and waved. "Will do Blake." He said as he bit his slice, lapping up the melted cheese falling from the slice he'd just taken a bite out of. He was watching Sun in amusement as he stared after her. He looked too, and he hated to admit it, but he followed the sway of her hips as she walked back inside.

It was funny though now that he thought about it. He knew several of the people who worked here from ordering and eating out here so much, but she'd always been the one to deliver his pizza when he ate here and funnily enough, she more often than not delivered to his apartment too.

He wondered why but chalked it up to the big tips he always left or gave. Quality pizza and good service, not overly friendly and good for a conversation when the time struck. This was his favorite place to eat, and it had quickly become Sun's as well after he'd shown it to him, but the reason was obviously not the pizza. He chuckled and took a swig from his coke as Sun watched her walk off absentmindedly, trying to pick up a slice.

"God damn Jaune. I can't believe you kept this place to yourself for so long." He said, taking a bite from the slice he'd finally managed to find.

Jaune rolled his eyes, putting his drink down. "You talking about the pizza place or Blake?"

Sun looked over at him so fast, Jaune wondered if he had whiplash. "You know her name?" He put the slice down, leaning over the table. "You gotta help a bro out and set me up." He pleaded, clapping his hands together.

Jaune shook his head, taking another bite from his slice. "You know she wears a nametag, right?" Sun looked at him, dumbfounded. "She even gave her name when she said she'd be serving us if we needed anything else." He added. Looking around, he smiled sheepishly. "Don't think she's too happy about having to come out here, though. Kinda strange too, I've only ever seen her take the tables inside." With a shrug, he took another large bite of his pizza.

Sun lifted his slice to his mouth and took a violent bite as he leaned an elbow on the table, resting his head on his free hand, giving Jaune the stink eye. "I swear to god Jaune, your 4.0 GPA is not an accurate indicator of your I.Q. Is it."

Jaune Scowled at his friend with a mouth full of pizza. He chewed and then swallowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sun took another bite of his slice, eyeing Jaune carefully. "Yup, just like lead."

Jaune's eyes narrowed, and he sipped his drink again. "Was that a dense joke?"

Sun groaned and facepalmed. "How can you be so sharp and good with economics and statistics yet be so clueless." He looked up at the sky, gesturing to Jaune. "Why, God, why? Why did you bless him so much and then drop him on his head?"

Jaune's jaw dropped, and he threw an ice cube at Sun. "Hey, go fuck yourself, man." He shouted in mock anger. "I should be asking why he left me with you as a friend. I swear I can't tell if you hang out with me for the pizza and the girls or me."

The two fell into laughter as the sky rumbled above, and Sun flicked off the sky. "Hey, fuck you too, buddy."

Jaune started wheezing and then patted Sun on the shoulder. "Don't think he swings that way, buddy."

Sun's jaw dropped, and he punched at Jaune, who slid away, almost falling out of his seat. "Fuck you too, Jaune."

Jaune roared with laughter. "No, thanks, I'm straight. Besides, weren't you eyeing Blake not five minutes ago?"

Sun rolled his eyes and grabbed another slice. "Haha, very funny, asshole."

Jaune grabbed another slice as well and grinned. "Actually, I'm not an asshole."

Sun lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "I don't think you understand how this works, I call you an asshole, and that's that. You don't get a say."

Jaune raised a finger. "Uh uh uh. Oh, contrary, my dear friend. I am not an asshole, because I..." He gestured to himself, taking another bite from his slice. "...Am a jackass."

Sun lifted an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And what's the difference?"

Jaune wiped his mouth. "An asshole is full of shit."

Sun sat there quietly with a stern look on his face. Jaune looked back and just took another bite of his pizza. Slowly but surely, he could see Sun's mask crumbling as he resisted the urge to laugh, still having food in his mouth. "Need a napkin buddy?" Jaune said, holding out the dispenser.

Sun grabbed a few and coughed his food into the pile as he let out a choked laugh, spluttering for breath. "God damn it, Jaune. Why weren't you like this back in high school?"

Jaune shrugged. "Who knows. So tell me, this game you wanted to show me?"

~ 0 ~

"The world of Remnant?" Jaune said, holding the case in his hand. He looked at the cover seeing a few people sitting and standing on the side of a hill overlooking a medieval town with large Gothic structures. He flipped it around, looking at the back. There were several more characters designed around the text.

"The world of Remnant. A sprawling fantasy MMORPG." He looked up at Sun, who grinned and gestured for him to keep reading. He rolled his eyes and looked back down at the case.

"The world of Remnant is a sandbox-oriented massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Specifically created to handle the fast rendering required for its seamless world and large scale castle sieges and guild wars. Free to play with a pay to play model."

He took a breath and continued.

"The combat in The world of Remnant is action-based, requiring manual aiming via Head-mounted display using an Augmented Virtual Reality Headset or AVRH. Skills can be activated through the use of combos for attacking, dodging, or blocking. The game offers housing, fishing, farming, and trading as well as many other activities to support the in-game economy, as well as a large in-depth player vs. player system."

~ 0 ~

He sighed and looked at Sun. "Do I really have to read all of this?"

Sun nodded. "Yes, now keep going." with another sigh and a deep breath, he went on.

~ 0 ~

"the game includes a number of features to assist with immersion and the sandbox aspect. These include:"

"A dynamic, worldwide weather system which will include large-scale events such as typhoons and will influence gameplay. Localized weather will include events such as temporary fog which players may exploit to launch surprise attacks on rival guilds or ambush unsuspecting players."

"A dynamic day/night cycle with gradual progression of lighting effects. During the night, some NPCs will become unavailable as they return home, and monsters will drop moor loot. Different game content will be available depending upon whether it is night or day."

"Player housing will be instanced and will vary in size and location. Players will be able to furnish and equip their housing by purchasing furniture through NPC's or through crafting."

"The active combat system requires a fast connection speed and precise manual aiming, dodging and comoboing, unlike in the tab-targeting system seen in older MMORPGs."

"Players will also be able to engage in mounted combat. Mounts are acquired by taming in the wild, and players are able to breed special mounts by mating certain types. Mounts require feeding and care, cannot be stored in the inventory, and can be killed."

"The world of Remnant takes place in a high fantasy setting and revolves around the conflict between several nations. The kingdom of Vale, The Corporate Republic of Atlas, The Mistral Federation, and the Free nation of Vacuo with a neutral fifth country shrouded in mystery."

"Vale is a very hands-off monarchy where the crown is stationed to protect the people. National pride and patriotism are found in the hearts of every citizen."

"The Corporate Republic of Atlas is very materialistic and military-minded. Technological advancement and military might are the country's focus with a cold and calculating citizenry."

"The Mistral Federation is home to many peoples some criminal and some the most honorable on Remnant. What they all have in common is a distaste for strong government and value of their independence."

"The free nation of Vacuo it the smallest and least confrontational country. Sitting in a major trade spot, they are left alone, being seen as a neutral power to hold such an advantageous position. The people of this country are dedicated yet lazy and love their adventures."

"The fifth nation is neither known nor named and will remain so until the conflict between the nations has settled."

"Long before the events of 'The world of Remnant,' the four main kingdoms were at peace. This all changed when merchants from Mistral working for the powerful crime families in the federation start to spread a plague. The plague was known as the star scourge."

"Many people from around the world died due to this sickness. Those who suffer it but do not perish are expelled due to paranoia. Eventually, the other three kingdoms realize the enemy, Mistral. The three regions make an alliance and start a war, while Mistral itself is in the middle of their own civil war.

"The war lasted 40 years, two generations. Atlas Profiting the most. This is due to their harvesting of dust crystals and building mines in their allies' lands to help the war effort and remaining after the conflict had ended and thus monopolizing the acquisition of dust."

"After the war came to a complete end and tensions lowered the three kingdoms supported the Royal families of Mistral in taking the country from the crime families and began trading freely once more. However, tensions rose again when the others discover the importance of dust after the first wave of Grimm attacked the Kingdom of Vale."

"Desperate to gain wealth and defend their homelands, the others started to search for dust. Atlas has no area that harbors deposits of dust and so refused to relinquish control of their mines in the other nations while using their advanced technology and weaponry to stretch their control over Mistral, which was the richest in this precious mineral due to their crystal forests."

"This raised conflict with the Kingdom of Vale, who had sworn to protect their new allies in the Federation of Mistral."

~ 0 ~

Jaune finished reading and took a deep breath. Something about the story felt very familiar to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe he'd read this somewhere while surfing the internet. "Hey, Sun, when did this come out?"

His friend beamed at him and folded his arms behind his head. "Pretty dope, right? It came out like five months ago, so it's been around long enough to pick up, and the cool thing is that it just keeps getting more and more players. There's even E-sports for it and real money prizes for ranking guilds."

Jaune nodded and turned the case back over studying the front. Something about the image felt familiar. He shook his head and looked at Sun. "So, you want me to buy this?"

"Uh-huh." His friend nodded.

"And you want me to download it as soon as I get home and play it?"

"Yup." The other blond boy grinned.

"And you've been playing this for how long?"

Sun rubbed a finger under his nose. "Been no-lifeing it since launch. When I'm not at school, that is — or flirting with girls. Or eating. Or."

"Okay, I get it. You play it a lot." Jaune said, holding his hand up. "So, you have to be a really high level, right?"

Sun nodded, letting his arms drop. "Yeah, the level cap is 300, and I'm at 182. Anything over 100 is a major grind unless you have the in-game money to buy level potions. But those are frigin expensive."

Jaune frowned at the case. "So it's pay to win?"

Sun shook his head and grinned. "Nope. There's no premium currency, and only in-game money can buy things. Which is a pain to grind out, which is why the economy is such a big thing."

Jaune looked at Sun with a deadpan expression. "So, you want me to start playing to help you make money?"

Sun grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Come on, man, you're like the best student in Mr. Ports class, and you've got a 4.0 GPA. You'll make a killing in the game. I'm sure you'd move up fast. Besides, you don't have to fight to level up and get stronger in the game."

Jaune eyed Sun. "Please, do tell."

Sun smiled, knowing he'd at least caught Jaune's attention. The guy loved to mess with economics and was always finding ways to get better at the stock market. "Well, you see, Exp is a flat thing in this game. You earn it for doing quests, missions, and requests as well as mediating things for other players as well as trading because it helps keep the game's economy floating, not just from killing monsters or other players."

Jaune nodded following so far.

"Okay, well. Exp is like souls in Souls Borne. You collect it, and it stays on you until you go to a kingdoms cathedral and deposit them into this thing called the Ether of naught. When you have enough, you can either unlock abilities for combat or levels for flat stat boosts in every category based on class."

Sun made a weighing gesture with his hands. "So technically You can dump everything into abilities and still kill much higher level characters so long as you play right. The level boosts are there for increasing the amount of HP, SP, AP, MP, Physical attack, Magical attack, and the defense for both as well as durability of your character."

"Then there are traits like Dexterity, Agility, Evasion, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and resilience." Sun looked at Jaune, who was rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You still following me, buddy?"

Jaune sighed and nodded. Yeah, it sounds pretty complicated when you say it, but I'm sure it' a lot more simplistic and intuitive than it sounds." Sun looked at Jaune, impressed and then grinned, continuing.

"Okay, well, good. Anyways. As I was saying. Levels. You have access to every ability from the get-go and can get any of them so long as you put the experience into getting them. So you technically can get the ultimate abilities at level 1, but there's a catch. They all have requirements. Not level ones mind you but stat requirements."

"Abilities require certain stats in the second half of the ones I told you about. Dexterity and whatnot. You get a set level to each starting based on class, and you get five skill points for every level to put into them. They let you use abilities to different effects and even unlocks Heroic versions of them when you allocate the right combination of stats. The downside is you can go over requirements, and it'll revert back to master versions. There are, however, several levels to attain heroic versions."

Sun hummed and then snapped. "For example, I had a staff skill that could knock people out and had this cool animation because it was a heroic version that required x amount in dex and agility. I lost it because I put too many points in dex while leveling. It didn't have as cool an animation anymore, and it only stunned people. By complete accident, I unlocked it again at a much higher level."

Jaune sighed, rubbing his temples, and nodded. "Alright, I get it. It's to keep a balance between newer players and vets and min maxing." He looked at Sun, who had a curious look on his face.

"Oh yeah, I never thought of that. I figured it was a cool bonus you could get on accident."

Jaune shook his head. Sun could be brilliant, but he could be really dense at times as well. He flinched at the look on Sun's face. "What's up?" He asked.

Sun frowned, narrowing his eyes. "I got the feeling a pot was calling a kettle black."

Jaune laughed nervously. "Why would you feel that?"

Sun sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Uh-huh? Well anyways. Now, as for the secret part of abilities. Any class can use any ability so long as you have the right weapon equipped, the drawback to that is that you can only use weapons and armor based off of stats you have and equipment is everything in this game. If you have inferior equipment, you die. So a high-level knight using a low-level staff to use the healing spell he just got would heal him for jack shit. Thus making it possible to waste points and time easily. However, there are abilities that complement each other, which brings a whole new strategy into character building."

"Now, why have classes anyways you might ask. Well, that's simple. Classes decide what flat boosts you get to stats upon leveling up. Like I said before, each level gives you five skill points to allocate yourself while doing the rest automatically. There are also no diminishing returns so you can get pretty broken really fast, but then you'll have a fuck ton of weaknesses. Glass cannon does not begin to describe it. Not when your own abilities can damage you so easily due to environment and such. I do not recommend dumping all stats in one or two things. There are people who hunt people who do that."

Jaune nodded. "Which brings me to the next topic," Sun said cheerily. "Exp can be stolen when you get PK'ed or player killed, which is why it takes so long to level up. There are jackasses who camp fields in lower level areas and farm noobs or people weaker."

Jaune was trying to wrap his head around all of this and groaned, feeling a headache. He didn't really wanna do this, but the initial info about the in-game economy had him intrigued, and the leveling system seemed pretty interesting, new anyways. He looked down at the case and then up at Sun. "So, You are buying it for me, right?"

Sun grinned. "Only if you promise to help my guild with your economic prowess."

Jaune thought back to the beta he'd played with Ruby all those months ago. He remembered the girl who killed them specifically.

~ 0 ~

Why don't you leave your friend and come with me? Join my guild, and we can help you progress faster. All you have to say is yes, and I won't kill you." She smiled down at him with an interested gleam in her eyes.

He looked over at Ruby's dead avatar and frowned. "No, thanks. I think I know who my friends are."

~ 0 ~

Oh, how wrong he'd been. He forced a smile to show Sun and nodded. "Alright, but I'm not joining. You gotta pay me a contractors fee."

Sun looked shocked. "What! No way."

Jaune handed him the game and shrugged. "You said I was good at economics, and part of that is business. Never do something your good at for free."

Sun took the game following him to the counter. "But, I'm buying you the game!"

Jaune nodded. "That you are. But that'll only get me to play not work for you." He finished with a cheese-eating grin.

"Oh, come on, man, please," Sun begged, putting the game on the counter as the attendant rang it up. "At least consider joining eventually."

Jaune sighed and shook his head with a smile at Sun. "Alright, I'll consider it."

Sun grinned, slapping the cash on the money tray and gave him a thumbs up. "We'll blow your mind. You'll be begging to join."

Jaune laughed, picking up the bag the attendant handed him and started heading for the exit. "We'll see Sun."

~ 0 ~

The hard patter of rain drew Penny's attention as she set a plate of food down on the table. There was a boom of thunder, and she frowned, looking over at the clock on the wall. It was already 8:00 pm, and Jaune still wasn't home yet. She was starting to get worried as to why he wasn't back yet. Had he gotten lost? Did he decide to stay at a friend's, like he used to a few months ago?

She pulled out the chair across from the plate and sat down, straightening out her dress then putting her hands in her lap. She sat there in the kitchen, waiting again, looking at the plate of food she'd reheated several times already.

She sighed and looked out the window again when there was the audible click of the door lock. She quickly stood up and rushed over to the front door just as Jaune was putting his umbrella down and taking his shoes off.

"Welcome home, Jaune." She said with a smile.

He looked up with a tired expression, but a wide, warm smile spread across his face when he saw her. His shoulders dropped as he shrugged his coat off with a relieved sigh. "Hey, Penny. I'm home."

She nodded and took his coat, continuing to smile as she put it up for him. "Its good to see you home safe, Jaune." She turned back to him, closing the hallway closet and picked up his things.

"It's alright, Penny I've got them." He reached for his things, but Penny stepped back, shaking her head.

"You've been out all day. You need to rest. I'll go put your things on your desk." with that, she walked off, and he just stared at her. Had she, an android, told him no? He shrugged it off. It didn't matter. He could smell something heavenly wafting out from the kitchen.

He went in and saw the plate of curry sitting on the table. His mouth watered. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he got closer. This was one of the reasons he loved Penny. She was an amazing cook. The saying it's not like momma's cooking could not be said about her. Somehow, someway, she was able to replicate all of his favorites, and it always brought back fond memories.

Sitting down, he clapped his hands together. "Thank you for the mean." As he picked up his spoon, he heard the chair across from his scoot back and looked up to see Penny smiling at him as she sat down.

"What's up, Penny?"

She blinked, looking at him curiously. "The ceiling. Why?"

He smiled, letting out a loud laugh as he scooped up a spoonful of curry and rice. "That's not what I meant. But you know what. It's totally Penny."

Penny tilted her head and blinked with a small frown. "What does that mean?"

Jaune chewed his food and swallowed before putting his elbow on the table, resting his head on his hand with an amused smile. "Penny." He said quietly.

"Yes?" She leaned in closer.

"Don't ever change." He said, his smiling falling to a more relaxed, happy one.

~ 0 ~

~ Authors notes ~

And that's a wrap. I hope you guys find this entertaining. Well, let me know if you guys enjoy it. Next chapter ~ character creation ~ Till next time.