Ruby went down the corridors as she looked at the room she was appointed. "01-57... 01-57... Wow, this place is huge!" Her team and Jaune's looked through each one of the doors, they found Weiss' which was 01-37.

Yang decided to complain. "Seriously, why did we each have to get a different floor? In fact, why am I all the way up to 07-103?!" Blake then pointed out. "This place might be big, but I'm pretty sure that there are various elevators and odd hollow closets around that might be some sort of teleporter."

"Wait what?! Then why didn't you tell us earlier?!" Yelled Weiss. Blake shrugged. "Would you have decided to enter one and find out that it was some sort of trap made by the owner of this place? I still have a terrible feeling about him..."

Weiss sighed. "No, you're right, I think I'm getting really frustrated with these long corridors..."

Ruby finally got to the door of her room. "Ah! Here it is! Now... to go look for Jaune's room..." Jaune felt a shiver upon hearing the way Ruby said that. "Ruby, uhm, don't say it that way..."

Yang smirked, it seemed as if the blonde boy had given ammunition for her teasing. On the other hand, Ruby turned around while she continued to walk. "Uh? What do you mean by that?" Jaune stayed quiet for a moment. "N-nothing..."

Suddenly, Ruby bumped into someone. "Ouch!" She landed on the ground as she looked at the person that stood over her.

"Woah there, watch where you're going." Said Gebura as she then lent a hand towards the girl.

"Thanks, oh shoot..." She accepted the hand as she then felt herself quickly stand up thanks to Gebura's help. "Oh wow, you're strong!"

Gebura tilted her head a bit. "Mmm... weird, do you by any chance not know who I am?" She inquired with a bit of curiosity.

Pyrrha decided to answer. "We do not miss..."

Gebura quickly told her name. "Gebura."

"Yes, we do not know who you are, Miss Gebura." Finished Pyrrha. Gebura smiled. "Oh, well, that's nice to know, I won't need to sign an autograph like I did with that kid."

Pyrrha smiled, had she perhaps found someone in the same situation as her? "I can understand how fans are, but they're the reason why we always can push forward."

Gebura analyzed each one of them head to toe. "Mmm... I am going to assume we're not from the same world due to what you just said." She concluded. "The world I'm from is a total mess."

Roland and Angela then arrived as they looked at Gebura. "Oi, Gebura, what are you doing here? Your room is supposed to be on the sixth floor." Called Roland.

Gebura turned around to see the other fixer. "I know, I know, I'm just here to take a stroll." She calmly answered.

Nora, who had stayed quiet for a suspicious amount of time, had finally talked. "Guys! Look inside this room!"

Ren looked around just to see that she had opened the door to a room that wasn't booked by any of them. "Nora... don't open the doors to the rooms of others." He calmly warned as he sighed, he should have known she was behaving too well.

"I don't think anyone is going to be living here." She commented. Her teammates decided to go towards where she was to see what she was talking about. "What do you mean by- woah." Was the only sound Jaune made.

Interested, RWBY also went to see what they were seeing, only to find a white space with nothing in it. Ruby looked in curiosity. "Wow, this place looks incredibly spacious! Are there actually any walls here?"

Blake decided to throw Gambol Shroud to one direction, it didn't seem to hit anything, she then called for her weapon as the grappling hook returned to a sword.

Roland who saw the weapon whistled, he didn't know how effective the weapons were, but he had to admit, they were quite original. He then decided to step into the room, followed by Gebura who was also interested as to what was so special about this empty room.

Angela then decided to also enter the room, but the moment she did, the door suddenly closed shut. Everyone inside looked at the now closed door.

Roland groaned. "Oh boy... I should have seen this coming." He now expected the worst to come, as he now assumed they had stepped into some sort of trap.

Gebura calmly looked around. "Well, if a fight is what the owner wants, so be it."

They then noticed RWBY and JNPR in formation, their weapons unsheathed as they all took a defensive position.

Roland looked at Gebura as he then commented. "You don't see this sort of cooperation anywhere in The City." Gebura nodded. She was now analyzing the positioning and the slight mistake they had in that formation.

They all continued to stay on guard, yet nothing came.

Instead, the room started to morph,it trembled as colors started to appear, more specifically, red hues.

Those who worked in The Library quickly noticed where they were now.

Angela was the first to talk. "This place... it's the Floor of Language..."

They then saw someone sitting on the couch, however, it wasn't Gebura who they saw, but rather...

"Ruby?!"

Those were the words of her sister, she saw this more mature version of Ruby as she smoked a cigar.

"Smoking is bad!" Screamed Ruby as she saw her other version doing one of the things she would never do.

Gebura smirked. "Well, this is quite the development."

Then, they heard a door open.

And out came a man with blonde hair wearing a suit.

"Jaune?!" This time, it was Ruby who expressed her surprise.

"Okay, what is going on?!" Asked a confused Jaune.

"The Floor of Language... and its head librarian is..."

Yet the moment he entered the room, the older Ruby blew smoke onto his face as she sat down while having her head laid back.

"Pfft." Smirked Nora.

"Alright, does anyone have any idea what is going on?!" Question Weiss.

Ronald decided to be the one to explain, as they were starting to get quite loud. "It seems your friends have turned into Gebura and I."

They all tried to calm down, and despite trying to, the scene continued to play.

"It's Golohab."

Angela perked up at the different name. "Ah, it seems the names of the Sephirah are also different there." She closed her eyes as she put a few fingers on her chin.

Ruby then innocently asked. "Why's my name not... Well, my name? Is this some sort of cool codename thing?"

Gebura then responded. "My actual name is not Gebura... but I've long abandoned the name I had, I was no longer the same person as her..."

Jaune then asked. "What do you mean by that?"

Gebura sighed, she knew she would need to give more information than that. "The Sephirah are not actual human beings, but rather machines that contain the memories of those who previously died... and then we gained this human form thanks to Angela." She added the last part just in case.

Weiss then asked. "So wait... you're not human?" To which Gebura shook her head. "If you count having the brain of someone inside a machine, then maybe yes, but as a human being, we are not."

The older Jaune coughed as he had been attacked by the sudden smell of smoke in the room. "Holy, this place stinks of cigarettes. We've got a heavy drinker in the lower floors and now a heavy smoker here."

Ruby then shrugged. "Can smoke all I want here, this body doesn't get sick after all."

She then got up from the sofa. "You must be Jaune. Winter's helping hand."

Weiss then got yet another shocking revelation upon hearing the name of her sister. "Wait... Winter? My sister?!"

Roland sighed. "Kid, calm down..." He grasped his forehead as it was starting to remind him of Tiphereth's annoying first encounter with him.

Angela then said. "It's to be expected, if both Roland and Gebura have changed into your friends, it shouldn't be surprising that any other person also did."

"You'd be right, especially for someone who just woke up."

She grunted. "Wouldn't say that counts as sleeping."

"It was more of a coma, I was forced to watch what was happening in the Library like some sort of dream, so I don't feel refreshed at all."

"So you're up to date then?"

"Yeah, and you must be a fixer too, right?"

"Yup, Grade 9 however."

"Don't fuck with me. What are ya here for?"

While Ruby yelled "Swear!" Ren decided to ask the librarians regarding a certain keyword. "What are Fixers?"

Gebura then answered. "They are in a way hired mercenaries, they take various jobs, be it combat, assassination or something less harmful like scouting or negotiation."

Roland then followed suit. "In this case, Grade 9 Fixers are the lowest level, while Grade 1 are the strongest, there are also Color Fixers who are a cut above others due to having a trait that is far superior that those of others, they are then given a codename composed of a color and a word."

Ruby perked up. "Oh! So they're like Huntsmen?" Roland and Gebura didn't know what she was talking about, but decided to simply nod just to get it over with.

"Winter may have not known you were lying, but ya ain't fooling me."

"What are you talking about? Did we meet before?"

"I had experience working as a Fixer in my first life."

"I can pretty much get an idea just by looking at you."

"And I can see that you're no Grade 9. Did you make a sissy fit and get demoted?"

"Some events happened." Jaune then raised his hand. "I can promise in the name of Arc that I am just a Grade 9 Fixer."

"I dunno what you're plotting to do, but watch your back, I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Please, I wasn't plotting anything. You're really acting like a big shot, you know?"

Ruby shrugged. "Can't hurt to keep an eye on someone who got demoted straight to the lower Grade. Given your strength, I can tell that you must have done some real fucked up shit to end up at the bottom... unless you're a fraud."

Those present slowly turned their head at Roland, given the fact they knew that Jaune and Ruby had replaced the black and red haired individuals they started to wonder if they were by any chance in the same room as some sort of criminal.

Roland sensing the stares then said. "It will probably be explained later, but just so you know, everything is in the past, I got kicked from the City with everyone else, so there's no point in starting any argument."

They decided to look back at the scene, they were weary, but they knew that these people present could be a bit strong for them.

Ruby grunted. "Well, enough chit chat, bring me a bunch of books, I'll see and learn the language."

Jaune then got fed up with her attitude. "Hey! Why are you acting like you're better than me?! What was your Grade before?!"

"The Red Hood." Ruby said as she then took another cigarette out and lit it, only to leave Jaune alone.

Stunned, he then said. "What?! THE Red Hood...? Lord above..."

And their assumptions were made clear, Gebura seemed to be a Color Fixer, they glanced once again at the group of librarians, which were calmer.

Gebura then said. "Uh, that's a different name than mine." She then looked at Ruby. "But I guess it does fit the kid."

Ruby could be heard mumbling. "Red Hood... Red Hood... I like it... Yeah! I wanna use that name like the Grimm Reaper in the future!"

Yang smirked. "Guess Jaune got humbled real quick."

They then saw as the scene changed once again

Jaune dropped a bunch of books onto the table.

Angela then commented. "It seems we will be looking at various interactions between you two."

Roland then thought about his time helping the Floor of Language. "Oh, I think I know where this is going to end up." Gebura nodded.

"I wonder, will this version end up with the same backstory as you? Or will he have a different one?" Wondered Angela.

"Huf... You there, ma'am? I've brought some books for you, ma'am."

"You really changed your attitude there Jaune." Teased Yang. Jaune then said. "Well... of course I would... right? I mean, I just met someone who could literally kick my butt without problem!"

Roland and Gebura looked at each other, they absolutely had no idea who Roland truly was after all.

"Leave 'em there if you will. I'll check them out later."

Jaune stood there for a bit, only to bow down. "I am very, sincerely sorry for my insolence in our previous interaction, Miss Red Hood, ma'am."

Ruby was unbothered. "Cut the pleasantries. We're both in the same boat after all."

"You're actually the Red Hood, right?" He then started looking around. "I've heard a load of stories about her, but I never got to meet her since we worked in different districts in the City."

Ruby sighed. "Eat whatever they feed you I guess. The Red Hood that you may have previously heard about before is nothing but an empty husk."

"It's not that I don't believe you or anything though." Jaune then tried to put the words he wanted together. "It's just... it's like a dream that I just met such a legendary person in the same room as I, talking to me too."

Ruby then said. "It seems like you haven't lost your fanaticism of heroes and huntsmen even in another version, Jaune."

Jaune then replied. "Well, you're a legendary Fixer, so you basically got to become what you wanted, you're like a hero from how they were talking."

Nora then joined. "Yeah! You can break legs however you want Ruby! That's cool, isn't it?"

Gebura, overhearing them, could simply say. "Oh boy."

"I died to protect a colleague of mine in my first life." Revealed Ruby.

"In that laboratory situated on the Outskirts?"

"Yeah, and in my second life, I woke up with amnesia as part of Lobotomy Corp. with only a few small tints of my past." She then decided to also ask. "Where was your patrolling zone anyways?"

"North of the City." Responded Jaune.

"No wonder we never met, I worked in the South."

Jaune then jokingly raised his hand. "Miss Red Hood, may I ask you a question? If you take questions that is."

Ruby smirked. "Spill it."

"The one regarding you annihilating five Proxies of the Index alone."

"Ah... the Index... that's a name I haven't heard in a while..." She sounded with a bit of nostalgic depression. "Those memories..."

Blake decided to ask a question. "What is the Index?" In a way, she was interested in this word the three present were from, it was interesting to learn about a new culture that was so alien to them.

Roland then said. "One of five fingers, they are Syndicated, groups composed of... criminals that match their powers against Nests... which are like the wealthy part of a town." He said trying to sound understandable enough while using terms these outsiders might know.

He then whispered to Angela. "We need a list of information to give to these people, I don't want to continue explaining every single bit of information." Angela nodded. "I will ask the others to create a page full of information so that we don't need to explain anything else."

Roland nodded in gratitude.

"Yeah, it was five Proxies and three Messengers if memory serves right."

Jaune whistled in awe. "You're as impressive as tales say ma'am. Didn't talk about the Messengers just in case, but you sure did deliver."

"You know, having Jaune call Ruby, ma'am, is not something I expect to ever hear any day." Commented Yang.

Ruby then nodded, it felt weird having her best friend call her so formally, in fact, she wondered if they weren't the only ones that didn't really have a relationship in that world, what about her team? What about JNPR? Do they still stay together? Or are they simply strangers?

Ruby looked outside the window of the room. "I've heard ten years have passed since I've disappeared... The City and the Backstreets are the same as ever I assume?"

"As in penniless people killing and stealing each other, and living with the fear of someone hunting them down just because?"

"Shit, so it's still no different?"

Pyrrha decided to ask next. "Is... your world that bad?"

"Your world isn't like that? Uh, guess some people got lucky with the draw... but yeah, our world is just as shitty as I described." Responded Roland.

Blake decided to add a bit of information. "Where we come from, our world is infested by creatures called Grimm, they're the main enemy in our world and we have various settlements around the world."

Gebura decided to ask. "But you still have conflicts between each other, right?" Ren and Blake nodded. "Thought so." Said Gebura.

"Yeah, it's all the same. But instead of sticks and stones, we've changed the items we use to do these sorts of acts."

"It's funny really, I went around trying to do the heavy lifting in hopes for a better world, and I am met with no results."

Ruby looked saddened. "Oh..." To which Gebura then said. "Cheer up kid, I'm sure your world will be different from ours, you're still young, you have enough time to change it if you find people you can trust."

Compared to their world, it seemed as this world the young huntsmen were from had a much better time when dealing with internal affairs, at least that was what Gebura hoped.

Ruby then smiled. "Yeah, I have my team and I can count on JNPR too, it may not be much, but I know there are others who think the same!" She said with a hopeful look in her eyes. An innocence that Gebura hadn't seen in awhile inside the City.

Though, the last people she saw with that same hopeful look was from the Sephirah when they were new to their roles.

"There's, however, a very delicious sandwich franchise that's called HamHamPangPang. It's been expanding into each corner of the City, and it's no surprise really."

"The place you were going to get that special sandwich before you got tangled into this mess?"

"Yup... I still want to go there..." Groaned Jaune with a bit of frustration. "Ah... yeah, I really want to go there." He said, this time more dreamfully.

"Well, at least there's some sort of improvement..." She then grasped the couch's armchair. "I hate the Backstreets. I was born in the slums...and living there in my younger days was a hell by itself trying to survive."

"Other me seems to have had a rough childhood..." Ruby commented without thinking. She then looked at Gebura. "And you too since both my other version and you a-" She tried to awkwardly try to explain what she was trying to say, but was cut in by Gebura herself. "No, I know what you mean, it was indeed a really hard time in my life, there's nothing I can do now about it... but I'm glad I am no longer there."

"Which District were you from?"

"The south part of District 23."

A small moment of silence ensued.

"I am sorry for your childhood."

Weiss decided to then ask. "What's wrong with that District?"

Gebura bluntly said. "Cannibalism."

"O-oh..." Weiss weakly responded with a look of disgust. The same went for the rest of her team and Jaune's.

"These memories are giving me heartburn. I'll go visit Gharab Tzerek to fetch some liquor." Ruby said while stretching her arms. "I'll get these books sorted later, you can get out now."

"Sure, you don't seem to wanna talk anymore."

But before Jaune could leave the room, he then heard Ruby say.

"...Thanks for the books by the way."

He smiled. "Hey, I'm just doing my job." He paused a bit. "Oh, one more thing."

"What's it?"

"Can I join and take a swing with Ghab?" While having a cheeky smile.

Ruby smirked. "Well, if you insist."

Out of everyone watching, Yang was the first one to speak. "Oh noooooo, my little innocent sister turned out to be a chainsmoker and an alcoholic." She dramatically said, to which Ruby then objected. "I'm not going to end up like that! I don't like the taste of alcohol! And I don't like the smell of cigarettes!"

Yang paused a bit. "Did you... taste alcohol?" Ruby stood there, stunned about the fact she just let herself slip. "Uuuuuuuh."

In the meantime, Angela looked at Roland. "It seems like Netzach's name was replaced with Gharab Tzerek."

"Seems so, I'm assuming he was also replaced by one of the kids." He said as he looked at the two huntsmen in training teams. "Probably the quiet one with a pink hair sticking out."

The scene changed yet again.

Ruby had her eyes closed, she didn't seem to have noticed that Jaune had entered the room.

Curious, Jaune then asked. "Whatcha doing? Meditating?"

Ruby said with a tired tone. "Just closing my eyes, I'm just taking a break."

"Then I'll leave the books in the same place as before." He said as he dropped the books onto the table. "I don't wanna disturb you."

Ruby then threateningly said. "Stop."

"Uh?" Said a surprised Jaune.

"What district in the Backstreets are you from?" Asked Ruby.

"Uhm, District 17, it was a nice place." He added.

"Would you say that the Backstreets you grew up in were also hellish?"

"Well... I mean... a neighborhood was still a neighborhood so long as people lived... though I am sure that anywhere inhabited by people is still a hellhole."

"I guess so, people will be people. I guess every single corner has its own untold laments."

"That's... a really pessimistic way of looking at stuff." Commented Pyrrha.

"It's not pessimistic if you see the horrors you get to watch in the Backstreets." Responded Gebura. "All of you must have had a decent life at the very least, or at least I hope so, but at the same time, there will always be hardships in the way."

Well, they couldn't blame that sort of mentality, at least those who were more mature or had seen the bad side of life. Given the fact that their world was far more dangerous, it would be understandable to have a more realistic mindset to counteract the possible threats.

Ruby then started to look down. "In my lives, I attempted to protect people. But I never was able to protect them without a few issues." She then took out a cigarette. "Want a cig?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I quit smoking a long time ago."

Ruby looked a bit surprised. "Really? Didn't expect that from you."

She then blew some smoke. "In the parts of the Backstreets I was from, the neighborhood always changed."

"The people didn't really have their heart in the right place... there were some adults who were nice enough to me. Though they would end up dead the next day, chopped into some sort of soup, or mutilated just for the sake of art."

"Sheesh, District 23 truly lives up to its reputation, I'm not sure even the Backstreets were usually this brutal."

"It was normal at the time, a turf war and purges between Syndicates was happening there, so it was no surprise there was so much violence."

She paused a bit. "Just like how Lobotomy Corp's Nest is doing..."

"And you survived all that, even most experienced Fixers would attempt to avoid that." He complimented her and tried to cheer her up a bit.

"It was the only place I knew, going to another place was never in my mind, nor was the idea of there being less bloodshed." She took her cigarette again. "I was only thinking about ways to survive that hell."

"Compared to District 23... the Carnival or those Smiling Faces look like innocent hooligans."

"Yeah... and after a while, I started to find ways to protect those that I wanted in that hell."

She then sighed. "It's easy to tell how a society is doing based in the language of its people." She then dropped the cigarette butt on the ashtray. "The Backstreet's language is straightforward and coarse. They don't think about specific terminology, they use whatever words they end up picking up. Which also applies to the stuff that is daily to their life. They're also usually more relevant than the actual meaning."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Which The Thumb, Index and the Sweepers are culprits of."

"Those in the Backstreets are usually ambitious, they crave to find power and wealth, they have no other choice but to try and find a way to live for another day." She then took out another cigarette, however, before she lit it up, she asked. "You know what's funny? Power that someone has will only go down, it will never go up. Victims of the Backstreet may have been perpetrators that weren't strong enough to finish off their victims."

Nora was the first one to talk. "All this weird talking is making my head hurt." She said as she grasped her head.

"I do find this conversation interesting, it gives something to truly think about." Admitted Weiss.

"Of course you would, you're the one who always tries to analyze and find information about even the tiniest things." Teased Yang.

Then, they saw as the scene changed. 

It changed to a scene of young Ruby in the Backstreets.

Yang then gushed. "Oh. my. God. You're so cute there Ruby!" She said, albeit a bit concerned for the other version of her sister. Ruby then covered her face. "Yaaaang stoooop."

Blake on the other hand pointed out. "It seems you're nowhere to be found, Yang."

The blonde girl looked around, only to not see herself anywhere. "Oh, well that sucks."

Gebura decided to intervene. "I didn't have any siblings, so it's unlikely that this version would have one just out of nowhere."

"Let me tell you about the tale of a 7 year old kid named Ruby."

"The first thing she could ever remember doing was crying in a corner surrounded by bloodied bodies and spilled guts."

A few of those present could only hold a hand over their mouth, they attempted not to throw up upon seeing the bloody scene.

"This is... too much for a 7 year old..." Softly said Jaune.

The ones who were fine were Nora and Ren, all they could do was silently... or at least as much as Nora could to listen to this tale.

"She had no one to call a friend. Those around her would disappear the next day after."

"Other children her age would be abducted by Sweepers or used as toys."

"The small child couldn't do anything but watch in silence."

A few of those present could only feel further disgust over this situation.

"This... this is too much... I know you talked about your world being... so disturbing... but this is..." Uttered Weiss.

Gebura calmly said. "Welcome to the City, this place is a hellhole by itself, but it may not be any better than the Outskirts."

Jaune then asked. "Is there... really a place where one can be happy there?"

Roland then said. "Even the wealthy part of the City, the Nests, have their own fears and problems, furthermore, even taking a job from one of the corporations or working as a Fixer or in a Syndicate always has the possibility of death accompanying it."

"Least you'll be a little bit more prepared for when all of you become huntsmen, seeing a bit of this hell will allow you to be less bothered by the problems of your world." Commented Gebura.

"It was luck at her side that allowed her to even reach 13 years old."

"To take advantage of that luck, Ruby decided to observe and observe. She would survive this hell with her own effort."

"And so, she made it to 20, she used her own strategies she had created after so much observation."

"And she became a Fixer, there wasn't much else she could do."

Jaune then commented. "Lucky you didn't join a Syndicate uh?"

With a bit of venom she said. "She swore she wouldn't stoop so low... Not like someone she knew."

She then continued. "Ruby's life as a fixer was far more stable compared to her time in the Backstreets. Being a Fixer fit her like a glove, and it helped further the environment she grew in."

Jaune commented once again. "Same here."

For a bit of silence, perhaps because she didn't want him to cut her, she finally resumed. "She thought she was strong enough to protect her neighbors of the same apartment, she thought so because she was a Fixer."

"She lived in dangerous streets after all."

"And so, she believed she was indebted to the people around her, she wanted to return the favor."

"Those who gave young Ruby food and drink when she was so little."

"In fact, she thought she had found a family, the ones who didn't die after a few days after meeting her... she wanted to protect them."

"She decided to give them money she earned herself in her work."

"That's nice of her." Joked Jaune.

This small interaction was enough to give a bit of hope to the habitants of Remnant.

"Well... at least there were still nice people... right?" Asked Jaune.

Gebura didn't say a word, as what was coming next would shatter the hopes of the young boy.

"Do you want to know how they repaid her after she gave them money for more than a month?"

"From how you're narrating it, not in the happy side of things."

"They conspired with one another, with those she had never met before, and broke into her apartment, at that moment she was asleep, and so, they used a manufactured item by a corporation to bind her hands and legs while they ransacked the whole place."

Unsurprised, Jaune commented. "Ah, so they got greedy and decided to open up the goose that laid golden eggs."

With a disappointed sigh, Ruby said. "Yup, they really tried to rob her."

"Oh..." Were the only words that came out of Jaune's mouth.

Roland decided to add another comment. "Can't really have much in the City after all."

Weiss was a bit frustrated with what was shown on the screen. "This! This is-" She couldn't find her words due to the anger she was feeling. She had had her own experiences meeting someone who could backstab her at any moment, in a way, it was so different, yet so similar to those who came after her for her family name.

Yang clenched her fists tightly, thankfully, she saw as none of them got close to the other version of Ruby, she would have gone berserk if any of them dared to touch her little sister, even if it were a different version of her.

"Ruby couldn't believe it, not because she had her extremities tied up upon waking up."

"But because all she saw were disgusting scum seeking treasure in front of her."

"Those same people were friendly to her yesterday."

"They should know what it was to lose someone more than anyone else."

"Ruby hoped that the little money she had could be used for noble reasons..."

"All she wanted was to protect those she held so dearly..."

Silence reigned in the room. Ruby looked at Gebura, even though she knew that she didn't want any looks of pity, she couldn't stop herself from looking at the Color Fixer.

"Don't feel sorry for me... feel sorry for Kali, the girl that experienced this betrayal..." Spoke Gebura.

Blake tensed up a bit upon hearing her name. What were the chances that someone she just met just so happened to have the same name as her mother?

"Quite stereotypical, don't you think?" Questioned Jaune. "I'm sure Ruby didn't allow them to get away with the stunt they just pulled, right?

"She didn't, she broke out of what was holding her." She sighed. "She decided to wait for a bit, she could always break from it any time she wanted, they decided to buy the cheapest binding item the corporation had, they underestimated her quite a bit for her kind nature."

"Though... she did hold onto the hope that it was all a misunderstanding or a prank they were pulling on her."

She then gripped the armchair harder. "But... the words they spat out like nothing..."

"They said... they spoke about how they could just use her money to move to a better place, they would just leave her to rot..."

"... Is was not a misunderstanding, nor was it a dream... but the irrefutable truth." She said the last part while looking out the window.

Jaune felt a bit of anger against the neighbors, but he knew that they would get what they deserved. "So, they reaped what they sowed, right? I'm already getting pissed off from just hearing this story."

"They were killed by Ruby herself. In the end, she broke down in tears covered in the blood of her former neighbors."

"Her supposedly kind neighbors that she wanted to protect from those violent psychopaths were just as rotten as the very people she attempted to hold back."

"The cycle of violence wouldn't stop, not even when she tried to protect people."

Jaune understood that sentiment, after all, he was in that very same situation before. "I can understand it, at some points I wonder if there's truly any worth in feeling sympathy for someone else. It didn't help that I wondered the morality of the actions I took when I was a newbie."

"Hey... is it just me... or did the young version of that Ruby sound... oddly similar to ours?" Asked Blake.

"What do you mean?" Inquired the older sister.

"The way she's portraying Ruby is so innocent in a way, I'm not sure how to put it into words, but think about it, she's so hopeful about the situation even when her neighbors tried to rob her." Pointed Blake out.

"Hey! I'm not that innocent or naive!" Refuted Ruby. "But... I can see what you're talking about, back then, when we arrived to Beacon Academy, I did think that huntsmen were this symbol of good... but after the lessons that Doctor Oobleck gave about the history if huntsmen... I can never see them the same way as before."

Jaune clenched his fists. He also had that idealistic view of what huntsmen were, in fact, he thought they were heroes that strived to do good for everyone.

"Don't be so down, the citizens of the City also had that view, though most of them soon would meet their end when they found one that didn't take kindly to them." Commented Roland. "In a way, I can see that your world seems more merciful than ours, so, be happy with what you have."

"What kind of Fixer were you?"

"Mmm... I'd say a workaholic really, I continued to take jobs even when injured. Though I had a fine record of completing the job without much trouble. My reputation was respectable enough."

"Pft, and you suddenly plummeted to Grade 9 out of nowhere?"

"Yeah, life is unpredictable, after all, I'm in front of Ruby, the Red Hood, afterall."

Ruby blew some smoke after taking out the cigarette out of her mouth. "I guess so."

"Though, there was that one time I went around batshit crazy creating a commotion. I really didn't care about what would happen to me. I made a lot of enemies too..."

"I sometimes wonder if that will come back to bite me in the future..."

Ruby looked him in the eyes. "You've gone through a lot, I can see it in your eyes."

She stood up just to stretch. "I'm no longer Ruby, the Red Hood, yet she still lives inside me as a fragment."

Jaune then complimented. "I can see that, you're unlike most Fixers I've met."

"Argh... I'm tired, I think I've talked long enough, I'm going to sleep." She then slumped onto the sofa.

"Sweet dreams, Ruby." Bid farewell Jaune as he left the room once again.

"Mmm... yeah, a lot of differences are starting to appear." Pointed Roland out. "The dialogue is quite similar to what Gebura and I talked about, but the exact words aren't the same."

Gebura nodded. "A few of the facts such as our locations when we worked as Fixers or how we described ourselves in the case of Roland... or rather Jaune are different as well."

"I do think that his backstory will be different to the one I have." Claimed Roland.

Angela then looked at Jaune. "Excuse me, but do you by any chance have someone you love?"

Jaune looked away. "Well uhm..." He got embarrassed as he was remembering his attempts to court Weiss.

The one to respond however was Nora. "Yes! Fearless leader attempted to take Weiss out on a date but was shut down immediately!"

An audible "ooof" came from Jaune. Yang laughed at the blunt response.

Angela then looked at Roland. "Well, we might be seeing something similar in the end." Roland groaned as he saw Angelas cheeky smile.

"Though I must admit, the idea of an angered Jaune doesn't really suit well with me... it feels... odd..." Commented Pyrrha.

The scene then changed again.

Jaune stood there as he watched Ruby read through the books. The silence was deafening.

The blonde man got bored, and so, he asked. "I'm assuming you're no longer in your prime as the Red Hood, right?"

Ruby closed the book and looked at him. "You could say that again. I can't seem to assimilate Ruby's identity."

"What's the main difference between the Red Hood and you then?"

Ruby hummed for a bit. "Mmm... first of all, I could freely wield and E.G.O."

"I was actually, probably the only one able to do such a feat."

"Weapons and armor that resonated with your own heart. Who would have guessed such a thing existed?" Ruby smirked.

"Yet now, I can't seem to control them as well asI did before."

Ruby was the one who raised her hand this time. "What is an E.G.O.?" She asked with a lot of curiosity, especially when it seemed like it was some sort of weapon.

This time, Angela responded. "E.G.O. is a type or personalized equipment that originated from Lobotomy Corporation, however, after an event caused by yours truly, this sort of equipment can be manifested if the individual can overcome their shortcomings."

"However, if they are unable to and are consumed by the negative emotions, they turn into what the City calls Distortions, entities that are no longer human in a way as they act upon their emotions." Explained Angela.

"Woaaaah! So wait! Does that mean that, if I were to overcome this challenge, I would gain my own piece of equipment?!" She said excitedly. "That's so cool! Oh! I'm not I want to leave Crescent Rose though..." She awkwardly said as she scratched the back of her head.

"They do sound dangerous though, I would say that using our own weapons would be enough to take care of the Grimm." Pointed out Ren.

Blake then added. "Furthermore, E.G.O. may also attract even more Grimm if they end up backfiring."

"Mmm, so this creature known as Grimms are attracted to negative emotions? Then if they did exist in the City, we would be completely infested with it." Said Roland. "Hell, they might end up being a Star of the City if they're really dangerous when fed negative emotions."

"Librarians can use E.G.O. now though." Pointed Jaune out.

"That's true, but we're unable to completely control E.G.O. we use."

"It's only a temporary lend of power... from the abnormalities."

"So, let me get this straight. We're borrowing power lent by us by these abnormalities that I fought before on my floor?"

"Spot on, we're unable to use them properly due to our situation though."

"Yet the Red Hood was?"

"Well, the scythe I used to wield was extracted from something else, but I had my own armor E.G.O."

"That was enough to make me powerful."

"And no one would see you coming." He then started to think a bit more about this information. "Equipment that resonated with your heart and mind... You must have shredded through any opponent that came to challenge you."

"It's easier said than done. The E.G.O. would continue to break down your mind while it was linked to you. You could easily lose yourself if you were not careful enough."

"And so, distortion ensues as you let yourself become a puppet for your own emotions."

"You could say so."

Ruby then looked down with a bit of unease as she remembered what it felt like. "Each time I used the E.G.O. it felt as if someone continued to talk to me."

"They told me pretty lies, some of which I would love to listen to all day... but they were ones that I would never want to hear at the same time."

"I knew well that it would assault me the moment I lowered my guard."

Jaune, hearing this sort of experience, expressed. "Well, I'll be damned. I guess I should thank Angela for adjusting them in advance."

"I'm more worried about what people will do once they start manifesting E.G.O." Ruby pointed out.

"Yeeesh, I don't like the sound of what E.G.O. equipment can do to you." Shivered Yang at the thought of turning into a monstrous entity.

Not just that, the idea of a voice in their head telling them nice things just to lure them and take over their body did not help ease the situation, especially when it could play into their own insecurities and traumas.

"Uh, it seems like the scythe you used might have been swapped with the sword." Said Gebura as she looked at Roland.

"Well, I suppose so, the blonde kid is equipped with a sword while the girl in red wields a scythe." Mentioned Roland.

"Who gave you access to this sort of weapon though?"

"... Salem."

"Who?" Was the combined question of everyone in the room.

"Wait, you don't know anyone by the name of Salem?" Asked Roland.

Weiss shook her head. "No, we do not."

Angela then suggested. "Perhaps it is someone important in your world, or rather, someone you may meet in the future,"

Jaune then decided to add. "What if it's a person that we don't know but someone we know may be acquaintanced with?"

Ruby hummed. "You might be right, Jaune. Perhaps it's someone one of our parent's knows!"

"Well, whoever Salem is, she's certainly important, just like Carmen was." Concluded Gebura.

"The person who supposedly led the research to cure humanity, yeah?"

"Correct, Salem was from a Nest, though she wasn't scared as to what the Backstreets had in them, she would visit them to give her own speech."

"She wouldn't have lasted long if she continued, let's be honest." Admitted Ruby.

"So did you end up helping her out just out of pity?" Asked Jaune.

"None of that. I wasn't naive enough to simply believe promises that could be empty. I simply did so because I might be able to get some money from her."

"If anything, I did accept the job because I was curious about what a nest dweller was doing here giving such passionate words regarding the troubles of the City."

"She continued to make absurd claims regarding breaking the cycle of suffering in the City."

"It didn't help that I was also getting pissed about the words she continued to utter. After all, what could a Nest dweller know about the suffering we lived with?"

"In the end, I ended up grabbing her by her shoulders and told her exactly what I wanted, about how naive she was to think she could understand what we went through."

"When I finished, I expected her to back down and go back crying like a kid, but to my surprise, she looked at me with a determined look and asked me a question..."

"What do you know about the pain in the Nest, then?"

"She told me that she would tell me everything about the nests, and in exchange I could tell her everything I knew about the Backstreets."

"I was taken back honestly. She was so shameless, I couldn't believe she could spout such things with a straight face for someone who could die with a single slash."

"Not just that, even with her speeches, she continued to carry that weak and brash feeling."

"She had the gall to even claim that even the weakest person could topple the Head if they gained power through their own determination."

"That she could give us therapy that could grant us the power and mindset to continue onward."

"In the end, she gave me her card, telling me to call her if I ever was interested."

"Oh wow, she's a nutjob." Commented Yang. Weiss then slapped her arm. "Oh don't say that! After seeing everything that has happened in the City, having someone with such a mindset would be a miracle!"

"Do you think the Salem in our world... if we do ever end up meeting her, would act the same way?" Asked Ruby. "She seems nice to talk with."

Jaune then commented. "I hope so, she seems to want to make changes to that world where everything is not good, so that sort of mentality could help us have high hopes even in the worst moments."

"That same mentality will get you killed, don't believe what people say just because they say so." Roland warned. "Unfortunately, I am pretty sure she's part of the reason why the distortions are a thing."

Angela then nodded. "Yeah, it's because of that dream of hers that Ayin decided to take such drastic measures to fulfill it." She said calmly. Even when she still didn't like her creator, she finally found the will to try and move on from it.

Though, she knew she also had part in it.

"But it's not exactly her the reason why distortions happen, right?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah! It's the fault of this Ayin that you mentioned!" Nora pointed out.

"I'd say it's the mixed fault of those two and I.'' Ended up admitting Angela. "I decided to be selfish and completely dismantle Ayin's plan."

Before anyone could say anything, Gebura then intervened. "You admitted to being stuck in a corporation for more than a thousand years due to your program, you were not justified for what you've done back then... but at the same time, I can't blame you for doing it."

An awkward silence ensued. In a way, those from Remnant wondered just what sort of situation happened in the corporation for them to then end up in a library in the so called Outskirts.

"That was before you became a Color Fixer, right?"

"Yeah, I was a Grade 2 back then."

Jaune smirked. "You ended up joining her band of cultish nutjobs while being a Grade 2 Fixer?"

"No, despite being Grade 2, I had enough experience to distinguish between swindlers, crazy people and those who were genuine, in Salem's case, she truly wished to make change in the City."

"Just what kind of person was she?"

Ruby decided to ignore that question. "Anyways, I ended up working for Carmen."

"I had hoped that... if I could protect this person, then maybe I could finally change this world."

"Even if just a little, I wished for less people to suffer what I had to suffer."

"So you actually ended up working for free?" Jaune joked. "Well, maybe not, you ended up becoming a legend through your work while protecting her after all, your feats, your legendary status, your assigned color, it was all thanks to that chance encounter."

"To me, those were just extra." Admitted Ruby. "Doing what felt like work that had actual meaning behind it felt nice for a change."

"You're stupidly strong, yet honest." Jaune Jested.

Ruby smirked. "I heard that a lot back then."

Jaune sighed, he then decided to leave through the door. "Well, thanks for the stories, ma'am."

Ruby then took out a cig. "Want a cig?"

"I said I quit, plus, I got quite a lot of work to do."

"Yup, I can definitely see a bit of Ruby in this version of her." Admitted Yang. "You would also try to help someone who had the thought of changing the world for the better."

"Wouldn't most people do the same?" Asked Ruby. Yang then smiled. "I mean, yeah... but we would still want to get paid."

"Do you still miss Carmen, Gebura?" Angela asked.

Gebura on the other hand looked away, not wanting to respond to the question.

Angela waited for a bit, yet she never got an answer.

The scene changed yet again.

Ruby was currently holding a book while Jaune was there. It seemed as the blonde boy had recently given her the book.

"The Book of the Red Hood..."

"To meet my past self reminded me of quite a few things..."

"You don't usually get the chance to confront yourself quite often."

"Wait, how can that even be possible?" Inquired Weiss.

Angela decided to explain. "In the Library, I had collected books related to the people who were defeated within it, they didn't die, they simply got turned into books until someone freed them."

"Due to a few circumstances, we had to create a copy of Kali while using the remnants that were still there."

Then Roland then continued. "And so, we ended up defeating her... though it took three tries to do it..." He remembered the fact that it was Binah who finally was able to take her out.

"Third time's the charm I guess." Added Jaune. "... sorry." He said as he noticed the sour look on Roland's face.

"Well, I certainly did brandish my blade trying to protect those I held dearly." Commented Ruby. "Even though I was unable to meet the expectations... or even save them..."

"Yup, seems like that's an exact view of people regarding the Red Hood."

"Not many people would be willing to fight for others in exchange for their lives."

"Ruby the Red Hood, Golohab the Sephirah in L Corp, and my present self in the library."

"I may not be the same person, yet my spirit continued to carry over."

"Well, do you find your current self miserable?" Asked Jaune.

"Not quite, if anything, I believe my current self is laughable."

"I failed to protect anyone, and now, I'm here as punishment."

"But either way, I can at least say that I tried my best."

Jaune then asked once again. "Do you not hold a grudge against Winter even after being brought back to life without your consent? And what about the fact she completely destroyed the results that everyone longed to finally see come to fruition?"

"Winter probably is asking herself the same thing."

"But I can't blame her, not after everything she went through..."

"I will finally judge her once she finally ends her path where she wanted, only then will I think about striking her down."

"So, was this result to your liking?" Inquired Angela.

"Not the one I was expecting... but certainly one that I don't really mind." She responded. "... in fact... I can see that you're starting to open up a bit, I'll give you more time before I finally end up with a conclusion."

"If I were to unleash all my rage on her now, nothing would truly change."

"It'll only continue this cycle of vengeance."

Jaune started to get a bit irked by her answers. "You weren't able to protect those you held closely. And yet you're now acting so nonchalantly like they never really mattered to you."

"You continue to try and try, to protect those you call your friends and companions... yet you continue to get taken advantage of."

Ruby calmly admitted. "I would be lying if I said I didn't feel any wrath or regret."

"Though I may not be able to save everyone, saving a few was enough for me."

Jaune stood in silence upon hearing her answer.

"I'm nothing like you in the end... I couldn't even protect the one person by my side."

"And now, I am a man with nothing to lose."

"There's nothing for me to do in this world anymore."

"What's left of this Fixer is an incompetent, rash and despicable being who takes advantage of others."

"I had become a lump of the disease this City carried..."

"No... I became a dead cocoon trying to bring back that butterfly that left..."

"Uhm... Jaune?" Said a concerned Pyrrha.

"Don't look at me! Look at the other version of me!" Said Jaune as he too was wondering what was going on with his other self.

"This sudden influx of self loathing isn't healthy." Commented Blake.

"Oh boy, here it is." Sighed Roland.

"I'm curious, I want to see if the story of this boy changes compared to yours." Admitted Angela.

"Right, this version of Ruby and Jaune are actually both of you." pointed out Ren. "Then.. could y-" He was interrupted as Roland said. "I don't really want to talk about it, but know that I lost someone close to me."

"I see." Was the only response Ren could say.

"Oooooh I wanna see what sort of adventures this version of fearless leader got himself into!" Expressed Nora with excitement.

"From the looks of it, probably something that's not nice." Assumed Yang as she saw the entire room turn dark.

The room then lit up, the only words said allowed a chill run down the spine of those who didn't know the story.

"That day, a crack in my world had formed once again."

"Thus, I ended up following back on my steps, I devolved into a simple mindless lump of anger."

"A blind man on a rampage. I wreaked havoc anywhere I went, I razed through and crushed those who my paranoid mind saw as threats."

The scene changed to a man pleading as Jaune stood in front of him, his suit this time was white, unlike Roland, he had a white mask.

"Try anything dumb, and I'll make sure you find out how it feels to have air leave through the bottom of your lungs. Come on. Speak. Now"

"I-I have no idea! L-listen! I can admit that kidnapping and turning people into gears was a grave mistake! B-but I just thought that, since there were so many people with no meaning to life, I-I thought that it would be fine to do so!"

"So... you truly know nothing?"

"I don't! P-please... just let me..." The scientist then bowed down as he asked for mercy. "I-I have a family! I still want to raise my daughter!"

"..." Jaune then looked at the other gears. "And what about those gears? They had a family of their own, right?"

He then lunged forward, the Scientist opened his mouth, yet no scream could be heard.

"That's brutal." Commented Blake with a grim look on her face.

"But deserved." Admitted Ren.

The others looked in shock, they never thought they would see the day where Jaune would be so cold as he killed someone in cold blood.

"Wait... do... you not have aura?" Asked Weiss as she looked at the librarians.

"I'm not sure I know exactly what this aura thing is." Responded Angela.

Roland decided to then say. "A white mask, it seems like this kid is wearing exactly the opposite of what I had back then."

Pyrrha decided to explain what aura was to the three that had no idea. "Aura is the manifestation of one's soul, we use aura to defend us as well as strengthen us, each person's aura can have a different color, just as each person can have a different semblance."

"And a semblance is?" Question Roland.

"A special ability unique to each person, it usually represents the innate and personal power of a person." Proceeded to explain Pyrrha.

"So, similar to an E.G.O. but at the same time not." Was the only thing Gebura said.

"There are quite a few similarities I must admit, though perhaps that's mostly because this sort of ability is what allows us to survive in our own worlds." Commented Ren. "Maybe this is some sort of universal mechanism when coming against threats."

The scene changed once again.

"It's... it's almost complete. I can finally bring back my sister!" The technician looked desperate. "The body parts of children that I used for the puppets were those of ones that had already died!"

"So what you're saying is that you're still ignorant."

"Yes! I had nothing to do with what had happened! Please! Just let this slide!" He gasped and breathed heavily, only to then cough as he desperately crawled towards where the puppet of his son was. "My sister... she's there... She needs me! She's calling my name!"

"That thing is no one's sister." As he said that, he threw a molotov which completely burned the building down.

None of them uttered a word, they saw as Jaune continued with his furious rage, they knew nothing about what was going on, nor why he was even doing it.

Though, they did have an idea.

The first few lines, and what Roland had told Ren, painted an explanation of what that version of Jaune was doing.

He was seeking to avenge someone close to him.

The scene changed yet again.

"Shit! He's gone completely feral..." A man said as he bled out.

"Are you not satisfied with what you've done to N Corp?"

"Wait, N Corp?" Said a surprised Roland. "Shit, this kid has guts to go up against a Wing."

Gebura then pointed out. "As if going against an entire finger wasn't a feat by itself."

"Did... did Jaune attack a Nest?" Asked Ruby.

"Not necessarily, your friend might have gone up against the Taboo Hunters, perhaps they are related to what had happened to this version of your friend." Explained Angela.

"He probably broke a Taboo... though, I have a feeling it wasn't that way." Commented Roland. "But either way, N Corp is known for having certain restrictions, and they're a crazy bunch when it comes to the purity of humanity."

"Not surprised that it exists in the City." Said an unsurprised Blake. "Though, I assume people don't care what you are so long as you're a living being."

Roland, getting the message simply nodded.

"Thought I'd gain intel from the big shots. All they had were prosthetics hanging on a christmas tree."

"And what's worse is that you know nothing either? I would have taken a lie for all that I care."

"..." The man that was bleeding out was appalled at this Fixer who had barged in and completely annihilated them.

"Speak no more, there's no point in feeding his madness..." Said a man on the side as he had his limbs torn apart. "Just kill us... get this over with..."

"So be it." He said, finally putting them out of their misery.

"Taboo Hunters... you preach of enforcing your Taboos and punishing those who break them..."

"Yet you know nothing the moment someone is falsely accused..."

Roland whistled. "Kid, you've got it rough."

Assuming the one who had died was still his wife, he imagined what would have happened had she been killed due to a false accusation. He knew full well that he would have gone to the Nest of his district and he would have done the very same as The Pianist did.

In a way, he empathized with this version of his and that kid that took his place. It seemed a bit shittier compared to his own, as at the very least his version was due to an entity out of control, rather than an entire corporation unjustly executing her.

The scene changed again.

"Arc. I know you're so determined to complete the work we have, you always go like this whenever it's related to unjust situations, but your current state... I know how you feel, but I can't..."

"Don't bother saying any more words, Hire, else I will cut you down."

"Will you do the same just like those you cut down? The same people who didn't even look like they had anything to do with what happened! This is plain insane Arc!"

"If only we could have left this District... It's all my fault..."

"You've killed so many... some of them had it coming... but you're starting to find enjoyment in this..."

"You're losing yourself Arc!"

Jaune started laughing. "Hire... you're starting to finally see me the same way as the others..."

"Baudricourt... Metz... Poulengy... All three of them were by my side when it happened..."

"And yet, they are now gone, they left me like nothing."

"Now, you're going to do the same, right?"

"Arc?"

"It was I who killed Bon, he was the one who started all of this! And I'm not done yet... I won't stop until I finish with the list of those who may have been in this conspiracy."

"This voice in my head... this voice that stuck with me since I was so young, it is the only one that I can truly trust, after all, it was because of that same voice I created Charles Office."

"And now, I wonder, where did Rais go? Where have you gone? You weren't there when they burned Weiss, and you're no longer part of the Office."

"I know you weren't the one who made this happen, no one except Bon had a say in what happened."

Jaune saw as Hire left him alone. After that, he was all alone in the Office, with no other Fixer in view, he was the only member of his own Office.

"I... died?" Were the words uttered by Weiss. Her team decided to hold her hand or hug her to console her.

"Jaune, do you by any chance recognize any of the names?" Asked Ren.

The blonde boy, who had a face full of conflicting emotions, didn't respond.

"Jaune?" Asked Ren again.

"A-ah, sorry Ren." Apologized the boy. "No, I don't know any of those names..." He still needed to process what had been revealed.

Roland looked conflicted. "This is... really different to my own story."

Angela looked at him. "Do you reckon that the voice is-"

Gebura then interjected. "No, it's not possible, the boy said that he continued to listen to this voice ever since he was a kid, this means that it's not possible for her to have been trying for so long to convince him."

"I'm not sure what all of you are talking about, but, I've never had a voice in my head." Pointed out Jaune. "I'm not sure why that other version had a voice nagging him, but I'm assuming you haven't had it either, right?"

Roland nodded. "Yup, this is new for just as well."

In a way, he did wonder what made this kid so unlucky to find himself in an even worse situation than him.

"I'm assuming this Rais is Olivier..." Roland thought.

"Uhm, excuse me." Roland looked down to see Ruby calling him. "I would like to say... sorry for your loss."

Roland looked a bit confused, however, he then realized why she was saying that. "Oh, don't mind it. It may still haunt me from time to time, but I can't stay in the past just to mourn my wife each time."

Yang upon hearing what Roland said, smiled. "Oh? Did you say wife?"

Weiss widened her eyes. "Yang, not now."

"Oh come on Ice Queen, can you believe you ended up marrying Lover Boy?" Yang teased.

Weiss groaned. "Oh come on! Can't you see I'm processing the fact that I died in another world?"

"What about it? It's not like you're the one who died, we all die one day after all." Objected Blake.

"Guys... now's not the time to be joking around..." Ruby said.

Right, the situation was indeed tense, and here they were joking around like a bunch of clowns.

"I've killed countless people."

"More people than one could even bother thinking, to the point a pile of dead bodies made by yours truly would look like a mountain."

"The further in the past I went, the bigger that mountain, my view of what I originally wanted was now gone."

"Hire was right. Even though he was more rash than I, it's funny that he was more observant than I."

"At that point, I had no idea what I truly wanted."

"That voice in my head only showed me the only path I thought I could only choose."

"I needed to look forward, yet I continued to look back, to that pile of bodies I had created as I tried to climb it."

"Did I truly want to find the ones that created that event?"

"Was I simply trying to let out all my rage? A simple way to blow off steam? I no longer tried to think."

"In the end, I couldn't protect my angel. My angel was nowhere to be seen, all because of me."

"... No."

"It wasn't my fault."

"I wasn't the one who put her on the stake."

"I wasn't the one who allowed my snow angel to melt."

"I wasn't the one who let the white floor turn red."

"It was the fault of the people."

"THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY!"

"What will be left of a man who was unable to protect what he held dearly?"

"...A man who has nothing to lose"

"Jaune seems to truly have loved Weiss in that world." Said Pyrrha. Her heart seemed to be aching, perhaps because she was seeing a version of the boy she loves be with someone else.

"Pst, Weiss." Whispered Yang.

"What is it?" Asked Weiss.

"You should give Jaune a chance." Said Yang as she then had the biggest cheeky smile she could make.

Weiss huffed at those words. "I will not!"

"I pity that version of the boy, I don't know how I would have felt if I had to see Angelica die in front of me." Commented a serious Roland. "Especially when someone so close was part of the reason why."

The scene went to what it was before, the Floor of Language.

Jaune had his entire outfit changed. He now wielded a scythe that was familiar to them, he wore a red hood alongside belts and leather that covered his arms. He was covered by the darkness that the hood gave him.

"Why... why are you so calm even when everything went to hell?"

"Wait! He's wielding Crescent Rose!" Yelled Ruby. "That's actually really cool!"

She then looked at Jaune. "Jaune! When we get back to our world, I want you to wear a hood similar to mine, you look so cool in that outfit!"

Yang then said. "Give him a dress as well! I bet he'll rock it!"

Surprisingly, Jaune's team nodded in agreement.

"You did make that dress look good on you during that time." Giggled Pyrrha.

The blonde boy groaned in embarrassment.

Angela looked at Roland. "Seems like you're not the only one who can fit in a dress." She jested.

"Please don't remind me." He grunted as he remembered that wedding dress and the long dress of the magical girls.

"Why am I so different from you? Even when we both have shared the same tragedies?"

"I continue to blame the City for taking away my beloved... and I blame myself for even allowing it in the first place..."

"Even then, I can't even be myself, there's no way for me to even be happy in this cursed place."

"All I have is the voice that continues to talk to me in my head."

"I have nothing else to hold on aside from the instructions it gives me."

Ruby looked with an empathetic look in her eyes. "Jaune. When rage controls every move you do, you must remember to point the weapon at the person you hate the most, at the very least, you'll be hitting the one person you won't be sad about losing."

She then unsheathed her scythe. "Soon enough you'll understand why I told you."

"Wait, are we actually going to fight?" Ruby said with a bit of concern.

"Seems like it." Responded Blake.

"All right! Place your bets! Who do you think is going to win this fight?" Said Yang cheerfully.

"I think Jaune Jaune is going to win! I believe in our leader!" Claimed Nora as she grabbed Ren. He was also forced to vote for Jaune.

"Well, given the fact that Ruby is a Color Fixer, I am going to vote for her." Logically concluded Weiss.

"Uh, I don't think it's a good idea to vote." Said Pyrrha. "Mostly because the ones who actually fought are right next to us." She said as she pointed at Roland and Gebura.

"Well it doesn't matter, I vote for Ruby, this story is only going one way, and Ruby needs to defeat him no matter what." Commented Blake.

"Oi, not here." Said Ruby as she grasped Jaune by the neck.

She then threw him out the window, which led them to a plain field with lava casting down.

However, the scene changed as they were now in a dark forest.

With a blue hue, the crescent moon glowed in the dark.

Suddenly a shadow with a blue glow coming from its eyes arrived attacking Jaune.

Both Jaune and Ruby backed away as they looked at the creature.

In Jaune's eyes, there was a look of frenzied emotions.

As for Ruby, she looked calmly at the creature that represented part of Jaune.

"Oh, in the end it seems like they're going to work together." Said a disappointed Yang.

"Why do you sound bummed over the fact Jaune and I aren't fighting?!" Said an exasperated Ruby.

"No worries, we do end up fighting after this." Responded Gebura.

"Way to add more fuel to the fire." Murmured Roland.

"What can I say? Innocent youth that can actually fight for themselves is a new fresh breath of air compared to what we usually saw in the City." Argued Gebura.

"... You really seem to have started caring for the librarians as well." Commented Angela.

Gebura shrugged at such a claim. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but she wouldn't admit to it.

"Hey, isn't the moon... different to how it is in our world?" Asked Jaune. However, he was met with no response.

Without much thought, Jaune changed Crescent Rose into its sniper form and fired a shot at the wolf, then another one.

He then rushed forward and slashed upward with the scythe, this was met with a clash , to which he then unrelentlessly swung down his weapon.

Unfortunately, it was also blocked, but before the wolf could attack again. Ruby got in the way and blocked the attack, only to then slash with her scythe at the wolf-like creature.

Jaune, unsatisfied with the initial clashes, then raised his scythe and rushed towards the wolf at high speeds.

Ruby saw as Jaune ignored the fact that she was in the way. She greeted her teeth and allowed it to hit her.

The attack then impacted the wolf, however, it didn't do enough damage to it, as it then used its claws to slash Jaune.

"Not a lot of cooperation from the looks of it..." Commented Yang.

"Jaune is being controlled by his emotions, there is no way for him to distinguish friend from foe." Spoke Blake.

"Ruby is doing quite well for now, she is certainly showing her skill as a Color Fixer." Admitted Pyrrha.

Jaune looked at his other self, he didn't know how to feel, just the idea of seeing himself in such a situation was jarring enough, but seeing himself act so... feral was something he never thought could be possible.

He hoped he'd never be in the same situation.

Even after being hit by the creature's claws, Jaune didn't back off. His rage was intense enough for him to ignore the damage that the wolf was doing to him.

He then raised Crescent Rose and stabbed the point of the scythe into the back of the enemy. Even when the creature was biting down onto his shoulder, he was determined and angry enough to ignore the pain.

Ruby decided to step in as she ran forward, she pushed the wolf back, just so Jaune could recover from his injury, even for a bit.

Even after trying to make Jaune fall back a bit, he decided to rush onward once again like last time.

But this time, Ruby was prepared, she dodged the attack and rushed in alongside Jaune.

They both went towards the wolf, both of them seemingly passing through the wolf like he was nothing.

Yet it was still not enough, although the wolf seemed completely injured from head to toe, it still decided to attack Jaune again.

Infuriated, Jaune then proceeded to lift Crescent Rose in its gun mode and proceeded to shoot indiscriminately, he ignored the recoil, and yet, he was still able to hit the target many times.

Ruby on the other hand continued to dodge the incoming bullets as she saw that Jaune had defeated the wolf.

"That is quite the impressive aim there Jaune." Complimented Blake. "The fact that you're able to shoot so precisely yet so savagely is quite outstanding."

"Uh, other me probably had enough experience to do that, I on the other hand cannot." Said Jaune as he scratched the back of his head.

"Jaune... please take better care of Crescent Rose." Said Ruby as she glared at him.

"Don't look at me like that! Look at other me!" He defended himself.

They then saw as the scene had changed.

They were still inside a dark forest, however, there was a full moon now, and they were near a cabin. The lighting in the place was far brighter than before.

Jaune had changed form, in this case, he now had a pair of wolf ears, long hair, a tail and big paws with sharp claws.

"Oh! It's Jaune as a faunus!" Nora pointed out. "I always thought he'd be a rabbit though!"

"I don't think that's a faunus." Argued Blake. "Usually, faunus only have one to two animal traits with them, most commonly ears or tails, but in Jaune's case, he not only has both of them, but also big hands that are unnatural even for faunus to have."

"Either way, it seems like the fight between both of them is actually going to start!" Said Yang with excitement. "I wish I had popcorn or a drink with me, the previous fight was cool even by itself!"

Before Jaune could react, Ruby lunged at him as she rapidly lowered her war scythe onto him. He blocked it with his hands.

She then spun around and slashed the weapon against him once again. This time, it broke his guard, to which Ruby took advantage as she then thrusted her scythe into Jaune's abdomen.

Jaune gritted his teeth and grabbed the weapon with one hand and punched Ruby in the face, pushing her far back.

He then ripped the weapon out of where she had stabbed him and threw the weapon far away.

However that was no problem, as she then opted to manifest her E.G.O.

Red armor covered her as she rushed at blinding speeds to which Jaune couldn't see.

She slammed the back side of her scythe onto Jaune's stomach, making him recoil back as he couldn't recover from the blunt hit.

She then slashed horizontally, to which Jaune was sent back flying.

"Okay, I'll take it back, E.G.O. are really freaking cool!" Said Ruby in awe as she saw her other self in battle.

"Though, that does put her in a timer." Weiss pointed out.

"We need to believe in Ruby, she wouldn't have activated it unless she knew she would win with it." Explained Pyrrha.

"Oh, so it wasn't because she lost her main weapon?" Asked Jaune.

"No Jaune, I am sure she would have been able to fight with her hands alone too." Responded Pyrrha

The scene changed once again.

This time, Jaune was covered in black substance, it was a matter of decomposing bodies, which came in hand with a large sword with a mouth on it, furthermore, four small piles of dead bodies could be seen laying down, yet despite that, they continued to move as if they were alive.

Ruby spent no time and acted, she first rushed towards one of the small piles and slashed at it as she killed it, then she moved towards Jaune, then back to another pile, and after that, again to Jaune.

She reaped each one of the small piles until all four piles were nowhere to be found.

She then focused on Jaune once again, calmly, she slashed upwards with her scythe, then as Jaune recoiled, she then slashed down.

She then followed with a speared thrust with her now transformed war scythe, and unlike before, she hastily took out her weapon by completely obliterating Jaune's side.

"Hey, don't you think these fights are... a bit one sided?" Asked Ruby.

"It's a fight against a Color Fixer, I'm sure she's experienced enough to go all out in any situation." Suggested Ren. He then looked at Nora, who was flapping her arms out as she was frustrated to see her leader lose.

The scene changed once again.

They now were back in the forest. The light was nowhere to be seen as the moon was now a new moon.

Jaune now wore an outfit resembling that of an aristocrat, the black jacked he had contrasted the golden lines running down the clothing.

He was equipped with dual guns. He looked at Ruby with a sense of weariness and skepticism.

Roland was the first one to question the new abnormality. "I've never met this one before." He then looked at Angela.

"Yeah, I fought against Nosferatu, not this abnormality." Gebura mentioned.

"This would be Der Jäger." Revealed Angela. "Der Jäger is a hunter who neglected the pleas of Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary."

"In the end, he regretted not helping, to which point he went on to hunt down any wolf or person he found suspicious, so long as he killed them he would feel that he brought justice." She finished.

In a way, it did fit this version of Jaune, as it seemed his past work as a Fixer during his time in Charles Office was more about bringing justice more than anything.

"Man, why is it that every single weapon Jaune has is cool?!" Asked Ruby as she could only look at the weapons Jaune had used through the fight with a lot of excitement.

"I'm not sure, though, it does make me wonder, where is Crocea Mors in that world?" Questioned Jaune.

Roland then said. "My weapons were technically with me, but I didn't use them as I tried not to blow my cover."

"So you probably have your weapon hidden somewhere."

Jaune shot at Ruby, however the bullets were deflected as she continued to parry them.

She slowly got closer each time, even so, the bullets never stopped.

Seeing as it was doing nothing, Jaune then rushed in and took out his claw-like hand to try and grab Ruby by the face.

Ruby however dodged the hand as she swept Jaune's legs, making him drop onto the ground. She then took her scythe and plunged it onto Jaune's chest.

The stab was strong enough to go through his body, however, Jaune raised his hand as he then aimed his gun at Ruby's face.

She quickly reacted and dodged the bullet that was about to be embedded into her head. In frustration as to how Jaune continued to fight, she decided to twist the weapon, creating an even bigger wound which spilt blood onto their bodies.

Ruby then took out the weapon and aimed for Jaune's neck. Before she could swing, Jaune stood up and kicked Ruby's arm.

The sudden impact made her change the grip she used on her weapon as she then used her other hand to turn her scythe into a rifle.

The rifle then made an audible "Hello?" as it then shot a blast onto Jaune's body a few times.

"Dear lord! Can't that version of Jaune stay down?!" Questioned Weiss a bit exasperated as she saw the blonde boy continue to get up even after the amount of stab and bullet wounds he had.

"More like DEER lord since he's a hunter, eh? Eh? Get it?" Joked Yang. She got groans in response.

"But seriously though, how can people in your world survive so many injuries without aura?" Asked Pyrrha as she looked at the two Color Fixers.

"I guess we're built different." Shrugged Roland.

" You think that weapon can talk to me?" Asked Ruby, she got weird looks in return. "What? it just said hello, I needed to know if I could have some sort of friendship with my weapon!"

"You're as crazy as some of the people I've met back then." Commented Roland.

The scene changed again.

Jaune was now fused with lumps of flesh, his hand was now a lump of flesh with spiky teeth on it. his body was covered with the same kind of flesh, leaving only his head and a creepy smile in the open.

Despite the sinister look, Ruby rushed in and continued her onslaught. She had no time to stop as she was being carried away with her momentum.

She stabbed, slashed, hit, lacerated, thrusted. She used every single sort of attack she knew to take down Jaune as quickly as she could.

Jaune then turned into an egg, one with eyes around it, it was some sort of cocoon.

"At this point, the fight is over before it is even finished." Claimed Weiss. "Jaune has been forced to go into defensive while Ruby has had the upper hand this whole time."

"Maybe it's trying to break that momentum?" Suggested Ruby with an unsure tone in her voice.

But Weiss talked back. "If so, I don't think that's the way in doing so, he could have tried to fall back or escape, I am confident that the Red Hood is strong enough to break the cocoon in no time."

The others nodded in agreement, even Nora, who had been trying to cheer on the other version of Jaune for so long. She had a comical sad look, saying it was not fair.

Gebura whispered to Roland. "I do wonder, what would have happened had you gone all out at the beginning."

Roland whispered back. "Perhaps I could have defeated you, but I don't feel confident with that claim, it's hard to say, especially when we both had our own handicaps."

And Weiss' prediction was correct.

Ruby then raised her weapon one more time, she then started stabbing the egg again and again.

Blood splattered around as flesh continued to tear. The egg was durable, but it was not strong enough to withstand the consecutive attacks.

In the end, Jaune came out of the cocoon like an undeveloped butterfly, he had a sword, one similar to Mimicry, a hand stuck out of his hair while he still had the mace arm extremity.

He swung his sword around unrelentlessly, yet Ruby was agile enough to block, dodge and even parry the attack one after another.

She continued to keep her cool as she then went into the offensive against the wrath driven Fixer.

"This ends here." She said as she swung her scythe down onto Jaune's head.

It connected, as she then slowly cut Jaune in half, she put further force as the scythe dug through Jaune's body.

She continued until it made its way all the way through.

Yet despite the gruesome attack, it fortunately left Jaune without any permanent damage.

He instead reverted back to his normal self.

"What a cool finishing move." Said Yang, impressed at the nasty attack. It helped knowing that Jaune ended up unharmed in the end.

"I think I have a new fear." Was the comment Jaune said as he imagined himself being cut in half.

"Anyways, pay up Nora, same goes for you Ren, don't think that I forgot about our bet." Said Yang as she extended her arm with an open hand, signaling them to put money on it.

"Oh bummer, here." Said Nora with disappointment. Ren on the other hand did so without any comment.

The scene changed again.

Thus I suffer love's inconstancies

And when I believe I will suffer more,

Without knowing, I find myself at peace.

Jaune opened his eyes, only to see Winter and Ruby in front of him.

Yang whistled. "Dang, your sister sure does look like you! You might end up being demoted to ice princess!"

"So, she's replacing you in that version, right?" Inquired Weiss as she ignored Yang's teasing.

"That would be correct, though I am not sure if we both have the same motives or backstory." Responded Angela.

"How do you find this situation, Golohab?"

"Well, I'd say that his anger was very similar to how I was back in Lobotomy Corp."

"Not at all. I remember seeing you going berserk back then, and none of them could compare to the wrath of a gentle man."

"Furthermore, it's not the same as me either."

Jaune who had finally snapped from his initial daze, then asked. "Hey, is that supposed to be some sort of shit talking while I was out cold?"

"Not at all." She paused for a bit. "Do you feel alright?"

"Uf... relieved if anything, but at the same time uneasy and awkward. 'Least my body isn't in half."

"That's good to hear... Now go back to work after you take a break from the aftermath."

She then disappeared at the snap of her fingers.

"Hey, don't worry, we've all had our ass beaten by others at least once."

"Doesn't make it any more awkward, especially when you say it that way."

"Well, I was always awkward when it came to this sort of talk, but at least I can say that I understand your frustrations."

"But that same anger can lead to yourself cutting parts of you, to the point you lose yourself in that very action."

"So wield that very same blade properly."

"And then you might be able to point the tip of the blade towards the person you hate the most."

"I'll take that advice to heart then..." He said as he started to leave the place. "Although... I already know who to aim it at."

"All I need is to find the moment to finally show it to them."

"One time, one meeting." He said as he smiled.

Ruby then pulled out a cigarette. "Want a cig?"

"Fine, just this once."

The room then went back to a white space.

"I can't believe my sister turned out to be such a bad influence." Teased Yang.

"Yang! Again! This is not the time to joke around!" Yelled Weiss. "It was... nice to see my sister again though."

"Well..." Said Roland as he stretched his arms out. "Now that's done with. I'm getting out of here."

Gebura and Angela nodded as they quickly left the room.

"Oh right, would it be alright if we wrote dow..." Roland's voice slowly faded away.

Pyrrha looked at Jaune with a bit of concern. "Jaune... are you sure you're okay after seeing your other self?"

"Y-yeah? I mean... it's weird to see my other self suffer so much... I feel pity..." He admitted. "Yet... I can't help but wonder if he is truly me..."

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Nora with curiosity.

"I don't know how to say it, but there is so much information, names that I don't know, people that I might have not met yet... and also the fact there was a voice in my head." He added. "All these traits are some that make me think that he's truly not me."

"But what about Ruby then?" Inquired Blake. "You've seen her, while she may not have acted like she usually did, that was mostly because she was a mix between Miss Gebura and Ruby, most of her traits could be seen during her younger days as well as her personal mentality and philosophy."

Ren then added. "I would say that in your case, that sense of justice and how you usually blame yourself for what you haven't done are traits that both versions share."

"There is still a lot of information missing, so I wouldn't be surprised that more similarities weren't shown." He finished.

"You might be right..." Accepted Jaune. "I'm just scared of what my other versions could end up either being or doing... I've seen the anger and cruel side that I never want to experience, it makes me wonder if I'll ever end up the same way."

"Then just don't marry Weiss." Joked Yang. Weiss complained, which was met with deaf ears. "But jokes aside, don't worry much about it, you're not like the Ronald... Orlando? Whatever his name was, you're you, you're Vomit Boy, the dorky guy who's best friends with my sister."

Jaune smiled."Yeah, I don't know why I have been questioning myself so much."

"Then how about we finally get out of this room!" Suggested Nora.

"But you were the very reason we ended up here..." Pointed out Blake.

"I think that's fine by me, this white room is starting to get on my nerves." Expressed Yang.

_-_

Inside a barely lit room sat Kleine as he looked at the wide amount of cameras he had installed.

"Excellent! It seems the first people have found out about the unbooked rooms!" He expressed his excitement.

"Now... what will happen if I manipulate a few of them into entering another one..." He said as he looked at Issei Hyoudou sitting in his bed doing nothing, only to find a porn magazine under his bed.

Suddenly he heard the telephone in his room ringing.

"Yes, Haine? What is it?" He said with venom as he talked with the man he hated the most.

"New guests have appeared." He reported.

"Do tell, who are they?" Asked Kleine with intrigue.

"The headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin, Qrow Branwen, and new guests unrelated to the previous ones." He informed.

"A bunch of unstable kids."

"Be more specific."

"Sunny, Basil you get the idea."

"... Oh no."

"And I just asked them if they were 3 days before Sunny left, and Basil just found out."

"That's tragic... but exciting."

(A/N)

Man what a way to start with the first reaction.

Also yup, Omori is now in this fanfic.

FYI, chapters won't usually be this long... I think. Furthermore, don't expect fast or consistent updates, this is a side project of mine that started as me trying to practice character interactions and reactions.

Now, some of you may say that the reactions could have been better, and I wouldn't be surprised. As much as I love them, I think I am better suited to writing drama and tragedy.

And as you can see, Issei will be the main focus point of the next chapter. Just a little spoiler for another fic I have (While My World Shatters), a certain motif (Black Swan) alongside a version of Issei that is around Arc 5-6 appears in here (Both arcs do not exist yet as of the time of writing this) and a few characters from Arc 3.

So, some of you might be wondering. What the hell did I do with Jaune in this reaction? Well I decided to add some traits from the real life Joan of Arc and added them into this.

The names I used for the Sephirah are based on the complete opposite of them, they're part of the Tree of Death.

As for Der Jäger, an abnormality that doesn't exist that I created, I will 100% create a part telling information about it in Story Status which can be found in my wattpad page.

The poem I used instead of "O Sorrow" is called "I live, I die, I burn, I drown By Louise Labe"

One Time, One Moment replaced That's That and This is this. It's based on the Japanese saying, "Ichi go Ichi e" Which means "Once in a lifetime".

Will I be continuing this universe I created regarding Jaune and company replacing characters in the Library? Not sure.

But I'd say it's time for Limbus Company to take the spotlight alongside Issei.

No scrapped content in this case, these ideas in a way, are the scrapped content themselves, just with a few changes.

And that's all, I'll see y'all next update.

DxD (Issei, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko)

RWBY (RWBY, JNPR)

Library of Ruina (The Library)

Limbus Company (Limbus Corporation Main Cast)

Omori (Sunny, Basil, Kel, Aubrey, Hero)