Chapter Text
The cast waited once again, feeling excited for what’s about to come. As they watch the observers talk and choose for the next reaction, Ruby felt someone’s hand tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to where it was and it came from Weiss.
“So how are you feeling?” She asks with a hint of worry.
“I’m fine. Ruby replied with one eyebrow raised in confusion. ”Why did you ask?”
“Remember what the observers said earlier that when your counterpart from screen sustains any damage, you’ll get the same.” Weiss mentioned and then Blake, Yang, and the other students and adults now paying attention to their conversation.
“Earlier from the screen, the other Ruby nearly squashed in the car when the giant stepped on it. Did you feel anything?”
“Weiss, I’m fine. Although I ‘did’ feel scared when the other me almost squash, but I’m fine.” Ruby brushes out her friends and family’s worries by playfully hitting her head with a bonk.
Weiss and the others nod and just focus on the screen, as the neutral and evil side does the same. The observers connected their own wristbands to the system as they started the reaction.
The scene shows a black screen with date/time (AD 2010.07.28 12:10:40:13) presented while the time section keeps going, then it shows a flap timer display counting down.
“Professor, are those…” Velvet trailed off as Professor Oobleck continued what she was supposed to say.
“Yes. Judging by the time and day that was display, it seems we are going to reacted in related-”
“““Time Travel””” Oobleck, Ozpin and Watts said in unison and they both looked at each other.
“Ughh…showing these reminds me of one of the movies where an apocalypse dystopia happens.” Ruby grimace.
“Ending the Remnant can be great to me” Salem mutters as she remembers that she wanted to bring humanity down, just to show the brothers that they’re second creation is a mistake.
“Neptune, you watch these kinds of nerdy things, right?” Sun asks.
“Intellectual, not nerd!” Neptune addresses the right term to his partner. “And yes, sometimes I would watch movies where the genre is apocalypse or post-apocalyptic world.
“Great, we’re going to react to nerd stuff.” Mercury said in disappointment.
“At last, the time has come to open Steins Gate!” Ruby said as a passage was shown from the top of the stairs.
Everyone was shocked when they heard that voice, especially from that person.
“Is that me?! Why do I sound like a mad scientist?” Ruby said as grasp her face with a horrified look.
“Rubes, you might turn into one because of your obsession.” Yang jest as the other teens and her family laugh with her, much to Ruby’s dismay.
“Hey, I know I’m a weapon nerd, but not that obsessed.” Ruby defends herself from her half-sister’s statement.
“What is Steins Gate?” Jaune asked.
“Maybe it is a scientific term for something?” Ren responded to his leader’s question.
“Or just a delusional term coming from a mad scientist.” Cinder said as she took a second glance on Watts before looking back at the screen.
Tyrian saw this and he just chuckled quietly but Watts noticed this and just grumbled.
On the lower view where Weiss, Ruby and Jaune were shown only from their leg to torso view.
“Then, everything is prepared.” Weiss said as the microwave started to release some sparks inside of it. Then Ruby was seen smiling in front of the screen.
“Begin the operation.” Ruby said as she pressed the button on his scroll, then the screen went black.
The scene shows the sun shining while it zooms out showing in the city, as the background music goes on, then some phrases appear one by one on the scene.
The universe has a beginning but no end
I was wondering if I could reach the stars
History dictates that it is the wise who are most foolish
You mustn’t turn back
Some of the cast didn’t understand the text that was written on the screen, except for those who are used to reading cryptic words or often say to others like Ozpin and Salem.
“I can agree that the universe has a beginning but no end.” Peter stated his agreement as the others nodded.
“Well, we already have proof of that since we are going to watch Summer’s brat in every universe.” Raven says nonchalant with a shrug to which everyone agrees.
Ruby just nervously laughed as she didn’t want to gain this much attention but she loves to see who she is in every universe.
“I agree that those people whom they thought were wise are the most foolish.” Roman smirked as he took a puff of his cigar, watching the good side glaring at him while Neo, Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Watts, Tyrian and Salem just silently giggled.
Adam smirks at Roman’s taunt to huntsmen or any humans, but he didn’t want to join them or let them know, for his pride as a faunus is important.
Ruling time means ruling the world
Dystopia
A free world
Infinite
“I was careless. I can’t believe that this future awaits me.” Ruby said as she was standing alone in the city. Then an unknown machine was standing that caused the part of the building to be destroyed.
The cast was shocked and curious about the machine and the destruction that happened.
“Ruby, what did you do?!” Weiss and the other good side gasped.
“I don’t know?! I didn’t even know that I could do that!” Ruby explained while pointing at the screen.
“Oh ho, Little Red, never thought you would cause such a mayhem.” Roman had another puff of his cigar as Neo snickered.
“Don’t worry Ruby, I know you wouldn’t cause any harm.” Penny reassured the red reaper.
“But still, how did that happen?” Glynda and Amber asked out loud.
The scene shows Ruby running in nowhere, then a building was seen, along with the alley filled with stalls.
“Here you go, Ruby!” Penny beamed as she gave Jaune a bottle of soda.
“What is going on? Why did all the people disappear?” Ruby puzzled while looking around in the same place where it happened.
“They disappeared?” Penny questioned.
“They all disappeared! All of them, right in front of us!” Ruby exclaimed as the people in the streets were shown everywhere.
“Ruby seems to be paranoid. Did something happen?” Pyrrha expressed her worry to her fellow classmate and friend.
“Your daughter really did something that led her like this.” Amber said as she looked at Summer.
“There’s no way that my child will do that.” Summer objected.
“Oh Miss Rose, don’t jump to your own conclusions yet. You’ll never know what your child can do.” Esile rebutted.
“And what do you mean by that, Miss Esile?” Ozpin asked.
Esile just shrugged as Elias and Elisa just cleared their throat and not trying to answer, while Elise and Eli didn’t mind the latter. “Just saying, you might be surprised by what every Ruby can do.”
‘Does that mean that there is an evil version of her?’ Neo signed, using the sign board that appeared out of nowhere as her way of communication.
“Correction, just more selfish and selfless is all we can say.” Esile imparted as the whole cast looked at the observers with confusion, intrigue, and most of all, worry.
“But aside from that, Ruby and Penny seem very close in this universe?” Pyrrha noticed as she felt some deep connection from those two.
LAB MEMBER 001: RUBY ROSE
“You saw it, didn’t you? You saw it right? Right?” Ruby asked as she started to shake Penny two times.
LAB MEMBER 002: PENNY POLENDINA
“I didn’t.”
“Ruby, calm down, you’re hurting Miss Penny Polendina.” Glynda scolded the red reaper.
“Oh Penny, I’m very sorry for my counterpart.” Ruby bent her head many times towards her robot friend.
“Oh don’t worry Ruby my friend. The other me doesn’t mind it either.” Penny said while patting her friend's head.
“I never thought Ruby would lead a lab team.” Ren noticed the names of Ruby and Penny that were after the word Lab Member.
“Nor even became a scientist.” Weiss continued.
“Nor even get a high score in science.” Tai ended as all three just roasted the red reaper.
“Wow, really guys?” Ruby glare to her friends and family.
“I saw it!” Ruby shouted with distressed tone as she was shown standing in front of the doorway as he was shocked after he saw Weiss lying on a puddle of blood.
“You were stabbed! At Doctor Gele’s press conference, at the radio building!” She explained as she looked at Weiss while she was staring at her skeptically.
Some of the cast gasp from the other Ruby’s claims of Weiss being stabbed while Adam and the other evil side have formed a sneered face after hearing the unfortunate fate of a Schnee.
“Finally, the Schnee had it!” Adam cackled as he felt smiling from Weiss’ misfortune.
“Who dared to hurt my sister?!” Winter fumes as she expresses her anger.
“And how did she know that Miss Schnee was stabbed?” Ironwood inquired and it made Winter glared at Ruby while the latter lowered herself in her seat to hide from the piercing glare of the Schnee.
“Hey, don’t glare at my niece like that! She didn’t do anything that could cause your little sister’s harm.” Qrow argues on Winter’s and Ironwood’s conjectures to which the Specialist changes her glare to him.
“And how can you be sure that your niece and the partner of my sister has nothing to do with it?”
“Winter!” It was Weiss who made them turn their attention to her. Ruby’s eyes widened in awe, seeing Weiss standing up to her was one of the first times she ever experienced.
“He’s right, Ruby will not try to harm me for any reason besides, she’s too dumb to come up with that.”
Ruby groan as she felt insulted from the last part. Yeah, this is Weiss, she should have known it from the start. But, at least she has finally said something nicer.
“Ruby, calm down, try to control your delusions. Doctor Gele’s press conference was called off!” Jaune said as he tried to hold Jaune off from Pyrrha.
LAB MEMBER 003: JAUNE ARC
“Oh my gosh Jaune, you look…umm…” Nora immediately when she saw her leader but then she stopped from what she’s about to say when she saw Jaune’s appearance.
Cardin on the other hand burst into laughter as his teammates and some of the evil side just snickered.
“What happened to me?! How did I get fat?!” Jaune starts to blabber aloud as he becomes dismayed to see his other self on the screen.
“Might it be due to an unhealthy lifestyle?” Sage guessed while the other men and women agreed.
Jaune slumps in his chair in depression as he hears some laughter and stares from the people in the theater. He then felt someone’s hand that was placed on top of his and it was from Pyrrha, who’s giving him a gentle smile.
“Jaune, no matter how you look, I will always like you.”
Jaune blushes and appreciates her compliment while the other teens in the background, especially Nora, Yang, and Coco are cooing for the two.
“Wait, hold on, did Mister Arc say Doctor Gule?” Ozpin repeated the words that caught everyone's attention.
“Gule? As in Jacques? Jacques Schnee?!” Ironwood exclaimed that the whole room
“They didn’t remember the experiment, even though we all talked about it, and we all observed. Only I can remember.” Ruby said as she looked down in despair amongst the crowds.
“Seems Ruby here is experiencing some sort of time travel.” Oobleck observed from the way Ruby was acting.
“Technically speaking, she has become a time traveler and she is in a state of confusion.” Watts clarifies.
“But why did Ruby go back in the past?” Sun asked
“Remember when she saw Weiss get stabbed? That must be the reason why.” Blake answers Sun's question.
In a flashback, Weiss was shown arguing with Ruby about something while Penny looked at her with concern and then pat Weiss’ shoulder. Then the scene shows the old version of scroll that has key buttons on instead of the whole screen intact.
Some of the teens just giggle and hold their laughter as they witness Ruby and Weiss arguing while Penny was there trying to get in between the two.
“Welp, as always, you guys still fight in different universes.” Yang shrugged while sighing and then Blake nodded in agreement.
“You’re doing an interesting experiment there, Ruby Rose.” Weiss said as she was shown leaning beside the wall as she appeared herself before her.
LAB MEMBER 004: WEISS SCHNEE
“So I’m part of your lab, huh. Guess I’m the smartest one and also keeping you out of trouble, Ruby.” Weiss said with a shrug.
“Hey, I am smart too!” Ruby scowled while Weiss, Blake and Yang gave her a look.
“Yeah, I mean, only about weapons. Sorry Rubes.” Yang said.
Then Elias interrupted their conversation. “Well, the truth is, the Ruby in this universe is also smart.” That statement made Ruby huff with pride while crossing her arms. “But at the same time, you're too delusional here.”
That last statement made Ruby shocked and felt ridiculed from this while the other cast laughed from what they’ve learned.
Elise looked at Elias as he sat back to his seat and it made him look at the latter after feeling her gaze.
“What? You know it’s funny.”
“Do you really have to? You should have referred to the other Ruby as something else, not delusional. She has her own imagination about science.”
“Meh, it’s done already, and besides, the cast seems to be having fun.”
“SERN maintains an exclusive monopoly on time machines.” Ruby stated while the word SERN has been typed on screen.
“Neither civilians, nor corporations may acquire one. They’ve used the time machine for their sole benefit, to bring about dystopia.” Ruby explained as the city was shown in the night. A website that was filled with messages was shown in which Ruby is the one who keeps scrolling the website.
Then a scene shows a man continuing his barrage and someone’s hand let go from a pistol. The bullet shells kept bouncing on the ground after it fell, then two silhouettes were shown collapsing and a single bullet shell fell down, revealing a pile of dead bodies leaning on a bloody wall.
The good side felt saddened and dismayed from the scenes. Using time machines for their selfish reasons, bringing the dystopian world, who would not feel despair from that?
The villains only just scoff and some just rolled their eyes. Some are thinking that the people who have power don't deserve to have much. while the remaining are just enjoying the chaos.
“The D-mails probably changed the past.” Weiss guessed as Jaune, Ruby and her were looking at the screen.
“Hack into SERN.” Ruby said as the camera showed the crowd on the street, looking for someone.
“You need to find out what evil they’re up to and get a hint about the time machine.” Ruby said as she and Penny were shown standing in front of the building where it all began, then a clock was shown, its long hand moving up after the line.
“They’re planning to hack an organization that could possibly lead to a most dangerous threat!” Neptune exclaimed.
“Ah yes, remember those times we infiltrated Atlas Cargo, Neo?” Roman said as he has a reminiscence of the times when he and Neo did back then. Neo nods, as well as some people like Adam, Watts and Tyrian have related from the subject.
“But, that is an illegal way to get information! You could get detained because of that!” Winter got up her seat, expressing her desperate disagreement.
“So what are they supposed to do? Call the cops that will not believe them because it's nonsense?” Qrow spoke out of nowhere while shaking his flask.”
“You know they can reach someone like us.” Winter spoke with a cold and angered tone towards him.
“To you? Heh, oh Ice Queen, How could they tell you if all you do is to follow orders to Jimmy and not your own judgment?”
This made Winter become more furious as she’s about to try to fight Qrow by any means, even without her rapier. “You took your words right off your-”
“Qrow, Winter!”
As they are about to engage into a fight, Ironwood, Ozpin, and Glynda already step in between those two.
“That is enough for both of you.” Ironwood said with a commanding tone.
“But sir he-”
“It doesn’t matter right now. We are in the middle of nowhere and we can’t risk fighting here, especially in front of the children.” Glynda cuts her off with a reasoning and they all look at the teens who're watching them at the start.
Winter now realized what situation she’s in as her face became light pink from the embarrassment. She then took a deep breath and then sat back on her seat.
Glynda immediately gave Qrow a smack at the back of his head before mumbling something.
“I know it’s a shock…” Weiss said as a small microwave was shown. Then the words from the screen says “Human is dead” was zoom in,
“…but now that we know this...” She continued as Jaune was shown with a horrified expression while staring at the screen.
“...we have to reach some conclusion.” Weiss finished as a person whose flesh had turned into jelly except for its skeleton was shown on screen. Then Ruby was seen pressing the pad on her phone as the microwave started to release some sparks.
“How did that time machine turn like this?!” Jaune exclaimed as they witnessed something grotesque.
“The time machine could have malfunctioned due to the incomplete stage.” Watts stated.
“Ruby, what have you done?!” Tai questioned his daughter.
“I-I don’t know, Dad! I’m more confused as well!” Ruby replied in panic while now holding her wrist where the wristband was.
Yang noticed this and immediately brought her arm over her sister’s shoulder, wrapping her in half embrace. “Hey, easy now. It’s not your fault and you are not there.”
Ruby listens to her sister’s words and sighs as she loosen her grip from her wrist. “Right, thank you sis.”
“Ruby, are you going to send a D-mail?” Penny queried with worry as she looked at Ruby who’s holding the phone with an D-mail while being hesitant.
“Once you go, you can’t return.” Jaune stated
“Can we really overcome time?” Ruby pondered to herself as Penny, Jaune and her are watching the microwave to charge up more power. “Why am I so scared?”
“El Psy Congroo!” Ruby says her mantra as she presses the send button as she starts to experience time travel.
“She’s going to do it.” Emerald said.
“But for what reason?” Hazel ponders.
“Something that the brat made desperate to go back to the past” Raven responded while Ruby and her friends, and family glared at her for calling the reaper brat.
The screen views a pocket watch that was thrown from the unknown impact that caused it to break.
“Each time we send a message, things change.” Ruby said as she turned around, looking frantically in the area while Jaune and Penny were with her.
“Something may be changing, even without me being aware of it.”
“So, Ruby can change a certain event by sending a D-Mail?” Ren repeated from what was on the screen.
“With just a single message, she could change the past. Only Ruby could do this.” Elise explained.
“That sounds like a cheat power.” Cinder grumbles.
“You’re just jealous because Little Red gets the amazing preps.” Roman said while taking a puff.
“You know that she is one of the reasons why she’s interrupting our plans.” Cinder glared at him after he gibed her.
“Your plans or your master’s plan. Second, we are here in the center of endless possibilities. Don’t you at least think to unwind?”
Cinder didn’t reply but only gave him a daggered look before proceeding to look at the screen.
“It's possible that we’ve already done something that cannot be undone.” Ruby stated as Penny was shown visiting a grave in the rain and the hourglass that its sands are going down.
“I don’t want to make the same mistake as my father!” Weiss exclaimed as Ruby was looking at the time machine that broke the part of a building.
“Now even Ruby can’t control what is going on.” Velvet mutters under her breath, feeling something is off from this sci-fi world.
“Why am I standing in front of the grave? Don’t tell me, dad-” Penny was about to say what she thought of when she was stopped by a hand.
“No, no Penny. That won’t happen. I know that it might in that world, but I promise, your dad is safe.” Ruby calmed her android friend as hold her shoulders with both of her hands.
Penny took a moment to regain her composure and then nodded, listening to her first friend and calm down.
Meanwhile, Weiss couldn't ignore the lines that her counterpart had said. It’s true, she won’t make the same mistake as her father did. For the name that he stained, she swears that she will be more than that, like her grandfather, Nicholas Schnee did.
“My goal is to change the future.” Ruby said as the reflection of a man was seen from the screen with a word ‘john titor’ in reverse. Then a view of a building was shown from an unknown perspective before four mysterious people appeared on the screen with the same two words from earlier.
“And you may be the one who has that power.” Ruby was seen standing out of nowhere, then the screen pans to Amber in a fighting stance.
“Somehow. It feels like Ruby is leaving me.” Penny muttered.
“Whatever Miss Rose has to do, I hope it will bring good.” Glynda said while holding on to the hand rest.
“Seems so, but, it is up to Miss Rose of whatever the outcome she wants to see.” Ozpin stated.
“Seems like you’re going to appear here as well.” Summer said while giving Amber a little nudge of her elbow.
“Heheh, thanks. I hope I don’t need to become someone who has another great responsibility here again.” Amber just laughs sheepishly and mutters quietly the last part.
“Ruby…is leaving me? Did Ruby, my friend doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore?” Penny muttered as she felt suddenly saddened from the view of her counterpart’s statement.
“No, Penny.” Ruby immediately denied her android friend’s statement. “I promise, didn't I? Even if something happens, I will always be your friend.
Penny felt comforted from the little reaper’s words and nodded, as she returned her eyes to the screen. Everyone was touched at what they saw while those on the opposite side felt disgusted, tired from witnessing the friendship kind of scene.
“We’ve got Future Gadget #8, the phone microwave. We’ll complete a perfect time machine.” Ruby said while she was turned from the screen and then turned around to face Weiss.
“And change the world’s ruling structure!” Ruby ended her declaration as a hand was seen reaching to the sky.
“And what does she mean to change the world’s ruling structure?” Watts asked.
“Maybe after Weiss’s demise, she wanted to change the timeline?” Pyrrha guested as the others only looked at the reaper with hope.
“You, you would do that for me?” Weiss looked at Ruby with surprise.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I? I would also do that to Yang, Blake, to JNPR and everyone I love.” Ruby replied without stuttering as it made everyone touched, especially Weiss.
“But, would that be selfish since she is changing the timeline for one? No offense, but I think changing the timeline will create a butterfly effect.” Oobleck raised the question that seems the only concern to those who know the concept of time.
“One could call this a final warning from God, to those who can still resist.” Ruby said as she and the other people in the story were shown, such as Penny, Weiss, Jaune, Amber, Ren, Neopolitan, and Blake on the scene.
STEINS;GATE
The screen turns black and everyone adjusts their eyesight after the lights in the theater turn on in a not so bright way. The observers get up, except for Elise, who seems busy scrolling from her small hologram screen, while the second and third reaction is being played. One of them, Elisa, then stands as she grabs the remote from Elias.
“How was it? Did that blow your mind, especially that it is more on science?” Elisa started.
“It’s boring, only the time machine that amuses me.” Mercury said nonchalantly.
“Quite fascinating, you would imagine what are the things that you can do with this.” Watts shares his thoughts about the reactions while holding his chin.
“It's odd to see Ruby took an obsession for science for once.” Blake cringes, remembering how she acts from the reaction. Ruby then turns and narrows her eyes towards her faunus teammate.
“Wow, I thought you would have faith in me, Blake.”
“I do, but, when it comes to studying, your brain will already be toasted.” Blake replied as they reminisced about the time when Weiss tutor Ruby and it made the latter shiver.
“Alright, that seems good. Now hold on for a moment, you can take a quick bathroom break. We’re having short difficulties for a moment.” Elisa explains while looking at Elise, who seems to keep tapping on her hologram screen. “Just follow the signs outside of the theater, it will tell you wherever you need to go. The Midpoint is large and endless, so you may get lost here if you're not careful.
“Well, folks, I’ll be heading out first!” Roman said as he stretched and immediately ran towards the door while Neo followed him.
Some went to the door where Roman headed, while the others just stayed behind, talking about their situation and about the reaction.
“Guys, I’ll go to the bathroom real quick.” Ruby said.
“Oh, can I join you? I also would like to head to the restroom.” Pyrrha asks as Nora chimes in by waving her hand.
“Oh! Let me join too!”
“Alright. Yang, we’ll be right back.” Ruby turned and told her team.
“Okay, Pyrrha, I’ll leave my sis to you.” Yang said as Pyrrha nodded, understanding to look out for her friend’s leader, and also a friend. Ruby turns and looks at the adults, especially her mom, nodding off as if to take off.
As she steps through the stairs of the theater, the sound echoes to the abyss, creating an overwhelming sound. When she placed her hand through the surface of the door, Ruby felt an electrifying sensation from her fingertips from her right hand, where her wristband was attached. Speaking of the wristband, the small screen makes a different light sequence from white to black, repeating as it makes something but Ruby couldn’t tell what it is. She then ignores what she saw, as she follows Pyrrha and Nora from behind, as her wristband continues to engrave a warning throughout it's screen.
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