Turning Point 1 - Inadequacy - Promised (Reluctant) Victory In Remnant

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.

I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.

Here's the link:

Disc: HrPrTeam

(Special thanks to Glorious4EyedKing & Wudi Tianxia for the Beta Reading Labor!)

-Story Start-

-Third Person POV-

The shattered moon hung over the dark canvas of the sky, standing out amid the tiny stars lighting up the night sky alongside it.

Once again, Alex found himself in the beautiful city of Vale, in the midst of an important mission.

Inside one of the innumerable Dust Shops in the City - He stood still as a stone, reading something off his Scroll as he leaned on one of the inner walls.

A man approached the stone-faced Alex, "Are you going to buy anything? We're about to close." He stated with a hint of unease.

His eyes scrutinized the Beacon-uniformed boy, "Could you have been sent by Ozpin to guard Dust Shops?"

Regarding him with a lone eye, Alex nodded, "More or less."

With a renewed light in his face, the man patted Alex's shoulders in gratitude, "Thank goodness! You have no idea how stressful these days have been for me, the local police and Huntsmen have been shorthanded to help every single one of us."

"Well, do what you gotta do, I'll use the remote locking once you're gone." He waved as he headed to the cash register.

He also mentioned, "But things aren't looking good if they're sending Beacon Rookies... you are a first-year, right? Can't recall seeing you in any tournament."

"Yeah." Alex nodded without turning his head.

Blinking, the man sighed.

He noted that Alex wasn't very keen on conversation and left him to his, indecipherable devices.

And, although Alex wasn't very expressive a degree of anxiety clutched at his normally unfazed heart.

[You have 10 hours left.] The System made sure to remind him how long he had left.

Alex frowned as he observed the man close shop and head to the door, sighing in pure agony, 'Could Gacha turn the tables?' He was really running out of options, and he wasn't keen on Plan B.

[Gacha contains rudimentary skills or items from within the Universe of Remnant. It won't hurt to try, but something to solve this rather simple predicament would be rather unlikely. The correct answer is an attitude shif-]

'Gacha then.' Alex ignored the System's nonsense and clicked on his inventory.

A small ticket appeared in his left hand, blank and rather bland.

'How do I activate this thing?' He inquired.

[Channel your aura and it'll reveal itself.]

Humming, Alex drew out Excalibur, its brilliance materializing in a tight grip of his right hand, and his massive aura sending subtle hums of power around his surroundings, subtly shaking the shop.

So powerful it was, that it nearly seeped through the locked Dust that would be on the verge of activating at the interaction, Alex noticed and quickly subdued as much as he could.

"Should've done this outside, could've been bad." He sweatdropped slightly.

His head immediately lowered to the dull ticket suddenly revealing a wheel sketched inside of it.

He couldn't but shake off the feeling of some strange form of energy subtly seeping from it.

Said energy met his body and was brushed off as if it was nothing.

'Magic.' He could tell.

[Correct.]

The wheel had a nigh-infinite amount of entries in it, and even with his eyes narrowed, Alex hadn't managed to read a thing - so condensed it was that you'd probably need a microscope to manage to read an entry.

The wheel spun at great speed and Alex could only blankly stare at it, with the tiny hope he'd get something that would somehow solve his problems.

It spun and spun, eventually stopping at... something.

The ticket disappeared in motes of light, and a new item appeared in Alex's Inventory.

[Congratulations! You won... The Negativometer!]

...

Blinking, Alex clicked on it to check its description:

[The Negativometer - crafted by the hands of a Mage from the age of the First Humanity; it measures the intangible negativity level within a 5 KM radius.]

"Mhm, doesn't help me one bit." He confirmed that he would not let it out of his inventory, lest he have to carry whatever this looked like.

Without further optimism, Alex 'stood guard' inside the shop as the minutes trickled by, his eyes transfixed at the night sky in an almost comfortable silence.

Only for his scroll to ring, and a voice call from Ruby to be the disturber of his comfortable quietude.

Though, if he were honest, he needs good news:

He answered and cut straight to business, "Anything on your front?"

Ruby replied with an agonized, "Nope... it's boring and lonely camping out, I reallyyyy have no clue how you like this! It'd have been better to be in pairs to kill the boredom!"

"It'd have been less effective." He reminded.

"True, true."

Indeed, Ruby as well as the rest of Team RAWP & YRBN baring Blake are in on the little plan of the unlikely duo of Alex and Yang.

Much to the blonde's dismay, she didn't want to involve others, especially a different team in the issues of herself and her partner.

Alex, on the other hand, was completely on board.

He really didn't have to do much either - his proactiveness raised alarm bells in his own team's head and voila! they volunteered to help.

In hindsight, they might just be his lifesavers.

"Well, talk to you later..." He was about to click on ending the call but was stopped by Ruby's vehement refusal.

"NO! DON'T END THE CALL!"

Seeing as the call was still running, she inquired, "Anything on your front?"

"No. But call me if anything happens." He reminded with a nod.

"Aye! Captai- wait! I'm the Leade-" He immediately ended the call on a rather rude note, and if he weren't a little worried he might have cracked a tiny smile.

But nevertheless, the first change occurred when it was... just an hour before the last Bullhead for Beacon was about to leave.

Or in Alex's deadly deadline, it was...

[7 hours left.]

His scroll vibrated at a sudden notification, taking it out calmly, he eyed the text message in their group chat fittingly named - [Detectives RAWP & YRBN Without the 'B'!]

It was a simple message from Yang, 'Roman's here, there's White Fang with him and Blake's nowhere to be seen, I'm stopping them.'

Ruby quickly replied with a, 'Don't! Wait for us!'

Pyrrha reinforced Ruby's call-out, 'I'm heading there, do not engage.'

Whilst Nora did little to help, 'Shatter their kneecaps Yangy! Leave some for me!' She held limitless confidence in her team's leader.

Alex sighed at the realization Blake wasn't there, nevertheless, his fingers traced the keys as he replied, 'I'm on my way.'

Rising up from his sitting position, he headed out of the store and only then extended his right arm, Excalibur materializing in his clutches.

With his might unleashed, Alex ran at a leisurely pace, making sure not to crack the ground as he blitzed through the relatively empty streets.

Though, he did have quite a little conundrum - 'Which shop was she at, again?'

[You are hopeless.]

-----------------------------

Yang could easily admit that...

It was torturous.

Sitting in one place, anxiously waiting for the chance that her infuriatingly secretive partner would appear might just have been a stupid idea.

Hell, if this doesn't work she might just go with her usual go-to motto of brazenly confronting Blake.

With a sigh, she admitted, 'That might just be my loneliness speaking... I'll lose my mind if I sit here any longer.' She shook her head as she looked at the time in her scroll.

'A little less than an hour left... I'm not doing this again.' She confirmed with a twitch of her eyebrow, despite this being her idea.

Admittedly, a rather risky idea.

Maybe she was going a bit too far for her partner.

The long game might have worked better, wouldn't it?

Patient and empathetic - not bold, brazen, and spontaneous.

Meh, it doesn't fit her one bit.

It's just... Alex was rather suspiciously impatient and she couldn't help but go with the chance of being herself.

Risks were her go-to.

Which is funny, considering that:

'It's completely his opposite, but that kind of responsibility just shows that he's that good of a guy, huh?' Yang smiled at the thought.

She could have never imagined him caring, or rushing something.

Yet here he was.

In a way, she couldn't think of a better and safer partner for Ruby as she discovered more about him... despite him being a guy.

Leaning her head on the makeshift bed she made.

She tried to make herself comfortable inside the unlit dust shop she was allowed to keep guard in - Thank goodness for 'Beacon Student Bias/Huntress Bias' lest she wouldn't have been allowed to stay any longer.

The white, dull, and clean ceiling of the pristine dust shop in the Industrial District wasn't a very charming sight.

Be she had to make do...

Only for an explosion of shattering glass to reverberate loudly in her ears.

Her eyes widened immediately as she was cut rather off-guard and jumped into a stance, hiding behind a gigantic shelf in a rush.

The bracelets in her arms began to cover her hands in a mecha-shifting transformation; her prized weapon - Ember Celica covered both her clenched fists in the form of menacing gauntlets.

Footsteps and hushed talks reverberated across the otherwise dust-shop, the loud sound of an alarm blaring muffled the speech of those present.

Peeking across her hiding spot, Yang noted those present.

The infamous smug Roman Torchwick, and...

'White Fang?' She arched an eyebrow at the sight of the controversial mask but shook her head to do as they all agreed to do.

Swiftly tapping keys, she wrote the message to the group chat, and with a confident smirk, she jumped into action.

One of the White Fang members noticed her first, drawing out a sword and attempting a broad arched swing at Yang's head.

The eager blonde blocked the blade with her sturdy right gauntlet and a smile, pushing the man back and punching his gut with her left arm, unleashing an explosion on impact thanks to the Fire Dust shells.

The poor White Fang member guffawed loudly, as he was launched off his feet, cracking the wall with a powerful impact, thoroughly unconcious.

All eyes, roughly a dozen White Fang Members, and Roman Torchwick gravitated towards the smug Yang who pumped her fist in front of them, "Whose next~?"

Unfazed, but relatively annoyed, Roman regarded Yang with an amused look as he took another inhale from his cigar, "Why, that'd be you, Yellow." He pointed at her with his cane.

The tip of it opened to shoot out a Fire Dust Bullet at breakneck speed, Yang barely bracing herself to take the blow.

Her Aura flared up, taking in the blow as the blonde was knocked back a considerable distance and caved into the wall, much like she had done to the poor White Fang member.

However...

Her smile persisted as she took it like a champ and burst into motion towards Roman with even greater strength than before, "It'll take more than that to kick me down!" Her eyes began to glow red, and her hair almost seemed to burn up.

"Another Semblance? You Beacon Students are quite a handful." He frowned as he backed away from the angry, burning bullet headed his way.

"Do something you dumb animals!" He commanded as he shot at Yang, who evaded most of the shots but took the less lethal ones with a smile, her aura was damaged, but her glow was strengthened.

Three infuriated White Fang members headed to intercept Yang, two wielded a spear and a sword respectively.

Whilst the third began to unload an entire chamber of bullets from his rifle at her, bullets she blocked with her gauntlets once more.

A series of lackluster, panicky thrusts of the spear aimed at Yang's midsection ensued, the blonde's punches countered and shook the spear, as her strength far surpassed the shaky grip of the untrained Faunus.

Eventually, she overwhelmed him as she ran and the spear fell, Yang grabbed it and threw it at the irritating man who shot at her, the spear piercing through the barrel of the gun causing it to explode loudly.

Kicking away the unarmed spear user, she grabbed the sword wielder's face before he could slice her neck and slammed his face into the ground with a powerful impact, her weapon shot an explosive fire dust shell for good measure, the sound of glass indicating the destroyed aura of the member told her she was done with him.

Rising up, Yang narrowly blocked Roman's cane from slamming into her face by clapping her gauntlets together, holding the shaky cane, "Not bad." Roman exclaimed, but the cane's tip opened to aim at her head.

Yang's Ember Celica did the same, as at least one of the chambers in her gauntlet would hit Roman squarely, "Looks like we're stuck~" She grinned a toothy grin as her eyes burned red and was slowly winning the strength tug of war between them.

"I wouldn't be too sure, Yellow." He mentioned with an amused look as Yang's eye caught a polearm aimed at her face blurring at impressive speed.

Yes, she was alone... but not out of options.

Immediately, she let go of the cane, as Roman's instincts screamed for him to draw back, and he did so with a swift hop back, sending another shot of explosive fire dust at Yang.

The blonde activated her Semblance and the accumulated kinetic energy she stored was unleashed with all it's muster.

Ducking under the spear and with gritted teeth absorbing the explosive bullet once more, her Aura was holding strong, but not much of it was left to survive any more of those.

Nevertheless, her strength grew with that hit and she slammed the floor with all her might.

The floor shattered and tremors reverberated across the dust shop, as those White Fang who were either busy trying to fight Yang, or those currently looting the place whilst everyone else fought the spitfire - lost their grounding.

Mostly unskilled fighters, the White Fang lost their footing and fell at the uneven ground and miniature earthquake she created, and the dust canisters they held fell to the ground...

Couple that with Roman's widening eyes as the fire dust bullet he shot was already unleashed, Yang only smirked as her eyes lost the fire in them - returning to a gleeful violet as she ran out of the shop.

A wild, deafening flaming explosion consumed the shop, as all the mixed-in dust exploded in a colorful rainbow - the White Fang members ran as fast as they could and those less lucky were either consumed or sent flying through the broken windows.

Standing tall, and seeing the result of her work with a bright smile, Yang regarded the undamaged Roman with a small sweatdrop.

He turned to her with a shake of his head, "You just had to ruin everything, didn't you? Now no one gets the dust. No winners, only losers."

"You not stealing the dust is my win, heh." Yang snickered in response

Yet, before he could give a witty reply, a loud, furious, and bewildered cry crossed through the streets, "BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE WHITE FANG!"

Everyone turned to the source of the aghast shout, the White Fang members being injured, infuriated, and quite frankly embarrassed regarded the disturbance with little interest - given that their enemy was still here.

Yet, their enemy showcased surprise at the appearance of said disturbance, "Blake?"

However, Yang's surprised call-out fell on deaf ears as the black-haired girl approached the uneasy masked men and women.

"Why? Why have you been working with this... Scum?" Each word was laced with disbelief, betrayal, and... disappointment.

Their expressions twisted in fury at that self-righteous talk, and before they could rebuke or argue Blake's words, they were cut off by her taking off her bow, revealing a pair of Cat Ears.

Revealing her identity as a Faunus.

And through simple conjecture of her prior sentence - a former member of the White Fang.

Yang's eyes widened, as her expression lit up with realization, "I..."

Blake finally addressed her partner with a look of despair, only to shake her head and look at the now-silent White Fang.

Roman chuckled as he tapped at his scroll, leisurely gazing at Blake, "Did you not get the memo, kitty cat? The White Fang and I are on a joint business venture. If you'd like you can pick up one of those masks, we're always looking to hire." He sneered.

Blake grounded her teeth as she unsheathed her blade Gambol Shroud, "You will tell me what your plans are." She growled, pointing the blade at Roman.

Taking a far-off look, expecting something to come, Roman whistled and inquired, "And if I don't comply?" He calmly pointed at her with his cane.

Yang answered in Blake's stead, surprising the now-exposed Faunus teammate, "We'll take you down!" She dashed towards Roman, trusting her teammate to avoid the blow that was about to come.

The tip of Roman's cane flared up once more, as a shot sped towards Blake, which she avoided by using her Semblance - a shadow clone pushing her aside from the projectile.

Another explosion reverberated as Roman found himself suddenly on the defensive as Yang and Blake launched a flurry of strikes at him.

Blocking a punch from Yang's gauntlets, kicking away Gambol Shroud's sheath... he was being thoroughly pushed back, only sheepishly being watched by the surrounding uneasy White Fang.

"He just had to give me the most incompetent bunch." Roman gritted his teeth as he hit Blake square in the jaw with his cane, only to discover it was a shadow clone and in a coordinated sequence Blake used the grappling hook function of Gambol Shroud to trip Roman off his feet.

Roman slipped and attempted to swipe the approaching Yang with his cane, which she shot with her gauntlets.

His only move was to minimize damage, so he clenched the muscles in his forearm and blocked his face, to which Yang eagerly replied with a staggering and explosive punch.

Launching the flamboyant criminal across the street and through the glass of a nearby bakery.

As that was ensuing, the not-so-subtle racket drew the attention of law enforcement as sirens blared from afar and it wasn't much later that the first reinforcements arrived.

Arriving with the force of a speeding bullet, his arrival nearly felt like the force of a typhoon as the wind cut through the surroundings.

With a stop, he revealed himself with a scrutinizing yet dull expression.

The helpless White Fang that had risen up to try and escape or fight back froze at the sight of what he had carried.

It was their first time seeing something so... Sacred, so beautiful.

Yet, the identity of its wielder eluded them as well.

"You good?" Alex inquired with a leisurely grip on 'Stick' as he arrived beside the surprised Yang, whose hair was in a distraught state given the debacle and tiny typhoon he created.

Yang snorted pointing at the shattered glass wall of the bakery, "Yeah, we're just taking care of that-" She blinked noting that Roman, who they had sent flying into the bakery has yet to rise up.

"Did I kill him? I didn't hear any Aura shatter-" Yang sweatdropped as Blake ran into the bakery, a loud seething tone escaping her lips, "The damn scum ran away."

She shook her head, glaring daggers at the White Fang who had regained their composure and were attempting to escape, dashing towards them and lifting a dismayed Faunus woman in the air, "Tell me what Adam is planning! NOW!" She roared.

The woman shivered in Blake's grip, as a noticeable fear crossed her features, "I-I don't know I'm just following order-"

"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME-" Blake's furious screams were cut short by a tight hold on her shoulder.

She turned to snarl, only to be met with Yang's pleading yet stern frown.

Blake's mouth opened to protest, to argue yet she couldn't help but gulp as she noticed that her ears were out in the open.

Noticing her troubled expression, Yang assured, "I'm here for you. Just... talk to me." She smiled lightly, as the police narrowed down on their locations and cars began to arrive at the battle-stricken venue.

Alex approached the two of them, during their touching moment, to which Blake noticed with a hiss.

He could only blink innocently as the catgirl growled, "You... she's here because of you. Telling Ozpin about what you saw, you're just out to get me-"

"Holy shit, calm down." Alex was on the edge of losing his patience, as he dismissed Excalibur with the battle being over.

He pointed at Yang, "She's here because she cares about you."

Turning to see the fast-approaching pair of Nora and oddly enough Weiss, he gestured at them, "They are of a similar mind."

"As if a bigoted Schnee-"

This time, Yang interrupted her dismissive and pessimistic words, "It's true. Whatever you are. Whatever you were. We'll accept you, we're your team... I mean, I'm your partner. I don't give a rat's ass if you were Faunus or even EX White Fang... just talk to us, and if you don't want to talk to everyone then just... talk to me." She pleaded honestly.

A myriad of emotions flashed in Blake's tired eyes, and as if relief or surrender came across her, the grip on her weapons loosened, dropping Gambol Shroud on the ground.

With a low tone, she could only reply as a policeman approached with a steely expression "I-I'll tell you." She hesitantly smiled at Yang.

Alex couldn't help but smile lightly in relief, both that this infuriating girl's secrecy was over and that his looming threat was nearly thwarted, 'Thank goodness.'

[I wouldn't celebrate too soon, you still haven't done anything.]

'Isn't the requirement to figure out what troubles her and encourage her? I think we're closing in on that.'

[It is you who has to encourage her.]

'Why does that matter? Why is this random girl so important to be classified as a Main Quest?' He frowned.

[...]

'Do you simply wish to send me to Purgatory? Is that what this is?' Alex pointedly asked with an angered edge.

[That is most certainly not my intention. It is such a simple quest, yet you fail to complete it or do what it takes to complete it.]

'And what does it take? I feel like I'm moments away from completion.'

[To be a Hero. A trait you have yet to gain a modicum of.]

'To be a meddlesome, insensitive, and most of all, hypocritical liar, is it?'

[If that is how you view it, then that is correct.]

-----------------------------

It was a whole ordeal in the police station.

Ozpin was called in, as per ceremony when a Beacon Student caused a little mischief in Vale.

But this was considerable property damage and involvement with something that has been plaguing the streets of the City rather recently.

Team RAWP & Team YRBN were on the receiving end of a stern lecture by Glynda who couldn't help but ramble in a storm of rigid reprimand.

"I will be monitoring your leave from Beacon starting from today, as Ozpin had mentioned this is nothing 1st Year students of Beacon Academy are to take part in - you were lucky to come out with naught a scratch." She eyed Blake and Yang in particular.

Ozpin could only give a knowing look at Blake, to which she averted her gaze.

Glynda sternly asserted at the assembled two teams, "Am I being clear?"

"As clear as crystal or something! Teach Goodwitch!" Nora cheered with a raised arm.

Ozpin chimed in as everyone nodded at Glynda's callout, "Do not be discouraged, you will soon be assigned missions as of the second term and you'll be able to do patrols or otherwise - under the watchful eye of a licensed Huntsman, of course." He patiently lectured, pointing at Blake once more.

She nodded rather reluctantly but kept her mouth shut.

And without further warning and an exhausted sigh, the Beacon Students were dismissed and boarded on a Bullhead he had called in.

To be blunt, this was incredibly lenient.

"Alex, I thank you for keeping them safe." Ozpin calmly approached the lone Alex as everyone else boarded the bullhead.

"I didn't do anything."

"But you would have if something were to happen. Your presence is reassuring for all of them, that much I am certain." He eyed the distant figures of Team RAWP & YRBN as they boarded, Ruby waving enthusiastically at Alex alongside Nora, which prompted a deadpan from Alex.

"Probably." Alex shrugged with a tiny smile as he headed to board the vehicle.

-----------------------------

The bullhead was a rather solemn ride.

Blake Belladonna had deigned to a prudent time to explain everything.

With a hint of unease and discomfort at the fact that Weiss Schnee and Alex Andrite were overhearing the whole thing.

"I was pretty much born to the White Fang movement..." She started.

"It had started as a peaceful protest movement for the greater good of Faunus-kind."

"But as time went on, as ignorance hadn't waned, as Faunus Labor grew more prevalent and brutal, especially in Schnee-held workplaces... It was slavery, my people were treated like scum, waste... worse than scum even." Her ears twitched as she told her story.

Weiss could only frown, deciding it better not to argue her perspective right now.

"The leadership saw the need for more... drastic measures." She fiddled with the term as a cringe formed on her face.

"Looting, liberating faunus 'work' camps, the works..."

"Eventually, it grew more and more violent, more and more radical, and I..." She shivered, "Couldn't do it anymore."

With a look of resolve and steel she announced, "So I deserted them. I decided I could do more and better for my people as a Huntress. What the current, misguided White Fang is doing is wrong."

Weiss could only bitterly spit out, "Misguided is an understatement."

Blake turned to glare at her, "Do you want me to get descriptive on what your dear cowor-"

"That's enough!" Pyrrha's threatening tone and angered frown shut the both of them up in an instant.

...

And then, suddenly, Blake could only jump at a sudden assault on her privacy as she backed away with a hiss.

Nora had been suddenly rubbing her cat ears, the bubbly girl raised her arms in surrender at the hissing Blake, a placating smile on her lips, "There was no need to hide those cute ears! Frankly, you know you were in some bad place with some bad people, decided to be a good person and that's good enough for me! Isn't that right Renny?!"

He smiled kindly, "That's right. I think you shouldn't hide them."

Ruby pumped a fist, "Wear them with pride! They're very cute! Right, partner?!" She added while elbowing Alex.

"Yes, very cute. You're alright." He gave Blake a dull thumbs-up.

Yang chimed in in the collective encouragement, "And if you want to give a lesson to those 'misguided' White Fang? We'll be glad to help, anytime!"

"I certainly wouldn't mind assisting." Pyrrha flashed a friendly smile, poking the reluctant Weiss.

"I've got qualms with those 'animals'. Animals figuratively speaking, of course. They are violent and wild after all. So helping you would be in my interests." She huffed with a nod at the glaring Blake.

With the collective outcries of both reluctant and genuine support, Blake couldn't help but sigh with relief at the reactions being much more... mellow than she expected.

She was not shunned.

In fact, she was accepted.

With her secrets unveiled, she's... relieved.

But...

Not completely.

As much as she was delighted, she still had the White Fang to deal with.

-----------------------------

They arrived at Beacon's port, the sun was soon to rise and with it, Alex's deadline was set to arrive.

[40 minutes left.]

He was walking alongside his chattering team, his mind preoccupied with dread for what he had resolved himself to do.

"Alex, is everything alright?" Pyrrha noted the uneasiness beneath his usual stoic expression.

He was eyeing Blake who was huddled comfortably within her team, Yang's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

A sigh of pure and utter agony escaped his lips as he shook his head, "I need to talk with Blake for a moment." Having said so, his walk accelerated and he headed towards the huddled Team of YRBN.

...

Ruby hazarded a guess with a tilted head, "Is he trying to make peace with her?"

Weiss huffed, "I wouldn't if I was him."

Shaking her head, Pyrrha chastised, "Don't let your personal bias taint your perspective, Weiss."

She hummed with a finger under her chin, "But he has been acting strange these past few days... and not in the sense he's been trying to help Yang and Blake."

"I think he was just trying to be nice to my sister. It gets him bonus Ruby points!" She winked mischievously.

"Getting ran over by a truck probably knocked some sense into him." Weiss gave her own theory.

-----------------------------

"Blake, we need to talk." Alex's footsteps and call-out prompted Team YRBN to turn to him.

"Sleep neighbor! Have you fallen for Blakey Blake's charms now that her cute features have been revealed?!" Nora gasped in realization.

"Ignore her." Ren nodded empathetically and immediately restrained Alex's Nemesis and pushed her forward.

Exchanging weary looks between the glaring, almost hissing Blake and the tired yet serious-looking Alex, Yang nodded, "I'll go on ahead, if you two need anything I'll-"

"I don't want to talk to him-" Blake was about to retort, only to see Alex's serious gaze and a subtle plea, "Blake, please."

Yang's eyes widened as well, 'He's desperate... what happened?' She curbed her curiosity and walked on ahead.

Her curiosity was peaked, as his initial interest in helping Blake might have had... ulterior motives.

Yang was confused.

Taking her aside as Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha walked on ahead with worried expressions, Alex was met with Blake's impatient look.

With folded arms, she inquired, "What do you want?"

Alex spat out as best he could, "T-To help you." He held himself back from cringing.

Arching an eyebrow, a tiny smirk formed on her face, "That has to be the most unconvincing way to offer help I've ever seen."

He shook his head, "I don't care. Whatever you need help with, like say the White Fang situation you got going on, I'll help." He asserted firmly.

Blake frowned in clear suspicion, as she considered his words.

She really, really wanted to dismiss him and his 'offer' for help.

But, this time, she had another plan in mind.

She spat out with clear disdain, trying to get him to back off, "You know what? Fine! You can help me out... only if you become my tool."

Alex could only blink at that request.

She shrugged, "I utterly despise you, I still do even when you so bewilderingly try and help me. I want nothing to do with you. But what you do have... is Strength. The strength that can change things for the greater good."

Pointing at him with a tilted head she asserted, her voice growing more and more passionate as she went on, "And while I envy and loathe the fact someone like you has such strength... I frankly think there could have been worse candidates. So lend me your unfair and unearned strength, act as my tool and we'll change things for the better, I promi-"

"I refuse."

...

Her lips froze at this refusal, and she was about to get angry once more but sighed audibly instead.

Regarding him with an unsurprised glare, she shook her head, "Then we have nothing else left to discuss."

And just like that, she turned around and left him to dry, standing there with a clear frown.

...

[What... have you done? You let go of your only chance at avoiding Purgatory!]

'And agree to be her tool? To willy-nilly do as she wishes? I tried to offer my help despite not giving two craps about her, and this is what she offers me?'

[It was to get you to back off you imbecile!]

'Well, she got what she wanted.'

[ONE REJECTION DOES NOT STOP A HERO!]

...

'Shut. The fuck. Up.' Alex growled, lowering his face into his hand.

His fingers dug into his forehead as he fought to contain the storm of frustration and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him.

...Was the only answer to this predicament to act unlike himself?

To care about people he doesn't care.

To encourage others with white lies he'd never utter or believe himself?

Maybe, if Blake wasn't such an infuriating individual, he might have completed this quest.

But it was as the System claimed... a temporary solution.

What if a more drastic situation called a more drastic approach so unlike him?

A proactive, empathetic, and genuinely caring approach for people he doesn't give a damn about?

To go so deeply out of his way, to 'help' those people when they are just minding their OWN damn business?

When Alex just wants to mind his own business?

Problems would find their way to his table, he doesn't need a stupid System to add disproportional punishments into the mix...

He could only curse his situation.

He was starting to, reluctantly, like the people around him, the Academy, he was getting used to his situation.

He was getting comfortable.

And in the end, in the eyes of the [Savior System], he was...

[My calculations never envisioned you would be this... Inadequate.]

He'll take his unfair punishment with dignity, whatever semblance he had of it left.

-----------------------------

Entering his room with an expression of solemn acceptance, the air noticeably shifted.

"Alex, what's wrong?" The genuine, caring, and worried tone of Ruby reverberated across the room, as the girls exchanged weary glances at Alex's stoic face settling into a deep... frown.

[10]

[9]

[8]

[7]

[6]

[5]

[4]

He flashed a tiny, minuscule smile, "I'll be leaving for a bit."

[3]

[2]

[1]

Ruby approached in a rush, "What?! Where are you goi-"

Time and even the world itself froze to a stop around Alex, and Ruby's face froze mid-sentence.

Yet, he could move, even blink as time was frozen.

Nevertheless, there was no point in doing anything.

So he stood still with a resolved acceptance.

[PING!]

[Main Chain Quest - "The Deserter - 1" Failed!]

[Processing...]

[ALERT!]

[Main Chain Quest Failed - The Coming Of The End Accelerated!]

[Issuing Punishment...]

[Freezing Time on Remnant, Everafter, and branching dimensions for 730 Hours.]

[Transporting 'User.' Alex Andrite to Purgatory.]

-----------------------------

[Disabling Core System Features & Skills]

[...]

[It is just as I had feared...]

[Excalibur The Sword Of Promised Victory has refused removal!]

[...]

[Avalon The Everdistant Utopia has nullified removal from the host by foreign 'Fifth Dimensional' authority!]

[...]

[Avalon The Everdistant Utopia has nullified body tampering of the host by foreign 'Fifth Dimensional' authority!]

[...]

[Well, Alexander. This might just work out for the better of you, do take the lesson you learn here to heart.]

[Goodbye, for now.]

[SYSTEM DISABLED FOR THE NEXT 730 HOURS]

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

Hey hey!

All lovers of [System] please raise your hand!

...

No one?

Yikes.

Now then!

the quote I had promised for this chapter and the coming arc is - "The lower the lows, the higher the highs."

Such a 'harsh' punishment for a 'simple' girl as Blake is both disproportionate and fitting.

I'd like to warn you that Canon will be taking a nosedive off a cliff from this point forward and technically after Alex returns from Purgatory.

You'll discover after he returns, basically.

Things will be getting serious, things will be getting a little dark.

So bear with me.

'Purgatory' will have its own world building and it won't be a (Completely) time-skipped section, it has LORE importance.

And the next chapter will come in... an unspecified amount of time!

Cause I've got a lotta projects and (My favorite child the TS fic) to take care of!

To those asking, Alex's desperate Plan B was what you just saw, basically begging her to let him help lmao.

He's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Ahem!

Love ya! and Bu Bye!

EXCALIBUR & AVALON BEST GIRLS

If ya'll feeling frisky and rich you can donate to my P. A .T R 3 0 N to show some nice and kind support - This is purely support no benefits except early chapters (That I do not do yet properly lmao) which will eventually be available for everyone... like a twitch donation typa thing.

Here's the link:

patre0n.com/BurgerNoTomatoes

章節 19: Turning Point 1 - Inadequacy

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章節 19: Turning Point 1 - Inadequacy

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