Another chapter here we go.

Noble: Gonna do my best to update this again in August. Hopefully I'll have time to do that.

Sparky: Also, we don't own anything that isn't our respective ideas. All characters in this story belong to their respective owners and RWBY belongs to the late Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Blaisengfire: Puppy Arc

Masseffect-TxS: Restart

SparkyDapperDab19: Reaping with Sorrow

Noble4259: Being Human

Beta Reader: SparkyDapperDab19

(One week after training)

The sun rose early that morning as the assembled Arc's, or those that were still operational prepared to move out after an intense week of training. The had to confront the Grimm King or Noctis as he preferred before he could do any more damage to this world. Re-Jaune placed his new sword on his back as he smirked at the familiar weight that Retribution would've given him.

'One way or another, this will end.' He thought before he turned to the others. "Everyone got their gear?" John asked and was given nods in return from the other Arcs.

"Alright, Team RWBY will meet us Ansel once their good to go."

"Question," Reaper earned the attention of his comrades as he tucked his shotguns away in his coat. "Why are we going to Ansel? Shouldn't we be making a beeline to Salem's fortress and kill Noctis ASAP?" Reaper crossed his arms, eyes filled with focus and determination.

"Because we don't know what's going to happen on this journey," Re-Jaune said to his hooded counterpart. "We need to make sure our family, no matter what universe, is safe before we confront Noctis." there was a brief pause as Re-Jaune remembered Cinder's threat at the tournament. "Plus, this world's Jaune wanted to see them before we left just in case...our mission doesn't go well..." the time traveler left it at that, making Jaune take a deep breath before standing up.

"It's time. I'm gonna say goodbye to Pyrrha. Nora and Ren will be watching over her while we're gone, and you guys are welcome to join me." He asked as Re-Jaune shook his head.

"Nah, she's your Pyrrha, not ours. You have to say goodbye to her, but if all goes well, we'll see ours again." Puppy said as he sat by Reaper's right foot. The pooch was giving Jaune a gentle smile while his tail wagged.

Reaper nodded toward Jaune as well and even though none could see his face, he smiled at the notion of seeing all the friendly faces back in his world.

Re-Jaune said nothing as his gaze fell ever so slightly, as he believed he would never meet his Pyrrha again. Time travel or otherwise.

Little did he know the surprise his world had waiting for him.

"Okay…I'll meet you all at the docks in twenty." Jaune mused walking out the door towards the infirmary.

"You sure you don't want to go see her?" Reaper asked as Re-Jaune looked over. The time traveler mentally groaned, knowing Reaper noticed his downtrodden demeanor. "If this doesn't work out, this may be the last time you'll ever see her again."

Re-Jaune merely shook his head as a ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "Like I said, I'll see mine again…someday." He let that hang in the air as Reaper acknowledged the meaning before they left for the docks. The three alternate Jaune's took a few steps before Reaper stopped in his tracks.

"Ill meet you at the docks, I gotta do something really quick." Reaper said. Before Re-Jaune or Puppy could ask what he meant, he dissipated into smoke, and blew away with the breeze.

"What do you think he's up to?" Re-Jaune asked.

"I think I have an idea of what he meant," Puppy said as he looked in the direction Reaper took off in.

#

A small walk later and Jaune was outside Pyrrha's door. He closed his eyes, regulating his breathing entering the room. Jaune swallowed hard, it never got easier for the Arc to see the woman he loved lay unmoving. To see the one who believed in him, gave him strength and pushed him to be the best version of himself made him only that more determined to keep her safe. He sat down next to her, gripping her open plan lightly blinking through tears that were threatening to leak out.

"This might be it Pyr," Jaune said as he opened his mouth for a moment, but no words came out. He let out a forced chuckle. "Crazy isn't it? How did we go from students to this?" Another pause as his grip on her hand tightened.

"I... won't talk too long. I just wanted to say goodbye and say...thank you, Pyrrha. If it wasn't for you, I would've never been here. When we defeat Noctis, I swear I'll be here every day till you wake up. No matter how long it takes. I love you, Pyrrha Nikos." He leaned down to her lips, taking them in a brief kiss caressing her cheek before breaking away. Jaune got up, walking away from her resolving to himself that he would see her again no matter what.

#

"You're leaving too?"

"Eep!" Velvet yelped as she nearly jumped half a foot off the ground. She quickly turned around to see Reaper leaning against the door frame with his arms folded.

"Jumpy much?" Reaper asked with a raspy chuckle. "Didn't you annihilate a good portion of the Grimm that invaded Vale not too long ago?"

"That doesn't mean I don't get surprised," Velvet said as she straightened her outfit out and looked toward Reaper who hadn't moved. "And yes. My team and I are heading to Vaccuo." she quickly looked back to her bed and saw the gear she was taking with her.

"Secret training?" Reaper asked as he pushed himself off the door frame and made his way inside the dorm room. "Or world-changing mission like us?"

Velvet giggled a bit at Reapers snark and shook her head. "That's a secret, Jaune. Although it isn't as dire as your mission." Velvet said with a playful smile. Her satisfaction skyrocketed when Reaper's demeanor staggered ever so slightly. She turned from her things and took a step towards Reaper. "So, this is goodbye?"

Any and all optimism in the room died when she asked that. Reaper kept his gaze low and let out a disgruntled breath. "Yeah. We're trying to-!" Reaper was cut off as Velvet placed to fingers on the bottom part of his mask where his mouth would be.

"You don't need to explain it to me, Jaune," Velvet said with a gentle smile. "I have a good idea of what your team is trying to do."

"I came to say thanks," Reaper said as Velvet removed her fingers from his mask.

"Why?" Velvet asked as she tilted her head with confusion.

"For…" Reaper paused for a moment.

"Jaune?" Velvet asked with concern as his silence persisted.

Reaper's hands began to tremble as his mind raced to the recent memory of the two of them talking on the roof. A forlorn notion appeared with the memory however; one that made the ash shiver all over him. He would never see this Velvet again. The one in his world may be similar, but she would never have the memories this one did. The hooded Arc would be lying to himself if he said he expected the departure to hurt him this much.

"I…" Reaper paused as he looked at Velvet's concerned eyes. There was a brief pause as he quickly grabbed Velvet and wrapped her in a tight embrace. He didn't care about the sharp breath she made, nor her tense nature. Reaper simply closed his eyes as he held Velvet.

"Thank you for being a friend," Reaper whispered. The word 'friend' left a strange taste in his mouth, but the feeling soon passed as he felt Velvet reciprocate his gesture.

"You're surprisingly warm," Velvet said with a short giggle. "And you're welcome, Jaune."

The two of them stayed there for a few moments before Velvet noticed an unusual feeling. It was hard for the faunus to describe, but if she had to narrow it down, it felt as if Reaper was slipping through her fingers. A few more moments of the odd sensation passed and when Velvet opened her eyes, Reaper was gone without a trace.

Velvet looked down at her hands and felt a noticeable weight within them. She looked down and her eyes widened for a moment before they softened. A small smile spread across her lips as she gazed at Reaper's mask.

#

The fall breeze was much stronger than Jaune remembered as he quickly paced across the courtyard. The docks weren't too far off from his position. He glanced around to the best of his ability and smiled the moment he saw Re-Jaune and Puppy. There was a spark of confusion within him for a moment, but it was quickly extinguished as Reaper appeared right beside Puppy. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at how high Puppy jumped with fright. Soon after his little chuckle, the Arc made it to the docks and met up with his alternate counterparts. Any and all amusement from moments before were extinguished as all the Arcs exchanged glances.

"This is it," Jaune muttered out.

"Yep. For all the marbles," Re-Jaune said with a determined nod. "Feels like I'm back in my universe before the restart, but I have faith we won't end up like I did the first time."

"I'm gonna bite his ankles off!" Puppy-Arc growled making his human counterparts snicker except for Reaper who still had his gaze fixed on the distant Atlas battleship while his eyes flickered blue for a moment.

"We're leaving a man behind." Reaper's voice was barely over a whisper, but his fellow Arcs could hear his words.

"None of us wants to leave him Reaps," Re-Jaune said as he put a hand on his counterpart's shoulder. "But we gotta get moving. Maybe once he's recovered, he'll be able to catch up with us." Reapers red orbs glanced at Re-Jaune from under the brim of his hood for a moment before he looked forward.

"Let's just get the job done." Reaper trudged forward taking shotgun in the bullhead waiting for John to take the controls. They piled in as Re-Jaune flicked the switches and plotted a course for Ansel lifting off, a separate bullhead followed a few minutes later carrying team RWBY trailing behind the Arc team.

"Say, Reaper," Jaune said with curiosity as he angled his head to get a better look, "What happened to your mask?"

The rest of the team took notice in this and right before they could get a good look, an identical bone mask quickly formed from the black mist around him.

"This is just a copy," Reaper said while he chuckled at his all of his counterpart's dismay. "But the original is in good hands."

(Meanwhile - Pyrrha's Hospital Room)

Nora closed the door to Pyrrha's room before taking a seat next to Ren, who was engrossed in a small book. He looked at her reaching for his lifelong friend's hand giving it a reassuring squeeze as she sighed into his shoulder.

"I hate having to stay behind, Renny."

"I know Nora," Ren said as he closed his book and set it on a nearby dresser. "But this is the logical choice. Someone must stay here, in case Cinder tries to finish her off." Nora remained silent as she stayed within Ren's embrace. He looked down at her and noticed her angry pout.

"I don't like it either," Ren continued as he stroked Nora's hair with his free hand. "But all we can do is make sure that Pyrrha stays safe. They'll make it back; I know they will." He went back to his book almost not noticing a familiar figure walking by.

"What the?" Ren asked as he set his book down once more and got up from his seat. Nora followed suit as the two quickly made there way out of Pyrrha's room and confronted a familiar face.

"Blake?" Ren asked, making the person in question freeze for a moment. A silent moment passed as Blake slowly turned around to face him. "What are you still doing here? I thought you and RWBY left soon after Jaune did?" Ren asked with a brow furrowed. He noticed that her eyes looking empty and more exhausted than she usually appeared.

"Ren...Nora...sorry," Blake started as she lifted her right arm to grasp her left. The lack of eye-contact was concerning to say the least. "I was looking for Jaune. Needed to ask him about where he and the other Jaune's were going, in order to make sure I had everything I needed for the trip." Ren rose an eyebrow in confusion at Blakes's statement and quickly glanced to Nora, catching a glimpse of suspicions in his partner.

"They're going to Ansel...Sorry, but were you not listening when they discussed the plan?" Ren questioned further. Blake simply shook her head.

"No. I was exhausted from training the day before and must've nodded off. Thanks for telling me Ren, I'll see you two when we get back." Blake disappeared down the hallway leaving the duo alone filled with questions.

"Ren, did Blake seem off to you? She seemed...Blakier than usual." Nora tapped her chin while Ren kept his eyes narrowed in thought.

"She did..." Ren replied as he looked to his scroll and silently cursed to see that Jaune's scroll was out of range. "It's weird but…I could've sworn that RWBY already left by now."

Blake looked around for a moment before opening the door to an empty classroom letting out a sigh as her eyes flashed from Yellow to crimson. Three sets of red eyes pierced through the darkness as Yang, Weiss and Ember Rott stood across from Blake each having eyes identical to that of Blakes.

"Did you find where our prey is going?" Rott flicked her unnaturally long tongue across her lips twisting into a menacing smile.

"They're heading to Jaune's home. Ansel. We can kill them and his family at the same time." Grimm Blake grinned in return.

"Finally, We'll get revenge on that bastard," Yang growled obliterating a desk beneath her grasp.

"..." Weiss said nothing staring off to the side with an uncaring expression.

"Glad we're all in agreement...time to contact master." Ember grinned before they faded into shadows.

(Atlas Battleship – Noble Intent)

Mercy was typing away at her holographic keyboard, streams of data flowed across her eyes, yet she didn't bat an eye as she absorbed every bit of information she needed.

'Sparrow's cybernetics has been upgraded immensely but I must ensure that he'll be able to acclimate to them as soon as he regains consciousness. I hope he likes the new additions to his arms; they'll increase his ranged potential and firepower by tenfold." Mercy paused for a moment as she turned her gaze to Sparrow's resting form. She knew he was alive, all his vitals proved so, but for some reason, there was a surge of what she believed to be worry in her system due to his stillness.

'I could adjust the power consumption to increase his strength but at the cost of possible overexertion. I'll advise him once he awakens.' Mercy's thoughts raced through her head, taking in every possibility.

"Mercy?" Geppeto rubbed his eyes looking at the AI with a questioning stare. Mercy spun around on her platform and shut the data stream off.

"Professor," Mercy said with a bit of surprise in her voice. "I was just...running diagnostics."

"Mercy, you may be an AI but even you need to rest," Geppeto said with a concerned gaze as he noticed that the AI had her gaze fixated on Sparrow. "From what I've seen, your partner is a strong young man. He'll get through this." he sat next to the small hologram and gave her a knowing look. "You know he would want you to rest too."

Mercy looked at the rebuilt Sparrow, his armour was now black with blue lights littered across his body. On Sparrow's back was an additional katana and next to his head rested a brand-new helmet with the letters MK II written on the side of it. Mercy nodded looking away from her partner flickering off. Geppeto sighed walking away, the hand of Sparrow twitched as the door shut.

(Ansel)

"Can't believe I'm back here," Reaper mumbled to himself as he and the rest of the Arcs took in the sights of their home.

"Well, it's not exactly home. Same place but different parents I assume?" Re-Jaune looked over to Jaune who only nodded.

"My parents are Nicholas and juniper Arc. Dad was a huntsman and Juniper was a stay at home mom, raising my sisters and I." Jaune said as Reaper went next.

"Alexander and Maria...They're both stupidly powerful huntsman. They lived in Ansel before moving back to Mistral after my funeral. That and they wanted to be closer to my Grandpa on my Mom's side."

"Is your grandfather an Arc?" Re-Jaune asked. "Do you get the name from your mom's side?"

Reaper shook his head. "No, their last name is Morrison. Mom became an Arc when she married Dad...I miss them more than I'd like to admit." Reaper trailed off looking back over Ansel.

"Mine were Diane and Roland." Re-Jaune said soon after. "Like Reaper's, except they own a tavern in Ansel. Strongest huntsman and huntress on Remnant when they were in their prime. Didn't want me or any of my sisters to become a hunter." Re-Jaune said as he crossed his arms before he chuckled. "They're still crazy strong though. I once saw Mom throw a man out of the tavern with strength that dwarfed Nora's."

"Don't ever tell her that story," Jaune said with a groan. "She'll get competitive." the group chuckled at the truth of his statement. "Seems like there is a running trend with all our parents..." Jaune grumbled as they made their way to the Arc home.

Puppy trotted up to them giving the other three a quizzical look.

"Well, my dad thought I was pretty strong since I was able to tear off a Beowolf's head when I was younger. My parents are also called Nicholas and Juniper, same as Jaunes. Kinda scary how similar." Puppy added on and the four Arcs stopped in front of the door.

"I feel like this is a bad move," Reaper said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"You are not running away again," Puppy said with a yap. "I'm still mad about you bailing when we met this world's Ozpin for the first time."

Re-Jaune resisted the urge to laugh at their past antics as he kept himself focused on the door. Although he will never deny the hilarity of the three of them falling out of the elevator ceiling and into Ozpin's office.

The amusement was extinguished by the silence once more and no one dared moved forward. A minute passed by, then another, finally five full minutes passed until Jaune groaned and knocked on the door.

There was a sudden flurry of footsteps that only grew louder until moments later, Juniper Arc opened the door. She was a slender woman with rich blonde hair for her age and wore a white blouse that contrasted well with her long red skirt. Any and all tranquility within her demeanor was swept aside as she gasped with wide sapphire eyes. Her happiness was unbound as she trapped her only son in a tight hug.

"JAUNE!" Juniper exclaimed with a mixture of delight and relief. "Oh, my beautiful baby boy! I'm so happy you're safe! After I heard Beacon was attacked your father and I were worried sick that you got hurt!" She pulled away resting her hands on his cheeks. Jaune smiled at his mother holding one of her hands in his palm.

"Sorry to make you worry mom...had a bit of a rough time after the attack happened. Pyrrha...she got hurt pretty bad." Juniper gave Jaune a sad smile and squeezed his hand.

"Pyrrha is a strong girl. You would never stop talking about her when you called." Jaune said nothing in return and without another word, he went and embraced his mother in another hug. Juniper closed her eyes as a warm smile spread across her face. "It'll be alright, Jaune." she reassured before she pulled apart from the hug. "Now, who's your friend-" Her words died in her mouth as she stared right at Re-Jaune who was smiling sheepishly.

"Hey… Mo-!" he was cut off as she placed a hand on his cheek. Re-Jaune honestly half expected her to faint as Pyrrha had, but he was surprised when she didn't. A little shock was in her eyes, but that didn't stop her as she brushed a hand through his hair as she studied his features. Her hand caressed his face as she looked right into his eyes before her shock turned to a frown.

"Oh Jaune, the years haven't been kind to you, have they?" She asked as she pulled him down into her bosom holding the older Arc close. Re-Jaune was startled before relaxing and closed his eyes wrapping his arms around his mother of this world.

"It wasn't easy…but I'm still here," he muttered as she patted his head.

"You've always been a little trooper since the day you could walk." She smiled softly as Re-Jaune felt comfort for the first time since he arrived. "But no matter what, you're still my boy." She said as Re-Jaune smiled.

"Uh mom, I thought you'd be...well a lot more shocked?" Jaune commented making his mother crane her head to her son.

"Ditto." Reaper and Puppy said at the same time.

"Dear, trust me inside I am going nuts and once I let go of your twin here," Juniper said as she kept Re-Jaune in her embrace. "You will definitely need to explain this. I also take it that the other two are… you?" before Jaune could even ask how, she smiled at her son, "Never underestimate a mother's instincts, Jaune."

Jaune, Reaper and Puppy all nodded at the same time and Juniper let out a breath. "I will most likely faint in a few moments, but now isn't the time for that." She pulled away from her other son after a few moments and backed away, looking at the four in front of her. "Now if you'll excuse me…" and did as she said she would, falling to the ground unconscious from the shock.

"Mom!" Jaune caught her before hitting the ground. This caught the attention of Nicholas who was inside and did a double-take at seeing two of his sons.

"Jaune!" Nicholas exclaimed with both excitement and worry as he quickly made his way toward his son. "What happe-!"

"Hey, dad!" Puppy trotted up to his father taking note that he looked exactly like his world's dad. "Oh, right, Dogs can't talk here… shit." Nicholas could only stare down at the yellow puffball that had not only spoken but also had his son's voice. Looking up from puppy staring at his son.

"Uh…Jaune...what is happening here?" Nicholas barely spoke out making his son respond immediately.

"Good to see you again Pa," Jaune said with a smile as he wrapped his unconscious mother's arm around his shoulder. "This is gonna take a while to talk about. Can we come in and sit down so I can explain?" The Arc father could only nod still reeling from what he was seeing and what was heard from the Jaune dog.

They did exactly that, telling Nicholas how this all started with Merlot, how they all met each other, what happened at the Vytal festival, and what they were going to do next. Nicholas was holding Juniper close, rubbing her back as she slept shaking his head and blinking rapidly at what he was just told.

Nicholas remained silent for a few moments as he absorbed every word his son said to him. The other three Jaune's remained silent as they knew their place in the sensitive matter before them.

"Son... I really don't know if I want to believe you," a pang of worry shot through all of them the moment they heard Nicholas' words. "What you said has to be impossible, but…" he trailed off as he looked at every Jaune before him around their dining room table. "The proof is here," he shifted his gaze to the three Jaunes.

"I don't know how to describe it. One of you looks almost identical," Nicholas gestured to Re-Jaune, "While you two look nothing like him," Puppy squirmed in his seat while Reaper met his assertive gaze with equal intensity. "But your aura… it feels the same within all of you; completely identical." A breath escaped the Arc patriarch and he put his hands on his thighs. "If you say who you all are, then I believe you, no matter how… weird it can be." The alternate Jaunes smiled at what they just heard and exchanged looks of relief. "Didn't you mention there was another one with you?"

"Yeah," Jaune said. "A cyborg, we called him Sparrow because calling all of us Jaune would just get confusing and annoying.

"So, what are all of you called?" Nicholas asked.

"I went under the alias of John to avoid confusion," Re-Jaune said. "Other than that, just Arc from time to time as well.

"Puppy for me," Puppy said with a cheerful bark. "Easy to remember." Nicholas nodded and patted the pooches head, much to Puppy's delight.

"I've been traveling about as Reaper for a while," Reaper said with a bit of a grumble. Nicholas narrowed his eyes at his hooded son, but shrugged his shoulders soon after.

"It's a shame I wasn't able to meet Sparrow," Nicholas said as he rubbed his chin. I hope he'll be able to catch up to all of you."

"Dad...well...not exactly my dad but close enough...he'll catch up to us. If there's one thing that I know about every Jaune here, is that we're too stubborn to be down for too long. Sparrow will find his way here." Reaper smirked behind his mask and Nicholas did as well, gripping his son's hand. A sharp gasp escaped him as Reaper's hand collapsed under the pressure of the grip and dissipated into smoke. Before Nicholas could ask if he was okay, Reaper's hand reformed.

"H-How?" Nicholas asked with trembling voice.

"It's a long story." Reaper replied as he stretched out his fingers.

"WE MADE IT!" Everyone jumped at the sudden exclamation and turned to see Ruby Rose burst through the door with WBY following close behind. She looked up from the floor to see Jaune's dad staring down at her from his seat at the nearby dining table. The Rose jumped to her feet and rushed over to the eldest Arc holding her hand out.

"Hi, Mr Arc! I'm Ruby Rose and this is my team. We're friends of Jaune's from Beacon." Nicholas took her hand nodding with a smile.

"Good to meet you, Ruby. The rest of you can introduce yourselves. Looks like Junie needs to make some extra food and luckily my daughters are either at friends or out of Ansel so you all can have your own rooms for the night.

RWBY nodded in thanks walking upstairs to relax after the long trip. Nicholas looked down to see Juniper stirring awake.

"Did I miss anything Nicky?" She rubbed her eyes looking up at her husband. He leaned forward kissing her forehead and shook his head.

"Not really dear. Friends of Jaune's just came in a little bit ago so we'll need to make an extra-large dinner for tonight. I'll help you out," he turned to all his sons and smiled. "Boys, you all can choose your own places to sleep so make sure your back down here for food." Nicholas ordered walking into the kitchen with Juniper glued to his side.

"Couldn't ask for better parents. Reinforces my drive to beat that bastard." Jaune looked at his counterparts who each nodded in agreement.

"Let's enjoy tonight and get ready to leave tomorrow gang," Re-Jaune spoke and everyone agreed once more.

The remainder of the day consisted of idle chatter between the Jaunes, Team RWBY and Jaune's parents. It was odd at first, but once the initial shock wore off, nothing could be better for any of them. The last few days were nothing short of a nightmare for every student present, but once they all settled in the Arc home, none of them were prepared for how tired they really were. Opportunities to relax were hard to come by and with the oncoming battle ahead, they were going to enjoy every moment they could.

The day winded down as dinner was served for the two teams who respectively sat on opposite sides of the fairly large dining room table. Each and every one of them were eager and excited for the food to come in different degrees, but the jovial atmosphere only fueled their excitement as Juniper arrived at the table with a humongous pot.

"Alright everyone, I hope you don't mind some spice in the shrimp pasta," Juniper said as she set the pot down with a loud thud, earning a few yelps of surprise from Ruby, Yang, and Puppy. "It won't burn your mouth, but you'll definitely feel it."

Delightful nods were made all around the table as Juniper smiled at all of them. She was about to scoop some into a bowl and pass it down, but stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes.

"Jaune." Juniper said with such a sternness.

"Yes?" All four Jaunes responded in unison. There was a brief pause before team RWBY and Nicholas burst into a fit of laughter. The Jaunes all grumbled at how that happened again.

"You," She pointed her wooden spoon toward Reaper and had a narrowed gaze only a mother could possess. "Mask and hood off at the dinner table, Jaune."

The laughter slowly died down after a few moments of silence between Juniper and her hooded son. The silence did nothing but increase the tension between the two as Reaper glared at Juniper.

"Uh, Mom," Jaune said as he cleared his throat. "We haven't really seen his face, and-!"

"I keep it covered for a good reason," Reaper interrupted with a low growl and folded arms.

"Doesn't matter. It's impolite," Juniper said with motherly authority. Reaper remained silent as he just stood still. "Jaune Miles Arc, you will take off that mask and hood, or no one is going to eat."

All the Jaunes winced at the glares Reaper received from team RWBY.

"Let me guess," Reaper said as he glanced to his fellow counterparts. "If one of us messes up…"

"We all get punished." the other Jaunes said in unison as each of them shuddered at the memories that involved a collective punishment. Despite how brutal it was at times during their childhoods, it did teach them to get along with their sisters much more often.

"So, you're familiar with that rule," Juniper said as she placed her hand holding the wooden spoon on her hip. "Good, then you should know I don't tolerate any of my children being impolite at the dinner table."

"I'm not a child." Reaper spat.

"You're certainly acting like one." Juniper said with a harsh glare of her own. "You take that mask off, or I will have no problem letting you sleep outside,"

"Juniper," Nicholas said as he rested a hand on her forearm. "Don't you think that's a little harsh? He did say he wore it for a reason."

"If he is who he says he is," Juniper said as she glared at Reaper, "Then he knows how the rules work around here." Reaper was about to get up before Juniper put her hand up to stop him. "He would also know that I'm his mother and I don't care what he looks like under that mask, he's still my son. That won't change."

There was a beat of silence that went around the table before Puppy looked over to Reaper. "We won't care either," the pooch started as his ears flattened a bit. "I mean… you know what happened to all of us and none of our pasts were deal breakers for the team."

"Ditto," Re-Jaune said as he propped his elbow on the table.

"You know I won't mind," Jaune reassured with a nod as well.

"Likewise," Ruby piped up.

Reaper looked over to Ruby and saw her comforting smile that he had seen a handful of times in his world. Her team matched their leader's demeanor, but Ruby's was the one that mattered as he took a deep breath and lowered his hood. Reaper's hand shook ever so slightly as it gripped his mask and with a final breath, he lowered his mask.

Gasps could be heard from all around the room as each and every person at the table widened their eyes at Reaper, who to them, looked just like Jaune. There was no difference besides his red eyes, but the horror soon seeped in as his face began to deteriorate with each passing moment. It wasn't long until his face was just his skull with strands of pink meat along the edges. Before anyone could say anything about it, the black mist around him seemed to pick up his flesh and put his face back together.

"Happy?" Reaper growled as his voice sounded much more like Jaune's. He looked around and was not surprised at everyone's reaction.

Re-Jaune remained steady as his gaze never faltered, nor did he look away at the sight before him, but Reaper noticed the tight grip he had around his glass of water.

Puppy was a little less restrained as he reeled back with a flash of disgust on his face, but it quickly subsided into more of concern.

Jaune's sapphire eyes bore into Reaper's red orbs with undeniable horror. It was like he was looking in a mirror, but was also stuck in a nightmare. Questions swarmed the blonde knight's mind as to what had happened, but no words could leave his mouth.

Team RWBY all shared looks of disgust and shock, but that was their initial reaction and when they looked back at him, there was more curiosity amongst all of them, especially Ruby as she simply tilted her head to get a better look at the sight of him.

"What happened to you, Jaune?" Reaper looked over to Juniper and noticed her stern authority was completely gone. All that was left was a gaze of motherly concern as she placed her hand over her husband's. Reaper turned to Nicholas who shared his wife's reaction. Reaper looked down a bit before he tapped a finger on the table. To their surprise, Reaper gave Weiss, Blake, and Yang the coldest glare he could muster.

"It doesn't matter," Reaper said as his hands balled up into fists. "I'm not hungry anymore." the scraping of his chair against the floor was sharp and fast as it grated against all of their ears. No one said anything as Reaper made his way to the front door and slammed it behind him, causing Ruby and Puppy to flinch.

"That was… something…" Yang said as she did her best to alleviate the silence.

"Damn," Re-Jaune said as he etched every feature of Reaper's face into his memory. "I don't even…" he looked over to Jaune with a look a worry. "Does he feel all of that?"

"I don't even want to know," Weiss said as she honestly didn't feel like eating after what she saw, but decided she didn't want to be rude. "But at least we're certain he is a Jaune."

"He was identical to our Jaune," Juniper said softly. Nicholas picked up on her tone and saw her with a hand over her chest and sadness very apparent in her eyes. "I thought he was just hiding a scar, I didn't realize…" her voice died in her throat as she started for the front door, but was halted by her husband's hand that grasped her arm.

"Sweetheart," Nicholas said with a caring but cautious tone. "I'm pretty sure the last thing he wants is company. Give him time, in the meantime, save him a plate, and let's eat before it gets cold."

As much as Juniper wanted to disagree with him, she knew her husband was right and made her way back to the bowl and began to serve everyone who was still shaken from the sight moments before.

#

Reaper refused to let a single sound escape him as he walked out into the brisk fall night of Ansel. The lack of street lights and dirt road left him in both silence and darkness, and if he was being honest, he hated it.

He knew his mission. Kill Noctis and get back to his world, but he wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready for them. Velvet was different, she was just one person who was didn't pry too much. She wasn't an alternate version of the people responsible for his condition.

Reaper gritted his teeth as he stayed out in the cold for while and felt how loud the silence actually was. Stray thoughts resembling a certain blue skinned sniper and snarky hacker bounced around in his head. He wondered how they were doing, did they even notice if he was gone, or even if they even missed him.

The crisp snap of a nearby twig made Reaper look up from his lowered gaze and out into the darkness. It stared back at the hooded Arc for a few moments before Reaper pulled out one of his shotguns and kept a tight grip on it. The smoke around him didn't swirl, but stood up on the back of his neck as a feeling began to set in. It was nostalgic in all the worst ways and even though he saw nothing, he could feel something twisted.

Noctis knew where they were.

"Shit," Reaper cursed as he quickly turned on his heel and made a beeline toward the Arc home. "Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" he felt there was no time to slow his pace as he dissipated into smoke and made his way under the door.

"John!" Reaper shouted, earning surprised yelps from everyone who were just about to finish their meals. "We got a problem!"

"What's going on?" Re-Jaune stood up from his seat and made his way over to Reaper. His mask was still missing from his face, so it unnerved the time traveler when he saw the panic slowly spread across Reaper's deteriorating face.

"They're here," Reaper said in between breaths, earning a hitched breath from Re-Jaune. "Noctis' lapdogs. I don't know who they are, but I can them feel them out there."

"Wait a second," Re-Jaune said as he became lost in thought for a moment as he remembered what happened to Sparrow at the tournament. "You still have a connection to him!" Re- Jaune exclaimed, earning confusion and curiosity from everyone else besides him and Reaper.

"Yeah, and I felt it right outside," Reaper said with a hushed tone. The realization of their situation seeped in as Re-Jaune let out a tired breath and rubbed the back of his head.

"Jaune?" Nicholas spoke up as he rose from his seat. "What's going on?" The confusion spread to everyone else as they were finished eating.

Re-Jaune looked to his father with a grim expression before looking at the front door. "We may have some unexpected guests soon. They may try to strike when we're sleeping," Realization flashed across Nicholas' face before cold anger and determination took its place.

"Understood," Nicholas said as he walked past his sons. "I'll prepare the house's defenses, and stand ready. Juniper, prepare the cots and some blankets in the living room, I'm not going to risk anyone in separate rooms tonight."

"Of course," Juniper said as she placed the huge pot that held the pasta in the sink. She then looked over to team RWBY with a worrisome look. "I know we said you could use the extra bedrooms, but-!"

"No need to explain," Yang said as she got up from her seat and checked to see she had her weapons on her person. "We understand."

"Considering who we're going up against, it would be easier for us to stay as a group." Weiss added with a curt nod towards Juniper. "It's no trouble for us."

"We'll also need to take turns keeping watch." Blake added as she made her way to her bag and brandished her weapon.

"I'll take first shift," all eyes shifted to Reaper whose hardened gaze was fixated on the front door. "I can tell if they get closer or not, right now there are four of them and they're keeping their distance. If anything changes for the worst, we'll be ready."

"Looks like this is going to be a long night." Jaune said with a disgruntled sigh as he and Ruby went to grab their gear.

#

A few hours passed since the Arc household retired for the night. The warm and welcoming demeanor was dashed aside with barricades on every window and door in the house while candlelight kept the living room illuminated, but did not impede on the two team's slumber.

Reaper's eyes were heavy to say the least, but he kept his senses alert and focused on the feeling that hadn't moved at all since he felt it. Were they waiting for him? Did they give away their position too early? If that was the case then Noctis should be more careful in his recruitment process.

Reaper let out a yawn from under his mask before he stretched his arms and continued to envy his team's relaxed state. He chuckled at Puppy's sleeping form as his hind leg twitched every so often while he softly snored without a care in the world.

"He's so cute," Reaper quickly turned his head with his grip on his holstered shotgun. Much to his surprise, Juniper remained unphased at his sudden movement as she stood behind him with a candlelight in one hand and a glass of water in another. She was clad in a nightgown with her hair let down, yet her smile remained consistent.

"He has his moments," Reaper said as he released the grip on his shotgun. "It's funnier when he's panicking."

Juniper giggled at her son's remark and set the candle down on a nearby candlelight. "I got you some water," she said as she set it next to the candle. "It'll be here if you want it."

"Thanks," Reaper said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Shouldn't it be Jaune's turn to keep watch now?" Juniper asked as she looked at her son slumbering next to his collapsed shield.

"Eh," Reaper said as he scratched the back of his head, "I could go for another hour."

"Jaune." Juniper said with a low but stern tone. Reaper looked over at her and saw the glare she had at the dinner table was back in full force.

"I can't sleep," Reaper said with a defeated voice as he slumped a bit in his seat on the nearby couch. "Not while they're out there."

"Does it hurt?" Juniper asked as she came around the couch and sat next to Reaper.

"It's more of a nagging sensation," Reaper replied. "It's like if someone was digging their nails into my back. Not piercing the skin, but not comfortable at all."

"I didn't mean that, Jaune," Juniper clarified as she looked at the smoke that shifted around him. "What we saw earlier, does it hurt?"

Reaper said nothing as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"It's not easy," Reaper said as he looked at Blake, Yang, and Weiss' sleeping forms. "Especially when the ones responsible for this are right in front of you?"

"Wait," Juniper said with confusion very apparent in her being. She tracked his gaze and her eyes widened at the three huntresses in training. "They did thi-!"

"My world isn't as nice as this one," Reaper cut Juniper off. "And they're nothing like the one's I have waiting for me when I get back."

There were no words Juniper could think of as she looked on at Reaper with what empathy she could muster. She simply placed a hand on his shoulder and she held her breath as the smoke around him swirled in reaction to her movement.

"But right now, it doesn't matter," Reaper said with a straightened posture. "I know they aren't the ones who did this to me, and as much as I'd love to run my blades through each of them, I know they don't deserve it. Besides, I got other things to worry about right now."

Juniper's gaze followed where Reaper was looking at and she smiled at the sight of him looking over his team.

"You may have done some… pretty bad things in your world, Jaune," Juniper said as she embraced her son in a warm hug. "But looking at you and my Jaune at the same time, you two aren't that different." Juniper could hear the stifle of confusion come from Reaper. "I'll let you figure that out, but I'll also give you a comparison," she removed Reaper's mask much to his dismay and kissed his dissipating forehead. "You're still both my sons, and that's never going to change, alright?"

Reaper said nothing, but simply nodded his head. Juniper smiled at Reaper and stood up. "I'm going to bed now, you wake up Jaune soon and get some rest."

"Okay," Reaper muttered before Juniper turned on her heel and headed to her bedroom. "Thanks… Mom." Reaper finished.

Juniper's smile remained consistent as she looked at the back of her boy's head and tilted her head. "Good night, Jaune."

(Next day)

"Do you all have your new packed bags? I put extra non-perishable foods in them!" Juniper asked smothering her four sons that she proudly proclaimed. Holding puppy against Jaune and hooking her arms around John and Reaper.

The morning was bright and crisp much to the two team's dismay, but that didn't stop them from keeping to their schedule and making sure they were ready and willing to embark on their journey.

"Gah! Stop being so damned clingy!" Reaper cried out and tried to pull away from Juniper, only to be brought back into the group hug.

"Never! I have four sons here right now, so I'll be as clingy as I want buster!" Juniper responded tightening her grip around the four Jaunes.

"Can't...breathe!" Jaune mumbled out making Re-Jaune pull away from the hug to give his younger 'brother' some room.

"Thanks a lot, Mom, Dad." Jaune breathed out while rubbing his neck. His father nodded back but soon held up a hand.

"I got something for you, Son." Nicholas said with a smirk upon his face. "Since you told me Crocea was destroyed and you haven't gotten a replacement I thought you'd want to use my old weapon."

"Really?!" Jaune went wide-eyed and his father pulled out from behind him revealing Crocea Mor's successor, Aurum Mors. On the surface, it looked like a standard greatsword but when Nicholas pressed the mecha-shift release it changed into a semi-auto high calibre rifle. The Arc father handed it to his son smiling as he shouldered his current weapon, Solis Mors.

"Take good care of it Jaune. By any chance do you still have the shield of Crocea Mors?" Nicholas asked and Jaune nodded making him smirk even wider.

"Next time you use it in combat, push your aura into it. You'll be surprised at what it's capable of…" was all the Arc father said.

"Alright, team RWBY! Let's get ready to head out!" Ruby proudly proclaimed while her teammates lagged behind her, lacking the same energy as their leader.

"More...sleep..." Yang yawned scratching at her head while Blake married her partner except attempting to stifle her yawn.

"So, you want to sleep more? Well, that can be arranged..."

A voice hissed out from above-making everyone turn their heads towards the roof of the Arc house. Sitting on top of it was Ember Rot making RWBY and the Jaune's freeze knowing that the torturer was dead but somehow was right in front of them alive and well.

"Son of a bitch," Reaper cursed as he didn't feel any remnant of Noctis' presence since he woke up.

"I wouldn't say sleep Ember...I'd say...dead." Another voice echoed stepping out from behind a tree. Blake could only stare in shock; shaking her head as she looked on at an exact image of herself. The only difference was her twisted demeanor and her eyes. They were crimson just like Reaper's.

"What...what the fuck is going on?!" Yang gasped out shaking in fear and confusion. The rest of RWBY didn't fare any better as Rot leapt from the house to stand with the evil versions of WBY.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, just know that our master sends his regards," Ember smirked as Re-Jaune glared with fury.

"Noctis..." he growled as the woman smirked.

Twisted versions of both Yang and Weiss revealed themselves next to Blake's doppelganger who shared the same qualities their Blake had. Yang's gaze shifted from Jaune to Jaune, but she soon grinned wickedly at Reaper.

"Been a while, Reaper. Did you miss us?" Yang's alternate self smirked as Reaper glared at the blonde.

"Ah, Reaper…friends of yours?" Normal Yang asked nervously as Reaper nodded.

"You all wanted to know how I became like this?" Reaper was now shaking as his adversaries were in front of him. The rage within the darkness of his being swirled as he realized they were the ones waiting in the darkness last night. "You're looking at them." he said with an unhinged growl as the smoke swirled violently around him.

"How are they here?!" Ruby exclaimed as she readied Crescent Rose while trying to wrap her head around this entire scenario.

"Noctis…he must've found a way to open a portal to our worlds." Re-Jaune said as he drew the new and improved 'Redemption' greatsword. "If they're here, I'm guessing he gave them the same little power-up he gave Cinder?"

"Well, look at that, an Arc that actually uses his head? Didn't think we'd ever met one." The Blake from Reaper's world mocked while their Weiss remained silent, not showing any emotion whatsoever.

"Some good old fashion murder right ladies?" the other Yang said as she made her way forward. "The best part is we get four Arcs this time instead of just one!"

"What do you want?! Why are you here?!" Blake asked her partner's counterpart who grinned.

"Same thing I want," Reaper said as he shifted his shotguns into machetes. "To kill."

Reaper's Yang simply smiled at his remark and bared her teeth, revealing what looked to be fangs.

Before they could react, a burst of aura washed over everyone present as Re-Jaune stepped forward eyes glowing with power. An image of death washing over them, before they steeled themselves. Reaper was at the ready, eyes burning with everlasting hatred knowing full well that the WBY in front of him was from his world. Puppy started to growl and thrash before finally converting into his combat form, howling in rage while glaring daggers at the four women.

Jaune simply shifted Aurum Mors into blade mode starting to let his semblance activate.

"I should have killed you all at Vale." Reaper snarled as he looked upon his prey, "I'm going to enjoy finishing the job."