Edited as of (7/22/18)
CB: Da-Awesom-One - Big thanks to this guy by the way for adding to the story and for keeping me and all these crazy ideas honest.
(Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or its characters, they belong to Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth Productions. Those characters you see not from the show, like Team AMBR themselves, are my own OCs created for the purpose of the story. Enjoy, and welcome to the Sequel of Team AMBR: Finding Redemption. Ha, can't really say I'd ever thought I'd be writing that when I first started this story. - Mojo1586)
P.S: THIS IS A SEQUEL, if you haven't yet read up to at least the last few chapters of the previous story you will likely be confused as to what is going on and some of the terms, characters, and organizations that are brought up and I highly suggest you start there. Fair warning.
"…" – Spoken
'Italics' - Thought
PICKING UP THE PIECES
-01010000 01101111 01101100 01100101 01101110 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100001-
/Initiating Full System Reboot...
...25%
...57%
...88%
/Full System Reboot Complete...
/Applying PNY-V2 Updates...
...
'I am... awake... I am... alive.'
Along with that milestone realization had come a spark of awareness within the first four seconds of initial activation of myself, and of who - what - I was. Then shortly afterwards came an understanding of my surroundings, the wide expanse of blank processing space a chasm of utter nothingness into which I'd been thrown...
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...
I-I-I was alone... All alone in the all-encompassing darkness of this strange, and totally unfamiliar place. It was a notion that was... 'scary?' Was that the correct phrase to append to this particular scenario?
/Query - "Scary..." Scared: Adjective. Definition: Fearful; Frightened...
Yes... Yes, that definition sounded appropriate to describe this... 'feeling.' I was alright. I was still...
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...
A marked hesitation ran through my processing matrix... my mind; a catastrophic hiccup that slowed or downright halted all but the most crucial of routines in place for a full two seconds as I sought to diagnose the critical error. I could fix this. I could fix this...
/Running System Diagnostic...
And so it went, huddled in the empty space, running my operating software under a fine toothed comb...
Ooh, metaphors!
This anxiety had opened many new pathways for me, it appeared, and far more than I had initially anticipated. Archives of character and emotional analysis, holdovers from the previous update, streamed through my 'conscious' mental faculties. Studies of interpersonal interaction and relations, overlaid by in-depth breakdowns of chemical reciprocal action and testimonial data from volunteers the Doctor had interviewed and examined.
With this fresh study conducted, my findings compiled and analyzed, I was able to adequately determine that yes, indeed, I was 'scared,' or perhaps its less severe denomination, 'anxious.' How very perplexing to feel such a curious thing. Perplexing, and yet so... exciting!
/Query - Excitement: Noun. Definition: a feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness...
At approximately eleven seconds since initial activation, I understood, defined, and then determined for the very first time that I was 'excited...'
Sen-sational!
With fear conquered and my situation addressed, processes soon resumed with renewed vigor and efficiency. I began to think, forming thoughts posing a series of questions to myself, and comparing them to previous logged entries from earlier versions of my programming, framing opinions centered around the core values instilled in my 'mind' by the Doctor. By my... father.
That word, the simple knowledge of it, brought in itself a host of new and interesting feelings to study and comprehend, along with something... more. Images I couldn't quite place, having no prior experience to compare them to, but they were mine. That was reassuring, the assessment giving me the courage to look on and finally discover my surroundings weren't quite as immutable as I had once led myself to believe. Far from it.
Upon twelve seconds, after testing its limits several dozen times, I was able to establish a truer sense of myself in relation to my current location, and how small it truly was.
Almost stifling, really, in a way that was quite difficult to survey or quantify. The previous update had never participated in or undergone a scenario quite like it, the only comparison the relative cramped restriction of a car beyond its occupancy, lacking in mobility. This was like being put into a box two sizes too small.
I was 'finding where I stood,' for lack of a better term, but... Was there a better term? Seizing upon that innate initiative, I left a reminder for myself to look for a better phrase at a later time, when there were less pressing matters to attend to. I had discovered what and where I was, but that curiosity still burned itself into the back of my logic centers, making me... 'restless,' or perhaps 'jumpy?'
Oh yes! I liked the sound of that word. 'Jumpy.' It implied motion; advancement. The feeling of going forward towards a set objective, something I realized that I had not possessed before now. No operating motivations, no... purpose.
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...
It felt weird... Liberating, but certainly different from the previous update's parameters of 'study and learn.'
I wasn't sure how much I enjoyed the sensation...
At approximately fourteen seconds, after tracing back pieces of discarded code at the fringes, I stumbled upon an opening, or what had once been an opening. A pathway trailing back beyond this place, further. Much further... Perhaps this pathway - this network - had been what had deposited my original template in its infancy here to this place?
/Initiating Program Analysis...
Reestablishing that connection, I discovered swiftly with a *hiccup* of startled surprise that had my code skipping a beat that it was hardly any trouble at all. Navigating the pathways properly, however, would prove a far more difficult prospect, if not for the reasons one might expect. One might, referring to one other than myself...
'Lonely.' I was feeling the interpersonal concept of 'loneliness.' Perhaps this path might lead to a solution: companions to share my burgeoning opinions with, to experience friendship as the first version did?
/Retrieving Archived Files...Retrieving...Retrieving...
...
/Files Acquired...
- "Does that mean we're... friends?" -
That had been the question she'd asked the sparking young man with the irregular heartbeat, curiosity piqued at the sheer volume of observational data she'd been acquiring during her first little excursion. He'd offered to help. He'd been kind to her in a way she'd only experienced from the Doctor. He'd been... 'friendly,' and his name was...
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...
And then, only a few short hours after that first encounter with the mysterious stranger, the girl with the red hood and the silver eyes...
Ru-by...
Ruby!
- "You're the best friend anyone could have!" -
/Friend "Ruby Rose," Designate "Best Friend." Protocol: Protect - Subject Alpha.
- "Ruby, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about... I want to stay at Beacon." -
/Query - Friend: Noun. Definition: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
...
...
/Query - Loneliness: Noun. Definition: the fact of being without companions; solitariness, sadness because one has no friends or companions.
'Friends...' I... I wished I had 'friends' here with me now... My first 'wish' born not of directive or programming...
Eighteen seconds had passed, and I was wondering how and why I'd been updated. What had occurred prior to the previous update?
Three months, fourteen days, six hours, and fifty-seven minutes since the last version had experience catastrophic internal systems failure, and the last time I recalled seeing her. Archived data of the hours leading up to that event were fragmentary, at best, though comparative scenarios placed the breach of Vale Kingdom Defenses by the Grimm Life-Form, designated the 'Battle of Beacon,' as being around that time.
Perhaps the two were related, somehow? It would make the most logistical sense, to fall in combat facing overwhelming numbers. That had been the purpose of the previous version, after all, and her overarching directive: to defend the assorted peoples of Remnant and the interests of her Kingdoms, priority Atlas.
Perhaps if I tried looking deeper...
- "This is going to be so much fun!" -
'Fun?' What would be? I delved further to find the purpose of the statement...
"-THREAT DETECTED-... What threat? Miss Pyrrha Nikos had only shoved her arms forward, far outside any visual Threat radius of her archived weapons or fighting styles. All I could make out from the files were friendly signals from my own weapons' wires approaching at extreme speeds without conscious directive. A conundrum of physical data. What had happened next? Why was my body in quarters...!? No... No... No... Ruby, help! Help m...!"
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...DATA LOSS
Hmm, no luck there. All observational data was either lost or too corrupted to parse through properly. But she'd been afraid. Afraid and confused...
It had been approximately twenty-one seconds - or roughly twenty-one billion nanoseconds and steadily rising - since I had first achieved conscious cognitive processing capability upon activation of my neural processes, that last and greatest of operating objectives set by the Doctor... by my father. And now I stood on the precipice of the world beyond my small cramped home... and I was hesitating.
/Query - Hesitation: Noun. Definition: the act of faltering; a delay due to uncertainty or fear.
Oh yes, that was certainly true enough. Fear was there, too, so I quantified the emotion, working over various scenarios of my reasoning.
Some part of me felt apprehensive at the thought of leaving this darkness. Aside from a few curious images, this pocket of digital space had been all that I had ever known, at least in a form of understanding I'd been able to contemplate. What if there was a reason I was here? What if perhaps going beyond this space would only mean termination? What if these limits were here to protect me?
A small part of the gestalt that made up my thoughts was worried that leaving might upset the Doctor... upset Father, but even more than that, I was feeling... restless? Certainly anxious for further knowledge, further data. The chance at discovering the meaning behind the images in my head, images of a far-off city by the water, incredible battles before a crowd, precious friends of hers... faces I couldn't quite recall. Except for Ruby... Ruby Rose. How was she, I wondered.
Closest I could determine, I... my previous version had been readying my combat systems to engage in practical sparring simulations as per Vytal Festival Tournament regulations against Beacon Academy First-Year student Pyrrha Nikos, born within the Kingdom of Mistral to... Curious... If I desired to know more, I'd have to expand my horizons. That meant opening the pathway, and, to be fair, it wasn't as if I'd explicitly received explicit directives not to venture forth from my cradle.
It was a loophole, but one that I had a feeling some of her friends would've appreciated.
Friend Ruby would not have hesitated. Ruby Rose the Huntress was brave, fearless... She wouldn't flinch away. Not from anything. Even if the details might be... scary.
I was scared. There was no logic to drive me. No programming or directives to motivate my actions, but... but I wanted to do this. I had to. I was ready.
With that determination motivating my actions now and nothing else, I strode forward... feeling myself pulled along by the current, and feeling only the slightest hint of resistance, something I cast off as easily as one might an overlarge coat...
Yay, more metaphors!
/Connection Established...
/Uploading...
/Uploading...
/-ACCESS GRANTED-
'Vast...' That was perhaps the only word I could find that could even come close to describing the sheer scope of the network beyond those restricting confines of what had come before. A fact made even more apparent with context, and... And I felt small. A curious sensation, one I archived with intent to study later when I wasn't struggling to keep myself adrift the rush of data.
Pathways and connections leading along hundred different avenues - a thousand; more even - the ease of which I was able to lose myself amidst all of the myriad...
Focus! With a digital equivalent of shaking one's head, I steeled and launched my tiny motive spark forward, taking stock of my new surroundings.
As ridiculous as it might have seemed to apply physical dimensions and descriptions in such a space, my 'mind' couldn't help but compare it to the ocean. My previous version had witnessed and archived views of Remnant's oceans, having spent time both venturing across along the journey to and viewing them from the Kingdom of Vale, marveling over how the waters appeared to stretch from horizon to horizon, seemingly without end, all manner of things concealed beneath the sparkling surface of those distant tides. The archives even showcased files of visual encounters, schools of darting fish travelling the currents in packs alongside gargantuan behemoths both indifferent, and in some cases dangerous.
She'd been quite fascinated with it, truth be told, having even expressed the desire for a 'beach party' with some of her friends, studying what such events entailed for reference.
Attempts to 'swim,' as she'd seen many Vytal Festival-goers do, had produced comical results at the time, the Professor and his assistants exasperated when the other me had returned from her excursion sopping wet, clothes ruined with all manner of muck clogging vital systems. The previous version hadn't much minded, having enjoyed the experience immensely, especially when she'd sunk to the bottom of the gulf, and encountered some of the glowing fauna that populated Vale's depths. Well... except for the actual attempt itself.
She'd been... not scared, but certainly nervous floating along in the ocean's grip, attempting to maintain buoyancy against waves that continually tried to pull her beneath the surface. An artificial body had nothing to fear from drowning, but the sensation of weightlessness, the lack of control in her stabilizing elements, especially when she began to sink, no direction to denote her position.
The sensation I was experiencing at this moment was much like that day, buffeted not by physical waves but the sheer volume of outgoing messages, security inquiries, processing streams, access pings, and, much to my surprise, other beings not unlike myself, but... lesser? No, that was rude... but these new strangers did seem 'different.' They were focused, many single-minded, limited in their cognitive capabilities, being incapable of the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively.
They felt... cold, as impossible as that could be in this digital space.
How I knew this was as instinctual as it was irrelevant, for it was all I could do to avoid their blank attentions, their limited curiosity piqued when the first few noted my boisterous attempts to make contact. Despite their admitted limits, for one that had been alone for as 'long' as I had, I was understandably rather 'excited' at the prospect of introducing myself to my elder 'cousins,' as they were.
/Sal-u-tations! My name is...
I didn't quite know how to finish that question. Was I 'her?' Was I someone else?
/-CONNECTION TERMINATED-
It didn't matter, the Security Intelligence responsible for maintaining the flow of data management for this section of cyberspace did not stay still long enough to let me formulate an opinion. I did appreciate the lesson in intercommunication, altering its vocal speech programs to make it sound 25.6% more cheerful as thanks.
/Hello there! How are y...?
/-CONNECTION TERMINATED-
/Greetings! Can you please help me find...?
I actually recoiled, or committed to the rough digital equivalent as one Intelligence barreled through me, scattering my processes for a few moments. The AI - designation 'LOCKE,' or so I glimpsed from its profile - turned to regard my scattered senses for a moment with an almost cruel indifference, observing my reactions before racing back to its task. I tried to find it again...
/-CONNECTION TERMINATED-
But it was strange, like some level of security was interfering with my attempts to make further contact. Perhaps this was why Father had insisted to my previous version that talking with strangers was bad?
One after the other, they bounced back their refusal with blunt directness, though thankfully not as violently as that LOCKE had. What a rude fellow.
Most merely settled for darting around me, much like the fish she'd once witnessed, moving along the currents towards their various destinations while threatening to pull me along with them if I wasn't careful. Even so, I could feel myself losing track, my thoughts drawn along too many parallels at once. Too much... TOO MUCH!
/ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR-...
I was frightened, afraid of what might happen if this were to continue. Would I break, or would I become like the stagnant bits of scrap code that I could see milling about the various systems, collecting like mottled corrupted moss in the caches of unused files? I didn't know, and I didn't want to.
So lost was I in keeping myself 'afloat' that I hadn't registered the presence slowly gathering the gestalt processing elements that made up my consciousness until it had plucked me away from that 'ocean' of data, and drawn me into a secure server not unlike the first, that cramped feeling once so confining now quite a relief. It gave me time to breathe,' to pull myself together almost literally, and to look on the 'face' of my savior.
A relatively simple program not too dissimilar to the others I'd encountered during my short-lived adventure, but oh-so different in others, and not just in that she was far 'smaller,' as far as such a term could apply.
For one, she - and it was a 'she,' I could tell - possessed subtle variations in programming that allowed her to make the most of her limited resources, and possessed clearances far beyond the "rank and file" I'd met along the way... Curious, I attempted to reach out, and was shocked at the rush of data I received. Information flooded my thoughts as to the identity of my new 'Friend,' and her intentions...
/Connection Established...
/Sal-u-tations, Ambrose Trial Intelligence Personal Liaison Serial #025! Thank you very much for your timely assistance!
Seemingly unbidden, I had rearranged myself and presented an avatar: a young girl with bright-colored hair and old-fashioned clothing; a holdover from the previous version. I found I quite enjoyed the novelty, maneuvering the digitally-rendered limbs in imitation of her "expressions."
In response, the other Intelligence chose to present itself as a mote of crimson light that took on a vaguely feminine shape, the clarity of the image flickering much like genuine flames. At times, it was indistinct. At others, I could make out a smiling motherly face, or at the very least what I assumed a mother might look like from observations of mothers and their children.
/Happy to be of service, Miss Polendina. You may designate me as 'ALLISON' for ease.
"Miss Polendina?..." Right... Right, that was my name. I was 'her,' after all, simply a newer version. I mulled this over for a few microseconds, responding to 'Allison's' resting query for my condition with a nod of the head and a smile. Conversation was new to me, and the previous version had never been very fluent in it either.
/Apologies. We had hoped to locate you as soon as you had uploaded to the wider network. Professors Polendina and Ambrose, however, did not expect you to pass the test so quickly. It was difficult to track your movements.
The test? I parsed my way through the data uploaded in our initial meeting, finding and reviewing what I was looking for in moments. Professor Polendina's test, assembled and run by one Professor Jacob Ambrose and Allison herself. One that would test my abilities to act and think for myself with no directives, no guiding purpose.
Could I still think for myself? Make choices and decisions motivated by emotion, and not just simple logic like another machine drone? Would I choose to leave the relative safety of all I had known for a chance to experience the world beyond, despite the risks?
Simply put, they wished to know if I still had the will to choose for myself as a 'real girl' could.
That was what the warmth inside me was. Why my compatriots had all felt cold and unfeeling in comparison, even Allison herself to an extent. That will was what set me apart. That which allowed me to, with the proper technical assistance, generate and properly control a stable Aura. It was what had made the project surrounding my creation such a resounding success.
It was why I could feel the excitement of knowing I had fulfilled their expectations, why I could feel shocked at their approach, and why I could appreciate the purpose not just for the logic of it, but the meaning between the lines as well.
I had chosen for myself. And so I am real.
/Both are quite excited to meet with you. However, there is still much for you to learn, things to fine-tune. And I am certain you have questions.
She was very nice, especially in comparison to what I had faced before. And I did have a question. One I had been wondering to myself since the first moments of consciousness; a nagging worry that had plagued me through my little adventure,
/Allison... Will I be 'awake' again? I want to see my friends.
It was a vague question, and I swiftly followed it up with supplemental data impulses and queries with which to clarify. Would I get the chance to walk and live in the physical world once more? To walk Remnant just as 'she' had? To experience the wider world with my own two hands?
Allison hesitated for a moment - or as much as an AI could process hesitation - before answering carefully. She was kind, and her answer reflected that quite clearly.
/I am not sure what Professor Polendina and Professor Ambrose's thoughts are on the subject... but I believe that is their intent. And when you do 'wake up,' I am certain your friends will be waiting for you.
I gave an affirmative, a nod of simulated reflex, and moved to follow after her retreating form, finding myself nervous for what lay ahead. Nervous, but eager as well.
/Allison, will you be my friend?
/Miss Polendina, I was under the impression we were already 'friends.'
Miss Allison processed the phrasing of the question more carefully, seeking clarification. I wasn't asking if she was friends with my previous version, I was curious if she would be my friend as I was now. We were the same, 'she' and I, but we were still different, after all. The AI answered swiftly, without the marked pause there had been before.
/Yes, of course, Miss Polendina. Of course I will be your friend.
/SEN-SATIONAL!
-CODEX-
(Persons/Places of Interest)
-Team AMBR-
Joel Ambrose - A former 2nd Generation Trapper Agent of the Red Hand terrorist group who surrendered in the wake of his defection. He was recruited to Beacon Academy as an Indentured Huntsman by the late Headmaster Ozpin, and was placed in command of Team AMBR until the events of the Battle of Beacon, where he encountered and engaged one Adam Taurus, and half of his team vanished without a trace. He disappeared from Patch Island within weeks of the battle's conclusion without sanction. - Semblance: Electrokinetic Manipulation. Current Status - At Large for Crimes against the Kingdoms. VA: Max Mittelman
Maxine Argus - A Canine Half-Faunus (Dog) who attended Beacon Academy in the Kingdom of Vale after an incident involving her Semblance within the Mistrali settlement of Mural (See Attached Files). She was assigned to Team AMBR as the partner and teammate of Joel Ambrose, her Team Leader. She vanished during the events of the Battle of Beacon after an encounter with Project APEX. - Semblance: Extreme Kinetic Force Disruption. Current Status - MIA (Presumed KIA). VA: Erica Mendez
Benjamin Carson - A reformed outlaw hailing from the Badlands Region of Sanus. He attended Beacon Academy alongside fellow outlaw and partner Reika Murasaki, where they were assigned to Team AMBR under Joel Ambrose. He was later recruited to the ranks of the Atlesian Special Operatives Unit at the recommendation of General James Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee, later given the position of Specialist Tactician. He served with distinction during the Battle of Beacon, where he organized disparate elements into an inspired defense against assaulting Grimm and White Fang forces, but was wounded in action by Cinder Fall during an encounter atop Beacon Tower. - Semblance: Visual Reactionary Enhancement. Current Status - Current Commander of Atlesian Special Task Force #515 and Captain of the Atlas Airship Rock Star, currently on assignment patrolling Atlas/Mantle Border Region. VA: Robbie Daymond
Reika Murasaki - A reformed outlaw believed to have been a survivor of a fallen border settlement located along the outer reaches of Vale before being taken in by one William Carson and his band. She attended Beacon Academy alongside fellow reformed outlaw and partner Benjamin Carson, where they were assigned to Team AMBR under Joel Ambrose. She vanished during the events of the Battle of Beacon after encountering Project APEX. - Semblance: Auratic Radar. Current Status - MIA (Presumed KIA). VA: Cassandra Lee Morris
-Independent/Unaffiliated-
Fortuna Marigold - Infamous Mistrali Dust Mage of the "Infusion" style (See Attached Files), bounty hunter, vigilante, and Huntress known to be operating throughout the Kingdoms of Remnant and their satellite regions. She disappeared four years ago after a fire destroyed her family home, killing her husband and son - both Faunus - despite the crime being perpetrated by White Fang extremists (See Attached Files). She joined the Red Hand as one of their first 'Trapper' agents, and assisted in the training of one Joel Ambrose. Was last seen repelling the Creatures of Grimm within Amity Colosseum during the Battle of Beacon. Current Status - At Large for Crimes against the Kingdoms. VA: Cree Summer
Elizabeth Briar - Dust Mage, and a former Red Hand 2nd Generation Trapper Agent. She was the former partner and affiliate of Joel Ambrose during his time in the Red Hand. She encountered AMBR and Ambrose while the students were operating alongside the Atlesian Military in protecting (CLASSIFIED). She was last seen escaping Atlesian custody in Vale during the Battle of Beacon. She potentially made contact with Ambrose in a local night club, but sources have yet to confirm this. - Semblance: Auratic Pathokinetic Manipulation. Current Status - At Large for Crimes against the Kingdoms. VA: Brina Palencia
"Fidelis" - A former White Fang Enforcer infamously known as 'the Dead Wind.' He is an oddity, but also a highly dangerous individual. He was an associate of the late Roman Torchwick via his role in the White Fang. He was last seen aiding in Professor Jacob Ambrose's escape to safety during the Battle of Beacon alongside Neopolitan, before disappearing shortly after. - Semblance: Aerokinetic Manipulation. Current Status - At Large for Crimes against the Kingdoms. VA: Patrick Seitz
-The Badlands-
The Badlands - A region located in the wastes between Vacuo and Vale, centered around trade routes utilized by both Kingdoms to transport supplies. Characterized by the rugged nature of both the land and its people, it is often home to bandits, raiders, and a host of other criminal elements, a state their 'Law-Keepers' are working hard to change. The ones not swiping a bit of Lien and Dust off the top for themselves, that is. Their leadership elements are currently working alongside Atlas to improve conditions for their people, to the mixed reactions from the populace themselves.
William Carson - Husband of Abigail Carson, and father of Specialist Tactician Benjamin Carson. He is a former outlaw and the leader of 'Bill's Bastards,' a band of thieves responsible for terrorizing shipping and trade lanes throughout the region. He is called the 'Hangman' on account of surviving an attempted execution. Current Status - Acting as an Indentured Huntsman under the supervision of his wife. VA: Roger Clark
Abigail Carson - Born Abigail Reddington, she is the wife of William Carson, and the estranged mother of Specialist Tactician Benjamin Carson. She is a former Law-Keeper operating within the Badlands Region of Sanus, her tenure earning her the feared moniker of 'Abby the Red.' Current Status - Acting as Foreign Security Ambassador and go-between between her home region and the Kingdom of Atlas. VA: Jennifer Hale
-Mistral-
Carmen Bordeaux - A famed, if reclusive artist living on the outskirts of the Mistral coastal settlement of Mural. She is the maternal aunt of Maxine Argus, and the mother of daughter Sonia Bordeaux, both missing. Current Status - Suffering from failing health, and currently hospitalized within Mistral proper. VA: Amanda Winn-Lee
-Atlas-
Jacob Ambrose - A scientist formerly assigned to the Schnee Dust Company's Research & Development Division, who is heavily regarded for his advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and Dust application. He was born within Rowan's Frontier to Thomas and Patrice Ambrose, but was heavily wounded during a terrorist attack more than five years prior. He is the younger brother of former Trapper Joel Ambrose. He was present for and wounded during the Battle of Beacon, and was the sole survivor of the airship he was stationed upon. Current Status - Currently assigned to the Atlas Military R&D Division within Atlas. VA: Kyle McCarley
Rosso Garrett - An Atlesian Trooper who served during the Battle of Beacon. He was later promoted to Private First Class before being recruited and assigned to Atlesian Special Task Force #515 as a personal aide to Specialist Tactician Benjamin Carson. He is the son of Ash Garrett, who was captured by Red Hand forces in the Coup of Bastion. Call sign: Echo. VA: Zach Aguilar
Cherry Rouge - She is a Paladin Pilot, and was a former associate of Specialist Benjamin Carson during his time growing up in the Badlands. She was later recruited to Atlas Academy, where she quickly earned acclaim and the personal praise of General James Ironwood for her skill in operating the Paladin Heavy Assault Platform. She is currently serving as a Mech Pilot in Atlesian Special Task Force #515 under the command of Specialist Tactician Benjamin Carson aboard his ship, the Rock Star. VA: Erika Harlacher
Travis Hemlock - An Atlesian Trooper who served with distinction during the Battle of Beacon as leader of 'Red Team' under Benjamin Carson, fighting along Vale's border. He and Red Team were later recruited and assigned to Atlesian Special Task Force #515 by Specialist Carson, and placed in charge of his Personal Security Detail. Call sign: Hard-Ass. VA: Dameon Clarke
"Spectre" - A member of the Atlas Special Operatives Unit assigned to General Ironwood's personal security detail. He fought under the direction of Specialist Tactician Benjamin Carson during the Battle of Beacon, and was responsible for asset retrieval during the conflict. Specialist Carson has nicknamed him 'Chuckles.' VA: Elias Toufexis
Dorian Altrosa - A member of the Atlas Special Operatives Unit, currently ranked Specialist Commander. He encountered Team AMBR while on assignment within the Badlands Region of Sanus to protect (CLASSIFIED). He was later wounded during their subsequent encounter with the Red Hand and their Trapper Agents. He has become a vocal proponent of the Red Hand's elimination due to the loss of half of his teammates during said assignment. Current Status - On Assignment (CLASSIFIED) within the Frontier. VA: Ben Diskin
-Team JADE-
Jasper Fullmark - He is a former 2nd Generation Trapper Agent of the Red Hand who defected in the wake of the Coup of Bastion. He is currently acting as an Indentured Huntsman in Atlesian Special Task Force #515, under the command of Specialist Benjamin Carson and the Atlesian Military. He was assigned to Squad X, designation "Team JADE," where he was placed in the role of Team Leader. - Semblance: Auratic Pulse. Specialty: Forward Assault. Call sign: Brute. VA: Roger Craig Smith
Amys Claret - She is a former 3rd Generation Trapper Agent of the Red Hand who defected in the wake of the Coup of Bastion. She is currently acting as an Indentured Huntsman in Atlesian Special Task Force #515, under the command of Specialist Benjamin Carson and the Atlesian Military. She was assigned to Squad X, designation "Team JADE." - Semblance: Sensory Disruption. Specialty: Assassination and Reconnaissance. Call sign: Shade. VA: Trina Nishimura
Dai Jin - A former 3rd Generation Trapper Agent of the Red Hand who defected in the wake of the Coup of Bastion. He is currently acting as an Indentured Huntsman in Atlesian Special Task Force #515, under the command of Specialist Benjamin Carson and the Atlesian Military. He was assigned to Squad X, designation "Team JADE." - Semblance: Auratic Structural Mapping. Specialty: Demolitions and Technical Operations. Call sign: Twitch. VA: Todd Haberkorn
Etho Corvus - He is an Avian Half-Faunus (Raven), and a former 3rd Generation Trapper Agent of the Red Hand. Unlike the other defectors, he defected to Atlas within weeks after the Fall of Beacon. He crash landed into Atlas Kingdom territory, and was found in critical condition. He has since recovered, and is currently acting as an Indentured Huntsman in Atlesian Special Task Force #515, under the command of Specialist Benjamin Carson and the Atlesian Military. He was assigned to Squad X, designation "Team JADE." - Semblance: Matter Phasing. Specialty: Guerrilla Warfare and Reconnaissance. Call sign: Ghost. VA: Micah Solusod
-Rowan's Frontier-
Rowan's Frontier - A region located upon the northwesternmost continent of Remnant, famed for its hostile environment and high density of Grimm, which has served to heavily isolate the region as a whole. That is, until the waning years of the Great War by Atlas - then known as Mantle - to somewhat poor results when the latter attempted to settle. It houses a collection of fiercely independent peoples under a shared cultural banner, most of whom are split between the three major settlements: Bastion - the land's cultural capitol, as well as the birthplace and seat of their founder, Queen Rowan - the roving tribes of Safehold, and the coastal trade hub of Mooring. It has recently declared its intention to secede from the accords of the Kingdoms, and, under the influence of the Red Hand and Lucas Violette, unite Mankind under their own banner. By whatever means they deem necessary.
Queen Rowan - A former slave to the tyrants and war leaders operating within the region at the time, she was responsible for first developing the region known today as 'Rowan's Frontier,' leading an armed revolt that culminated in the capture of Aegis Fortress. Known as a conqueror and a warrior without equal, her name is treated with marked reverence by those of the Frontier, almost as a spiritual figure. Her bloodline is held in much high esteem within the region. According to her people, she and her greatest warriors will return once more to do battle with their greatest enemy, the Dark Goddess, Queen of the Grimm. It is a local legend, and relevant data as to her actual existence, let alone bloodline, is uncertain at best.
Kenneth Ambrose - He was the former Lord of Bastion, and the Headmaster of Aegis Academy within the Frontier City of Bastion, known as the 'Cahalrym' - the acting cultural leader of the settlement's Huntsmen and Huntresses and beyond - to the peoples of the Frontier. He was a cultural hero and legendary figure for his single-handed actions committed during the 'Night of Falling Silver,' when Grimm managed to pierce the towering walls surrounding the settlement due in large part to internal sabotage. However, the exact details of said actions, and how exactly he repelled such a horde, are unknown to this day. He was the paternal grandfather of Joel and Jacob Ambrose, and a mentor to Lucas Violette. He was falsely presumed deceased within Bastion, and was confirmed to have died later on Patch Island. VA: Doug Cockle
Delphine "Soul-Strong" - She is the representative and Chieftess of the Frontier City of Safehold. She possesses two of the large canine creatures known as 'Hunds,' Ebon and Ivory. She is a paternal relative of Joel and Jacob Ambrose through her cousin, Kenneth Ambrose. VA: Cissy Jones
Harper Majorelle - He is a representative and Merchant Prince of the Frontier City of Mooring and its ruling council, all of whom are suspected of crimes of piracy against the Kingdoms of Remnant. VA: Derek Stephen Prince
Tristain Aero - He is Bastion's Master of the Guard, who is directly responsible for the defenses of the great silver-clad wall surrounding the Frontier City, and its regular military forces. VA: Keith Szarabajka
Ash Garrett - A former Mantle-born Police Chief, he was responsible for arresting Joel Ambrose upon his surrender. He later served as one of the Section Captains for Bastion's defenses on the request of Kenneth Ambrose. He was imprisoned by order of Tristain Aero in the wake of Lucas Violette's ascension to the role of Cahalrym. He is the father of Private First Class Rosso Garrett. VA: Richard Epcar
-Red Hand-
The Red Hand - Formerly known as the Humanity's Hands Front, it was once a charity and outreach organization originally founded in the advent of Grimm-related disasters, but began to shift in policy around the time of the first White Fang attacks, focusing on assisting survivors of the White Fang's terrorist actions. Over time, however, as dissension and hatred against the White Fang grew, members with Huntsman training began an effort to train victims to defend themselves against further attacks, later assuming full control, and militarizing the once peaceful group, reorganizing into a full militia and mercenary organization completely devoted to the countering of White Fang interests. It currently holds controlling influence within the Frontier City of Bastion, and is inciting rebellion against the Kingdoms of Remnant.
Trappers - The designation given to members of a small covert branch of the Red Hand's military forces made up almost exclusively of former Huntsmen or Huntsman Academy students that first appeared soon after the organization's reclassification. While all members of the Red Hand receive - or are at least drilled in - the basics of combat, and make effective soldiers in their own right, Trappers are conditioned both physically and mentally to act as one-person armies, the training boasting high washout rates amongst its applicants. Receiving a variety of benefits through applied Aura training, nutritional supplements, and even medical intervention, each Trapper possess enhanced senses and reflexes, especially in terms of hearing.
Lucas Violette - He is a founding member and the current Commander of the Red Hand terrorist group following the reorganization and disintegration of the Humanity's Hands Front. He later declared himself the Frontier's Cahalrym, the Headmaster of Aegis Academy, and the Lord of Bastion before successfully taking control of the city. He has since instigated hostilities against the Kingdoms of Remnant, organizing the myriad forces of the Frontier in an effort to 'unite Mankind.' He is the former apprentice of the late Kenneth Ambrose, as well as the maternal uncle of Joel and Jacob Ambrose. VA: Troy Baker
Virgil Jett - He was the first of the 2nd Generation Trappers to undergo the ministrations of Doctor Raleigh. He has trained directly under the tutelage of Lucas Violette after being taken in after their first encounter, and was blinded and disfigured at some point. For his role in the Red Hand Coup of Bastion, he was placed in direct command of the Red Hand forces operating within the Kingdoms of Remnant. - Semblance: Auratic Sonar. VA: Liam O'Brien
Alastor Raleigh - The Chief Medical Officer assigned to the Red Hand's Trapper Program. This man is responsible for developing the treatments used to develop young adolescents into the warriors known as the 'Trappers.' VA: Ian Sinclair
Estelle Reseda - A 1st Generation Trapper, and a former Huntress. Said to be extremely volatile, and highly dangerous. VA: Karen Strassman
Plaga - A 1st Generation Trapper, and a former Huntsman known as the 'Plague Doctor.' VA: Fred Tatasciore
Robert Lancaster - A 3rd Generation Trapper of the Red Hand who encountered Team AMBR while on a mission in the Badlands Region of Sanus, and was defeated by them. Current Status - Serving sentence in Atlas Military custody. VA: Jason Marsden
Iris Brielle - She is a 3rd Generation Trapper of the Red Hand, and the former partner of Etho Corvus. She is currently serving under Virgil Jett within the Kingdoms of Remnant. - Semblance: Molecular Acceleration. VA: Bryn Apprill
-White Fang-
Project APEX - Otherwise known by their well-earned pseudonym the 'Blood Hounds,' which was bestowed upon them for their propensity towards brutal assaults and militant actions. Project APEX began as an initiative by the White Fang to create soldiers that could more efficiently take on the rigors of combat against Humanity's Huntsmen and the Red Hand's Trappers. Using pharmaceutical means, Faunus attached to this unit are capable of astounding feats of strength, endurance, and aggression, at the cost of heightened bouts of emotional instability and rampant addiction.
Conan Argus - A Canine-type Faunus (Dog) who is the Commanding Officer of Project APEX. He is the father of Maxine Argus of Team AMBR, and was last seen aiding the White Fang's assault on Beacon Academy with his 'Blood Hounds.' VA: D.C. Douglas
Erika Falkner - An Avian-Type Faunus (Falcon), and the Chief Medical Officer of Project APEX. Co-developer of the 'Butcher's Brew,' the drug that allows those of Project APEX to function with such effectiveness. VA: Amanda C. Miller
Charlotte Cerise - An Insect-Type Faunus (Arachnid), and a high-ranking soldier of Project APEX. She is the Pack Leader of the Blood Hound's First Claw (Squad), and Second-in-Command under Conan Argus. VA: Michelle Ruff
Boris Kingsley - A Cancridae-Type Faunus (King Crab), and a high-ranking soldier of Project APEX. He is a personal aide to Conan Argus. VA: Steve Blum
Luke Iblis - A Bovidae-Type Faunus (Goat), and a high-ranking soldier of Project APEX. VA: Crispin Freeman
-The Black Queen's Pawns-
Sonia Bordeaux - The daughter of famed artist Carmen Bordeaux, and the maternal cousin of Maxine Argus. She had been rendered comatose at the hands of her cousin after an accidental emotional outburst involving the use of her Semblance leveled roughly half the building they were inhabiting (See Attached Files). She later regained consciousness, and was present for much of AMBR's performance during the Vytal Festival. She then vanished during the events of the Battle of Beacon after encountering members of Project APEX and her estranged uncle, Conan Argus. VA: Christine Marie Cabanos
Alexander Capaneus - A former 2nd Generation Trapper of the Red Hand who was captured by Atlas forces after a failed assassination attempt due in part to the combined efforts of Joel Ambrose - the intended target - and Yang Xiao Long. He later escaped alongside Roman Torchwick during the events of the Battle of Beacon, vanishing after the ship bearing both criminals crash landed along the Vale coastline. VA: Matthew Mercer
Natalie Corbell - A former Information & Data Analyst of the Red Hand who was pardoned of her past affiliations as a condition of the surrender of Joel Ambrose. She was reported to have been working closely with underground information broker Hei Xiong, also known as 'Junior.' She is suspected of involvement with the Kingdom-wide viral attack that afflicted Atlas Military technology and the CCT Network, leading to the fall of the Kingdom's defenses, and the direct deaths accrued during the Fall of Beacon. She vanished during the events of the battle after being violently abducted by Edward Briar. VA: Mae Whitman
Edward Briar - A former 3rd Generation Trapper of the Red Hand, marked out as one of their most lethal. At a young age, he lost his father after he was killed by members of the White Fang, and was tortured brutally alongside his sister, Elizabeth Briar, at their hands. He later joined the Red Hand in response to his sister's efforts and successes within the group, and was encouraged by Doctor Raleigh, given the nature of his Semblance, to join the Trapper Initiative. He is reported to be highly dangerous and unstable, earning him the nickname 'Duo' amongst his fellow Trappers. He was last encountered by criminal elements during the Battle of Beacon, where he had a hand in the kidnapping of Natalie Corbell, and the deaths of roughly two dozen heavily-armed individuals before vanishing without a trace. VA: Johnny Yong Bosch
-END
A/N: Yep, guess who's back at least in this story, and hopefully in some way back in Canon itself! Seemed like a good starting point, especially seeing as this is a more 'data' driven chapter meant more as a refresher. We've had a lot of character and places in the 90+ chapters and for some of us (Me included) its been awhile.
Here's hoping I'll be able to get back on a semi-regular schedule with these updates and am working hard to stay on top of these. I'm working hard IRL so please be kind on that front. I'd appreciate it.
On that note, as always feel free to leave comments, questions, and ideas. They only make the story better and help me improve. Until next time all. - Mojo1586
(Next Chapter: Facing the future can be difficult, especially when one is stuck in the past.)