An Anon's Journey: Remnant Act 1

V3E6: Sweetheart, Steelheart

The ring of steel striking against steel wasn't as normal a thing in Remnant as Hope would have thought. Sure, there was sparing but it wasn't as ubiquitous in the wild. Normally, it would probably be against the odd highwayman but that was it. Most people fought against the Grimm, not against one another.

Unless, of course, it was in competition, which was ubiquitous.

Penny and her handler/partner, Ciel Soleil, were down on an arid plateau demolishing a Beacon first-year team that Hope wasn't familiar with. The poor duo didn't stand a chance against Ciel's battle sense and Penny's overwhelming firepower. Hope had been surprised by miss Soleil's capabilities. Yes, she was obviously a support student, just as he had been but she had a developed knack for controlling the flow of the battle and cornering her opponent into a previously laid trap.

Penny was ostensively the only reason she was even still in the game considering her underdeveloped Aura, but Hope wasn't in the mood for another knife threat.

Yet.

I am from a place that is ostensively worse than fucking Baltimore. Though usually, gun threats are more common. Or claw threats... Fucking Grandchildren of Cain... 

The otherwordly seer sat in the back and away from RWBY, who were cheering for Penny in the front rows. Well, Ruby was cheering, anyways. He didn't know where CMEN was, thank god. Surrounding him were SSSN, half of whom were having a nervous breakdown.

"ARE FUCKING FOR REAL!?!?" Scarlet screeched as half of the team opposing Penny's was sent flying out of bounds. "I HAD TEN K ON THAT KID!"

Hope snorted.

"Just ten?"

"Well, how much have YOU bet, huh wiseguy?" the pirate whined.

"Five hundred."

Scarlet spluttered mockingly.

"Are you serious? Just that?"

Hope smiled avariciously.

"Yes, just five hundred thousand."

Neptune spat out his drink while Scarlet and Sage looked at him like he was a madman. Sun was just munching popcorn, not paying attention.

"FIVE HUNDRED K?!?!" Scarlet screeched again in incredulity.

Hope looked at him like he was a moron.

"How do you think I make my dough?! Selling ramen?!"

Neptune gave his two cents, regardless of whether it was wanted.

"I mean, it was either that or stealing stuff."

"I'm not sixteen anymore, Nep." Hope countered nonchalantly.

The sea god paused as he went to sip from his cup.

"Wait, what?"

Hope ignored him, instead focusing on the pirate.

"Besides, what kind of idiot are you to bet on a bunch of newcomers with nothing to their name compared to two special division Atlas cadets?"

"I like rooting for the underdog!"

"That's stupid! Do you like wasting money?!"

"I like to dream, ok?!"

"That's like betting on BRNZ when it was obvious JNPR was gonna win!"

Scarlet's face distorted into a complex expression filled with pent-up aggression, envy and an unhealthy amount of resentment.

"You made the crucial mistake of thinking that I would ever put money down on that piece of shit Nolan!"

Hope cocked a surprised brow.