Cards of Remnant

Chapter 9: Swing From Shadows - Part 1

"Nothing," Weiss spitefully grumbled, the heiress's arms crossed over her chest as she impetuously pouted. "Weeks of research through every library and database in Vale and there's nothing about 'Fusion' or 'Fusion Monsters' or even just purple-bordered monster cards!"

"Darn," Yang nonchalantly replied, polishing Bumblebee with a smile as Team RWBY stood with the rest of the first-year class in the middle of an auburn Forever Fall clearing, a scattered few of the students standing by their personal duel runners. "Guess you invented a whole new Extra Deck type, sis. Congrats!"

"Nah, it's not new. Blake and Jaune knew what it was," Ruby remarked. She leaned over towards her black-haired, bow-wearing teammate. "But that means if you'd like to teach me how to summon my new monster friend, I'd love to learn-"

"No," Blake flatly answered.

"Drat," Ruby pouted, pulling back.

"I don't know why you're so dead set on hoarding this knowledge from us," Weiss complained. "We're teammates. Learning about this rare summoning style could make us all better hunting duelists."

Blake glared at the white-haired girl. "I told you. Nothing good will come of those cursed monsters."

"What does that mean? 'Cursed' monsters?" Weiss flailed.

"I've gotta agree with Weiss on that one, Blake," Ruby said. "Some monsters may be more intense than others, but there aren't any 'cursed' ones. It's not Roman Torchwick's Barrel Dragon's fault that its duelist is a jerk."

"The answer is still no." Blake snapped.

Ruby sighed. "Fine. I'll just ask Jaune."

Weiss deflated. "Do we have to?"

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Jaune pointed out, leaning in from where Team JNPR was standing around Pyrrha's Argus Chariot next to their sister team.

"Eh, don't let the Ice Queen get to you, Vomit Boy," Yang (kinda?) reassured him. "She may hound you for your Onomatopeia Gang lost episode, but she ain't gonna admit that she can learn something from you."

"That's because there isn't anything I can learn from him-you have a copy of the Onomatopeia Gang's lost episode?!" Weiss squealed, whirling on Jaune so fast the blond huntsman had to bend back and nearly fall back onto Pyrrha's duel runner.

"Uh, yeah. I can bring it to our next watch party. And I can totally help you guys learn about Fission monsters," Jaune said, only to tilt his head as if he was listening to someone unseen for a brief moment. He paled. "I mean Fusion Monsters."

He flashed a nervous smile, but Weiss's eagerness had already vanished from his error. She pulled back to her team and gestured to him with an annoyed huff. "Yeah, I don't think we're getting anything useful out of him."

"Come on, Snow Angel. Give me a chance. I can help," Jaune said. For some reason, he shot a pleading look at the empty air next to him for a few seconds, before making a small fist pump. "A Fusion monster is usually summoned by activating a spell card, most commonly Polymerization, but more powerful archetypical versions do exist-"

"Polymeri-what?" Ruby sniggered.

Jaune snorted. "Oh come on, like you've never heard a weirder spell card name?"