RWBY : Remnant Hulk

The golden hue of the setting sun cast long, sprawling shadows across the garden as Bruce studied Ruby carefully. His piercing gaze, filled with centuries of wisdom and battle-hardened experience, narrowed slightly as he took in the distinct, ethereal silver gleam of her irises. There was something hauntingly familiar about them, something that stirred a distant, almost forgotten memory buried deep within him.

"Your eyes..." Bruce murmured. "They remind me of someone. Tell me, Ruby, who is your mother?"

Ruby blinked, surprised by the sudden question. She shifted in her seat before answering. "My mom? Her name was Summer Rose."

The moment the name left Ruby's lips, Bruce let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as realization dawned upon him. "Of course," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "It all makes sense now."

Ruby leaned forward, curiosity brimming in her eyes. "Wait, wait, wait. You know my mom?"

Bruce nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "Not just your mother. I knew her team as well. Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen, and Qrow Branwen. They were all my students."

A stunned silence filled the room as Ruby and Yang processed this revelation. They gawked at Bruce, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. "You taught them?!" Yang finally burst out. "Our parents and uncle were your students?!"

Bruce chuckled, clearly amused by their reaction. "Indeed, they were. A stubborn, reckless bunch, but talented nonetheless."

Yang shook her head in disbelief, while Ruby practically vibrated with excitement. "That's so cool! Oh man, Qrow is gonna freak when I tell him!"

Bruce smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Speaking of Qrow… tell me, is he still a drunkard?"

Both Ruby and Yang stiffened at the question, beads of nervous sweat forming on their brows. They glanced at each other, silently debating how to respond.

"Uhh… well… you see…" Ruby stammered.

"Define drunkard…" Yang added hesitantly.

Bruce let out a hearty laugh at their reaction. "That answers my question. Some things never change."

Echoes of the Past

The conversation soon shifted to lighter topics as they continued sipping their tea. The warm atmosphere encouraged more storytelling, and before long, the group was deep in a lively discussion. However, the most entertaining part of the evening came when Bruce and Yang started recalling embarrassing stories from Glynda's teenage years.

"Oh, I remember when Glynda was younger," Bruce said with a smirk. "She had this habit of—"

"Bruce!" Glynda interrupted, her face turning a deep shade of red. "Don't you dare!"

But Bruce ignored her protests, grinning mischievously. "She once tripped over her own scroll in front of the entire school. And to cover it up, she blamed it on a nonexistent dust malfunction."

The room burst into laughter as Glynda buried her face in her hands. "I hate you," she muttered, though the corners of her lips twitched with a suppressed smile.

"We should definitely hang out more often," Yang teased.

As the laughter died down, Bruce suddenly set his teacup aside and fixed his gaze on Ruby. His expression grew serious. "Ruby, there's something you need to know. You are a descendant of Emil Blonsky."

The room went silent. The air grew heavy as everyone absorbed what Bruce had just said.

Ruby's mouth opened and closed as she tried to process his words. "Wait... what? Emil Blonsky? You mean the Super Soldier from my old novel? The one who was almost as strong as The Hulk?!"

Bruce nodded, his expression unreadable. "The very same."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Hold on a second. Emil Blonsky was real?!"

"Of course he was real," Bruce said. "He was one of the strongest Hunters of his time, and his combat abilities were unparalleled. However… his story is not one of glory. He became something far beyond human—another type of Hulk."

The Burden of Strength

Ruby's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So… does that mean I could turn into a Hulk too?!"

Bruce abruptly burst into laughter, a deep and knowing sound that sent a chill down their spines. But when he looked back at Ruby, his gaze was cold, almost warning.

"No," he said sharply. "You are not a Hulk, Ruby. Emil Blonsky already had children before he became a monster. His blood runs through your veins, yes, but that does not mean you have any connection to The Hulk."

Ruby deflated slightly. "Aww, man. That would've been so cool!"

Weiss, who had been silent up until now, scoffed. "Cool? Really, Ruby? That's your takeaway from all of this?"

Yang chuckled at Ruby's antics, but Bruce's expression remained stern. "Ruby," he said, his voice low and serious, "becoming a Hulk is not something to take lightly. It is not a gift—it is a curse. A fate that strips you of who you are. The moment you turn into a Hulk, you lose a part of yourself."

Blake's embers eyes widened at his words, and she leaned forward. "You say that as if you've seen it happen before."

Bruce's gaze darkened. "I have."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Yang crossed her arms. "How would you know?"

Bruce inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. "Because… The Hulk is my friend," he said simply. "And I have spent the last 200 years trying to cure him."

The weight of his words sank in, and realization dawned upon them. Their eyes widened as they pieced everything together.

"Wait," Weiss said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That means..."

"You're that old?!" Ruby blurted out.

Bruce chuckled, though his eyes carried the weariness of a man who had lived far longer than he should have. "Time has a funny way of treating people like me."

A Night of Revelations

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the room in a warm orange glow, Bruce stood up and walked toward the door. "It's getting late," he said. "You should head back."

As the group got up, Bruce surprised them by handing each of them a lollipop and giving them gentle head pats—even Glynda, much to her mortification.

"Come visit me again sometime," Bruce said with a smile.

They bid their farewells, leaving the cozy home behind as they made their way back to Beacon Academy. Once they arrived, Glynda turned to them with her usual strict demeanor. "You're dismissed. Get some rest."

Team RWBY made their way to their dormitory, exhaustion settling in. But just as they were about to turn in for the night, Ruby suddenly turned to Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha with an excited grin.

"Guys! You'll never believe what I just found out—I'm a descendant of Emil Blonsky!"

Jaune, Ren, and Nora exchanged skeptical looks before bursting into laughter. "Yeah, right," Jaune snickered. "Nice try, Ruby."

"No, seriously!" Weiss interjected, much to everyone's surprise. "It's true. And not just that, but The Hulk was real."

Ren, who had been reading a book, suddenly dropped it with a thud. Nora, meanwhile, let out a loud "WHAT?!"

As Team RWBY recounted their experience, Team JNPR sat in stunned disbelief. The legend of The Hulk was real. The past was far more connected to the present than they had ever imagined.