An Anon's Journey: Remnant Act 1

V3E8: Loose Ends

The fairgrounds were as busy as they were last Hope had taken the time to properly enjoy it. Games were still on, still cheaty to scam you out of your money unless you can adapt to whatever bullshit trick you need to pull to win. Performers were still drawing crowds and doing weird and dangerous things for the thrill of their audience. Stalls were still selling out the most disgustingly delicious food you will regret eating the next morning. Hope had no interest in getting indigestion, especially not in his still fragile, if well healing, body.

He rolled through the crowd of ghostly shades with no real goal, save kill time until the final stretch of the volume, where his work will get cut out for him pretty hard.

He passed by a cotton candy stand, not making much of it nor paying much attention, until he rolled into a tall blond heavy man that fell ass first into his lap. Hope bit down a groan of pain while his unfortunate victim did not, having received Hope's wheelchair into the back of his knees.

"OH MY LIGHT THAT HURTS!"

Hope hissed, his lap aching and stinging.

"Fuck, that's unpleasant."

"Jaune!"

A trio appeared into view, having heard the commotion and their friend's aching moans. *NPR looked at their friends and hissed sympathetically. Jaune looked behind him, seeing his friend's grimace.

"Anon!?" He looked down and then jumped to his feet. "Oh my light, I'm so sorry!"

Hope waved his hand dismissively, still grimacing.

"Nah, bruv." He groaned. "That was my bad for not paying attention."

JNPR stood around their crippled friend fussily, still worried for his health after all this time.

"How are you?" Ren asked.

"I'm getting better but I'm still a ways off until I'm healed."

"Did the doctor give you an estimate?"

"About a year."

Nora inhaled sharply.

"Yeesh, we'll be second years by the time you come back." She smiled cheesily. "But hey, it just means that your cool seniors will be helping you in case you get bullied by the new kids."

Hope gave his hyperactive friend a lidded stare.

"Need I remind you of what happened to the previous pillocks who thought they would get away with messing with me?"

Jaune felt a chill.

"No, we don't!"

Nora giggled to herself.

"Heh. Pillock."

Hope noticed that Pyrrha looked withdrawn. Something felt wrong with that glum look on her face.

"Why the long face, Pyrr?" he asked. "You look like you dropped your cotton candy."

"No, that was Jaune." Nora corrected.

"H-Hey! don't remind me!" Jaune complained.

Pyrrha rubbed her arm guiltily.

"It's just... We kind of got some bad news."

"What happened?" he sighed.

Ren shook his head sadly.

"The jury decided to disqualify us for excessive violence on a surrendering opponent."

Hope heard a mirror crack in the back of his mind, much to his confusion and worry.

"Wait, you're out of the tournament?!"