Ron’s Journey Through Remnant

As the sun rose over Beacon Academy, Ozpin had summoned Gaster, Ron, and Ruby to his office for an urgent meeting. Gaster, ever the scientist and inventor, had left behind a peculiar experiment—a shimmering egg inside a special glass container. Before leaving, he handed it off to Adrian with a stern warning.

[Gaster]: Keep this away from water. If it gets wet, it may explode.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, used to Gaster's strange experiments but still wary of the unpredictability.

[Adrian]: Right... no water. Got it.

With that, Gaster joined Ron and Ruby as they headed for the elevator that would take them to Ozpin's office. As they stepped inside, Ruby's eyes lit up at the sight of all the buttons on the control panel. In her typical energetic fashion, she pressed all the buttons at once, sending the elevator on a wild ride through every single one of Beacon's hundred floors.

[Ruby]: Oops… sorry! I just... couldn't resist.

She giggled, rocking back and forth on her boots as the elevator lurched upward and began its slow journey through the tower.

Gaster sighed, shaking his head with a faint smile.

[Gaster]: This is going to take a while.

Ron leaned back against the wall of the elevator, arms crossed as he glanced at Gaster. He was used to his friend's bizarre experiments by now, but something about this one caught his curiosity.

[Ron]: So... you added Maple and her pet turtle Syrup's DNA to that egg, didn't you?

Gaster's smirk widened ever so slightly.

[Gaster]: Indeed. I'm experimenting with hybridization. The egg contains a mix of Maple's Semblance traits and the unique properties of Syrup's biology.

He adjusted his glasses, a glint of excitement in his eye.

[Gaster]: Theoretically, it could produce an entirely new form of life. But that's if it doesn't... you know, explode.

Ron raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical but intrigued.

[Ron]: And why does it explode if it touches water? Are you adding some kind of aquatic detonation sequence, or just being your usual unpredictable self?

[Gaster]: Water triggers a rapid molecular expansion in the egg's shell, something akin to a chain reaction. It's quite fascinating, really, but also very volatile, Think of it as... organic dynamite.

Ron let out a low growl of frustration.

[Ron]: Great. Just what we need. An exploding turtle hybrid.

The elevator chimed as it stopped on floor 24—only the beginning of their long, button-filled journey. Ruby was bouncing on her heels again, unable to contain her excitement despite the slow-moving elevator.

[Ruby]: Come on, it's not that bad! We get more time to talk! Besides, an exploding turtle sounds kinda... cool?

[Ron]: You would think that.

As the elevator continued its ascent, the trio fell into an uneasy silence. Gaster was preoccupied with thoughts of his experiment, already calculating the possible outcomes, while Ron was trying to wrap his mind around the logic of an egg that was both a scientific marvel and a potential bomb. Ruby, on the other hand, was too busy enjoying the ride, her fingers itching to press more buttons.

Suddenly, Gaster's scroll beeped. He glanced at it, a slight frown forming on his face as he read the message.

[Gaster]: It's from Adrian.

[Ron]: What's he saying?

Gaster scrolled through the message.

[Gaster]: He says the egg is... vibrating.

[Ron]: Wait, what?

Gaster's frown deepened.

[Gaster]: He says it's making a strange humming noise. And there's... a slight glow.

Ron immediately tensed.

[Ron]: That doesn't sound good.

Gaster sighed.

[Gaster]: It's probably just part of the incubation process. It's nothing to worry about... as long as he keeps it away from water.

Just then, the elevator dinged again—floor 37 this time—and they were still a long way from Ozpin's office. Ruby, still excited, tried to lighten the mood.

[Ruby]: Maybe by the time we get there, the egg will hatch into a tiny Maple-Turtle hybrid and start giving lectures on defense strategies!

Gaster chuckled at the thought of a tiny cute Maple-Turtle hybrid giving lectures on defense strategies.

[Gaster]: Now that would be something.

Ding.

Gaster glanced at his scroll, and his smirk quickly faded. On the screen was a video of the egg, shaking violently before exploding in a cloud of smoke. The video abruptly cut off. He stood frozen for a full five minutes, staring at the screen, while Ron and Ruby leaned in, equally shocked.

[Ron]: Did… did that just happen?

Ruby blinked, wide-eyed.

[Ruby]: Uh… that looks pretty bad.

Ding.

This time, a message popped up from Maple. Gaster slowly opened it, his usual sharp wit momentarily dulled by disbelief. Ron's patience finally snapped.

[Ron]: What does it say? Tell me!

Gaster blinked, his voice monotone, as if he couldn't quite believe the words himself.

[Gaster]: They're... cute?

Ron's eyes widened.

[Ron]: Cute?!

[Ruby]: Wait... what? The egg exploded, and now they're cute?

Gaster blinked, snapping out of his daze as he checked the photo Maple had sent him. The image showed an adorable little creature—a tiny, baby shark with four stubby legs, big round black eyes, and a tiny fin on its back. Its face was so endearing that even the grimmest warrior would struggle to say no to it.

[picture]

Gaster's usual cool demeanor cracked as he tried to suppress a laugh.

[Gaster]: Ah yes, I forgot to mention. I added a bit of shark DNA into the mix when I ran out of Maple's.

Ron pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disbelief.

[Ron]: Gaster, every time we talk, I feel like my life gets a little bit weirder.

Ruby couldn't help but giggle as she stared at the picture over Gaster's shoulder.

[Ruby]: I mean, look at it! It's like a tiny shark-turtle hybrid with legs. How could something that cute be dangerous?

Gaster gave her a sideways glance, clearly not sharing her optimism.

[Gaster]: Oh, don't let those eyes fool you. That thing's probably more dangerous than it looks. With shark DNA, there's no telling what it might evolve into.

Ron let out a long sigh, leaning against the elevator wall as it finally resumed its slow crawl up the many floors Ruby had accidentally triggered earlier.

[Ron]: So, let me get this straight. We now have an egg that exploded into a mutant baby shark-turtle hybrid, and there's a non-zero chance it'll grow into a dangerous creature.

[Gaster]: Pretty much, yes.

Ron's eyes narrowed.

[Ron]: And Maple is just... keeping it as a pet?

[Gaster]: For now, yes. Though I should probably warn her not to let it anywhere near water… we really don't need it growing to full size.

Ruby raised her hand enthusiastically.

[Ruby]: Oh, I can help! I'm great with pets!

[Ron]: Ruby, I don't think this thing is gonna be anything like a dog. Besides, Gaster's experiments have a way of going... well, let's just say sideways.

The elevator dinged once more, this time nearing their final destination as the atmosphere settled into confusion and tension.

[Ruby]: Well, at least it's cute now, right?

Gaster folded his arms, his eyes narrowing as the elevator doors opened.

[Gaster]: For now.

Ron's curiosity got the better of him as they as they were still in the elevator, He glanced at Gaster and asked.

[Ron]: Gaster... can you tell us what will happen if that little shark-turtle touches water?

Gaster, deep in thought, raised an eyebrow as if weighing whether he should actually share the full details. With a sigh, he adjusted his glasses and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

[Gaster]: Well, if it touches water, the DNA modifications could trigger a rapid growth spurt. You see, the shark DNA is incredibly reactive when exposed to moisture. It would begin absorbing the water, multiplying its cells at an accelerated rate.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror as the implications began to dawn on her.

[Ruby]: Wait... so, it would grow? Like, really big?!

Gaster nodded, his expression calm despite the looming catastrophe his experiment could cause.

[Gaster]: Yes. Within minutes, it could grow to the size of a full-grown shark—maybe even larger depending on how much water it's exposed to.

Ron groaned, rubbing his temples.

[Ron]: Great. So now we're babysitting a land shark that could turn into a kaiju if Maple accidentally lets it near a puddle.

Gaster smirked, almost amused by the scenario.

[Gaster]: You wanted to know.

Ruby scratched her head, trying to wrap her mind around the bizarre situation.

[Ruby]: So, how do we stop it from touching water? It's not like we can just keep it in a dry box forever, right?

[Gaster]: You could always put it in a controlled environment with minimal humidity, but… knowing Maple, that might not last long. Plus, it's just as likely that Syrup—her flying turtle—might accidentally spill something.

Ron threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

[Ron]: So basically, we're living with a ticking time bomb, and we have no idea when it's going to explode.

Gaster smiled wryly.

[Gaster]: More or less, yes. But who knows? It might end up being a very loyal pet... if we can keep it under control.

[Ruby]: Well, if it comes to that, we'll just have to train it! I'm sure it'll be fine!

Ron stared at her in disbelief.

[Ron]: Yeah, because a shark-turtle sounds like the kind of thing you can totally train…

With a ding, they arrived at Ozpin's office, and when they exited the elevator they were met with Professor Ozpin, miss Goodwitch, and General Ironwood who were in a heated discussion just a moment ago.

[Ozpin]: Ah, there you are. Gaster, Ron, Ruby, good. We need to talk about the incident with the egg.

General Ironwood crossed his arms, his expression serious.

[Ironwood]: We can't afford any more surprises, especially after the last... incident.

Gaster glanced at Ron and Ruby, then back at the general.

[Gaster]: You mean the explosion? That wasn't my fault. I was clear about the containment measures.

[Chapter end]