KnightDisciple
Brotherhood. Unity. Peace.
- Location
- Midwest, USA
...Am I weird if I kind of just want to give Barricade a hug and tell him things will be okay, man?
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
Lemme guess: it's ruled over by a ruthless tiger Faunus buisnessman named Shere Khan.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
When we started writing this fic we had no idea just how much we would come to like Sun, and one of the reasons why we like him is that he's talking sense to people who really need some.
One day things will get cleared up...maybe my blood pressure will let me survive this story until then.
While we realize one of the most common ways dramatic irony is used in cinema is to create suspense, it still baffles and confuses us that people keep getting that from us, when we're usually aiming for comedy.
But, hey, if that's what you're getting out of it, great.
That 'Con has been through a lot. The concussions probably don't help.
Ah, I see you've heard of Sienna Khan's brother.
RecSLRXIII
Ceilin Salamander
- Location
- Minnesota
I love how you portrayed Barricade. I want more of him
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
We've seen the meme, both here and on SB, but neither of us have actually watched the show...
Volume II: Episode 11: Winter's Soldiers
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E10: Routine | V2E11: Winter's Soldiers | V2E12: Relationships)
Volume II: Episode 11: Winter's Soldiers
* * *
Volume II: Episode 11: Winter's Soldiers
* * *
"Mother, my teacher told me to-"
The sound of glass shattering broke the air.
"Aaaaah!"
"Stupid girl! You're too loud for this early."
"Willow? Oh. Dear, must you make such a mess? Blood is always a pain to get rid of."
"Don't you 'dear,' me, you gold-digging hyrax. She had it coming."
"Yes, and I'm sure you'll agree once you're sober enough to walk straight. Come now, Winter. I'll have Klein bring the medical kit."
"Thank you, Father."
"Don't thank me, girl. Why didn't you use your aura? What are we spending all that money on those worthless tutors for if this is the result?"
Time passed.
"I got it! Winter, did you see? I got it!"
There was an echoing slap, and Weiss tumbled to the ground.
"Quiet, you boob! That much noise will only get you killed against the Grimm. Again!"
The sound of glass shattering broke the air.
"Aaaaah!"
"Stupid girl! You're too loud for this early."
"Willow? Oh. Dear, must you make such a mess? Blood is always a pain to get rid of."
"Don't you 'dear,' me, you gold-digging hyrax. She had it coming."
"Yes, and I'm sure you'll agree once you're sober enough to walk straight. Come now, Winter. I'll have Klein bring the medical kit."
"Thank you, Father."
"Don't thank me, girl. Why didn't you use your aura? What are we spending all that money on those worthless tutors for if this is the result?"
Time passed.
"I got it! Winter, did you see? I got it!"
There was an echoing slap, and Weiss tumbled to the ground.
"Quiet, you boob! That much noise will only get you killed against the Grimm. Again!"
Winter slammed her hands down against the navigation station and the holographic map built into it. Her breath was ragged, her eyes were wide, her hands were shaking. She couldn't tell if she had been sleeping or not.
Another flashback, another accursed flashback. Always the same, always different. They were getting more frequent these days. Ever since that day when she had found Weiss at Park Place, she had been hounded by mental instability. She had hidden it well enough from her compatriots, but inside, her nerves were wearing away.
All these secrets and lies were tearing away at her soul, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep on like this. She needed to talk to someone, anyone, about what was happening, but she couldn't. There was no one in the four kingdoms of Remnant or Menagerie that she could trust to hear this without risking their lives in the process.
She looked down and noticed an inconsistency.
Reaching over and grabbing a microphone, she spoke into it in a calm, authoritative voice. "Pilot, adjust your heading three degress to starboard."
The speaker near the microphone replied back with the voice of an Atlesian Knight. "Roger roger."
Winter reexamined the map as the course changes were made and was pleased with the result. In but a few hours, she would be landed safely in Vale, where her sister was. With any luck, Weiss would never know that her elder ever visited the city.
It was better that way.
"Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced," Pyrrha said as she stood back with Ren and Nora at the edge of the training room Team JNPR had claimed.
"Shield up," she said, nodding approvingly as he took up his fighting stance. "Keep your grip tight." Her eyes glanced down. "Don't forget to keep your front foot forward."
"Right," he muttered apologetically as he adjusted his footing.
"Ready?" she asked rhetorically. He gave a short nod. "Go."
At her command, Jaune thrust Crocea Mors forward. "Hyah!"
"Again!"
"Hyah!" This time, he lashed out with a diagonal slash.
"And again."
"Hyah!" Jaune finished the sequence with another diagonal slash.
"Okay," Pyrrha said proudly. "Now, I think we can take a break."
Jaune relaxed, and Pyrrha walked up to him. The redhead placed her left hand comfortingly on his shoulder and reached up with her right to his chin, tilting his head back up to lock eyes with him.
"I know this can be frustrating," she said tenderly, "and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training, and I know this is just the beginning."
"I know," he assured her softly.
"Jaune, I-I..." -- she looked down and shook her head before lifting her head and meeting his gaze again -- "...I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."
"Thanks, Pyrrha," he said with a grateful smile. "You're amazing, you know that? I don't know what I'd do without you."
She blushed and pulled away. "And you'll never have to," she promised. She tilted her head and pulled away, drawing Miló and Akoúo̱. "Now, let's see how well you can perform with an opponent."
Off to the side, a fuming Nora turned and stormed out of the room.
Ruby had her thoughts turned north as she walked through the halls of Beacon Academy. Weiss had reported to her that her sister was en route to them at that very moment, and after consulting with General Ironwood, he confirmed something else for her. Winter was not there for Weiss; she was there because he had called her there for a very special mission, and he had called her to Vale because he needed his most loyal and trustworthy people on that mission with her.
"Ruby, this is perhaps the most dangerous assignment I will ever send you on. Which is why it's volunteer only," said General Ironwood calmly as Ruby stood before him.
"Understood, sir. I volunteer," replied Ruby instantly.
"Denied. Let me finish," Ironwood told her sternly. "This mission has two objectives. The first is to secure a newly discovered archeological site, clearing away all Grimm until a more permanent security force arrives and checking it for any surprises. The second -- and arguably more important -- is to monitor Specialist Winter Schnee and discover the exact nature of her treason. This will most likely require you to lie to her face, and should the worst come to pass, you might have to fight her. Do not try to kill her -- she's too good for that -- merely retreat and try to contact help. The rest of Apricot will not be briefed on this aspect of the mission; it will all be on you."
He turned and looked at her. "Now, do you still want to volunteer?"
"Without a single doubt, sir," she replied with absolute and total conviction.
He looked at her strangely. "Try not to get yourself killed, Ruby."
"Understood, sir. I volunteer," replied Ruby instantly.
"Denied. Let me finish," Ironwood told her sternly. "This mission has two objectives. The first is to secure a newly discovered archeological site, clearing away all Grimm until a more permanent security force arrives and checking it for any surprises. The second -- and arguably more important -- is to monitor Specialist Winter Schnee and discover the exact nature of her treason. This will most likely require you to lie to her face, and should the worst come to pass, you might have to fight her. Do not try to kill her -- she's too good for that -- merely retreat and try to contact help. The rest of Apricot will not be briefed on this aspect of the mission; it will all be on you."
He turned and looked at her. "Now, do you still want to volunteer?"
"Without a single doubt, sir," she replied with absolute and total conviction.
He looked at her strangely. "Try not to get yourself killed, Ruby."
It was at that moment that Nora threw her into a nearby empty classroom.
"How could you?!" the Valkyrie demanded.
Silver eyes blinked in confusion. "Hah? Nora? What? How could I what?"
The carrot-top had her pinned to the wall and was glaring at her through tear-filled eyes.
"Don't play dumb with me, Ruby," Nora declared, her voice low and dangerous. "You know what you did. Jaune may be dense when it comes to Pyrrha's feelings, but he's a guy, and I know your sister knew. We were teasing Pyrrha about it months ago when Yang got her car."
Pyrrha's… "feelings"? The word tumbled through Ruby's mind, and in its wake, a thousand different scenes of the red-haired champion played out before her. That secret little smile she gave when she suggested they keep secret the discreet help she gave Jaune in his fight against the Ursa Major in the Forever Fall Forest. How proactively helpful she was to him all the time, always the first to offer him encouragement or assistance. The quiet smile she always wore when Jaune was around... that quickly turned into a blush whenever he complimented her, which came easily and often. How strained that smile looked in recent months. The well-hidden glee she took in single-handedly beating Team CRDL into the ground during Combat Course at the beginning of second semester...
"-and she's just too nice for her own good!" While Ruby was lost in thought, Nora had let her go and started pacing and ranting, arms gesticulating Noraesquely. "She can't even bring herself to spit it out, even now!" She spun, and green eyes kept Ruby pinned in place as she held up her thumb and forefinger a half-inch apart. "She was this close to kissing the idiot, I know it! But she won't. She'll just suffer in silence. Because of you."
Ruby froze, unsure what to do. She didn't want to hurt Nora. She was her friend, her teammate.
But... so was Pyrrha.
Quick! she thought frantically, then asked herself what was fast becoming her fallback question. What would Raven do?
Without another thought, she dove out the window.
Oh, shoot! she thought. I'm in uniform. I don't have Crescent Rose!
She brought her arms up to shield her face as she crashed into the trees outside the building, her aura taking the brunt of the damage.
"Bad..." -- thump! -- "...landing..." -- thump! -- "...strategy!" she scolded herself as she tumbled through the branches. Once she hit the ground, she refrained from getting up immediately. Instead, she lay there, staring at the branches above to collect her thoughts for a moment as people walked by.
No one paid attention to the girl who had just jumped out of the third-storey window. Why would they? This was a Huntsman academy, after all.
Finally, she got to her feet and dusted herself off. She'd go visit the Atlesians! Far away from Nora while the lightning-charged hammer-wielder cooled off.
She was half-way to the docks when she heard the door slam open across the campus, and Nora's shout echo after it. "Where is she?!"
Ruby ran even faster, then became a blur as she used Petal Burst to shoot towards a waiting transport... only to nearly get clotheslined by one of the security personnel.
"ID," he demanded, clearly unimpressed.
She fumbled for her student ID and showed it, tapping her foot impatiently. The guard scanned it and compared the photo to her face, then nodded. She tried to step past, only for him to hold his arm out to block her again.
"Security scan," he explained as he raised an electronic wand and began waving it over her.
"Come on, come on, come on..." she muttered, glancing over her shoulder. She could see the tiny redhead in the distance, running toward her with murder on her mind even now.
"You're-" -- Ruby zipped past him -- "-clear."
She almost hit the wall when she ground to a stop inside the passenger cabin. The pilots looked around to her from the cockpit, and the other people in the cabin seemed mildly surprised as well.
"Fly, you fool!" barked Ruby as she desperately strapped herself into a free seat.
"We're on a schedule, lady, and we don't change it for no one," replied one of the pilots hotly.
Ruby glanced out the window. She could see Nora's eyes then as her tiny legs pumped her across the campus grounds. They were definitely filled with killing intent. It wouldn't be long now before the full weight and fury of the pint-sized pummeler would rain down upon Ruby's face like the hammer blows of her father's fists.
She never realized it until that moment, but her dad could get pretty scary when he went against the Grimm.
"RUUUUBY!" cried out Nora as she stepped upon the landing pad, dragging two of the security guards with her as they tried in vain to hold her back.
Before Ruby could unlatch herself, the cabin bay doors slammed shut, and the telltale sound of engines roaring into action flooded the passenger cabin as the airship lifted into the sky. The sniper let out a ragged breath and resisted the urge to chuckle madly. She had come far too close to a physical altercation there.
Instead, she settled for breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hey, you're Ruby Rose, aren't you?" Curious green eyes beneath orange bangs with blue highlights peered at her with interest from the next seat over.
Dumbfounded at being recognized, Ruby nodded, noting the other girl was wearing an Atlesian school uniform. "Yeah."
"Aren't you supposed to be running into danger?"
Ruby hung her head. Did everyone know about that?
She turned her attention to stare back out the window and avoid her shame. They were approaching one of the big Atlesian air cruisers, and as they approached the hangar bay, she noticed something odd. Mixed in with the various Atlesian military small craft was a ship that looked out of place, a needle-like vessel with six wings -- four large and two small -- capped with engine nacelles.
A few minutes later, she found herself showing her ID to security onboard the air cruiser -- she still didn't know which one -- and stepping off the shuttle onto the vessel proper.
"How the heck do you even have clearance to be here?" The question pulled her from her thoughts. It was the girl from earlier, a cat tail swishing back and forth in time with her curiosity..
"I'm... not entirely sure," admitted Ruby.
"Huh," was the girl's response. She shook her head. "Anyway, name's Neon, Neon Katt. Call me Rainbow. Since you don't know how you're cleared to be here, I'm guessing you're here to dodge that girl chasing after you and probably don't know your way around. Wanna hang?"
"Um, sure?" ventured the bloodcrowned Huntress hesitantly, thinking about how to avoid the inevitable name confusion with her team.
"Great!" Neon cheered. "Follow me."
"Or she can follow me instead," offered a calm, male voice.
Ruby turned and saw a soldier with dark hair, a mustache, and a beret approaching. He seemed to be smiling. The fact that he had called her out specifically was suspicious though.
"Oh, hello, Sergeant Dial-Tone!" said Neon as she somewhat ironically went to attention.
"I'd say 'at ease,' Rainbow, but I think that wouldn't have nearly the same effect it should," chuckled Dial-Tone as he came up to them. "Heard from some of the security guys on the ground that your clearance checked out. Which, considering who was on your tail, is fortunate. Ironic though, considering what you're infamous for."
"I know, right?" agreed Neon. "I thought for sure she'd be running towards that girl and her impotent midget rage."
Ruby's eyes went wide, but before she could deny that Nora's rage was anything but impotent, Dial-Tone kept talking.
"Guess it wasn't enough action for her. I bet you lien to liederkranz, though, that if a riot ever breaks out between the students, she'd be right in the thick of it," observed the mustached man. "Seriously though, I need to talk to Miss Rose. Think you could give us a minute or two?"
"A whole minute?" asked Neon curiously. "That long?"
"That short," corrected Dial-Tone. "Security guys also say that her friend has a similar clearance level and might be coming up here to ice her for… Well, that's under the table, isn't it?"
Ruby blushed like a lighthouse, and Neon was grinning like the cat that caught the canary. No, wait, that was racist. Probably. If Weiss found out about that, then she'd have two of her friends trying to kill her. And that would still be better than the lecture she'd get if Yang found out.
"Oh, I've got to hear about this," said Neon cheerfully before walking a safe distance away.
Ruby looked up at Dial-Tone in worry. "Am I in trouble?"
"Oh, yes, a lot of trouble, but it's not necessarily the bad kind. You've got a real healthy taste for danger, Miss Rose," he answered before reaching into one of his larger pockets and bringing out a small package sealed in dense plastic. "I came to talk to you, though, because I've got to get off the airship for other duties, but I also need this returned to the headmaster. Figured you could handle that for me, since your ride is my ride out."
Ruby gingerly took the offered package. "Is that legal? I don't want you getting in trouble."
"I checked, and it is," replied Dial-Tone. "Didn't make a whole lot of sense to me at first. Then I found out you were the one who brought it in."
Ruby froze and looked up at him. "How did you know?"
His smile grew a little mischievous. "You just told me, right now."
The crimson-themed Huntress could feel the floor dropping out from under her.
"You're not a bad liar, Miss Rose, but you should really learn how to play poker better," advised Dial-Tone. "Still, you're just getting started, Young Rose. We will be watching your career with great interest."
He clapped her on the shoulder as he passed, snapping Ruby back out it. No sooner had he passed her by, though, than did she have another visitor. Neon was looking at her strangely.
"Dial-Tone tell you something he really shouldn't have known and knocked the wind out of your sails?" she asked knowingly.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah."
Neon shrugged. "Don't worry about it. He's in communications, so he hears all sorts of things. He's smart too, so he can put those bits together real well. It's a neat trick, but that's all it is."
The bloodcrowned girl sighed in relief. "So this is normal?"
"As a heart attack," replied Neon cheerfully, her tail flicking about in clear amusement. "Now, it's time for the grand tour. Where should we go first?"
"Headmaster. I need to deliver this to the headmaster," replied Ruby quickly. "Is he on this ship?"
"No idea," Neon shrugged, "but he should be. This is the Tapfer, after all."
Ruby blinked. "This is the flagship?!"
"Wow, a lover of danger, and dumb lucky to boot," said Neon in mocking appreciation. "After we drop off your package, you need to meet my team."
They made to leave the hangar, but just before they reached the exit, Team APRC entered with a woman in an odd uniform with white hair and blue eyes. It made Ruby's blood run cold yet again. It couldn't have been anyone other than the arch-traitor, Winter Schnee.
"Friend Ruby!" greeted Penny cheerfully. "You're with us!"
"What?" asked Ruby. "With you for what?"
"A mission. What else could it be?" replied Aska rhetorically. "You're Vale's representative on this, remember? General Ironwood ordered it personally."
"I don't have my weapon!" pointed out Ruby.
"Rocket locker is already on the way," Rufus informed her in a slightly modulated voice as he stomped by in his Vulture powered armor, the one that couldn't double as a suitcase.
"I'm still wearing my school uniform," protested the girl.
"I have several sets of spare clothes on board," offered Winter before looking at Neon. "I apologize, student, but we'll have to take your compatriot for now."
As Ruby was about to make another excuse, Ciel gently took her by the arm and led her along with the group. "Come on. I'll fit you for the change in clothes."
As the group boarded the six-winged airship and the hatch closed behind them, Neon couldn't help but give a little internal cheer. Oh! So not only does she run headlong into danger, not only does she have secret fights with short people, not only does she have mysterious clearances, not only does she hold a diplomatic post, but she's also becoming one of Winter's soldiers?! I've got to tell the others. This is too good to believe! She's an international woman of mystery!
Aska "Shadow" 'Roku' kept her calm as Winter's personal transport flew through the air. She was sitting in the back cabin with most of the rest of her team -- and Ruby Rose -- but her mind was elsewhere. She needed to center herself, needed to remember why she was doing this, why she became a Huntress. She needed to remember this, because the reasons why she became a ninja were self-evident.
She had become a ninja because her family had been ninja, her whole clan was. Was. That clan was gone, wiped out by the traitor Benigumo and the Future Genesis Chemical Corporation. Their old village, Koryu Village… well, clan politics apparently spilled over, and so did the Grimm.
It should have been vengeance that drove her, but it wasn't. It couldn't be. Benigumo Koryu was dead, and so was the FGC. Everyone she could have taken revenge on was either lying six feet under or rotting away in prison.
No, instead of a life of training to take revenge, she had instead found herself looking forward to a life of luxury. She and her brother Kogetsu lived in Atlas Academy itself, after all. They never had to want for anything but what they were denied by parental consent, and that was never anything vital.
A life of privilege and peace, all because James Ironwood walked into their lives. It should have made her happy; it really should have. But no matter what the legal documents said, he was not their father.
"Ah!" cried out Aska as she hit the floor.
"Pathetic," derided the instructor.
"She's trying her best!" defended Kogetsu.
The instructor struck out with a low sweep, knocking the boy to the ground hard to join his twin sister.
"Now, now, we mustn't get them too bruised up," said one of the doctors, the FGC logo prominent on his coat. "After all, their sixth birthday is coming up soon, and that means more tests. In fact, let's start a few right now. Operation: Black Moon is already going so fast. Why not keep up the pace?"
The instructor grunted. "Fine by me."
Aska and Kogetsu were both grabbed by the collars of their training gis and marched out of the dojo. The FGC wanted them trained as ninjas, probably to kill people. What the tests were for, though, they didn't know.
They were brought to the lab again, and the instructor began to strap them onto the tables.
"Don't scream this time, and you won't get beaten again," he told them.
The door was smashed in with a terrific crash. The doctors and the instructor all drew their weapons. A man, tall and strong in a white coat, strode through the door. The FGC personnel didn't waste time, they opened fire.
It was somehow too late, the man moved like lightning, and his pistol fired the whole way. Auras shattered, and blood was spilled. Rifles fired in report, and the whole room shattered.
All they knew was noise, and then silence. How could something last forever, and be over in the blink of an eye? There was blood in the room, but it wasn't theirs, and the man's coat was still white.
He ran over to them, his expression worried. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"
"Who are you?" asked Kogetsu as his binds were undone.
The man smiled a warm and kindly smile. "My name is James Ironwood. I'm with the Atlesian military, and I'm getting you two out of here."
"Pathetic," derided the instructor.
"She's trying her best!" defended Kogetsu.
The instructor struck out with a low sweep, knocking the boy to the ground hard to join his twin sister.
"Now, now, we mustn't get them too bruised up," said one of the doctors, the FGC logo prominent on his coat. "After all, their sixth birthday is coming up soon, and that means more tests. In fact, let's start a few right now. Operation: Black Moon is already going so fast. Why not keep up the pace?"
The instructor grunted. "Fine by me."
Aska and Kogetsu were both grabbed by the collars of their training gis and marched out of the dojo. The FGC wanted them trained as ninjas, probably to kill people. What the tests were for, though, they didn't know.
They were brought to the lab again, and the instructor began to strap them onto the tables.
"Don't scream this time, and you won't get beaten again," he told them.
The door was smashed in with a terrific crash. The doctors and the instructor all drew their weapons. A man, tall and strong in a white coat, strode through the door. The FGC personnel didn't waste time, they opened fire.
It was somehow too late, the man moved like lightning, and his pistol fired the whole way. Auras shattered, and blood was spilled. Rifles fired in report, and the whole room shattered.
All they knew was noise, and then silence. How could something last forever, and be over in the blink of an eye? There was blood in the room, but it wasn't theirs, and the man's coat was still white.
He ran over to them, his expression worried. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"
"Who are you?" asked Kogetsu as his binds were undone.
The man smiled a warm and kindly smile. "My name is James Ironwood. I'm with the Atlesian military, and I'm getting you two out of here."
And he did. True to his word, he got them both out that day. He stayed with them too, never letting them out of his sight, always protecting them. They traveled with him wherever he went from then on, since he was the one raising them. When he couldn't teach them something, he would get the best tutors he could.
He was everything a father should be, but… but Aska wanted more. Her real father was dead, but she could still carry on the family legacy, her family legacy. She was a ninja, not some Atlesian officer, and she never would be. She didn't belong there, so why should she make the slightest effort to fit in?
"Was hältst Du von Ruby?" asked Farsight in the tongue of her ancestors.
"Sie ist ein nettes Mädchen und kann unglaubliche Kekse backen, aber ich frage mich schon warum Papa ihr befohlen hat uns zu begleiten." answered Aska in pitch perfect Mantellian with a high-altitude Atlesian accent. "Ich kaufe es ihm nicht ab dass sie nur Vale vertritt. Dafür könnten sie jeden schicken."
Farsight nodded, and Aska went back to meditating on her goals. She was an outsider who would never belong or fit in among her peers. There was no possible way she could assimilate. She was a lone wolf who had become a Huntress in order to survive in the world without anyone.
"Aska, are you thinking about asking anyone to the dance?" inquired Bladerider cheerfully. "Or hoping for someone to ask you?"
"I was thinking about Jazz, actually," replied Aska with a blush. Jazz -- or Flynt Coal -- was the leader of a fellow first-year Atlesian team, Team FNKI. He was... so cool.
She couldn't trust anyone but herself. That was just how the world worked. But who was she anyway? Roku was just a pseudonym. Aska Koryu? Aska Ironwood? In the end, she was just a shadow without a friend who couldn't care about anyone.
"Hey, Shadow, don't you think we're missing something?" asked Mad Dog rhetorically, and then he glanced at Ruby… Ruby! They couldn't let her go into battle without a callsign! That was just uncouth and bad for team cohesion.
"What are we going to call you?" asked Aska meaningfully.
"Huh?" was Ruby's dumbfounded response as she looked about in confusion. "Uh, 'Ruby.' What else would you call me?"
"Headlong!" declared Bladerider happily, though Ruby visibly flinched at that.
"Mechhead," offered Mad Dog.
"Wind Flower," put forward Farsight.
"Reaper." Aska nodded assuredly.
"Is that really necessary?" asked Ruby.
"Of course," said Specialist Schnee as she entered the cabin. "The autopilot will have us at the LZ in five mikes, so get ready to move out, all of you."
Aska and the rest of Team APRC -- save for Thundercracker, of course -- got up and began checking their gear, though the specialist kept talking.
"You need a callsign, Miss Rose, for many reasons, but chief among them is that we all have them." At that, the white-haired woman pointed at herself. "For instance, while we're on this mission, I must insist that you call me Targeter."
"Um, okay, Targeter," replied Ruby, still very clearly not entirely comfortable.
"You'll get used to it," said Targeter briskly. "Now, since we all have them, and this is a mission, you'll need one too in order to maintain proper comm procedures. The suggestions from the others weren't bad, but they don't seem to be clicking either."
Aska walked over to the doorway alongside Ruby as it opened on final approach.
"I just don't see what I need a callsign for," said the Valish girl. "I mean, my real name is pretty short as it is. How are you going to find another word that sums up all that I am just as well?"
Targeter began to reply when Ruby's eyes flicked to the side for a split second, and then, just as quickly, she brought Crescent Rose up and fired. Aska's keen eyes -- and the sensors built into her glasses -- tracked the shot to a Beowolf in a field with a perforated skull that dropped to the ground in a heap before dissolving into the aether. The bloodcrowned girl, for her part, just looked alert while scanning the area.
"Snapshot," said Aska, the word coming to her lips on instinct.
Farsight, Mad Dog, and Bladerider all nodded along with that. Even Targeter looked pleased in some cryptic fashion. Ruby just looked at them strangely, though of course she wasn't Ruby anymore, was she?
"I do believe it is decided then," confirmed Targeter. "Congratulations, Snapshot, on your new callsign."
"Wonderful!" cheered Bladerider. "You are now part of the tribe."
"Just what I've always wanted," muttered Snapshot in still very visible confusion.
They hit the ground soon after that and began sweeping the LZ for any Grimm that might have been missed by the airship's sensors and guns. There weren't any, which was strange. Beowolves almost always worked in packs, so where were the fellows of that one that Snapshot had downed?
"Farsight, find an overwatch spot and start nesting," ordered Targeter before drawing her saber, Edelweiss, and pointing at a patch of the vine-covered hillside. "We'll be exploring the bunker that recon identified."
Farsight did as ordered and soon disappeared into the green foliage despite her blue clothing. The remaining four members of the team followed Targeter as she led them to what Aska's optics were identifying as a large armored door that was slightly open. There was a lot of concrete on the ground as well, though it was covered in more of those vines. They had landed, appropriately enough, in the middle of an old landing pad.
When they got to the door Targeter tsked. "These vines will be a problem in time. Recon cracked open this door not even forty-eight hours ago, and it's already this overgrown. Stand back for a moment, students. We'll have to do this the hard way."
They obliged, and soon, there was a white snowflake glyph expanding out on the ground. From that glyph came the ape-like form of a Bergingel Grimm. Though, unlike a true Creature of Grimm, this construct was white and cyan and as blindingly bright as the real thing was pitch black.
"Wow!" gasped Snapshot as she watched in wonder. "How did she do that?"
Aska leaned over so that the Valish girl could hear. "This is a secret technique of the Schnee family. Their semblance, unlike almost every other, is hereditary. In addition to all its other abilities, they can summon constructs of their defeated foes."
"Huh, so Weiss could do that?" asked Snapshot. "Theoretically, I mean."
Aska looked at her in amusement. "There is no theory about it. That is as certain as the dawn."
"Uh, no, it isn't," said Snapshot pointedly. "Weiss barely uses her semblance these days, remember?"
Aska caught sight of Targeter's reaction, and it wasn't good. The Specialist tried to hide it, and she mostly succeeded, but Aska had learned from years of speaking with General Ironwood how to read people who were controlling their emotions, even someone like Targeter. She was hit hard by that bit of news, and deeply too.
"Cover your ears," ordered the specialist, and they once more followed her order as the summon put its hands into the now cleared door seam and pulled it apart.
With great effort and a tremendously loud racket, the door was finally opened. After that, they stayed outside for a few minutes as they waited for the air inside to circulate and for any Grimm drawn by the sound to come running. None did. Again, there was nothing.
Where are you? wondered Aska in concern as years of training screamed at her to ready herself for a fight that didn't seem to be coming at all. On instinct, her hand drifted up to grip the tsuka of Magorox from where it protruded over her shoulder.
After another few minutes, the specialist ordered them to enter the facility with headlamps and flashlights out. She took up the lead, and Bladerider followed, then Snapshot, then Mad Dog, and finally Aska herself. As her heeled boots hit the concrete of the bunker's floor, she realized that she should perhaps start thinking of herself as Shadow.
They began a thorough search of the underground base and took note of everything they were seeing. "Base" was the appropriate word here, since it soon became abundantly clear that this was no mere Great War era bunker. Everything was strangely preserved, as if it had been built to a far higher spec than normal.
"I bet my brother would love this," murmured Aska under her breath.
Somehow, Snapshot had heard the comment, and came rushing over with her eyes wide. "Wow! You have a brother? What's his name? What does he do? How come I've never seen him before?"
Banking away from the overexcited Valish girl, Aska gave a simple and honest answer. "His name is Kogetsu, he's a ninja, and... he's a ninja."
Snapshot looked like she was going to say something else, but she stopped and thought about it before sighing. "Of course."
She looked around at the rest of the team even as they continued to explore. "So I know Farsight has a lot of brothers, and I know Targeter has a brother, but do either of you have brothers?"
"I have two," answered Mad Dog simply.
"I, sadly, am an only child," reported Bladerider with a melancholy note.
Snapshot rushed over and embraced her. "Oh, don't cry. It gets better, I promise."
Bladerider blinked. "Don't you have an older sister?"
"I didn't know what else to say," lamented Snapshot.
"Then perhaps you should be quiet," suggested Targeter in a tone that made it clear that it wasn't a suggestion.
It was an hour and change into their search when they found something truly extraordinary, though. Something that made it impossible for any of them to stay quiet. Even Targeter had her breath taken away when they pushed open that sealed door.
It was row upon row of pods with people in them. Passive, sleeping, living figures dressed in what looked like simple patients' clothing. Beside the pods were tiny lights indicating that power was still flowing into them.
"These look familiar," muttered Bladerider with wide eyes as the group began to walk into the room.
"I wouldn't go that far," replied Mad Dog as his eyes scanned the tubes. "After all, this tech looks like it flew straight out of the history books, but… it's all style. What it's actually doing is something incredible."
Aska stopped in front of one of the tubes and held her surprise in check. What was in there -- who was in there -- wasn't possible. No, it was perfectly possible; it just had to not be who it first appeared.
Snapshot slid up next to her again and looked inside curiously. "Is it just me, or does he look like an older Spruce Willis?"
The rest of the team stopped and turned to look as well, and Penny gasped. "How?! How is that possible?"
"Simple," replied Targeter, though even she sounded in awe. "It isn't."
"How?" asked Mad Dog pointedly. "They never found the body. Heck, they didn't even find the airship."
"What's more likely?" countered Winter. "That he would be found after all this time in stasis, or that it is merely a lookalike. Snapshot said it herself; he looks like Spruce Willis."
"Ma'am, what are the odds that someone can have two lookalikes in a hundred years?" inquired Mad Dog leadingly.
Aska looked around. "Better question. Why are any of them in stasis in the first place?"
Specialist Targeter nodded at her. "You're right. Let's get back to the surface, but stay on the lookout for anything that could be a clue."
They weren't able to find one before Farsight interrupted with a transmission.
Original Valish (English) translation of Ciel and Aska's little talk. The Mantellian (Deutsche) was an after the fact translation generously provided by @Legion0047 (currently writing this) with editing done by @Walkir .
"<What do you think of Ruby?>" asked Ciel in the tongue of her ancestors.
"<She's a good girl, she bakes some amazing cookies, but I wonder why Dad ordered her to go with us,>" answered Aska in pitch perfect Mantellian without the slightest hint of an accent. "<I don't buy that she's just Vale's representative. They could send anyone to do that.>"
"<What do you think of Ruby?>" asked Ciel in the tongue of her ancestors.
"<She's a good girl, she bakes some amazing cookies, but I wonder why Dad ordered her to go with us,>" answered Aska in pitch perfect Mantellian without the slightest hint of an accent. "<I don't buy that she's just Vale's representative. They could send anyone to do that.>"
Farsight noted that 151 minutes had passed since mission start when the complication arose.
The complication in question was a group of unmarked green and grey Skygraspers flying nap-of-the-earth and approaching stealthily. There were no other missions scheduled in this area, and a quick check proved their transponders were disabled.
"Farsight to team," she whispered. "Inbound unidentified Skygraspers."
"Understood," came Targeter's crisp, clear voice. "Maintain overwatch. Keep us updated."
She nodded, sighting down Blitzjaeger -- a lighter counterpart to her usual Distant Thunder for more mobile or close quarters operations -- to their apparent landing site.
Her eyes narrowed as personnel began disembarking from the airships. The distinctive green outfits were unmistakable.
"Farsight to Targeter," she reported. "Update: Newcomers appear to be MECH. Permission to engage?"
"Denied," was the immediate reply. "We're moving into position. Weapons tight until I give the signal."
"Understood," she acknowledged. She shifted slightly in order to adjust the angle of her shot to account for MECH's approach angle. A handful of MECH troopers moved toward Specialist Schnee's airship... but otherwise seemed disinclined to tamper with it.
MECH was a recent thorn in the Atlas military's side. Cropping up only a few years ago, they were well-funded, well-equipped, and well-trained. They typically engaged in corporate espionage and theft of military hardware and advanced technology.
"Stay with me, Klara," said Ciel as she ran through the snow towards the waiting medevac VTOL with her classmate from the Albion Mountain Combat Praxeum mounted firmly over her parka-clad shoulders.
Klara Simpson merely gurgled in reply, but she did reply. That she could do that at all was a miracle. Her face was a mangled wreck, like much of the rest of her body, the reason why as evident as the smell of cooked pork that wafted into Ciel's nose with every ragged breath she took.
She slowed down just enough so that when she reached the medevac, she could turn around and set Klara gently into the waiting arms of the medics that began to bundle her up alongside the rest of the casualties from the battle. If they could get her into treatment fast enough, she would live. The door was still open, she realized through a mind that had been awake for close to 27 hours.
"Come on!" yelled one of the medics. "We can't leave the doors open, and you combat students need to pull out."
Ciel was going to respond, but then a cry came through the air. More flying Grimm were coming, and there weren't enough people left at the firebase to man the anti-airborne artillery while they were being attacked on the ground as well. If the medevac took off, it would do so without covering fire.
Klara wouldn't get that treatment she needed for her burns. She wouldn't even get out of the combat zone.
"Go! I'm staying!" she yelled back, and then without waiting for a reply, she turned and sprinted for the gun she had seen firing the least in the last wave.
The VTOL was beginning to take off when she reached the 5-inch gun platform. They wouldn't wait for her; that was good. The gun was an older model, manually loaded and operated, intended for a crew of five. The breech was open, and the ready rack was half-empty, only around two dozen air-burst shells. The armor-piercing shells normally stored in the ready rack alongside them were all gone, presumably used against the Megoliaths that had spearheaded the attack. It would do. She hauled one of the 5-inch flak shells out of the ready rack and raised it into the breech before slamming it closed. Ciel slid into the gunnery seat and peered through the glass sights, feeling a sense of calm fall over her, despite the cold. Standing still like she was, she was beginning to feel the freezing polar wind on her face, and that she could still feel at all was a boon from the Blessed Lady of the North herself. Spinning the handwheels, she centered the large Teryx leading the formation in the crosshairs, adjusted upwards and slightly to the left to account for range, angle, wind, and the Coriolis effect, and stamped the firing pedal.
BOOM!
The 5-inch shell soared into the sky, the proximity fuse detonating it as it neared the Teryx, ripping through its soft underbelly and severing its neck with shrapnel. It wasn't enough to stop all of them, but she could tell they were angling for her now, not the medevac.
She leaped out to throw another shell into the breech, her gloved hand ramming it home.
BOOM!
Ciel brushed a loose lock of hair out of her eyes as she scrambled for another shell out of the ready rack.
BOOM!
She almost climbed out when a hand patted her on the shoulder, and she heard the breech closing.
"You're good!"
BOOM!
The corporal left in charge ordered a retreat an hour after that when they ran out of ammunition for the artillery. The firebase was lost, but the medevac was long gone. It would be another 63 hours without sleep before Ciel joined them, the medics having no trouble by that point holding down her bleeding and broken body.
Klara Simpson merely gurgled in reply, but she did reply. That she could do that at all was a miracle. Her face was a mangled wreck, like much of the rest of her body, the reason why as evident as the smell of cooked pork that wafted into Ciel's nose with every ragged breath she took.
She slowed down just enough so that when she reached the medevac, she could turn around and set Klara gently into the waiting arms of the medics that began to bundle her up alongside the rest of the casualties from the battle. If they could get her into treatment fast enough, she would live. The door was still open, she realized through a mind that had been awake for close to 27 hours.
"Come on!" yelled one of the medics. "We can't leave the doors open, and you combat students need to pull out."
Ciel was going to respond, but then a cry came through the air. More flying Grimm were coming, and there weren't enough people left at the firebase to man the anti-airborne artillery while they were being attacked on the ground as well. If the medevac took off, it would do so without covering fire.
Klara wouldn't get that treatment she needed for her burns. She wouldn't even get out of the combat zone.
"Go! I'm staying!" she yelled back, and then without waiting for a reply, she turned and sprinted for the gun she had seen firing the least in the last wave.
The VTOL was beginning to take off when she reached the 5-inch gun platform. They wouldn't wait for her; that was good. The gun was an older model, manually loaded and operated, intended for a crew of five. The breech was open, and the ready rack was half-empty, only around two dozen air-burst shells. The armor-piercing shells normally stored in the ready rack alongside them were all gone, presumably used against the Megoliaths that had spearheaded the attack. It would do. She hauled one of the 5-inch flak shells out of the ready rack and raised it into the breech before slamming it closed. Ciel slid into the gunnery seat and peered through the glass sights, feeling a sense of calm fall over her, despite the cold. Standing still like she was, she was beginning to feel the freezing polar wind on her face, and that she could still feel at all was a boon from the Blessed Lady of the North herself. Spinning the handwheels, she centered the large Teryx leading the formation in the crosshairs, adjusted upwards and slightly to the left to account for range, angle, wind, and the Coriolis effect, and stamped the firing pedal.
BOOM!
The 5-inch shell soared into the sky, the proximity fuse detonating it as it neared the Teryx, ripping through its soft underbelly and severing its neck with shrapnel. It wasn't enough to stop all of them, but she could tell they were angling for her now, not the medevac.
She leaped out to throw another shell into the breech, her gloved hand ramming it home.
BOOM!
Ciel brushed a loose lock of hair out of her eyes as she scrambled for another shell out of the ready rack.
BOOM!
She almost climbed out when a hand patted her on the shoulder, and she heard the breech closing.
"You're good!"
BOOM!
The corporal left in charge ordered a retreat an hour after that when they ran out of ammunition for the artillery. The firebase was lost, but the medevac was long gone. It would be another 63 hours without sleep before Ciel joined them, the medics having no trouble by that point holding down her bleeding and broken body.
Four minutes later, MECH troopers began approaching the entrance to the facility, armed with some form of grenades.
"Farsight to team," she said as she lined up the shot. "MECH troopers approaching with grenades. Engaging now."
"Acknowledged."
She caressed the trigger and absorbed the kick of Blitzjaeger against her shoulder. Compared to Distant Thunder, the .80-caliber rifle's recoil was a fair bit stronger, thanks to lacking an extra two feet in length and several dozen pounds in weight, but she could take it. Even with that force pushing her back and a spent case flying into the brush, though, the results on the other end were much more dramatic, as the round punched through the aura of the MECH trooper she'd aimed at and still had enough energy to send him tumbling to the ground.
She was already moving. Fire and reposition was the order of the day.
The position she had left was already being plastered with gunfire. They had a way of tracking her. That was less than ideal, but she could work around it and maybe lead them on a merry chase.
She didn't worry about the rest of the team as she ran, trusting that those kids would get out alright. They had Specialist Targeter with them, but they also had Snapshot. That little sniper would probably see them through a lot and make sure none of them bought a single piece of real estate along the way. Moreover, Targeter would remotely activate the airship's emergency transponder, as per standard operating procedure.
Farsight got into another position and flicked through the vision modes on her scope. There was a group of them coming after her through the trees. She tracked them, and soon those trees were bushes.
BOOM!
Bushes didn't do much to defend against .80 Colton.
She repositioned again, and this time, there wasn't any barrage of gunfire. Instead, there were a series of thumps that sounded through the forest. Farsight's eyes widened, and her mind reached for her memetic.
Precognition on!
She could see mortar shells falling down from the sky and moved to avoid them. MECH seemed to be plastering the area with them, but she could move ahead of them and prevent being blown up. So move she did, and when those explosives hit the ground… they didn't explode.
It hadn't been her eyes playing tricks on her. They really didn't explode. That meant either one of two things. Either they were duds -- all of them, which was unlikely -- or they were gas shells.
Farsight bolted to the side, trying to get out of the firing area and ahead of the shells, but then, the wind shifted. She had just enough time to realize what was happening before she tumbled to the ground. Darkness consumed her soon after.
When Rufus woke up, it was dark. Worse, his helmet was gone, along with all the optics he had crammed into it. He wasn't naked, though, which was definitely a plus. A strip search would have been very awkward. And inconvenient.
He sat up on the thin mattress and looked around. He was in an eight-by-ten cell. The door was solid metal, and there was a bare sink and a commode in the corner. A small red light drew attention to a corner of the ceiling, where a camera hung.
Well, this seems familiar, he noted, thinking back. Had it really been less than two years now?
"The human's awake." The voice was muffled, but close.
Still groggy, Rufus looked around in confusion. The room was dark and cramped, but it wasn't long before light spilled in as the door cracked open. It was then that he realized just how bad his situation was.
A lithe young woman -- a girl, really, no older than he was -- walked in, wearing a horned Grimm mask that almost completely covered her face, exposing only her lower jaw. Her arms were bare, revealing a mocha complexion speckled with darker spots.
The White Fang.
He scrambled away from her, pressing his back against the wall as she approached. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Do?" she replied. "That depends on your father. I understand he's a Huntsman. Trains SDC security personnel."
It was true, but he didn't respond.
"I bet he gets paid a lot, teaching those goons how to fight, how to hunt us down like animals."
"Then maybe you should stop acting like animals!" he snapped. His dad had told him some of what the White Fang had done, but only the barest details. Arson, murder... kidnapping, obviously. No one was safe, not even the faunus they claimed to be fighting for if they were deemed "race traitors" for having the audacity to not be a frothing lunatic.
In the blink of an eye, she had him by the shirt, slamming him against the wall. "You don't know what you're talking about," she hissed, her face red with rage. She paused, obviously getting ahold of herself as her skin shifted back to its previous shade of brown, then she backed off, letting him down. "No matter. Your father works for us now."
"So, that's all I am?" he spat. "Leverage?"
"Oh, you'll earn your keep," she assured him, leaning in and whispering in his ear. "I hear you're a bit of a gearhead, even made some special weapons for your dad. Well, you'll make them for us now."
With that and a contemptuous sneer, she turned and walked out, unconcerned that she had just turned her back to him.
Rufus sat there, fuming impotently, but did nothing. After all, if they wanted him to make things for them, they'd have to give him access to tools eventually. That would be the time to make his move if he wanted to get out of there alive.
Still groggy, Rufus looked around in confusion. The room was dark and cramped, but it wasn't long before light spilled in as the door cracked open. It was then that he realized just how bad his situation was.
A lithe young woman -- a girl, really, no older than he was -- walked in, wearing a horned Grimm mask that almost completely covered her face, exposing only her lower jaw. Her arms were bare, revealing a mocha complexion speckled with darker spots.
The White Fang.
He scrambled away from her, pressing his back against the wall as she approached. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Do?" she replied. "That depends on your father. I understand he's a Huntsman. Trains SDC security personnel."
It was true, but he didn't respond.
"I bet he gets paid a lot, teaching those goons how to fight, how to hunt us down like animals."
"Then maybe you should stop acting like animals!" he snapped. His dad had told him some of what the White Fang had done, but only the barest details. Arson, murder... kidnapping, obviously. No one was safe, not even the faunus they claimed to be fighting for if they were deemed "race traitors" for having the audacity to not be a frothing lunatic.
In the blink of an eye, she had him by the shirt, slamming him against the wall. "You don't know what you're talking about," she hissed, her face red with rage. She paused, obviously getting ahold of herself as her skin shifted back to its previous shade of brown, then she backed off, letting him down. "No matter. Your father works for us now."
"So, that's all I am?" he spat. "Leverage?"
"Oh, you'll earn your keep," she assured him, leaning in and whispering in his ear. "I hear you're a bit of a gearhead, even made some special weapons for your dad. Well, you'll make them for us now."
With that and a contemptuous sneer, she turned and walked out, unconcerned that she had just turned her back to him.
Rufus sat there, fuming impotently, but did nothing. After all, if they wanted him to make things for them, they'd have to give him access to tools eventually. That would be the time to make his move if he wanted to get out of there alive.
Hmm... Rufus took stock of his situation. The thin mattress sat on a metal rack on legs bolted to the wall and floor. The commode and sink's pipes were exposed, and the security camera was maybe two feet out of reach. Most importantly, as he'd noted earlier... he was still wearing his undersuit, laced with control circuitry he could repurpose. And if he didn't miss his guess, that door probably had an electronic lock...
I can work with this.
Winter retained her cool composure as she was escorted through the MECH base, despite the bag over her head blinding her. Instead, she put her mind to the task of memorizing the path the guards guided her down. They were smart. Although one stood beside her, hand on her arm to guide her, the others stood behind her, presumably weapons at the ready as they were when they put the bag over her head. She tried slowing her pace. Many people were unprofessional and would prod a recalcitrant prisoner with their weapons, revealing their exact positions, but these troopers weren't so easily provoked; her sidelong escort -- unarmed, leaving her without an enemy weapon she could easily procure -- merely pulled her arm more insistently.
Eventually, she was forced into a chair, and her wrists cuffed to the arms of it.
"That's enough," a deep, rough voice said. "Take the bag off. I want to see her face with my own eyes."
That voice... she thought. No, it can't be.
As the bag was removed from her head, she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the lighting of the room. It was bare, a table in front of her, and lit by a light from above. An interrogation room.
"Well, well, well, Specialist Schnee," the voice commented. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised they sent you on this mission. I'm glad to see your career is going well."
She stared at the man seated across from her. He was familiar, achingly so, though the scars across his nose and down the side of his forehead were new. He had been her commanding officer once, a mentor, a teacher, a better father figure than Jacques Schnee had ever been, and a closer one than the General. The memories assaulted her, and she felt her control erode.
"Colonel Bishop?"
"We're extracting?!" Winter asked, peering through the pouring rain down into the darkness below the airship. "But... what about the colonel? He's still down there!"
"Your call!" the pilot shouted as he wrestled with the controls against the gale-force winds rocking the airship. "But I don't know how long I can hold it in this weather!"
BOOM!
That had to have been the dust repository.
Winter glanced back into the passenger compartment, at the injured and the civilians. She took another look out into the darkness. She closed her eyes and turned away, then looked at the pilot..
"Get us out of here," she ordered.
"Your call!" the pilot shouted as he wrestled with the controls against the gale-force winds rocking the airship. "But I don't know how long I can hold it in this weather!"
BOOM!
That had to have been the dust repository.
Winter glanced back into the passenger compartment, at the injured and the civilians. She took another look out into the darkness. She closed her eyes and turned away, then looked at the pilot..
"Get us out of here," she ordered.
"No!" Winter shook her head in denial. "You're dead! I- I-"
"Left me to die," finished the late -- or not so late, apparently -- Colonel Leland Bishop. "No hard feelings, Winter. We had our orders, after all -- the civilians were the priority -- and you followed them, like a good little soldier should."
Winter flinched as she again thought back to that night. "Colonel-"
"Water under the bridge, Specialist," he interrupted, waving it off. "And I'm not a colonel anymore. Call me 'Silas.' You made the right call, much as I wish it were otherwise. Had you tried to save me, it would have ruined your career, if not killed you outright, and that would have been such a waste."
"And yet... MECH?" she asked. "Did what happened really reduce you to this? Petty theft?"
The ex-colonel gave a booming laugh. "'Petty'? I'd hardly call multibillion-lien hardware and technology 'petty.'"
"Fine," Winter acknowledged. "Grand theft. Why, Colonel? Why are you doing all this?"
"Ahh, Winter. Mechanical and Electronic Collections and Holdings is merely providing a service," Bishop -- Silas -- explained. "Why, if your family's company didn't work so hard to drive every competitor out of business, we wouldn't have a job."
Winter ground her teeth at that. Father, once again, you continue to make things worse.
"All I offer is a competitive edge, a fighting chance, and everyone loves an underdog," Silas continued. "In fact, when you next see your father, please extend him my gratitude. After all, business is booming, and it's all thanks to him."
"So, this really is all about money?" she spat.
Her former mentor's face went still, and he shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "No, of course not. I had funding, money I'd stashed away in case of an emergency. I could have lived the rest of my life off of that quite comfortably if I'd wanted to. It's about power, the power to resist."
That caught her by surprise. "To resist what?"
"There is a secret network," he explained, "a conspiracy spread throughout the world like a cancer, with no allegiance to any kingdom, with hidden goals and motives. They've wormed their way into every level of society in every kingdom, disguising themselves as Huntsmen, soldiers, and ordinary joes."
Winter felt a chill run down her spine at what he was describing. It sounded insane. It was insane... but Leland Bishop had always been a man of facts, of evidence. If he believed it… but she was a woman of facts as well.
She rallied. "Surely, Atlas-"
"Has already been infiltrated up to the highest levels, both civilian and military," he interrupted gravely, leaning over the table toward her. "You don't believe me. That's understandable."
"What you're saying sounds like madness."
"That's because you haven't considered all the possibilities, haven't considered all the cultural markers this group leaves," replied Silas coolly. "For instance... where do you think this whole trend of callsigns came from? Isn't a little odd that it's so recent, and yet now everyone has one? Even you have one, Winter, or should I call you 'Targeter'?"
"Whatever you prefer, sir," she offered icily. "Still, do you really expect me to believe that General Ironwood is in on this?"
Silas leaned back. "No," he acknowledged. "The good general is most assuredly not one of them. He's too straightforward, too honest. Which is one reason he's ill-suited to this sort of shadow war. Moreover, to learn so many of his closest, most trusted subordinates have betrayed him...?" He trailed off meaningfully.
Winter suppressed a wince. He was right. Something like that would break the general. One more reason to keep things secret until the last possible moment.
"There's a war coming, Winter," Silas continued, "and it's going to be the side with the most advanced technology that will prevail. MECH will be that side. I'd invite you to join us, but..." -- he paused and shook his head -- "...I would never ask someone to choose between loyalties."
"No… I suppose you wouldn't," she agreed, a lump in her throat. Not like her father had. "Thank you."
"My men will escort you back to your cell," he said. "Once we've recovered what we want, you'll be free to go. I'm glad we had this chance to catch up. Goodbye, Winter."
"Goodbye, sir."
"What is this?" asked the interrogator as he threw down the small metal disk onto the table between them.
"I have absolutely no idea," answered Ruby honestly. It was the device Dial-Tone had given her just before they started on this mission, the device she'd taken off of Starscream. They'd removed it from its original packaging, of course, which was a shame in her opinion.
The interrogator slammed his fist into the metal of the table. "Don't play stupid with me, little girl. Why would you be carrying something this advanced if you don't even know what it is?"
Ruby raised an eyebrow incredulously. "If you don't know what it is, then how on Remnant am I supposed to know what it is?"
"Are you saying you picked it up in the facility we captured you in?"
"...yeah, sure, let's go with that."
Before the interrogator could respond, a deep thrumming sounded from just outside the interrogation room. The interrogator turned to look, and Ruby seized the opportunity. She reached out, well within the slack of the handcuffs that bound her, and snatched the disk from the table, then slid it into one of the large, hidden pockets in her borrowed uniform.
Sure, it wouldn't be hard for them to find it by searching her, but if she was lucky, whatever was causing that noise would give her the chance to escape, and seconds might count.
She heard gunfire from just outside the door, and the interrogator clutched at his hip for a weapon that wasn't there.
He froze as the sound of metal on metal echoed in the air, and Ruby's eyes widened as she saw the tip of a long, curved blade emerge from his back. The blade withdrew, and the man gurgled, slumping to his knees. Metal on metal sounded again, this time with a meaty thunk, as the man's head was severed from his shoulders, and the door was sliced in half, revealing...
"Raven! You're here!"
Raven paused in surprise at the voice. She looked closer. It was Summer's second daughter. "Ruby Rose," she said. "What are you even doing here?" She had expected Starscream, not MECH and certainly not Summer's little girl. That beacon must have been on the fritz.
"I, um," -- the girl shrank back into the chair, embarrassed -- "got captured."
"I see." Raven nodded. Well, that answered that. She turned and started walking. She had a lesson to teach. Shooting her? That was just rude.
"Where are you going?" she heard the girl call after her, rushing to catch up and leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake..
"I'm going to find whoever's in charge here and have a few words with them about acceptable behavior," answered Raven matter-of-factly.
"No, wait, please!" the girl begged. "I have so many questions."
Raven spun to glare at the girl, a rebuke on her lips. That was a mistake. The girl's pleading silver eyes pierced her soul as assuredly as they could pierce any Grimm. You really are a Little Summer, she thought ruefully. She sighed and relented. Slightly. "Fine. One question."
She tapped her foot impatiently as the girl paused, apparently at a loss as to what to ask now that the opportunity was before her. Raven wasn't sure what had possessed her to agree. After all, with who and what she'd left behind on Patch, it was obvious the girl would ask-
"I, um, well..." the girl blurted out, "there's this girl, my teammate, she's, like, totally amazing: kind and sweet and wonderful and a really strong fighter. And I just found out she's in love with my boyfriend. What do I do?!"
Raven stared incredulously. This? This was what she chose to ask? Not why she had left, not Ozpin's secrets, not even tips on fighting? This? Advice on... on human interaction? That didn't involve sharp implements? At least, she was pretty sure the girl wasn't inclined to murdering the competition, or she'd have done it by now. The bandit queen closed her eyes and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, only to remember the mask she was wearing. She could feel a headache coming.
"You already know what I did, Little Summer," she pointed out, giving the girl a flat stare. After all, this tiny girl was the living proof of how well that had worked out. "Why in the world would you ask me for advice?"
"I... I guess you're right," the girl said, looking crestfallen but thoughtful. Good. Maybe she'd stop looking to her of all people for advice.
"Now," Raven said with a curt nod of satisfaction, turning on her heel again, "let's go teach these fools a lesson."
"No, wait!" the girl disagreed. "We have to go save the others!"
"'Others'?" Raven asked, noticing at that point the Atlesian technitian's uniform the girl was wearing, then shook her head. "Never mind. They're not my concern."
Ruby watched as Raven continued to walk off. She growled, then stomped her foot. "Argh, fine! I'll go save them myself."
She turned down another corridor, not particularly caring which direction she went. She was a Huntress now! She didn't need Raven! She would find and save them herself! Somehow.
Penny studied the cell door closely. She was faced with a conundrum. The door was steel, and around six inches thick, with hinges and bolts equally durable. In other words, it was too strong and heavy for someone to brute force it open unless they had a convenient semblance.
Or, like Penny, was a combat ready robot custom crafted with top of the line components.
She looked up. The problem was the camera in the corner. She kind of didn't want a rogue organization with a penchant for stealing advanced technology knowing that she was, well, the kind of thing they liked to steal. That could only end badly.
Hmm, she mused. Maybe I can try what Arslan did in the semifinals two years ago...
That had been a wonderful match. The Golden Lion's opponent had relied heavily on his semblance, which allowed him to create living statues to fight alongside him from the ground. But Arslan had some way of figuring out their weak points, striking just right to break and shatter them.
Penny studied the door, trying to figure out the weak points, the stress lines. Maybe she could-
An alarm klaxon blared. "Evacuate," a voice ordered over the loudspeakers. "Evacuate. Do not engage the enemy. Evacuate."
-or she could just forget all that and take advantage of the confusion to escape. She smiled happily and grabbed the door, her fingers digging furrows into it, then pulled, tearing it clean off its hinges. Stepping out and tossing the door aside, she looked around.
"PENNY!"
She turned at the sound of her name. "Ru- Snapshot!" She waved.
Her Beacon friend rushed up, Crescent Rose in her left hand, Blitzjaeger slung over her shoulders, Magorox and Edelweiss hanging from the tool loops on her borrowed jumpsuit's hips, and tossed Penny her backpack with her right hand. Penny caught the backpack and donned it, feeling the comforting weight of Floating Array on her shoulders once more. She frowned.
"Um, Snapshot?"
"Yeah?"
"You, um, you have, um..." Penny trailed off and pointed at her own cheek.
Ruby blinked, then reached up and wiped the blood off. "Oh, heh. Sorry, Pe- uh, Bladerider. It's, uh, it's been a messy day."
"I- I can see that," Penny acknowledged, noting the blood spattered all over Ruby's borrowed jumpsuit. She shivered.
"Come on," Ruby said, seemingly unconcerned. "Let's find the others and get out of here."
"Affirmative!" Penny agreed, shaking off her unease.
Just as they turned away from the direction Ruby had come from, they saw a MECH trooper fly across the corridor from a T-junction and slam into the wall. Seconds later, Winter stepped into the scene.
"Ah, Bladerider, Snapshot," Winter greeted them. "Excellent. This will make things easier."
After a moment, Ruby shook her head, then tossed Edelweiss to Winter, who caught the blade easily and took a moment to inspect the weapon. She looked over at Ruby. "Since you seem to have found our weapons, I assume you're responsible for... this?" She glanced up at the ceiling meaningfully.
"Um, sort of?" replied Ruby as the evacuation orders kept repeating.
Winter seemed curious about that but didn't ask.
"Let's move on," she said instead, turning on her heel and walking past the T-junction, and the two student Huntresses fell in line behind her. Gunfire echoed from up ahead, and they picked up the pace.
They rounded the corner to find both Rufus and Ciel, each armed with an assault rifle obviously appropriated from their... "hosts."
"Sorry, Mad Dog," Ruby said as she passed Blitzjaeger over to Ciel. "I didn't see your suit. I don't know what they did with it."
Rufus sighed regretfully. "Ah, well. I've been meaning to upgrade anyway." He reached up to and pressed a complicated sequence on his wrists and collar. "Done. Let's get out of here, shall we?"
"But... what about Shadow?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"I am already here," Aska informed her as she reclaimed Magorox.
To Ruby's credit, she didn't flinch. Much.
"Yay!" Penny cheered. "Now, let's get going!" She paused, then brought out Floating Array, sending the blades spreading out to amplify her weapons' sensor capabilities and feed into a holographic display.
Rufus smiled smugly. "And you told me the sensor interface was a waste of effort."
"Shut up, Mad Dog," Aska ordered.
"Looks like the hangars are this way..." Penny said, tracing a finger along the holographic map, "...which is that way." She pointed down the corridor.
She led them through the winding hallways of the base to the hangar bay, and Winter sighed as they arrived. "Of course, they took my ship," she said as she strode purposefully toward the docked vessel that seemed to be ignored as so many others were in the process of taking off. "Still, that simplifies things. Now, all we need to worry about is any air defenses they may have."
As they boarded and took their seats, Winter began firing up the airship and activated the emergency transponder. "Might want to strap yourselves in," she warned. "We're probably going to be flying under fire."
"Hurry up, you slowpokes!" cried Thundercracker as he streaked through the air at supersonic velocity.
They had gotten the emergency beacon from Targeter's airship just seconds before it had gone offline, but that had been enough. They knew the mission had gone south and the rest of Team APRC(T) was in danger. Penny was in danger, and it was on that horrifying note that they made best possible speed to the mission site, and after they put the screws on the MECH personnel they found there, they decided to make things not so horrifying.
They, of course, because Thundercracker wasn't alone in this. As soon as General Ironwood had heard about the emergency beacon, he ordered one of his best men to assemble a fast strike squad to mount a rescue. And that was how he ended up teaming up with Duke and his merry band.
"Relax, Thundercracker. We'll get her back," assured Duke from his own Skystriker, an actual one, not a robot in disguise. "We're not going to let them harm a single hair on little Penny's head, and if they do… well, we'll make them pay for it."
"And you're not just saying that for my benefit?" prodded Thundercracker. "What about the others? Are they expendable?" Duke was obviously cleared to know about the Decepticons, but Thundercracker wasn't sure if he was cleared to know about Penny's true nature.
"I think by your tone, you've already figured out the answer to that," replied Duke.
Thundercracker bristled at that. The little human had read him all too well. He was getting too close, too connected, too involved. He was forgetting why he was doing all this. It was all for the greater glory of Megatron and the Decepticon cause, and that's all that was needed… right?
They picked up a beacon on sensors, and Thundercracker's fluid pump leapt for joy.
"I've got them!" he cried, reading off the string of numbers that showed their bearing and turning to intercept it.
"Roger, Thundercracker. Let's see who's flying that bird," replied Duke.
The three elements of Skystrikers -- plus Thundercracker -- closed in on the beacon with Skygraspers bringing up the rear. Soon he was able to identify that it was Targeter's ship rising up from the ground, and that they weren't alone. Twelve fast movers were chewing up the distance like it was the final stretch of the Velocitron 5000.
"Brothers! The warbook's identifying those things as Firebat Drones. They're still in the concept stage!" reported Ace in disbelief. "How did MECH get their hands on top of the line MARS tech before the Iron Grenadiers?"
"Maybe we'll ask them and find out," quipped Duke before speaking again on a line that only he, Thundercracker, and the big airship could hear. "Unknown craft, this is Duke of the Atlesian military. State your name and purpose."
The reply was immediate, feminine, and dry as a desert world under four suns. "Duke."
"Targeter. Living up to your name, I see," said Duke cheekily. "But don't you normally do this without the whole base chasing you down?"
"Oh, shut up," threw back Targeter. "Just get these MECH birds off our tail."
"'Our'?" asked Duke pointedly.
"I didn't let any of the little ones buy any real estate," assured Targeter. "Now about our erstwhile hosts?"
Thundercracker was already flying off before the question was asked. He poured on the energon as much as he could, and to Unicron with the consequences! He was going hypersonic by the time he had closed the distance, and when he did, he unleashed a barrage of emerald energy blasts from his guns.
Two olive and grey Firebats were downed in that pass, but he was still going too fast for an effective dogfight. So he cut the engines and banked into a hard turn back towards Penny and his prey. In that giant arc which ate up the sky, he could feel the strain of air pressure on his body as that and G-forces threatened to tear his lift surfaces apart.
He hadn't felt this terrified in millions of years, but neither had he felt so alive!
Flying was what he lived for.
He poured on the air brakes and retro rockets, seeing his speed drop down as the Firebats turned to face him.
Got you, he thought with an imagined smile and a kick of the engines.
He dodged the one-inch shells from their autocannons, and pivoted into another blast with his cannons that clipped the wings of one Firebat to send it tumbling to Remnant below. Another got behind him, and he braked and went into a barrel roll that saw the attacking aircraft fly right under his canopy by mere meters. He fired off a burst, and his target exploded into a terrific ball of shrapnel and smoke.
"Two elements down, four to go!" said Thundercracker with a confidence he hadn't expected. Oh yeah. That's right. Keep all your eyes on me! Transform!
His body shifted in mid-air, and he became a humanoid figure grinning like a madman as twin plumes of flame erupted from his feet.
Two Firebats launched two missiles each, and they homed in on the Seeker. Heedless of the danger, he grabbed two missiles in his hands and kicked off the other two in large explosions. Like thunderbolts from on high, he put his all into his throw and turned the remaining two missiles around to be cast out to whence they came. Thundercracker didn't miss.
Four drones left!
"Two left!" reported Slip-Stream, and the transformer glanced to the side see two more smoke trails headed towards the ground with the Skystrikers truly entering the fray. "Thundercracker, want to make double ace today? Take down those last two turning into you."
"Double ace"? He'd made "ace" many times over by local standards if that was the case -- except, perhaps, for being Ace, who must have felt really awkward at that moment -- but he'd never taken any pride or joy in it. After all, at the end of the day it was just brutal survival in an endless war. He was into it now though, so something had changed. Which was ridiculous, war never changed.
Just like Slip-Stream said, the last element of Firebats was closing in, and they were opening fire.
Thinking quickly, Thundercracker called upon his semblance and smashed his hands together to create a massive shockwave that split the air with a deafening boom. Impossibly, the force of this shockwave was directed forwards, and the noses of the Firebats crumpled. On such small craft, that meant the whole drone control system went as well, and instantly, they veered off course on broken control surfaces to smash into each other.
"That's it! Sky's clear!" reported Duke. "Thundercracker, that was some incredible flying. Take up escort duty for Targeter's ship along with Slip-Stream and Scarlet. We'll take care of MECH's base of operations. Should be a piece of cake, now that their drone fighters are out of action."
"Reading you loud and clear," replied Thundercracker as he flew up to take escort position alongside Targeter's airship. When he got there, he looked and could just barely see a little coppertopped figure waving at him.
I told you, Penny, he thought melancholily. I told you I would do it.
Thundercracker groaned as he got up, his optics bleary and unfocused. His whole body was wracked with pain even still, even in the dark. Starscream hadn't even bothered to stay. He could still hear that terrible sound…
Quiet sobbing suddenly pierced his auditory sensors, and he recognized it as not being a memory. He turned his head and saw her in the dim light. She was crying; he'd never seen that reaction in a fellow inorganic before, that ugly messy sobbing. He didn't like it.
Impossibly, he found the strength to reach out a hand.
"Hey, Penny, don't cry," he said hoarsely, as if his vocabulator was burning out, which it probably was.
She looked up at him, green eyes puffy and filled with so many tears.
"Don't cry," he repeated. "Please don't cry, Penny. I won't let them hurt you again, I promise. On every ounce of honor I have, I promise, I'll protect you."
She looked at him strangely. "I chose this," she said in a broken voice. "I chose this so I could protect others. Including you."
"Then… then I guess we'll be protecting each other."
Quiet sobbing suddenly pierced his auditory sensors, and he recognized it as not being a memory. He turned his head and saw her in the dim light. She was crying; he'd never seen that reaction in a fellow inorganic before, that ugly messy sobbing. He didn't like it.
Impossibly, he found the strength to reach out a hand.
"Hey, Penny, don't cry," he said hoarsely, as if his vocabulator was burning out, which it probably was.
She looked up at him, green eyes puffy and filled with so many tears.
"Don't cry," he repeated. "Please don't cry, Penny. I won't let them hurt you again, I promise. On every ounce of honor I have, I promise, I'll protect you."
She looked at him strangely. "I chose this," she said in a broken voice. "I chose this so I could protect others. Including you."
"Then… then I guess we'll be protecting each other."
Ruby rode the rest of the way back to Vale in silence. Despite the kerfuffle with MECH, the mission -- the main mission, that is -- was completed successfully. But the secondary mission General Ironwood had given her... her gaze drifted to the cockpit where Specialist Winter "Targeter" Schnee flew the airship.
She still wasn't able to pin down the depths of Winter's treachery. The older woman was aloof, enigmatic, with only the occasional slip to show something had sent her off-kilter. After the escape, though, it was obvious. Something had shaken the specialist deeply, and Ruby had no idea what.
Soon, the airship landed in the hangar bay of the K.A.S. Tapfer. Ruby unstrapped herself, but before she could get up, Winter called back from the cockpit. "Snapshot, I'd like a word in private, if you don't mind."
"Um, okay," she agreed, bewildered as Team APRC made their way off the airship. Once they were alone, Ruby found the Atlesian specialist giving her an intent stare.
"Snapshot -- Ruby -- I know this can't have been comfortable for you," Winter said simply. "I'm sure my sister told you of... what happened during her visit home over break."
Ruby nodded mutely.
Winter looked away. "I can't go into too much detail, not without endangering you as well, so understand that what I'm about to tell you has another layer to it, a much more dangerous one."
"You mean the Decepticons," Ruby said bluntly.
"So, she told you about them too," Winter said. Ruby nodded. "Yes. Still, I need your word that you won't share what I tell you here with anyone."
Ruby licked her suddenly dry lips as she considered what the specialist was asking. This was almost certainly what General Ironwood was looking for. But a promise was a promise, and this would be more secrets for her to bear. Then again, even if she never shared what Winter told her, it would still tell her where Winter's loyalties lay, and that was what Ironwood wanted to know. She nodded. "You have it."
Winter looked at her searchingly, and whatever she found seemed to satisfy her, as her shoulders slumped in relief. "The Decepticons are ruthless. They place little to no value on human and faunus lives, or even the lives of their fellows, and I fear their real goals make them a threat to everyone on Remnant."
"Go on," Ruby prompted.
"The Atlesian Council approves of this new partnership," Winter said, distaste clearly evident in her voice. "General Ironwood is suspicious of them, but he doesn't know just how bad this really is."
"But you do," Ruby prodded. "Why don't you tell him?"
"To protect him," she said simply.
What?
"If the General knew what I knew, he'd feel obligated to act," Winter explained, "but we don't have the evidence to act. If he moves without evidence, the Council will crucify him. And if he learns of this and doesn't act on it, and it comes out, they'll turn him into a scapegoat. He needs that plausible deniability, to be able to sacrifice me if it comes to that. I can't have Weiss involved in my investigations either. If I'm caught, and they suspect her being involved, they'll eliminate her too."
That was logical, familiar even, but Ruby needed to fit a few more pieces into the puzzle. "Weiss said you told her the SDC handled the Decepticons'... personnel issues."
"The SDC does," Winter confirmed. "But only as a hiring agency. Officially, they're recruited by the SDC and hired by a front company for the Decepticons called Epsilon Holdings. The level of recruitment... it suggests that whatever the Decepticons are doing is... fatal. But without access to Epsilon's records or a way to contact their possible victims, the trail ran cold."
Ruby closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Okay, I get it. But why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want you to understand the scope of what's going on here," Winter said gravely. "I want you to understand why Weiss can't get involved. I want you to keep my sister safe, even if she goes to her deathbed cursing my name. And if the worst happens, I want someone to know what's going on, so that my death won't be in vain."
Ruby stood in front of General Ironwood's desk on board the K.A.S. Tapfer and concluded her report, not just on the mission, but on the more important matter of her assessment of Specialist Winter Schnee's loyalties.
"You're asking me to take a lot on faith," Ironwood noted.
"I realize that, sir," she confirmed, "but I've been sworn to secrecy. I won't break that trust."
"I understand," he said with a sigh. "Someone who would... isn't someone I could trust."
"Do you trust me, sir?" she asked.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and his chin on his knuckles, hands clasped. Blue eyes stared into silver. "...I do," he said finally.
"Then trust me when I say that Winter will not -- has not -- betrayed you."
"Very well," he said. "Your heart's in the right place, Ruby. I just pray your judgment is equally reliable."
"Thank you, sir," Ruby said. Then she remembered something and dug into her pocket, pulling out the thing she'd grabbed from Starscream all those months ago. "By the way, a Sergeant Dial-Tone gave this to me to pass on to you." She placed it on his desk. "I dunno, it seemed kinda... fishy?"
"It shouldn't," Ironwood assured her. "Dial-Tone led the team analyzing this device, and you are cleared to handle it. Per his report, as far as they can tell, it's completely inert."
"Inert?" Ruby frowned.
"Current theory is that it somehow links up with transformer biology," Ironwood said with a shrug as he gingerly picked up the disk. "But that doesn't mean we won't be keeping it isolated and secure, just in case. Anything else?"
"Um, the base we were investigating, if I may ask...?"
"Secure," he answered immediately. "When the emergency transponder was activated, reinforcements responded and were able to secure the site before MECH could do any major harm. Is that all, Snapshot?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Dismissed."
(V2E10: Routine | V2E11: Winter's Soldiers | V2E12: Relationships)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
Join us next time as the Rainbow gets one of its colors back and we continue to see people develop their "Relationships."
Last edited:
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
See what you did there, I have. Mmm, yes.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Congratulations. You're the first person to recognize Winter's callsign without prompting.
Volume II: Episode 12: Relationships
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E11: Winter's Soldiers | V2E12: Relationships | V2E13: First Impressions)
Volume II: Episode 12: Relationships
* * *
Volume II: Episode 12: Relationships
* * *
A frustrated Nora trudged into Team JNPR's dorm, head hung low. She'd been able to follow Ruby up to the airship and had spent the rest of the day looking for the scythe-wielder in vain.
She wanted to pound something, darn it!
"Oh, Nora," came Pyrrha's melodic voice from behind her.
She froze.
Oh, that tone of voice wasn't a good sign.
The hammer-wielder turned around slowly. "Yes, Pyrrha?" she asked nervously.
"I heard about your... altercation with Ruby," the Mistrali champion said, looking quite unimpressed as she stood by the door.
"Um, well, heheh..." Nora hedged, tapping her index fingers together.
"Nora," Pyrrha continued, "I appreciate your concern, but what you did was uncalled for."
"But she stole your man!" protested Nora.
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "The only person Jaune Arc belongs to is Jaune Arc. And no matter what I feel for him or what I wish he would feel for me, convincing him is my fight, not yours, and trust me, that fight is far from over, especially not with the Beacon Dance coming up. Understand?"
Nora nodded quickly. "Absolutely."
"Good." She gave Nora a deceptively sweet smile. "That said, considering the Vytal Tournament in the near future, I do think we could do with some additional sparring sessions. Don't you?"
Nora gulped.
Yang greeted Ruby with a hug as the yawning leader of Teams RWBY and RRANNBWW walked down the hallway toward her dorm.
"Awp! Yang! What?"
"Oh, I'm so proud!" Yang said. "My baby sister, selected for interschool overnight extra credit assignments?" She pulled back and held Ruby by the shoulders at arm's length. "Are you sure you can handle it, though?"
Ruby yawned. "I'm fine, Yang."
"Just... promise me you'll cut back if it gets to be too much, okay?" the blonde asked. "You're still young. You don't have to take on the world by yourself just yet."
Ruby nodded sleepily. "I promise, Yang." She shrugged Yang's hands off her shoulders. "Excuse me. I've got to go wash up before going to class."
"Okay," agreed Yang. "I'll wait out here."
Ruby zombie-walked the rest of the way to Team RWBY's dorm, her thoughts distracted. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and it wasn't just the usual kind of "a lot." There had been some planet-cracking revelations that had done a number on her, so many that she didn't know where to begin.
No, that was a lie. She knew exactly where to begin. It wasn't with Winter's revelations, though she really needed to think of some way to tell Weiss about her sister without breaking her word. It wasn't the information regarding MECH and their leadership, though that certainly threw her through a loop. It wasn't even what -- who -- they had found in that old Mantellian bunker, though once that clicked, her jaw had dropped. No, it was the revelation about Pyrrha's romantic interests... though she couldn't find it in her heart to blame the Mistrali champion for seeing what she saw in Jaune, only so much earlier. It was the revelation about Yang's knowledge of said interests -- that had rattled Ruby to her very core -- and Raven's response to her request for advice had only made it sting the worse, though she knew that was the sting of truth.
When Ruby entered the room, she found Weiss preparing her pack for class.
"Ruby, you're back," observed Weiss with clearly mixed feelings. "I heard a rumor about what happened, and…"
The bloodcrowned girl raised a single finger to stop her from talking. "Gimme a few minutes."
She grabbed a set of her school uniform and trudged to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she was out, feeling mildly refreshed and freshly dressed. She'd been through worse while training with her family, but she still felt it mad to go a whole day without sleep.
Her thoughts, however, didn't leave her.
Ah, but needs must, and all that, Ruby thought as she walked over to the waiting Weiss.
"Ruby... are you okay?" Weiss asked tentatively. Her team leader looked... distracted, to say the least.
"What... makes you ask that?"
"Something's obviously bothering you," the Atlesian girl observed. "I heard- is it the mission?"
Ruby shook her head. "What? No!"
Weiss took a moment to digest that. "Will you be okay?"
"Yes! No! I don't know!" was Ruby's flustered response. "It's just- I had a... 'chat' with Nora yesterday."
Weiss winced. "I heard she was chasing you all across campus. What was that about anyway?"
Ruby looked out the window, refusing to meet her teammate's gaze. "...did you know Pyrrha likes Jaune? Like, really likes him?"
Weiss sucked in a sharp breath and paused to turn that thought over in her head for a bit, before nodding slowly in agreement. "It... does explain a few things, actually."
"It does?" Ruby asked, her head whipping around to look at Weiss.
"Yes." Weiss nodded, slowly at first, then ending with a firmer nod. "Like why she never seemed to like me very much. I... had always figured it was because of how I tried to get an in with her before initiation. Well, once I realized she wasn't the sort of person who'd regard someone as guilty by association."
She'd made so many missteps, coming to Beacon seeking recognition and glory as though they would somehow free her from her father's shadow.
"Oh," Ruby acknowledged.
"And... why she always blushes whenever he compliments her," Weiss continued thoughtfully.
"I always thought that was because of how he does it," Ruby objected. "I mean, have you heard him talk about her? He talks her up as easy as breathing, sometimes, and it's always from the heart."
"Maybe," Weiss conceded, "but it's Pyrrha. You think she hasn't heard people praise her in every way possible under the sun, just as easily and just as sincerely?" Weiss shook her head. "Trust me, she has; I speak from experience. It... it means something, coming from him."
"Yeah, I guess it does." Ruby sighed. "You still like him too, don't you?"
Weiss tried not to wince as she felt her face flush. She'd thought she'd kept that pretty well-hidden. "You're his girlfriend, Ruby," she reminded her.
"That's not a no."
It was Weiss's turn to look away. "...no, it isn't. But you are."
Ruby muttered something Weiss didn't catch.
"What was that, Ruby?" Weiss asked.
"Nothing!" Ruby denied quickly. "Except... 'may the best woman win.'"
Weiss's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in thought. Had... had Ruby just... given her permission to pursue Jaune? Or was she staking her claim again now that she had confirmation of Weiss's feelings? She gave Ruby a curt nod. "Agreed."
"One more thing before we head out," Ruby said. "Does the SDC have a temp agency?"
Weiss took a moment to think through her family company's extensive network of subsidiaries. "Yes, actually. StaffNet. It's mostly a hiring feeder for the SDC itself and its subsidiaries. Why?"
"Oh, just a possible lead I thought of," reasoned Ruby, hopeful that Weiss wouldn't make the connection to the mission with Winter. "I mean, if the SDC is supplying manpower to the Decepticon's projects what better way to do it?"
Weiss looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, that does make sense. I'll see what I can dig up about them, and maybe ask Glynda about this too. Thank you for the insight, Ruby."
With that, the two of them left the dorm, seeing Yang out by the exit waiting for them. Seeing Ruby's older sister, though, reminded Weiss of her own. Her views on the White Fang had been tempered over the months, but if anything, she had only gotten more strident in her loathing for what Winter had become.
The snowcapped girl reached out a hand to block Ruby and asked her question. "Oh, by the way, I heard Winter was involved in your little assignment. Is that true?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, she was mission lead. There's still a lot I can't talk about, but... I don't think she's evil, Weiss."
"Evil or not, she's still complicit," hissed Weiss before she stormed off, walking past Yang to go on ahead to class.
"Weiss..." Ruby said mournfully, reaching out a hand imploringly.
"Easy, Rubes," Yang said, placing a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Those two need to work things out themselves."
"It's just so sad," voiced Ruby sorrowfully. "Sisters shouldn't be at each other's throats like that."
And all because of a silly misunderstanding, because they wouldn't talk to each other, because they're just assuming they know best, that somehow they know-
Ruby's thoughts came to an abrupt end as she and Yang both sneezed rather forcefully.
"Whoa! Bless you, Yang!" said Ruby in an airy, blinky voice.
"Bless yourself, Ruby," replied Yang with a bit of a smile. "That was one heck of a sneeze."
"No, you're way more holy than I am, Yang," countered Ruby. "You bless me."
"Somehow I don't think that's demonstrably true," said Yang before shaking her head. "Anyway, we're getting off course. I was going to say that they'll work it out. Weiss and Winter, I mean. There might be a rift between them now, but they'll find a way to bridge it."
"I hope so," Ruby said, turning around to face her. "Promise me we won't get like that?"
"Ruby, we're sisters; we get into fights," pointed out Yang somewhat sadly.
The bloodcrowned girl rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, all the time, but we shouldn't let those fights get out of hand until they've dug a big giant rift between us."
The blonde considered that for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I can promise if you can."
The two sisters looked at each other, and at some unseen signal, they chorused to each other, "I promise."
Ruby smiled, warm and glad. "Thanks, Yang."
"No problem," Yang said with a pat on the back as they began to continue their walk to class. "Now, let me teach you how to sleep with your eyes open so the teachers don't notice."
"Really?!" asked Ruby, perking up with extreme cheer. "Oh, you're the best, Yang!"
As they walked along, though, a stray thought came to Ruby's mind. She didn't want to have to fight Yang, but she might be left with no choice. After all, there would have to be an explanation for the critical denial of information that had been going on these last few months.
Surprisingly, and somewhat worryingly, as they were approaching the classroom, Nora approached. Though perhaps "approach" was too generous a term. What she did was stagger down the hall as if both her body and spirit had been broken, complete with bloodshot eyes.
It was in this state that she collapsed to her knees in front of Ruby.
"Ruby, I'm sorry," the ginger sobbed, her voice just as broken as the rest of her as tears flowed down to the floor. "I was completely out of line. Could you ever forgive me?"
Ruby blinked. "What? Oh, yeah. I forgive you, Nora." It was herself she wasn't sure she could forgive.
"Thank you!" The hammer maiden's gratitude was plain to see.
"What happened to you?" Yang interjected.
It was at that particular moment that Pyrrha arrived on the scene and greeted them with good cheer and a small wave, though Nora seemed to flinch away. "Oh, hello again!"
"Oh, uh, Pyrrha," replied Ruby sheepishly. "Sorry I missed this morning's training session."
"Oh, that's all right. I was otherwise... occupied with other matters myself," explained Pyrrha with a cheerfully dangerous air that chilled Ruby to her bones and again made the ginger at her feet quake in fear. If Pyrrha could do that to Nora, Ruby didn't even want to think what she could do to her. Pyrrha's jolly smile did not reassure Ruby at all. "Don't worry! We'll make it up tomorrow!"
"Oh," Ruby squeaked, her eyes dilating with fear. "Okay. Looking forward to it."
It was when they were two weeks out from the dance that Weiss came to an important realization.
"I just can't take it anymore!" she shouted suddenly at Ruby's bed above her.
The taller girl wasn't there to hear that though, and neither was her sister. It wasn't the first time this had happened that year, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. In the first semester, this hadn't been a problem because Blake had been there, but since she had been driven out by Weiss's own foolishness, the only people she could really spend time with was Team JNPR. The problem was that Team JNPR had their own lives to lead too, and at that moment, they were spending their free time with Team ABRN down at O'Malley's, and while she was sure they were decent enough folk in some respects, the snowcapped girl couldn't stand how they just senselessly used SDC products like they weren't literally constructed out of the bones of children.
It would normally be at this point where Blake would tell her to dial it back, but Blake wasn't there!
"Hmm, I'll go talk to Sun first," she said out loud to keep herself from going mad. "I'll call the rest of the team later, but I have to get Sun now."
She picked out her outfit as quick as she could and packed up what she thought she needed for a day on the town in a bag. After that, it was off to the dorms where the Haven students where staying. She hadn't actually been there before, and she wondered what it would be like.
Stepping into the dorms, she was struck by just how much more somber it was compared to how things were in the Vale dorms. It was like a cloud of shame had fallen over this place and refused to lift. Unsurprisingly, the halls were almost empty.
Almost.
One of the Haven students was there, though, and it was her stern face that greeted Weiss when she tried to enter the domain of the first-years. It was a human girl with vivid crimson hair streaked with wide, brilliant blond stripes. Her Haven uniform had been modified with a red stripe through her white armband... a symbol of promised vengeance, as Weiss understood it.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" the girl asked, her husky voice belying her age. Through her bangs, cyan eyes bored through Weiss's aura like a pair of mining lasers. "Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. What brings you here?"
The snowcapped girl bristled at that. She might still be the heiress technically, but... only for now. She hated that title, hated what it meant. She'd been... she wouldn't let her temper get away from her.
"Greetings," said Weiss with a polite curtsy. "I am looking for Team Sun's dorm."
The young woman scowled at her. "'Team Sun'? Come to slum with the plebs?"
"They're my friends," explained Weiss as politely as she could.
"'Friends?' Well, isn't that shocking?" asked the woman rhetorically. "Not the sort of friends I'd expect someone like you to have. Why them?"
Like a thunderbolt from on high, a memory came unbidden to Weiss's mind, and she had her answer: "Why not? After all, friendship is magic."
The Havenite's eye twitched ever so slightly at that, and she jerked her thumb over her shoulder to point down the hall. "Second door on the right. You can't miss them. Here's hoping things go better for you with Team Sun than with your last friend."
"Thank you," replied Weiss, trying her best to ignore the metaphorical knife sticking out of her chest, before she walked down the hall. She went to knock on the prescribed door and glanced to the side to see the human talking with a faunus woman with a horse tail and blonde hair. Good. That should keep her occupied, she thought as her tiny fist came down.
The door was opened, and Weiss greeted by Scarlet, who in turn called up Sun.
"Weiss!" said Sun, having quite obviously just gotten in clothes back on… off… whatever. The Atlesian had learned over the months to focus on his smiling face, his incredible personality, and ignore the indecency with which he dressed himself.
Seriously, a closed shirt, that was all the women in his life were asking of him.
"Hello, Sun, how are you today?" asked Weiss with genuine cheer.
"Good, me and Neptune were just about to head out," said Sun with a nod towards the blue-haired man.
"'Sup?" said Neptune with a wave of his hand.
Weiss gave a big smile at him and bowed in turn before looking back at Sun. "I was wondering if you would be willing to change your plans, actually."
"Don't get your hopes up," warned Neptune. "Sun's been looking forward to this for a while now. Heck, Penny was here earlier, hoping to hang out with him. Poor girl."
"I'm telling you, Nep, it's not like that," objected Sun.
"Oh, well, I was hoping for some help finding Blake," clarified Weiss.
"Oh," Sun responded. "Well, sure, no problem."
Neptune gave him a strange look. "Seriously, man?"
"What?" Sun asked, as if it was obvious. "It's Blake."
Neptune rolled his eyes. "Very well. I guess I'll go and back you up. Sage, Scarlet, don't wait up. Looks like Sun and I have got a new itinerary today."
Weiss shook her head with a small, regretful smile. "You're still loyal to Blake. After she snubbed you, and left Beacon? You're still… you're… "
"Her suitor," confirmed Sun, and Weiss nodded wordlessly. He shrugged. "What am I supposed to do? Just sit here and not fall in love with her?"
The snowcapped girl resisted valiantly the urge to tear up at that blatant display of fidelity. "She's lucky to have you."
"That's high praise coming from you, Weiss," observed Sun, straightening up a bit.
"You flatter me," replied Weiss with an incline of her head, "but none of that matters if we can't find her again."
The blond nodded at that. "Okay, I think I can do that. I've been keeping track of where in town I've spotted her roof-hopping; I don't think she realizes I've been doing that. But you do know that part of the reason she's still out there is because she doesn't want to lose her credit from this training assignment, right?"
"Sun, are you saying that the only thing standing between us and getting Blake back is a matter of bureaucracy?" asked Weiss incredulously.
"Yes?" answered Sun nervously.
It was here that Weiss gave a cunning smile that was sure of victory. "My good sir, we have never been in a more advantageous position."
Sun blinked in confusion. "We haven't?"
"No," answered Weiss simply. "After all, I was raised since birth to take over the SDC. I breathe bureaucracy."
Men! Kote! Dō! Tsuki! barked Aska in her mind as she struck out at the training dummy with her Magoroku Exterminate Sword -- Magorox. Mad Dog insisted that it was only a Mark I variant, but what did he know? It was her sword, after all.
"I've told others this before, so I'll repeat it to you now," said Professor Goodwitch off to the side as she gripped onto her riding crop. "Stop using the standard attacks. Use the unorthodox!"
Aska grimaced as she struck out in a riposte that she had learned from Farsight's father when they had visited Mantle months ago.
"How often must I tell you?" asked Professor Goodwitch as the training dummy, animated by her semblance like a puppet on strings, struck out with its own sword in a complicated series of strikes while dodging Aska's own. "Control its central line!"
The ninja swept out with her own series of strikes, driving the training dummy out and away.
"Good," said the professor, and then she flicked her crop to the side.
Aska was knocked onto her back and slid along the ground for about a dozen feet. As soon as she stopped, she jumped up and glared at Professor Goodwitch, who seemed mildly amused.
"Life isn't fair, and neither is combat," she replied to the glare.
Wasting no time, Aska flew back into an attack on the advancing dummy.
"Faster. Destroy the target's progress," commented Professor Goodwitch as the dummy backpedaled. "You're holding your sword too tightly!"
Aska adjusted her grip, and a split second after that, the dummy came in with a strike that knocked the sword out of her hand. It went spinning around through the air until it was snatched up by Professor Goodwitch. The teacher refrained from smiling this time.
"Now too lightly," chided the professor. "You're without your sword, but your opponent is still armed. How will you proceed?"
In a fit of sneering rage, Aska leapt up and flipped over to land in a different part of the arena. It was not chosen by accident. As the dummy raced towards her, she went low and swept out a series of small kunai attached to strings. Some wrapped around the dummy's legs, but others wrapped around another target.
So it was that when Aska yanked with all her strength, not only did the training dummy come crashing to the floor, but so did Professor Goodwitch. There was a soft thunk, and then nothing. All Aska could hear was her own breathing.
Then the most remarkable, impossible, unbelievable thing began to happen. Professor Goodwitch began to laugh, and laugh joyously. "A very innovative tactic, Aska. Good job."
As the laughter began to subside, Magorox floated back into its scabbard.
"Thank you, Sensei," replied Aska with a bow.
Glynda floated up on the wings of her semblance and looked at her queerly. "No need to be so formal, Aska. Come now, we've been at this for a couple of hours. Take a break."
Aska's mouth twitched, but she nevertheless began walking to the side where Glynda was already approaching. They both began their cooldown stretches when they arrived. Something about it though…
"Thank you again for this tutoring, Sensei," said Aska as she continued the stretches. "I hope I have not burdened you overmuch."
"No. It's been no trouble at all," said Professor Goodwitch. "You are quite good. I'm not sure why you thought you needed tutoring."
"Because I can't just be 'good,'" insisted Aska. "I need to be better. I have been chosen to be the leader of an exceptionally talented team, and if I can't measure up to at least be their equal, then what do I matter?"
"You do not need to match them in every area to gain either their respect or their obedience," pointed out Glynda. "None of your teammates have anything in their files that indicate they are the types to only submit to their commanders upon being outdone in any field whatsoever."
"And just what could you learn from their files?" asked Aska suspiciously. "Half of their files are redacted."
It wasn't precisely accurate, but it was roughly accurate. Mad Dog's service record was mostly blacked out when it came to the research he did and the people he may or may not have worked with. Farsight had the least amount of black in her record, but she still had it, and the number of awards in the rest of it was practically blinding. Bladerider, though… Bladerider's record was a wall of redactions until she arrived at Atlas Academy, where of course Aska had personally seen what was going on with her.
And what was going on was the sort of things that made her wonder both why so much of her record was redacted and why Aska had been assigned to spy on her. In Combat Course, she was a terror, and any time math came up, she was able to match the computer-like Farsight, but in every other subject save one, she was was distinctly average. The one subject she wasn't was ninjitsu, and there, she was barely treading water.
She should get Bladerider a tutor. If she was disloyal, then it was another opportunity to see her crack under abnormal circumstances, and if she was loyal, then it would be an unremitting benefit. The problem with either case, though, was the same thing that made her so good in straight combat: she was driven to an almost inhuman degree, always aiming for the top and not wanting to be a burden on her team in the slightest. That, of course, meant that she was reluctant to accept help on anything.
Aska wasn't afraid to admit in the depths of her mind that she found Bladerider's attitude unsettling because it was so much like her own. The difference was how people reacted to them. Aska had a distance between herself and others, but Bladerider seemed to be naturally personable, such that everyone wanted to protect her and keep her safe. In fact, it was almost suspicious, as if that was her semblance, and if it was, it was certainly a very good reason to spy on her at all times.
"Your files are indeed dark, but there is enough that I am cleared to see that I can get a measure of their character," replied Professor Goodwitch calmly.
Aska was silent for a moment before replying. "I see. What do you suggest then?"
"Don't try to do everything. Focus on the most immediate priorities," answered Professor Goodwitch. "You're the leader of a team of very capable Huntsmen and Huntresses; let your specialties cover each other. To facilitate that, you must make sure you know your team as best you can and place them in the positions they'd need to be in to do the most good. That's all you must do. That's all you should do."
The black-haired woman resisted the urge to snort or sneer. "That's what General Ironwood told me before I ever got this team."
"That's because he speaks from experience, and you would be wise to heed his counsel," Professor Goodwitch said, then cocked her head. "You call him 'General Ironwood,' but you don't strike me as that formal. What is your relationship like with him?"
"Not going to call him my father?" asked Aska sarcastically. "Tsk. Nevermind. The General isn't a bad guy. I'm just mad that everyone keeps calling him my father just because that's what the papers say."
"'Papers'?" inquired Professor Goodwitch.
"Yeah, you know, the adoption papers," explained Aska. "He adopted me and my brother Kogetsu years ago."
"And that doesn't count for anything, does it?" asked Professor Goodwitch in a tone that made it sound like she agreed with her.
"It's just words on paper," confirmed Aska dismissively. "We are not of his clan, nor he of ours."
"And what is your clan?" pressed Goodwitch.
Aska turned and glared at her. "That is none of your business."
In truth, the Koryu Clan consisted of herself, her brother, and the spirits of the departed. They were all that were left, and when they went… so would the clan. Hundreds of years of history, gone. It was inevitable, but it needn't be this day. As long as the clan was kept alive in her, it would survive.
"Fair enough," admitted Goodwitch. "Let us talk about your team's specializations. From your school record, it seems like ninjitsu is your best subject."
"Oh yes!" answered Aska, perking up. "I was one of Professor Snake Eyes' first students. Before the ninja program was even started."
"You prefer the professor to the headmaster?"
Aska raised an eyebrow. "Of course. He's a ninja, after all. He may not be from my clan, but his is of a similar one to ours. He is of similar history, similar culture, and similar profession. Is it not natural for like to attract like?"
"Not in electromagnetism," Goodwitch said dryly.
The black-haired girl let out an exaggerated groan. "That's a worse joke than when Bladerider discovered puns."
Goodwitch smiled formally. "I'm glad you can still laugh. However, you are aware that Professor Snake Eyes was himself adopted into the Arashikage Clan, right?"
The black haired girl's eyes went wide, and she looked at Goodwitch and frowned. "You're mistaken. You must be. There's no way that's right."
The blonde woman shrugged. "You can ask him yourself. I think you'll find that there's more to him than meets the eye."
Through narrowed eyes, Aska nodded. "I think I will. In the meantime, we still have some time allotted."
As the student picked up her sword, Goodwitch put out a hand, and one of the practice sabers flew into it to be perfectly gripped. "Very well. Let's us be a bit more personal this time, shall we?"
Blake and her instructor were bounding across the rooftops, moving with light feet that seemed to defy gravity as they made not a sound while running across the skyline.
"How do you know Professor Greene, anyway?" Blake asked conversationally, breaking the silence.
"I was once hired to provide additional security for her brother's lab," he replied. "She was visiting when there was an... incident involving gravity dust and flying lobsters. It was... quite memorable."
"Sounds... delicious," she said finally.
"It was," he agreed. Suddenly, he spotted something and halted on a gable fronted dormer and pointed down to the street below. "You should talk to him."
Blake landed lightly on the dormer next to Storm Shadow's and saw who he was talking about. It was Sun.
"You should talk to him," Storm Shadow repeated.
Blake's ears flattened. "Not now," she said. "Not yet."
As always, Sun failed to look up. If he had, he might have spotted his quarry. It wasn't the first time he'd come to town looking for Blake -- he'd done so pretty regularly -- but it was clear he still hadn't learned to look up.
"Your training has progressed acceptably," her sensei countered, "enough to surpass the class requirements at Beacon by a considerable margin. You have run out of excuses."
It was at that moment that Blake's eyes went wide as she caught sight of an achingly familiar and unmistakable head of white hair, the surefire sign that it was Weiss Schnee running up to meet with Sun Wukong. Where had she come from? Did it matter? Why was she there? What had happened to her? Had Sun roped Weiss into trying to track her down now? Why was it a surprise that it had taken him this long to go and bring her along?
And what in the world was she wearing? It looked like she had braided her hair into a sort of crest before putting it into a traditional tail that looped back around to where it began to make a sort of double-braid or braid-loop style. Her clothes were fairly different as well, and by different, Blake meant literally the exact opposite of what she normally wore before that fateful trip to Atlas: a forest green vest over a black turtleneck sweater on top; with a black accordion skirt, black combat sneakers, and dark brown socks filling out the bottom; and over her hips was a belt scabbard, Myrtanaster safely tucked inside; while over her shoulder a black messenger bag rested. It was a rather shocking change in style from the last time she saw her, but… but it was a style, she had somehow gotten along just fine without her.
"Allow me to rephrase," said Storm Shadow, interrupting her thoughts. "You should talk to them."
"I… I..." stuttered Blake.
Storm Shadow sighed patiently. "Remember what I have taught you."
Blake bowed her head, though whether it was in submission or anguish she could not tell. "'Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source,'" she quoted. "I remember."
"So you do, but you have not applied it. Fear, anger, hatred, heartache, and much more are poisoning your soul," observed the white-clad ninja. "True humility is the only antidote to that poison."
Blake nodded. "Yes, Sensei."
Storm Shadow looked back down at the pair, who seemed to be checking their scrolls and a map of the area. "The journey of a thousand miles may begin with a single step, but you have already taken many along that path. What is two more?"
The black-haired girl might have been tempted to stay up there all night debating the merits of what she should do, but her teacher's words pushed her over the edge. Literally. With a spin, she plunged through the air, and landed on her feet behind them as softly as a falling leaf.
"Hello there," she greeted with as much confidence as she could muster.
The two turned as well, and as one, their expressions morphed from their previous contemplation as their hearts sprung forth in joyous recognition and their voices leapt in happy greeting for a long lost friend now seen again. "Blake!"
Blake had been prepared for a lot of things when she landed, but one thing she had not been expecting was Weiss's tiny body tackling her in a hug. She… she… she found she couldn't think. In the absence of thought, she acted on instinct and hugged her back. Tears began to flow freely.
"I missed you," said Weiss into her friend's neck with emotions too heavy for either of them to comprehend.
"I missed you too," replied Blake from the side of her compatriot's head.
Sun, for his part, just looked on and smiled. "Reminds me of the first time me and Neptune fell apart and then came back together… First time, anyways. Now he just hits me upside the head when it happens."
"Blake," Weiss said, "I'm sorry I-"
Blake stiffened. "Stop it," she hissed.
Weiss blinked. "Huh?"
Blake pulled away from Weiss, holding her by the shoulders at arm's length, and shook her head. "Stop it, Weiss," she repeated. "You do not get to apologize to me."
"What?!" Weiss demanded indignantly.
"After all you've suffered because of the White Fang -- because of me -- you don't get to apologize. Not to me," elaborated Blake. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what part I played in the suffering you grew up with, no matter how small or indirect. I'm sorry for trying to stop you from learning about the White Fang. I'm sorry for- for judging you by your name."
"I-"
Blake put a finger to Weiss's lips. "And don't you dare try to apologize for what your father has done. I told you. You don't get to apologize to me. Not when you've done nothing wrong to me ever."
"That's not true," insisted Weiss, mumbling past the finger. "I should have followed your advice, and stopped looking into-"
"No," interrupted Blake with righteous conviction. "No, I think you've spent far too much of your life already doing what other people tell you." Weiss flinched at that. "It isn't wrong to want to know more. I shouldn't have tried to- to control you."
Weiss looked to the side. "I never… I never felt like you were doing that."
"You're lying," said Blake simply. Before Weiss could reply, she continued, "And even if you weren't, it wouldn't matter. A cut that you do not notice is still a cut. It was my own pride and arrogance that led to my attempts to control you, and a million other problems for myself and others."
"You're being too hard on yourself, Blake," interjected Sun. "You were concerned for a friend and went a little overboard. So what? You signed up to be a Huntress; worrying about people is part and parcel of the job. Like I told you before, it's not like any of us wouldn't forgive you if you'd just talk to us."
Blake looked at Weiss, who shrugged. "Well, he's not wrong."
"You forgive me too, Weiss?" asked the black-haired faunus in both hope and disbelief.
"Of course I forgive you, Blake," Weiss said with a shake of her head. "What made you ever think that I wouldn't?"
Blake just gaped for a moment, and then smiled and slightly shook her own head. "I don't know. I guess I was just being silly."
"I'd say so. Oh! I almost forgot. Here," Weiss said, rummaging in her bag. "You left this behind."
Blake accepted the item, and with a start, she realized it was her bow, the same one she'd torn off her head in that argument they'd had before she ran off. It seemed... cleaner, more vibrant than it had been before. She automatically reached up and tied it back in place, feeling different from how she remembered wearing it last. "Thanks, Weiss."
"How does that not hurt?" Sun asked rhetorically, shaking his head. "Anyway, what say we get off the street, though? There's a park near here, and the rest of the guys are on their way to meet us there."
So it was that the trio made best possible speed to the nearby park, which fortunately for them had very few people in it at that moment, and very fortunately for Blake, the others had yet to arrive.
"I'm sorry again, Weiss," offered Blake.
"We already forgave you, Blake," pointed out Weiss while Sun nodded along.
"I know, it's just…" And here, the black-haired girl sighed. "If I had just been honest from the start, this never would have happened. So I'm going to start being honest right now: what do you want to know?"
"'Know'?" asked Weiss in confusion, and then it clicked for her. "Wait, you mean-?"
"Yep," confirmed Blake with a pop. "Everything you could ever want to know about the White Fang from someone born into it. No filter."
Weiss's eyes went wide, and so did her smile. "This is so great! So exciting! Oh, I take back all those nasty thoughts I had about the White Fang."
Blake looked at her, her expression completely deadpan. "You read Sienna Khan's book, didn't you?"
"It was... eye-opening," revealed Weiss with a somewhat disturbed expression. "Sun, could you give us a bit?"
"Sure," said Sun with a nod. "I probably need to go collect those guys anyways. Be back soon!"
After they had finished watching Sun jump off into the distance, Blake let out a small sigh and turned to Weiss. "And to that long list of things I apologize for, you can add how I'm sorry for leaving Freedom Through Fear a good review when it was first published."
"She did have a few good points sprinkled in there," Weiss acknowledged with faint praise.
Blake snorted in suppressed laughter and smiled. "Which is why I'm not sorry for owning a signed first print copy."
"Ooh!" Weiss cooed before calming down slightly to reach what she meant to talk about. "But before we get into that... what are you doing? About Sun, I mean."
Blake's eyes went wide with shock. "What? Sun? Nothing!"
The snowcapped girl sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Blake in a hostile tone, her bow flattening atop her head. Then she realized what had happened, and the bow straightened out while she looked somewhat embarrassed.
"You know he's been coming out to the city at least twice a week looking for you, right?" asked Weiss.
"I... had noticed," admitted Blake sheepishly.
"Did you know that he's been calling you every day with detailed updates on everything that's happened at Beacon that isn't classified?" continued Weiss.
Blake shifted uncomfortably. "He... kind of forgot to bring me my charger when he brought my scroll. So I turned it off to save power."
Weiss raised the bifurcated eyebrow over her left eye and held up a hand to begin counting off fingers. "One, your scroll's battery should be able to last for weeks of use without a charge."
"I know," interjected Blake meekly.
"Two, you can recharge it with lightning dust even if you don't buy a charger from one of the many stores that sell them."
"I know."
"Three, you didn't even turn your scroll back on once to let us know how things were going?"
"I know!" Blake blurted out, red in the face. "I just- I needed time to figure some things out, okay?"
"And was Sun one of those things?" pressed Weiss.
"No, why would he be?" the cat faunus asked, feigning ignorance.
Weiss stared at her best friend for a moment, then shook her head. "Don't do this, Blake. Don't make the same mistake I did."
"What?" Beneath her bow, Blake's ears twitched in wary confusion.
"Blake, you've got a wonderful guy who's crazy in love with you: loyal, selfless, blond, blue-eyed..." Weiss trailed off, frowning. "Okay, the coincidence in hair and eyes is kinda creepy, now that I think about it." She shook her head. "The point is, Sun's head over heels for you, but if you keep snubbing him, he's going to move on. Like Jaune moved on from me."
Blake pursed her lips as she thought back to that night. Weiss had left for that date so sure of the evening's outcome, and just as the Atlesian girl had started to feel something for Jaune, the dork knight had moved on from his own feelings. "Weiss, I know I said you weren't getting a second date, but I only meant that if you waited for him to ask you," she said. "I'm betting he was forcing himself to get over you once that date was over. Ask him out, make it clear you're interested, and I think you might be surprised."
Weiss stared at her. "You really haven't listened to any of Sun's messages, have you?"
"...no, why?"
"Well, for one thing, Jaune's dating Ruby," Weiss informed her.
"Oh." Blake paused for a long moment, confusion crossing her face. "Wait. Ruby's dating Jaune? Ruby's dating?!"
"Is that really so surprising?" Weiss asked.
"Well... yeah!" Blake sputtered. "I was starting to think if someone didn't have blades or ballistics, she wasn't interested."
"Well, she is, very much so," confirmed Weiss. "And even if I think she did sort of declare open season... there's the other competition."
"'Open season'?" Blake's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Wait, what other competition?"
"Pyrrha," Weiss said simply. "Pyrrha freaking Nikos. How exactly am I supposed to compete with her?"
"What do you mean?" asked Blake automatically, trying and failing to avoid falling into more confusion.
Weiss snorted. "She has money, she has fame, and unlike me, she's actually a self-made woman, and her money is clean. She's an amazing fighter, gorgeous, and actually nice to him. And they're on the same team, so they spend all that time together, living together, training together, sleeping together- Not like that!"
"And yet, you're the one he asked out," Blake interjected softly. "Not Pyrrha. And not Ruby. Now what was that about Ruby declaring open season on her boyfriend?"
"Just the other day, she told me how Pyrrha feels about him," Weiss explained, "and then she confronted me about my feelings, and when I confirmed them, she... kind of told me 'may the best woman win.'"
Blake blinked. Audibly. Twice. "What."
"-what you can change and what you cannot," Optimus Prime's voice rumbled. "In my experience, Adam, the former is all that truly matters."
"So, you're suggesting a hopeless fight should not be fought?" Adam queried, distaste evident in his voice.
"No," the Autobot leader denied, shaking his head. "While the outcome of a battle may often be out of our hands, there is no way to predict that with a hundred percent certainty. If you fight, why you fight, how you fight, those are what matter." He reached out and tapped his finger on Adam's chest. "In here." He tapped Adam on his mask over his forehead. "And in here."
Yang smiled as she watched the exchange, having just entered into the room. The two of them had certainly become closer over the last few months, and she thought it was for the better. Adam seemed much... well, perhaps not nicer, but less abrasive, much more comfortable in his skin.
"Sunfire, good, you're here," said Adam, taking notice of her, then glancing back at Optimus. "This, however, is something I can change, that we can change."
"What is?" asked Yang, supremely curious now.
Adam picked up a manilla folder off a nearby desk and walked over to give it to her. She met him halfway and accepted it.
"People are going missing," he explained. "Informants, friends and neighbors, random people. At least a dozen, and all from mostly faunus neighborhoods."
As she opened up the folder, Yang began to look through the available information. "A dozen people have gone missing, and there's already a pattern? Surely the cops must be all over this. What are they doing?"
"Not a thing," answered Adam distastefully. "Not a gods forsaken thing."
Yang tried and failed to keep from gritting her teeth in revulsion. It was bad enough with the dust robberies, but with kidnappings as well? Vale's police force was either the most incompetent law enforcement agency on the planet, or there was corruption from bottom to top. Probably both.
Her eyes fell upon one of the pictures of the victims, and she was again thankful for the wraparound glasses that covered them. To keep up appearances of actually being a charity volunteer -- in case anyone at Beacon got suspicious of where she went during the day -- she had helped out at various organizations dedicated to helping those in need. It was sporadic, but people still recognized her well enough to throw any curious students off the trail. One of those was a soup kitchen, and one of the people who visited every time she was there was staring back at her.
His name was Ollie Oakenfri, and he was a good kid, about her age, smart as a whip and driven to work. Problem was that his family had fallen on hard times; it was a choice between rent and food, and so they chose rent. He should have been getting a job, but the businesses near him were all filled up, and so far, he hadn't been able to find a job elsewhere that was willing to take a chance on some frog faunus teenager from the poor neighborhood. So he went to the soup kitchen to eat, and when he was there, Yang would speak a few words to him and watch him with the same sort of interest that all small business owners pay their regulars.
Now he was gone, and the police weren't even lifting a finger to help him. People could be dead. Or worse. No one cared though, no one cared at all what happened to them… she cared.
"Sunfire, calm down," ordered Optimus Prime sternly.
Like a switch had been flipped in her head, the roiling fire disappeared from Yang's hair, and she handed the folder back to Adam. "I'll take the case."
"I'm not a cop, and this isn't a case," pointed out Adam. "We were just discussing what we were going to do, and thought we could take your input. Given the closeness of some of the kidnapees, we think that Cinder could be involved. This might be an attempt to track us down."
"My input?" asked Yang. "My input is that it doesn't matter who's involved. We need to rescue those people. They need to be found, and everyone here needs to know that if anything happens to them that there will be a rescue party coming."
"Well said," affirmed Optimus, "but what is going to be the follow up? You have other duties to attend to and can't be on the case every cycle of the day."
Yang paused and worked the thought through her head. "You're right. What's Prowl doing? Didn't he have experience with CySec? This sort of thing would be right up his alley."
"He does," said Adam. "It's why I asked for him specifically."
"And why I called him to bring him up to speed," confirmed Optimus.
Yang crossed her arms as she looked at them. "I'm still helping with this."
"I wasn't denying you the chance," said Adam.
"But you aren't in this alone," clarified Optimus. "You don't have to monofocus on this."
Yang gave a slight bow. "Thank you for the counsel, Optimus. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to do my job."
She pivoted around and began walking out to Bumblebee. He was still conversing with some of the White Fang but rushed to meet her when he saw her. Soon, they were driving away.
"Nine faunus, three humans, all kidnapped," listed off Yang. "Police won't do anything, so it's up to us. I got pictures of the case file on my glasses, and apparently, Prowl's already on the case. Can you get us on the line with him?"
"Sure, give me a sec," said Bumblebee, and then his tone shifted. "Hey, you planning to ask Sun out to the dance at all?"
Yang clutched the steering wheel that much tighter. "No idea. I'm pretty busy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to make it."
"Yang, I don't want to see you burn yourself out on this. One night to relax won't kill you," reasoned Bumblebee.
"But it might kill them," pointed out Yang.
"So might their rescuer showing up so delirious with stress and lack of sleep that she can't aim her shot-gauntlets," countered Bumblebee.
After a pause, Yang spoke again. "I'll see what I can do. Have you managed to get in contact with Prowl yet?"
"Yeah, I got him on the line," admitted Bumblebee.
"Good, put him on."
"We actually came looking for you to bring you home," Weiss said. She pulled some papers on a clipboard out from her bag. "I talked to Professor Greene to get the paperwork. All we need is to get your tutor to verify that your special training is complete and sign off on your grades."
"Knightshade."
Blake very definitely did not jump in surprise. She'd learned to restrain that impulse months ago. Weiss, on the other hand, had not been training with a ninja for months.
"Meep!"
"Sensei," Blake greeted as her friend regained control of herself. "Weiss, this is my teacher, Storm Shadow."
"A pleasure to meet you." Weiss curtsied on instinct.
"Likewise," responded Storm Shadow with a nod. His gaze shifted back to Blake. "You will return to Beacon."
Blake blinked. "I will? But... my training..."
Storm Shadow put out his hand, and realizing what was happening, Weiss gave him the clipboard and papers. The trio fell into a tense silence as the ninja master's pen ran across the documents. When he was done, he tucked the writing implement back into his white clothes and pulled out a manilla envelope.
"You have passed with full marks," he assured her, giving all the documents back to Weiss to put back into her bag. "Turn this in to your headmaster to receive credit for it."
"'Full marks'?" Blake shook her head. "You're always telling me I can improve."
"Of course," he confirmed. "There is always room for improvement. Perfection is an ideal to strive for, not a goal to achieve, and you have learned as much as I can reasonably teach you before the semester ends. Further pursuit of ninjitsu would require you to sacrifice your other studies as a Huntress-in-training."
"Hey!" Sun's voice called out. The two girls turned to see the blond waving at them as he returned with the rest of the now-reunited Team RRANNBWW and Neptune in tow. They looked back to Storm Shadow... only to find him gone.
"Where did he go?" queried Weiss.
Blake sighed. "You get used to it."
"Hello again!" Pyrrha waved.
"Heyyy," said Neptune, offering a pair of finger guns.
"Blake, it's good to see you," Jaune greeted the fledgeling ninja.
Ren remained his usual taciturn self, offering only a friendly nod in greeting. Ruby seemed equally subdued, unusually for her.
"Hey, Blake," Nora said, exaggerated disapproval in her voice. "You don't call, you don't write... when are you coming back?"
"Tonight, apparently," Blake said, glancing at Weiss's bag.
"Really?!" Sun blurted out. "That's great!"
"It will be good to have you back," Ren said, breaking his silence.
"Listen, Blake," Sun said, scratching the back of his head nervously, his tail twitching back and forth behind him, "since you'll be back, um, have you given any thought to who you're going to the Beacon Dance with?"
Blake blinked at him.
"Are you... are you asking me?"
He nodded, confused. "Well... yeah. Who else would I ask?"
Blake blushed. "Yang! I told you she was a better choice! Maybe someone else who came in over the last few months!"
"Penny," offered Neptune from the back.
"Penny!" repeated Blake, and then her head whipped around to look at him in befuddlement. "Wait, what? Penny?!"
She shook her head. "Never mind. The point is that there are many more women who are more worthy than I for your affection. So why? Why me?"
Sun was shocking in how calm and collected he was. "Why not?"
Blake looked away. "Because I'm a coward," she whispered. "I ran from my parents because we disagreed, I ran from my ex because he went psycho, I even ran from Weiss just because I said the wrong thing." Her voice rose. "I'm always running away from my problems!"
Sun placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And as long as you keep running, I'll keep following you." He paused and frowned, then winced. "That… came out super-creepy, didn't it?"
Blake couldn't help it. She giggled. She held up a hand, thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "A little bit."
"What he means to say, Blake," Jaune said, stepping into the rescue, "is that we're your friends; we all are. With us, you always have somewhere to run to."
Blake turned her head and stared at Jaune, blinking back tears. In a flash of movement, she lunged for the safer target, wrapping her arms around the startled knight. "Thanks, Jaune. That… means a lot."
Jaune reflexively hugged her back, and as Blake felt his arms wrap around her, she could begin to appreciate what Weiss -- and apparently Ruby and Pyrrha too -- saw in the guy. It was a bit awkward, though, with his arms around her shoulders like this. Maybe if he was an inch or so shorter. And while she could appreciate the look and combat utility of his chestplate, it was hard and unyielding, not exactly comfortable for hugging; he could stand to lose it in moments like this, and she had a suspicion that, by now, he wouldn't have anything to be ashamed of if he left his chest bare. And maybe if he was a faunus, maybe with a tai- NOPE! Nope nope nope! She was not going there!
As she stiffened in mental denial, a hand reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. "Hey," Jaune said, "I'm just saying what we're all thinking." He looked up and swept his gaze across the others. "Right, guys?"
"Heck yeah!" Sun agreed. "Why don't I get a hug?"
Blake pulled half-way away from Jaune and reached out her arm with a smile. "Come here, you goof."
The monkey faunus eagerly obliged.
"GROUP HUG!"
"Nora! No! Wait! ACK!"
Team RRANNBWW celebrated the return of their missing member, and Blake found herself wondering why she'd left in the first place.
She hadn't felt like this since... well, it had been a long time.
Weiss hadn't been quite right. She'd mentioned bringing Blake home. She'd meant Beacon, but...
This is home, Blake thought fondly, surrounded by her team, her friends. The scene wasn't quite perfect, no, but... it felt right. Even if it seemed like her home had been moved to Crazytown while she was away, but then again, the madness was part of the charm.
As the sky began to darken, the teenagers began making their way back to Beacon.
With a pensive look on her face as they walked toward the landing pads for the Bullhead shuttles, Ruby reached over and tugged on Jaune's wrist.
"Jaune?" she asked. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure thing, Ruby," he agreed cheerfully, slowing his long strides to let the main group pull ahead. "What's up?"
The night air was cool as Ruby looked out over the Emerald Forest from her rooftop perch. It seemed fitting to go to this roof in particular. After all, this was the place where that first date had ended. It certainly was better than mingling around with the rest of Team RRANNBWW. Out here, under the stars, she meditated in solitude.
She'd taken Raven's advice and done what she had to do. What Raven would have done. What Raven had done once, long ago. It had been difficult, getting up the courage to make that hard decision, but once she had committed, crossing and burning that bridge had been surprisingly easy. She would have to maintain a certain amount of distance from the rest of her team from then on out, of course, something she was already sliding into. She may not be buddy-buddy friends with them anymore, but it would all work out in the end. They'd fight against it, but they'd see.
Suddenly, the door to the roof slammed open, accompanied by heavy, angry breathing.
"Ruby, what have you done?!" demanded Yang furiously.
"Hello, dear sister," replied Ruby without looking back.
"Don't you 'dear sister' me, Rubes," demanded Yang. "What the heck was that? Jaune's down there… he's… You broke up with him, and I want to know why!"
"Tsk. I have my reasons, and they're of no concern to you or anyone else," answered Ruby, noticing a dark shape flying nearby and wondering if it was friend or foe.
"It's a concern to him," objected the elder sister. "You didn't tell him a thing! He's hurt and confused right now, and I want to know why."
It was then that Ruby turned and faced her sibling, her silver eyes cool and unforgiving. "A better question, Yang, would be how long you've known about Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune."
Realization spread across Yang's face, and she seemed to grow very small. "Oh."
"You knew," growled Ruby in a lupine fashion. "Don't try to deny it. It's written all over your face. You knew all about Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune long before any feelings for him even entered my head, and instead of telling me the truth, you led me on with that… that…"
"Dammit, Ruby, what do you want from me?" interjected Yang hotly, defensively.
"I want my sister back!" shot back Ruby. "I want it to be like it used to be, back before you were keeping secrets like this from me!"
Yang bristled and advanced. "I've always kept secrets from you, Ruby, and it was always to protect you!"
"Oh, well, you did just a wonderful job at that," mocked Ruby sarcastically. "Newsflash, Yang. Protecting me from secrets like this doesn't protect me!"
"Like you would have done any different," countered Yang, her eyes flashing red.
"You're right. I don't do any different," admitted Ruby, her voice starting off harsh and then growing very soft as she looked into those crimson orbs. "I do the exact same thing… all the time."
The bloodcrowned girl lowered herself onto the ground to sit then, and her sister soon followed. They'd been so angry before, but now… now they were just so tired. Nothing was said between them for some time. They just sat there, watching the stars and each other.
"I'm sorry, Ruby," said Yang, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry. I want to tell you everything, but…"
"Don't," interrupted the younger sister.
"I've made promises," continued Yang. "I can't break them, not even for you."
"And I don't want you to," replied Ruby softly. "Like I said, I know what it's like to keep secrets."
Yang looked at her in wonder. "Please tell me that this isn't leading into you spilling all your guts."
Ruby shook her head. "No. No, I can't, Yang. I've made promises too. People -- a lot of people -- are counting on me to keep their secrets."
"And you're going to," said Yang. It wasn't a question It was a statement of fact as obvious as the coming dawn.
On a whim, Ruby scooched closer to Yang to sit side-by-side with her instead of merely looking at each other. The two sisters leaned into each other and rested head against head. They sat there for a moment, watching the sky.
"So, we're keeping secrets from each other," observed Yang.
"Eeyup," confirmed Ruby.
"And we won't tell each other what they are."
"That's about the size of it."
Yang smiled in reply. "Good."
"Good," echoed Ruby.
"I… I am sorry about not telling you about Pyrrha and Jaune," said Yang morosely. "That wasn't a secret. That was just wrong of me, and I knew it when I did it. I knew you'd do what... you just did, but I wanted you to be happy and didn't think the consequences through. So I kept my mouth shut and nudged you into it."
"Eh, water under the bridge," dismissed Ruby without a second thought. "Just… we're not going to tell Pyrrha, right? If she knew why I did what I did, she would never get together with Jaune like she should."
"No, of course we're not telling Pyrrha anything," agreed Yang, and then something struck her about that tone. "Over him already?"
"It hurts," Ruby admitted, "but... I'll get over it. So will Jaune. And then he'll realize what's been right in front of him this whole time, and they'll be happy together." She looked down. "I've always wanted to be a Huntress. This whole romance thing... was just a passing fancy."
"That's a lie, and you know it," countered Yang, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Ruby, I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but some day, you're going to meet a guy that will sweep you right off your feet. You'll get married, have kids, and look back on all this and laugh."
"Just like Mom and Dad," offered Ruby.
"Just like Mom and Dad," repeated Yang in affirmation.
Their words were the same, but only one of the faces brought to mind was the same.
Ruby wrapped an arm in turn around Yang, and the two stayed like that for a long, long time. Eventually though, the hour was drawing late, and they needed to go. So it was that they walked hand in hand back down to the dorm.
It was when they had nearly returned that they ran into Blake.
"Oh, hey!" said Yang, noticing her for the first time. "Blake, have you finally decided to stop brooding?"
Blake seemed offended at that. "I wasn't brooding."
"Suuure you weren't," replied Yang in a tone that made it absolutely clear she didn't believe that for a single moment.
The black-haired woman shook her head. "Never mind. Listen, can either of you tell me why I have a memorial?"
Yang and Ruby both blinked and answered in unison. "What memorial?"
(V2E11: Winter's Soldiers | V2E12: Relationships | V2E13: First Impressions)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
There's only three episodes left in the volume, so join us next time as Teams CFVY and RFFL make some "First Impressions" of the third kind.
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Volume II: Episode 13: First Impressions
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E12: Relationships | V2E13: First Impressions | V2E14: Triangles)
Volume II: Episode 13: First Impressions
* * *
Volume II: Episode 13: First Impressions
* * *
Another day was about the Beacon campus, and Team RRFL was committing to once again making the rounds. In the last few months, they had settled into a routine of sitting with Team CFVY, but sometimes, it was good to break things up and pick the brains of the other students. If nothing else, it was a pleasant day to sit under the tent that served as shelter for the outdoor picnic tables.
"You know, sitting under here, you almost forget your worries, or the fact that we're on a world where every moment alive is a precious gift that could be taken away at any moment," mused Thunder as he looked out upon the city. "Bunch of ungrateful jerks."
"Reg," chided Black Out.
"Well, it's true!" complained the red-eyed hammer wielder. "All I'm saying is that I can see where the village people are coming from."
"Poverty?" offered Lightning with a fork full of spaghetti.
Vanguard perked up at that. "You're off the speech-writing team for the Vytal Festival."
"Oh, come on!" complained the blue-eyed hammer wielder. "Just what am I supposed to do then?"
"How about you just leave," ordered a voice that tickled at the backs of all their memories.
"Oh, come on, part two," said Lightning as he put down his fork and looked at the approaching forms of Team BCHT.
The two teams had mostly stayed away from each other ever since the exercise at the beginning of the semester. Lightning was beginning to hope that they had finally buried the hatchet, but from the uniformly displeased expressions of the four approaching Havenites, that was clearly not the case.
Surprisingly, it was the leader of the group -- one Joseph R. Balkun, if Lightning remembered right -- that spoke first. "You're sitting at our table."
Lightning noted the lunch boxes they were all carrying, either in their hands or slung over their shoulders.
Vanguard was much more logical with his reply: "I'm pretty sure this table belongs to Beacon."
"Maybe," replied Joseph. "We, however, have sat at this same table every day since we first arrived in Vale. It's our spot. Our names are even carved into the wood."
Lightning ducked his head under the table and spotted the stated names very elegantly carved into the legs before letting out a resounding. "Huh. I guess so. Does that mean you guys are confessing to vandalism? It actually kind of looks like Daiku's handiwork."
"This was no feeble Atlesian mockery, but genuine Mistralian artistry," declared… Curtis? His name was Curtis, right?
"And I'm sure you sleep with your little wood figures every night while we sleep with proper guns and bombs," countered Thunder.
"You sleep with bombs?" mockingly asked the inferior Stahl who did not have a callsign.
"Of course they do," came an older voice. "Haven't you seen them in combat? They look like they came fresh off the war factory floor."
Oh no, that voice! Why did it have to be them? Of all the teams in all the four academies, why did it have to be them?
Sauntering over to them were the four worst people to ever meet in a dark alley, Atlas's lost children, the Harbingers of Haven: Team DSST.
Jockeying for the lead was the alleged leader, the most vile of the bunch: a blond-haired faunus with a horse tail coming out of her back and competitive brilliant strong orange yellow eyes who went by the name Lightning Dust. Lightning Dust! Could her parents have been any more on the nose and generic about what she was going to use in her career? Ferris had, of course, politely suggested a few callsigns for her, an offer rarely extended to people not affiliated with Atlas Academy. Unless you were Team APRC, anyway. His callsign had a theme with his brother's, after all, so it wasn't like he could change it. In the end, she'd snubbed the idea. What nerve!
Of course, also jockeying for the lead was the girl who walked like a princess because apparently that's what it meant when your hair looked like bacon. The irrepressible Sunset Shimmer, the one constantly vying for command of Team DSST, who clearly had enough chips on her shoulders to start up a casino. Then again, despite being a smug little haridelle, she didn't have much to stand on this semester. After all, she had been the one mentoring the traitor Cinder Fall without noticing that she was a filthy criminal in disguise, which was hilarious! Absolutely rip-roaringly… was that a blood stripe on her arm band?
Close behind was, of course, Trixie Lulumoon. Oh, sorry, The Great and Powerful Trixie! Because of course she had to do things like talk in the third person and act like a massive braggart completely in excess of her actual abilities. If she ever amounted to anything, then Lightning would be shocked, absolutely shocked.
Taking up the rear was, of course, Sunburst Flare. He didn't know what the scholar had done to earn his ire, but his silence was enough! Either that or by going to Haven, he had inadvertently abandoned someone he cared about which would have cataclysmic effects on everyone's lives… eh, but it was just a feeling. His standing there was reason enough to dislike him.
"What do you want, Team Dust?" asked Vanguard in his most even tone.
"Isn't it obvious?" asked the alleged leader.
"You're sitting in a spot that rightfully belongs to a Haven team, and we want you to give it up," declared Sunset, as Team DSST seemed to form up in a united front with Team BCHT. "Now, you can either do this the easy way... or the hard way."
"How about they don't do it at all?" asked a familiar, prideful voice.
"Coffee!" greeted Lightning as he turned around to see the Valish team marching up towards them with grave expressions. "What brings you out here?"
"Ghosts," answered Coco simply.
"My ADA was acting up. I thought I heard someone nearby, and when I asked who it was, it said it was Blake Belladonna," explained Fox. "Probably just a glitch."
"Or it might not be," mused Rain. "If it's an ectoplasmic phenomenon, we should get ahead of it before it becomes too much of an issue."
"Excuse me, but are you listening to yourselves?" asked Sunset. "You're sitting here, on rightful Haven territory, talking about ghosts like they're a serious threat. Next you'll probably muse that Blake is actually alive instead of six feet under like we all know her to be. You're delusional. Give up the table, and we'll let you walk away from this without any of you sleeping with the fishes."
There was an audible gasp from one of the nearby tables, and some on Team CFVY couldn't hold back their reactions.
Yatsuhashi was shocked. "Did they just..."
"Use a racial slur?" asked Velvet rhetorically. "I think they did!"
Yatsuhashi blinked and glanced at her. "Uhh..."
Lightning valiantly held his tongue, though he really wanted to laugh.
"'Sleeping with the fishes,'" continued Velvet. "Why of all the low-down dirty things they could... just because we Valish have a vibrant fishing industry doesn't mean me and Coco want to lay with marine life."
Coco advanced on them. "Slur or not, you've got the same thing going for you. Mess with Team Coffee's friends, and you mess with us. And you don't want to mess with us."
The alleged leader of Team DSST stepped forward to meet her, and both they and Team BCHT formed up behind the faunus. "Bring it, you stuffed-up little hyrax."
Before the situation could escalate further though, a new voice, boisterous and full of life, joined the fray.
"Oh ho! Stay your hands, fellow students."
As one, the sixteen assembled Huntsmen and Huntresses in training turned to see a fifth team approaching. This one Lightning recognized as one from Shade: Team ZINC, led by Zachery Ochre, a faunus from Menagerie with a shortish shaved tail. Next to him were his teammates: Irving Keller in his cowboy hat, Nave Church and her mistaken belief that by claiming the moniker "Carolina" she could somehow crawl out from under the shadow of her bartender mother, and Candy Appel with her bright blonde hair.
"What do you want, Zach?" asked Joseph.
"To stop you all from making a terrible mistake," replied the big man. "After all, fighting outside the ring is illegal at Beacon. And to think, the Vytal Festival is so close too. Do you really want to just destroy your chances of victory when it is so close?"
"Are you volunteering to get beat into the ground?" offered the alleged leader of DSST.
"You mean beat you into the ground," corrected Ms. Church. "And I wish. Unfortunately, we're first-years. We'll never face all you second years in the ring."
"Unless we spar or enter the Mistral tournament circuit," pointed out Zachery.
"Perhaps, but not today," said Vanguard suddenly as he picked up his food and stepped away from the table.
Lightning and the rest followed him. Team CFVY stood aghast, but soon followed. The Haven teams were probably happy, but the members of RRFL never checked.
"What was that?!" demanded Coco when they were a fair distance away.
"Deescalation," Vanguard answered succinctly. "The situation was getting out of hand, and frankly, it was pointless. Emotions were getting heated. Discipline and self-control are paramount if you don't want to bring Grimm down on your heads. It's good practice."
"So's fighting spirit!" declared Coco hotly.
"A waste of energy when not properly directed," was Vanguard's calm rebuttal. "In the end, Team Beechnut and Team Dust aren't really worth the effort."
"With an attitude like that, they're going to keep thinking they can push you around," reasoned Coco. "You guys need to stand up for yourselves."
"What they think is worth even less than what they are," Lightning snorted. "One day, they might actually become worth the effort of putting them in their place, and... well, that'll be an interesting day."
"And what about until that day happens?" asked Velvet pointedly.
"Until then?" Lavi echoed. "Well, until then, for one thing, we aren't getting expelled for unauthorized combat."
"Yeah," chimed in Thunder. "it's just trash talk, and believe me, I know trash talk. In the end, it don't matter."
"Hear, hear," agreed Fox.
Vanguard pivoted and faced Coco directly. "We've talked about this before. You mean well, but… what's going to happen when you cross a bridge that you shouldn't? Some day, that ego of yours is going to write a check your body can't cash."
Coco cocked an eyebrow. "Then I'll walk back across it. Besides, as long as we stick together, there's nothing we can't handle."
"I hope you're right, Coco," spoke Yatsuhashi. "I've just got a bad feeling about today."
"Yeah," Lavi said. "I saw Ruby and Yang having a nasty argument on the roof over her breakup with Jaune."
"They didn't see you, did they?" Velvet asked, concerned.
"Oh, heck no," Lavi assured her, shaking his head. "Believe me, I pretty much flew outta there when I realized what was going on."
"One of their number gone, and two of the survivors arguing," Yatsuhashi observed. "Here's hoping they reconcile soon, before it costs more lives."
Teams CFVY and RRFL were currently seated across from each other on a Bullhead, en route to Lower Cairn. The village had sent a distress call saying they were under attack by Grimm and needed reinforcements, and the two teams had volunteered to take the mission. Normally, only one team would have been sent, but there had been something... odd about the distress call.
Coco wasn't particularly impressed with Team RRFL's choice in combat gear. It worked, sure, and they definitely scored points for practicality, but basic Atlesian combat armor with only a few minor tweaks was the opposite of style.
"Say, aren't you guys supposed to be in charge of setting up the Beacon Dance?".Reg had paused in his consumption of almonds to ask the question. "I mean, won't this mission interfere with that?"
"Don't worry. I made sure we got some first-years to back us up if we're late getting back," Velvet assured him.
"Not that we'll need them," interjected Coco. "Three days, in and out, and we'll be back with almost a week to get everything ready. Besides, most of it's already been set up."
"Yeah." Fox nodded. "Mostly, anyway. I've got some DJs lined up, but someone is insisting we get a live band."
"It's the Beacon Dance!" protested Velvet. "With all those guest students from all over! We should be doing the best to make it the best!"
"But where am I supposed to find a live band?" Fox complained. He turned his sightless gaze over to the Atlesian team opposite them. "Say, do you guys know anyone who can play? From Atlas, maybe?"
Fox was more vocal than usual, mainly for Team RRFL's benefit. He preferred to use his telepathy semblance to communicate with the rest of Team CFVY, and they had gotten used to relying on it on missions, but like Yatsuhashi's memory erasure, they generally tried to keep his semblance under wraps. With Team RRFL joining them on this mission, he'd offered to link them up, but Rain had vetoed the idea.
"What's the matter?" Coco teased. "Got something to hide?"
"Doesn't everyone?" Rain asked back, refusing to rise to the bait.
Team CFVY exchanged awkward looks at that.
"Seriously, what's the real reason?" Coco asked, breaking the silence.
"Telepathic communication is a useful tool," Rain acknowledged, "but the more you rely on it, the more likely it will become exposed. Moreover, if you depend on his semblance too much on missions, it makes him weak point for the whole team. And a target for anyone who figures out what you're doing."
"Doesn't everyone?" Rain asked back, refusing to rise to the bait.
Team CFVY exchanged awkward looks at that.
"Seriously, what's the real reason?" Coco asked, breaking the silence.
"Telepathic communication is a useful tool," Rain acknowledged, "but the more you rely on it, the more likely it will become exposed. Moreover, if you depend on his semblance too much on missions, it makes him weak point for the whole team. And a target for anyone who figures out what you're doing."
"A few people," Rain replied. "First to come to mind would be using the available Rainbooms and Shadowbolts. Trouble is, while both groups like Magic, they really don't like each other, so if you chose one and not the other, that's liable to lead to problems. And bringing them both in means added tension there."
"Sounds exhausting," Coco noted. "Good luck, Fox."
Ferris shrugged, leaning back. "Well, hey, we could do it."
"Wait, you guys play music?" Velvet asked.
"Sort of?" Ferris raised a hand and waggled it back and forth. "We've never played with an audience before, but I think we're pretty good. Vanguard's lead guitar, Thunder does drums, I play bass, and Black Out's backup guitar."
The rabbit faunus's gaze shifted over to Lavi, who shrank back and shyly cocooned himself in his wings.
"Say," Coco said, "those nicknames-"
"They're callsigns," Rain corrected.
"Whatever," she said, waving it off. "I heard some first-years went on missions with an Atlesian team and got nick- sorry, callsigns like that too. Why don't we get callsigns?"
"Team Apricot is special," Rain informed her.
Coco tipped her head forward and looked at him over her sunglasses. "How'd you know I was talking about Team Apricot?"
"Like I said," Rain deadpanned, "they're special."
Coco pursed her lips at that for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair," she said, tilting her head to the side to acknowledge the point.
"Looks like we're hot-dropping!" the Bullhead pilot reported through the intercom between the cockpit to the passenger bay.
"What's the sitrep?" Rain asked, his voice calm and professional as he activated one of the microphones built into the cabin.
"Doing a flyby," he replied. "See for yourself."
Coco and Rain unstrapped themselves from their seats and took up positions by either side door, peering out the windows. Lower Cairn was in the forest, but the rocky terrain meant anything large on the ground would have to approach from the direction of the main gate. A large mix of Beowolves and Ursai were assaulting the village, and the Grimm had breached the outer perimeter trenchline, with craters showing where landmines had taken their toll on the Grimm. A pair of gigantic automated turrets flanking the main gate were firing on them, but those turrets were clearly designed for larger, slower targets; their slow rate of fire was proving inadequate against the swarms of smaller Grimm, but when they fired, they obliterated whole clusters of them with terrific energy blasts, digging even larger craters than the mines had. Much smaller, more conventional autoturrets were scattered around, of course, but most appeared to be nonfunctional, likely damaged in an earlier assault. At the wall that marked the final defensive perimeter, they could see people -- militia or perhaps just able-bodied volunteers -- lining up a mixed bag of personal weaponry.
The ground began to shake, and a rumbling filled the air.
"What is that?" Coco asked.
"Megoliath?" Rain speculated.
Lavi shook his head. "We're too far south for those."
"No," Coco said, her voice low. "Goliaths. Plural." She paused as a deep bass whine sounded, and she looked back up. As the herd of Goliaths charged toward the village, the two giant turrets moved to target the elephantine Grimm, muzzles and tracery along them glowing red, sections of the barrels shifting and rotating, locking into place, doubling their muzzle diameter and adding another yard to their barrel length.
K-CHOOOMM!
Gigantic red beams spewed forth from the giant turrets, nearly blinding Coco even through her shades, and stabbed out toward the Goliaths. Averting her gaze from the guns themselves, she watched their targets as the beams punched through and felled the Goliaths with shocking ease, then swept side to side to catch other Grimm within their lethal beams.
"Gods above," she murmured. She looked over at Rain. "You Atlas boys smuggling some new toys in or something?"
Rain shook his head. "Whatever that is, it isn't Atlesian," he said grimly, "and it looks like they're out of power."
Coco looked back at the turrets, and she could see what he meant. The turrets were dark, barrels drooping to the ground, steam rising from the muzzles, the residual heat of the beams turning the tips of the barrels from orange to red. If they weren't out of power, they were overheated. No more help from that quarter.
"We're going in," she declared. "Get us up near the second defensive line and drop us in."
Rain gave her a quick, hesitant glance, then nodded.
In moments, the eight student Huntsmen were letting gravity take hold as the Bullhead hovered, its chin-mounted chain-driven autocannon having unfolded from behind its armored panel to thin the swarm of Grimm approaching the DZ. The familiar staccato of the 1.2-inch high explosive dual purpose rounds firing was a comforting sound.
Rain wore Mouser in its split shot-claw form, landing with vicious slashes to rend a pack of Creeps that had slipped past the Bullhead's covering fire.
Reg, for his part, held his own weapon, Smith's Hammer, overhead, slamming it into the ground. Channeling his aura through his hammer, he activated his semblance, and the vibration from the impact rippled out, sending a pair of Beowolves flying back.
Ferris held his weapon, Western Hammer, in reverse, holding the head under his arm as he worked the lever action and fired shot after shot of lightning dust rounds into the Ursai near his landing point.
Lavi used his wings to steer himself to a mostly clear area, adding his downward momentum to Field as he stabbed the sword bayonet into the back of a Creep. He quickly swung Lea up to his shoulder, sighted a shot, and fired.
Coco kept Gianduja in handbag form and clubbed a Beowolf over the head as she landed, before swinging it around and smashing another in the face.
Much like Rain, Fox came down slashing with Sharp Retribution, the elbow blades moving with quick precision and lashing at the Ursai as he landed and began to dance around it.
Yatsuhashi landed with Fulcrum first, the greatsword striking with an earth-shattering impact, before he hefted the blade and swung it in a broad stroke, decapitating the stunned Beowolves.
Velvet... Velvet had a problem. She fiddled with Anesidora as she fell, but the distance was shorter than she was expecting, and the impact with the ground disrupted her concentration before she could find the right picture.
"Oh, no."
"Velvet, catch!" came Lavi's voice.
The rabbit faunus turned to see a blade spinning through the air past her.
"Thanks!"
Tapping into her semblance, she caught it easily with borrowed reflexes, then quickly whipped around to confront the Alpha Beowolf facing her.
She squared off in a stance that took elements from five different people but was in truth all her own. Since meeting Team RRFL -- and to be honest, Lavi -- she'd taken to trying to synthesize her own style, taking what worked from people she'd used her semblance to copy and ditching what didn't, then blending it all together to make it her own.
It was what had caused her hesitation on choosing a weapon to mimic.
But now? With a blade like this? The weight felt right, the balance was perfect, and a blade like this -- so common among Huntsmen and similar to other weapons as well -- was what she'd started her experimentation with. Velvet drew the sword bayonet back and charged. She launched herself into a slide to duck under its claw swipe and lashed at its legs as she passed between them. Rolling to her feet, she kicked off the chest of a Beowolf that had been lurking behind the Alpha and twisted in mid-air to latch onto the Alpha's back long enough to slit its throat. Landing on her feet as the Alpha dissipated, she spun to face its packmates.
Grinning ferally, she threw herself to the wolves.
She leaned to the left as the Beowolf to her right clawed at her. She brought the borrowed weapon up and lashed out, scoring a shallow gash along the overextended arm, but rather than finish it off immediately, she moved on, tossing the bayonet into a reverse grip in her left hand, with which she plunged it into the chest of the Beowolf on the left, ducking under its claw swipe.
The one directly in front dove at her, arms and claws outstretched, and she twirled the bayonet back into a standard grip, hopping back and bringing it up, allowing the Beowolf's own momentum to impale its skull on the blade through its chin. Velvet turned and gave a side kick to the right-hand Beowolf to give her some time to extract the weapon from the fading corpse of its comrade before she tossed the weapon back to her right hand and charged in again.
She let herself get lost in the fight. Her semblance flared when she needed it to pull off a particularly complicated maneuver, but for the most part... there was a certain joy and satisfaction to be found in using her own skills, instead of relying on borrowed ones. This was her accomplishment. No cheating, no shortcuts, just... her.
The Grimm were described as an endless horde, and as far as anyone knew, it was true. But even they had local limits, and after some time, it seemed they'd reached them. For now.
Velvet took a few deep breaths and dusted herself off. Walking up to Lavi, she flipped the bayonet over to hold it by the blade. "Here," she said, letting him reclaim the weapon. "Thanks for the loaner."
As the group turned to walk the final stretch into the village proper, Lavi fell in beside her on her right. "Where'd you learn to fight like that, Velv? That was amazing!"
Velvet blushed. "I-it's my semblance. I have photographic reflexes, and I've seen a lot of people who use weapons similar in size and shape to this, with all sorts of different fighting styles."
"That's really cool!" He frowned. "Still… you're a Huntress; why don't you have your own weapon?"
"But I do!" she protested, holding up her camera. "Anesidora uses hardlight dust to create temporary copies of weapons from photos I've taken."
Lavi's frown deepened. "Isn't hardlight dust, like, really expensive, though? What happens when you run out?"
From up ahead, Rain looked over his shoulder at them and nodded solemnly. "A serious tactical deficiency."
Velvet looked away bashfully, ears flopping down to hide her face. "It's... one reason I don't use it much."
Lavi stopped, grabbing her wrist with his left hand. Surprised, Velvet blinked as he brought her hand up. His right hand pressed the bayonet -- now sheathed -- into her hand and then gently closed her fingers around it. "Keep it, then," he insisted.
Velvet stared at the bayonet she now held, then looked up and blushed again, shocked. "Are- are you sure?"
Lavi shrugged. "Field here is just a bayonet. I can always make another, and I'd hate to see you get hurt because you didn't have a backup."
"Aww, how sweet," Coco interjected teasingly. It seemed the rest of the team had stopped to watch as well. "You know, we've talked about getting her a backup weapon before, but she's always turned it down."
"I tried a bunch of different weapons back at Pharos," Velvet mumbled, looking at the treasured gift as she tucked it into her belt. "Couldn't ever find one that really felt right. Ended up lugging around a couple dozen different weapons before I built Anesidora."
"But I'm guessing this one feels… juuust right?"
Velvet blushed for a third time. "Coco!"
"You know," Coco noted, grinning broadly, "some say a Huntsman's weapon is an extension of its wielder, that the weapon you use is a true expression of your soul. I wonder what it says-"
"Coco, enough," Yatsuhashi interrupted, the big guy for once being moved from his usual placid demeanor. He'd been getting over his fear of accidentally hurting people and was coming around to being more assertive... when the situation called for it.
Coco sighed dramatically. "Oh, fine. Ruin my fun." She jerked her head toward the village. "Let's go check in with the villagers."
"They're hiding something," Rain pronounced, standing by the gate to the village, past the stone warehouses that could also serve as a final defensive line behind the inner walls proper. Most of the two teams had gathered together there.
"Yeah," Coco agreed. "I got that much. First, they call for help, and when we get here, they just want us to leave? Something's fishy, all right. And tech like that didn't come from nowhere."
It wasn't that the people of Lower Cairn hadn't been polite or welcoming... but they had been very insistent that the Grimm situation was now under control and that their services were no longer needed and that if they could just run along now, that'd be great. Despite the herd of Goliaths that had just tried to stampede the village. In fact, they had taken the time to point out that, since the Goliaths had been so handily dealt with, then obviously, further Grimm attacks could also be dealt with. Inquiries as to where the gigantic turrets had come from or where they could get them, though, were stonewalled.
All in all, it was very suspicious.
"Could it be MARS field testing a prototype?" Yatsuhashi suggested.
"A bit far from home, don't you think?" Reg asked as he shelled another nut. No one else even recognized what kind of nut he was eating now. "Besides, if it were, the place should be flooded with MARS-brand weapons, not those old peashooters these guys are packing."
"Someone else trying to break into the market, perhaps?" Fox speculated, continuing to pursue that line of thought.
"Same problem," Reg pointed out. "Some of these guns the locals are using date back to the Great War."
"Maybe a government project?" Lavi asked hesitantly.
"No," Velvet denied, shaking her head. "Vale's not like Atlas. We don't have a big budget for military research. Besides, if it were the Valish government, why would they send us instead of someone who's been briefed on it?"
Rain let out a hiss of frustration. "All this speculation is getting us nowhere. We'll be here a couple of nights anyway. Mingle. Maybe someone will let something slip." He looked around. "Where's Ferris?"
"I think I saw him talking to some of the kids a block back that way," Velvet offered, pointing down one street.
The two teams set out to find their missing member, and as they rounded the corner, they found him squatting down in front of a little girl who had a doll clutched to her chest.
"Your name's Phoebe, huh?" said Ferris. The girl nodded. "I know a girl named Phoebe, but she's not as nice as you. I don't know how my friend Lavi can stand her."
Velvet glanced over at Lavi. "You know a girl named Phoebe?" She wasn't jealous. Of course not.
"Phoebe Kommenos is a third-year at Atlas," Lavi said, his voice stony. "Remember that whole mess with that treacherous Haven team?"
"Yeah?"
"Turns out, one of them was Phoebe's long-thought-dead stepsister, so to keep her safe, they shipped her team back to Atlas on the first airship they could find," he explained. "She's... not a nice person. Very... sure of herself and doesn't think much of... people like me."
Velvet went very still at that. "People who didn't go to combat school?" she asked in what she knew was a vain hope.
"Faunus," he said simply, his wings twitching involuntarily. "Commoners. The poor. And yeah, people who didn't go to combat school."
Without looking, Velvet reached over and took his hand comfortingly. She knew what that was like. Cardin Winchester had been a particularly nasty piece of work, and he'd been a year below her, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to stand up to him. Sweet Lavi against an upperclasswoman?
Oh, yes, she understood the hell that must have been.
She turned her attention back to Ferris.
"Hey, it's natural to be a little scared," the blue-eyed twin assured the girl. "The Grimm are out there, and they're pretty scary, but we're here -- two whole teams of Huntsmen! -- and you've got those big guns out there to keep you safe."
The girl shrank back, then looked back and forth.
"You don't like the guns, do you?" Ferris prodded gently. "I know they're big and noisy, but... no? That's not why?"
She shook her head and gestured for him to come closer. He did, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear. After she pulled back, he looked her in the eyes and said, "Thanks, Phoebe. I mean it. But I've got to go now. Can you be brave for me and your parents?"
Phoebe nodded hesitantly, then more firmly.
"Okay, then." Ferris got up and moved to rejoin the two teams.
"Never figured you'd be good with kids," Lavi commented.
Ferris shrugged. "You just gotta know how to talk to them." He glanced back at the girl as she rejoined her family. "They're so vulnerable, y'know? Helpless."
"That's why we're here," Coco reminded him. "So, whatcha got?"
"She said the big guns were set up by..." he paused, "...by a scary giant robot with horns."
"A giant robot?" echoed Rain. "That suggests Atlesian hardware." He frowned. "MECH has been noted to be active in the area... Team Ruffle, I think we need to do some recon, see if we can find this giant robot. Coco, can your team cover things here?"
Coco nodded. "Count on it. We'll hold the fort."
Several minutes later, Team RRFL was stepping past the outer perimeter, and once they were well out of earshot, Reg broke the silence.
"So. Giant robots, Lightning? Did she, by chance, say it was a giant talking robot, brother mine?"
Ferris nodded grimly.
Lavi felt a chill run down his spine as he connected the dots.
"Which doesn't make sense," Rain said darkly. "They aren't supposed to be here."
When night fell with no sign of Team RRFL, Coco was... well, she was concerned, and so was the rest of Team CFVY. It had been Fox who had suggested they offer to stand watch by the main gate so they could wait for their friends' return, an offer the village had (reluctantly?) accepted. They had agreed on paired shifts, with Coco and Fox taking first watch and Velvet and Yatsuhashi taking second watch.
"Heads up," Coco called. "There's a car incoming. Its headlights are off."
The night vision goggles she was wearing clashed horribly with her outfit, but it was an unfortunate necessity. Fox was blind, after all, and Coco and Yatsuhashi lacked the superior night vision that faunus like Velvet had.
"This late?" Fox questioned. "It's almost midnight."
"Yeah," Coco agreed. This was way too suspicious. "Wake the others."
The car slowed as it approached the motorized gate, which began to swing open of its own accord. Whoever was in the car obviously had the access code. Minutes later, the gate was closing behind the car as it drove slowly into the village where Team CFVY waited, flanking it on either side so they could follow it whichever way it went.
None of them expected it to transform.
As the car shifted and twisted unnaturally, it drew itself erect, towering over them like a- like a giant demon, eyes glowing faintly, demonic horns silhouetted against the night sky.
Coco reacted without thinking, sliding Gianduja off her shoulder and transforming it into its rotary machine gun form, swinging its six barrels in line with the robot's head.
Blue eyes blazed as it turned to look at her.
"An ambush!" it shouted, swinging an arm up, and like the metallic monstrosity it was attached to, it began to transform further, partially disassembling and reassembling itself into a gigantic cannon.
There was a bright flash and a click from the other side of the street, and the robot turned its head and weapon to where Velvet stood. Holding her ground, the faunus girl snapped another picture.
"Who are you working for?" it demanded. "The SDC?"
"We're Huntsmen working for Vale," Coco retorted, revving Gianduja's barrels and drawing the robot's attention. "Now, who -- and what -- are you?" she demanded.
The robot took a giant step back, narrowing its necessary field of fire, and replied, "The name's Cliffjumper, and I'm an Autobot. This how Vale greets its guests?"
"I don't remember inviting you to our kingdom," Coco shot back. Her eyes flicked down to where she saw Fox and Yatsuhashi stepping out to flank the robot from behind.
"Wait! Stop! Everyone, put your weapons away!" interjected another voice.
Coco -- and Cliffjumper -- glanced over toward the voice. It was Mayor Rockland, rushing into the middle of this- argh!
He held a warding hand out to Cliffjumper, then looked at Coco. "It's okay. He's a friend. He's the one who built those turrets you were asking about. Just... showed up and killed a Goliath that was going to trample the village to dust." He turned and looked up at Cliffjumper. "Before you arrived, we called for help. They're the help."
"Mmm..." Cliffjumper seemed unconvinced for a moment, then nodded, shifting the gigantic cannon back into an arm.
Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Coco lowered Gianduja.
"Fine," she said. She glanced at Cliffjumper. "Still got questions for you, big guy."
Like why you think we'd be working for the SDC.
Cliffjumper snorted. "Too bad, kid. You ain't getting any answers."
It was then that the gates began opening again, and Cliffjumper spun, its arm turning back into a gun as it swung it around to point it at the gate. Coco squinted. That was Team RRFL!
"No, stop!" Velvet shouted, leaping at Cliffjumper and tackling its arm, spoiling its shot.
"What th-?" Cliffjumper sputtered, then shook its arm hard, sending Velvet flying down the street. It looked back at Team RRFL. "Shoulda known. Huntsmen are just like the White Fang. A half-measure at best." It raised its cannon arm again...
...and Coco fired, unleashing a spray of Hyped-up dust rounds from Gianduja, battering the "Autobot" aside and sending it crashing into the building opposite.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Team RRFL exchanging looks before also opening fire on Cliffjumper, but the robot weathered the assault and dashed for the gate, transforming back into a car and rapidly outpacing the pursuing Team CFVY. Mounted on its roof was the cannon, which opened fire on Team RRFL, who scattered to avoid the energy blasts. "Eat ion displacer!"
"'Half-measure'?" Velvet shrieked as she ran after it. "You're trying to kill our friends!"
Cliffjumper swerved to a halt at the gate and transformed back into its robot mode. "Your friends?" It shook its head. "Doesn't matter. You just made an enemy of the Autobots." It glanced at the giant turrets flanking the main gate, then looked back at them. "And I can't have our enemies reverse-engineering these babies."
It swung its cannon arm around and fired at the base of one of the turrets, and to Coco's horror, she saw it as it slowly began to tip over toward the other. Cliffjumper transformed again, driving out past the damaged turret as it finally collapsed, crashing into its opposite counterpart, leaving only rubble and wreckage in their place, blocking the road out of the village.
Mayor Rockland stared in shock at the collapsed turrets.
"What- what have you done?"
"I... it attacked our friends," Coco defended. "We will, of course, help clear the road."
"I think you've helped enough."
"That... could have gone better," lamented Lavi as the Bullhead carried the two teams through the morning sky.
"No regrets," Velvet countered, reaching over to take his hand in hers. "You saw what that cannon could do. If it had shot you..."
"Thanks, Velv, but..." He paused. "The people of Lower Cairn are not happy. Which means the Vale Council won't be happy. Which means the headmasters won't be happy. Which means we won't be happy."
"What were they thinking, anyway?" Coco shook her head. "Working with some... giant robot they don't know anything about? That's... kind of insane."
"I cannot speculate," Rain said with a shrug. "His hostility toward us seems to run counter to his apparent willingness to help the village."
"When we first confronted it, it asked if we worked for the SDC," Fox informed them. "And it called the White Fang a half-measure."
"Yes... not exactly the sign of a well-balanced mind," Rain concluded. "If a machine can be said to have a mind."
"Any idea what that... 'Autobot' has against you, Rain?" Coco asked.
"Well, you did shoot him first," he pointed out, and Coco seemed to bristle at the reminder. "Aside from that, there's a lot of bad blood against Atlas. Considering our combat outfits are recognizably Atlesian, his assumption you worked for the SDC, and his estimation of the White Fang as a half-measure... well, it seems he has something against Atlas and the SDC."
Reg snorted. "Maybe it's the horns? Maybe he thinks he's a faunus?"
Somehow, that wasn't very convincing. And it didn't change what was likely waiting for them back at Beacon. Though if they got their stories straight before they landed…
"And so, that's the story," summed up Rain as Teams CFVY and RRFL stood before Ozpin's desk while General Ironwood stood impassively nearby.
The desk was temporary, of course, because it was just a generic desk from an office supply store, as was everything else in the room overlooking the city of Vale. The headmaster's old office was still undergoing repair, and while they had been assured that it would be finished in time for the Vytal Festival, it still stood as a stark reminder of the treachery unleashed just a few short months ago. The traitor Cinder Fall had done a number on them, and everyone was eager to go out and get a win, especially the Havenites.
Coco really wished she had better news to bring back to the headmaster, but she didn't. These… "Autobots" had some unknown grudge against Atlas and incredibly powerful weaponry, coupled with a mentality that considered the White Fang a half measure? It was terrifying.
"Is this true?" asked Headmaster Ozpin, his gaze locked onto Coco's face.
The leader of Team CFVY nodded. "That's correct. I can't think of a single thing left out. Velvet?"
The rabbit faunus shook her head. "No, that's everything. It just… started blasting."
The headmaster nodded with an expression that seemed as practiced as time itself. "Very well. Now, I understand your teams…"
"Don't worry. We won't speak a word of this to anyone," offered Coco out of the blue.
Ironwood turned his steely gaze on her. "You won't?" he asked, his voice skeptical.
"Of course not," she assured him. "Giant talking robots? I don't know what project made it, but it's been kept pretty hush-hush, and it's pretty clear it's gone psycho. That's a minefield I don't think any of us want to step in, so we're just going to keep our mouths shut. Right, guys?" She looked over at the other seven students.
The rest of Teams RRFL and CFVY quickly nodded along.
"Hmm. I don't blame you," Ironwood accepted. "Whatever this is, it's something we'll need to keep close to the chest in order to avoid sparking off an international incident. If you remember anything else you forgot today, let us know, but for now, I think you can consider yourself dismissed."
The group of eight was quiet until they got into the elevator and started down the long descent towards the bottom.
"Good. I think they bought it," said Coco as she smiled nervously.
"I hope so," Velvet murmured. "But if the people of Lower Cairn say something different..." she trailed off.
"I doubt they will," Lavi reassured her. "They were pretty cagey about working with him in the first place. I can't see them changing it up now, and we gave the headmasters all the details." Even if one or two of the details had been a little... massaged. "Besides, from what you said he said, you probably only beat him to the punch by a few seconds."
"Maybe we should start a PR campaign to head it off," joked Coco.
"Excuse me, are you saying that you are going to tell every single soul about this?" asked Rain rather pointedly, as if in exasperation.
"Pfft. No," dismissed Coco. "I wasn't lying. We're not telling a soul about this, not even Ozpin."
They all looked around in confusion.
"Coco, we already told them everything," pointed out Fox. "Well, mostly."
"But we didn't tell them that we're going to be conducting our own investigation," replied Coco confidently. "Come on. Isn't it obvious? There's something big going down with these psycho robots, and odds are, people are gonna get hurt. Are we really just going to stand by and let it happen when we can do something about it?"
Fox's blind eyes narrowed. "That's not actually a question, is it?"
"Wait, are you serious?!" demanded Reg. "You're planning to go and take on a bunch of giant robots by yourselves, without telling the headmasters?!"
"You catch on quick," confirmed Coco, and again, her mouth twisted into that grin of hers that unnerved them so. "You're not going to narc on us, are you?"
Rain looked at his team before replying, "No, but-"
"Good!" interrupted Coco, not caring to hear the rest of Team RRFL's reply. "We'll meet up later tonight then. Glad to have you guys in on this."
She either missed the looks the other occupants of the elevator shot her way, or didn't care. To Rain's frustration, he realized that it was probably both. When they finally exited the elevator, he took leave of the others to avoid any… mishaps involving any sudden traumatic events.
By the time Ozpin returned to his room, he could barely contain the shakes. He had to steady the hand holding his door key in order to get it into the archaic lock he had insisted on so long ago. He opened it, dashed in, and closed it with startling rapidity.
He locked the door again and threw his keys into a corner, uncaring of where they landed. He managed to get a few steps into the room before his knees gave out. He just barely managed to stop his descent with his arms.
His glasses dropped off his face, and Ozpin screamed.
It was the wail of a man whose greatest failure, long suspected, was now confirmed. He screamed, and he screamed, and he screamed. He yelled until his voice gave out, and then he began to sob.
"He's dead. He's dead. He's dead. He's dead." The mantra continued.
Great rivers of tears flowed from his eyes, and he barely managed to knock his glasses away before falling down into a fetal position. The room, thankfully soundproofed, was filled with his sobbing and the chattering of teeth, the cries of a broken man losing many of the last remaining scraps of his hope, and being too distraught to see if he had any left at all.
"My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault," became the new watch words.
The carpet became soaked over the course of the rest of the night as tears and mucus flowed into it from above. Ozpin didn't sleep that night. He just continued to weep and wail in utter despair. It didn't stop until the alarm for work had sounded.
Hearing that alarm, and knowing he had to be seen in his office soon, Ozpin pushed himself up. It took a great deal of effort, his arms shaking the whole way, but he managed to do it. He also managed to clean himself up enough to be presentable.
No one, not even his closest confidants, would ever know what happened that night. He wouldn't let it show. It was a game that Ozpin had become very used to playing.
It was a mask that had hardened over a very long time.
(V2E12: Relationships | V2E13: First Impressions | V2E14: Triangles)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
-
Velvet and Lavi are just so adorable, aren't they? Writing those two be awkward around each other was one of the few bright spots in writing this chapter for me.
Anyone notice the theme we went with for Team RRFL's weapons?
Anyway, we're finally bringing this particular plot thread in toward the whole Autobot/Decepticon War, along with making the first really explicit reference to ScipioSmith's SAPR in the form of Phoebe Kommenos.
For the record, the Phoebe who appeared in this chapter is Phoebe Gray and would have been one of the last survivors of Lower Cairn in canon before Team CFVY bungled things and got her and the rest of the Gray family killed. She received absolutely no description or characterization at all in her brief appearance in After the Fall before a Goliath dropped part of a mountain on her and her family.
Speaking of Team CFVY... *headdesk*
Every time we do research on Team CFVY, the more farcical this gets. Just poking around a bit, and I discovered that Velvet isn't even a good photographer. Just look at this photo she took of Sun in "Destiny"!
By Velvet's own words, this is her practicing her photography! If she was snapping a shot of Sun, his head's been cut off, and even if she was just wanting a picture of his weapon, it got cut off too! Note that After the Fall makes it clear she's had Anesidora since before coming to Beacon, so that's well into her second year at minimum with a camera as her weapon.
Speaking of After the Fall, there's the complete and utter lack of discipline and professionalism they demonstrate, the intrateam conflicts that are worse than Volume 1 Team RWBY, and Coco's own ego, poor leadership skills, and her phobia that literally got civilians killed, with her only surviving because the civilians kept their cool and saved her life. Oh, and Team CFVY got Pyrrha killed with bickering that delayed Ruby and Weiss on their way to back her up because they couldn't decide whether to keep escorting the civilians, go back them up, or split up to do both, an argument that also meant those otherwise defenseless civilians they were escorting spent unwarranted extra time in an unsecured part of the Grimm-infested city.
And this is the team Rooster Teeth put together as a demonstration of what Team RWBY could grow to become like. Apparently, that lofty goal is... an unprofessional, undisciplined, quarreling gang led by a "my way or the highway" egotist who bulldozes over any objections, never learns (seriously, Coco's poor leadership is called out multiple times at multiple points in the timeline in the book, but she never improves), and gets by purely on author fiat. So... congratulations are in order, I guess? From the nonsense in the latter portion of Volume 6, what little I've seen of Volume 7, and what I've heard of what happened after I stopped watching, they seem to have predicted it with stunning accuracy.
So glad we're derailing all of that nonsense here. - Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
Join us next time as the Beacon Dance grows ever closer, romance is in the air, a chance meeting sets the stage for annihilation, and Maple's words become prophetic. All in the exciting penultimate episode of the volume: "Triangles."
Last edited:
Metroidwave
Strength To Lean On
- Location
- Somewhere in Colorado
If you need OCs for the Vytal Festival, I've got some lying around.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
We're certainly not going to turn down that offer. PM? On SB, preferably, so I can bring Cody in on it.
Volume II: Episode 14: Triangles
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E13: First Impressions | V2E14: Triangles | V2E15: Dawn of a New Age)
Volume II: Episode 14: Triangles
* * *
Volume II: Episode 14: Triangles
* * *
"So, another day at work, huh?" asked Arcee as she started to roll along the roads of Vale.
"Hopefully," replied Maple from the saddle, thanks in part to the Autobot comms set in her helmet and Arcee's own enhanced hearing. "A nice normal day at work, with no crazy antics. That's something to look forward to. No offense, but I still really don't want to get involved in your war."
"Aww, but you'd make a great medic," joked Arcee before getting a fair bit more serious. "Honestly, I don't blame you one bit. This war's taken a lot from me. If you don't end up on that long list because you're back here in Vale rather than out in the boonies fighting the 'Cons and Grimm, that's just fine by me."
"So to speak," muttered Maple as they turned onto the highway.
Arcee rolled the phrasing over in her brain module for a bit before deciding that she had better things to focus on. She hadn't been lying, after all. The war had taken a lot from her.
The last two partners she had… well, no one knew where Cliffjumper was or what he was doing, and she'd watched Tailgate get offlined right in front of her. They said that third time was the charm, and she hoped they were right. The last thing she needed was some theological discussion on whether or not her current partner would become one with the Allspark if the worst should happen to her.
Of course, said current partner lived and worked in Vale, far from the walls or any other potential security hazard. All she had to do was watch the streets while Maple slept, drive her to work, examine any and all passersby for suspicious activity, drive her home, and repeat. It was a piece of oil cake, and very relaxing. After the past few months, she could see why Bumblebee liked his posting with Sunfire so much.
Distantly, Arcee remembered the fact that Maple was a member of the White Fang, who were basically Decepticons in smaller organic packages. It was hardly relevant, though. After all, Maple was different. She was kind, and generous, and really only donned the mask to go and work on mechanical issues off-hours.
That was another thorny issue that she probably didn't need to think about. So she went back to scanning the area. She did not like what she found.
"Hey, Maple, there something off about that van?" asked Arcee.
The beaver-tailed faunus looked slightly to the side, and Arcee turned her mirrors to exactly the right angle to show a white van coming up behind them on the sparsely-populated stretch of highway. She tightened her grips on the handlebars slightly and seemed to grow a little bit more tense in the saddle. Her voice reflected that when she next spoke.
"Probably nothing, but we can't take any chances. Let's turn off at the next exit and find another route," said Maple as she tried to seem inconspicuous.
They did so, and just as they feared the van followed them. Arcee made several unpredictable changes in course, and the vehicle matched every one. They weren't trying to be subtle anymore; they were moving in.
"Arcee, patch me through to Yang," said Maple with that same tension as before, now stronger.
The Autobot did so, even as she attempted to evade through the city streets.
There were a few tones and then a click as the call connected. "Oh, hey, Maple. What's up?"
The van was getting closer and, with a sudden burst of speed, came up alongside them.
"Yang, I don't have a lot of time," informed Maple rapidly "There's an unmarked van chasing after me and my partner, and I don't know what's going on. We might need reinforcements... or something."
The van came in front of them.
"Where are you?" asked Yang.
Arcee stepped on the brakes, and they began to increase the distance again.
"We just passed the intersection of… Hurk!"
Maple was cut off as she was suddenly yanked out of the saddle and sent flying through the air. At that same time, Arcee felt some sort of distortion warp her direction and send her swerving about. The faunus landed on top of the van and then disappeared into it at the same moment the Autobot had to jerk herself to avoid crashing into a trashcan.
"No!" cried Arcee as she lost sight of the van. "Not again!"
With a thought, the holomatter "driver" for Arcee, Sadie, came into being. With that projection in place to avoid arousing suspicions, she hit the accelerator and roared out onto the street. She wouldn't lose another one, never again would she lose a partner.
She came out around the bend and just caught sight of the van making a turn back towards the highway. With her target in sight, she hit the accelerator again and closed the distance. It wasn't long, though, before she was spotted.
"Arcee to base. Arcee to base," she repeated over the comms line.
"The is base," came back Prowl's voice.
"Prowl, this is Arcee. Someone just kidnapped Maple right off my back. I'm in hot pursuit," reported the blue Autobot as she continued to pour on the energon.
"Arcee. Please begin transmitting your location," ordered Prowl calmly, and she obliged him using her automatic beacon. "Acknowledged. I am vectoring in all available 'Bots to your location now."
The window on the back of the van opened up, and Arcee was already moving before she registered the rocket launcher pointed out the back. Only, it wasn't a rocket launcher, not precisely. There was a snapping sound, and then a thick projectile flew out without the slightest hint of thrust. It seemed like an easy dodge, but then the thing changed course mid-flight towards her.
The projectile exploded into a net that tangled and ensnared Arcee from nose to tailpipe. She let out a cry as she went flipping and skidding across the road. Even as she was crashing, however, the dastardly net was letting loose with its secondary feature: a powerful electric shock that wracked her body with pain. She should have been down for the count with that, but she still had a little bit of momentum left in her, and… there! With a snapping tear, she managed to rip open enough of the net to continue roaring down along the road.
She had lost a lot of ground, but she still functioned, and she still had a bead on the van. In a few seconds, she was again charging after her target. She didn't even notice the parts of the net still clinging to her body, slapping and grinding, nor did she notice her structural integrity field draining away.
She was close now, so close. Just hang on, Maple, thought Arcee. Just hang on.
The blue Autobot was a meter out from the van when it happened.
A mine dropped from the bottom of the van and adhered itself to the road. The instant the vehicle passed over it, the device activated. A wall made out of hard light appeared above and to the side of it.
Arcee didn't even have the chance to dodge when she was traveling at nearly 200 kilometers an hour.
She didn't know what happened next. All she knew was that she was completely stopped, there was a voice calling out her name, and Maple's kidnappers were gone. Her body was going cold.
In that moment before she was subsumed by darkness, Arcee knew that she had failed yet again.
Ruby dropped to her knees, Crescent Rose slipping from her numb fingers to clatter on the floor. She looked up through heavy-lidded eyes along the blade held to her throat. She was at her opponent's mercy, and at this point, she was beyond caring.
Pyrrha smiled at her and tapped Miló's blade on Ruby's chin, bringing the other Huntress's silver eye up to meet her own emerald gaze.
"Much better!" she cheered encouragingly. "Again!"
Ruby shot her a half-hearted glare and groaned, "...kill... me..."
"Don't be silly, Ruby," the other redhead chided. "That's the opposite of what we're trying to accomplish here."
"Is it?" Ruby asked petulantly. "Is it really?"
Pyrrha crouched down to look at her on even ground. "Yes, Ruby, it is. You're a teammate and- and a friend."
Ruby looked down shamefacedly. "I haven't exactly been a very good teammate lately, have I, Pyrrha?"
"Whatever do you mean by that?" Pyrrha asked innocently.
Ruby looked up again. "Jaune."
With that one name, Pyrrha froze, her smile turning plastic, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Once she regained her composure, she opened her eyes, though they had hardened, and she spoke, her voice deceptively pleasant. "Jaune cares for you a great deal, Ruby. He was anxious about your relationship at first, but once committed, he held nothing back." Ruby flinched at the reminder. "Do you have any idea what it would do to Jaune if something happened to you? It would destroy him. Just because you stopped caring doesn't mean he has."
"I-" The denial stuck in Ruby's throat. "Just... just please don't break his heart," she pleaded quietly.
"Don't worry, Ruby, I won't," Pyrrha promised, then stood up and looked down at her sadly. "You already did." With that, the Mistrali champion turned and walked away.
Ruby knelt there for a moment before flopping on her back, exhausted. Pyrrha was right. She had broken Jaune's heart. It hurt. More than she thought it would. For both her and him. Still... she'd made her choice.
As she lay there, she blinked as a familiar snowcapped face leaned into view from above her head.
"Oh, hey, Weiss." She waved.
"She's got a point."
Ruby winced. "Um, how much did you hear?"
"Ruby, I came in three falls ago," Weiss deadpanned.
"Oh." What else was there to say to that? Ruby's attention had been kind of... occupied at the time. High intensity training with Pyrrha was... an experience, one that didn't allow for irrelevant distractions.
"So, why did you do it?" Weiss pressed. "Why did you break up with Jaune? You were so happy together. I even wrote a song I was going to sing for you two dolts at the dance!"
Ruby groaned, closing her eyes. Of all people, she thought Weiss understood. She'd talked to her about it already!
"It's better this way," she insisted. "'May the best woman win,' remember?"
"...and you meant Pyrrha?" sputtered Weiss, flabbergasted.
It was then that it occurred to Ruby that her words back then could have been misconstrued.
"I can't- I don't think I could be happy at her expense and live with myself, Weiss," Ruby elaborated. She sighed. "Besides, this is Pyrrha we're talking about. No one beats the Invincible Girl."
Weiss visibly winced at that. "Ruby, don't you ever let her hear you say that," she hissed. "I don't think she'd ever forgive you."
"Maybe," Ruby acknowledged, "but... I made my decision. It's too late for me now."
"Hmph!" Weiss straightened up out of view. "Well, then, I'll leave you to your self-inflicted pity party, then. You may have given up on him, but I have not yet begun to fight."
With that, she stalked off.
Ruby closed her eyes and groaned again. "First Yang, then Pyrrha, now Weiss?!" she shouted in frustration. "Who's next?! Nora?! Blake?!"
"Ohhh no!" she heard Nora's voice call out from the other end of the training room. "I learned my lesson not to get involved in that hot mess! And Blake's got her hands full with her own dumb blond!"
"Thanks, Nora," Ruby mumbled dryly, knowing Nora wouldn't hear her.
A brief moment later, she heard the door open again and footsteps approach her.
"Hey, Rubes," Yang said, leaning over her.
"Hey, Yang."
The blonde brawler reached down and offered Ruby a hand up, which she accepted. As Yang hauled her little sister to her feet, she asked, "So, training going well?"
"I think Pyrrha's mad at me."
"What did you expect?" asked Yang curiously.
"I mean, Jaune's free now," said Ruby. "I thought she'd be... I dunno. Not happy, but..."
"She loves him," Yang said wistfully. "His happiness matters more to her than her own, and you hurt him. Toyed with his heart, as far as she knows, and she doesn't know why."
"We can't tell her," Ruby blurted out. "If we did- if she knew-" she stuttered to a halt.
"I know," Yang agreed, then shook her head. "You two are more alike than I'd prefer. I'm sorry again for keeping that from you, Ruby. That was just... dumb of me."
"I already forgave you, Yang," Ruby said. "Believe me, I understand." The current situation with Pyrrha was evidence enough of that, but that hadn't kept Yang from apologizing for it. A lot.
The crimson-themed Huntress paused thoughtfully, and then posed a question. "Hey, Yang? I'm sorry if this is being too pushy, but I remember Blake saying to Sun when the two of them met up again that he should be going out with you. Do you… do you like Sun?"
"Yeah," admitted Yang softly. "I like him a lot. Call it love, call it infatuation, call it whatever you want, but… but he lights up my world. He doesn't feel that way about me though. He likes Blake. Still does, right?"
Ruby felt her mouth going as dry as a desert. "Yeah."
Yang nodded. "Loyalty. That's his most attractive trait. I can't ruin that, won't ruin that. So I'll stay silent."
Unbidden, Ruby wrapped her taller sister in a sympathetic hug. They really were cut from the same cloth, but… no, not the same cloth. In some small dark corner of her mind, Ruby realized that Yang was far more like Summer Rose than she was.
The blonde returned the hug, and the darkness was washed away by the warmth of a little dragon's love.
It was then that Yang's scroll rang. The older girl fumbled a bit before she found the correct pocket and pulled it out, glancing at the screen before bringing it up to her ear. "Oh, hey, Maple. What's up?"
Ruby smiled at that. She liked Maple, even if her skills that Blake had bragged about had proven inadequate to the tasks the Xiao Long-Rose family had set in front of her. Their family was special.
Yang's face grew concerned.
"Where are you?" asked Yang, and there was only the briefest of pauses before panic set in. "Maple? Maple!" She stared at the scroll. The call had clearly been disconnected.
"Yang, what happened to Maple?" Ruby asked, dread rising.
"She was being chased by an unmarked van," Yang informed her, "and then she got interrupted, and the line went dead."
"Well, let's get the headmaster and find her!" Ruby called. She looked over to the other end of the training room where Nora was training with Magnhild. "Nora! Come on!"
"Wait, what?" the Valkyrie queried, looking up in surprise.
"Maple's in trouble!"
As the three Huntresses raced out of the room, Nora had only one question.
"Who's Maple again?"
Team APRC was in their dorm after another hard day's work in class. Neither Ruby nor Yang had been there that day, and for good reason. Penny had wanted to go out and help them look for their friend again, but she was at a loss of what to do. There were dozens of people investigating the abduction of Maple, and there didn't seem to be a slot for her that didn't involve her sneaking off to take advantage of the fact that she needed far less sleep than any of her teammates.
"What are you doing?" asked Aska out of the blue, pausing in her work polishing one of her blades.
Penny turned away from the mirror she was posing and moving in front of to answer her team leader. "I'm practicing so I can dance with my date this Sunday."
Ciel looked up from her fashion magazine, and Rufus nearly dropped his soldering iron onto the circuit board he was working on.
"I apologize. These fumes must be getting to me," said Aska. "I could have sworn you just said you were going on a date."
"But I am," Penny said, tilting her head to the side.
"You?" Rufus snorted. "On a date?"
Penny pouted at him. "Is that so hard to believe?"
Rufus waved his soldering iron at her. "Well... yeah. I know how you're wired."
The ginger gynoid bristled at that. "Was that a pun?"
"I'm sorry, but…" Aska began, shaking her head. "Penny, where did you even get an idea like that? You're too young to be thinking about dating."
Penny felt her face go flush with anger. "'Too young'?!" she demanded. "You're not that much older than me, none of you are! I'm a big girl. I'm combat ready. And I'm sure as heck date ready too!"
Ciel closed her fashion magazine rather forcefully and got up to face her. "Who do you have a date with?" she asked pointedly.
"Sun," declared Penny proudly.
The dark-skinned girl seemed to stiffen even more than usual at that. They all did. What did they think about her now? Was this because Sun was from Vacuo? Because he was a faunus? Because he was a former classmate of Cinder Fall? Because he had a tendency to leave his team behind to go off on adventures? Because he had a criminal record? Because he never wore shirts that covered his excellent chest muscles that weren't mandated uniforms? And wow, she had really picked an objectionable object of her affections, hadn't she?
"Penny," began Ciel softly, "what you're feeling is just a childhood crush. It may seem like the most important thing in the world to you, but it will pass."
The ginger felt something snap inside her mind, like the last in a series of suspension cables finally giving in to the weight of the bridge it had been holding up. She was seeing pink now. Her whole world was fury.
"This is not some 'childhood crush'!" screamed Penny angrily, marching right up to Ciel and jamming her finger within a hair's breadth of her wide-eyed face. "This is an adult infatuation with adult feelings. I'm not pining away in a tower waiting for some hero to rescue me. I want to be with him. I want to kiss him. I want to f-"
Penny tried not to grumble through the terrible taste of soap in her mouth.
"Now, are you ready to behave like a dignified lady, or do you need a little more time to think about how you've acted?" asked Ciel as she stepped in front of her, the expression on her face back to its normal stoicism after what Rufus had caught on camera and said was his new background.
The ginger reached up to the soap bar, but her blue-eyed compatriot gently brushed her hand away and took the vile-tasting thing out of her mouth. Penny took a moment to flex her jaw before replying. She wished she could have some orange juice or something to swish first.
"I'm ready," answered Penny softly.
Ciel nodded. "Good. Now, you said you were going on a date with King. What made you think this?"
"You were there," Penny said in confusion. "When he talked about who he was planning on taking to the dance that time at lunch, looking at me the whole time."
The other three members of Team APRC exchanged alarmed looks.
Ciel opened her mouth, then closed it and frowned. Aska opened her own mouth, but Ciel held up a hand to silence her, and the team leader acquiesced. This sort of social situation wasn't, after all, her forte.
"Perhaps you should talk to him and confirm it," Ciel suggested. "His choice of words was rather... ambiguous. Besides, you never told him you agreed."
"Omigosh, you're right!" Penny shrieked in horror.
Then she bolted from the room.
The other three exchanged concerned looks. Back then they hadn't thought anything of Sun's little exchange because… well, they knew how he felt about Blake, and they recognized that thousand yard stare of his from experiences in their own lives. Penny didn't have those experiences though, and shamefully, they realized that they had forgotten that.
"I'm the fastest," Aska said. "I'll go."
With that, the ninja also left the room. Through the window.
Another day, another failure to find Maple. Blake should have been able to do something with her extensive ninja skills, but… nothing. Even Maple's motorcycle was gone without a trace. Who did that? Did the White Fang find out she was having doubts and take her out? They would have recovered the bike if it was intact. It was a theory, at least.
There were too many questions and no answers. And statistically speaking, after so long with no demands and no one able to find her… Maple was almost certainly dead. She was dead, and it was Blake's fault because she wasn't there to protect her. She wasn't there to…
"Blake, we'll find her," said Weiss resolutely, shattering the black-haired girl's spiral and making the two lock eyes. "We'll find her, and we'll rescue her."
Against all reason and logic, Blake smiled. "Right, we'll find her. What's one more impossible task anyways? We're Huntresses; we live for this."
"That's right." Weiss nodded.
The two of them were back in their dorm. Ruby and Yang were still searching, and JNPR was hitting up some contacts to see if they were able to get anywhere, but everyone else had called it for the night.
Weiss looked distant. "You know, I can't help but wonder what the White Fang would do if they found out about the Decepticons."
"Easy answer," Blake said. "They'd fight them. I'm not sure, but..." she trailed off.
Weiss perked up at that. "'But'?"
"That first place we checked out," Blake said. "You know, months ago? We never figured out who attacked it, but I think... I think my ex was there. Some of the damage fits his weapon, fighting style, and semblance."
"Your ex," Weiss repeated. She arched a curious eyebrow as pieces began to fit into place. "Your psycho ex... from the White Fang?"
Blake nodded wordlessly.
"...was Adam Taurus, the guy you were asking Torchwick about?"
Blake nodded again.
"And you think he was there? Why didn't you tell any of us that before?!" the snowcapped girl demanded. "You were the one who suggested it was MECH, back before we even knew who MECH was!"
"I didn't want to believe it, okay?" Blake admitted. "I didn't want my old life to ruin my new one! I... I came to Beacon to leave all that behind, to start fresh. I didn't... I didn't want to repeat my past, with the same old conflict, White Fang versus SDC."
"Is that why you defended my father's company?" Weiss asked curiously.
"No," Blake denied, shaking her head. "I... I didn't want to believe that you could be involved."
"Because I'm a Schnee."
Blake looked away in shame.
"I suppose... that's... understandable..."
"No, it isn't!" Blake snapped, whipping her head around to glare at Weiss, then her gaze dropped. "Or... it shouldn't be. The White Fang... we became what we hate, painting all humans with the same brush we thought they painted us with."
"Not so long ago, you might have been right about me," admitted Weiss. "If I'd learned you were part of the White Fang before... all this? You were right about one thing. I knew people who were killed by the White Fang. If I hadn't had the- the context I have now, I probably would have... "
"But you didn't," Blake reminded her. "'Would have' and 'did' are two very different things. If we'd met a year earlier, maybe I would have slit your throat."
"A few months ago, I might have let you," Weiss said softly.
"No, you wouldn't have," Blake answered simply. At her friend's confused look, she explained, "Weiss, you are defiance incarnate. You would never have settled for a tragic death at the blade of an assassin, or your own self-inflicted wounds, for that matter. If for no other reason than because that would have made you a martyr for your father to wave around."
"Ha!" allowed Weiss with dark humor. "You have a point."
"Though, while we're on the subject of what we would have done, had things been different, what do you think we would have done if I'd told you what I suspected back then?" Blake asked leadingly.
"Well, we would have..." The rest of Weiss's argument died on her lips. Blake was right. Back then, back when the self-loathing and shame was at its peak, Weiss probably would have delved even deeper into the White Fang, would have tried going to them for help, and that would have ended... well, "badly" would be putting it mildly. Probably with a summary execution.
And if they didn't kill her…
"Hahahahaha!" laughed Weiss manically as she stood amongst the flaming ruins of Vale's government buildings.
"Please, why are you doing this?" asked one of the few remaining bureaucrats that hadn't been executed by the White Fang.
"I lost a bomb," answered Weiss madly as she tossed a bundle of high-explosive dust crystals towards them with a lit fuse. "Do you have it?"
"Please, why are you doing this?" asked one of the few remaining bureaucrats that hadn't been executed by the White Fang.
"I lost a bomb," answered Weiss madly as she tossed a bundle of high-explosive dust crystals towards them with a lit fuse. "Do you have it?"
…perhaps was for the best that…
"Things kept coming up. Then we had that argument," Weiss murmured, "and you were away for your special training."
"Yeah." Blake sighed as she leaned back. "Just one more reason to wonder if I've been away too long."
"I don't wonder." Weiss sniffed with exaggerated haughtiness. "But what do you mean 'one more'?"
"Everyone thinks I'm dead."
"Which is silly and terrible," Weiss agreed. "I don't even know how that nonsense got started."
Blake paused thoughtfully. "Terrible, yes, but... what if it wasn't?"
"Excuse me?" Weiss cocked a scarred eyebrow. "What are you scheming?"
"'Scheming'?" Blake asked innocently. "What are you insinuating with that?"
"You're a former terrorist, and you're a ninja," Weiss deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure 'scheming' comes with both those territories."
Blake's bow flattened atop her head. Weiss wasn't sure why she kept wearing the bow, even in their dorm, but at least in private, she was allowing herself to be much more expressive than she had before.
"Well," Blake said, "I was just thinking... I've just finished all this ninja training..."
"Are you suggesting you want to keep hiding just to keep this ridiculous rumor going?"
"Of course not!" Blake denied. "I'm saying that trying to keep that rumor going would be a great way to stay in practice, and keeping it up through a whole week of classes until I show up at the dance with Sun would be a good benchmark."
"'With Sun'?" Weiss echoed.
"Of course with Sun," Blake replied. "You were there when he asked me."
"Yes," Weiss confirmed with a nod. "I was also there when you all but said 'no' and very clearly suggested he go with Yang or Penny instead."
Blake froze at that.
Then she bolted from the room. Through the window.
Weiss sighed and got up to follow her friend. Through the door. There were so many other things that needed to be dealt with right now. Like figuring out where to look for Maple next. Or preparing for the Vytal Tournament.
Or her plans to get her own blond to take her to the dance.
Blake landed in the tree outside their dorm, and immediately began bounding from tree to tree towards the Haven dorms. She couldn't explain it, but she just felt like she was on some sort of timer. Her sensei had told her not to ignore those instincts, and after months of training, they had been tuned to a razor's edge.
With one final, shadowy bounce, she landed on the three-inch lip that ran around the exterior wall of the Haven guest dormitory. Plenty of space. From there she was easily able to enter the dorm and sneak inside.
She came to the dorm kitchen and carefully crawled in over the counter where someone had been making toast. It was still hot, and so it was likely that they would be back soon. Without a sound and without being seen, however, Blake was able to enter and close up any trace of her intrusion.
She began to stealthily search the dorms for Team SSSN, but when she looked around the corner, she found her target was already out in the halls. Sun and his whole team were wearing tracksuits, and it looked like they were leaving to exercise. He was… he was… he was… oh, to the Grimmlands with it. He was hot, especially when he dressed up like he was now.
Blake had been holding back her feelings for so long... and for what? To avoid another Adam? Adam was Adam, but Sun was Sun. She couldn't let her evil abusive ex rule her life forever.
She was a free woman now. She could and did make her own decisions, choose who she wanted to associate with. And here? She chose love. She chose Sun!
…and he was about to exit the dorm.
"Wait, Sun!" cried out Blake with one hand reaching out desperately to him.
The monkey faunus froze and turned around to look at her. "Blake?"
"Wait," one of his teammates -- Sage Ayana -- said. "How did you...?"
She ignored the question and rushed over to meet Sun in the foyer and lounge right in front of the exit, and his team spread out behind him, coy expressions on their faces, Sage letting his question die unanswered. Elsewhere in the dorm, someone screamed in terror. Something about a ghost? Ah, not important.
"Sun," said Blake breathlessly as she came to a stop in front of him, "will you go to the dance with me?" She blinked, then shook her head. "No, wait, I accept... I mean, yes, I will... if you haven't-"
"Yes, Blake," Sun interrupted, smiling sunnily. "Yes, I'd love to go to the dance with you." He held out his hand. "Will you go with me?"
"Yes, Sun," she said, taking his hands and looking him in the eyes, returning the smile. "Yes, I'll go to the dance with you."
Relief flooded through Blake as she let herself get lost in those eyes. It was like a weight had suddenly lifted off her shoulders.
A choking sob broke the moment, and they turned to look over at the door leading outside. Standing there with a shadow behind her was a familiar-looking girl. It was the orange-haired girl they'd run into the day she'd met Sun, and she was looking at them, her face twisted with despair, her whole body trembling.
"Penny?" Sun asked in concern. "Is something wrong?"
Tears began to flow down the carrot-topped girl's cheeks, and she turned and fled.
Sun watched in confusion and made to follow. "What-?"
"Don't," Neptune interrupted. "I've got this." The blue-haired boy gave Sun a reassuring smile that glinted in the light. "Trust me." Neptune turned, then started back at the woman he found himself face to face with. "Gah!"
The woman stepped aside and waved him past. She was a kunoichi. Her garb announced that clearly enough, and even if it hadn't... well, Blake had learned that there was a certain way ninja walked when they weren't trying to hide it, if you knew what to look for. She stalked up to Sun.
"King," the kunoichi said, her accent even thicker than Storm Shadow's, "I realize you could not return Penny's feelings, but why did you have to make her cry?"
Oh, no, Blake thought. What have I done?
Neptune slowed as he approached Team APRC's guest dorm. The door was ajar, and he could hear Penny crying. It broke his heart.
"I'm such a stupid, stupid girl," she wept. "I should have known he was talking about Blake. Why wouldn't he want her? She's beautiful, enigmatic, a great fighter, and I'm just some average student from a Mantle family no one's ever heard of."
"It figures, though," Rufus said, clearly resigned. "She's practically a princess. Wealthy, highborn... former terrorist. Of course she'd just swoop in and take what she wants."
"You sound like Robyn Hill," snorted Aska. Wait. How did she get here before him?
"Don't you compare me to that woman," Rufus snapped. "If there's anyone involved in this mess that compares to her, it's Belladonna."
"Penny, you are a flower of the north that blooms in the heart of winter itself," Ciel offered comfortingly. "If others are too blind to see that, then you are also strong enough to endure it."
"No, I'm not," Penny sobbed. "I'm not strong at all. I... oh no. I already bought a dress, and made arrangements, and told people from other teams that I was going and had a date. Oh, Ciel, what am I going to do? If I don't show up, everyone is going to want to know what happened, and if I do show up, everyone will know what happened, and either way, I'll be humiliated. What am I going to do, Ciel? What am I going to do?"
Neptune took that as his cue and stepped into the doorway, pushing the door open fully, to see Penny sprawled on the beds, her head in Ciel's lap as the other girl patting her comfortingly. The redhead looked something beyond miserable. It was like her entire being had been ripped out and torn up, and… and that was just something that he couldn't abide.
"Perhaps I can offer a solution," he suggested.
Aska stalked up to him aggressively. "You have a lot of nerve, showing up here after what your team leader pulled."
"A heck of a lot of nerve," agreed Rufus. "If it weren't for the regs, I'd ship you back to Vacuo in boxes."
"Please, let me explain," Neptune said, holding his hands up placatingly. "You all know Sun's not a bad guy. This is all just a misunderstanding, but it's a misunderstanding that's hurt Penny a lot, and I'm... I'm not cool with that. Please, if you'll allow me, I'd like to escort Penny to the dance."
Penny pulled her head up and looked at him through tear-filled eyes. "Wha-... why?"
"He's trying to let you save face and uphold the honor of all involved," answered Ciel solemnly.
Neptune tilted his head at that. "Not how I would have put it. I just can't stand to see people that unhappy. I may not be the best man, or even a good man, but I can fake it pretty well. Well enough to get you through a night, at least."
"And if she refuses?" Aska asked.
Neptune shrugged. "Then I move on to the next idea on how to fix this issue. Well, to figuring out the next idea. I'm not going to run away, not when a friend needs me.."
"I... I won't refuse," Penny choked out. "I accept, Neptune. I will allow you to escort me to the dance."
Rufus looked at Penny, then looked back at Neptune. "You hear that? No backing out now. The dance is in less than a week. Be there. Or else."
Cinder hunkered down, clutching the suitcase possessively. The house had been occupied, but she'd taken care of that. It was sturdy enough to offer her shelter, and the pantry was well-stocked. It would do for now, at least until the former residents were missed. And then she'd move on.
The suitcase and the weapon within it was her only real asset. She wasn't sure yet how she'd use it, but she'd committed its activation sequence to memory long ago before incinerating the instructions that had been stolen with it. It was her ticket back to power and glory. It was the only thing she had that could salvage her dreams.
The TV flickered on, and she reflexively drew a hand back, calling on the Fall Maiden's magic to summon a ball of fire to her hand. The staticky image of a person's head appeared on the screen, and for a brief moment, she thought it was Cobra Commander, perhaps calling to taunt her. The predominant color was blue, after all, and the image bore a silver faceplate, but as the image resolved, it became clear that the faceplate was far more angular than Cobra Commander's featureless mask, and it was divided from a blue crown by a red visor.
"Greetings, Cinder Fall," a deep, modulated, monotone voice sounded.
"Who are you?" she demanded. Her eyes darted to the windows and doors, searching for avenues of attack. This was most likely a distraction.
"I am Soundwave," the voice continued. "I wish to form an alliance."
"And what makes you think I'm interested?"
"You have been expelled from Haven Academy and charged with numerous crimes, including but not limited to: murder, treason, terrorism, extortion, theft, and forgery. Your former minions in the White Fang have disavowed you, else you would be with them and not here. Your team from Haven remains in custody. Many other Havenites have sworn a blood vendetta against you. The Iron Grenadiers seek to recover the prototype you have stolen. You have sought alliances with other organizations and been denied."
Cinder ground her teeth. Whoever this "Soundwave" was, he seemed to be quite well-informed. Too well-informed.
"You certainly know a lot," she stalled as she tried to figure out how to get out and past whatever ambush team he assuredly had set up outside. "Or at least you think you do."
"Simple observation and deduction," countered Soundwave. "It has led me to the conclusion that an alliance would be advantageous."
"I will not be your pawn," she snarled.
"You are already a pawn." The response stung all the more with the monotone it came in. Like it was a statement of fact, rather than a retort. "Nonetheless, I have information for you as a token of goodwill."
"What sort of information?"
"The location and transport arrangements of one codenamed 'Autumn.'"
She snuffed out the fireball in her hand.
"I'm listening."
With the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers, after all, she wouldn't need her minions anymore.
Cinder will come, Emerald reminded herself as she stared at the man sitting across the interrogation room table from her. She'll come for us.
That didn't make the silence any less wearing on her patience, though. She couldn't see any clocks or watches, but she was sure that they had been sitting here for at least an hour or two already, and neither had said a word the whole time. It was aggravating.
"What's even the point of this?" she demanded, breaking the agonizing silence. "Come on, Professor Snake Eyes. Everyone knows you don't talk. Can you even talk? What do you want from me?"
Finally, the ninja moved, sliding a slip of paper across the table. She looked down at it.
"What do I know about the Arashikage Clan?" she read aloud in dumbfounded confusion.
"You want me to what?" Nadir asked, staring out through Team ABRN's open doorway at the panicked form of one Neptune Vasilias.
"I need you to teach me how to dance," his fellow Haven student repeated. "I just- I've got a date to the Beacon Dance, and..."
"And you don't know how to dance," Nadir finished. He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Neptune. "So why come to me?"
"Um, couple of reasons," Neptune said. "First, I'm pretty sure you know how to dance. Second, you're discreet; I've seen how you wrangle your team together and then just step back. Third, um... I'm desperate and don't know anyone else?"
Nadir sighed and rubbed his temples. "How does someone as cool as you not know how to dance in the first place?"
"I've just never had to before, okay?" Neptune admitted, frustration seeping into his voice. "So will you teach me or not? I'm pretty sure if you ask nicely, Arslan will help demonstrate, eh?" He gave Nadir a wink.
Nadir flushed. "All right, fine," he agreed. "Just... no more insinuations like that, okay? I don't want to go into the tournament with broken bones."
The central headquarters of the Vale Police Department was a massive building dedicated to the preservation and protection of law and order within the city of Vale. It was not -- notably, and surprisingly to almost everyone -- dedicated to the preservation of people's lives. People, it seemed, were expendable, and there were none quite so expendable as the faunus.
If a faunus was robbed, the police might just hold the recovered goods as evidence and never give it back to the aggrieved party. If a faunus was murdered, it would be a fluke if the cops ever caught the killer. And if there was a politically dicey case that needed to be solved as soon as possible? Well, there was always a readily available supply of faunus to pin the blame on. Justice was a seven letter word to them and nothing more.
Yang had heard all those stories and many others while hanging about the White Fang, but she had never put much stock in them. After all, they were terrorists, and they had a certain type. Besides the obvious demographic that had been the source of recruits for revolutionary organizations throughout history -- early twenties, male, sub-par father, college student -- there were also the types that fit in more as criminals and those who only wanted to see the world burn; some, of course, were good people -- or those at least motivated by heroic ideals -- but they weren't the attention grabbers. Not exactly the most trustworthy group of individuals for information gathering, especially when you couldn't run a background check on them before they started spouting off on whatever their pet peeve was. Besides, Yang had experienced a decidedly different time with law enforcement officers growing up on Patch, and she figured that the VPD should have been pretty much the same.
Standing in front of the Missing Persons Division's entrance desk as she was, Yang was beginning to think that the White Fang were being too charitable.
"Oh, you again?" asked Officer Upwood, a painfully average- and uninspiring-looking man, as he looked up from behind his newspaper.
"Yes, me again," said Yang as sweetly as she could, leaning on all the months of experience she had gained lying through her teeth. She needed it, she really needed it. After all, she hadn't slept in three days. "Has there been any update on the Maple Tapper Bricks case?"
"No," replied Upwood before going back to looking at the paper. He hadn't even tried to look like he was checking on the status of the case.
That was that. Yang could just turn around and go back to Bumblebee. She had promised him she'd take a while to sleep in him, and she could just walk on out of there and do that. She could, but she wouldn't. Not yet. Not when the abductions had escalated like this, taking a friend and putting fellow Autobot Arcee in critical condition.
"All this time, and still no update?" Yang snarled. "What are you guys even doing?"
Upwood slowly lowered his newspaper and glared at her. "Listen, kid. I get it. Ms. Bricks is a friend of yours. But you're a friend, not family, and this is an ongoing investigation. We can't comment on it."
"Are you serious?!" Yang demanded incredulously.
Upwood stood up to meet her gaze. "You think I want to stonewall you, kid? You're a Beacon student; that's a political hot potato right there, one I want no part of. But it takes time to follow leads."
"And the other kidnappings?" Yang asked. "Ollie Oakenfri? A dozen faunus, three humans, almost all from the same area?" Maple hadn't been the last. Two other White Fang members had been taken too -- active, gun-toting members -- but she couldn't exactly tell the cops that.
Upwood sighed wearily and dragged a hand down his face. "Kid, you think we don't see the pattern?"
"You didn't with the dust robberies," Yang pointed out. "It took a tip to Ozpin to clean that mess up."
"Yeah, pardon us for not seeing the criminal mastermind behind the White Fang right under the headmaster's nose," Upwood sneered. "We've talked to the witnesses and told them to call us if they remember anything. We've got forensic samples from the crime scenes we were able to pinpoint. The pattern means this isn't a personal grudge, so that's a dead end. Seriously, what do you expect us to do? Send uniforms combing the whole city? You of all people should know the kind of Grimm activity that would attract."
Yang's hands curled into fists in frustration.
Upwood sighed, his expression softening. "I get it. You're worried. You're training to be a Huntress so you can help with situations like this, but our hands are full enough with the manhunt for that Cinder lady. Tell you what, I know how the academy schedule goes. You guys are supposed to be getting your first official missions next week, yeah? We usually set up a junior detectives thing. I'll talk to the chief, see if we can shift that around to Missing Persons."
"I..." Yang trailed off. It wasn't much, but... it was more than what she'd gotten before. "Thank you."
"And until then, get some sleep, kid," Upwood added. "Aura's an amazing thing, but you won't do your friend any good if you pass out."
The moment Taiyang stepped into the officer's lounge of the K.A.S. Tapfer, he was struck by three things. The first was that he couldn't believe that he was actually there. The second was that he couldn't believe he had actually been allowed in. The third was that despite the cramped space, it was actually pretty nice.
He found James off in the corner, sipping on a dark beverage, and walked over to his booth. He was easy to find. After all, he was the only guy in the bar at that moment who wasn't a robot.
"Tai!" said the general happily. "Glad you could make it!"
"James, you old clanker!" replied Taiyang as he reached out his hands and gripped his comrade's in greeting. "How have you been? I mean, it's been ages since we last talked. Are you trying to grow a beard?"
James reached up and stroked his fuzzy, shadowed chin. "Not exactly, but I think I might try. Been a rough year. Might as well get something out of it, am I right?"
"Too right," agreed Taiyang, sliding into the other side of the booth. "You'd look good with a beard, but you have to maintain it. Got to make sure it's a strong, masculine beard and not a beard of crazy. Sure you're up for it?"
James shrugged. "If I'm not, then that's what razors are for."
Tai smiled and looked at his drink. "Too true. Hey, what is this stuff, anyway?"
"That, my friend, is genuine Sweet Apple Acres apple cider," explained James, picking up his own mug and grinning like he was giving a sales pitch. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get ol' Granny Smith to supply us some for this bar's stock?"
Taiyang looked into his mug, and then without further ado, took a swig. He savored the taste for a moment, and then swallowed. His eyes were very wide after that.
"Oh, wow…"
"It's good, isn't it?" prodded James.
"Really good," confirmed Taiyang, putting the mug down but unwilling to let go. "I mean, I've heard about this stuff before, but I didn't think it could live up to the hype."
"Does it?" asked James.
Taiyang shook his head. "No, it's better. Something special going on?"
"Plenty of things are going on, but meeting you is sadly the only good one among them," said James sadly with a shake of his head. "What a week for a crisis. We should be celebrating this time of year, not searching for missing persons while one of her servants circles us like a shark."
"How bad is it?" asked Taiyang worriedly. "I mean, Maple's missing, and that's bad enough. It's partly why I'm here as much as I am this week, but…"
"It's bad," summed up James tensely. "Your mechanic friend going missing was only the tip of the iceberg with the abductions going on. There's more than a dozen so far, and that number is only going up. I've got some people working on that, but I haven't had many to spare with the search for Cinder Fall. Ugh, I can't believe we didn't notice what was going on with her with a name like that."
"And what is going on?" asked Taiyang carefully. "I heard what the press is saying, that she's a fake student and behind the White Fang's dust robberies, but that's it."
James raised an eyebrow. "You thinking about getting back in the game?"
"Maybe," Taiyang didn't answer. "I still have my security clearance though. That means I can be a discreet ear if you need it right now."
The Atlesian nodded. "Autumn was attacked, and half her power was stolen."
Taiyang blinked. "That's possible? Did this Cinder girl use some kind of mad science device to suck her dry and get stuck halfway through or something?"
"Best we can figure? Yeah," replied James. "We're still waiting on Qrow's full report. Again. See if any of the new information we have jogs his memory. Problem is that he's completely dropped off the grid, and we have no idea where he's gone or how to contact him safely. Been like this for months."
"He does have a tendency to go on adventures," pointed out Taiyang.
"Yeah, well, he sure picked a heck of a time to do it," replied James frostily. "That's why we're planning to move Autumn to Atlas soon. The Furchtlos will take her out during the dance, when the entire student body isn't watching, and that should give us more leeway with setting a trap for her. If we can't go to Cinder Fall, then we'll make Cinder Fall come to us."
"Need any help with that?" asked the blond Huntsman.
"You offering?" James asked back, knowing that he was rephrasing an earlier question.
"Maybe," repeated Taiyang.
James was thoughtful for a moment, his keen blue eyes focusing on a concept more than an object. "Tell you what. If you can help with getting her life support pod out of the vault, that's one less man that needs to be read in. Help out with security on campus after that, and that means I can free up men for other duties. Might not seem like a lot, but you know these personnel issues are the real killers."
Taiyang considered that. "Okay, I think I can do that."
"Good," replied James with a bit of his former pep. "Like I said, I wish this had happened some other week."
"Why? Were you planning on taking Glynda to the dance or something?" asked Taiyang with false cheekiness, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
"As a matter of fact, yes," answered James simply.
"Holy smokes. Congratulations, man," said Taiyang, utterly floored, but appreciative. "You guys back together, or is this part of some zany scheme?"
"Back together," confirmed James, before taking a contemplative sip of his cider. "We had a rocky start this year, but we worked things out. I hear Snapshot had something to do with that. I suppose I should get around to thanking her."
"'Snapshot'?"
"Miss Rose."
"Oh, wow, Ruby's got a callsign?" asked Taiyang with wide eyes and a smile. "Again, congratulations, man. Always thought you two worked well together. You tell your kids about this yet?"
"Not yet, no," answered James with a sigh. "We're keeping it on the downlow generally, and specifically, we're trying to find out how they feel about the whole thing first. About Glynda possibly moving into their lives, I mean."
"How's that going?" asked Taiyang curiously.
"Well, Kogetsu really seems to like her," answered James with a smile, and then it turned into a frown. "Aska though… I don't know what to do with her. I've tried giving her some space to figure things out on her own, but she's still having issues. The stuff she's done and said in this semester alone… well, it's enough to drive a man to drink."
With that, the general took another swig of the truly spectacular apple cider.
"Well, she may not be able to shoot lasers out of her eyes -- Ruby's doing great with that, by the way -- but I do have some experience in raising daughters generally, James. Need some help?" offered Taiyang.
James looked into his mug and shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I could use all the help I can get with her, and I haven't even finished my first drink."
"Jaune?"
Jaune paused, Crocea Mors extended, then turned. The recording of Pyrrha on his scroll continued on. She'd made a small library of them for him so he could train in his spare time when she wasn't available. After four days of searching for Maple, they'd all needed a break, a way to take their minds off worrying about their friend. Unfortunately, it also let him stew on other recent events.
"Hey, Weiss," he said, greeting the Atlesian girl as he reached over to his scroll and closed the recording, pocketing the device. He turned to face her with a forced smile that broke her heart. "What's up?"
"I..." Weiss hesitated, then drew herself up. "I'm sorry about Ruby."
"What are you apologizing for?" he asked, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. You've been blamed enough for other people's actions." Weiss felt her heart flutter at that as she followed him to the side of the training room. He leaned against the wall, his head back, staring at the ceiling. "I just wish I knew why. What did I do wrong?"
"I'm quite sure it wasn't anything you did," Weiss assured him, stepping forward and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ruby's... going through a lot right now, Jaune. We all are. I can't pretend to understand her reasons." Liar. "But she was very clear it wasn't anything you did."
He sighed dejectedly, letting his head hang down. "I wish I could believe that. I mean, I never really thought of her that way, and suddenly, out of the blue, she demands I go out with her. And then after I really started falling for her... this?" He sighed again and pushed himself off the wall briskly. "Anyway, bright side, it means I can do what I told Yang I'd do: focus on becoming a better Huntsman."
"A-anyway," she stuttered, then rushed out her question, "given the situation, have you considered who you're taking to the dance?"
"I had kind of figured I'd be going with Ruby," he admitted, "but... well, that's certainly not happening now." He shook his head. "I don't know if I'll even go. I mean, what's the point? I should spend that time looking for Maple."
"Oh, no, you don't!" Weiss snapped waspishly, waving a finger under his nose. "There's a lot of effort going into this dance, Jaune. It is the social event of the year, and I will be singing! You will not miss this, even if I have to drag you there myself!"
Jaune stared down at the snowcapped girl for a long moment and started trembling.
What's going on? Weiss wondered worriedly. Is he having a seizure?
His trembling increased, and he finally burst out laughing. "Oh, thanks, Weiss. I needed that. Fine, fine. I'll go." He turned and left the room. "See ya there, Weiss."
Well, she thought, nodding with satisfaction, at least he's feeling better.
A thought occurred to her, and she frowned, then stamped her foot in frustration.
She'd meant to ask him to go to the dance with her!
Pyrrha walked toward Team JNPR's dorm. The meeting she'd just come from had been... odd, to say the least. She opened the door to find Jaune on his bed, reading a comic.
"Hey, Pyr."
Perfect, she thought as she drew up her courage. "Hello, Jaune."
Pyrrha closed the door behind her, then sat on her hands on her bed to keep from fidgeting. "May I ask you something?"
"Sure, Pyr. What's up?" he responded, looking up, meeting her gaze with those sapphire orbs of his.
"Will- will you be going to the dance this weekend?"
"I really wasn't planning on it, to be honest," admitted Jaune, dropping his head. "But... I had a talk with Weiss earlier, and she convinced me to go."
"Oh." Unseen, Pyrrha's face fell for a moment. "I see."
"What about you, Pyr?" he asked, looking up at her again. "You going?"
She gave him a well-practiced smile and shook her head. "Probably not. I had my fill of public social events in Mistral."
"You should go, Pyrrha," he said encouragingly. "It won't be like those things. It'll be all Huntsmen and Huntresses, people who know you, the real you. It'll be fun, and you'll get a chance to relax."
She sighed. "I don't know, Jaune."
"Tell you what, I'll... save you a dance," he promised, his voice soft and earnest, almost... tender.
Pyrrha froze. The room suddenly seemed awfully small and warm.
He grinned and gave her a thumbs up, and the moment was broken. "And I can assure you, I'm a very good dancer."
She arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you now? Maybe we should have been looking at other fighting styles instead."
"I mean it, Pyr," Jaune insisted through melodious laughter. "Growing up with seven sisters, you learn to cut a rug." He smiled cheekily. "Just... make sure you let your date know."
Pyrrha blinked. "My date?"
"Of course," he confirmed. "Come on, Pyr, who wouldn't want to go out with you? I'm sure you've got guys lined up around the block to ask you out, and whoever the lucky guy is, he could probably beat me to a pulp. So I'd like to avoid any misunderstandings, you know?"
"Jaune!" she protested, scandalized, her face matching her hair.
He chuckled. "Anyway, Pyr, how'd that meeting go?"
"It was... odd," she replied.
"What was it about, anyway?"
"It was with an Atlesian student, Twilight 'Magic' Sparkle," Pyrrha explained. "She has family working in alternative energy, and she thought my name and the Vytal Tournament would be a way to give it some public exposure."
"Really?" he asked, leaning forward, eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Sounds interesting. Can you tell me more?
Pyrrha nodded. "Of course. Have you ever heard of... 'petroleum'?"
Maple T. Bricks didn't struggle when the unpainted AK-200s brought her into the interrogation room. It would be almost impossible. After all, she'd been awake for almost a week in a sleep deprivation chamber.
The lack of sleep, when combined with the drugs in her system and the recent beatings, made her as helpless as a kitten when the androids forced her into the room's single chair. That pliability was one reason she had been subjected to such treatments. The other reason was that it gave them time to analyze the hornet's nest that had been stirred up by her disappearance.
Wishbone smiled to herself as she watched the prisoner on the holographic screen. Oh, yes. Maple T. Bricks had certainly turned out to be a treasure trove of information. The most obvious was the transformer that had attacked them when they had picked her up, likely one of the enemies the Decepticons had mentioned in passing but never elaborated on, which provided on their own a whole host of implications that filled in so many blanks. The next obvious was the impassioned searching she had inspired in so much of the Beacon Academy populace, and especially two students in particular.
With one gloved hand, Wishbone activated the microphone in front of her. "Hello, Miss Bricks. Are you ready to talk?"
The beaver faunus didn't answer, but she did look up towards the cameras and the speakers from which Wishbone's distorted voice emerged.
"I'll start with something simple," began Wishbone. "What is your relationship to Raven Branwen's daughters?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied the prisoner.
Wishbone let out a heavy sigh, and then smiled. She loved it when they played dumb. It gave her an opportunity to have some fun.
She deactivated one microphone and then activated another. "Sentry Four, place your hand on the subject's left knee."
The robot moved to obey, and Wishbone deactivated that microphone before reactivating the other.
"Allow me to rephrase, Miss Bricks," the dog-eared faunus said. "How often does Ruby Rose correspond with her mother, Raven Branwen?"
"What?" the prisoner said dumbly. "Ruby's mother's name was Summer."
That was annoying, but only mildly so. It was clear that they had all coordinated this story together and memorized it. That made interrogating the prisoner all the more valuable. But why oh why did they have to persist in such an obvious falsehood?
She switched microphones again. "Sentry Four, close your hand."
The prisoner's screams filled the air like the music of a great orchestra.
Well, even if I don't find the source of attacks on the SDC tonight, at least I'll enjoy myself, she thought happily as she prepared to continue.
(V2E13: First Impressions | V2E14: Triangles | V2E15: Dawn of a New Age)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
The pulses of history are beating ever faster as we march into the volume finale with three climatic conclusions and welcome the "Dawn of a New Age."
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Metroidwave
Strength To Lean On
- Location
- Somewhere in Colorado
I'm enjoying Cinder getting torn down way too much.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
I'm not sure that's possible
Cody: Everytime someone says something like this I'm severely tempted to post that bit from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "As Seen On TV" where our title character starts making Krabby Patties out of desperation for fame, and the crowd goes wild. Unfortunately, the best footage I can find is in a compilation.
Then again, as pleasing as it is, if we gave people what they want all the time then we would end up with the whole plot being resolved in five chapters and that… that isn't fun for us.
Volume II: Episode 15: Dawn of a New Age
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E14: Triangles | V2E15: Dawn of a New Age | Interlude 2-1: Fallout)
Volume II: Episode 15: Dawn of a New Age
* * *
Volume II: Episode 15: Dawn of a New Age
* * *
"Hello, Blake."
The teenaged faunus ninja catgirl froze in place as she looked at Pyrrha's back. How? How had she been discovered? Was it just a lucky guess?
"I saw a reflection of your shadow in that discarded spoon," said Pyrrha, pointing at the utensil lying on the roof against the lip, still not turning around from the skyline visible from the dorm rooftop. She was standing near the edge, to the right and far down from the roof access door.
"Oh," acknowledged Blake. It seems I still have much to learn.
"What can I help you with, Blake?"
"I... I know I've missed a lot while I was away, Pyrrha," Blake began, "but... are you okay?"
"Hmm," Pyrrha hmmed. "Why wouldn't I be, Blake? I'm rich and famous. I'm scoring top marks, and I'm well on my way to becoming a legend."
"So, that's a 'no,'" Blake said, walking up to stand beside Pyrrha. She gave a quick glance to her right at the Mistrali champion. It was starting to look like it was worse than anyone had thought. "Weiss told me about the raid on Starscream's lab."
"That... that was months ago, Blake," Pyrrha protested, reaching across herself to rub her exposed upper arms, as though she'd felt a sudden chill.
"That doesn't mean anything," countered Blake. "I should know. The things I did with the White Fang still eat at me to this day sometimes."
Pyrrha didn't answer.
"Have you even talked to Jaune about it?" Blake asked, tentatively placing a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.
"And burden him with my issues?" Pyrrha asked. She shook her head. "No, I haven't. I could never. H-he was so happy with Ruby, and now, he's got his own problems to work through."
"Is there no one else you could turn to?"
"Who?" Pyrrha asked. "Ruby? I couldn't do that to her. Weiss? Weiss was... in a bad place as well." Blake winced. "Ren and Nora? I'm not sure they could understand. They grew up with death in a way I never did. Yang doesn't know about our missions, and anyone else?" She barked a bitter laugh. "Who would believe the Great Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl herself, needed help?"
"And so instead, you suffer in silence," Blake murmured.
"Four people," Pyrrha said, her voice level and quiet. "There are four people out there who are alive who would be dead if I'd acted any slower, if I'd made any different decisions, if I hadn't pushed myself so hard. I did everything right."
"But it's not enough, is it?" Blake asked rhetorically. "It's never enough, even when you push yourself to the limit."
"The Invincible Girl has no limits," the redhead retorted, steel in her voice. Her tone softened. "But I'm not really invincible, am I? Not yet. All that fame and glory, it's all meaningless. I came to Beacon to become a Huntress, to earn it, for all these skills of mine to mean something real. And for that, I need to be stronger, faster, tougher."
"With that attitude, I'm surprised you aren't training yourself into the ground."
"Training is a science," Pyrrha said flatly, mechanically. "It's a finely-tuned balance between the improvements you make and the damage you do to yourself. Your body needs to recover, your mind needs to rest, your aura needs to regenerate." Her voice dropped. "Your soul needs to heal."
"And has it healed?" Blake asked. "Your soul, I mean."
"...I don't know," Pyrrha admitted.
"I don't think it has," Blake said bluntly. "And I don't think it will, not so long as you keep hiding this from your friends." She gave a wry smile. "I should know. I speak from experience."
"Do you?" Pyrrha asked. "Have innocent people died on your watch?"
Blake paused for a long moment before answering. "Not every operation went according to plan," she allowed. "People died, on both sides. Some, I'm sure, were innocent. Others, definitely not. Some of them people I knew, people I counted as friends."
"How did you cope?"
"Different ways," Blake answered. "Adam... I think he buried it, ignored it, until it didn't matter to him. But for me, he was always... supportive, always reminding me of the cause we were fighting for. He kept me focused on the big picture. Ilia would remind me I'd done what I could, that everyone had made their choice, either to go with us... or to fight us."
"Starscream's victims didn't choose any of it," Pyrrha pointed out.
"No," Blake agreed. "No, they didn't. But not everyone who died on our operations chose to fight. Some were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, it does help just to talk about it, even if the response you get doesn't help. Let me help."
"I'm not sure I deserve it."
That sent alarm bells ringing in the cat faunus's head. "Excuse me?"
"I hurt Ruby the other morning," admitted Pyrrha, staring up at the stars. "She'd hurt Jaune, I don't know why, and yet, there she was, on her knees, begging me not to break his heart."
"And what did you do?"
"I just reminded her that she already did," Pyrrha said softly. "It was like the light behind those eyes of hers just... turned off. And I enjoyed it." She lowered her head. "And I worry I might hurt Jaune too."
Blake considered that, the self-flagellation the girl was clearly putting herself through. She tried to figure out what to say, what to do. She took a deep breath as she settled on a... a gamble.
"So what?" she asked.
Pyrrha's head whipped around. "Wh-what?"
"So what?" Blake repeated. "That just proves you're a person." She shook her head. "For someone who hates being put on a pedestal so much, Pyrrha, you seem to have done a pretty good job climbing up there yourself."
"Blake, are you listening to me?" Pyrrha asked, clearly distressed. "I hurt her. On purpose. And I delighted in it. That was... an awful, terrible thing to do."
"Yeah," Blake agreed. "It was. But again, so what? People make mistakes all the time. They give in to their darker impulses. And then they regret it, make amends, and move on. It doesn't change who they are. No one's perfect, Pyrrha, not even you. So stop trying to be."
"I'm not trying to be perfect," protested Pyrrha.
"Bullshit," Blake swore.
Pyrrha recoiled, scandalized at her language, then shook her head. "I mean it, Blake. I-I'm just... trying to be a good person."
"And you are," Blake reminded her.
"A good person wouldn't have done what I did," was the stubborn response.
"I hurt Weiss, insulted her to her face, and then ran off, cutting off all contact for months," Blake reminded her. "Does that make me a bad person?" She reconsidered the question. "Don't answer that. The point is, Pyrrha, we all make mistakes. There's no sense beating yourself up over it."
Pyrrha shook her head. "I can't even bring myself to face Ruby after that. How could I ever expect her to forgive me?"
"If you deserved it, you wouldn't need it," Blake said. At Pyrrha's curious look, she shrugged. "Something Sun reminded me of."
"You really are rather fond of him, aren't you?" Pyrrha asked with a small, almost mischievous smile.
Blake flushed. "He's got a way of sifting through nonsense and getting to the truth," she evaded. "And Pyrrha, if you still need to talk... why not talk to Miss Goodwitch? I'm sure she's been where you are before, and she's helped both Ruby and Weiss."
"I... I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
"We all need help sometimes, Pyrrha. There's no shame in asking for it."
"There is... wisdom in your words," Pyrrha acknowledged reluctantly.
"I learned a lot more than just ninjitsu while I was away," Blake said. "I'm still learning."
"Aren't we all?"
The scene in Team APRC's dorm in the hours leading up to the dance was distinctly feminine. Not just in the sense that they had driven Rufus out into another dorm and Thundercracker was miles away, but also because they had decided to dip into the more flashy parts of being girls.
"Thank you ever so much, Ciel," cheered Penny as she fluttered her eyelashes at the mirror, endeavoring to commit every part of the makeup job to memory.
The gown, the makeup, the hair, the endless refresher courses on proper etiquette that Ciel had insisted upon on the valid grounds that the formal event training provided by Beacon was both sub-par and totally absent from the curriculum, and more all came together to create a complete package. There was just one thing missing… and unfortunately, it was the thing that Penny wanted most, the one thing she couldn't have. She held back the tears, but there was a part of her that didn't want to.
"You're welcome, Penny," replied the calm voice of Ciel as she fiddled with Aska's dress.
Many people said that Ciel was cold, frosty, frigid, and generally icy, but they didn't know her the way Penny did. She didn't have a frozen tone; what she had was a cool tone. She was calm and collected in most everything she did, and hearing that steadiness calmed the rest of them down when they needed it.
"Are you sure this looks good? Jazz is going to like this, right?" asked Aska briskly.
She was wearing a red kimono with a white trim that Penny thought looked absolutely gorgeous on her, especially with those kanazashi things in her fancy hairstyle and that makeup that made it look like she had little tiny flames coming out of the sides of her eyes. That tickled something in the back of Penny's brain module, but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as the discomfort Aska was going through at that point. Was she uncomfortable with the dress or the upcoming dance?
Ciel looked up to reply. "This is the latest in fashion in Kuo Kuana."
"That's good, right?" asked Aska in a tone that betrayed a slight nervousness.
"Yes, it is," replied Ciel, her voice as calm as ever.
Aska seemed to calm down too. That was good to see. Maybe she could settle down and relax for a night instead of being as abrasive as she usually was.
It struck Penny as odd; last semester, she had mostly been amicable with her team and yet had not been deeply connected to them. Now, she was getting into heated arguments with them, and yet, she felt as if she truly knew them now. Was there a connection there? Perhaps she should fight Thundercracker more to deepen their bond? Sun… Sun liked Blake, and she treated him horribly. Was that something men wanted in a woman? She didn't think so, and really didn't want to think so.
Perhaps it would be best to ask Ruby what she thought of all this? She already knew so many of Penny's secrets, so what was a few more? Yes, that sounded like a wonderful plan!
Later though. Ciel had just finished up the final touch on Aska, and that meant that it was time for her to do her business. She had saved herself for last, which meant that she would be cutting it the closest when their dates arrived.
Well, date, singular. Aska had finally gotten her date with Flynt, but Ciel had failed to secure a date, and so she would be getting escorted to the dance by Rufus. The offer from Rufus had come soon after Neptune had agreed to escort Penny to the dance, with the simple logic being that if they couldn't find dates, the only options they had were going "stag," not going at all, or going with each other. The third option turned out to be the most palatable to them.
Of course, Ruby wasn't going to the dance, but when Penny had seen her last, she had been up for almost thirty hours continuing the search for Maple and needed to rest. It was sad that they wouldn't be seeing each other that night, but there would be other dances. There wouldn't be other chances to save her friend.
"It is done. Finished," reported Ciel as she put the final touches on her ensemble: a dark blue dress with fewer ruffles than Penny's pine green outfit and opting for exposed shoulder blades. With her makeup being mostly understated, white opera gloves that dipped under puffy sleeves were the other notable stand-out additions.
Well, at least they were to Penny's lay-mind, since all she was able to pick up about a dress were broad strokes, whether it was pretty or not, and whether it had enough space to hide concealed weapons. All three of her teammates had impressed greatly on her how important that last feature was, and of course she was able to tell that Ciel's dress was up to code there even without having watched her hide a single-stacked handgun in a holster on one side of her corset and a knife in a sheath on the other. Penny was, of course, wearing a similar corset with similar arms, while Aska had adopted more arcane methods for concealing her weapons.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Penny meaningfully.
Aska brought her scroll out from the folds of her obi and checked it. "We have fifteen minutes until the men arrive. That is unusual. Usually, this takes longer."
"Send out a notice then. Men typically like it when a lady is efficient dressing herself," said Ciel with what Penny suspected was a note of nervousness.
They needn't have worried, though. Less than a minute after Aska sent out the all clear, the boys arrived, quite handsome in their tuxedos and suits, and all of Penny's worries were put on hold. They were for another time.
Neptune put out an arm, and she took it as gracefully as she could.
"You look very lovely, Penny," observed the blue-haired Havenite, and it was then that she realized that he had left his goggles behind and had styled his hair to be quite fetching, but… but something was missing.
"You look very nice too, Neptune," replied Penny in a similar tone.
Neptune shook his head. "No need to tie yourself in knots, Penny. It's perfectly fine if you don't feel anything for me. Just relax and enjoy yourself."
Penny blushed at being found out so easily. "Very well. I shall."
The two joined the other pairs, and somehow, Penny knew that things were going to go spectacularly that night… if only for that night.
Wishbone emerged from the farmhouse she had been using as a headquarters to greet the approaching VTOL. The VTOL that shouldn't be there. Why on Remnant was it there?!
The aircraft -- with its big, bold SDC imagery -- landed onto the ground and began to power down. Wishbone approached, and she hadn't even gotten halfway to the vehicle before the side doors opened. Joshua Joyce, Kingdom Vice President of Schnee Dust Company Vale Division, had arrived, and he did not look happy.
"Wishbone, what were you thinking?!" he demanded loudly, walking towards her with a pair of AK-200s emblazoned with the SDC name and logo.
"Mister Joyce, why are you here?" said Wishbone, answering his question with a question.
He bristled at her words and pointed a finger at her for his reply. "Don't you give me that! You were just here to solve the dust thefts, and that crime has been solved for months now. Why are you here?!"
"Because while the robberies in the city have stopped, the hijacking of convoys outside the city have only increased. We're losing both dust and energon, and Mister Schnee wants it to stop. That's why I'm here," explained Wishbone tersely.
"Then why are you out here at this old dump?" he asked pointedly.
"I'm interrogating suspected members of the White Fang," she answered.
Joyce's eyes got very wide at that. "What?! You stupid dog! Have you been the one kidnapping people?!"
The insult rolled off Wishbone like water. She had already spent years climbing the corporate ladder and being subjected to those kinds of insults. His words meant even less than he did.
"These are dangerous criminals, Mister Joyce," she assured him, suppressing the urge to fold him up like a paper plane. "All confirmed members of the White Fang or their associates."
He paused, but only for a moment. "Show me."
Wishbone pointed to a cellar door. "We keep them in there, but… Mister Joyce!"
He was already walking towards the cellar, Atlesian Knights flanking him.
"Mister Joyce, there are very specific procedures for interacting with the prisoners," she told him emphatically, following after him and his escorts.
"Procedures that make you look good, no doubt," he replied as the escort in front of him opened the door and descended the steps.
Resisting the urge to growl or bite his throat out, Wishbone instead reached into the painter's outfit she was wearing and brought out a pair of balaclavas. One, she donned herself. The other, she offered to Joyce.
"Mister Joyce, please, the prisoners can't see our faces," she implored him.
He ignored her and descended the flight of stairs to enter the cellar. She followed after them and soon was buffeted by a bevy of expletives. He must have sniffed the air.
The old cellar was cool, dirty, and smelled like a slaughterhouse. The why of it wasn't hard to see either, as it was dominated by lines of cages where the fifteen captives were being stored. All of them were in some form of distress, from malnutrition to severed limbs, many of them were bound or gagged as well. It was horrible, absolutely horrible… well, horrible to other people, at least, which was the point. They were all stored there because of the brutal conditions on the expectation that it would help break their wills and souls. It was only after they were reduced to animated meat when the questioning would begin in earnest.
And now they were seeing Joyce's face. And his SDC ID badge. That could be a serious problem. If nothing else, it limited her options.
"What is this?!" demanded Joyce, pointing at an older human female with only seven fingers remaining and eyes that looked almost dead. "I thought you said these were White Fang. She's human!"
"It's a misconception that the White Fang only recruit faunus. There are several notable human members or affiliates. Cinder Fall being the most prominent recent example," offered Wishbone.
"I don't care!" shot back Joyce. "Do you have any idea what kind of PR nightmare this would be for the SDC if this got out? Get rid of them!"
Wishbone cocked an eyebrow under her mask. "'Get rid of them'? I have only just begun to learn about the White Fang's inner workings. Their base locations. Their allies. This Sunfire character. They are talk-"
"Oh my goddess, I mean kill them!" shouted Joyce. "Slit their throats. Bury them alive. Make it look like an accident. Whatever you want. I don't care. Just don't let them see the light of day. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," replied Wishbone.
"Good," said Joyce cheerfully before walking past her. "Got to go replace my shoes now."
Before she left as well, Wishbone looked around the room, savoring the different expressions of each and every one of them. Some were fearful, some were hateful, most were despairing. One, the beaver faunus who had caused such a fuss, was fearful for her friends and wondering which of the other prisoners had talked even while she had stayed so strong for so long. She'd go to her grave with those questions.
The loss of any potential new information about the White Fang was disappointing, but she had already learned much from the one who had talked. Joyce was still higher on the food chain in Vale, after all, and she had to follow him, lest the Vale branch get uppity… for now. She'd make it clear in her next report to Mister Schnee, though, just how much Joyce had interfered, and in that special way that they talked to each other, she'd ask to dispose of him once Mister Schnee had disposed of his job.
It was a bad turn of events, but she could still salvage things. Satisfied, she began considering how to accomplish her new orders. It would be more efficient to prepare the mass grave first, she decided.
There was something chilling about the vault beneath Beacon. Part of it, of course, had to be the literal temperature; the room was cold, a result of the cooling systems tied to the arcane device that Amber was entombed in. Part of it was certainly the tomb-like atmosphere, never mind that Amber still lived, if by a thread, inside the coffin-like lifepod. Part of it was probably the sheer emptiness; aside from Tai himself, only Ozpin, James, and Glynda were present. But for Taiyang Xiao Long, there was also something chilling about seeing one of the Four Maidens again, especially one so helpless and vulnerable.
It brought back memories. The formal wear didn't help.
"Let's get this done," James said as he tapped a control on Amber's lifepod, turning the window opaque, and he began disconnecting it from the aura transfer device.
"Agreed," Tai said, moving to assist. In a matter of minutes, the lifepod was disconnected and floating on its built-in gravity sled.
James and Tai naturally stepped into place on either side of the lifepod, with James on the left, Tai on the right. Glynda took point, and Ozpin brought up the rear. Down here, in the vault, they should have been safe... but knowing how close the enemy had come, none of them were taking any chances.
Silently, they boarded the elevator.
As the elevator ascended, it was James who broke the silence. "Ozpin, we'll need to discuss our plans once Amber is clear. Cinder must be eliminated."
"Agreed," -- Beacon's headmaster nodded -- "but not tonight, James. We will have time to set our trap once Amber is safely away."
"How secure are the airships, James?" Tai asked.
"They're the best," James assured him. "Top security clearances, elite qualifications, and I have hand-picked specialists on board." He paused. "I know, a Maiden can pull some very impressive things, even against that, but-"
"But Cinder Fall is only half a Maiden," Ozpin finished for him, "and with only a few months of training, if any, little enough that we were able to force her to retreat with relatively minor damage to the academy's facilities. The most impressive feats we've seen require years of training."
Tai nodded silently. He'd seen some of what Summer had been able to do with the Spring Maiden's power once she'd come into her own. Terrifying, but also wholesome and beautiful in a way that this Cinder couldn't possibly hope to imitate.
The elevator dinged, and after they exited it, they picked up the three decoy lifepods. By the time they stepped out into the open, each of them had a lifepod in tow. The next several minutes were tense as they made their way across the deserted walkways to the cliffside airship docks where the four Atlesian air cruisers waited: the Furchtlos, the Eisbrecher, the Winterfest, and James's own flagship, the Tapfer.
From the vault to the airships was when Amber would be most vulnerable to an attack by Cinder, but the vault's own top secret nature limited what protection they could bring to bear until they reached the airships. Once she was on the airship, it was still vulnerable to interception until it built up sufficient altitude, distance, and speed. James had hatched this plan, even if it meant spending dust like water.
One precious cargo and three decoys.
The four ships would engage in training maneuvers and engage in air-to-surface gunnery exercises against any Grimm they saw, with three of them returning even as the Furchtlos began its journey to the relative security of Atlas.
Even if Cinder were powerful enough to attack an air cruiser directly or found a way to smuggle herself on board, she would only have a one in four chance of targeting the correct one. By the time the Furchtlos pulled away enough to clearly be carrying her real target, it would be at cruising altitude and speed over open water, far harder to intercept.
It was a risk, bringing Amber to Atlas. Keeping two Maidens so close together made for an incredibly tempting target, but given Amber was unable to defend herself, it was the best option of a bad lot, and Atlas was the most fortified location they had available.
Taiyang towed the lifepod behind him -- the real one -- up to the Furchtlos. He searched his memory of the briefing as he greeted the man waiting for him. "Dial Tone," he greeted.
"Mister Xiao Long," Dial Tone returned the greeting.
Tai held up the small authentication computer James had given him, matching it against the one Dial Tone carried. The two devices scanned their opposite number, matching the biometrics, and chimed in agreement, and Tai felt some tension flee his shoulders.
"Take care of her," Tai implored.
"VIP, top priority," Dial Tone acknowledged as he took charge of the lifepod. "I'll treat her like my own sister." He smiled and poked Tai in the chest. "Now, git. Enjoy the party."
Jaune scanned the ballroom, looking for a certain head of red hair. Where is she? he wondered worriedly.
He drifted through the crowd, at least comforted by the fact that he wouldn't run into his recent ex. She had made it clear she had no intention of spending the night in "lady-stilts" when she could be sleeping. A wistful smile crossed his face at the thought. That was just so... so Ruby.
He shook his head and returned to his search. Is she not coming? he thought, feeling a pang in his chest at the thought. He'd really thought he'd convinced her. That's quitter talk, Jaune, he told himself as he drifted over to the stairs and headed up to the second floor. On his way, he gave a friendly wave to Weiss, who was on stage with Team RRFL, and the not-heiress waved back. She looked kind of flushed, actually. He hoped she was okay; it must have been awfully hot under those stage lights.
He finally found his quarry getting some air on one of the balconies.
"Hey, Pyrrha."
She turned, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. She was wearing an absolutely stunning red dress.
"Hello, Jaune," she greeted.
"You okay?" he asked, stepping closer. "I haven't seen you tonight."
Pyrrha turned back to enjoying the view. "Arrived late, I'm afraid."
"W-well, you look... really nice," he said, stumbling over his words a little. Smooth move, Jaune, he mentally scolded himself. She's your teammate. Have a bit more class.
"Thank you."
Jaune glanced around the otherwise empty balcony, then back into the ballroom. "Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?"
"I think you're safe for tonight," she assured him.
"So, where is the guy?" he asked. The balcony was empty, and he hadn't seen anyone waiting for her when he'd stepped out here.
Pyrrha turned back to face him again, head bowed. "There is no guy."
"Really?" Jaune asked, surprised. He gave her a wry half-smile. "No one measured up, huh?"
"Not... exactly."
He shook his head. "What do you mean?"
"Jaune, I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't actually hang out with anyone outside the team and Team Auburn," she pointed out. "I don't really know anyone else, even to come as friends. I'm not getting anywhere near the mess that is Arslan and Nadir, Bolin and Reese have their own dates, Ruby and Yang aren't coming, Ren and Nora are here together, Sun's here with Blake, and you're here with Weiss."
Jaune blinked and took a half-step back. "What? With Weiss? What makes you think that?"
She frowned. "You... said she convinced you to come."
"To come, yes," he confirmed, "but I'd promised her not to bother her again for any dates. Come on, Pyr. You and Weiss, I'm sure you both have better options out there."
She shook her head sadly.
"I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities," she said. "I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place." She looked up at him, emerald eyes meeting sapphire. "No one asked me to go with them. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me."
Did she just...? he dared not finish the question, even in his mind.
"And as for Weiss," Pyrrha plowed on, "she's grown rather... fond of you lately, Jaune."
"She what?" Jaune asked, his prior train of thought thoroughly derailed.
"She- you really didn't know?" she asked, confused. "She's been trying to figure out how to get a second date with you for months, but then the thing with Blake happened, and, well..." She shrugged.
"That..." he trailed off, then began to pace, frowning pensively. "I never... like I told Yang, I saw dating as a way to get to know someone. That date with Weiss... we live in completely different worlds. Maybe we could make it work, but..." He shook his head.
"You sound so sure about that," Pyrrha observed sadly. "I've lived in that world she lives in, Jaune. It's not as different as it first seems." She gave him a faint smile. "I'll be sure to claim that dance later, but right now, I think I've had enough fresh air."
"Yeah," he agreed, his thoughts whirling with confused emotion. "Let's get back inside."
Yang should have been back in bed, but she wasn't. Instead, she was walking along one of the southern roads between Beacon and Vale, looking to clear her head. With any luck, some random Grimm would leap out of the shadows to attack her so she would be able to work off some steam fighting them.
Bumblebee had encouraged her to relax a bit that night, but after a few hours of fitful sleep, she found she couldn't do that in her dorm. Ruby might have been able to sleep like a log, but she couldn't. Yang was alert, awake, and hungry for action with nowhere to get it. So she went for a walk alone.
She wasn't thinking about much, but in its own way, that was calming. She needed to spend more time like this. There had been a few moments like this over the semester when she had traveled back to Patch to clean up her mother's gravesite, but… but she wouldn't mind spending a little more time in the slow zone.
She would have liked to spend it with Sun, but… but he was going to the dance tonight with Blake, and Yang would be loath to enjoy herself while those she was sworn to protect were in dire straits. If any of those kidnapping victims were hurt while she partied, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself, and she didn't want to find out whether that was hyperbole or not.
If only she could get a breakthrough on the case, but there didn't seem to be any way to get that. The kidnappers just seemed to disappear into thin air. No one had seen them, and the van that Maple had IDed only gave solidity to the concept that they were up against people who probably had access to active camouflage technology. Which expanded the places they could be hiding in the massive metropolis to an absurd degree, if they were even based in Vale at all. The Decepticons, the SDC, and any number of other factions could have spirited them away to anywhere on the planet or possibly even beyond without anyone being the wiser.
The situation seemed utterly hopeless… but so did the fight against the Grimm, and that was what she had signed up for originally.
She tensed when she saw a police car driving down the road start to slow as it approached her. Even setting aside her frustration with the VPD, she hadn't run into Barricade in a while, and it was starting to feel like she was due for another encounter with the Decepticon. The police car rolled to a halt next to her, the familiar-looking driver leaning out to look at her.
"Yang," he said with a familiar voice, "what are you doing here? I thought Bumblebee said you were sleeping."
"Prowl!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice, relief flooding through her. She shook her head and focused on his question. "I tried sleeping. Couldn't. I don't think I'll be able to until we find Maple."
The holomatter avatar retreated back into a seated position and paused as Prowl seemed to ponder something.
"All right," Prowl said, his passenger door popping open. "Get in."
Yang blinked, then realization dawned, and she raced around to climb in. "You have a lead?" she asked eagerly.
"I might have one," he corrected as he began driving off. "There's been an uptick in Grimm activity at a farmhouse outside the city's defensive perimeter near here. The thing is, there's no tap into city power, and thermals aren't picking up anything. As far as the conventional sensors go, the place is completely abandoned."
"But something is drawing the Grimm there," Yang said, her thoughts dark. If it was them, then merely being abducted might be enough, but there was no telling.
"Grimm activity is unpredictable at best," Prowl cautioned, "and there were a few other sites with similar activity. There's been a general uptick in Grimm activity around the city as a whole."
"So what makes this one special?"
"A couple of hours ago, an SDC Bullhead left the Vale headquarters and headed in that direction, destination unlogged, before returning. Timing fits, if it was only there a few minutes."
The SDC. Yang felt her blood run cold. It made sense, if the SDC was stepping up their anti-White Fang operations. The problem was... that didn't make any sense. The evidence package from Adam she'd passed on to Headmaster Ozpin had obviously fingered Cinder, and the Vale White Fang had gone to ground since.
"How much farther?" she asked, filing those thoughts away for later.
"Just a few more kilometers and a few more turns. You have your weapons with you, right?" asked Prowl.
Ember Celica deployed from their bracelet alt-modes to their shot-gauntlet forms. "Always. How about you?"
"Always," echoed Prowl. "Got your battlesuit in here, by the way. Better put it on."
The backseat reconfigured itself and revealed the white and red suit in question, complete with Grimm mask over the helmet. Yang's own seat reformatted itself as well, the back falling away to allow her to turn around and start putting it on. She worked with practiced ease in the cramped area to change her clothes.
"How did you get this thing anyways?" asked Yang as she worked. "I usually keep it with Bumblebee,"
"And he gave it to me earlier today," explained Prowl. "He said he had a flashback, and old Maccadam had told him to give me the suit."
Yang paused just as she was about to put on the helmet to blink in shock. "What?"
"That was my exact reaction," replied Prowl, his holomatter avatar raising a finger.
"I… huh. I guess I'll just have to ask him about that later," said Yang. She paused, staring at the helmet again. She still needed to get a new faceplate; the hand-me-down from Raven was something she wanted to leave behind, but she'd just never had the time. Later, she promised herself, slipping the helmet on. "Okay, I'm good to go."
She turned around, and the cabin reformatted itself back to normal. Just in time too; the farm was coming into view at that moment. With her advanced optics, she was able to spot several androids carrying bodies that still had detectable heartbeats.
Before she could react beyond a basic emotion, Prowl slammed on the brakes. Yang was slammed into her seatbelt by the force of the deceleration, though any pain was nullified by the properties of her armor. She was about to ask him what was up when a blue hard light barrier snapped up in front of them.
"That confirms these are the guys who got Maple and put Arcee in the infirmary," Prowl growled as his passenger door snapped open. "Let's get them."
Yang unbuckled herself and rolled out, redeploying Ember Celica as she did so. Beside her, Prowl shifted and transformed into his robot mode, bringing a hand up.
"Prowl to base, we've found them," he said. "We'll need reinforcements at my location, ASAP."
That done, they both moved as fast as they could around the hard light wall.
From a shadowy corner of the barn, a stream of bullets came, and Yang had to snap herself to the side with a recoil boost from Ember Celica's gravity rounds to avoid getting hit.
Yang smiled as she saw the incoming rounds explode where she had been. The caseless rounds for Ember Celica had worked like a charm. She really hoped the rest of the modifications worked just as well.
Months ago, she had approached Ironhide on the topic of upgrading her personal shot-gauntlets with Autobot technology, and he enthusiastically got behind the project. They worked for a long time on the design -- the ability to switch between different designs when acting as Sunfire or Yang, the ability to reconfigure itself for different ammunition types on the fly, the ability to better channel her aura, and a whole host of other features that they just couldn't resist including -- but just after Adam had started training her, they finally put that design into practice. Yang might have originally forged Ember Celica at Signal, but it had been given new life at the Ark... not literally, of course, which perhaps needed specification.
She was off running before the next stream of bullets shredded the foliage where she had been standing. She had to keep firing her shot-gauntlets to keep from getting hit. Too late, she realized that it had just been a distraction.
A missile streaked out and exploded into a giant net that wrapped itself around Prowl. His run turned into stumble into the ground, and then the net released a powerful and visible electric shock. He let out a cry, more of anger and frustration than of pain, and Yang fired off her shot-gauntlets to accelerate towards the one shooting at them.
It emerged from the barn -- a bipedal mech with a prominent cockpit with a polarized windshield -- and unleashed a torrent of bullets from the snub-nosed gun in its left hand. This time, they didn't miss. This time, several of them hit Yang in mid-air, and she was sent spiraling to the ground.
Before she hit, she fired Ember Celica to send her shooting above the ground towards the mech. She rolled over and began running before firing off her gauntlets again so that she flew to its right side. Then came another boost to get over it to the hopefully-vulnerable back.
With shocking quickness, the mech reached around and smacked her out of the air. She skipped and bounced along the ground, and then she righted herself just long enough to fire off two dust rounds in a staggered formation.
The first was a burn dust round. The second was an ice dust round. She hoped that between the two, she would be able to cause thermal shock to the mech to inflict some damage.
Incredibly, the mech leapt into the air, causing the dust rounds to slam harmlessly into the treeline. Yang didn't waste any time gawking, though; she just fired off a quartet of mini-missiles to hit the thrice-cursed machine. In reply, it fired that gun of its again, destroying the missiles in a cloud of flak before raining down suppressive fire onto the armored blonde.
She fired off her gauntlets again to dodge, and then, as the mech was coming down, she launched herself up into the sky. When she was at her apex, she fired off a fusillade of earth dust rounds. They all hit around the mech, and in the blink of an eye, it was trapped by spires of brown rock.
Seeing the advantage, Yang recoil boosted again. This time, she was aiming for the cockpit. She was going to tear this thing apart piece by piece and see the person who had hurt her friends with her own two eyes.
She never got the chance.
The spires exploded outward, and Yang was buffeted by shrapnel. Spiraling off course, she was caught in midair by the mech's right fist. The next thing she knew, the ground was rushing up to meet her face.
She bounced along the ground and scrambled to right herself. Her aura was fluctuating wildly. Nothing she tried to do worked. She was taking a beating, but she couldn't get close enough to hit it with her semblance. Along the way, something had broken her faceplate.
Suddenly, there was a heroic cry, and Yang fired herself into another evasive maneuver to try and see what was going on without exposing herself.
Prowl had cut his way out of the net… using a katana, and his eyes had shifted color to yellow.
"All right," declared the Autobot as his faceplate snapped into place, "let's get dangerous."
The mech aimed the long gun attached to its right arm at Prowl and fired. Incredibly, impossibly, the round was deflected into the ground with a simple twitch of the katana. The old CySec officer's reply was to throw out a trio of shuriken that… somehow veered off course into the ground.
Yang fired off another pair of mini-missiles, but the mech again shot them down. This time, the blonde was ready though, and she spiraled away from the return fire. That should have been a distraction, but while shooting at her, the mech was also firing at Prowl with its other gun.
"Sunfire, find the people! I'll take care of this!" yelled Prowl, clearly heard over the comset in Yang's helmet.
With a snap like cold water, Yang realized that the whole battle had just been a distraction. She boosted off and quickly scanned for lifesigns.
There! They were still alive, and she was off.
They weren't far away, but… no!
The androids, AK-200s, were lining people with bags over their heads up in front of a giant pit that had been freshly dug. Only two had rifles, and they were on overwatch. The rest were armed with machetes.
Those… monsters! They were going to hack all those people to death, and then toss their bodies away like trash. The sheer barbarity of it should have given her pause, even in her run, but instead, it only quickened her pace.
She fired off another recoil boost and came flying into the clearing where the dark deeds were set to occur. Her shot-gauntlets were raised, and she fired off an explosive round that blew apart one of the three extra androids armed with machetes. In reply, the ones with guns fired off a storm of projectiles that rippled against her aura. She raised Ember Celica to deflect some of the bullets and hit the ground in a roll.
The androids lining up the prisoners had all stopped to converge on her. It was the last mistake they would ever make. With the back of her helmet open now to allow the sunfire of her hair to burn freely, she threw her all into the next move she had.
"Solar!" screamed Yang as from the tip of Ember Celica's right gauntlet came a shining gold blade with a chrome edge that swiftly became coated in the roaring flames of her soul. "Slash!"
The blade came down in a diagonal cut that avoided the civilians entirely, and through the androids, it tore apart the air with a crescent wave of force like the light of the sun at dawn. And lo, the metal fiends were cast asunder, rent and hewn as if they had been mere stalks of wheat before the scythe. Then, all at once, they collapsed into bisected heaps.
Yang was glad, because with that final attack, her aura was spent. The shield of her soul collapsed. She was left alone with the sound of her breathing and the frantic cries of the civilians.
"Yang, this is Bumblebee. We're almost there."
"Acknowledged," she breathed out.
Just a short distance away, the battle between Prowl and that mech raged on. She had to rejoin the fight -- she had to -- but her aura was gone. She had nothing left to give.
A sudden sharp blow to the back of the head sent her tumbling to the ground. She looked up to see that she had missed two of the androids. They were armed with machetes, and they were getting ready to kill her so they could move on to killing the rest.
"No," she whispered as the blade rose to strike her down. Please, whoever's listening, let me protect these people.
With her arms feeling like it had been encased in a brick of solid dark matter, she struggled to raise her left just enough to…
Ember Celica fired, blowing one of her attackers to pieces and sending her left arm flying back into the ground with a thud more painful than she thought possible.
The other one was still going to kill her. It brought the machete down, and she just barely managed to twist enough to avoid being cut. Her right arm had come up in the process and was now pointing straight at the AK-200's dust core.
The blade deployed, and the android went limp.
Breathing heavily, she retracted her blade and attempted to dislodge herself from the tangle of metallic limbs. She felt like her whole body was on fire, like she was about to die. She had almost died. The civilians were still there, though, and they were crying.
Please, just a little more. Just a little more. They need to know everything is going to be all right.
Somehow, barely even thinking about it, Yang's auraless body picked itself up and crawled over to one of the people. She took the bag off his head. She was taken aback by what she saw.
It was Vix. She had known he had gone missing, but…no, no. Of course he had been kidnapped too. She knew this. She'd read the report. She was just too tired to think at that moment.
Yang delicately deployed part of the left blade of Ember Celica and cut his gag.
No sooner had she done that than he was croaking something out. "I didn't talk. They didn't get anything out of me."
She looked him up and down. "They took far too much from you."
The next person she freed was an old lady with cauterized wounds in place of too many of her fingers. She looked up at Yang in fear even as her binds were undone. To her, the blonde put one gloved hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. You're going to be all right. Just hang in there."
An alert flashed on her visor's display.
ERROR: SYSTEMS REBOOTING
The visor began to clear ever so slightly, which Yang recognized as it depolarizing. It peeved her off a bit, or maybe it was desperation? She didn't need someone seeing her face at any time, but… but the woman's eyes widened, and then she calmed down and smiled faintly, as if in recognition. In that, all Yang's consternation flowed away. If it helped people, then she could withstand anything that came her way.
SYSTEMS REBOOTED
The visor repolarized itself, and not a moment too soon. The hissing roar of tiltjets could be heard overhead, heralding the arrival of the White Fang's Bullheads to the clearing. In the sky, the familiar sound of transformation meant that the Aerialbots had arrived. She meant what she said.
"Sunfire, where are you?" asked Bumblebee. "That mech Prowl was fighting gave us the slip when we showed up."
One of the Bullheads landed, and out came Adam Taurus himself, flanked by several medics. They rushed over, and Yang felt the strength leave her. She collapsed by the side of the old woman. One of the medics took her in a carry to bring her over to the Bullhead.
"No, the others," she implored weakly. "Help them. I'm fine."
The medic laid her inside the Bullhead and gave her a pat on the shoulder before rushing back to the others. He was smiling. The one part of his face not covered by a mask was smiling. Why was that?
"Bumblebee," she whispered into her comms. "I'm okay, just tired. I'm with the White Fang right now. I'll try to get back to you soon."
From her position, she was able to see as Adam cut the bindings off the victims, and the medics went to work. It was a sight she never thought she would see. The White Fang… helping people, and not just helping them. They were helping regardless of race. How? How did that make sense?
It was something for her to ponder while her aura slowly trickled back in. It would recover, and it would recover soon.
Adam was saying something, and she was almost conscious enough to hear. He was walking back to her after that, though. He seemed concerned.
"Sunfire," he asked, "are you still with us?"
"Yes," she replied. "Yeah, I think I'm starting to get a little of my aura back."
"Do you know if Beacon Academy has an infirmary?" he inquired.
"Of course it does. It's big too, like a small hospital," answered Yang. "How are they doing?" She dared not ask about Maple specifically. Yang cared about Maple, but Sunfire wouldn't know her.
"Pretty bad, but they're stable for now," Adam said grimly before pulling out a scroll and bringing it up to his ear.
"Hello, Headmaster," he said after a moment. "Consider this an anonymous tip. Come to the coordinates I'm about to transmit to you. There are fifteen people here in need of immediate medical attention, including one Maple Bricks. I hear you people have been looking for her. Get here as quick as you can."
With that, he shut down the call and smashed the scroll to pieces.
"I've told them not to tell anyone about us, or the SDC will use that against them in court," explained Adam, pointing out at the abductees. "They can talk all they want about Joyce showing up, though, and what the SDC's butchers did to them. They get help, we don't get caught, and Jacques Schnee has a very bad day. Everyone wins. Except the SDC."
"What about the White Fang members?" asked Yang automatically.
"This wouldn't be the first time they've stayed quiet while in custody, medical or otherwise," summed up Adam. "As for the information they might have leaked to the SDC, it won't be of much use. We're changing everything again as we speak. They'll get nothing actionable."
"So that's it?" asked Yang with what she wished was a less distorted voice. "Mission accomplished?"
"Mission accomplished," confirmed Adam.
Weiss frowned as she watched Jaune and Pyrrha chatting. It... hurt, seeing them like that, but when Jaune wandered off to the punch table, she saw Pyrrha's shoulders slump slightly. What on Remnant was that girl doing? She decided to ask.
"Pyrrha."
The redhead looked up, and green eyes met blue. "Weiss."
The Atlesian girl glanced over at where Jaune was refilling his glass at the punch table, then looked back at Pyrrha. She cocked a curious eyebrow. "I'm surprised you haven't made a move on him yet."
"I... I..." Pyrrha stammered. "I'm going through a lot right now. We both are."
"Fine," Weiss declared. "If you won't make a move, then I will." With that, she spun on her heel and marched toward the punch table.
"Oh, hey, Weiss."
"Hello, Jaune," she said, smiling warmly at him. "I wanted to say hello before I get back on stage."
"Oh, of course," he said, nodding. "Your singing is as lovely as always."
"Thank you," she said. "And my next song... it's for you. I just wanted you to know that."
"F-for me?" he squeaked.
"Yes," she confirmed.
His expression turned serious. "Weiss," he said, "Pyrrha told me you, uh, you have feelings for me, but-"
"Shh," she shushed, pressing a finger to his lips. "Whatever you have to say, it can wait," she said. "Let me have this."
With that, she turned and walked away. And if she put a little extra shake in her hips? Well, she wasn't going to hold back, not for this, not tonight.
She found herself blinking back a few tears. She had a feeling she knew what he was trying to say, but she wasn't giving up. Not yet.
A few minutes later, she took to the little stage in front of Team RRFL, nodding at the Atlesians as she took center stage and grabbed the microphone. Looking at the dance floor, she saw... she saw Pyrrha talking to Jaune.
Her grip on the microphone tightened, but before she could even consider what to do, the music reached her cue.
Jaune started in surprise when a hand slipped into his, fingers interlacing. He glanced over. "Pyrrha?"
"May I have this dance?" she asked, her voice tremulous.
"Of course," he said. "I promised you one, after all, and an Arc always keeps his promises."
"I was cold in the dark.
It was empty in my life.
From the outside, it looked so bright,
But nothing felt right... to me."
It was empty in my life.
From the outside, it looked so bright,
But nothing felt right... to me."
As one, the two moved from the edge of the dance floor into the middle.
"She said this song was for me," Jaune murmured. "But those lyrics are so sad."
"They are," Pyrrha agreed. "I know how she feels."
"You would, wouldn't you?" he asked softly as they swayed to the music. He looked into her eyes and gave her a comforting smile. "But hey, you've got me now." He flushed. "And Ren and Nora and the rest of Team Rainbow."
"Yeah," she said wistfully. "Yeah, I do. And Weiss has us."
"That she does," he agreed, feeling a little more comfortable, back on somewhat familiar ground, even if something was prickling at the back of his mind.
"I saw a little ray of light come through.
The tiniest of sparks came into view.
And then...
You made me hope again."
The tiniest of sparks came into view.
And then...
You made me hope again."
"I just... I'm worried about hurting her, you know?" Jaune said quietly.
"You mean Weiss?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah." He nodded. "I mean, I know I chased after her for a while, but..." He trailed off.
The two continued dancing for a bit, until finally, Pyrrha prompted, "'But'?"
"For one thing, she only came to me when she was in a pretty bad headspace," he reminded her. "It... wouldn't be right."
"You're afraid you'd be taking advantage of her?" she asked, suddenly feeling her heart constrict.
"Sort of?" he said. He shook his head. "But... even if it weren't like that, I just... I don't feel that way about her. I guess I moved on."
"To Ruby."
"Kinda, yeah," he confirmed sadly. "Ruby was... I don't know why she did... any of it. But she made me feel like no one else ever did except-" His eyes widened as he cut himself off. He shook his head. "But that's in the past now."
"Except who?" Pyrrha asked curiously. "A crush back home? A girlfriend?"
"...no," he said, staring into her eyes. "Not someone back home."
She felt her heart flutter. Why is he looking at me like that?
"I wanna take a chance and make you see.
I think that you're the one who'll rescue me.
This time,
You're finally gonna see you should be mine."
I think that you're the one who'll rescue me.
This time,
You're finally gonna see you should be mine."
Take a chance, Pyrrha thought. She closed her eyes, screwing up her courage, then brought her hands up to hang loosely from the back of his neck.
"Jaune?"
"Ye-mmph?"
Jaune froze as she pressed her lips against his, pouring her heart and soul into the kiss, but he didn't respond. After a moment -- both too long and not nearly long enough -- she withdrew. She looked at him, searching his face for a response, but all she saw in his expression was stunned shock.
"I-I'm sorr-mmph?"
Pyrrha's brain short-circuited then.
He's... kissing me, she realized. He's kissing me!
When he pulled away, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.
"I'm an idiot, Pyrrha," he said. "Could you ever forgive me?"
"But what about Ruby?" she asked, the words coming unbidden to her lips.
"That's in the past, Pyrrha," he replied. "I'm thinking about the future."
"And that other girl?" she asked, daring to hope but needing to know. "The one who made you feel like Ruby did?"
"I'm looking at her."
Back on stage, Weiss finished her song, and as she did, she looked out at the boy she had been pouring her heart out to. He was dancing again with Pyrrha after the two of them had kissed, twice. She had lost, totally and completely. She had lost, just as she had perhaps always known she would, even if she hadn't found it in her to give up.
But… Jaune was happy. Pyrrha was happy. That's what was important. Even if she had lost, it didn't matter as long as the people she cared for were happy. Besides, she had come prepared. Prepared, perhaps, for a different redhead, but prepared nonetheless, and she could fudge things to make them work.
She glanced over to Rain and signaled a different song, and he nodded and passed it on.
"You know, it's funny," Jaune reflected as they danced along. "These lyrics are almost accurate."
"'Almost'?" echoed Pyrrha. "How are they off?"
"I didn't just start developing feelings for you," he explained.
"You didn't?" asked Pyrrha, her heart fluttering. "When did you? If that's not too invasive a question."
"Well, the seeds were sown in initiation, if I'm being honest," answered Jaune, and Pyrrha could feel herself lighting up like a fireplace. "But I wasn't, not back then. After that first date with Weiss, though, I started to clear my head, work things out. Started to realize how you were always there for me. I thought about maybe taking it further."
"Why didn't you?" asked Pyrrha, already knowing the answer and dreading it.
"Two reasons," he said. "First, I promised myself I'd focus on my training. I felt I owed you that much at least. And second, I didn't know if you felt the same way, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Then Ruby, ah, convinced me to go on that first date, and you..." he hesitated, "...and you let her." He paused. "I thought you didn't feel that way about me, so-"
"I'm sorry," gasped Pyrrha as she held Jaune close, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. "I'm sorry. I've been such a fool."
"Why? When did you start liking me?" asked Jaune confidently.
"I've been in love with you since the first moment I saw you on the airship to Beacon," she admitted.
Jaune blinked owlishly. "Okay, love at first sight. Wasn't expecting that."
"Mmm-hmm," confirmed Pyrrha, leaning into him.
"'Cause today is the start of the rest of our lives.
I can see it in your eyes,
Oh! That it's real, and it's true,
And it's just me and you.
Could it be? That it's true? That it's you?"
I can see it in your eyes,
Oh! That it's real, and it's true,
And it's just me and you.
Could it be? That it's true? That it's you?"
Too soon, it felt like the song came to an end, and so did the dancing, at least for a minute or two.
"I wonder who the next song is going to be dedicated to," wondered Jaune.
"Whoever it is should be very happy," observed Pyrrha. "Weiss is a wonderful singer."
When Taiyang Xiao Long walked into Beacon Academy's ballroom to find the Beacon Dance well under way, he did so with a lightness to his step, his head unconsciously bobbing with the music. His part of getting Amber to safety had been completed, and even with half the Fall Maiden's power, fighting through a Skylord's defenses would be a tough nut to crack. He couldn't help but agree with James that the abduction situation was terribly timed. His daughters deserved a chance to relax and have fun, rather than spending that time conked out because they had been up for well over a day straight looking for their friend.
The song they were all dancing to was one that was a slower number compared to some of the songs he had danced to back when Team STRQ was still together, not that he was unfamiliar with them. There had been one time, during the lead-up to that year's Vytal Festival, when Raven had donned a ball gown, and as they waltzed, he made the decision then to ask her to marry him. He popped the question by the end of the week, and by the time the tournament was over, they were married. He remembered having a friend who was a teacher in the city asking why they rushed into things like that, but to a Huntsman, every moment was precious, so why waste them dancing around what you were going to do anyway?
Every moment with someone was precious; that was a lesson he had learned the hard way twice already. The first time had been with Raven. The second time had been with Summer. Two loves, two wives, two periods of happiness that came to an end all too soon. When his brother-in-law had snapped him out of his depression, he vowed he wouldn't learn that lesson a third or fourth time. He would treasure every single wonderful moment with the two wonderful daughters his wives had given him.
Still, there were times when he felt that those precious moments were getting recycled. Like when he was looking out on the dance floor and seeing Sun and Blake dancing. Sun was looking good in a suit that he was surprised anyone was able to get him into, while Blake was wearing a purple dress that almost befitted her station... because of course, the parallels to Raven just did not stop stacking up. After all, how far removed was a bandit princess from a former terrorist princess? It was like he was having an out of body experience and watching his past self… if he had a tail.
"It's not like anything was missing,
But not everything was there.
I know that life was made just for us,
And these are moments we will share."
But not everything was there.
I know that life was made just for us,
And these are moments we will share."
The song came to an end, and an intermission settled in. Taiyang took it as an opportunity to mingle with some of the teachers and get the downlow on how things were progressing. After all, he was one of the chaperones, and so far, he had no clue where any of the major issues were.
He moseyed on over to the punch bowl and found Professor Peter Port and Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck chatting it up.
"Hey, guys!" greeted Taiyang as he walked on in to the situation. "What's the damage so far?"
"None, sadly," reported Peter.
"Thankfully," corrected Bart.
"Yes, thankfully," amended Peter with a chuckle. "Well, aside from a broken heart or two."
"Yes, but we get those every time we hold these dances. Taiyang, do you know how many dances are held during the period of the Vytal Festival?" asked Bart in his typical rapid-fire style.
"Officially or unofficially?" inquired Taiyang.
"Good point," relented Bart. "The important part is that every time this happens, there are a substantial number of students who wind up finding out that the one for them isn't the one for them, and this causes the school's mental health specialists no end of grief."
"Sometimes, I like to step in and tell the students that there are other fish in the sea, and that they can't all be as masculine as I am, or as beautiful as my special lady," put in Peter with a growl at the end.
"Wow, first James, and now you? Seems like love is in the air lately," remarked Taiyang.
"James? As in James Ironwood?" asked Bart cautiously, and Taiyang nodded. "Hmpf. I'll believe it when I see it. No offense to the good general, but there's a reason everyone says he has no heart. Him being romantically involved with someone is about as preposterous as Glynda wanting children of her own."
"You know, James does have two kids," pointed out Taiyang. "And it's not like they were starved for attention growing up."
"Fair point," admitted Bart. "It seems I'll have to concede yet again."
"The point is that we've hardly had any troubles. It's been a fairly steady night," wrapped up Peter. Then his eyes caught something behind Taiyang and off to the side. "Uh oh, perhaps I spoke too soon. Argument at ten o' clock. Looks like Atlas versus Beacon."
Taiyang turned around to find a group of girls confronting Blake and Sun. There were a dozen possible reasons for that, but Sun actually wearing a shirt eliminated one of them. He really hoped it wasn't because they were faunus, though. High society Atlesian ladies being racist against faunus? That was just so… cliched. The last thing he wanted to do was lecture some foreign girls on how they were living down to the stereotypes.
"Should we call one of the Atlesian professors over and double team this?" asked Bart.
"Don't worry, guys. I got this," answered Taiyang before walking closer to the arguing group, and as he did, their argument became clearer.
"I'm telling you, I am Blake Belladonna!" insisted the raven-haired -- again, the similarities kept stacking up -- girl emphatically.
"Now, don't you go lying again, sugarcube," said the blonde girl with a thickly accented drawl. "I know the truth when I see it, and there's something about you that just isn't quite right."
"Like the fact that she's walking around posing as a dead woman," said a faunus with pony ears sticking out of her literal rainbow of a mane.
"Hey, girls, lay off. I'm telling you, she's the real deal," said Sun protectively, a tone only reinforced by the fact that he was partially standing in front of Blake.
"How can you be so sure?" inquired the girl wearing glasses. "How can you be so sure that this is the real Blake? If she didn't die, then where has she been all this time?"
"Man, you Atlesian students really are straight-laced," interjected Taiyang, breaking the argument and causing all eyes to turn on him.
"Beg your pardon, Mister...?" asked the blonde, trailing off.
"Taiyang, Taiyang Xiao Long. I'm one of the chaperones for the night," the Signal teacher introduced himself. "And you heard what I said. You're too straight-laced. I mean, none of you have ever faked your own deaths?"
"What? Pfft. Of course we have. Right, girls?" said the rainbow-haired girl in a manner that didn't fool Taiyang for a second.
"Wait, so Professor Oobleck was telling the truth when he said that Blake Belladonna wasn't dead? That wasn't just part of a cover up?" asked the girl with glasses.
Taiyang chuckled. "Oh? You fell for the old fake cover up too huh? That's the oldest trick in the book."
"That's, uh… okay then, so this is all perfectly normal?" asked the blonde girl in a stumbling voice.
"Yep. Perfectly normal Beacon things," confirmed Taiyang. "At least, that's the way it was when I was a student here."
"Okay, okay… okay. Well, we're sorry for doubting you, Blake. I guess we'll just be on our way. Or something," said the glasses girl as she took her two friends and walked away.
When they were gone, Blake turned to look at him. "Thanks for the help, Mister Xiao Long."
"Any time, you two," he replied easily.
"Were you serious about faking your death and then faking a cover up of your fake death?" asked Sun in a tone that made it clear he was dreading the answer.
"Of course," replied Taiyang earnestly. "Qrow did it for a few weeks in our third year here. Do they not still do that?"
Blake and Sun both slowly shook their heads in shock.
"Shame," lamented Taiyang. "Or maybe it's just an upper year thing."
The students exchanged uncertain looks, then Sun said, "Actually, it's great that you're here, sir. There's a question I've been pondering the past few days. Blake, could you give us a few?"
"Sure," Blake replied. "I guess I'll go mingle with the other guests. Maybe ask that girl why she looks like she just came off the boat from Menagerie."
Sun looked over at who she was pointing to. "That's Shadow. Penny's team leader? You met her the other day."
The dark-haired girl froze at that. "Oh. I probably shouldn't go over there then. The last thing she needs is the human who ruined her friend's night asking about her clothes from Menagerie. That's a hot political mess."
Taiyang blinked. "People think you're… but you're Blake Belladonna. There was a news blurb when you disappeared years ago. Or are you some different Blake who looks exactly like her?"
Her mouth fell open a bit. "You knew too, Mister Xiao Long?"
"Well, I mean, he is old," pointed out Sun, to which Blake looked aghast.
"And don't you forget it, you youngsters," said Taiyang cheerfully. "Seriously though, is that what the bow is for?"
"It was," admitted Blake with a pout, and then the bow twitched slightly. "But I couldn't just throw it away when Weiss went through all that trouble to restore it."
"Ah, friendship bow. Say no more," replied Taiyang, thinking back to one of the many episodes between Raven and Summer. "Bit of a tip? Be extra careful around Manticores while wearing that."
Blake nodded, then leaned over to give Sun a peck on the cheek. "I guess I'll just go thank Weiss for writing that song for us. Be back soon."
Sun smiled as he watched Blake walk off towards the stage.
"I see things worked out for you," Tai observed. "Didn't run too far, did she?"
"No, sir, she didn't," Sun confirmed, shaking his head. "Sir, um, this is kind of awkward, but... I've recently discovered a girl I was told liked me actually did." He then added hastily. "I mean, I'm totally happy with Blake. I just... I didn't find out until I broke her heart."
Tai winced. "Yeah. That, uh, that happens."
Sun stared at him. "What?" He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. "Forget it. Reason I bring it up is because there's another girl I've been told likes me."
Okay, Tai thought. That's new.
"Specifically," Sun continued, his tail coiling and uncoiling nervously behind him, "your daughter, Yang. And I can't help but wonder if it's true. I'd hate to hurt her, but..."
Tai offered a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it, Sun," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Even if she does, she'll move on. She's a strong girl."
And she obviously wants you to be happy, he thought. So much like Summer...
Tai wasn't going to go against Yang's obvious wishes. If she had wanted to make a move, she would have, and Sun would know how she felt. She was direct like that.
"Oh, okay," said Sun, obviously relieved. "I just wondered, you know, why you gave me that advice."
The older blond shook his head. "It had nothing to do with trying to keep you away from my daughter. Either of them. They're both big girls; they can take care of themselves. I'm not going to interfere in their love lives," he assured Sun, his gaze sweeping across the dance floor.
He frowned.
"Though maybe I should," he growled as his eyes fixed on a certain other young blond, this one dancing with a redhead. The wrong redhead, that is, considering his girlfriend -- Tai's daughter -- was currently asleep in her dorm room.
Sun followed his gaze. "Umm..."
"You mean you didn't hear?" came Blake's voice, startling the two blonds.
"Hear what?" Tai demanded, glaring at the kunoichi.
"Ruby broke up with Jaune."
Confusion crossed the Signal teacher's face. "She did? Why?"
Blake shook her head. "No idea. She won't say. Broke the poor guy's heart." She paused, lowering her head. "Happened right after I came back. She insists it's not my fault, but..."
"Blake," Sun interjected, "I'm not opposed to angst. In fact, I like to engage in a little brooding myself some-"
"No, you don't," she interrupted.
"...okay, you're right, I don't," he acknowledged. "But my point is, how could that possibly be your fault? Draw me a picture."
The two faunus stared at each other.
"Well?" prodded Sun triumphantly.
"I'm thinking. I'm thinking." Blake shook her head, holding up a finger. "I'll get back to you on that." She looked at Tai. "But yeah, Ruby won't say why she broke up with him, and it's not exactly easy to figure out. She's been pretty distant from just about everyone since then, really."
Tai stared at her. Then looked back to where Jaune and Pyrrha were dancing. Pyrrha, that incredibly deadly, yet incredibly kind and sweet teammate of his...
What.
That was when his scroll rang. Desperate for a distraction, he quickly answered it.
"Tai, it's Ozpin. We just got a call claiming to have found them. I'm heading out there with a medical team. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the dance."
Tai's grip tightened on his scroll, but he could connect the dots. He was too close to the issue.
"You got it, Oz."
It had been nearly twenty hours since she had packed herself into the crate when Cinder broke her way out, boxes of freeze-dried food spilling everywhere as she did so. With any luck, it would just look like poor workmanship until she could get out of there. Of course, getting out of there would be meaningless if she couldn't get the massive suitcase in her arms to some place where it would actually do some damage.
The Fall Maiden was on this ship; she could feel her. So close to her, the ever present emptiness inside of Cinder, the hunger, was almost overpowering. She needed to kill her and take the rest of the power that was rightfully hers. Of course, the Fall Maiden was likely under heavy guard, and she would never be allowed anywhere near her, which meant that she had to think of an alternate solution.
The plan was simple. Using the stolen Atlesian combat uniform she was wearing, she would work her way to the engine room, or the armory, or the fuel storage, or anywhere else where something appropriately volatile was stored. Once there, she would activate the bomb and set the timer. She would then work her way to the hangar and steal an airship to sneak away. Once the bomb went off, the secondary explosions would bring the airship crashing down, and then, if the Fall Maiden was still alive, she would make her way to the crash site to kill her personally.
Of course, she wouldn't have been able to get there without Soundwave's information. He was the one who, somehow, fingered this particular airship as the one she needed to infiltrate. If he thought that this somehow meant she owed him, though, he was in for a very rude, very lethal awakening.
She crept out of the enormous pantry warily. No sign of anyone. So far, so good. She kept moving, pulling her precious cargo with her as she tried to orient herself within the gigantic airship. She'd swapped the suitcase out. There was a risk -- however small -- that the old one might be recognized, as it matched the luggage she had been forced to leave behind at Beacon, and it wasn't like the owner of the new one would miss it.
The corridors were largely empty, though she could hear the hustle and bustle of a large quantity of people within the various rooms as she passed them. Combat exercises were underway, which meant everyone was already at their stations, leaving the hallways conveniently clear. She still had to be careful, though. There would be sentries near key locations, and some ready stations required quick movement.
Which, now that she thought about it, ruled out the main engines. It would be crawling with engineers and technicians, ready to leap toward any malfunction or problem, real or simulated.
The upper decks, she decided when she came to a ladder. The air cruiser's bridge was in the lower part of the hull, after all. Now, she just had to lug the suitcase up.
She stifled a groan. Be stoic, she told herself. Be Atlesian.
Being Atlesian, she decided after two decks, sucked.
Screw it, she thought, gasping for breath. This... this deck will have to do.
"Hey."
She froze and turned to the voice. An Atlesian sailor looked at her curiously, but he seemed relaxed rather than suspicious.
"Yes?"
"You look a little lost."
"New transfer," she said. "Never served on a Skylord before this trip to Beacon. Still learning my way around and got turned around."
He nodded at the suitcase. "What's that?"
"Classified," she said. "I need to get to the magazine."
The sailor tensed at that, and she resisted the urge to fry him then and there. "Say," he said, "I don't suppose you remember the third verse of the Atlesian anthem?"
She stared at him through the screen of her outwardly featureless helmet. To bluff or just kill him? He wasn't armed, though, so it wasn't like he was likely to be a threat. "No," she admitted exasperatedly. "Who in the world does?"
He chuckled and relaxed. "Only someone trying too hard," he agreed. "Magazine's two decks down and forward, can't miss it." He paused, then pointed. "Bow's that way, since you said you got turned around."
She resisted the urge to whimper at that. "Right. Thanks."
Several minutes later, she was back on the deck she'd started on and heading toward the bow of the ship. She glanced back at the suitcase. "You'd better be worth this," she muttered darkly.
Sure enough, the helpful crewman was right. The magazine couldn't be missed. The numerous warning signs against flame, sparks, and aura flaring made that clear. Or if it wasn't the magazine, it was certainly something else equally volatile.
The two armed sentries were pretty good evidence too.
She sighed, then left the suitcase as she walked around the corner, brazenly walking up to them.
"Halt!" one of them ordered as they leveled their weapons at her.
"Hello, boys," she said seductively as she sauntered up. She had her hands up. "Don't worry. I'm unarmed."
"I said 'halt!'" he repeated, even as she stopped just out of arm's reach.
"What's your operating number?" the other asked.
She smiled... then lowered her hands, flash-forging glass blades and stabbing them each in the throat.
As the two slumped to the floor, she turned and hurried back to grab the suitcase and the MARS bomb within it, dragging it up to the magazine's doorway. She let out a whine of frustration. It was locked. Because of course it was.
Still, that was easy enough to deal with. She brushed her hand across the locking mechanism, activating her semblance. With a Scorching Caress, the lock melted away...
...triggering a shipwide alarm, because of course it did.
That galvanized her. There was no more time for whining in self-pity or frustration. She had to move. With the locking mechanism melted away, she slid the door open, then ducked as a pair of AK-200s fired at her. The rounds impacted the wall behind her, and she glanced back.
Ice dust, she thought, noting the frozen patches of wall. It made sense. Less likely to accidentally set off a chain reaction. It made it difficult for her though. While she wanted to blow it up, she didn't want to do so while she was still in the room, which meant her usual firepower would have to be curtailed.
So be it.
She charged in, glass blades at the ready, bouncing side to side, then somersaulted over their line of fire before plunging the blades into the robots' heads.
She looked around. "Any more surprises?!" she demanded of the empty room.
Aside from the alarm klaxon, she got no reply.
She whirled and hauled the suitcase into the ship's magazine, then laid it on the floor and opened it. Popping open the access panel she'd already modified to inconvenience any would-be heroes, she keyed in the detonation sequence and set the timer. A bit of her semblance spot-welded the access panel shut, and as she departed, she also welded the door to the room shut.
Just as well. She turned as she heard the sound of running footsteps. Her gaze met the lead Atlesian soldier as he reached out and forced his trigger-happy companion's rifle down, hissing a warning.
Cinder took the opportunity to bolt down the other way.
Now, she had to find a way off the ship. That meant heading for the hangars, and those, she knew where to find. Now that she was found out, though, she could use the full width and breadth of her power. There would be no further setbacks.
WIth her discovery, she briefly entertained the idea of just hunting down the other Fall Maiden directly, here and now... but good sense -- and a recollection of just how much time she'd put on the timer -- put paid to that thought.
Several minutes later, Cinder was screaming at her stolen VTOL's controls as she desperately threw it into one maneuver after another while trying to ignore how the shattered remains of her disguise rubbed against her bruised skin or how a dozen different alarms were blaring in her ears.
"Oh, come on! Just how many missiles do they have anyway?! Just let me leave!"
"Where's that cutting torch?" Dial Tone called, bracing himself against the bulkhead as the airship dived. With enemy action on board, it was better to be closer to the ground if something went wrong and, if necessary, evacuate the ship.
"Here, Sarge." He accepted the tool and brought it up. Cinder had somehow welded shut the door to the ship's magazine. A part of him would dearly like to ask her how, since she had obviously not been carrying any welding equipment, but that would have to wait. Pursuing her was someone else's duty; his job right now was making sure whatever surprise she had left in the ship's magazine didn't kill them all.
"Come on, come on," he muttered as the cutting torch parted the hasty welding around the door frame with agonizing slowness.
Several long minutes passed until, finally, he burned the final cut, a pair of Atlesian troopers catching the door as it fell. Dial Tone clambered in and found himself staring at something he'd only seen in documents and hoped he would never see in real life.
It was the stolen MARS prototype bomb.
"Nuts," he said, digging into his pocket for his hardened, military-issue scroll. With a few flicks, he brought up the disarming documentation and set to work.
Opening the access panel proved another challenge, and Cinder had apparently done a bit of spot-welding there too. A screwdriver and enough leverage put paid to that obstacle, though, and he looked at the cheap keypad and display that lay underneath.
A display that was showing a distressingly short countdown.
00:45
He glanced at the file on his scroll.
"Oh, for-! It's a prototype, MARS!" he complained under his breath as he began keying in the code. "Why on Remnant did you put in a thirty-digit disarming code instead of just using a pull handle?"
00:34
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he typed in the last digits and tapped the Enter key.
The code vanished, the cursor blinking at him tauntingly.
"What?"
00:18
He looked at the keypad again and cursed himself for not noticing earlier before he began reentering the code.
At the bottom of the keypad, right next to the Enter key, was a Clear key, and he could see some chips and scratches at the bases of them. She must have physically swapped the keys.
00:07
Only a few digits left. He began tapping, no! An error. He backspaced and continued.
00:02
He reached for the key marked Clear.
00:00
Yang yawned as she climbed off the Bullhead in the concealed cave attached to the White Fang's Forever Fall safehouse and began the trek through the hidden facility to the exit at the top of the cliff that faced the ocean to the north. Adam had explained that the reason he'd called the location into Beacon rather than the regular Vale authorities was to reduce -- if not eliminate -- the chance of a cover up there. If they could nail the SDC to the wall for this...
With the Beacon staff en route, hitching a ride with the White Fang to the safehouse -- flying low to the surface in a wide loop around Beacon's campus -- had been the fastest way for her to get clear without being spotted. And she had been too exhausted to argue with the medics or really follow what was going on. She had been so exhausted, in fact, that she'd nodded off during the flight and was only now waking up. Even then, as she and Adam emerged from the concealed entrance on the clifftop, she could see the morning sun peeking over the horizon.
"Well, thanks for the escort, Adam," she said as she gave him a wave, "but I have places to be."
"Wait," Adam said.
She paused and looked over at him curiously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I wanted to thank you," he said, the words coming reluctantly.
Yang shrugged. "They needed help."
He shook his head. "And that's really all it takes for you, isn't it?" he asked wonderingly. "Where were you five years ago?"
"That would be telling," Yang replied with a cheeky smile she knew he couldn't see through her helmet and polarized visor.
"Hmm, I suppose it would," he acknowledged. He began pacing around agitatedly.
"Adam?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
He barked out a bitter laugh, throwing his head back. "No. No, nothing's wrong. Except for everything I used to believe, that is." He spun to face her, reaching one hand into a pocket while the other jabbed a finger at her. "Listen, I don't really know who you are under that helmet, Sunfire, and I'm not even entirely sure what you are, but I've been thinking about this for a while, and last night... you earned this."
Adam lowered his hand, withdrawing the other from his pocket and holding it out. Yang blinked in surprise to see a Grimm mask, not unlike his own, but with gold markings in addition to the red ones.
"This is... for me?" she asked in disbelief.
"Like I said," he responded, "you've earned it." He turned his head away and coughed awkwardly. "I got the measurements from Ironhide."
"Adam," she said tentatively, "what happened to not wanting me wearing one of these all the time?"
"I said it was the last thing I needed," Adam reminded her, turning his head back to look at her again. "And... I think it still is. The last thing I needed for... a new beginning. For us. For the White Fang, at least here in Vale."
Yang shook her head in denial. "Adam, I told you before, the only way I'd start wearing this full-time is if I planned on actually joining."
"Isn't that what you have been doing these past few months?" he countered. "Hanging around, helping us out, talking to people."
"Adam," -- she could hear the frustration creeping into her voice -- "don't you get it? I've been dancing around it, but I'm human, and last I checked, the White Fang has a pretty strict 'no humans' policy."
"It wasn't always that way," he reminded her. "That's Sienna Khan's policy."
"But you agreed with her, didn't you?"
"So?" he retorted. "Yes, I used to think all humans were irredeemable. I used to think a lot of things. And a lot of them were wrong." He tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. "I'm not deaf, Sunfire. I heard the whispers, comparing us to the Decepticons, me to Megatron. I want to change that, turn us around, follow in Optimus's footsteps." He lowered his gaze to look at her again. "Like I said before, a new beginning, a new dawn for the Vale White Fang. And it starts with you."
Yang held her tongue, on an invisible knife's edge and not sure which way she would fall. The White Fang were terrorists. They'd done terrible terrible things and hurt so many people. The man in front of her had been a driving force for that, perhaps more than any other person save Sienna Khan herself. He was not a good guy. He was, in fact, a very bad guy, who probably only worked with the Autobots because they held superior firepower.
But… he had changed since she first met him. She wasn't arrogant enough to think it was because of her, but he had changed. Ironhide, Optimus Prime, and all the other Autobots, they had given him a new perspective on things, and they had helped him change. Where once there was only hatred and fury, now there was instead a fierce determination that came from new purpose.
There was hope.
It was something that she understood very well.
Joining the Autobots? That had been easy. Acceptance had been easy too. She pulled her weight, and she stood her ground for the fight. She did better than Cliffjumper, at least, and it wasn't like the Autobots were an exclusive organization.
The White Fang were an exclusive organization, and not just because High Leader Khan had banned humans from the ranks. If she joined the White Fang, and if she was discovered, she could kiss her career as a Huntress goodbye. The profession of her father, the profession of her mother, the profession of her sister, the thing she had wanted her whole life… gone. There was no way any of them would understand; there was just too much blood spilt.
But she wouldn't be alone in that. Brock, Maple, Tukson, Vix, and probably even Adam himself had to deal with keeping their identity secret, lest the whole world fall down upon them, and yet still, every day, they kept putting on that mask, knowing the risks. Could she do less?
Adam's hand began to close, and his expression changed to be more nervous. "It's okay if you need time to think it over, or if you don't want it at all. I wouldn't blame you, frankly. We've done some pretty stupid things. I don't know if we can ever make it right, either. All I can say is that we're going to try to be better."
Yang's gloved hands reached out to grab hold of his closing hand and the offering in it. His mask met the gaze of her helmet's visor. A heartbeat passed between them.
"And I want to be right there alongside you when it's happening," she said in a voice she really wished wasn't distorted by her helmet. "I'm with you till the end of the line."
Adam's hand uncurled again, and she gently took the mask.
"Till all are one," he replied with a smile.
Yang turned around and, with her back to him, took her helmet off and let it fall to the ground. It hit the grass with a soft thump and clattered off an exposed root. Her golden tresses fell free in a great shining wave.
She looked down and brought the mask up to her face. She was shaking and had to calm herself down. She was nervous, yes, but she was also weeping tears of joy.
The mask went on, and she secured it in place. It felt… odd. Comfortable, but with a history unwritten. It felt like a new beginning.
She turned around and looked at Adam through the slits of her mask. It wasn't Raven Branwen's hand-me-down. It wasn't a loaner. It was hers.
"How do I look?" she asked joyfully.
"Like you belong," was his succinct reply. "Welcome to the White Fang, sister."
"Oh, please tell me you're not going to call me that all the time now," she jibed with a chuckle. "But thanks. I can't tell you how much-"
Yang was interrupted by the brightest flash of light she had ever seen.
"Ah!" she cried, holding up her hands to her face and grateful to the mask's slits for blocking out most of the searing light.
"Sunfire!" shouted Adam, ducking down to look at her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," insisted the masked blonde. "I'm just seeing spots."
"What was-?"
Yang forced her eyes open as she looked up, finding Adam's gaze transfixed on the northeast, the end of the Emerald Forest. She stood up straight and followed his gaze. What she saw was… smoke and fire rising from beyond the horizon in a great cloud shaped like a mushroom. But... that couldn't be right. If it was as far away as it seemed, it would have to be impossibly huge. She could also see a giant wave of force rippling across the water and through the forest towards them.
The loudest bang either of them had ever heard hit them, but from a great distance. It was like the rumbling of a thunderstorm mixed with the roar of a fantastic beast grander than any Grimm. They had to adjust their stances to keep from toppling over from the shaking.
Then it was over, and the forest came alive with panicking animals. Above the din, the communicator on Yang's wrist beeped. She hit it and brought it up to her mouth.
"Sunfire, are you all right?" came Bumblebee's clearly worried voice.
Yang looked at Adam, and he nodded, barely. "We're fine. Bee, what was that?"
"Atomic detonation. Probably airburst. Bulkhead's estimating that it could be as much as a hundred kilotons," was Bumblebee's explanation. "Look, we need to get you and whoever is with you over to Ratchet so he can check you out for radiation exposure from the fallout."
"'Fallout'? 'Atomic'? 'Kiloton'? Bumblebee, what do any of those words mean?" implored Yang as she looked out at the ever growing cloud.
"It means… I don't know what it means," admitted Bumblebee. "Something big just happened, though. Organics don't just deploy nuclear weapons to play around."
Neither Yang nor Adam knew what that meant either, but the one thing they did know for sure was that after that morning… nothing would ever be the same again.
Cinder clawed herself to her feet, then staggered and stumbled, blindly reaching for something -- anything -- to use as support.
Anything to keep from falling to her knees.
She coughed from the smoke. She could feel her ribs spiking with pain with each breath and the heat of nearby fires beating against her skin from all around... but she also felt something else. She felt power, though it would take time for her to harness it.
She seemed to have lost a few minutes somewhere. Her stolen shuttle had been shot down, and she'd been cornered by Atlesian VTOLs that were about to start offloading Atlesian Knights and soldiers. The last thing she remembered was a blinding flash from the air cruiser in the distance behind them and a wall of force smashing into her and sending her flying.
Cinder felt her groping hand brush against the relatively cool hull of an Atlesian craft. Whether it was the dropship she'd stolen or one of her pursuers, she could not tell. The flash may have blinded her and tossed her around like a ragdoll, but the Atlesians who had shot her down must have fared worse, else they would be taking her into custody now.
Using the fallen craft for support, she forced herself upright, standing unsteadily.
She was alone, blinded, battered, surrounded by a burning forest.
Fine. She'd gotten out of worse before, and now... now, she had the full power of the Fall Maiden. That insatiable hunger she had felt for so long was... quieted, at least for now. Her hand twitched, and she could feel the magic flow, the heat of the small fireball she created. Yes, power. But right now, even the power of a Maiden seemed to pale against what she'd just witnessed.
"Efficiency could be improved," a familiar electronic monotone observed, "but still impressive for an initial prototype, considering the primitive technological base."
"Soundwave," she hissed through her teeth. "What are you doing here?".
"I have been observing you," he replied. "I wished to see with my own optics what you would do with the information I provided you. I have my surveillance assets supplying me with a more comprehensive view."
"And what is your assessment?" she demanded.
"You are arrogant and ignorant, a reckless child playing with power beyond your comprehension," was the blunt reply, "but you are also resourceful and determined. However, your chassis appears damaged."
"My aura's working on it," she spat. Or rather, it was working on holding her together while it recovered enough to heal her.
She heard the crunch of heavy footsteps on the ground in front of her, and she resisted the urge to step back as she felt his presence looming over her. She would not show weakness.
"This will help." That was her only warning before she felt something jab into her upper arm. An injection.
Before she could protest, she felt her aura strengthen. The pain in her ribs faded, and her eyes blinked clear. She could feel the energy flowing through her veins. She hadn't felt this alive since... since...
She looked up at the genuflecting Soundwave and the syringe in his hand.
"What was that?" she demanded.
Soundwave looked down at her impassively as he rose to his feet.
"Energex," he answered. "It is an experimental aura booster developed for the Atlesian military. Intended for medical purposes, projections indicate it would also provide significant amplification of certain capabilities. Long-term effects, however, remain untested."
Atlesian, hmm? she thought.
"Our alliance has already proven beneficial to you," Soundwave observed. "Would you be willing to continue this alliance?"
"Perhaps," she hedged. "What are you offering?"
"What do you want?"
"Power," answered Cinder Fall. "Revenge." Her eyes narrowed. "I want Prime."
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
A lot's happened in this volume, and the many climatic battles of volume 3 are just around the corner. Before we get to those however we have a few bases we need to touch on in the second interlude. First up, we join Team JNPR for a special mission as we see them crawl out through the "Fallout."
"Oh, I hate it when she does that," moaned the lion faunus as he walked dejectedly out of his secret chamber.
Most people would likely find that strange if they found out. Most people weren't headmasters though, and they were used to keeping secrets and hidden passages. But most headmasters didn't keep these sorts of secrets.
Still, these were all secrets, and so it was with a great deal of surprise and shock when Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart of Haven exited the secret passage into his locked office and found it already occupied.
"Hello, Leo," greeted Raven Branwen, standing tall and proud in the middle of his office as if she owned it.
"Raven," addressed Leonardo, trying to avoid making eye-contact with that Grimm mask she wore as he fumbled behind his back to close the door behind him. "To what do I owe the pleasure? How did you get in?"
The bandit queen began stalking languidly toward him. "Oh, Leo, I'm just here to catch up. You know, chat a bit."
"Anything in particular?" he asked.
"Salem," Raven said bluntly, the name sending a chill down Leonardo's spine. "I'm curious. How did she turn you?"
"How dare you accuse of something like that," he denied, but even to him, the words rang hollow. He simply wasn't able to muster the indignation.
"Did she offer you power?" Raven speculated aloud. "No, that was never your thing. Glory?"
The headmaster clenched his fists impotently, hanging his head in shame. "The only thing that matters, in the end," he admitted reluctantly. "My life. You of all people should understand."
"I suppose I do," she admitted with a curt nod. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Leo."
Against all logic and survival instincts, he obeyed.
That mask hadn't been nearly as terrifying the last time he had looked at it, had it?
"Leo, you knew it had to come to this."
"Wh-what do you mean?" he feigned.
"Oh, come now, Leo," she purred, close enough that her mask filled his vision. "I was content to sit out this eternal war, but then you had to drag me back in."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stubborn as ever." She sighed. "Leo, you sent MARS after me. And before that... well, either you've been insulting me with those pathetic little Huntsmen you've been sending my way, or you've been using me to eliminate them. And you know how I feel about being used."
He never even saw Raven draw her blade.
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Interlude 2-1: Fallout
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V2E15: Dawn of a New Age | Interlude 2-1: Fallout | Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse)
Interlude 2-1: Fallout
* * *
Interlude 2-1: Fallout
* * *
"When it rains, it pours, huh?" summed up Nora succinctly as she cut apart her well-done steak.
The only reply from the morose Team ABRN was from Bolin. "Headmaster Lionheart is dead."
Those headlines had been the second part of the double whammy after the dance. "Professor Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven Academy, found dead in office" or some variation thereof was written on every news site that carried it, along with information about how he had been beheaded and there were no signs of anyone having broken into the locked office. Naturally, it struck the Havenites particularly hard. Team JNPR was sympathetic as well, given they themselves were all from Mistral. It had been the leading story out of the eastern kingdom, with the other kingdoms being occupied with matters closer to home.
"The Furchtlos... all those people… gone," observed Pyrrha.
That had been the headline in Atlas for the whole day after the blast, along with the names of all hands lost aboard. It was a long list, and it caused much weeping when read by the Atlesian students and all those who had come to know any of those soldiers and sailors lost when a second sun had briefly dawned over Remnant. Besides the emotional toll taken on so many, there were also the political ramifications.
"The Atlesian military is pulling back to Solitas," observed Reese as she looked sadly out the window at the sky entirely free of military airships.
Following the loss of the Furchtlos, the Atlesian Council had voted in a three to two decision to recall all military forces from all overseas commitments save Argus, which would have a reduced presence. General Ironwood had stayed behind in Vale alongside the students and faculty in his capacity as headmaster, but in Atlas, there were now questions raised about his loyalties and fitness to continue serving in his dual roles . It was one more dark note among so many for Team RRANNBWW, but with Atlas pulling back, it left the other kingdoms to step up.
"Hopefully, NEST will be able to pick up the slack," Ren noted.
With the loss of an Atlesian air cruiser in what was technically Valean air space and the loss of Atlesian manpower to provide security for the Vytal Festival, the Valish Council had passed a long-proposed reorganization of the Vale Home Militia. Among other things, it initiated recruitment of veteran soldiers and Huntsmen to serve full-time as the backbone of a clear command structure for when the call for volunteers sounded, but some were also being formed into a new National Emergency Strike Team to serve as a well-trained core of specialists available for larger or longer-term missions that individual Huntsman or even whole Huntsman teams were ill-suited for. It was unfortunate that it took such a terrible loss of life to bring about what was so badly needed, but there were still other, brighter pieces of news to be found.
"I spoke to Doctor Greer," said Jaune suddenly. Doctor Carl W. Greer ran Beacon's extensive infirmary and trauma ward. "He says Maple and those fourteen other people who were rescued are all on the road to recovery. I say that's good news, right?"
"Of course," replied Pyrrha. "That they were forced to endure such conditions… it is beyond the pale. We should all be saying prayers of thanksgiving that they are safe now."
"They're fingering the SDC," pointed out Nora. "Those who still have fingers, I mean."
"Real bad shakeup for the company here in Vale," Reese noted with a sigh. "This whole mess is going to overshadow the rollout of this new 'energon' superfuel of theirs. Do you have any idea what that stuff is capable of? It's amazing. I just hope the backlash doesn't hit Missus Brown."
"Who?" Jaune queried.
The green-haired girl looked over at him. "Cala Brown. She's the one who negotiated the SDC's purchase of my dad's company. Got us a pretty sweet deal. Just a few months ago, I heard she was being transferred to Vale."
Team JNPR exchanged awkward looks. Reese's father had founded a small vehicle company and had been bought out by the SDC, but it seemed the Chloris family held no ill will over it. Indeed, she had explained that that had been her father's entire purpose behind the company, to have it be bought out by a wealthier company in exchange for a payday he could retire on.
"Anyway," Reese said, "the SDC's bringing in special investigators to look into this. I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of it."
"You really think they'll find out what's going on?" Nora asked skeptically. "'Cause you say 'special investigators,' and I hear 'cover up specialists.'"
Reese bristled. "The SDC does good work," she said defensively. "It's the most philanthropic company on the planet. They've donated more to charities for retired Huntsmen and Grimm attack survivors than anyone else. I mean, I get it, it's easy for people to blame them, but that's just because the SDC is successful, and they're not." She shook her head. "I just can't believe this goes all the way to the top. Assuming it isn't a frame-up job, it's probably just someone who went a little too far."
"'A little'?" Pyrrha echoed incredulously.
"After all the things the White Fang have done, can you really blame them for going overboard?" Reese retorted. "They're terrorists."
"And what about all the innocent people caught up in this?" Jaune demanded. "Just... 'oops, so sorry, we made a mistake; have some Schnee-brand superglue to put your fingers back on'?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Reese denied. "They went too far, I said that. It's just... I can understand why."
"Enough," Arslan growled, her hands on the table clenching into fists. Nadir reached over and placed a hand on one of hers, calming her down. "We didn't come here to argue." She smiled at Pyrrha and Jaune. "We came here to congratulate you two lovebirds."
That half of Team JNPR blushed. "And what about you two?" Pyrrha asked, nodding back at Arslan and Nadir.
Nadir groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Arslan said stonily.
When Team JNPR woke up the next day, they found themselves faced with a new and exciting message on their scrolls.
"Huh, looks like they got the first-year missions sorted out," observed Jaune. "That probably means we should take care of that."
"Neat," replied Nora without an ounce of enthusiasm. She wasn't quite awake yet.
"Look on the bright side. This could be used as a tutorial on how to navigate the mission board for our later careers as Huntsmen," pointed out Ren logically.
"Just another day at the office," summed up Pyrrha before having a realization. "I have no idea what it's like to work in an office."
Jaune shrugged. "Well, the teachers work in offices, so I can't imagine it's that different."
Pyrrha nodded. "Oh yes, that makes sense."
"Still, we better get on it," said Nora. "According to this, Ozpin is going to be giving a speech in the auditorium. It would be pretty embarrassing if Team Rainbow didn't show the colors."
With that declaration made, they began their walk to the auditorium. When they got there, they found it already filling up with students from all four academies. Naturally, they gravitated towards their teammates -- and Yang -- who had already arrived in the auditorium.
Sensing that his fellow blonde would be the one least likely to have issues with him, Jaune slid up to Yang. "When did you guys arrive?"
"Just a few minutes ago," replied Yang calmly and quietly. "Everyone's pretty on edge."
"You aren't?" prodded Jaune.
Yang shook her head. "I'm worried about the others, but we'll weather this storm. This is what we've trained for, right?"
"Well, what you've trained for, anyway," pointed out Jaune.
Yang looked at him strangely. "Oh yeah. You weren't raised from birth to be a Huntress like me and Ruby."
"You say it so casually, as if it's normal," Jaune deadpanned.
Yang shrugged. "Well, it is. It's as normal as building a network of supply caches or providing overwatch for your family's dates. By the way, sorry I wasn't able to be there for you at the dance."
"Hey, don't worry about it," he comforted. "After all, your dad was one of the chaperones there."
The blonde girl nodded. "He talk to you there?"
"Yeah. He talked to me a bit about what happened with Ruby, and then he talked to me about what I should do with Pyrrha," answered Jaune with a blush. "It was pretty awkward."
"Did he tell you to date her until the start of the next semester, and then if you are still together, you should get married within a month?" asked Yang bluntly, and when Jaune nodded slowly, she continued. "Ah, Scenario Seven Mannsfield. He must think you can go the distance with her."
Before Jaune could answer, a tone sounded throughout the auditorium, and all eyes were drawn to the stage where Ozpin was walking out to the microphone stand.
"Good morning, students," he said in a cold, clear voice that was amplified through the speakers and quieted all who heard it. "This week has been very atypical, as I'm sure you all must be aware. We have suffered great loss, and now there are rumors and worries swirling about the future. As is natural for people, we look to the past for guidance.
"Nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in our planet's recorded history, a war so terrible it could only be known as the Great War, came to an end. But before that end, it was fought, and fought for ten of the most brutal and bloody years to have ever soaked our world's soil. By the end of it, few could remember what it had been like before the war. It may have seemed like a dream, but it did exist. Back then, people knew of the mounting tensions between Mistral and Vale, but they thought they would calm down as they usually did between the kingdoms. They had what is known as an optimism bias, something even the most paranoid among us struggle with. Indeed, even now, some of you are thinking, 'ah, but if everyone is so worried now, then we can prevent the problems.' This is, of course, quite preposterous, as the bad times rarely care whether you fret about them or shrug them off, and worry is not action.
"So, should you be worried about war? No, you should not. You should be prepared. You should be prepared because war is coming, if it is not already here. You should be prepared because we have no idea when the next blow will come. You should be prepared because this is what you signed up for.
"Yes, we have lost friends. Yes, we have lost support. Yes, Headmaster Lionheart is dead. Yes, we are facing an enemy that hides in shadows and has no compunctions about using the most unfathomably powerful weapons ever developed by mankind. Yes, terrible things keep coming, time after time after time, and yes, we are still expected to do our jobs.
"This is the moment that all of you signed up for, whether you knew it at the time or not. If you are uncomfortable at all with that, then I firmly suggest that when you exit the auditorium, you hand in your withdrawal papers for the sake of yourself, your team, and civilization as a whole. This is not the time for summer soldiers or sunshine patriots. This is the time for heroic Huntsmen with stout hearts to survive and fight in the harshest winter in close to a century.
"If, after all that, you still want to continue, then stand by for your first missions."
No one, not a soul, moved their feet. Perhaps they were just too ashamed to walk out in full view of everyone, or maybe the social proof pressing in on all of them at that moment was pushing them on. Whatever the case, after a short pause, holographic mission boards popped up, and Ozpin continued.
"Around the room, you will find a selection of missions where you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman. These tasks range from repairing the city's defenses, to rescue work, to search and destroy missions, to law enforcement. They are all important, especially at this critical juncture. While, as always, we encourage individuality and free choice, I suggest you carefully choose a mission that best suits your abilities, so that you may provide the greatest help possible.
"Keep in mind, the Huntsmen you will be shadowing can have you sent back to Beacon if they find you wanting. Should that happen, then you will have to have a discussion with your teachers about your future in the academy system. For as I said, we are entering a dangerous time, and we cannot afford to waste resources.
"With all that said, I wish you good hunting on your missions."
Ozpin left the stage, and the students began to shuffle about to mingle and choose their missions. Among those were the students of Team ABRN, Team SSSN, and Team APRC advancing over to interact with Team RRANNBWW, and Yang. There seemed to be this tension running through most of them.
"Hey, Jaune, you're in good with Ozpin, right?" asked Bolin when they had reached an acceptable proximity.
"Well, I don't know about that," said Jaune warily.
"It's what everyone says. You guys are like the two top-tier teams in first year, and you're always in good with the headmasters and teachers. I've personally seen Ruby here talk to Professor Goodwitch like an old friend," restated Bolin. "So, you've got to let us know, man: is there really going to be a war?"
"Not between kingdoms," answered Jaune as evenly as he could.
Cinder almost certainly had the full power of the Fall Maiden. Before they had been ordered to pull out, the Atlesian troopers had found the VTOL that had been carrying her, based on DNA analysis of the blood inside the cabin, shot down with no body in sight anywhere nearby. That was horrifying enough, but what else they had found there sent chills down their spines: giant rectangular footprints that transitioned into wheel tracks.
That meant one of four possibilities. The first was that she was allied with those "Autobots" that one of the other Beacon teams had run into, who described the White Fang as not extreme enough, the same White Fang who had disavowed Cinder. The second -- and first to jump to their minds -- was that she was allied with the Decepticons, who had specifically asked for Atlesian military personnel to be killed when the bomb went off to make sure Atlas was weaker in anticipation of their inevitable betrayal. The third was that it was an independent actor, either Cybertronian or someone who employed transforming mechs that just happened to leave tracks that resembled Cybertronian tracks. Lastly, it could be yet another faction of Cybertronians lurking out there.
Three of the four possibilities introduced two more possibilities. The first was that the Cybertronians had learned about the Maidens and Relics, and indeed the whole system of magic, and so had cultivated Cinder to be their instrument. The second was that they had instead formed an alliance with Salem herself.
All these possibilities put together made for a very worrying picture, but it was also a picture they had to keep to themselves. They couldn't let the others know that the rabbit hole even existed, never mind how far down it went. They would have to keep this secret just a little bit longer… just a little while longer, and the world would know about the Cybertronians. Hopefully, disclosure would come on their terms.
Team ABRN looked at each other in confusion. "What do you mean, 'not between kingdoms'?" Arslan asked.
"The White Fang," Reese said suddenly. The rest of her team looked at her, and she shrugged. "Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? A lot of people conflate Atlas with the SDC, and Atlas prides itself on its military. Hit 'em where it hurts."
"Problem with that theory," Jaune pointed out. "It's not widely known, but the White Fang disavowed Cinder. They're the ones who turned over the evidence against her in the first place."
"Cinder was behind it?" Arslan sputtered, then punched her left palm. "Atlas should've let us Havenites take care of her. I bet she had Lionheart offed as well."
"But why?" asked Neptune. "And who? Cinder couldn't have done all this on her own. So who's backing her, and what do they want?"
"Cobra," answered Rufus, and everyone in the five teams turned to look at him.
"Who?" asked Arslan in confusion, an expression mirrored by the others around.
"Cobra," repeated the lone Atlesian male, to which he was only met with the occasional shrug. "Come on, guys. I told you about them last week. They're a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world."
Reese raised an eyebrow. "So… the White Fang, but an equal opportunity employer."
Rufus pointed at her. "Yes! Glad to see one of you is on the bounce."
Nora shook her head as another round of speculation developed. It seemed like everyone was doing it these days. Though of course Team RRANNBWW had done it first, and they had done it best.
Yang gave a small little sneeze, and Nora bent her attention towards her. Probably just something in the air. Then again, maybe it was the bare-chested company.
"So, where are all of you off to?" asked Weiss conversationally.
"A simple Grimm extermination mission," answered Arslan as she walked over to the nearest holographic board. "Shouldn't have any trouble finding them. The Grimm have been going wild lately. Little wonder why."
"We're going to try for escort or guard duty," said Aska as she stepped up to the board next to Arslan. "What about you, Snapshot?"
"Oh, we had a big discussion over this, and we came to a compromise," replied Ruby evenly as she pivoted and tried to find the right board. "We're going to look for helping out emergency services outside the city. Ooh, first try. Griffin Rock sounds like a great place to go."
Sun smiled as he looked over their shoulders. "We're always getting wrapped in some darn fool idealistic crusade or crazy conspiracy. Uh, no offense."
"None taken," replied Aska without looking away from the board.
"Anyway," continued Sun, "I thought it would be nice to just settle down in one spot and do some nice honest work at a slower pace. That's why we're going for wall repair."
Nora didn't know if Sun noticed it, but Yang was getting a little weak in the knees at that.
Wait, what? realized the ginger-haired hammer wielder. She gets excited over him when he says he'd like to travel the world, and she gets excited over him when he says he'd like to settle down? Is there anything Sun does or says that she isn't attracted to?
It was a thought that sent Nora's mind reeling. They just got done putting a bow on the love life of one blond, and now this? What next? Was some hussy going to go after her Renny?
No, they had to fix this. Somehow. They couldn't just let this go on forever.
Switching her gaze to the side, Nora noticed that cute little Penny was shaking like a leaf. Well, not exactly, but close enough. She needed some help, and with no offense meant to Ciel, Nora thought that she needed a little more redhead and a little less robot.
"Hey, you all right?" asked Nora after getting in close.
"Yes," Penny managed to get out before she hiccuped. "I'm just worried about the headmaster's speech and what Jaune said. There's a lot of nasty people out there, and I don't want anyone close to me getting hurt."
"Don't worry, Bladerider," chimed in Rufus, having clearly overheard. "We'll keep anyone from stealing your precious bodily fluids."
"'Precious bodily fluids'?!" gasped Penny. "But I need those to live! They're, well, precious!"
"He's joking," Nora comforted with a glare at the Atlesian boy. "You want to know a secret, Penny?"
"What?" asked Penny, her voice quiet and her eyes locked on Nora's with vibrant intensity.
"What you're feeling right now is exactly how a real Huntress should feel," whispered Nora confidentially.
Penny blinked. "What?"
"That fear for the safety of others. Use it, channel it, and face the danger to come knowing you've got people who love you fighting alongside you. Just keep them safe. Focus on that, and the rest will take care of itself," explained Nora before going and putting a finger to Penny's chest where a small thumping beat could be felt even though her clothes. "You've got the heart of a heroine, Penny. Don't sweat this little stuff."
Her fellow redhead smiled a bit. "Technically, it's a fluid pump."
Nora's eyes got very wide at that, and her finger retreated as if scalded. "Oh! Um, sorry. I probably shouldn't be touching you then. Not after the last time I did that with someone with a prosthetic heart."
A single tear rolled down Nora's face at the memory, but before Penny could ask for an explanation, they were interrupted by the sound of a familiar blond.
"Hmm. Hey, Juniper, come take a look at this," said Jaune from another of the boards. Nora and the rest of the team shuffled over to look around their fearless leader's body to see what he was investigating. "Looks like some of the defenses in the Emerald Forest are acting up, and they're looking for someone to scope it out."
"Think it might be the enemy?" asked Ren seriously.
"I don't think we can discount it," agreed Pyrrha. "But it could be something to do with the fires. Just a simple recon mission either way."
"Looks like just another day at the office then," said Nora in what many knew as her normal tone of voice.
Team JNPR entered Professor Peter Port's classroom with all the confidence and pep of someone buying insurance.
"Greetings, students!" addressed Professor Port in the bombastic hearty voice he had become known for. "Are you ready to start your first official mission as a team of heroic Huntsmen?"
Ren double-checked his weapons. "Yes."
"I'm ready," said Nora, stifling a yawn.
"Indeed," confirmed Pyrrha.
"I think so," Jaune shrugged.
Port seemed a tad annoyed at their replies, or perhaps crestfallen. "Come now, children. I know there's a saying about how you should act like you've been there before and will be there again, but this is ridiculous. Show some enthusiasm!"
Pyrrha smiled a well-practiced smile that looked like it had been ripped straight from one of her photo ops.
Port frowned, probably. "Better. If you weren't about to engage in a life or death struggle with hordes of the man-eating Creatures of Grimm! Come on, students! I know that Ozpin has you running around doing all manner of 'extra credit' assignments, but those are just that, extra. Your future still depends on completing the basic coursework first."
It really didn't, reflected Ren. After all, they all had seen that Professor Ozpin had filled out all the paperwork needed for them to become fully licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses just as soon as the time came to drop this charade. Their future was already secure, which just made this part of keeping up their cover.
With that in mind, and remembering his and Nora's off the books ninja training from years ago, Ren began to fake a smile of his own to blend in.
"No! Stop it! That's terrible!" complained Port, waving his hands about as the door opened. "Aren't any of you the least bit excited?"
"I am, Professor!" cheered one of the girls who stepped through the door, her striped hair in shades of pink and purple matching her purple eyes partially hidden behind a pair of glasses.
There were four of them, all dressed in thick-looking yellow hazmat suits, with helmets tucked under their arms.
"You shouldn't be, Magic," another one of them said, her cerise eyes deadly serious beneath her berry-colored bangs. "While aura can protect against radiation, the amount of radioactive materials involved here is unprecedented."
"Um, excuse me, radiation?" Jaune asked, raising a hand.
The berry-haired girl looked at Jaune, her eyes drilling into him. "Yes. Radiation. What, you think a Skylord just turns into a nuclear fireball and leaves no side effects?"
"No." Jaune shook his head. "I mean... what's radiation?"
The rest of Team JNPR nodded in agreement.
"It is a pretty niche subject, Radstorm," Magic pointed out.
Radstorm sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as a vein on her forehead throbbed. "Right. Radiation... I'm not going to get into the specifics, but it's a side effect of how the bomb that blew up the Furchtlos works. You can't see it, you can't smell it, and you can't feel it until it starts dissolving your insides and making you vomit out your guts. Literally. And then you die."
"But you said aura can protect against it?" Pyrrha asked.
"That's right," Radstorm confirmed with a sadistic smile that suddenly dropped, "but it's a constant assault on your aura, so it brings it down pretty quick, and it only needs the briefest and smallest of openings to get in. If you're lucky, you might just get cancer instead. Either way, I hope everyone here who wants to have kids some day has some eggs and swimmers on ice, just in case."
"Which is why we had radiation suits fitted for all of us, Team Juniper!" Port announced.
"Also, here," Radstorm held out a pill bottle.
"What are these?" Ren asked quietly as Jaune accepted it.
"Potassium iodide," she explained. "It'll help prevent some of the worst symptoms if you get exposed. Some."
"Umm, thanks for the pills," said Jaune, "but who are you guys?"
"I'm Radstorm," she replied, thumbing her chest. "Leader of Team Fairstar, second-year Atlas team." She gestured to one of the girls who hadn't spoken, with orange eyes and streaked blue hair. "That's Daiku." She pointed at the other who hadn't spoken, with orchid eyes hidden behind spectacles, off-white hair, and a severe expression. "Straight Shooter." And then the girl with glasses whose enthusiasm had been banked by the dire warnings. "Magic."
"Hold up. Time out," Nora interjected, holding her hands up in a T shape. "How do those names spell 'Fairstar'?"
"They're callsigns. They're all the rage at Atlas Academy," explained Straight Shooter in the most deadpan voice Jaune had ever heard. "They use our real names to form the team name."
"F.I.S.T.," sounded out Magic. "That's how you spell Fairstar."
"Pfft-what?!" gasped Nora in barely suppressed laughter. "So, which one of you is the punchy one?"
"All of us," replied Radstorm with a defensive edge. "Want us to show you?"
"That won't be necessary," Jaune said to diffuse the situation and offering up his hand to his fellow team leader. "Nice to meet you. We're-"
"We know who you are," Straight Shooter said. "Every Atlesian knows Team Juniper."
Jaune blinked, withdrawing his hand, and instinctively, he glanced at the tall redhead next to him.
"Not her," Daiku clarified. She pointed at Nora. "Her. Not everyday a couple of Valeans just waltz onto the flagship with full clearance. With one clearly intent on inflicting extreme bodily harm to the other. Didn't think the rumors were right till just now."
Jaune stared as Nora actually blushed.
"It, uh, it was a thing," said Nora, waving it off. "D-don't ask."
"Now that the introductions are out of the way, I'd like to get started on the briefing, if you don't mind," said Professor Port jovially as he turned on a holographic projector which shone onto the blackboard in front of them a series of maps and pictures. "To make a long story short, the massive forest fire started by the detonation of that nuclear bomb is playing havoc with all manner of business, and we have Huntsmen zipping this way and that to contain all the trouble spots that have popped up. This has left some gaps in the line that would normally be taken care of by the automated defenses. However, two of the control nodes are on the fritz, and that's leaving actual gaps in our defenses.
"To make an even longer story even shorter, we need boots on the ground to see what's what and get them up and running again. Team Fairstar will be working to repair the control nodes and bring the system back online while Team Juniper and myself provide escort. If all goes well, then we'll all be home for dinner," finished the professor.
"Before we do that, we'll have to bring our weapons in for decontamination," Radstorm told them all. "The last thing any of us want is to miss a stray atom of radioactive material stuck in a transformation gear and then have our spines fold in on themselves from a neuro-degenerative condition."
Jaune blinked. "Well, that's terrifying. Thanks. Now we know."
"And knowing is half the battle," all of Team FIST replied in unison.
The Bullhead roared through the sky on its way to its destination. Behind it were the spires and towers of Beacon Academy. Ahead of it was a towering cloud of smoke fed by one of the largest forest fires in decades. Within it were Teams JNPR and FIST and the tower of isolation that had seemed to follow Pyrrha Nikos almost all her life.
Only, that isolation was a bit more literal now. The insulated radiation suits they all wore were hardly the height of comfort, and for Pyrrha, it was an especially unsettling experience. Here she was, a champion fighter, a Huntress, and, if she was being completely honest, someone who prefered to wear light armor if she had to wear armor at all, and she was wrapped up like the filling of an ice cream cake because she was terrified of a single particle of an invisible contaminant that she could not see or sense in any way slipping into her body and killing her in the worst ways possible.
She was supposed to be strong, to be fearless, to show the world that they could follow where she led… but if she took that suit off like she so desperately wanted to, she would only be condemning all those around her to watching her die at the very best. It was foolishness, and she should dismiss it. But she very much needed a distraction.
She turned her helmeted head and saw the brilliant sapphire orbs of her beloved Jaune. He was smiling at her! Oh, what a day to be alive! Her blond prince had finally come and rescued her from that accursed tower.
...but why?
Oh, she remembered what he'd said. Those words were seared into her mind, the night her dream came true. And yet... a part of her couldn't help but wonder. Ruby had just broken up with him, and she'd heard stories. About broken-hearted people seeking comfort wherever they could. About those "rebound relationships" that never seemed to work out. About how there would always be comparisons made.
That couldn't happen. She couldn't fail Jaune in that way. She had to be better. She had to prove that she was the one for him and there was no one else. That meant she had to… had to… what did she have to do? How did she become more than a rebound girl to Jaune?
How could she earn his love?
Silently, she resolved to be the perfect girlfriend.
It was then that her thoughts were interrupted by the comlink in her ear and the muffled voice of one of the members of Team FIST.
"So, you guys are friends with Team Ruby, right?" asked Daiku as she shifted her stance.
Jaune shifted uncomfortably himself. "It's complicated."
Oh, he was hurt! Did she rush to comfort him, or would that make her seem too clingy? Perhaps she should stay quiet and let him stay strong.
As Pyrrha's thoughts were whirling, Nora chimed in with a gesture at Jaune. "He's complicated. We say 'yes.'"
Daiku shifted again and spoke with a soft tone that Pyrrha could tell was uncharacteristic. "Okay then. How are they holding up anyways? I heard one of them bought the farm last semester."
An image and sound flashed to Pyrrha's mind of Blake complaining about how her memorial didn't feature her best pictures. She'd been back for weeks now, though. Were there still people who thought she was deceased?
Suddenly, and without warning, Magic spoke up for the first time since leaving the classroom. "Blake's not dead, she just faked her death! ...I mean, that's what I heard. It's apparently something they do at Beacon? They sometimes fake their deaths, and then the teachers fake a cover up of their deaths?"
"She pulled a Qrow?!" shouted Professor Port from the cockpit. "Oh, I can't believe I missed that."
"That is excessively complicated," bluntly observed Straight Shooter with a terribly deadpan voice.
"But radical," offered Daiku with a raised finger.
"But why?" asked Radstorm. "For fun?"
"Well, why else would you do it?" rhetorically and loudly answered Port from the front.
"I don't know about faking her death," Pyrrha said diplomatically, "but she did get ninja training while she was away."
"Why not get training from an accredited ninja training program though?" asked Magic with what sounded like some variation on panic.
"She did!" answered Nora with what was probably a smile. "Got the paperwork and everything."
"It's true!" confirmed Port. "Her grades were excellent!"
"Interesting," mused Radstorm thoughtfully. "But why not with us Atlesians? We were right there. I'm sure the instructors would love to have her onboard."
"Oh, it's because she and Weiss had a bit of a fight over…" -- and here, sweet Jaune paused to deftly search for the right words that would not betray either gallant Weiss or consolatory Blake -- "…politics."
"Ugh. Boring," scoffed Daiku dismissively. "I get enough of that from my parents. Let's change the subject."
In the short silence that followed, Straight Shooter locked eyes with Pyrrha and began to speak. "I've seen some of your matches."
"Oh," acknowledged Pyrrha, unsure of the tone. "That's... nice."
"You rely too much on your semblance," said Straight Shooter with all the grace and subtlety of a hammer.
"Wh-what?!" sputtered Pyrrha, aghast.
"You are quite proficient, but you trust heavily in your semblance redirecting incoming attacks," the Atlesian girl clarified. "I am concerned whether it is applicable against Grimm, and if not, whether you are capable of compensating."
"Hey," Jaune interjected gallantly before Pyrrha could formulate a response. "Pyrrha's semblance is plenty useful against the Grimm."
Pyrrha debated correcting him on that. Her polarity gave her an edge in the tournament circuit because of how common metal weapons were. The Grimm, on the other hand, didn't use weap-
"I mean," he continued, "she used it to help me take on an Ursa Major just a month or so into our first semester at Beacon."
Pyrrha.exe has crashed. Restart? Y/N.
"Pyrrha? Pyrrha, are you okay?"
She blinked and found herself staring into her boyfriend's concerned eyes again. "I- I... you knew?!"
"Of course I knew, Pyrrha," he said. "Not at first. I mean, I always knew something had helped me there; hard to miss my shield pulling my arm with it. I knew you, Ruby, and Weiss had to have been watching me fight it, since if you'd all just gotten there, Ruby would have arrived first. And since I knew Ruby and Weiss's semblances..." he trailed off meaningfully.
Pyrrha's lips trembled. What had she done? Jaune had told her so many times how she had been the first person to really believe in him, how important that was to him, and yet... and yet, she'd underestimated him. Doubted him.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, begging for forgiveness.
"For what?" he asked incredulously. "Saving my life? Trying to give me a bit of confidence?" Before she could answer, he pulled her into a hug. "Never apologize for that, Pyrrha. Never."
Didn't- didn't he understand?
"Awwww," cooed Magic, putting her gloved hands up in front of her to create a little heart. "That's so romantic. It's like seeing my brother and sister-in-law together again. Oh, I haven't seen them in months."
"Adorable," confirmed Straight Shooter in that deadpan voice of hers.
"I think I might be getting diabetes," agreed Daiku in a faux-nauseous voice.
"I know, right?" Nora cheered. "I've even cut down my pancake consumption!"
"Two couples in one team, that is sweet," observed Radstorm.
Nora's eyes went wide, and she looked at Ren, then back at Radstorm, shaking her head vehemently. "Oh, no, no, no. Renny and I aren't... together-together."
"Then you're both idiots," declared Straight Shooter.
"Anyway," Radstorm interjected, "we should probably discuss our tactical options, see how our two teams can integrate on the battlefield." She looked over at Pyrrha. "What is your semblance, anyway?".
Pyrrha froze. She'd been more open about her semblance among her teammates since coming to Beacon, but she'd kept it well-hidden for a reason. That reason had not gone away, not yet. Indeed, it was coming up very shortly with the Vytal Tournament.
"Some form of telekinesis," Straight Shooter said. "I haven't seen enough of her matches to pin down anything more specific, nor do I care to. Tournament fights bore me, especially when the outcome is so easily predicted."
That was... fair, Pyrrha had to admit. It was strange how much that stung, though; she'd always been mystified by the appeal so many people seemed to find in merely watching a match. Certainly, she'd watched many matches herself... but those had been for research: assessing future opponents, identifying new tricks and techniques to incorporate into her own fighting style, and learning from their mistakes. It had never been for fun.
"It's a trump card, isn't it?" Daiku asked. "Come on, Pyrrha. We're second-years. We aren't in the same bracket for the Vytal Tournament. We aren't going to spill your secrets. I mean, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, right? And we'll be more than strangers by the end of this."
"Agreed," Magic added reassuringly. "After all, losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend." Her face took on a haunted look. "Forever."
Team JNPR edged away from her as best they could at that.
"Does, uh, does she do that often?" Jaune asked.
"Not really," Radstorm said. "There's just a few topics that cause her flashbacks. Those dang Rainbooms from Canterlot Combat School really messed with her head."
"Radstorm!" Magic scolded. "What have I said about insulting my other friends?"
"That respondent conditioning is a terrible thing to use on someone who's supposed to be your comrade in arms," interjected Daiku. "It wasn't right then, and it isn't right now."
With wide eyes, Pyrrha realized that another argument was brewing. That was terrible. Something had to be done before this escalated further. So, in a panic, she pounced on the first thing to come to mind.
"It's polarity," she said with as much calm and grace as she could muster. "My semblance allows me to control magnetic fields, and therefore, I can manipulate the weapons of others, or my own." She pointed at the sword and shield on the wall. "I carry Miló and Akoúo̱. Akoúo̱ is my shield, and Miló is a triple-changer sword, spear, and rifle."
Straight Shooter blinked in the silence that followed, and then when she replied, it was in a more sincere tone. "That's actually pretty cool. It's certainly a lot better than my semblance. All I can do is see the weak points in things, and it casts a pretty large net on what qualifies. It did encourage me to get pretty good with precision rifles and pistols though."
Pyrrha detected a familiar note of sadness in the Atlesian girl's voice, a tone that hinted at a psyche haunted by her own strengths.
"My semblance allows me to store electricity in my body that I can then unleash in various sizes of sparks," put in Daiku, her voice rising into a more joyful mood. "I usually use static electricity, but to keep it coming in battle, I use a hammer equipped with an inertial intensifier and a kinetic engine to shock my body into getting my charge back up. Kind of hard to do it in this suit, but I'll manage."
There was a gasp from Nora at those words. "You have an electricity semblance, and wield a hammer? I use a hammer and have an electricity semblance!"
"Really?" responded Daiku, now very clearly interested in what was going on. "Holy smokes. What are the odds? What does your semblance do?"
"I can generate it, store it, and use it to power up my muscles," explained Nora. "We definitely need to team up on this mission."
Ren merely gestured to his own weapons and said, "SMGs, and my semblance allows me to calm emotions."
"Huh," Radstorm mused, "sounds like a good match with mine. I can create a stealth field around myself and others, but it also blinds anyone cloaked by it. Combo with yours, and we have the perfect anti-Grimm stealth system."
"Perhaps," allowed Ren.
"Anyway, as for my weapon," she continued, pointing at where it was stowed on the wall, "it's a raygun. It makes Grimm explode."
Nora let out an 'ooooh' of appreciation at that.
"I bring The Swarm," Magic declared ominously. After a moment, she pointed at the gigantic backpack on the rack and elaborated, "It's what I call my collection of combat drones. My semblance is telekinesis."
"Ooh, like Professor Goodwitch?" Nora asked eagerly.
"Sort of?" Magic half-agreed. "She can do way more with hers than I can with mine, though."
After a moment, Team FIST's gazes turned to Jaune as one.
"What?" he asked, then shrugged. "I have a sword and a shield. What you see is what you get with me."
"What about your semblance?" inquired Daiku.
"Still working on figuring out what it is," he admitted.
"Yeah, sometimes, you need some pretty extreme or crazy situations before you figure out your semblance," Radstorm acknowledged, nodding sympathetically. "I know I did before I figured out Stealth Girl."
Pyrrha frowned and felt the need to defend her lead- her boyfriend. That still took some getting used to. "Jaune is the anchor of our team. He holds the line so we can maneuver."
"Good news, students!" boomed Port jovially as he walked back into the cabin. "This VTOL is needed elsewhere, and so, we'll be getting hot-dropped near to the first target, and then from there, we will have to make our way to the second target on foot."
"That's the good news?" asked Straight Shooter disbelievingly. "Then what's the bad news?"
"There isn't any!" cheered Port happily. "Well, unless you're the pilot, then you won't be able to share in the glory of the hunt."
Before further objections could be raised, Team JNPR got out of their seats and began to pick their weapons out of the ready racks. Team FIST did likewise, with only a slight delay. It evidently had come as a bit of a shock that the first-years were more on the bounce than they were.
"Right, when those doors open, the Professor goes first, then Fairstar, then Juniper," said Radstorm as she hefted the gigantic form of her "raygun" over her right shoulder. "Remember," she continued, holding out her left arm to try and emphasize the computerized bracer on it. "Listen to your computer's snoopers. You start hearing ticking, you get out of there quick, and you call it in. It will play over your helmet's speakers too, and it has priority, so don't ignore it."
"You already gave us this lecture," Jaune reminded her.
"And I'm going to keep giving you it until it sinks in," replied Radstorm hotly as she turned around to face the doors. "And if you're all good little boys and girls, I'll show you the really fun settings."
As the doors opened, music began to play. It was an upbeat and peppy tune. Naturally, Port was the source.
"Oh ho! I already have!" he cheered, jumping out and onto the cliff the Bullhead was hovering above and singing along the whole time. "I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle!"
Radstorm looked back at Team JNPR, who all just shrugged. With that matter unsettled, they went back to focusing on the mission.
"Let's go, Shadowbolts!" called out Radstorm as she leapt out of the Bullhead.
"Let's go!" cheered the rest of the team in unison as they leapt out as well.
Without a word, Team JNPR leapt after them. As soon as all nine people were on the ground, the VTOL above them pulled up and away. They were all alone now.
The forest… the forest was like a great hellscape. Her suit protected her from almost all the effects, but Pyrrha still found herself horrified at the sky that was filled with so much smoke and little dancing embers. Around them, they could see the burnt grass and scored trees that had been hastily put out by a roving fire crew trying to keep the fire from jumping the line.
Where once the Emerald Forest had easily lived up to its name, with vibrant greens and browns that spoke of life unconquered, it now appeared a blackened husk of its former self, and the fires that still raged in the distance cast a hellish red glow to the corpse of what had once been a beautiful woodland.
"We have become death," whispered Magic just loud enough for her helmet's microphone to pick it up. "The destroyer of worlds."
"It will be a silent spring," said Radstorm, as in confirmation.
"Hurry up now, students," declared Professor Port as he started to descend into the cavern attached to the cliff.
The two teams followed after him, descending into darkness. Remembering the brief tutorial given back at the school when they were putting the suits on, Pyrrha moved to alleviate that problem. She reached up with the hand holding Miló and hit a pair of buttons. The first turned on the lights on the side of her helmet, and the second turned on the holographic projectors that created a heads-up display on her visor to highlight each and every one of her friends.
"Man, these suits are really cool," said Jaune appreciatively.
"Thanks, me and Radstorm worked pretty hard on them," answered Magic. "Ever since the bomb detonated, actually. She already knew everything known about protecting yourself from radiation, and I know gadgets. We both had to learn fast how to make a fire suit."
After jumping down a small ledge, the nine found themselves in a large room with a central pillar of blatant technological construction poking above the knee-high layers of smoke that had drifted in from outside. Obviously, it was the control node for the defense systems, constructed in such a place to shield it from any prying Grimm who would seek to destroy it. Unusually, though, there seemed to be a box of completely different manufacture attached to it.
"Find a hot spot," ordered Radstorm with a gesture between Magic and the pillar.
"Technically not accurate, but okay," replied Magic as she ran up to the device on the pillar and seemed taken aback. "What the-?!"
"Problem?" asked Jaune curiously.
"Maybe," answered Magic, still examining the device. "This is Merlot Industries technology. I'd recognize that logo anywhere. Looks like it's disrupting the normal operations of the control node. That doesn't make any sense though. Merlot Industries didn't make anything like this before the company dissolved."
"History lesson later, mission now," said Straight Shooter bluntly as she took out her bulky precision pistol and aimed the scoped weapon at the device.
"No, don't!" shouted Magic, throwing up her hands in the process. "We don't know what shooting it will do. There could be some sort of bomb in it set to go off when it loses its grip. This is an operation that needs to be done carefully."
"Of course," sighed Straight Shooter, snapping her gun back up. "Just don't set it off yourself."
"Don't worry. I got this," replied Magic, going back to working on the device. As she did so, the top of her backpack opened up, and a quartet of small disk-like drones no bigger than a dinner plate and not much thicker flew out. One of them stayed close to the pillar, but the others flew out to all corners of the cavern; all were still highlighted by Pyrrha's HUD though. "I'll even send out a small number of my drones to scout this place out."
"Good thinking. We could use the early warning," complimented Jaune, once again displaying that tactical brilliance Pyrrha so admired.
As if on cue, a far too loud howl sounded from the entrance.
"And so it begins," said Ren as he brought out his StormFlower SMGs.
A Beowolf peeked its head over the ledge and was immediately met by a hailstorm of bullets as Ren's weapons lived up to their name. It backed away but was soon joined by more Beowolves leaping into the cavern. As one, the entire group opened fire and dispelled them, but no sooner had they done that than more were Grimm heard, both at the entrance and deeper into the cavern.
"Ren!" Jaune called. "Use your semblance on Magic. Everyone else, find a partner, watch each other's backs!"
It was a simple plan but a good one... but of course it was. It was one of Jaune's plans.
She moved up alongside him, and the Grimm came. The next few minutes were a blur to her, not in the sense of not knowing what was going on -- as she absorbed all that happened like a sponge -- but because it was so normal for her. Pyrrha engaged in combat like others engaged in walking, and so, because it was so natural to her, she did not put too much thought into it.
Thinking too much about combat, she had learned long ago, was a fool's errand. If one was to survive, never mind win, one had to act on instinct. Years of training had honed those instincts to a razor's edge, and... well, it felt good to finally get to use them in a way that was useful without technically taking lives.
Soon, the sounds of battle were joined by the sound of autoturrets outside, both the staccato of autoguns and the booming of larger cannons. Some, of course, had been wrecked by the Grimm, who took every opportunity to sabotage the defenses, but others had escaped their wrath, and still more had been built as concealed backups for that specific eventuality.
Shortly after the guns came online, the flood of Grimm thinned to a trickle before disappearing entirely, the last of the Grimm fading away into thin air.
"Wow, your semblance feel's really great, Ren," Magic practically moaned.
"Hey, back off, lady," ordered an agitated Nora.
"Why?" asked Straight Shooter pointedly. "You said you weren't together. Which means you're both on the market, so to speak."
Magic blinked, then shook her head, blushing at the innuendo. "Sorry, it's just... everything was so clear." She held up the device that had been attached to the control node. "Anyway, got the thingy, and one of my drones also found us another exit through the cave system on the other side of the hill. It'll save us going around to get to the other control node."
"Very well," Professor Port agreed. "Lead on, Miss Sparkle."
Oh, was that Magic's name? She must be the S in Team FIST.
After they emerged from the cave system, they found themselves on a well-trod path, and soon, they were passing through the overgrown remains of some stone structures. The smoke was thinner here, but still present, lingering in patches, and while there were no fires in sight, the sky still glowed red as an ever-present reminder of the crisis facing the Emerald Forest.
Pyrrha sighed in wonder. "These structures are beautiful!"
"These ruins must be full of history," agreed Ren.
"Ah yes," Professor Port acknowledged. "The Emerald Forest is filled with ruins of ancient kingdoms. Keep an eye out for artifacts. Doctor Oobleck is always looking to expand Beacon's collection."
Soon, the overgrown ruins gave way to what might have once been a temple or some other place of worship, but time had taken all but the floors. The team naturally spread out in the more open space. The view would have been incredible had it not been for the smoke filling the sky above and the canyons below. At least, it seemed, that on this side of the mountains, the fires had yet to spread, save for a few burnt embers.
"Hey, this looks cool," came Jaune's wonderful voice from off to the left.
The group converged on his position, and embedded in the floor before a raised section was an ancient-looking plaque with writing still visibly engraved on it, almost -- but not quite -- worn away by time and the elements.
"What's it say?" Nora asked, squinting at it.
"'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings,'" quoted Professor Port solemnly. "'Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Bart told me about this one years ago."
Pyrrha looked up at the raised section of the floor, and realization struck her. "There must have been a statue here."
"That is the leading theory," Professor Port agreed. "But if so, it was long gone before the Kingdom of Vale was even founded."
After a moment of reflection, the group continued on. It was an interesting bit of trivia, and Dr. Oobleck would surely find it fascinating. But in the end, it was just the remains of yet another kingdom that didn't make it.
"You know, Bart always asks this question when taking a first-year team out on their first official mission, and we've got time, so why not do it here too?" asked Port aloud as they walked.
Pyrrha was still racking her brain on who Bart could be. One of her teachers, perhaps? No, that didn't make the slightest bit of sense. It must have been some other Huntsman that Professor Port knew.
Their teacher continued. "We'll start from the back, Team Juniper. Mister Ren, why did you choose to become a Huntsman?"
"Revenge," answered the normally calm man with a dark and menacing tone. "My parents were killed by the Grimm."
"Hmm. A fairly common motivation," commented Port. "Miss Nikos, why did you want to be a Huntress?"
That… that was a question she had asked herself a lot over the last year. Why did she want to become a Huntress? There were a lot of reasons, actually, but one stood head and shoulders above the others.
"I wanted to test the limits of my skills and use them in an arena which actually mattered for once," answered Pyrrha.
"I see," noted Port. "Miss Valkyrie, what about you?"
"Oh, well, me and Ren were already doing pretty much everything a traveling Huntsman does anyways, so why not get a license and get paid to do it?" replied Nora easily.
"Interesting," mumbled the professor. "Mister Arc, that leaves you. Just why did you come to Beacon Academy?"
"For all the wrong reasons," fair Jaune answered with a self-deprecating chuckle that stung Pyrrha's heart.
A derisive snort came from Daiku. "'All the wrong reasons'?" she asked. "Please. I decided to become a Huntress because I wanted to get some distance from my rich parents and do something radical. I figured, what was cooler than becoming a Huntress?" She chuckled. "Turns out, a lot, but I'm not about to turn my back, now that I'm committed."
"She's right," Magic agreed. "I mean, I only became a Huntress because of a chance encounter with my friends here. Before we became friends, I mean. My other friends were always concerned about my safety-"
"They were smothering you, Magic," Straight Shooter corrected.
"-okay, maybe a little. They were just worried about me! But the Shadowbolts... they treated me differently. I mean, yes, they cared, but they held me to a higher standard, expected me to hold my own. They showed me that I could walk on my own two feet. And I guess I got tired of being protected all the time."
"When I was five, I broke my leg," began Radstorm. "I had to be taken to the hospital, and they took an X-ray of it there. That was the first time I understood what my father being a radiologist actually meant, and what an incredible benefit radiation could be to the world when properly harnessed. Nuclear physics became my lifetime passion, but a job in the lab doesn't leave many opportunities to test the practical applications to medicine, defense, survey work, and too many other things to count. You know what does? Being a Huntress."
Team JNPR's eyes turned to Straight Shooter, who hunched her shoulders a bit at the unexpected attention. "When I unlocked my semblance, Destructive Insight, I was going through a pretty rough spot in my life," she said. "First time I turned it on, I didn't see the weaknesses in my obstacles like I wanted to. Instead, I saw how fragile civilization really is. It made me want to become someone who would make it stronger. For a time, knowing how fragile everything really was, I kept activating it for fear of breaking something by accident. It got to be a bad habit of mine that almost ruined my life, but I'm getting better."
"Team Fairstar is right," Professor Port said. "There is no such thing as a wrong reason to want to save lives. Revenge, competitiveness, inertia, teenage rebellion, peer pressure, a thirst for knowledge, and fear. When you save a life, it matters not why you did it, only that a life that would have ended that day... did not. So, Mister Arc, your reasons?"
Jaune looked away and sighed. Finally, he looked up and shrugged. "Growing up, I always heard tales of my family's history of heroism. I guess... I just wanted to be a hero."
"And that, Mister Arc, is perhaps the noblest motive any of us here have. Myself included," Professor Port declared gravely. "No one will fault you for wanting to be remembered."
They came across another cliff, and at the base of it were…
"Boarbatusks!" declared Port cheerfully, pointing at the porcine Grimm milling about in pairs. "A fine sight indeed. Who wants to be the first to slay one?" He paused. "I'll have to remember this location for later."
Radstorm hefted her enormous rocket-launcher-shaped raygun and aimed it. "Boarbatusk: tagged for extinction."
She must have pulled the trigger, because one of the Grimm exploded into a spray of its inky black innards shortly after she said that.
"Let's heat 'em up," said Radstorm as she fired at the second Grimm, and after a brief moment, that one too exploded.
Pyrrha resisted the urge to let her jaw drop. "Wh-what?"
"I told you, I'm a nuclear physicist," Radstorm reminded them, patting the side of the weapon. "Desolator here is my primary weapon. It uses microwave radiation to rapidly excite the molecules of a target, causing them to heat up so quickly they explode."
Then, as if in afterthought, she added, "I, uh, use an AER-2 laser rifle in tournament combat. It's safer that way."
"The more I find out about radiation, the more terrifying it becomes," Ren pithily summed up many of Team JNPR's thoughts on the matter.
They all dropped down onto the level below and had not gotten more than a few dozen feet before they heard a clicking sound. Out from a cave appeared a mid-sized Deathstalker, its red eyes clearly lusting for violence. The group readied itself to give it what it wanted.
Before it could emerge from the cave, Straight Shooter's pistol snapped up, and she fired two shots in rapid succession. The first punctured one of those eyes and made it cry out, stunned. The second bounced off the roof of the cave and happened to dislodge part of it, bringing it down upon the head of the black abomination.
The Grimm, now thoroughly crushed, began to dissolve, and the group was left to look at Straight Shooter.
"Holy smokes, that's incredible," breathed Jaune, and Pyrrha found herself wanting to agree. "You've got a pretty amazing semblance there."
"Uh, did you guys miss the part where she said that it ruined her life?" asked Magic seriously.
"No, I-"
"It still takes training and practice to get to where I am," said Straight Shooter, cutting Jaune off. "I can see weaknesses, but that doesn't mean I can hit them. That, I had to learn the hard way, just like everyone else."
Jaune nodded. "Okay. I got it now. Sorry."
"Stop apologizing. You pick up too many habits from your girlfriend," replied Straight Shooter bluntly.
With all that said, the group made their way to the remains of another cliffside building that offered a tremendous view of the mountains across a great span, and another forest fire burning away. Pyrrha could see a quintet of mostly red and white winged aircraft, all slightly different, flying over the fire, dumping water or some other fire retardant into the flames before banking away. She didn't recognize any of the craft, but then, she wasn't overly familiar with such aircraft to begin with.
Jaune whistled at the sight. "Nice view!"
"Indeed," agreed Pyrrha with a melancholy tone.
"That's a long way down!" commented Nora as she looked out over the cliff.
Ren struck a similar tone to Pyrrha. "All of the world before us… and all of it on fire."
They made their way around the corner, and they found yet another temple type area with a collection of Grimm walking around.
"I got this!" cried out Daiku as she brought her sledgehammer out and spun it around.
Incredibly, the sledgehammer was flung towards the Grimm at incredible speeds with Daiku still holding on to it. With a happy cry, she collided with an Ursa and bowled the Grimm over, only to land just behind it on the stone floor. Before it got the chance to get up, the young Huntress brought her hammer down on its head, pulverizing it.
The rest of the group followed, and the Grimm that were upon the ancient platform were soon completely obliterated.
"Well, that was invigorating," commented Port as he stretched himself out. "It's good to see that these suits can withstand the rigors of an active Huntsman. Good job, you two. I'm tempted to make these a permanent addition to the Beacon inventory."
"Thank you, sir," said Magic, "but these are only prototypes. If these end up being put into mass production, I'll let you know. Though, on a personal level, I'd rather not have too many more situations that call for fireproof radiation suits."
"Well, 'it's better to have something and not need it, than need something and not have it,'" quoted Jaune as he walked over to the edge of the platform and down into the small valley below where another control center was located in the middle of a platform surrounded by translucent boxes, a handful of poorly-hidden Beowolves lurking around it in ambush. "Hey, there's our objective!"
"I see it," confirmed Daiku, as she looked about, and then her gaze settled on the nearby lever next to a collection of gears and what looked like a currently-retracted bridge. "Hey, there's an old mechanism for the bridge here. I think it might still work. Want to give it a shot?"
"I think I've got a better idea than indulging your architectural interests," commented Twilight as drones began to deploy from her backpack.
"Hey, don't knock architecture," shot back Daiku. "It's the most way past cool thing there is."
"Maybe," allowed Magic as she put one foot on top of each of two drones that had landed in front of her before the disk-shaped drones rose up into the air. "This, however, is more fun. Come on, everyone. Step on!"
Pyrrha eyed the drones warily as the rest of the group all stepped on top of them. It did look a tad ridiculous, but on the other hand, it was probably better than just jumping off the cliff. That might have been interesting enough in initiation, but in this situation, it would probably come off as grandstanding.
She got on top of the drones before her, and then felt a clamping on her boots, even as the machines rose from the ground. They must have made for quite the sight there as they flew through the air, but no one was around to see it. Jaune though… well, he looked proud and commanding from his perch, crouched down, one hand on each of the drones he rode, as though he were driving them, rather than just riding as a passenger, his expression stoic. It made Pyrrha wonder how he made it look so natural, especially with his motion sickness, when even she felt so unbalanced atop the drones she rode; she was not used to being a passenger like this, and the lack of control robbed her of her usual grace as she kept having to shift her weight in response to the drones' movements
As they neared the ground and the objective, Pyrrha felt the clamps release, and she leaped off, hurling Akoúo̱ at one of the hidden Beowolves, bouncing it off the lupine Grimm's skull into the next one, and the next. With subtle guidance from her semblance, she pinballed the shield between the Grimm ambush party, stunning them briefly, but long enough for the rest of the combined team to finish them off.
Once the immediate area was clear of Grimm, Professor Port peered first at the control node and the device attached to it, then at the transparent boxes, which in turn proved emblazoned with the same logo Magic had pointed out at the first control node. "Just as I thought: more sabotage. But those cages... were they trying to capture Grimm? Hrm... I don't like the looks of this. For now, let's just focus on the objective and get that control center up."
"You got it, Professor," acknowledged Jaune. "Same plan as before if the Grimm show up?"
"I got no objections," confirmed Radstorm. "I think we might even do better, thanks to how open this space is."
The drones began to orbit about them, and Magic wasted no time and rushed over to the box on the control node.
"That is definitely the Merlot Industries logo," she commented after a brief examination. "But like I said earlier, they went defunct years ago, way before our time. So what's a brand spanking new piece of tech from them doing here?"
"How do you know about them, Magic?" asked Pyrrha curiously.
"Older components are cheaper, especially if there's no one still providing tech support for them," answered Magic honestly. "Merlot made some good stuff. I like to play around with it sometimes."
She was just about to open the device when the demonic screech of a Nevermore could be heard, very loud and far too close. Magic sighed at that. She might have also uttered a curse, but Pyrrha couldn't hear and didn't feel comfortable judging.
"Right, kiddie gloves are coming off!" called out Magic before slapping a control on one of her backpack straps.
Suddenly, the top came open on her backpack, and there was a great rushing sound. All at once, the sky seemed to be filled with the circular drones, flying in coordinated movements, as if part of a great flock of birds. Additionally, a quartet of spider drones crawled out of pouches on the side and took up positions around Magic. Then, as if to top everything off, the drones all transformed to deploy relatively massive guns from their bottoms or tops.
Above them, a trio of the giant birds flew, and The Swarm parted before wrapping around to engage them with a storm of kinetic energy weapons. More feet could be heard on the ground, and more Grimm came into view, from the tiny Creeps to the fire-breathing Manticores. It would all be an extremely complicated battle if she were to try and follow it, so she didn't; Pyrrha just took up position beside Jaune and let instinct take over.
Another few minutes later, and she had a Beowolf in a headlock so Daiku could smash it when the sound of rocks moving broke the air. A trio of turrets had emerged from concealment in the nearby cliff and were pointing straight at them. They wisely and quickly dispatched the Grimm before the turrets began to fire on any that were left. Likewise, similar sounds went off all throughout the nearby forest.
"Good show, team!" complimented Port. "I've called in a Bullhead to pick us up."
"Wow, that was exhausting," admitted Jaune to Pyrrha. "How do you manage to keep track of so many things at once?"
Pyrrha shrugged. "I don't. I just act on instinct."
Team JNPR walked into Ozpin's temporary office.
"Ah, welcome, Team Juniper," he greeted them. "I trust decontamination went well?"
"As far as we know, yeah," confirmed Jaune.
They hadn't heard any ticking while they were out, but Radstorm had just said that it was better to be safe than sorry. Following yet another lecture on the dangers of radiation, this time going in depth on just what it was, no one was willing to fight her on that. After all, they all wanted kids, and they would prefer them to be born with the correct number of limbs if that was at all possible.
"Good," said Ozpin. "We've been looking into Merlot Industries while you and Team Fairstar were completing decontamination procedures. I have another mission for you, if you're up for it, to investigate the old Merlot Tower in Mountain Glenn."
Team JNPR exchanged puzzled looks.
"'Mountain Glenn'?" Jaune asked on behalf of his team.
"An ill-fated attempt to expand the city of Vale," explained Ozpin. "It fell to the Grimm many years ago. It's also where Merlot Industries was headquartered, and as far as we know, the company never recovered from the loss of their primary facility and chief staff members."
Jaune nodded. "Okay, dangerous mission deep into Grimm territory." He looked around. "But where's the rest of Team Rainbow?"
"Team Ruby is still on their own first official mission, as is Team Sun," said Ozpin patiently. "This is a mission for Team Juniper, not Team Rainbow."
"Sir?"
"Mister Arc, I made you team leader for a reason," the headmaster reminded him. "I'd rather not see your potential go to waste."
(V2E15: Dawn of a New Age | Interlude 2-1: Fallout | Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
- Author's Note 3 (Cyclone)
Team JNPR has found themselves wrapped up in a new quest just for them, and it looks like their next destination is the tomb city of Mountain Glenn. What strange secrets lie in wait there? What terrifying enemies might they encounter? Will this mission turn out to be more than they can chew? Tune in next time to find out when the sun is covered by a "Grimm Eclipse."
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RecSLRXIII
Ceilin Salamander
- Location
- Minnesota
These are classic lines and a perfect fit for the situation. Though the second one isn't directly tied to the atom bomb, as it is from a book about the negative effects of pesticides.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(Interlude 2-1: Fallout | Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse | Interlude 2-3: Island)
Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse
* * *
Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse
* * *
Team JNPR had once more found themselves in a Bullhead flying with great speed towards a mission, and so soon after the last one. That wasn't the issue for them though, nor was the mission itself, being a simple recon in force. No, their issue came from their transportation, specifically their pilot.
"We'll be entering Mountain Glenn's airspace soon, so make sure you're ready to drop at a moment's notice," warned Headmaster General James Ironwood from the cockpit, his voice carrying in from both there and the little ear pieces they all wore.
Yes, General Ironwood was their pilot. Jaune could hardly believe it, which was to say that he didn't want to believe it. There were far too many things implied by his presence there.
It was easier for Jaune to think about those implications than, say, why he was feeling so nauseous. Oh, sure, he'd implied to Ruby on their first day at Beacon that he'd been suffering from motion sickness, but in truth, it had been nerves more than anything: anxiety over how he'd perform, fear that he'd be caught as the fraud he was, worry that he'd make a poor first impression on his new classmates. He felt Pyrrha's hand stroking his back comfortingly, soothingly, and he couldn't help but wonder once again what in the world she saw in him. "Love at first sight" was romantic and all, but he'd seen his sisters be burned by that one too many times to trust in it.
Some day, she'd realize how pathetic he really was, and that terrified him. He had to be better. He had to live up to the potential she saw in him. He had to.
"We're already ready to go, sir," he said, mustering up all his will to speak without throwing up as he stood alongside his teammates in the cabin with their hands on the webbing above them. In addition to their regular gear, including their body cameras and headlamps, they also carried portable drives for any data they might find to download.
Ironwood chuckled at that. "You don't need to call me 'sir,' Mister Arc. You're not part of my chain of command."
Jaune paused for a moment as he struggled to come up with a response. Struggled, and failed. "No. I'm sorry, sir, but I just don't know what else to call you."
The Atlesian headmaster gave a resigned sigh. "That's what they all say."
Jaune shrank back at that. He thought back to the briefing they'd received on Mountain Glenn from Dr. Oobleck. The community had been Vale's last attempt at truly expanding the city, and it had been built with an extensive underground rail system connecting it to Vale proper. Despite an aggressive perimeter defense armed with the most advanced technology, Grimm attacks persisted, increasing in intensity, until eventually, the defenses began to fail. The people retreated underground, to the caverns that had been cleared for the subway system connecting it to Vale... until an explosion opened them up to another cavern, this one filled with Grimm. To save the capital, the Vale Council had had the tunnels sealed off.
Mountain Glenn wasn't just a reminder of the city's failure. It was a headstone for the world's largest tomb.
"How are you holding up, General?" asked Pyrrha, as if sensing the mood and wishing to ease it.
Ironwood was quiet for a moment before replying. "I think we've all seen better days, Miss Nikos."
"Maybe, but none of us are being attacked as you are," replied Pyrrha with that genuine kindness that was among her many great strengths.
"I'm a general, Miss Nikos," Ironwood said with a laugh, even though it seemed a little forced. "If you think this is the first time I've come under fire, then you still have much to learn. Given your own celebrity status, I'm surprised you aren't familiar with it yourself."
"Most of my critics weren't calling for me to be hanged for treason," she pointed out in a tone so sad that Jaune felt compelled to bring his own free arm up and give her a little hug.
"I can take it," Ironwood stated simply. "Whatever happens, I can take it. I'm more worried about the people calling the Huntsman Academies a failure. You kids deserve better than that."
The news had been... unkind to the general in particular, but the entire Huntsman system was being called into question as well. It hadn't escaped notice that the now-notorious criminal Cinder Fall had managed to infiltrate a Huntsman Academy and then proceeded to escape a trap laid by Headmaster Ozpin and the Atlesian forces under General Ironwood's command in the very heart of another Huntsman Academy. Couple that with Headmaster Lionheart's mysterious murder and the destruction of one of Atlas's prized air cruisers while it was on a secret mission ordered by Ironwood himself?
It didn't exactly paint a flattering picture. Some particularly vicious suggestions had come out of one of Mantle's young political firebrands -- Starlight something-or-other -- implying that Ironwood may have even deliberately arranged for Cinder's escape and the destruction of the Furchtlos in order to sabotage the Atlesian military in favor of the Huntsman Academies.
Ironwood had his supporters, of course, both military and civilian... but his most vocal supporters were Huntsmen or former Huntsmen, which didn't really help the divide on the subject of the Huntsman Academies. The secrecy of the Furchtlos's mission wasn't helping either, since Ironwood was unable to divulge the nature and purpose of the mission it was on at the time.
Jaune didn't even want to consider what would happen if it got out that it was Cinder who had destroyed the air cruiser. That slip to Team ABRN had been a mistake, and it was one he would make sure not to repeat. At least it was likely to get lost in the cacophony of other theories floating around about recent events.
Like that one crazy theory he had heard that Blake had died trying to stop the plot to detonate the nuclear bomb before it happened. He had somehow been able to avoid it for months, but once pointed out to him, he couldn't get away from it. Why did everyone think that Blake was dead? How did anyone think Blake was dead? Never mind her walking and talking with them now, how had that crazy idea even gotten started? He'd probably never know, but it was still frustrating.
"Heads up!" called Ironwood from the cockpit. "I'm picking up contacts on the surface search radar at the base of the building. Looks like a collection of trucks and metal objects that could be androids."
"Hostile?" asked Jaune carefully.
"Unknown- wait, no, they're launching missiles. Going evasive," reported Ironwood with remarkable calmness just before the sounds of countermeasures of all sorts firing filled the cabin while everyone on Team JNPR held tightly to each other as the aircraft took a sudden nose dive.
"Can you get a visual?" asked Nora. "Who are these guys?"
"I might be able to, but I won't be able to look and dodge in an urban environment at the same time," Ironwood responded just as the vehicle began to level out.
"Got it. Pyrrha?" began Jaune.
"Already on it," replied Pyrrha as she dashed forward to the cockpit while the rest of the team headed for the seats and began to buckle themselves in.
Jaune trusted that she would be able to help. She was Pyrrha Nikos; she could do anything. More than that, she had the training and discipline needed to do the job.
From his seat, he was able to hear everything that was going on over his earpiece.
"Popping up now," said Ironwood, his tone still calm and level.
"They're Merlot Industries. Armed androids and partially-loaded cargo trucks," reported Pyrrha in that exact same calm tone.
"Deploying one point two inch gun. Use AP to disable vehicles, HE on androids. Try not to damage the cargo," ordered Ironwood.
"Roger. Firing now," was Pyrrha's response.
Jaune heard and felt the chin gun opening fire with its distinctive staccato, but he couldn't actually see what was going on. The craft continued its evasive maneuvers while occasionally deploying countermeasures, and the gun kept firing. It felt like some of the longest moments of his life, utterly helpless to what was going on, but they only lasted a few seconds.
"Targets neutralized," reported Pyrrha.
"Excellent," complimented Ironwood. "Head on a swivel until we touch down."
That did not take long, and soon, they were on the ground. Pyrrha rushed back from the cockpit, and they all joined together. Soon, Team JNPR was on the ground and advancing towards the cargo trucks.
"Great golly molly!" exclaimed Nora as she looked at the destruction all around them. "Did you shoot the wheels off those trucks, Pyrrha?!"
"I'm sorry," replied Pyrrha reflexively, and Jaune resisted the urge to smack Nora upside the head for getting that reaction out of his girlfriend.
"I think she was giving you a compliment," noted Ren. "That you were able to perform such a feat from an aircraft undergoing evasive maneuvers is quite extraordinary."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I was doing!" cheered Nora.
"Gotta agree, Pyr," Jaune chimed in. "You continue to amaze."
Pyrrha blushed adorably. God, he loved that smile.
"Now, come on," he continued. "Let's see what's inside these trucks."
The group came to the closest truck and climbed into the back. There were several sealed boxes inside, and at random, Jaune had Pyrrha use her semblance to tear one open. It was hard to say for sure what they were expecting: equipment, perhaps, or supplies. Instead, they found...
"Papers," commented Jaune as he reached in and removed one of the folders inside before touching his earpiece. "Sir, this is Juniper. We've found a collection of documents in one of the crates."
"Looks like we've caught them in the middle of their evacuation," replied Ironwood with a clear note of dark humor. "What sort of documents?"
Jaune paged through the folder briefly. "Looks like... some sort of dust research, sir," he reported.
"That doesn't make any sense. Merlot Industries wasn't in the dust business. They're primarily pharmaceuticals, with some cybernetics and robotics on the side. What kind of dust?"
"Something new, apparently," he reported. "I... can't really make sense of this stuff, but they're calling it... 'Angolmois dust'?" He paused and frowned. "'My Angel Dust,' really?"
"You recognize it?"
"The word, yeah," Jaune clarified. "It's a mangling of Old East Valish."
"I see. Does it say where they got it?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "We'll bring the papers aboard after we finish checking the trucks."
"Jaune?" Pyrrha called softly, her voice and face filled with curiosity as they continued searching through the trucks' cargo.
"Yeah, Pyr?"
"How do you know Old East Valish?" she asked. "I thought you were from western Mistral?"
"I am," he confirmed, "but my family isn't originally. We're actually from eastern Vale, going back centuries, but my great grandfather moved across the sea to western Mistral after the Great War."
"Oh, I see," she said. "I'd wondered about your name."
They didn't find much else in the trucks. There was a myriad of equipment and supplies, ranging from electronic components to lab equipment. There was also a far more worrying discovery.
"Explosives," Pyrrha identified.
"Pretty," Nora commented. "What do we blow up first?"
"I'm more worried about what they're planning on blowing up," Jaune murmured. He reached up and touched his earpiece again. "Gen- Headmaster, we've found a half-full box of explosives. Demolition charges, looks like"
"Probably planning on rigging the building to blow," speculated Ironwood.
"Should we investigate the tower?"
"Your mission, your call, Mister Arc," was the non-reply. "Be advised, there are probably more androids inside, and they almost certainly have already set some charges, maybe not enough to bring the building down yet, but certainly enough to use as improvised weapons."
"Let's load up the documents first," Jaune said. It would give him time to consider the situation.
As they loaded up the papers, he ran through the potential ramifications of investigating the tower or not. The documents they were loading up would surely yield plenty of valuable data... but they didn't have any other leads, so if the papers didn't pan out, they'd have to come back. And if Merlot was rigging the tower to blow...
"We're going in," he declared. "We can't search the whole building, so we'll just head straight to the top and go for the executive offices."
The rest of his team voiced their acknowledgement.
The inside of the building was shrouded with darkness that was only broken by the shining lights upon the heads of the four Huntsmen of Team JNPR. They were close, and all of them were searching about, looking for any sign of the androids that Merlot Industries must have inside the building. So far, they hadn't seen any, but that didn't mean that none were coming.
The lobby looked eerily normal. Aside from broken windows and the utter absence of life, it was like nothing had happened. One could almost imagine that the receptionist had just stepped away for a moment.
"Stop," ordered Jaune quietly.
They all stopped as ordered, and Nora looked to where her fearless leader's light was shining. It was the door to the emergency stairwell that led all the way to the top of the building, and in front of it… well, in front of it was a thin line pulled very taut. Sloppy.
One of the first things she and Ren had learned from their unofficial ninjutsu teacher was how to properly conceal traps, starting with how to properly conceal the trigger. First lesson was not to set it out where your advancing foe could easily see it. It should have been set on the other side of the door.
"This could be a double trap," whispered Ren. "We disable the line trigger on this side of the door and think we're safe, but then when we go through, we trip a second line that triggers the trap instead."
Blast. Renny was right, of course. She'd been thinking too quickly and had skipped over some of the possibilities. That was one more reason they went so well together. They always had, and they always would.
She caught herself in a mirrored surface: her dress crimson and embroidery gold like the sun, her ginger hair decorated with jewelry and gems. On her lips was a smile, and why shouldn't there be? Before her was her wonderful lotus blossom, just as happy as she was to be involved in this ceremony to bind them together like two jian birds. He…
Nora snapped herself out of it. What was wrong with her? They were in the middle of a mission. She should have been focusing on that, not daydreaming about… about… Blast it! Those stupid Fairstars with their stupid team name and their stupid tech support had messed with her head!
"We could take the elevator," offered Pyrrha, pointing to a nearby pair of sliding metal doors.
"Will that work with the power out, or will we have to energize the engines somehow?" asked Jaune inquisitively.
"No need," replied Pyrrha as she put her hands on the doors and gently moved them apart such that there was hardly a sound made. "I am the engine."
With that, she put out her hand, and the elevator moved to meet the open door. Then the doors on the elevator opened. It was simple, effective, and best of all, quiet.
Pyrrha smiled, and Jaune smiled back.
I really suck at this, thought Nora sadly as they got on board and shut off their lights, leaving them in darkness. I'm barely able to hold it together, and here Jaune and Pyrrha are, able to do their jobs and carry on a relationship at the same time. I should be more like them instead of the mess I am right now. Leave the relationship stuff for another day and save the day you have now.
The elevator passed floor after floor with a minimum of sound. They kept count. Eventually, the car came to the executive offices level, and the ascent stopped.
Nora and Jaune leaned out, and together, they pulled open the outside doors to reveal a sun-soaked hallway, lit through broad windows that ran floor to ceiling. Together, they swept the hall and checked their corners. Ren was the third one out, followed by Pyrrha. It looked like they had caught the enemy off-guard.
"Bet they didn't see that coming," commented Nora as they crept towards the company head's office. "Well, unless it's because we got here first."
"Good point," acknowledged Jaune. "Pyrrha? Nora? Find the stairways and cover them. Me and Ren will go on to the office."
Pyrrha and Nora explored the floor and found a hallway lined with offices. Once again, the seeming normality of the scene struck Nora as eerie. Desks and chairs sat undisturbed in some offices, while others were bare. Some of the work terminals were gone, but others remained. Coffee mugs rested on desks, as if the owners had merely stepped out for a moment, their contents long-since dried up and congealed into an unidentifiable mass stuck to the bottom.
There were four stairwells and thus four entryways, but two of them were barricaded shut, desks and even a couch shoved in front of them. To cover the other two, the girls split up. When Nora came to her destination, she put her ear to it and heard metal feet scrambling up the steps. She didn't need further invitation.
Throwing open the door, she swept her light down the paths of the twenty foot wide room with steps spiraling down the walls until she caught sight of a red android. Nora activated the barrage function on Magnhild, and a cluster of six grenades shot out. The android didn't have time to dodge at this distance.
The stairway was filled with the deafening booms of explosions as pink light blossomed out to briefly illuminate three more shapes on the now-shattered stairs. One of those shapes -- a white one -- was holding a rotary machinegun and unleashed a flurry of tracer rounds onto Nora's position. Some connected, but she managed to dodge the rest.
Another stream joined the first, and they seemed to be firing in bursts. Nora was already reloading, and after a moment, she was able to move out with her light off. They wouldn't see her coming.
It was easy for people to forget that Nora had some unofficial ninja training. She'd picked it up right alongside her Renny. She just chose not to use it. Ever.
Wellll... almost never. Situations like this were an exception. After all, it wasn't like anyone was there to witness it. She liked to think of it as being sneaky about being sneaky.
Deftly avoiding the incoming fire, she came to a new position and fired out another barrage of six to blow away the rearmost and the stairs it was on. Nora was already reloading and setting up for another barrage when she caught sight of a glint in the shadows. The second of the red androids had leapt the gap and was now coming after her with its polearm.
Nora backflipped out of the way and transformed Magnhild into its hammer configuration. She was forced to backtrack and dodge very quickly, but she soon got her opening. When the glaive-wielding android had forced her back to the stairway entrance, she swung her weapon around to hit it squarely in the chest and then pulled the trigger to detonate a grenade that sent the mechanical monstrosity flying into the opposite wall before it tumbled down the central shaft to the ground.
She barely got a chance to contemplate that before another white android wielding a rotary machinegun stepped out of the shadows to open fire on her. She dodged, and the floor was torn apart by the android's bullets. Before it could open fire a second time, though, the weapon was wrenched out of its hands.
It seemed taken aback by that until a flurry of green sparks from Ren's submachine guns hit it. Then Pyrrha's rifle spoke, slamming it in the head. Finally, with a cry, Jaune gave a running bash with his shield that sent it onto the railing, where a second bash sent it tumbling over the edge.
Jaune stood there for a moment before he looked down the shaft.
"Huh, looks like they're all dead," he commented before looking back to the ginger who had fought them. "Good job, Nora."
She smiled in reply. "Like I said, it's just another day at the office."
"Yes, but I didn't expect you to be quite so literal," observed Pyrrha as she walked up, holding the large rotary machinegun and offering it up. "Anyone want this, or should we throw it away?"
"I'll take it," replied Jaune, reaching out for the weapon. "I mean, I don't have a ranged weapon like you guys, so it makes sense, right?"
The team leader hefted the weapon experimentally, and he looked down at it curiously. "Huh. Lighter than I thought it would be."
"More like you've gotten stronger," Pyrrha corrected. "I don't think you realize just how much you've grown as a Huntsman since coming to Beacon, Jaune."
"And I owe it all to you, Pyr," he said tenderly.
"Not to break up the lovey-dovey moment," Nora interjected, "but did you guys get anything from the office?"
Not that she was getting tired of seeing the happy couple be... couple-y. No, not at all. She'd been pushing for those two dorks to get together for so long, that would be silly.
"Oh, uh, sort of?" Jaune said. "We used some lightning dust to power it up and started a data dump to one of the portable drives. Should be done by now."
"We also found this recording device," said Ren as he held out a small, black, rectangular device emblazoned with the Merlot Industries logo. "We were just about to play it."
"Don't hold back on our account," replied Nora as they began heading back to the CEO's office.
Ren hit the play button, and soon, the offices were filled with the voice of someone who sounded like they had perhaps had one too many bottles of wine.
"I have chosen a name for the lunar sample: Angolmois dust. Like an angel, it descended from heaven, and it is mine. It could change everything! It will change everything."
Jaune flinched as the recording played. "I really hope this guy doesn't turn out to be some long lost friend of the family or something."
"Oh!" Pyrrha said. "I found one of those too." She held up an identical recorder and hit play. It was the same voice.
"The effects of Angolmois dust on the Grimm is simply extraordinary! The underground caverns will hold them for now, but I must have more test subjects. It shouldn't be too hard to lure them here."
Nora felt a chill. "Guys... is that saying what I think it's saying?" she asked, hoping she was wrong.
"It... sounds like the Emerald Forest wasn't the first time he's sabotaged anti-Grimm defenses," observed Jaune reluctantly.
Team JNPR continued back to the CEO's office in silence. Once they were there, Jaune walked up to the desk terminal and checked the screen, disconnecting the portable drive.
"Let's go over this place one more time, just to be sure," he ordered.
It didn't take them long to find additional papers, though few in number, and another recorder. Nora found this one sitting at the back of one of the drawers. They didn't have much time at the moment, not nearly enough to give the tower a full sweep, but they really should return at some point, just in case they missed something.
She turned the recorder over in her hand, inspecting it curiously. It was, as expected, a simple voice recorder. Cheap, disposable, and portable, meant to take dictation of quick notes and reminders. She idly wondered whether the Merlot Industries logo was part of a custom order, an aftermarket addition, or an indicator that it was an in-house product.
She clicked it.
"No matter my efforts, I cannot seem to replicate Angolmois dust. This is unacceptable! I am so close to a breakthrough! I must have more! I must find a way! Hmm, maybe if I used Grimm as a catalyst? Yeeessss. They react so well to it. They must be the key! Most of my avenues to sabotage the defenses have been cut off, but gods only know why! Most of the sheep are running underground! Why not leave the surface to the wolves of science, you idiotic cretins?!"
The longer the recording went on, the more Nora felt her jaw dropping. This was… How could… She couldn't think of the words. How could anyone think of the words?
"If he's not dead already, I'm going to kill him," vowed Ren resolutely.
"I'll be right there with you, Renny," vowed Nora in turn.
"Come on," Jaune said, his voice quiet. "Let's get out of here."
Pyrrha activated her earpiece on the way out. "General Ironwood, we're done for now. Heading back to the VTOL."
Ren resisted the urge to fume as they made their way across the broken concrete to where General Ironwood had landed the Bullhead. Broken, of course, because of Merlot. When Professor Oobleck had given them the briefing on Mountain Glenn, he had made it seem like such an inevitable thing, like it was doomed to fail from the start, but it wasn't. It wasn't the hubris of man that had destroyed Mountain Glenn, but the hubris of a man.
Mountain Glenn wasn't just the world's largest tomb. It was also the world's largest crime scene. And Team JNPR would be the ones to bring closure to the victims and justice to the guilty.
"How bad was it?" asked Ironwood as they stepped into the VTOL.
"Worse than any of us could have imagined," replied Jaune as they deposited all the information they had gathered with the cargo from the trucks. "Let's get out of here."
It was at that moment that a red sports car roared around the corner, headed straight for them.
Without prompting, Jaune leapt out, and Ren followed. They were going to try and stop a speeding vehicle, clearly, so perhaps it was good that Pyrrha and Nora jumped out too. The General brought the Bullhead back up into a hover and deployed the cannon. It might have been easier if instead, they had-…
The car shifted and transformed as it was moving towards them, revealing itself to be a Cybertronian.
"Huntsmen," he -- because it clearly spoke with a masculine voice -- growled. "I should have known you half-measures would be here, a day late and a dollar short."
"What, worried we're going to foil your plans?" mocked Nora, perhaps unnecessarily.
Before the Cybertronian could reply, there was a massive, deafening boom that shook the land. They all turned towards the source, the mountain, as the top completely caved in on itself with a massive cloud of dust, lightning spewing from the newly-formed crater before the rim flash-froze solid, with a sprinkling of other minor elemental effects mixed in. It wasn't just a cloud of dust, Ren realized. It was a cloud of dust.
"Huh," observed the Cybertronian. "I thought for sure there'd be a bigger boom than that."
Just as those words registered in Ren's ears, there was a second boom, this time with the collapsed top shattering apart in a hail of shrapnel. Then there was the sound of something that, though he had never conceived of it before, he knew deep in his bones that he never wanted to hear. Man was not meant to hear that noise.
An ear-piercing shriek, like the roar of horrors, swept out in all directions.
The brief silence that followed was broken by an answering howl in the distance. And another. And another. And another. They were soon joined by many more, an unholy chorus echoing across the dead city. The Grimm were coming. All throughout the murdered city, the Grimm were coming alive. More than that, above them, flying Grimm started to congregate.
General Ironwood opened fire on them from his Bullhead, but it was clear he needed to focus on evasive maneuvers. "Juniper, get to cover! Now!"
They didn't need to be ordered, but that order drove them on. The Cybertronian had whipped out some sort of gun and was firing at the swarming Grimm. JNPR was focused on something else.
Nearby, there was an entrance to the underground city. It was a road tunnel that had been closed off when the population had fully fled underground. Something told Ren though that they would find it remarkably clear.
They didn't, not quite. There was a whole pack of Beowolves looking to cut them off. JNPR cut them apart instead.
"Maybe we should find another way," said Pyrrha as she took aim at another pack of Grimm closing in on them.
That wasn't all that was closing in on them. The Cybertronian was coming at them too, though he was firing his weapon at the various Grimm. He was actually a pretty decent shot.
He turned and seemed to notice them. "Oh, no, not you again!"
Again, before any of them could come up with a response, that terrible shriek sounded.
Once more, they looked back to the mountain, and what they saw made Ren's blood run cold.
It was a dragon, a massive Grimm dragon crawling out of the rubble. It spread its wings and flapped into the air, creating huge gusts of wind that they felt even in the city as it flew higher and higher. It flew up high enough that it blocked out the sun, casting the ruins into shadow.
It was a Grimm eclipse.
The dragon shrieked again, this time in pain, as gunfire from Ironwood's VTOL raked across it.
"Get out of here, Juniper!" he ordered over their ear pieces. "I'll hold it off! Just escape!"
Horrified, that order drove them on into the tunnel. The Cybertronian followed as well. He… he… but they had to escape. They couldn't escape.
Team JNPR came to the end of the road, the rest of it having fallen away into the biggest cavern any of them had ever seen.
They turned back, only to see the inevitable tide of Grimm still pursuing and the Cybertronian blasting away at them.
"Get on!" the Cybertronian ordered, dropping to one knee. "On my shoulders and hold on!"
Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren exchanged looks, then looked to their team leader for guidance. Jaune eyed the horned robot, then gave a quick nod. With that, they scrambled up the Cybertronian's body and grabbed onto his neck as he leaped off into the void.
As they fell, clinging to the Cybertronian's neck, great gouts of flame erupted from the red bot's feet. Rocket engines, Ren realized. It wasn't enough to arrest their descent, but it slowed their fall considerably as they descended into the depths. Around them, the Grimm pursuing them that had failed to stop fell past them, a peculiarly literal rain of death and destruction, only to themselves be swallowed up by the darkness and impact somewhere down below at terminal velocity.
Illuminated by the flame, they saw the ground rushing up to meet them, but they touched down relatively gently onto concrete.
"Who are you?" asked Pyrrha as they dismounted, and it was a very valid question.
"Name's Cliffjumper," replied the Cybertronian. Ren tensed and could see his teammates doing the same. This was the "Autobot" -- whatever that actually meant -- that had attacked Teams CFVY and RRFL.
"Fitting name," deadpanned Nora.
The red Cybertronian seemed to bristle at that. "I'm not that bad."
"What are you doing here?" Jaune pressed, taking charge and squaring his stance.
Cliffjumper shrugged. "Been poking around. Found that big ol' Grimm shrikebat asleep and vulnerable, along with a stockpile of dust someone just left lying around. Figured that was a problem best nipped in the bud, but I guess I kinda overestimated the yield I'd get. This 'dust' stuff of yours is kinda weak."
"So... you tried to kill it, mixing a bunch of different dust together, which probably neutralized each other, and instead, you woke it up," Team JNPR's leader summarized. "And now, Vale has to deal with a giant flying Grimm of legend lurking around right after the Atlesian military recalled their air fleet."
He got an embarrassed cough in reply.
Ren wondered exactly how a Cybertronian coughed. Did they even have lungs?
"Well," Pyrrha said diplomatically, "regardless of what led us to this point, we are all in the same situation. Might I suggest a temporary alliance? At least until we find a way back to the surface?"
Cliffjumper looked at Pyrrha, his eyes boring down on the red Huntress.
"Just don't get in my way," he said finally.
The big red bot started walking off in some random direction, the "headlights" on his body lighting up the whole way.
Team JNPR exchanged wary looks, and as they began to cautiously follow Cliffjumper, Jaune sidled up next to his girlfriend and murmured quietly, "You sure about this, Pyr?"
"What do we have to lose, Jaune?" she asked reasonably, keeping her voice low. "If he does turn on us..." she trailed off, holding up a hand and waggling her fingers meaningfully.
"So to speak," muttered Nora, and Ren decided not to parse her words for a deeper meaning.
They continued on for a time, their lights sweeping across the terrain. Occasionally, they encountered a Grimm, but they were dispatched easily, either through the merits of Team JNPR or through a gigantic melee attack from Cliffjumper. Ren had never seen a Beowolf get punted that far before. They traveled like that for quite some time until they came across the remains of a lived-in prefab, with the body of a White Fang grunt hanging out of its window.
Ren leaned in for a closer look and raised an eyebrow at what he found. "What do we have here?" he murmured, picking up his find. Caught in the White Fang corpse's pocket was another microrecorder, a different model from the ones they'd found in Merlot Tower; this one was shaped like a pen. He glanced at the rest of his team, and they hung back to allow Cliffjumper to pull ahead some distance before he clicked the play button.
"First, we drive 'em out, then we invite 'em back in. Adam needs to make up his mind between Cinder and that Sunfire girl, which is going to mean one heck of a crossfire. Don't even know what Sunfire is, but he seems pretty fond of her. Seriously, with the way they argue all the time? Gotta be love. Anyway, word is out to lay low for now. Something big's in the works."
Jaune glanced at Pyrrha, then scoffed as they picked up the pace in order to not be left too far behind. Cliffjumper had already awakened a giant Grimm; who knew what other trouble he'd cause if left to his own devices? "'Argue all the time'?" he quoted skeptically. "That doesn't sound like romance to me. That sounds more like me and my sisters."
"Maybe," Pyrrha said, "but Blake seems convinced they are a couple, perhaps in an abusive relationship."
Jaune shook his head. "No. I know what's going on here. You can chalk this up as my theory: Adam and Sunfire are brother and sister."
"Chalk it up where?" asked Nora. "We don't exactly have a chart for all these theories."
"Maybe we should," replied Ren. "Things seem to be getting a little complicated these days."
"It's not complicated at all," interjected Cliffjumper. Evidently they were close enough now for him to hear them. "Autobots good, Decepticons bad. You're either with us or against us. Simple as can be."
"Is it?" Jaune prodded. "So far, I'm hearing a lot of 'us good, them bad' and precious little to prove you're any different."
Cliffjumper whirled around, leaning down towards him. "Listen here, kid, I don't play nice. You can't in this war. Sometimes, you've gotta crack a few skulls to get things done."
With that, the Autobot turned back to the tunnel ahead and began stomping away.
The group continued down the tunnel until it opened up into a larger cavern... with rail lines in the ground.
"This must be part of the rail network that transported people between Vale and Mountain Glenn," Ren noted.
"We'll follow them, then," Jaune declared. "Keep an eye out on the ceiling for escape hatches in case the ladders are gone. According to the plans, they're spaced out every thousand feet or so."
Ren understood what he meant. According to the briefing, the escape hatches led to fortified mini-bunkers on the surface that would be equipped with supplies, weapons, and a small communications tower to tap into the CCT network. At least, in their heyday. Time, neglect, and the Grimm surely compromised most -- if not all -- of the escape bunkers, but at the very least, they would be a means to reach the surface.
Of course, unsaid was the fact that those hatches would hardly fit Cliffjumper. Ren had never felt too broken up about betraying criminal scum, and this hardly seemed different. As long as Nora was safe, he could live with whatever needed to be done.
Nora… what was he going to do with her?
Ever since the dance, she'd been acting peculiarly, swinging from being incredibly supportive of Jaune and Pyrrha's new relationship to acting almost... envious of it. Her actions in the last mission to the Emerald Forest, however...
Nora and Ren had always been a little protective and possessive of each other. But it had become increasingly clear that, for all her insistence that they weren't together-together... it seemed she wished it were otherwise.
Ren couldn't imagine a life without Nora, but the prospect of taking that step was more than a little intimidating. And ultimately, they were in the middle of a mission... not just to Mountain Glenn, but this entire situation with the Decepticons and the SDC. The fate of the world was potentially at stake here, and personal issues within the team could cost them their lives.
They had been lucky that the mess caused by Ruby and Jaune's breakup had happened during a lull in missions. Luckier still that Jaune and Pyrrha had found comfort in each other. But could Ren really trust himself to take that kind of risk when their lives -- the whole world -- depended on them?
It was a critical question, but one that would have to wait until later. There was another light down there in the gloom with them. It was no flashlight moving towards them either, but an eerie and sickly green glow.
They all turned their own lights towards the incoming unknowns. It was a pack of Grimm. The common Creep, but something was different about one of them. It was Nora who spoke first.
"A green one? Ooh! Kill it, kill it."
As one, Team JNPR plowed into battle. Unsurprisingly, Pyrrha easily took the lead, carving a path through the Grimm toward the strange green one with ease before dispatching it. The redheaded champion seemed surprised and even a little disappointed as it fell at her feet. She turned to the next target, only to be interrupted as Jaune tackled her.
"Jaune! Wha-?"
That was when the glowing green Creep exploded.
"Wasn't me!" Cliffjumper preempted.
"What was that thing?" demanded Jaune.
"Grimm infected with some kind of dark energon," the Autobot said grimly. "A tox-en variant. Been running into these things for a while. Why do you think I was sticking around? Dark energon is bad news."
"And what is dark energon, exactly?" Ren asked.
"The Blood of Unicron the Destroyer, Lord of Chaos, Planet Eater. At least, that's what the stories say," Cliffjumper explained with an ominous tone. "Whatever it really is, it corrupts Cybertronian biology and technology, it's deadly to organics like you, and it reanimates ravenous zombie hordes. Any questions?"
"Just one," Nora piped up, raising a finger. "When did we go from science fiction to horror?"
"Kid, what are you talking about?" the Autobot fired back. "Ever since I woke up, I've been living in a fantasy vid."
"Can we stop debating what genre our lives are and get back to figuring out how to get out of here?" Jaune interrupted the budding argument.
"We could try taking that train," Ren suggested as he pointed further down the rail tracks they had been following to where a train sat, barely visible in the light from his headlamp.
"Worth a short," Jaune agreed. "It has to go somewhere, and it sure beats walking."
"Not like I got any better ideas," Cliffjumper grumbled.
Soon enough, they had boarded the train, slain the Grimm that lurked within it, and gotten it moving. Cliffjumper had opted to stay in one of the empty cargo cars, while JNPR was in the locomotive.
"This train is in remarkably good condition," observed Pyrrha. "Someone's been maintaining it and keeping it operational."
"I think I know who," Jaune said after he opened the door at the back of the locomotive to the car behind. Ren peered through past him. A corpse lay on the floor, wearing a White Fang mask and bearing claw marks suggestive of a Grimm or wild animal attack. Given the location, Ren felt safe in assuming it was Grimm.
Nora stepped through and examined the body.
"Got another one!" she called, pulling a pen-like voice recorder out from under the corpse's vest and clicking it.
"This is it. I knew it. The big one. We're not going to lose this time. This time, we'll have our revenge. Adam asked for volunteers for this, and I stepped up. We've got the train rigged up in case things go cockeyed. I just hope nothing happens between now and then."
The four teenagers exchanged worried looks.
"I guess we're about to find out where the White Fang went," Jaune noted.
"Something clearly did happen though," noted Pyrrha sadly, in accordance with the recording's last words. "I think we all forget how easily life can be cut short. I know that he was a terrorist, that he probably wouldn't have hesitated to kill me and all I love, but… maybe he was someone like Blake? We'll never know."
"And this 'big one' he's talking about..." Ren said quietly. "I feel sick thinking we might have that monster Merlot to thank for stopping whatever it was." Given the corpse's likely cause of death and the recording they'd recovered from Merlot Tower about storing Grimm test subjects underground...
"Maybe he didn't? Maybe it was something else? The Vytal Festival is coming up soon. That would be the perfect place to stage a big flashy terrorist attack," strategized Jaune before he shook his head. "Too many unknowns. Just like always. I just wish we knew a little bit more. I'm tired of being in the dark."
Nora was quiet for a spell before she said, "I hope General Ironwood made it out okay."
"I don't know if that's possible, Nora," Ren said quietly. "There were a lot of Grimm, and I don't believe the Bullhead has the firepower to hurt that Wyvern." It pained him to see her expression crumple, and he pulled her into a comforting hug.
Some things might be confused between them, but this part was clear. He would not allow Nora to suffer.
"Maybe it is impossible," Pyrrha admitted morosely, "but maybe it's time for something impossible to happen. A straight win, no strings attached... is that too much to ask for?"
She must have been remembering her time in the tournament circuit. A simpler time, when victory or defeat was clearly defined.
"No, it isn't, Pyr," Jaune assured them, pulling Pyrrha into a hug. "Just remember, even in the darkest hour, there is a light, and maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, we're gonna beat this. I know it."
"We could call Ironwood," Nora suggested. "Signal underground might be spotty, but we could."
Jaune shook his head. "No, we can't. Not with Cliffjumper here and this... 'dark energon' involved. It might not have started out as one, but this is a Team Rainbow mission now."
The four of them lapsed into silence as the train rolled on through the darkness into the unknown.
'Til the end of the line.
(Interlude 2-1: Fallout | Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse | Interlude 2-3: Island)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
- Author's Note 3 (Cyclone)
Join us next week as Dr. Merlot continues to explore the secrets of dark energon in his secret laboratory on the "Island."
Last edited:
RoboRenee
Trans of gender
- Location
- FFXIV, probably
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Oh. Yay. Unicron-corrupted Grimm. What fun. Great idea doc.
Metroidwave
Strength To Lean On
- Location
- Somewhere in Colorado
That 'yesss' is all kinds of concerning. The angolmois ain't helping either.
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
I'd argue that experimenting with Grimm is the greater sin here than mucking around with dark energon. I mean, he has no idea what he's playing with when it comes to dark energon, but he has no such excuse with the Grimm.
Cody: However, playing around with dark energon certainly has the bigger consequences.
Yeeessss. Yeeessss.
Interlude 2-3: Island
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse | Interlude 2-3: Island | Interlude 2-4: New Sheriffs in Town)
Interlude 2-3: Island
* * *
Interlude 2-3: Island
* * *
After some time, the train broke though into the sunlight. All around them were brilliant shades of yellow and red under a cloudless blue sky. Such was the brightness and uplifting nature of the change in lighting that every member of the sub-team of Team RRANBBWW leapt for joy and to the windows to see what new land they had found themselves in, and what they saw took them by surprise.
"The Forever Fall Forest?!" Jaune gasped as he looked all around at the perpetually red and shedding trees.
"But how?" asked Pyrrha. "We're clear on the other side of Vale."
"We must have driven under the entire city before we got here," reasoned Ren. "The question is… why?"
"A lot of those tunnels we were passing through didn't exactly look up to code," pointed out Nora. "It's possible the whole thing was built off the books. I mean, why not? If Merlot had enough influence with the city to mess with the defenses, who's to say he didn't have enough influence to get his own private tunnel built and off the record?"
There was a comment that could be made there about Valish arrogance in relation to the reputation that Mistral had in regards to crime, but Pyrrha refrained from making that comment because she thought it might be too uncharitable to all parties involved.
"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves," said Jaune placatingly, and then he paused, as if his wonderful mind had suddenly concocted the solution to all their problems. "Ren, Nora, we're aboveground, right? Let's bring this train to a stop and then follow the tracks the rest of the way to its destination. That way, we don't have to let them know we're coming."
"Oooh, good thinking, fearless leader," complimented Nora as she and Ren went about bringing the train to a stop at a suitable location on the tracks.
As it came to a complete halt, there was a rumbling in the back, and the four members of Team RRANNBWW moved as quickly as possible outside. There, they found one of the cargo cars open and Cliffjumper stepping out onto the ground. He paused to look at them, and they in turn looked at him.
"This is where we part way, hunters," growled Cliffjumper.
"Huntsmen," corrected Jaune with particular accuracy.
"Whatever," replied the Autobot with a roll of his eyes. "The point is we're not going to be seeing each other again, and if we do, it will be as enemies. We won't soon forget what you've done."
With that, and without waiting for a response, Cliffjumper transformed and roared off through the forest at dangerous speeds. It sounded like he transformed two more times, and then everything was quiet.
"What we've done?" paraphrased Nora, turning around to her teammates and gesticulating wildly. "What we've done?! We haven't done anything. He's the one causing all the issues!"
"Maybe," said Jaune with a notable pause afterward. "Do you think the first team to encounter him might have lied about what Cliffjumper did?"
"Why would they?" countered Ren. "Even if one team had reason to do so, there were two teams there, one from Beacon, one from Atlas. It seems... improbable that they would all go along with it."
"But they just left it be," pointed out Pyrrha. "They're Huntsmen. Why aren't they doing anything about it?"
"They could be biding their time," Ren argued, "making sure they aren't being watched before they initiate anything. This isn't like with the Decepticons. They don't know people are suffering and dying at the hands of these transformers."
"Something for later then," summed up Jaune as he pointed down the railroad. "Right now, we should get back in contact with Beacon and follow the path."
The four scrambled into the brush and began to plot out a route that would both keep them in cover and following parallel to the railroad while Jaune fished out his scroll. Pyrrha was standing close enough that she could hear everything. That wasn't too weird, right? She was his girlfriend, after all; some closeness was to be expected, but she didn't want to seem clingy…
There was a slight delay, and then a click as the call connected, bringing Ozpin's voice over the line. "Mister Arc, is that you?"
"Yes, sir," replied Jaune calmly. "We're in the Forever Fall Forest right now."
"Forever Fall?" replied Ozpin, politely confused. "That's... a long way from Mountain Glenn, Mister Arc."
"We've, ah, run into some complications, sir. Compartmentalized complications. Sir."
"I see, Mister Arc," was Ozpin's reply, his tone making it clear he caught the underlying meaning.
"Yes, sir," Jaune confirmed. "And it seems the White Fang may have been preparing a major operation before being delayed for unknown reasons."
"And how are you in Forever Fall?" asked Ozpin.
"An underground train, didn't exactly look up to code, if you catch my meaning."
"I do indeed, Mister Arc. It would appear best if you continued on your current path then to find the source of this... discrepancy."
"Already on it," confirmed Jaune with pep that died a quick death in sacrifice to the gravity of his next words. "Professor, have you heard from General Ironwood?"
"I have," Ozpin answered. "He's currently leading a rather intimidating Grimm Wyvern away from the city."
That brought a slight bit of relief for them... slight. Pyrrha was glad to hear that the General was still alive, but for how much longer could that be kept up? Cliffjumper seemed to have thrown him into the middle of an unwinnable situation with his blundering incompetence. For the Autobot's sake, she prayed that General Ironwood would return safely to Beacon.
Ozpin continued. "Based on his rather brief report, NEST has sent a team to perform a follow up investigation of Merlot Tower. They're also sending units to try and assist Headmaster Ironwood. Do you require assistance at your location?"
Jaune thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No, we're good here. If we need backup, we'll ask for it, but we're good for now. Just… what do you know about Doctor Merlot? Personally, I mean."
There was a sigh on the other end, almost too soft for Pyrrha to hear. "Enough to regret a great many failures in my relationship with him. Perhaps chiefmost among those was hiring him to teach at Beacon Academy. We were classmates before, and perhaps that colored my view of him. At first, I thought his obsession with capturing live Grimm was more... demonstrative, like with Professor Port. I was wrong. A student was almost killed during one of his experiments, and when I confronted him about it, he called me short-sighted, said I was too focused on killing Grimm instead of learning from them. He expressed regret over what happened and resigned the following day."
"Don't beat yourself up about it, Professor," comforted Jaune with sound reasoning. "You couldn't have known what kind of wackjob he was."
There was a slight pause, and then a chuckle. "No, I suppose not. When I received his resignation, I thought he'd learned his lesson."
"I'm thinking he didn't, and that his remorse was more over losing a specimen," Jaune replied. "Professor, we got evidence that Merlot continued his experiments with Grimm at his company. He… he was sabotaging the defenses to have an easier time collecting specimens."
There was another pause, and then when Ozpin spoke again, his voice was as cold as the grave. "Juniper, if you see Merlot, you are to arrest him and bring him back to Vale for trial. If you cannot take him alive, then I don't expect you to. Is that clear?"
His reply was a series of confirmations from the team, and with that, the call ended soon after, leaving the four alone with each other once more.
"Let's get going," ordered Jaune with a wave of his hand.
Then with that, they were off. They moved swiftly, but there were likely still miles and miles of ground to cover. It gave them a lot of time to think.
In due time, they came across a chasm, and the only way to cross it was over the rail bridge, so they did so, carefully. As they did so, they were treated to the spectacular view of the Forever Fall Forest and so much of what lay within it, a sight which took Pyrrha's breath away with all the colors and the clear lighting from the sun. It was a mood ruined when she looked to the northeast and saw the Emerald Forest still ablaze with towering clouds of smoke coming off of it to be carried to the mountains by the winds.
It made Pyrrha think about the past, back when they had first heard about the Maidens, about the original plan and all its implications. Because they hadn't taken that route, and because they had failed to find and kill Cinder after months of searching, so many innocent people now had gone to the eternal halls of their fathers, and the world was a darker place. It wasn't the first time her thoughts had been troubled by those events, and it wouldn't be the last. Another in a long list of failures to add to their resumes.
A thought struck her just then. What if she was to let Jaune in on this? She had heard before that men liked feeling like protectors, and she was well aware of the motivation that drove him to take such a daring risk as to fake his way into Beacon, so perhaps if she told Jaune about her problem, then he would like trying to find a way to solve it. Oh, but she had also heard that men appreciated stoicism, so maybe she should keep quiet to avoid troubling him? Why did this have to be so contradictory?
Wait, no, that was it! She could just gradually ease into talking about her issues and gauge his reactions. If she noticed a negative reaction, then things would be going slowly enough that she could just change subjects. It was brilliant!
"Jaune?" began the redhead.
"Yes, Pyrrha?" acknowledged Jaune.
"Do you ever think about the old plan?" she asked as she kept her head on a swivel. "The one Ozpin had for dealing with Fall before we were brought in?"
"Sometimes," admitted Jaune. "A lot of those times have been in the last few days. I just… how could we have missed her, Pyrrha? How could everyone in the world searching for her miss her? How did Cinder slip through the net?"
"I don't know," said Pyrrha softly. "I just… I don't know if this is cruel or not, but I can't help but wonder what we could have done instead. Would it not have been proper for trustworthy Ruby to take on the mantle of the Fall Maiden just as her mother was the Spring Maiden? Would not Nora's strength have been enough to weather any storm? Even Weiss at her lowest would have risen to the occasion and kept those powers safe."
"You didn't mention yourself," pointed out Jaune, looking at her with sapphire irises that she felt she could get lost in. "I think Ozpin was looking at you when I asked him who he had in mind."
Pyrrha almost tripped over one of the railroad ties. Almost. "W-what?!" she sputtered. "Me?! Oh, Jaune, you must be mistaken. There's no way that I, a mere tournament fighter, could ever be worthy of such an honor."
Jaune smiled and shook his head. "And that's why you would have been the right choice, Pyr. Because it isn't an honor. It's a burden. You understand that; it's why you cited the others' strengths when talking about why they were good choices."
Pyrrha hid her face from him as it turned as red as her hair; a fool's errand, she knew, as her shoulders were blushing as well, and she had to sweep her eyes across the terrain in any case. "I don't… no. It's… I mean, I don't know if I would be strong enough. Some of the possible side effects of that machine seem quite terrifying. An untested experimental procedure to graft one person's damaged aura onto another person's healthy aura? There wouldn't even be the guarantee that… I should apologize to Nora and Ruby and Weiss, and Blake. I thought I was heaping praise upon them, but in reality, I was only selfishly throwing risks to them."
Jaune blinked. "Why would you need to apologize to Blake?"
"If you apologize to Weiss, you also have to apologize to Blake, and vice versa. That's just the way it goes," explained Pyrrha with a shrug. There wasn't much else to say about that. After all, since Blake had come back, she and Weiss had gone right back to practically being joined at the hip, and that included being rather defensive of each other. Since Pyrrha was friends with both of them, of course, she had gotten a front row seat on that in action before.
It was almost strange. Almost. It seemed rather like a more nascent version of how Yang and Ruby behaved with each other. And, of course, even with school driving them apart, the little dragon sisters would always latch onto each other at the earliest opportunity.
"So, now that you're thinking about how much it could mess you up, you're still willing to take the plunge?" asked Jaune, snapping her thoughts back on topic. "You might not have woken up as the same person... or at all."
"I... I realize that, Jaune," she said quietly. "But... would it be worth it, Jaune? My life, my identity, to save all those people on the Furchtlos?"
"My gut says no," was his instantaneous reply, and a selfish part of Pyrrha cheered at that. "But... but that wouldn't be fair, not just to them, but to you. Because I have no right to make that choice, Pyr. Only you do. Do you think it would have been worth it? If you could go back, would you make that trade?"
Pyrrha stumbled a bit as he turned the question around on her. She'd been so concerned about what had happened that she hadn't really taken the time to think it through. Would she consider it worth it? Would she make that trade if she could?
"Yes," she said, the answer forcing itself reluctantly out of her mouth. "Give up my life to save all those people? Yes, I would." She gave him a wan smile, thinking of all the precious moments they had shared and had yet to share, what she'd just declared was worth less than the lives of hundreds of strangers. "It's what I signed up for," she added lamely.
"Then..." he began haltingly, clenching his hands into fists, "...then I'd stand by your decision. I'd stand by you, 'til the end of the line. If I survived, I'd probably hate myself for it, but..." -- he turned to look her in the eyes -- "...but could I do less?"
Pyrrha blinked, her eyes misting up, and she yanked him into a comforting hug, which he returned after only a moment of confused hesitation.
"Thank you, Jaune," she mumbled into his shoulder. It was as if he had lifted a great weight from her shoulders with his words, though with her thoughts in a confused but grateful jumble, she couldn't clearly articulate exactly what she was thanking him for.
"You're welcome, Pyrrha," mumbled Jaune.
But then, maybe she didn't need to. He seemed to understand.
Jaune then began to chuckle.
"What's so funny?" asked Pyrrha, pulling away a bit.
"Oh, it's just… we're being so dramatic about this when none of it matters," he said with a joyous smile. "I might think you're worth a thousand lives, Pyr, with a face to launch a thousand ships," -- he grinned cheekily -- "or at least a thousand endorsement deals, but I don't think the world quite agrees, and even if it did, what are the chances we'll actually have a say in it? This was entirely out of our hands."
"But if we'd known-"
"If we'd known, we would have poisoned Cinder's food and been done with it."
Pyrrha began to laugh herself. "Well, when you lay it out like that, it really does seem kind of silly."
"Hey!" Nora yelled back at them. "Emotional moment off the bridge!"
Their eyes went wide at that, and they glanced around in a brief panic, but despite their highly visible position, it seemed there were no witnesses to their tender moment. Suppressing all the very nasty and uncouth things that briefly flittered to the bottom of her subconscious -- like "heck" or "dang" -- Pyrrha crouch ran across the rest of the structure. Jaune followed close behind, of course, keeping pace the whole way.
They really could have planned all that better.
Once they crossed the bridge, they caught up with their two teammates, who were waiting for them at a small building where the rail line terminated. The prefab was disguised, with camouflage netting and local foliage draped over it, but it appeared to be abandoned.
"Well," Jaune noted, "end of the line and no ambush. I guess that's one plus."
"There are two foot paths," Ren observed. "One uphill, one downhill. Which one do we take?"
"We'll have to check them both," their noble leader declared. "Start with the uphill one, since it might give us a view as to where the other one leads."
The uphill path quickly got steeper and steeper as it scaled its way up and toward the east.
"I think it's fair to say today's been a bit of an… uphill battle?" Ren commented wryly a few minutes into the climb.
Nora let out a laugh at the pun.
"Let's keep going," Jaune said. "I want to see what's at the top before we turn back, if nothing else."
Eventually, they reached the top, the path ending in a clearing at the top of a cliff overlooking the northern sea. Contrary to Jaune's hopes, however, the vantage point did not provide any clues as to the other path's destination. A brief search revealed nothing of interest.
He sighed. "All right. Back down to check the other path, then."
Taking the downhill path, they found it turning sharply westward, then looping around and running along the edge of a much lower cliff.
"I see a ship with the same symbol as the cargo containers," observed Ren, pointing.
The other three squinted, shading their eyes from the afternoon sun, and Pyrrha could see the ship he spoke of steaming toward some unseen location on the coastline down below and still further west, loaded with shipping containers emblazoned with both Vale's crossed axes and the Merlot Industries logo.
"I think we're on the right track," Jaune asserted. "Let's keep going."
The path continued downhill and eventually led them to an overgrown stone building, its massive door closed to entry.
"More ruins," Pyrrha noted. "It looks like it might have been some sort of temple."
"I'm thinkin' we should search for a key," said Jaune.
The quartet split up and began looking around, but as they searched, the massive stone door began to grind open on its own.
"Get ready!" Jaune ordered.
As the door finally ground open, they saw a quartet of androids -- unarmed, painted yellow and black -- carrying a Merlot-branded cage between them. The cage rattled as its occupant snarled and tried to break free.
"Is that a Beowolf?" Ren asked. "What happened to it?"
It did indeed resemble a Beowolf, but it was huge, larger even than an Alpha, with a small forest of glowing green crystals sprouting out from its shoulders and similarly-colored lines spreading across its body like veins. Even its eyes glowed the same sickly green instead of the usual menacing red.
"But what are they doing with it?" Pyrrha wondered as the androids set the cage down. She had her answer a moment later when one of the androids reached over and unlatched the cage door, releasing the mutated Grimm.
"Great!" Jaune complained. "As if the regular Grimm weren't bad enough! Team Juniper, let's kill that thing!"
In an explosion of movement, the four Beacon students burst toward the mutated Beowolf, and Pyrrha let herself fall into the rhythmic patterns of battle as not only the mutant Grimm but also the androids turned to attack. This Beowolf appeared to be stronger and tougher than an Alpha, and it possessed an ability to propel those same green crystals out in a line attack. She made a few mental adjustments to compensate.
"Arkos!" Jaune called as he bashed one of the androids in the face, stunning it briefly.
Pyrrha nodded, hurling Miló in its javelin form to impale the android before propelling herself toward it with her semblance and pulling her weapon free as she kicked off the sparking android before turning her attention back to the mutant Beowolf as Nora brought Magnhild down on it.
With the androids out of the way, the team made short work of the mutant Beowolf and pressed on into the ancient temple. Inside, they found numerous cages, some empty, some with Grimm inside them.
"This is no ordinary temple..." breathed Pyrrha.
"Someone's been busy collecting Grimm," noted Ren as he peered into a cage containing a Creep.
"Ohhhh, a creep inside a cage," Nora gushed, moving up next to him. "How cuuuute!"
Jaune looked up from his scroll. "I've sent Ozpin a report with the coordinates. Let's find that ship."
The door on the opposite side of the temple warehouse was already open, and as they emerged, they followed a short path to a small, well-hidden docking facility. Off to the side, they could see a larger trail, but their interest was on the ship.
"What's in here?" Jaune asked rhetorically as they approached an open shipping container, ducking inside.
The shipping container door slammed shut, and the container around them shook and began to move. Pyrrha raised her hand to use her semblance to reopen the door, but paused as Jaune placed a hand on her wrist.
"And just like that, we're in like Flynn," he declared victoriously.
The other three stared at him in confusion, and his cheeks colored.
"It's, uh, just a turn of phrase I picked up," he said awkwardly, refusing to meet Pyrrha's gaze.
Oh, she thought, remembering. Ruby.
An awkward silence settled in the shipping container. No matter how far they were going, it was sure to be a looong trip.
"Anyone know where this place is?" asked Nora as the ship began pulling in toward another port, this one on an unfamiliar island.
Jaune fiddled with his scroll, and he shook his head. "Not a clue. It's not on the map."
"We've entered uncharted territories," Ren observed, nodding slightly. That was... honestly expected. A madman like Merlot would have difficulty hiding for so long among civilized people.
Jaune grimaced. "Getting back is going to be fun."
Ren wasn't worried. In the worst case scenario, they would hijack the boat they were on and sail it back. Probably with Nora joking about trying their hand at piracy. Still, the fact remained that they were very likely about to sail into the mouth of the enemy with no place to retreat to.
It meant the only way forward would be through. And that was just fine with him.
He dropped one hand to one of StormFlower's grips and shaded his eyes with the other as he peered at the docks. As he suspected. "There are androids waiting at the docks," he reported. "Eight worker androids and what look like four combat androids, two with rotary machineguns, two with polearms,."
"Get to cover," Jaune ordered. "Let's take 'em by surprise. Two by Two Rush: Ladies First."
The team broke apart, finding whatever cover or concealment they could. Ren crouched behind a cage that had held a Beowolf before they'd killed it during the trip over. None of Team JNPR had been keen on sailing with a bunch of caged Grimm growling and trying to attack them, so they'd exterminated all the captured Grimm abovedeck, though they hadn't been inclined to venture belowdecks, as a fight there would risk damage to the ship.
At this point in this attack pattern, he and Jaune had perhaps the hardest task: waiting. The girls would be in charge of timing.
As the ship moved into the port, Nora and Pyrrha moved, bursting from cover and firing their weapons. A thunderous "boom" on the left signaled Nora's contribution, almost muffling out the sharper "crack" from Miló's rifle configuration as they focused on the white gunner androids..
On that signal, Ren and Jaune rushed forward. Ren brought StormFlower up, aiming at the red polearm android on the left and letting loose with both barrels, the twin submachine guns blazing and stitching armor-piercing rounds through its chestplate. In his peripheral vision, he saw Jaune charge with his shield up, deflecting the right-hand android's glaive before impaling it through the dust core with Crocea Mors.
Perfection. Just liked they'd practiced.
Then the worker androids charged. The two lead androids were wielding crowbars like clubs, while the others took up boxing stances.
With an eager battle cry, Nora charged past him, right into the thick of it, swinging Magnhild -- now in hammer form -- with wild abandon. Ren shifted his attention back to the androids, circling around and putting short, well-aimed bursts into the heads or dust cores of the androids.
Soon, none of the androids were left standing.
"Aww," Nora pouted. "Is that all?"
"Maybe not," Ren said. He felt his instincts screaming at him that the area was not yet safe. He looked around. Then up. Hovering above, almost like it was watching them, was what looked like a Lancer, except it was a bit larger than most... and green.
"Another green one," Jaune murmured. "Like that exploding Creep we saw underground and the Beowolf at the temple. Pyrrha?"
"Done," she replied, bringing Miló up to her shoulder.
Crack!
The Lancer seemed to scream and tumbled to the ground, twisting and folding as it fell.
"Whyyy?!" it whined as it stood up, now on two legs and in a much more humanoid shape, slightly taller than Pyrrha. "Why shoot Wazzzpinator?"
"DECEPTICON!" Cliffjumper's voice bellowed from behind them. The word was followed quickly by the sound of tearing sheet metal. They turned to see the top half of the Autobot sticking out of the hole torn in the ship's deck, a massive pistol in hand. He fired, the ensuing energy blast striking -- Wazzzpinator? -- in the chest, blowing him apart.
"You killed him!" Pyrrha shrieked in surprise.
"It's Waspinator," Cliffjumper said dismissively as he clambered off the ship and onto the dock. "His spark's indestructible. He'll be fine."
"Well, it's about time you showed up," chided Nora. "A day late and a dollar short."
Ren didn't actually know what a dollar was, and he doubted Nora did either.
"Ah, shut up," Cliffjumper grumbled.
"What are you even doing here, Cliffjumper?" Jaune asked. "And what happened to 'next we meet, we'll be enemies'?"
"I told you, I'm investigating whoever's messing with dark energon," the Autobot said. "Waspinator's presence means they're working with the Decepticons." He shook his head. "Primus, I didn't think even Megatron was stupid enough to mess with dark energon, but if he is, then we've got bigger problems. Compared to that, you guys are small fry."
"Did you just make a short joke?!" demanded Nora, incensed.
"What? No!" Cliffjumper said, holding out his hands wardingly as she stomped toward him.
Ren, however, had his thoughts on something else. "Spark" was the Cybertronian word for soul, and Cliffjumper clearly had no doubts about Waspinator's recovery.
"An indestructible spark," he mused aloud. "You mean he can't die."
"Yeah," Cliffjumper confirmed. "If there's a way to kill a bot with an indestructible spark and make it stick, no one's figured it out in millions of megacycles. And trust me, people have tried. A lot. There's one or two out there that really need killing."
"Ah!" Pyrrha called, interrupting the conversation and holding up another Merlot audio recorder, slightly singed from Cliffjumper's blast and likely from the apparently temporarily deceased Waspinator. "I'll add this to the collection."
"Wait," Cliffjumper interjected. "Play it. I want to hear what it says."
Pyrrha glanced surreptitiously at Jaune, who gave her a slight nod. Hesitantly, the young Huntress pressed play.
"'Wazzzpinator, do thiszzz.' 'Wazzzpinator, do that.' Wazzzpinator tired of being told what to do! Wazzzpinator was chosen guardian of Emberszzztone! ...szzztill, better than working for Starszzzcream. Might szzztay with Red-eye."
"Starscream," the Autobot growled. "Of course he's involved with this. This kind of mad science stuff is right up his alley."
Just one more reason to kill Merlot, Ren decided.
"You know Starscream?" Pyrrha demanded.
"Unfortunately," Cliffjumper said. "Lemme tell ya, if anyone needs his spark snuffed out, it's him."
"Starscream's our enemy too," said Jaune, looking up at the red bot. "Maybe we don't have to be enemies."
Cliffjumper snorted derisively. "The enemy of my enemy makes for a convenient distraction and a temporary ally at best. Besides, everyone is Starscream's enemy; it doesn't mean anything. I'm pretty sure Starscream has foiled more of Starscream's plans than anyone else."
None of the Huntsmen had an argument against that. After all, they'd all witnessed him blow up his own lab on Ruby and Sun's bodycam footage. Instead, they turned back to securing the area. The pen the ship had pulled into was enclosed by walls on all three sides, with large gates in the walls to its port and starboard. A light rail line led out the starboard gate.
As they exited the docks following the rail line, Ren looked up at the darkening sky. Another concern occurred to him, and he noted, "It will be dark soon. Should we consider finding a place to make camp?"
"Somehow, I doubt that'll be an option," grunted Cliffjumper. The rail line followed the path before them down a small rocky canyon stacked with cages full of growling and snarling Grimm.
"I've got a baaad feeling about this," murmured Nora.
It was then that their scrolls came to life.
"Ahhh, hello. Welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay on the island. You're the first visitors I've had in, well, hmm, you are the first, not counting my partners."
"Uhhh, what?" Jaune sputtered in surprise. "Sorry, who was that?!"
"Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Doctor Merlot. You don't know me, but I most certainly know who you are. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled you're here. You might be exactly what I need for a very important... experiment."
An experiment? Ren's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So... We finally get to meet Dr. Merlot..." And he was still persisting in his madness.
"We'll start with a control. For such terrific students as yourselves -- and an Autobot as well! -- this should be an easy test, right?"
"A really bad feeling!" amended Nora as they were surrounded by the clicks of locks... unlocking.
The Grimm swarmed out: Creeps, Beowolves, even some Ursai. How did Merlot even capture Ursai alive? Ren's thoughts were interrupted by his long-time partner.
"DIBS!" she cried, pointing Magnhild at an Ursa before charging at it.
Ren turned his attention to some Creeps, quick-drawing StormFlower, but given how close they were to him, he forwent firing and instead began a series of slashes and punches, quickly dismantling the Grimm. He pressed the attack, dashing at an Alpha Beowolf and striking it in the chest with a powerful palm strike before following up with a spinning slash from both halves of StormFlower that finished it off and gave him an opening to dispatch the rest of its pack.
Once the Beowolves were disposed of, he took advantage of the momentary breather to assess the situation. He saw Jaune slice an Ursa's head off with Crocea Mors; their team leader was really getting good at decapitating Ursai. Jaune was standing not quite back to back with Pyrrha, who was going full pinball blender with a pack of Beowolves.
Meanwhile, a part of his mind kept track of Nora as she charged an Ursa. That part was always keeping track of Nora and had been for years. He smiled faintly as she smashed the Ursa with an overhead stroke, blasting its paw when it parried, before swinging Magnhild around in an underhand swing as it lunged at her.
"Fore!" she cried out as the Ursa's head went flying.
He couldn't help but smile.
Never change, Nora, he thought. Never change.
As he casually disposed of another group of Creeps, he felt his eyebrows rise in surprise as Nora leaped into the air and activated a rarely-used aspect of her semblance, charging Magnhild with electricity and unleashing it as a lightning bolt at...
"Hey!" Cliffjumper protested as the pack of electrified Beowolves lost their grip on his legs and torso. "Are you trying to fry my circuits?!"
"Don't look so shocked!" she giggled as she landed, offhandedly backhanding a Creep.
"All right, that's it," Cliffjumper growled, pulling an impressively large gun from... somewhere. Leveling it at his hip, he opened fire, sending a stream of energy bolts cutting across the small canyon and shredding the Grimm.
"Get down!" Jaune ordered, though Ren was already hitting the ground before the order had left his lips.
Long, deadly seconds later, the sound of Cliffjumper's gun subsided, and the canyon fell silent once more. Slowly, warily, the four Beacon students rose to their feet.
"What the heck was that?" Jaune demanded. "You could have killed us!"
Cliffjumper snorted. "If you aren't gonna care about hitting me, why should I care about hitting you?"
Nora coughed awkwardly and shuffled her feet in embarrassment as Jaune and Pyrrha glared at her.
"Just... ugh, never mind," Jaune gave up in disgust. "Come on, let's go."
Under the last rays of light from the setting sun, the group continued down the small canyon, and as they advanced, they found heavy machinery and piping joining the railroad tracks. The pipes seemed to be drawing from pools of glowing green goop. With the darkness of nightfall, the island took on a much more ominous, menacing atmosphere.
"Whoa," Nora observed, "those puddles look nasty!"
"I think we found what we're looking for..." Jaune noted. "What is this stuff?"
"Tox-en," Cliffjumper answered. "Catchall term for any toxic energon. Like what you sometimes get when you mess with dark energon. Stay out of it if you like living."
"Yeah, wasn't exactly planning on taking a swim," Jaune snarked back.
Not all of the equipment seemed to be in top shape, though. As they advanced, they found a pair of worker androids working on a pipe leaking steam that blocked the path forward. The two androids immediately turned on them and charged, swinging their pipe wrenches at them.
Pyrrha dashed forward, stabbing one through the dust core and blocking the other's swing before reconfiguring Miló from its spear form to sword mode and decapitating it.
For his part, Ren ignored the fight. He trusted Pyrrha to handle a pair of labor androids. Instead, his eyes searched around. While they would have no real problem bypassing the steam leak -- it wouldn't be hard to just leap over it -- surely, finding a valve and shutting off the flow in these pipelines would hinder Merlot somehow.
There!
"We can shut the steam off from here," he announced.
"I got it!" Nora cheered as she hustled over. The valve was stiff, rusted over, but with a grunt, she got it moving.
"That did it!" announced Pyrrha.
"Heyyyyy now," Merlot's said over their scrolls. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Jaune smiled ."I think we got his attention. Follow the pipeline, and I'm betting we'll find Doctor Merlot."
Good, Ren thought. He had some frustrations to work out, and someone like Merlot would do nicely.
Course of action set, the quintet advanced, blasting their way through what little opposition they found, following the pipes and closing valves to constrict the flow of the tox-en.
"You know, Doc," Jaune said conversationally, "I'm kinda curious. How'd you even survive Mountain Glenn? Was it luck or part of your plan?"
"Would you believe me if I told you it wasn't my fault?"
"We kind of found your logs admitting it was already," admitted Jaune.
Merlot gave a dramatic sigh. "Admittedly, Mountain Glenn is a bit of a sore spot for me. Decades of hard work, countless research projects, not to mention all of the specimens I'd collected over the years... all lost without a trace."
"Is that all you care about?" Ren demanded, unable to keep silent any longer. "Your research?"
"The work done at Merlot Industries was critical in the advancement of artificial intelligence and genetics," was Merlot's unconcerned reply. "Without it, Remnant would still be in the dark ages."
"So instead, you'd rather cause another one," Pyrrha accused.
"I beg your pardon?!"
"How do you think dark ages start?" she reasoned. "It starts with the end of civilizations. Civilizations like the one you ended with your recklessness and incompetence at Mountain Glenn."
"Pah!" scoffed Merlot. "What does a mere child know of history? A simple tournament fighter too stupid to make something of herself?! I don't have to justify myself to a simpleton like you!"
Pyrrha smirked with a slightly sadistic expression she usually only wore in the heat of a truly challenging fight. "For all your bluster and boasting... you're just another Ozymandias."
"Who?" was Merlot's confused reply.
"Exactly," she confirmed.
"Kid's got a point," Cliffjumper added. "You call her a child. Well, I'm older than your whole civilization. I've seen it happen. Scrap like this? This ends worlds."
"And how many worlds have you ended, Autobot? How many civilizations have died at your hands? How many trillions of lives extinguished in your never ending civil war to see who can rule over the rubble best?"
"If people like you are still around," Cliffjumper sneered, "not enough."
Ren frowned at that. The Autobot's blase disregard for the idea of killing worlds and civilizations... it was unsettling.
They lapsed into silence at that, but fortunately, they soon found themselves facing a massive reinforced door.
"Look around," Jaune ordered. "See if we can find a way in. Control panel, maintenance hatch, ventilation duct, anything."
"Roger!" the other three humans chorused.
An oddly-shaped shadow caught Ren's attention, and he reached down to pick it up. Another voice recorder. "One more for the collection," he mused aloud. He glanced at Jaune, who gave him a surreptitious nod. Ren pushed play.
"Introducing Angolmois dust to the natural springs on this island from which my serum is derived has yielded fascinating results, and my new partners are equally interested in its potential. I will need more test subjects to experiment with while I continue work on reproducing Angolmois dust."
After the recording ended, Merlot -- the real one -- broke in again.
"I wonder, do you believe things happen for a reason? I mean, you practically washed ashore here on my island!"
That, Ren thought, was a rather inaccurate description of what had happened.
"What are you getting at?" Jaune asked.
"Maybe you can be of some use to me after all. How serendipitous."
With that, the door slid open, revealing a large elevator.
"So, what now, fearless leader?" Nora asked.
"Do we descend into the depths?" added Pyrrha.
"Merlot must be stopped," Ren said, striding forward before Jaune could answer. "No matter the cost."
Jaune held an arm out across Ren's chest, stopping him short of the elevator. "Ren, are you going to be okay? I need you to be at a hundred percent for this."
Ren clenched his fists, briefly offended. How dare he? Jaune didn't -- couldn't! -- understand what it was like, to helplessly watch your home die around you. And that monster Merlot had and would cause it again.
"I am," he assured Jaune. "A hundred and ten."
"You done yakkin', or should I go on ahead?" Cliffjumper asked from within the elevator.
They all ran ahead to join him, and descended into the depths.
After the elevator stopped, the door in front of them opened to reveal a shining, sterile hallway. It was remarkably clean and techno-corporate looking and huge. Like really, really huge.
"Why is this place so big?" Nora found herself asking. She'd heard of "open plan" offices, but this was ridiculous. Who needed hallways thirty feet across and twenty feet high?
Cliffjumper walked into the massive hall and ducked down his huge horned head to avoid hitting the ceiling, even though he really didn't need to.
"This is Constructicon work," the Autobot answered gruffly. "Scrap, it's cramped in here. This is going to result in some nasty actuator to actuator combat, I can tell."
Before they could reply, a tone played over the speakers, followed by a clearly automated recording of Merlot's voice.
"Greetings, and welcome to Merlot Industries, where we're building a better tomorrow... today!"
There was a scoff from Pyrrha at that, and while she was too nice to go beyond that… Nora wasn't.
"That was the worst sloganeering I've ever heard!" she called out, hoping the mad doctor could hear her.
He didn't respond, and instead, the recording started up again. "Here at Merlot Industries, we take pride in innovation. Together, with your help -- and a little of your special spark -- we will build a better tomorrow!"
Cliffy's big mechanical jaw dropped. "By Primus! He's harvesting sparks to use in his experiments!"
The Autobot began to run off, and the present half of Team RRANNBWW ran after him.
"Wait, are you serious?" Jaune sputtered. "Harvesting souls?"
"That name's just silly," complained Cliffjumper before shaking his head. "Never mind. We've got to blow this place all the way to Elba, or else, he'll continue harvesting the sparks of Cybertronians for his schemes to combine the bodies of a transformer and a Grimm into one. In fact, he could have already succeeded, and we'll have to prepare ourselves to destroy this abomination before it can realize its true form and destroy us all!"
Again, Nora found herself utterly and completely flabbergasted, and this time, everyone else seemed to be joining her.
"Okay, I admittedly have been listening in this whole time," came Merlot's befuddled voice from the speakers. "I just can't figure it out though. How could you have possibly gotten all of that from an advertising slogan?"
"It was easy," replied Cliffjumper, not explaining himself at all and seemingly failing to understand that he needed to so that everyone else would know what was going on inside his head.
"'Easy,' huh?" scoffed Merlot. "Well, if you find that so easy, why don't you try it while facing off against the ultimate lifeform?"
At that, access panels opened, and Grimm came streaming out, along with some androids.
"But of course, before the main course can be served, there must first be an appetizer."
"Pair off!" Jaune called, shifting to stand back to back with Pyrrha. Nora herself moved to stand by her Renny.
The first wave of Grimm were little threat, and Nora was a little disappointed. The second wave consisted of a line of Ursai on one side and Beowolves on the other.
"Switch up!" was Jaune's response.
Nora grinned as the two couples -- wait, couples?! -- switched dance partners. Nora moved to counter the Ursai alongside Jaune, bringing power against power, while Pyrrha and Ren faced off against the Beowolves, where their mobility would be a greater asset.
She swung Magnhild repeatedly, whacking the Ursa in front of her with a trio of diagonal hammer strokes before cartwheeling to evade its claws, then brought Magnhild up and swung it around her, letting the momentum carry her as she battered the line of Ursai back. As the Ursa she was focused on swung at her, she backflipped -- this really was an awfully big corridor -- and then dashed forward, bringing Magnhild around in an overhead strike, leaving the ursine Grimm stunned.
"Nora's Arc!" she sang out, and Jaune disengaged from his opponent to dash toward the dazed Ursa, leading with his shield before repeatedly impaling it in a combo he had perfected over weeks under Pyrrha's tutelage.
"Thanks for the setup, partner!" he called out as they switched opponents.
After the fifth wave, even Nora was starting to get annoyed. The group of five looked around, waiting for a sixth wave, but nothing happened.
"Glad that's over with," Jaune finally said, voicing everyone's thoughts on the matter. "But I don't like the idea of playing his game. Pyrrha? Kill any cameras and microphones so we can figure out our next step."
The four-time Mistral Regional Champion nodded and closed her eyes for a moment before bringing Miló up and firing several times, at cameras hanging from the ceiling and what seemed to be random locations in the walls. "Done."
"Great," Jaune said, then looked around. "So, way I see it, we need to find something important and wreck it. Anyone have any ideas?"
"I picked up a few tricks over the megacycles," Cliffjumper said, withdrawing a handheld computer the size of a hiking pack. "Just find me an interface I can patch into."
That didn't take long. The entire building seemed to be wired.
"Uh huh," Cliffjumper mused. "As I thought. This is Decepticon coding. Bringing up the plans now."
His handheld computer began projecting a holographic map.
The four Huntsmen studied the map as Jaune traced a finger across it. "Looks like we're here... and down here, this big room has a lot of piping running to it. That's probably where he's making his serum. Looks like we can- Ren?" He blinked as the martial artist suddenly stormed off.
Nora's eyes flicked over to the holographic map and the direction he was going. "I'll go with him!" she announced, even as she began moving. "You go take care of the serum!"
Nora pounded through the hallways after Ren, he was so close, and yet so far. There was a detour through an oversized ventilation shaft, easily large enough to walk through. Cliffjumper's assertion that this had been built by -- what did he call them? Constructicons? -- seemed to have merit.
"Ren!" she called after him. "Ren!"
He wasn't listening. She had to take drastic measures.
She slammed Magnhild against the ground and pulled the trigger. There was a terrific boom, and she was sent flying. Riding the recoil like a scooter, she shot that much closer to where her Renny was.
She fired again and again and again, each time changing her angle of attack to keep up momentum. She managed to catch up to him and switched Magnhild back into its grenade launcher form. He had only stopped to pry open the access panel of the electronic lock on the door obstructing his path.
"Renny!" she called again, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.
He whirled on her, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I have to do this, Nora," he insisted. "I can't let him get away."
"I know," she said. "I said I'd be right there with you, remember?"
His expression softened, and he nodded. "Together, then."
"Together."
As one, they turned to face the door, and Nora proceeded to jam her hand into the open access panel and kick the door down.
They dove to the side as a flurry of gunfire rippled through the door.
"Ha! Wazzzpinator winzzz! Hammer-girl and Circuit-szzzuka no come closzzzer!"
The two long-time friends and companions exchanged a look. Nora cocked an eyebrow. Ren nodded. She smiled and stuck Magnhild out into the doorway and unloaded blindly into the room.
"...why universzzze hate Wazzzpinator...?"
The two cycled around the door and entered the now partially-destroyed office -- no, control center -- which was, like everything else in the base, strangely huge. Likely sized for transformers. Just how deep was Merlot in with them?
On the floor was Waspinator and several androids in pieces. On the walls were monitors of the entire facility. In the far corner was an open door.
"Wazzzpinator hate bombzzz."
"Hey, pull yourself together, Waspinator," replied Nora to the disembodied head as she passed him by.
He was immortal, like genuinely unkillable. They could probably spend all year shooting at him, and somehow, he would still survive. Yet, somehow, this fantastic fact which should have been mind blowing or terrifying was instead… almost comical? Definitely blase. After all, what was one more impossible thing after month after month of them?
There were only so many times they could be wowed before they simply ran out of shock.
"There he is," growled Ren as he looked at the monitors and saw a scruffy-looking man with a robot arm running through the halls.
"Now, where is he running off to?" asked Nora as she went over to the desk, absent-mindedly pocketing the pocket recorder sitting on it as she activated another holographic map and glanced to the side to confirm that the others were still fighting their way through the facility and destroying a lot of vats of… well, Nora honestly didn't know. After so many additives, what even was it?
"Ha! Stupid girl will never find Red-eye once he reachezzz the canyon hangar," mocked Waspinator, and then the expression on his decapitated head changed. "Oh no."
"Thanks for the tip, Waspinator!" cheered Nora as she mentally plotted out the best route on the holographic map.
"Come on," ordered Ren as they both ran for the open door on the far side.
"Wazzzpinator sure to lose penszzzion over this," she could hear the transformer complaining before they left.
Again though, Ren was running out in front of her, with nothing slowing him down. Oh, things tried to slow him down, but they didn't work. Whether it was the androids he sprinted around while committing a run-by with armor-piercing ammunition or the Grimm he obliterated with aura-boostered martial arts, he was something else to behold.
She really needed to pump her tiny little legs faster to catch up with him.
Soon, they came upon another door that they were forced to get though. Luckily, jamming her arm into the exposed wires and letting her semblance take care of things worked just as well as it did last time. She kicked the doors open, and the hangar beyond appeared.
A man was running towards one of the airships. He wouldn't get that far. He wouldn't get that far because it wouldn't exist.
Nora fired off two of her really expensive grenades at the airship, and as they exploded, they destroyed the engines with directed blasts and jets of molten copper. The dust in the airship soon detonated in a chain reaction that sent shrapnel everywhere. The man somehow managed to dodge and looked back at the two of them with hate-filled eyes, one of them glowing red with obvious cybernetics.
"You insolent children!" barked Merlot angrily, opening a panel on his cybernetic arm and pressing some buttons beneath it. "Everything I had… well, everything you have has come to naught, because you're about to come face to face with the ultimate lifeform!"
A panel on the floor slid aside, and the biggest Deathstalker any of them had ever seen rose up on an elevator. It wasn't like the Deathstalker they faced in the Emerald Forest a year prior, though. No, this one was meaner, nastier, and covered in glowing green crystals.
When it finally revealed itself in full, it let out a horrifying shriek that would chill normal people but excited Nora, and then the shooting started.
The Deathstalker fired off a quintet of glowing green spikes from its tail, and Nora was forced to leap into the air to avoid being impaled. Ren, thankfully, did likewise, but he was still advancing. Just what was he thinking about doing?
"Don't be shy, students," laughed Merlot insanely. "You could learn a lot from this enhanced specimen. They won't teach you a thing about this back at Beacon."
The Deathstalker advanced on them, and Nora and Ren both opened up on it with their weapons. Magnhild ka-chunked and StormFlower st-titched, both lobbing their deadly payloads. The rounds would never land.
The grenades and bullets exploded and bounced off its skin, leaving it unharmed. But how? She knew she'd hit it in one of its unarmored areas. As Ren continued to fire and subsequent rounds landed, she felt her spine run cold as they impacted against the barest flicker of green just before they struck its hide.
She recognized that flicker. She'd seen it time and time again in training, in all the colors of the rainbow -- or perhaps the RRANNBWW -- and more besides, but to see it here? Aura? On a Grimm?
Now, Nora felt true fear and confusion. "No," she whispered, shaking her head with wide eyes. "No, that can't be."
"How?" asked Ren dumbly. "How is this possible?"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" cried out Merlot from behind the Deathstalker, laughing maniacally. "Nature couldn't make a beast this deadly, so I did!"
The Grimm's claws came down in a thundering slam that sent shockwaves through the hangar's floor. Ren dashed toward it, screaming incoherently, StormFlower's barrels blazing, only to hop back as it lashed out with its pincer claws in a series of slashes that came close to gutting him.
From the new cuts in his shirt, way too close.
What was he doing?
The wall furthest into the base exploded out, and from it, emerged a red car, shedding debris as it hit the ground and kept on rolling. A few feet after it straightened out, the back doors snapped open, and Jaune and Pyrrha were sent tumbling out into the hangar. Then, the red car transformed before their eyes into the screaming form of Cliffjumper, who delivered a double axe handle that was blocked by one of the Deathstalker's claws.
"What the-?" Cliffjumper managed to get out before the Deathstalker flung him aside.
No sooner was the Autobot flying through the air than the Deathstalker began to spin around, and Ren charged toward Merlot before it unleashed a torrent of glowing green crystal shards in almost every direction... save for the precise spot where the mad scientist stood watching eagerly.
Nora just barely managed to tackle Ren behind a solid metal crate before the spikes hit, and even then, she could see the tip of the shard they dodged punching through to the other side.
She held her breath, and Ren struggled to get out of her grip. Was he mad? Was he insane?
"Come on, Nora! Let go!" barked Ren angrily as he tried to untangle himself from her grasp.
"No!" she shot back simply. "No, I won't! Ren what's gotten into you?"
"What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you?!" he shot back heatedly. "You heard what he did! Extinguished countless innocent lives, lives just like yours, and for what?! Idle curiosity?! Nora, we have to kill him before he kills anyone else!"
Nora looked into his hate-filled eyes as best she could though her own distorted vision, like she was looking through a pool of water. "Please, Lie Ren, don't let yours be one of them. We've gone through too much to just… let it end here."
She could feel him shaking then, and somehow, she knew his expression had softened. She knew for sure when he brought up one of his sleeves and began to dry her eyes. He… he was okay. If he was okay, then so was she.
"We're going to beat this thing," she told him resolutely. "We're going to beat this abomination back, and then we'll bring Merlot in."
Ren nodded. "Just like our mission orders," he confirmed with a sigh. "Just another day at the office."
"Nothing to get excited about," she replied with a smile.
They came up from behind cover after that to discover that the battle had not been idle while they were having their little heart to heart. The hangar was littered with crystal spikes, and the others were even in the process of dodging more of them at that very moment. The only place that didn't seem to have been affected was right where Merlot was standing, which was… odd. Grimm didn't care about people, right?
"Yes! Yes! Go, my beautiful creation!" cheered Merlot. "Kill them all! Kill them all!"
Ignoring him, Ren ran toward the Deathstalker, firing both guns. Nora followed along with her own barrage. This lasted until they got close enough, then with blade and hammer they, began to strike at the mutant fiend in melee.
"Plunge that stinger down and don't let up!" ordered Merlot, and incredibly, the Deathstalker obeyed.
The glowing stinger plunged down where Nora stood. Luckily, this time, Ren tackled her to the side, leaving the stinger to dig into the solid steel floor. Before any of the many thoughts she had could spring to mind, the two rolled apart and went back to the battle.
"Oh yeah! I got this!" cheered Cliffjumper as he unleashed a gigantic blast from one of his energy weapons and then followed it up with a kick to the stinger that tore the Grimm free and damaged it heavily in the process, such that its impossible aura began to flicker.
"No, no, no!" cried Merlot in a panic. "Hang in there, my precious!"
The Deathstalker flipped itself over and seemed to be ready to go for another round. In reply, Cliffjumper brought out another gun. This gun seemed to be particularly large and over the top. Even for him.
"I think it's time we wrapped this up," said Cliffy confidently.
"I agree," growled Merlot before his voice rose in a great shout. "Scorponok, transform and combine!"
"Yes, Father!" replied the Deathstalker before it did exactly as ordered.
It jumped into the air and shifted to transform into… a giant head, and then that head came down to rest in a socket in the floor that seemed to come into existence just for it.
It was at that point when literally every single part of the base began to shift and change, just as the giant head had.
"Run!" ordered Jaune as he fearlessly pointed to the hangar's entrance.
They followed that order; they all did. Even Cliffjumper followed it, shifting into vehicle mode to get as much speed as he could and launching himself out. The others didn't have wheels, but the cooler half of Team RRANNBWW flew into the canyon as fast as they could all the same.
They hit the dirt and found the canyon to be relatively small. Nevertheless, every piece of metal not named Cliffjumper was still shifting and changing with what was once Merlot's base. There was no telling how long the ground would stay solid under them.
"Up the ledge, now!" barked Jaune.
First, Jaune went with a big, aura-enhanced leap that saw him rolling onto the top. Pyrrha was next, with characteristic grace and poise. Ren and Nora bounded up together as they had been trained so long ago. Cliffjumper… barely got halfway up before slipping back down to the bottom.
"What?" Nora gaped as she watched the Autobot try and fail again to get up the cliff. "How?! Your name is Cliffjumper!"
"I'm used to jumping off of cliffs, not up them!" shot back the half-ironically-named Cybertronian.
"Hold on then!" Pyrrha declared before casting out her hand.
"Wha-"
The big red bot didn't get the chance to reply before he was yanked upwards by his gun, yelling the whole way, on magnetic winds to land close to the cliff. He seemed quite irate when he came to a stop, but he didn't say anything. None of them did when the light of the shattered moon was suddenly cut off by the biggest humanoid shape to have graced Remnant in quite some time.
"Ahahahahaha!" came the cackling laugh of Merlot over the speakers that somehow still remained. "Now you fools will taste the true might of my son of science: Scorponok, the Ultimate Lifeform!"
"Oh, by all the gods and goddesses of the celestial bureaucracy, he's huge!" exclaimed Nora in disbelief. "How are we supposed to bring that down?"
"A titan! We find its weak point and shoot it!" declared Cliffjumper dramatically.
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" insisted Jaune quickly.
Before any of them could formulate a plan, though, a familiar and deafening shriek interrupted all their thoughts.
"What?!" exclaimed Merlot's voice. "Why are you out of your-"
The voice was cut off as the Grimm Wyvern swooped out from behind Scorponok with its claws grazing the massive transforming construct.
The massive eyes of said construct wided at that, and he let out a gasp. "Father!"
It began to run with thunderous steps that toppled them all over them and into the ocean, shouting along the way, "Don't worry, Father! I'll save you!"
The five allies looked out at the titanic Grimm transformer as it waded out into the water with huge steps, following after the big, black shape flying over the ocean. Maybe they had a little shock left after all. Naturally, though, it was Cliffjumper who spoke first.
"Well, I'd say that's the end of our alliance," commented Cliffjumper as he began to walk away. "The next time we meet, it will be as enemies."
He had walked a few hundred feet before he turned around.
"I mean it this time too!" he declared. "No take backs! Someone's gotta stop you lunatic Huntsmen, after all."
With that, Cliffjumper transformed into a car and sped off.
In the relative silence that followed, it was Ren that spoke. "Did he just seriously call us us lunatics?"
"I think so, and… wait!" exclaimed Jaune suddenly, bringing out his scroll. "That was the Grimm that was chasing General Ironwood!"
Realization struck them, and they watched with great hope and worry as Jaune made the call.
"Come on. Come on," hissed Jaune before there was an audible click. "Yes! General Ironwood? Are you alive...? YES! WOOHOO!"
Nora feltl her heart soar at those words. He was alive. He was still alive! Oh, happy days!
"Can we... yes!" declared Jaune excitedly before pointing at her. "Nora, get some of your smoke grenades and pop one in an open space."
"You got it, fearless leader!" she cheered as she set about following those orders.
Within minutes, the same Bullhead that had delivered them to Mountain Glenn that morning was hovering in to a landing, still filled with all that they had left in it, and the team of Huntsmen leapt in without a second thought and closed the door behind them.
"Oooh boy!" declared Jaune with a mad laugh. "I can't believe we survived all that."
"Believe it, Mister Arc," called Ironwood from the cockpit with an audible smile. "Welcome to being a Huntsman. It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"
"Headmaster, how did you survive?" asked Pyrrha, jumping to the chase.
"Simple," answered the general. "I flew faster than it did, and I kept flying like that for hours. Then I saw the giant transformer standing up on this island, and I thought I had an opening. I should have known I'd find you all at the center of this."
"That's…" Jaune trailed off and shook his head. "We'll talk later. For right now, let's just appreciate that this is a day that turned out with an actual win."
Nora smiled too, and then she remembered something. "Oh! I found another one of those audio recordings in Merlot's lab. Want to listen to it?"
Everyone else answered in the affirmative, and so, Nora hit the play button to begin hearing Merlot's final words.
"Research into this... 'tox-en' as my new partners call it has proven quite fruitful, but truly replicating Angolmois dust continues to elude me. With great reluctance, I have parted with a small sample to allow Sideways to work on refining the process."
They were all silent after that… for all of about ten seconds before Jaune cried out.
"Oh, come on!"
Once again, Jaune Arc was giving a mission report to a headmaster and a military officer. There were more than a few differences this time, though. For one thing, this was his first time debriefing in Ozpin's rebuilt office. For another, the team was smaller than usual. For a third, he was taking the lead. After all, as Headmaster Ozpin had emphasized before, this had been a Team JNPR mission, not a Team RRANNBWW mission, regardless of the complications. The fourth was the military officer in question, because it wasn't General Ironwood. Oh, Ironwood was present, certainly, but he was there more for his role in the mission as their pilot than in his capacity as a headmaster or a general.
And Jaune just wasn't sure what to make of the new NEST captain.
"And this... Cliffjumper," Captain William Lennox said, "despite his hostility, you were able to work with him?"
"Yes, sir," Jaune confirmed. It felt a little... odd, to say the least, to be discussing the transformers with an outsider, but as he flew them back, the General had made it clear exactly how much NEST -- and Captain Lennox -- was briefed on: namely Teams CFVY and RRFL's encounter with Cliffjumper, but not Team RRANNBWW's activities or the Decepticons, at least not yet.
"Hmm," Lennox hmmed thoughtfully.
"Sir," Jaune said, "I'm concerned about that... thing Merlot's lab turned into. It's still out there."
"I'm sure you are, kid," the NEST officer said, "and I'm sure it'll turn up, with Merlot alongside it." Jaune stared at him incredulously, and Lennox added, "I'm serious. Bad guy gets 'killed' by a random Grimm, conveniently without leaving a body, and his superweapon disappears into the ocean? He'll be back. Trust me on that."
All of Team JNPR stared at him.
"Is that..." Jaune stuttered, "is that... normal?"
"You have no idea," Lennox said cheerfully. "Remind me to tell you about some organ thieves I ran into one break, back when I was still in the academy."
"Um, maybe later," Jaune said, silently promising to never ask Captain Lennox anything ever again.
Sensing a gap, Ozpin spoke up. "Our more immediate concern will be trying to locate any remaining pockets of Merlot's infrastructure, especially those concerned with this 'dark energon.'"
"Indeed," concurred Lennox. "NEST, and really all the armed forces of Vale, are in a bit of a transition period. We still have yet to develop our protocols for dealing with the necromantic blood of a dark god left lying around, though I think we could adapt civilian hazardous waste protocols."
Jaune struggled to think of how anyone could have protocols like that, but then again... he was right, wasn't he? This wasn't all that different from dealing with hazardous waste in the civilian world, was it? Take away the fancy names and the alien origins, and everything that had happened over the past few months really did fit into neat little boxes that already existed. Which, of course, meant that there was no reason to get excited.
It was just another day at the office.
"While I can't offer any military support, I can get in contact with my forces to see if they could transfer over some of our plans about that," offered General Ironwood.
"Don't know what my superiors will have to say about that, sir, but I'm awfully grateful," replied Captain Lennox.
There was a soft pinging noise from Ozpin's desk that drew his attention and the attention of everyone else.
"I think that's my cue to leave," said Lennox with a smile. "Professor Ozpin, I'll make sure you get a report of everything we find in Mountain Glenn as soon as we can."
"Thank you, Captain," replied Ozpin, "and I'll be sure to keep your organization apprised of any developments on our end. James? Juniper? Do stick around. I need to talk with you about something after this."
Lennox gave a salute and strode out of the office. Only six remained in the admittedly quite sterile office, lacking the same charms as the old room destroyed by Cinder. As Ozpin took the call, Jaune shuffled closer to Ironwood.
"Uh, sir, is Ozpin going to tell NEST what I think he's going to tell them?" asked the blond in a quick whisper.
"And how can I help you, Bulletproof?" Ozpin was asking.
"The truth about the Decepticons? Yes, I think he is," answered Ironwood, just as quietly. "Can't say I disagree on it. General Morshower is a good man and a fine soldier, and I don't think that's changed since I last met him."
Jaune nodded even as he turned his attention back to the conversation Ozpin was having or at least what he could hear of it.
"...Yes, I've known Lionheart for many years. He was one of the finest souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," said Ozpin, and then there was another pause. "Yes, we do keep Grimm on campus. They're captured by the teachers and used as targets in live fire exercises by the students. Why do you ask?"
Jaune was wondering what exactly was going on with that. Bulletproof was the codename of the founder and commander in chief of the Central Organization of Police Specialists in Mistral -- he'd learned that talking to Team ABRN -- but why was he asking questions that got those sorts of answers? Surely, he would know how a Huntsman Academy operated, right?
"No, I don't know why Headmaster Lionheart would have a Grimm kept in a concealed room," answered Ozpin with clear confusion written over his face. "That's strange. A new type of Grimm perhaps? Describe it to me, if you would."
After saying those words, Ozpin listened, and as he did, his expression changed. He was becoming harder, like he was maintaining a mask. "Please, keep me informed, Bulletproof, as much as you are able. New Grimm are always a concern for the Huntsman community."
With that, he hung up, then slumped into his chair, eyes unfocused.
"Oz?" asked Ironwood in worry as he, along with all of Team JNPR, rushed over. "Are you all right?"
"No, James," Ozpin said quietly. "I don't believe I am."
(Interlude 2-2: Grimm Eclipse | Interlude 2-3: Island | Interlude 2-4: New Sheriffs in Town)
- Author's Note 1 (Cyclone)
- Author's Note 2 (Cody MacArthur Fett)
Next week, join Team RWBY as they go to Griffin Rock and become "New Sheriffs in Town."
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Metroidwave
Strength To Lean On
- Location
- Somewhere in Colorado
I remember the Deathstalker as being stupidly easy in that game. Guess Merlot thought so too. Can't wait to see how dealing with Sideways blows up in his face.
On the negative side, I feel like the lack of anyone asking questions and just going by assumptions is starting to wear thin. I'm a bit biased since that trope's always bugged me when it's used.
On the negative side, I feel like the lack of anyone asking questions and just going by assumptions is starting to wear thin. I'm a bit biased since that trope's always bugged me when it's used.