Zach stood in the metal bay of the repurposed cargo mech. His ears, the lion ears perched on his head, almost hidden by his spiked mane of golden brown hair, twitched, listening for the sound of the approaching train. So far it had been hours without any sign of the target.
Around him stood or sat an assorted group of humans and faunus. Each one was armed with a deadly dust weapon, most of them stock, but a few personalized ones here and there. They were a raiding party, here to grab some much needed supplies for the gang, although this was a rather unusual assignment. It was the first time they had ever tried to hit something this big, and grab so much of one object.
Of note, their were three people in particular that he knew. A female faunus named Jason. She was a tiger, and her reputation had lead to her being known as Tiger Lilly. She was vicious, both strong and beautiful, and was a killer, trained by the gang for the sole purpose of tearing down their most dangerous enemies. As a child, she had sworn a vow of silence, and for 12 years, she hasn't said a word.
At least, not with her mouth. For reasons beyond either of their capacities to explain, she was able to telepathically speak to Zach. The connection was fairly one-sided, with Zach only being able to pass on impressions and emotions. They had first discovered this talent when she saved his life during a mission, mentally warning him of an ambush. She was 17, still somewhat short for her age, with auburn hair and fuzzy orange/black tiger ears sticking out of her hair. Like so many feline female faunus, her ears were irresistible. But after two broken hands and one man in the emergency room, people had learned not to touch them.
Then there was Billy, a newcomer to the gang, and on his first assignment. He was a young human, barely 16, with light blue hair, and a smooth tan complexion, just dark enough to be noticeable. He was about 5 and a half feet tall, and insisted on dressing in ocean blue clothes, to match his hair. He had run away from home after 'accidentally' blowing up the science department at his last school while experimenting with unstable black Dust, trying to purify it by hand.
He kept looking at the compartment door, and was twitching in anticipation, stroking his weapon,a wicked curved blade that doubled as a machine pistol. He was constantly checking the slide mechanism, sliding it back, then sliding it forward again. The whole weapon collapsed like a butterfly knife when it wasn't needed.
And finally, the mission director, a man named Oswald Titus, a faunus of reputation and a supporter of the new leader of the gang. His reputation was even more renown than Jason's, though only because Jason had been in a sort of black section of the gang, her missions kept secret. He was a bear, although exactly what kind was unknown and unconfessed by him, and the only evidence of it being claws hidden within his fingers. It was said that his family had a history with the Putnic War, and that his home was burned to the ground, his family still inside, by a group of antifaunus humans. It was still a mystery as to why he agreed to work with the humans in the gang.
Zach felt a mental nudge as Jason sent him a thought. 'Train inbound, 10 minutes out'.
That was all. Even in his head, she never spoke much. Though it was with thoughts she spoke to him, whenever she communicated, he swore he could hear a voice. It was quiet, light and sweet, but scarred from something. He relayed the message out loud, and Titus used his radio to relay it to team two. Zach didn't know anyone in that team, and couldn't understand why both were involved. It was a simple mission, even if it was unusual. Capture a Dust train, transport it and the crew back to base in Vale. There should be no need for so many bodies at once.
Zach felt the mech sway under him as it stood, it's pilots expertly guiding it into position. On cue, he pulled a lever, the rear door of the compartment opening. A brief breeze played across his face, and he caught a wiff of burning Dust, signaling the train's approach. Next to Zach stood Billy, preparing to stop the train if he had to. He had the ability to control certain types of metal. Not quite magnetism, but something similar. He would make a deadly opponent, and that worried Zach.
The gang, who referred to themselves as the Gentlemen, had started out as a simple street gang, and indeed, hadn't been a gang at all. The leader owned a massive abandoned hotel in the city of Vale, and had turned it into a homeless shelter. People of all ages and races were welcome, no questions asked, as long as they left their issues outside. Then the Owner had died, and the mantle was handed down to a good, but somewhat misguided man. When he was struggling to make ends meet, he hired some of the homeless to do some theft jobs, strictly small time, mostly pickpocketing. After a few years, all the homeless were participating, and became like family, leading to them becoming a gang.
The name came when a women, who was reporting about the gang activities, said that "many of the criminals are described as being 'perfect gentlemen' even as they stripped you of your belongings". They now owned a small empire, responsible for a third of the all the crime committed in the kingdom of Vale, and after building a large, reliable base of contacts and contracts, began to deal in slightly more devious crimes, like stolen cars, weapons, and Dust. The only thing they refused was murder of anyone they thought was 'innocent'.
Recently, that leader had died, and the mantle was voted for, since no clear Will was ever found. A faunus named Jack Bolero won the elections, and had begun to make changes that worried some of the gang members. Most of those who spoke out, however, disappeared, and new, nasty characters began appearing in the gang. Some of the older, more violent members of the gang had begun to go on more illicit missions, threatening people who owed money, beating them when they couldn't or wouldn't pay the dept back, until a man was openly killed in the streets. The smooth talking president played it off, banning the man who committed the task, saying that he had nothing to do with it. Zach may have believed him, if it weren't for the fact that the man killed had been a police deputy pushing for a raid on the gang. Things continued to get worse.
Zach had decided, no matter what, this was his last mission with the Gentlemen, then he would leave. Jason had agreed to come with him, and together, they planned to head to Beacon, a highly renown advanced combat school, at the start of this year's semester.
Through the open rear door, he had a clear view of the train tracks, and the other mech. Each mech was originally designed for transporting equipment through large construction areas. When The Gentlemen had stolen them, they were turned into war machines. Dust cannons and machine guns were mounted on them, though they were mainly used for intimidation. Zach had never seen them used, but they were always kept in combat ready condition.
With a nod to his positional counterpart in the opposite mech, they both pushed buttons situated within special boxes next to the doors. Explosives rigged to the elevated train track blew, and a twenty foot section of track fell to the ground below. With the mechs safely hidden in the trees, they waited. Five minutes later, the train was heard rumbling down the track. The train's early warning system registered the missing track, and slowed to a stop roughly 10 feet away. Textbook.
Zach signalled the other mech, and together, the two machines swung out of the woods, spilling their living cargo onto the track. 18 gang members swarmed the front of the train. Standard issue combat and defense robots responded, trying to stem the flow of enemies. At the front of the assault was Zach and Jason, dancing around each other as they destroyed mech after mech after mech. Their telepathic connection allowed them to seamlessly meld their fighting styles. Machine parts flew as the made their way down the train. Whenever a living opponent appeared, they knocked them unconscious, standard raid procedure.
Zach fought with a dual bladed sword, which separated at the center of the handle to make two separate swords. Each blade was only single sided, meant more for slashing than stabbing. The individual blades could also form semi-automatic shotguns, the hilts curving into the grips and a barrel widening above the blade, allowing the user to continue slashing even as he mowed down mobs with buckshot.
Lilly actually fought with a variety of weapons, a testament to her training. This time she was using a pair of cat claw katars, a weapon she had procured from a merchant in Haven to pay back a debt that he owed her. Each had three long, thin blades, situated above the knuckles, with an H shaped grip, which was covered by a metal glove. A plated wrist guard reduces the strain upon the user's arm when they used the curved ends of the blades to slash, like claws. She was a master with most arms, but these were her favorites, the blades retracting so it looked like she was just wearing metal gloves. Each blade was also connected to thin but strong wires, allowing them to be alternately launched and retracted in seconds.
The fight was short, since few of the humans were trained in combat, believing that the mechs would protect them. One of the train operators surprised Billy, however, tagging his shoulder with a small caliber pistol. Zach, upon seeing the wound was superficial, promptly chopped the man's neck with the straight edge of his open hand, knocking him unconscious. Unfortunately, the fighters were without their protective auras, thanks to aura disruptors situated along the length of the train. This made it difficult to fight, since they were missing the enhancements granted to them by their auras.
In less than an hour, the train was secure, it's human operators incapacitated. All of them were locked in an armored train car near the caboose. When everything was ready, Titus gathered everyone in the prisoner car, saying he had received new orders. Many of the humans had suffered large wounds when they had gotten in his way, and the smell of blood and fear was thick in the confined space. Zach sat in the back with Jason, tending to Billy, barely listening to Titus as he started to speak, his voice low and menacing, yet hypnotic, like the growl of a grizzly defending its territory.
"Brothers. Sisters. Today, we have won but a small victory against this world that has mistreated us. Many of us became homeless because of the rules of this society. Foreclosed houses, loss of jobs to these blasted robots, prejudice, war in the outer reaches, all of it. We have become a scourge to society, and even those closest to us turned their backs on us in our hour of need. Some of us lost our families. Fathers and brothers, sisters and mothers. But we were all looked after by our founder.
"The great Wilson Cole, owner of our new home. He took us on, providing for us when no one else would. His only askance of us was that we kept the peace while in our new home. He was a hero to us, and a radical to the society that left us behind. Then, sadly, he passed, leaving the mantle on the shoulders of another great man.
"Kyle Sang Lee, who showed us our potential, opening a door to a new world, were we controlled our own destinies. What others saw as crimes, he saw as opportunity. We learned to do the things that make us thrive now. And then tragedy struck, as he too died.
"But the darkness did not last, and we now find ourselves under the glorious leadership of Jack Bolero. And he has a dream. He wants what's fair for all. He has seen the corruption in the legal systems of today, of the government, and has decided that he will change it!" He let lose a savage roar, echoing along with the applause of his crowd, a performer drinking in the adoration of those waiting for the finale.
Zach's ears perked. This was the first time he had heard such a thing. He gave an alarmed glance at Jason, and could see the shock and worry on her face.
"These pigs are as much monsters as the creatures of Grimm, growing fat on the misery of others! Of us! So we will no longer treat them with the kindness that we used to. You don't take a monster prisoner, do you? Pigs are meant to be slaughtered, and in this, our new world, that is exactly what we will do!"
He turned, leveling a pistol on one of the prisoners. The applause intensified, the young members of the gang giving into their bloodlust, the speech having pulled them in. Zach, however, was not drawn in by the pretty words of the monster in front of him. He dove forward through the crowd, shoving members out of his way, yelling "NO!" Even as the shot rang out. The prisoner, a plain looking man with brown hair and pale skin, jerked as the bullet punched into his chest, blood spreading over his smock in a rapidly widening circle. For one terrible second, he was looking Zach in the eye, filled with fear, sadness, confusion, and accusation.
Zach and Jason jumped forward to try and save him, but, seeing this, Titus turned the gun on the two of them. "If you try and save this monster, you will join him!" Zach continued forward at a near sprint, his anger dropping a red veil over his vision. Titus fired, but the shot went wild as Zach jumped. He landed on Titus, and the two rolled out of the train car, and onto an open deck. The gun went off, and Zach felt the bullet punch through the soft flesh of his right arm. Blood began to pour from the wound, but even as they rolled, he felt the wound being healed by his aura. After they had taken the train, they had managed to disable the aura disruptors. However, the auras still had to recharge, and Zach's wasn't enough to stop the projectile.
It had missed the most important parts, it seemed. Searing pain flooded his thoughts, but only fuelled his rage, and with a heavy shove, he managed to throw Titus off. The gun was sent flying over the edge, dropping out of sight.
"You wish me dead, kitten?" he said as they sprung apart, throwing as much scorn into his voice as possible. "You can't defeat me. No one ever has!"
He drew his sword, a massive broadsword with two wicked edges. The weapon had supposedly been a part of the Putnic War, and had seen many men and women dead. He charged, swinging the sword in a devastating one handed overhead attack. Flipping forward under it, Zach drew his swords from the sheaths on his back, the draw situated under his arms to allow for an underhand strike if the enemy was close. He wouldn't be able to use the fancy acrobatics he could usually perform in enclosed spaces.
With a backhanded swing, Titus almost took his head off, but Zach managed to use his semblance, allowing him to teleport about a foot backward, opening as much space as he could between them. Unfortunately, his semblance was a massive drain on his aura, with longer jumps burning more energy. And with his limited aura, he was unable to go much farther without burning into his reserves. Titus's arm swung wide, leaving his chest exposed, and in the opening, Zach jumped back in with a vicious series of slashes and jabs, opening numerous wounds in Titus's chest and arms, blood flowing freely from them despite their less than serious nature.
He wasn't fazed.
The great sword retraced its path, full force, coming in for what would be a devastating Bear hug, and the end of Zach. He jumped, aiming the swords down and firing them, giving him the added lift he needed to make the jump. He flipped back, landing and rolling, avoiding another strike by inches. The bear's energy seemingly endless as he wielded his massive sword, Zach was forced to continue dodging the blows, remaining defensive, the broadsword cutting chunks of metal out of the deck below him.
Despite his size, Titus had surprising maneuverability, able to swing in almost any direction with massive force. He kept Zach moving, forcing him to stay focused on defense, unable to fire any shots without putting himself in a more dangerous position.
But then Titus made a mistake. He stepped forward for a particularly long swing and his foot stepped into a gash in the middle of the platform. His swing went wide, the sword cutting deep into the deck as his leg gave way beneath him, and Zach saw his chance.
He jumped back in as the man yanked the sword free, and slashed the back of Titus's knee, severing the muscle with viscous effectiveness. He twirled like a dancer, graceful even as he placed the barrel of his shot-sword against the back of the mans opposite leg, pulling the trigger in the hilt and blowing out the front of his knee cap. The wound partly cauterized as fire spewed from the buckshot.
The big man gave a cry as he fell, the sword spilling from his hands as blood dripped from the remains of his mangled legs. Zach stood over his defeated opponent, who was blubbering, asking for forgiveness one minute, then cursing him for betraying his cause the next. Zach considered killing him just to shut him up, but then he surveyed the gathered crowd of followers. Some looked shocked, but most were angry. He could read the tension in their faces, an animalistic empathy granted to faunus, and he knew that if they stayed much longer, they would be attacked. Jumping forward, he grabbed Billy's uninjured arm.
Zach turned to Jason, and nodded. Together, they fled from their brothers, disappearing into the woods. After a few miles they stopped. Billy had left his sword on the train, Zach still had a hole in his arm, though it was closing fast, and Jason was just tired. Billy hadn't originally been part of the plan, and Zach still wasn't sure why he had grabbed him.
'He'll only slow us down.' Jason said, and Zach couldn't disagree.
He turned to Billy, considering for a moment, then made up his mind and said "Do you know why I grabbed you? Its because you're too young for this. I don't give a damn how badass you think you are, the way the gang's going, you won't live through it. And if you do, the you that comes out the other side won't be something pretty."
Billy looked at him and said "Then what are you two doing? Take me with you. I don't have any were else to go, so its not like you can just tell me to go home. Thanks to you, I don't have a home. Those guys back there didn't see you dragging me away, they saw me running with you guys. So you owe me. Where are you planning to go, huh?"
Zach gave Jason a pleading look, and she rolled her eyes and said 'Fine, he can come. But if he doesn't pull his weight, I won't hesitate to leave him behind.'
He turned back to Billy, and said "You can come, but if you get in our way, you'll wish you hadn't asked me that. We're going to Beacon, but we have to buy some forged transcripts. Because I lost my temper back there, we left without our money. We were planning on leaving when we returned from this mission. We had been saving up lien for months, and we had enough for three and some to spare. Unfortunately, the bag is sitting in my room at HQ. All we have is what's in our pockets."
"So what's the plan for cash?" Billy asked.
Zach thought for a moment, flashing through half a dozen ideas before remembered a place were gang members were banned from going. A place so dark and underhanded, even the lowest of the low often refused to go there. And he smiled.
"I have an idea."