A/N: Happy Easter everyone! Been doing a bit more research in the last couple of days, making sure that I had everything in the right order to get this story really going. So far things are good, I'm even considering on making a dust-variant of the BFG-9000 somewhere down the line, though it'll take a lot more thought before I can implement it in any way.

I have also been asked about the possibility of a pairing somewhere down the line, one reader even pitched the idea of a harem, though I don't think it'll hold up too well to be honest. So if any of you out there have any ideas, feel free to pitch them to me and let me know your thoughts on the subjects.

This chapter here will have one hell of an ending, one you may or may not have been expecting this soon. So here we go! (I own nothing)

The Deathstalker reared back screeching, two of its eyes damaged and bleeding from the buckshot that blasted it at such a close range.

John quickly split the double-barrel open and reloaded before shooting it again, repeating the action several times keeping the large creature off balance and away from the girl it was intending on attacking.

After firing one last time, the marine put the shotgun away. Even though he had managed to push the thing back, its bone armor was dense meaning he was causing it little to no damage other than what he was able to do to its eyes.

"Lets kick this up a notch." he said reaching into his pack and pulling out his plasma rifle. "Wish I still had my rocket launcher and BFG...but I can settle." he thought while injecting a fresh energy cell into the weapon and bringing it online with a soft whirling sound.

Looking toward the Grimm as it snapped its large pincers in a challenge. John brought the rifle to bare in response, "You can handle bullets...so let's try some plasma." he pulled the trigger sending a barrage of blue energy bolts straight at the creature.

The Deathstalker brought its pincers down and shielded its face from the attack. However, the insectoid Grimm had never encountered super-heated plasma energy before as it struck its bone armor and started to burn through it.

Screeching, the large Grimm ignored the pain and attacked the marine. Raising its stinger into the air and bringing it down hard with the intention of impaling him.

John stopped firing and dove to the side as the large stinger pierced the ground where he had been standing. Rolling to his feet and emptied the rest of the energy cell into the side of the Deathstalker, a few of the bolts managing to get under its carapace and burn its flesh and making it stumble to the side a few steps.

Injecting a new energy cell, the marine fell on his back to avoid a pincer from striking him. Rolling backwards, he pulled another grenade from his belt and primed it before tossing it at the large Grimm.

The explosion being strong enough to damage one of its six legs and causing it to stumble to the side, slamming into a large tree that was beside it and cracking the base.

Seeing the opprotunity that now revealed itself, John aimed his plasma rifle at the damaged tree and fired into where the trunk was cracked. The plasma bolts burning clean through it and severing it completely as the Deathstalker tried to stand up on its remaining seven legs.

The creature looked up hearing the wood cracking and splitting just as the large tree came down and slammed on top of it. Pinning the scorpion Grimm to the ground under its weight. Pincers and tail flailing in the air for a few seconds before they fell to the ground unmoving.

"Doubt that killed it." said the marine reloading his weapon and switching back to his machine gun. "But at least it's not a threat for the time being." he started making his way back toward Ruby who's eyes were wide and mouth was agape like a fish.

Grabbing the large feather that kept her cloak pinned to the ground, he pulled it free with a slight grunt of extertion before tossing it aside. "You okay?" he asked the younger girl who blinked owlishly at him.

"Uh...y-yeah. Thank you." she said after a few moments. "That was...wow!" she said beaming after seeing what he did against the Deathstalker. Nearly drooling when she saw his weapons and what they were capable.

John shrugged before he saw Yang run up and wrap her sister in a huge bear-hug. "I'm so glad you're okay." she said with her voice wavering as she released Ruby and looked to the marine. "Thank you, for saving my sister."

"It's no problem." replied John as the girl with white hair wearing a nice outfit joined them.

Ruby looked nervously at her partner, "Weiss, I-" she stopped when the heiress put a hand up.

"You're so childish." admonished Weiss. "And dimwited, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style." Yang clenched her fists and her eyes began to burn red with how the other girl was putting her sister down. Even John was narrowing his eyes at the white haired girl until they saw her face soften a bit.

"And...I suppose, I can be a bit...difficult." she said a little hesitantly. "But if we're going to do this, we going to have to do it together. So if you try not to show off, I'll try to be nicer."

Ruby looked to the ground, "I wasn't trying to show off. I just wanted to prove that I could do this."

Weiss put a hand on her arm, "You're fine." she said simply before making her way back to where the others had been watching and were waiting for them.

The red cloaked girl sighed and whispered, "Normal knees..." under her breath.

The marine shook his head with a small smile, but it vanished when he looked up and saw the large bird flying above. "We need to leave. That big-ass bird is circling back. And if it can attack from the air like that then we should bug-out ASAP."

Both sisters nodded in agreement as they jogged back toward the temple. "By the way, I, uh, never got your name." said Ruby a bit sheepishly.

"John Grim." said the older boy.

"Cool, I'm Ruby." replied the cloaked girl as they regrouped with the others.

The blonde boy, Jaune scratched his head as he looked up at the Nevermore as it started making its way back toward them. "So, uh, anyone got a plan?" he asked more than a bit skittish.

"Look, there's no sense of dillydallying." said Weiss. "Our objective is right in front of us." she added motioning to the 'relics'.

Ruby nodded, "She's right. Our mission is to grap an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things." her partner nodded with a small smile

"Run and live, that's an idea I can get behind." said Jaune in relief.

"Call it a tactical retreat." added John as he kept his eyes locked on to the avian Grimm. "I'd say we got about six minutes before that thing is on us." A loud crunch could be heard on the other side of the clearing, the gathered teens saw the tree laying on to of the Deathstalker start moving as the creature began removing the added weight. "And he's gonna have company, so let's move."

Jaune and Ruby each grabbed a relic, a white rook and white knight respectively as they started moving. Blake looked toward the marine confused, "Aren't you going to grab one?"

John gave her a strange look as the others all glanced at him as well. "Better to play along." he thought as he snatched up a white pawn as they made their way up the hill behind the ruins.

"If you don't mind my asking, why a pawn?" questioned Ren as they fell instep beside one another, his partner Nora skipping merrily on his other side.

"An older man I served with once told me that in chess, no piece is more important than any other. Because at the end of the game, they all go back in the same box." the marine said sagely as they reached the top of the hill and started double timing it when they heard the large tree hit the ground somewhere behind them.

XXX

On the cliffs where the initiation began, Ozpin took a long drink from his mug. He had to admit that what he had seen impressed him. The unknown young man had not only managed to save Ruby Rose from certain doom at the mercy of the Deathstalker, but managed to temporarily incapacitate the creature using his wits and resourcefulness.

The weapons he had used intrigued the headmaster. The one that fired blue energy had managed to cause harm to the Deathstalker even through its carapace. Something not many hunters have been able to succeed at.

Glynda was silent, her face passive, but he could see the same level of intrigue in her eyes as they watched the now bigger group of teens head toward the old ruins. All the while staying ahead of the two large Grimm that were now chasing them.

A flicker of static went across the screens of their devices making their brows furrow. "There shouldn't be any interference." said Professor Goodwitch as she punched a couple of buttons.

The static got worse before both their tablets flared a bright red, an image appearing on their screens for a brief moment before they went back to their original settings. The Huntress looked at the man beside her and saw him narrowing his eyes at his tablet.

He didn't show it, but the image of the upside-down pentagram unsettled him greatly.

XXX

The nine teens ran full sprint toward the old temple ahead of them. The Nevermore flew past them above, heading straight toward the central tower that stood before the cliffs where it perched and shrieked down at them as they split up and took cover behind the various columns that made up the ruins.

"Well that's great." muttered Yang from her spot beside Ruby. The treeline behind them exploded as the Deathstalker burst forth. Slightly slower than before given that one of it's six legs was damaged, but that seemed to spur it on even more as it went after its prey.

"Oh man, RUN!" Jaune shouted as they started moving again. The Nevermore rose up from its perch and started flapping its wings, preparing to launch a barrage of feathers at them.

"Nora! Distract it!" said Ren as his partner dodged the spear-like projectiles, pulling the grenade launcher from her back and started firing on the avian Grimm. The pink explosions driving the Nevermore off.

Nora turned around and found the Deathstalker coming up on her, preparing to attack when a barrage of bullets peppered its head. John emptying the clip of his machine gun and distracting it as Blake and Ren struck it with their own weapons and driving it back a couple of steps.

Weiss dropped down and grabbed Nora, a white glyph appearing beneath them as they lept away while the marine reloaded and ran after them. Tossing a grenade over his shoulder as they all made for the far end of the ruins. All of them crossing a bridge made of stone while Pyrrah covered them with her spear as it transformed into a rifle,

John dropped down beside her and provided support as the others ran past them, both Ren and Blake doing the same with their respected weapons before making another break for it.

The Deathstalker was too large to fit on the bridge...however that didn't stop the Nevermore as it came barreling toward the fleeing teens as they reach the halfway point.

"INCOMING!" shouted the marine as the massive bird crashed into the bridge. He, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Weiss and Jaune winding up on one side while the others were on the other squaring off against the Deathstalker.

Ruby switched her scythe to rifle mode and started shooting at the Nevermore as it flew away, John doing the same until the creature was out of sight.

"We gotta get over there, they need help!" Jaune shouted as he watched Blake get knocked back by the large scorpion.

"Lets do this!" said Nora standing beside him with her grenade launcher at the ready.

The blonde male looked down at what was left of the bridge, "Yeah, but I...can't make that jump." he said swallowing the lump in his throat.

Nora grinned at him before knocking him back as her launcher transformed into a large warhammer. Leaping into the air, she brought it down hard on the end of the bridge causing it to catapult Jaune to the other side. Flipping the weapon around and stepping on to it, the orange haired girl pulled the trigger on the handle which sent her rocketing across the chasm. Her attack on the Deathstalker accidentally knocking Blake from the bridge.

The dark-haired girl bringing out her weapon attatched to a long ribbon and throwing it into a wall, swinging upward and teleporting herself on to the Nevermore as he came around. Slashing the creatures back before leaping off and landing beside the others as they stood on the central tower.

John reloaded his machine gun again and switched to his plasma rifle as the Nevermore made another pass. Firing a stream of bolts straight at it as the girls did the same, all of them throwing everything they had at the creature as it came straight for them. "JUMP!" Ruby shouted as the Grimm slammed through the tower, causing the whole thing to collapse.

The marine gritted his teeth as he ran along the portion of the structure he had been standing on, slapping the plasma rifle on his back as he leapt into open air. Landing on the platform where the tower had once been as he took his weapon back out and started shooting again.

Everyone else managed to get to safety and started to find vantage points to attack. Weiss looked at their opposition and shook her head, "This isn't working." she said spinning the chamber of her rapier.

Ruby looked at everyone a moment before going back to the Nevermore. "Wait! I got an idea!" she called out before sprinting off.

Yang stood atop a still standing column fighting blasts from her gauntlets as the Nevermore came back around. Leaping out and into the creature's mouth before firing several blasts into its mouth before jumping out before it crashed headfirst into the cliffface.

Everyone else regrouped back on to the central platform as the Nevermore stood back up and shrieked at them. Weiss activated another of her glyphs and shot froward like a bullet, stabbing her rapier into the Grimm's tail, a glacier of ice sprining forth and freezing it in place as she returned to where Yang and Blake had set up using the dark-haired girl's ribbon as a slingshot.

"This is crazy...even by my standards." thought John after being clued in on the plan as the girls all took positions. Ruby literally riding her scythe as she placed herself in the center of the ribbon, her partner using a black glyph to pull it back.

"You only got one shot, make it count." he said keeping his plasma rifle trained on the still trapped Grimm incase it broke free.

"We intend to." said the heiress as Ruby chambered a fresh round into her weapon. Weiss slashed her rapier, firing the red cloaked girl directly at the Nevermore. Firing her weapon to give her more momentum as the blade of her scythe hooked around the creature's neck.

Her boots hit the surface of the cliff, Weiss summoning a long line of glyphs that shot up toward the top as Ruby started sprinting. The Nevermore being dragged along with her the whole way before they reached the edge. With one strong pull, the Grimm was beheaded as the girl in red landed safely on the top of the cliff, the body of the creature falling into the chasm below as she turned and stood at the ledge to look down at them.

The marine was beyond impressed as he starred up at the younger girl. Not only had her plan worked, but she managed to kill a being that was easily a hundred times her size. Even with everything he had killed back where he had come from he couldn't have been able to pull that off.

"Well...that was a thing." said Yang with a bit of pride in her voice.

XXX

Unknown to all, in a different place and time, a set of eyes were watching the teenagers calculatingly. More specifically, the one in damaged armor. One of said eyes appeared to be sightless, but the other held nothing but madness and hatred.

"Did you honestly believe that you could escape?" the being spoke in a sinister voice. "Your soul will be mine, one way or another."

All around them the shadows seemed to come alive, dozens upon dozens of glowing red eyes began leering in anticipation.

XXX

Everyone regrouped back on solid ground after several minutes. All of them tired or sore from what they've endured as they started making their way toward where they needed to be.

John hung back, but followed belong. Still trying to make sense of this new world and the things he had witnessed up to this point. It was definitely not what he was used to seeing people with these kinds of abilities and how they were able to handle these creatures.

Hopefully he'd get the answers he needed when they got to this Beacon place.

He went to take another step and froze. A very cold, unnerving chill going up his back as his vision tinted red. Flames began shooting up from the ground and up nearby trees and pillars as a dark laugh echoed through the recesses of his mind.

Oxygen wouldn't come to him, it was as if something was gripping his lungs as his heart thudded loudly in his chest. The laughter getting louder and louder until it became deafening as he remained still.

A hand on his arm made him jump, preparing to attack until he saw Ruby standing there looking concerned. Everything around him immediately snapped back to normal, nothing out of place meaning that it had all been in his head. "John? Are you alright?" the girl in red asked.

Calming himself, the marine looked around and saw the others looking at him the same way.

"You just stopped walking and have been standing there for almost three minutes." said Pyrrah answering the unasked question. "And you're very pale." she added taking in his complexion.

John wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead, his heartrate slowly returning to normal. But his mind was still in termoil. "I'm...fine." he answered after a bit before he started moving again. The others looking to one another unconvinced.

The ground shook making everyone stop where they were. "What was that?" asked Jaune as they all looked around for the source. Another quake shaking them a moment later as they readied their weapons.

Back by the ruins, stones collasped to the ground and even into the chasm as the quakes grew a bit stronger. The teens all turned back toward it. From the darkness, a large, clawed hand reached out and sank into the grass on the edge, the rest soon following.

What came out was something that filled the teens with pure, unbridled fear. But not nearly as much as the young marine.

What pulled itself out of the chasm, was a towering beast that looked like a crossbreed of flesh and machine. Large metal horns sat atop its head, a long, thick tail slashing through the air behind it beneath something that resembled a jet engine attatched to the creature's back. But what really set it apart was the massive cannon that made up one of its arms.

Clenched in its open hand, was the corpse of the beheaded Nevermore. Raising the dead Grimm to its face, it opened its massive jaws and tore a large chunk from it that it chewed loudly before tossing the remains away. The skies starting to darken from storm clouds that weren't there before.

Sweat poured down the back of John's neck, eyes wide as he swallowed the dried lump in his throat. "No...it can't be." he said with his voice shaking.

In his pocket, the Soulcube flared to life sensing the disturbance. "...IT FOLLOWED US..."

The Cyberdemon let loose a bellowing roar that shook the heavens, fire shooting from its mouth as it turned and leered down at the terrified group. It's cannon arm glowing with anticipation for its soon to be victims.

A/N: A bit short...but the impact of this chapter I believe was well worth it. So how will they all handle one of the biggest badasses of the DOOM universe? And can John finish what he started before winding up on Remnant? Stay tuned and find out!