The great menagerie dragon shoot

Blake Belladonna was having a frustrating evening, As one of her colleages who has a bad case of a middle school crush, was on a ship with her trying to court her on her trip to reunite with her parents to ask for their forgiveness. Now she has to deal with a guy whose main goal was to get with her and not care what she preparing. Even just now as she leaned on the starboard railing she was still mentally preparing herself on what to do when she gets there and how to deal with a new nuisance known as Sun.

Leaning on the rail she heard the familiar sound of jet engines. Looking up she saw a plane spewing three contrails behind it heading towards her destination. 'Lucky' She thought. "At least someone gets to fly home," she said to herself looking at the fomme coming from the ship. She then looked up thinking to herself 'Three? What kind of jet releases three…?' She didn't know what contrails were and kept looking at the plane flying away. To home.


In the early morning of March 23rd, Aviator squad aka Pike squad are awaiting their orders from Ms sapphire in the briefing room. "What time is it now," Odin said over a yawn. "five hundred eighteen hours," Luke said checking his watch. "Guess six hours of sleep is still better than four," Odin said rubbing his right eye, just then the call came through. "Look alive it's Sapphire," Luke told his flight as they stood at attention.

"Good morning cadets." Ms. Sapphire greeted from behind a desk, the boys gave their greetings as well, saluting their teacher. "Today's mission is a special one. Today you'll be fighting a group of dragons," she said with the calmest of tones as not to worry her students. However, her students showed mixed expressions of both shock and excitement. "More specifically a group of Fei long's" she continued explaining. "Ruffly about three hundred fifty kilometers west of here, or rather there." She said acknowledging that they were on the other side of the world. "Is were multiple sightings of the Grimm have been reported. Multiple commercial vessels have made contact with the creatures nothing catastrophic yet but we fear it is only a matter of time. It is very vital for you to kill any and if possible all of these pests in order to keep the shipping lane safe." The map of the area was on full display as different photos of the sightings were displayed on their scrolls. "A classic search and destroy mission, remember to climb to seven thousand meters, dive on the things and pull away as fast as possible." The four boys nodded and all said, "Thank you Ms. Sapphire." as it was customary for cadets to thank their commanders.

The call ended and all of the information was transferred to their scrolls and to the crew chiefs in the hanger. Leaving the room the boys made their way to hanger M, one on their side of the runway and talked to their base crew chief, Mr. Fairchiled

Mr. Fairchild was the academy's many chief mechanics and was often assigned to their squad. He was an average man of average height, he was balding but he still had a lot of snow-white hair on his head, and he has a joyous smile on him when he talks to the young pilots. The crew chief and his subordinate mechanics helped the boys into their planes and told them that the new maps have been added in their map satchel in case of any error occurs on their electronics. They also attached floatable drop tanks for extra fuel and recycling reason. He also explained the tuning they had to do for the engines on Victor's p-40 and Luke's p-51 as to deal with the humid climates at a lower altitude. Blaidd's P-47 and Odin's F4u are equipped with eight to ten rockets to help scatter and kill the Grimm.

With the boys now strapped in their planes, they make their way to the end of the runway awaiting their clearance to take off. "This is the sixteen forty-one coming in, Seventeen forty-one to the tower are we cleared for take off? Over." Luke asked over the radio waiting for a response. "Seventeen forty-one this is control tower you are cleared for takeoff, over." Came a crackle over the radio, the four pilots pushed on the throttle and rolled down the runway taking off between ninety and a hundred miles per hour with their flaps flushed from the wings as to give them more lift, to help conserve fuel, and to be at seven thousand meters (twenty thousand feet) before they reach the potential danger zone.

After forty-five minutes of climbing, they reached their desired altitude and switched to economic fuel consumption. After another five minutes, they came into contact with their assigned AWACS. "Seventeen forty-one this is AWACS north star do you copy?" A young woman's voice said over the radio. "We hear you north star heading to vector 0-1-4-0 southwest, over," Luke said to the young AWACS oppretive, now beginning their search for the objective.

After thirty minutes of searching, Victor spotted six tiny ships steaming towards the mainland. "Pike three to pike leader pike three to north star I've got a visual on six vessels heading towards the mainland, over." Victor reported, "Pike two to pike three, They're probably just fishermen Pike three, over," Odin said. "North star to Pike squad, there shouldn't be any commercial vessels in the area; all vessels have been moved to an alternate route to avoid Grimm combat. We'll try to get into contact with them and see what's the problem." she said. "Copy, pike two and three split off and cover those vessels and wait for the buzz command. North Star, two and three will be ready for a buzz warning." Luke said. "Roger pulling off now." Odin said pulling away, Victor followed him. After a while, North star couldn't get into contact with the vessel and gave permission to buzz the vessels and let them know that they're in an active combat zone. " Alright, going in," Odin said pushing his nose down to buzz the row of ships. "On your tail pike two." Victor said following Odin.


On the ships, the crews of the vessels are panicking that federation training forces have spotted them. "Sir they stopped trying to make contact to us but large object on the radar is getting smaller and approaching fast!"One of the crew members said, his voice hitched. They were using old radar set from the great war primitive but effective. They had more modern radar sets but those were reserved for air and infantry forces. The young captain hesitated, he grabbed the intercom microphone and said: "Battlestations remain on standby!" The captain ordered, this way he can let the plane pass with a slight risk of getting caught.

This plan was flawed, like all white fang members they were young, inexperienced, rowdy, and undisciplined. VRRRRRR- the plane was about to zoom by, but then One of the boats erupted into gunfire shooting at the passing plane. The captain was shocked and furious one of his subordinates must have disobeyed or panicked. Whatever the reason they were surely in it now. Then the ship that opened fire erupted into flames.


Odin leveled off just above the ships speeding past at around four hundred thirty miles per hour. Odin pules the throttle back and tries to wave off some of the ships to leave the area but just as he was about to pass between the last two ships; a loud rattle reverberates on his plane. Looking back he sees the ship on his left firing on him. "PIke two to all craft, these ships are hostile permission to engage?!" Odin yelled over the radio pushing the throttle towards the firewall in order to get away, "North star here, I authorize the engagement between the flight and the hostiles; They are probably smugglers or pirates!" just as North Star was giving her permission, Victor was pumping armor-piercing explosive and incendiary rounds on the wooden deck of the ship and releasing his drop tanks at the bow, blowing up an ammo locker and igniting the deck. "Ammo strike! They're smuggling arms." Victor concluded as he and Odin pull out to start a run on the ships.

"North star to pike flight, Don't waste all your ammo try to leave them dead in the water or moderately damage them so the nearest fleet can take care of the rest." North star said as Luke and Blaidd began to zero in on their targets. Diving in at a sixty-degree angle with both pilots speeding towards the hostile vessels with the combined firepower of fifteen, fifty caliber machine guns. Blaidd targeted the leading vessel right beside the same ship Victor wounded, firing the same rounds through the wooden deck; this time however he strikes the boiler of the ship. With a ship so small the boiler is lightly protected making it vulnerable from the fifty caliber rounds. The pressure being put on the boiler is too much, then black smoke plumes from below the deck as flames rage below burning the crew members and possibly giving away their position.

"North star do you have a visual on the black clouds?" Blaidd asked, looking back at his victory. "Affirmative Pike one already set the coordinates and placed the clouds as a marker. The subs are on the way." North star replied. Luke pulled away from his target, it has light damage but still a significant number of casualties. 'You poor young fellas didn't know what you were getting into' Luke thought, feeling a bit bad for theses inexperienced terrorist troops. "I'm on the follow-up Pike leader," Odin said, Diving on the same target as Luke pulled four g's and sped back up to altitude. Looking back, Luke sees Odin launching two of his unguided rockets at the vessel. Blowing a hole on the deck and spreading shrapnel pieces, as well as opening several small holes below with water gushing into the hull. Odin pulled to altitude as well and re-groups with the rest of the flight.

Circling above the wounded and slowly sinking ships at around four thousand feet, they think of a way to damage these ships while conserving their ammo for their primary objective. "Three more ships are still afloat, and Odin used two of his rockets to heavily damage a ship, and Blaidd left one of them dead in the water." Just then as Luke finished his analysis a violent explosion reverberates below. The same ship Blaidd had damaged boiler exploded Causing it to sink. "O...kay, One sank two are wounded and dead in the water, and three are still afloat." Luke re-confirmed, he checks his ammo count to see he still has eighteen seconds of ammo left. "Check your ammo, report!" Luke demanded, "Thirty seconds." Victor said, "Twenty-five seconds plus my six rockets" Blaidd reported, "Still got my twenty-five and eight rockets." Odin said.

"Ok, Victor, Blaidd. Fire directly into the deck at the bow or stern on those ships parallel to each other and see if you can strike the ammo or boiler again. Odin uses two rockets on tail end charlie and attacks em' from the front and I'll cover you." Luke said, Blaidd and Victor bank left and split S rolling their planes inverted they pull out in the opposite direction. Luke and Odin continue circling beginning there dive at a prime angle.

Looking through his gyroscopic gun sight, Blaidd launches two rockets at his targeted ship blasting a giant hole in the deck; and pumps four seconds of ammo and his single drop tank into the ship Striking the ammo locker and igniting the powder, and a black plume once again rises to the sky. Looking ahead, Odin sees the two planes soaring over his target. Then he fires two rockets at the bridge and releases two of his drop tanks onto the ship and pulls away to regroup with his flight.

The captain of the ship is on the bridge in shock, in less than the span of ten minutes he lost almost two ships, two damaged, two possibly dead in the water, and countless lives. He blamed the white fang command he wasn't cut out for this job. Just like the rest of the fang, he was too inexperienced to handle a professional military, let alone a training squad. The rocket impacted.

"All ships damaged or dead in the water." Luke said over the radio. "Rodger, the subs should be there in three and a half hours, return to your primary objectives." North star ordered. The boys turned and headed back to the area where the Grimm would be and began the search and destroy mission. "Pike two, Pike three split off and search for the things at your designated spot. Pike one stick to me." Like ordered, "Copy pike leader" Odin said splitting with Victor.

"Awacs here, There's some noise on the radar west of you pike leader, checking infrared," after a few minutes north star spoke again. "It's black!" 'Grimm' Luke thought. "Conserve your fuel and take em' down" North star commanded. "It's going to take us fifteen minutes if we go economic. If we go combat we will get there in five." Blaidd said. "Where going combat, the base is only a few hundred kilometers away; we should have enough to at least make it to the end of the runway," Luke said knowing the cost of losing fuel before getting home. "Pike leader, this is pike two we're going limit economic so we should converge within the area." Odin said now turning his plane left in a quick bank. "Ten-four, pike element we'll meet you there at around twelve hundred and ten hours." Luke confirmed, "Rodger" Odin replied.

After the five minutes, they were over the area, they then pulled there throttle back and searched the area. "Let's check out that atoll over there." Blaidd said, they circle around the small atoll and then spot something in the water. "Black Coat!" Blaidd yelled out the code word for Grimm. "Permission to engage?" Blaidd asked. "Permission denied, let's follow it; it may lead us to the target we're looking for." Luke concluded.

Meanwhile, Odin and Victor just entered the area of the black marks. "Awacs we need micromanagement, Got any landmarks?" Odin asked, "Hmm there are four small atolls in the area and a couple of ocean spires including one at the edge of the area." North star said, "And the other half of our flight?" Odin asked again. "They are passing over one of the atolls." she answered once again, "Copy we'll check the two atolls closest to us."

Back to the original flight, move to search around the ocean spiers in the area. Coming up to the spires, they saw that the spires were standing on a small island of black volcanic rock. "Lead flight you appear to be entering the epicenter of the black mass. Keep your head on a swivel" North Star warned. "Those black spires look ominous." Luke said while scanning the ground. "Is that black tar bubbling in the rock." Luke asked Blaidd, not knowing that four black silhouettes are taking them. "Wait! Something is coming out of the pit. Blaidd turn on your camera GHQ would probably be interested in this." Luke said curiously to see what was coming out of the pit. It was rising up like a geyser then eventually they notice the tar looking substance was now suspended in mid-air, morphing into a long cylinder shape. "Holy," Blaidd said "CRUD" Luke yelled. "Break left! Break Left!" Blaidd and Luke broke into a hard left turn as a dragon breached from the water and flew right in between them.

"Awacs to element flight, the lead flight has just made contact with the black coats, head to their location immediately!" North Star said urgently, Odin dropped his large floatable drop tank and let Victor take the lead. "Balls to the wall dude let's go!" Odin said, Victor looked back and nodded.

After climbing to a higher altitude where the air is thinner for the Grimm to chase them. "Did you see where they came from?" Blaidd asked, "Yeah I did, Though I got to say. Puddles? Really? I know we never knew where they came from but, I was expecting something more impressive than measly puddles." Luke said disappointingly, "No, I meant which direction they came from." Blaidd said flatly. "Oh...Well since they breached from behind us I say the northeast. Probably two ninety-five." Luke said, "Ok! let's pick our targets, aim for the paper wings, and sweep them out as fast as possible." said Luke, "Rodger." Blaidd replied

It didn't take long to find a prime target. The two young pilots split s and target the dragons circling around the spires. Aiming for the thin paper-like wings, the white-hot phosphorus incendiary rounds light up the wings like a roman candle making them crash into the rock injuring them or killing them, or into the ocean where most of them drowned. "Splash five, six," Luke said, "Bandit down." Blaidd said, "Good shooting Blaidd." Luke complemented.

They then sped back up to a more favorable position, they lined up again for another attack. This time Blaidd uses his rockets to scatter the Grimm on the ground and force them into the air. "Fox one, fox one!" Blaidd yelled, Two rockets were launched. Hitting two directly and another two; killing three of them instantly and fatally wounding the other. Just as hoped the Grimm dragons scatter making them easier to sweep away a flock one by one.

"Lead flight this is North star, element flight just entered the are approaching vector one eight zero five miles." North star said, "Hey guys, you at seven thousand meters?" Luke asked, "Yep ready when you are." Victor said. "Pike three has taken the lead by the way." Odin said, "That's a copy." Luke said, waiting for the Grimm to set into the flocks. "Hey element flight, they got a paper wing like the one at beacon." Luke said, "Oh man really! well, this is going to be easy" Odin said with joy as it was a running joke that hunter can't kill a grim smaller than a mouse. "Alright let's show those incompetent hunters how it's really done. Pike squad engage." North star said,

The squad spread out and picked different flocks to target diving at high speeds and pumping rounds into their wings shredding them causing the Grimm to plummet into the water. "Splash four, splash four- splash six, splash six- nice shooting pike two!" Voices of cheer were exchanged over the radio as Odin took down a flock of four and Blaidd took two out in his initial dive and three more on the pullout, striking the Vulnerable underside of the dragons. Victor came out killing four and seriously wounding one. Luke shredded the wings off two and cut another's into ribbons.

"Pike squad." North star called, "There are about thirty-four black marks on the radar. Keep your distance so you won't get swarmed, and sweep them quickly." North star relayed. "Pike squad, Disburse." Luke order, Victor and Luke dove straight to the left closing in at four hundred miles per hour to a cluster of scattered dragons. Odin split s and dove straight down targeting six fei longs. Blaidd banked right rolled to the left and slowly rolled to two flocks of four fei longs. Planning to pick em' off one by one.

Odin began to pull out of his dive. He pulled up to seven gs in order to use his rockets against the dragons. Firing on the slower secondary flock Odin's rockets hit two of them directly on their thin armored scales causing shrapnel to spew in every direction wounding the flock. Odin banked left and gave short bursts to the main flock, peppering each of them one by one. Odin then went back to the other flock where there were now three dragons and sprays the three with mgs "Splash nine."

At a lower altitude, Blaidd Catches three fully grown dragons in a shallow climb firing the last of his rockets. The first one misses but the second one hits home, knocking the one on the right out of the climb. Blaidd then opens fire on the one he had miss and tears the paper wing apart. After the dive, Blaidd puts his thunderbolt in a right bank and turns sharply to engage the other dragons. Striking the tail of the Grimm, Blaidd then rolled his plane three hundred sixty degrees as to not overshoot his target. Now at a proper angle, he knocks the dragon out of the sky.

"Pike one! On your five, break! Break!" Odin yelled, one of the dragons managed to sneak behind Blaidd. The dragon then charged up a giant lightning blast against Blaidd. Just as Blaidd was about to make the break; the dragon fires its lightning blast. The bolt struck the plane or so it seemed, in reality, the aluminum bypassed the bolt entirely, leaving only a small burn mark on his plane.

"The aluminum did its job, we are invincible!" Odin yelled triumphantly, Luke gave a hum of approval, Victor scoffed at Odin's tort, and North star gave an audible sigh of relief. "North star I'm out of rockets but I'm not Winchester." Blaidd said Winchester is a code word meaning the complete use of all munitions. "Copy, Pike two pick your targets carefully before you use your rockets." North star said, Blaidd and Odin then formed up and headed towards the area where Victor and Luke were still fighting.

Over at the rock more Grimm have spawned from the tar-like puddles below. "Uggh! Two more spawned below." Victor said getting tired by the constant spawning of the dragons. In frustration, Victor decided to do something drastic. Pitching his nose down and yawing to the left Victor outs the puddle in his sights. Activating his semblance Channeling his flames at the mouth of the piper and realizes. The sight of green flames spitting out of the plan made it look like a flamethrower were attached to the airplane. The result of this unorthodox method was the complete burning of the spawn puddle.

"Pike three to pike leader cover me I have made a breakthrough." Victor said with joy and excitement. Luke was currently in a turn fight with three dragons and is on the tail of one. The Mustang turns sharply at the speeds, easily getting a firing angle on the dragon. "Splash nineteen." Luke said, Having already bagged his twelfth eight minutes ago making him a reaper. Checking his mirror he sees the other two Grimm have slipped in at his six o'clock. Luke eases his throttle pitches up turns right and kicks his rudder and applies throttle again. Performing a stunning maneuver, he then fires his guns at random in hopes of hitting the Grimm. "Splash twenty-one!" Luke said.

Spotting Victor down below, Luke sees green flames from the piper of the machine guns. "Did the mechanics install flamethrower on your plane?" Luke said jokingly. "No it's my semblance, Since when do flamethrowers spew green flames." Victor said, Not getting Luke was joking. "I was joke dude." Luke said. "Oh..well just keep me covered. Please." Victor said burning three more puddles. "Eight more puddles to go," Victor said.

Going for another target, a small tentacle seers Grimm was spying on the action from behind the spires. "Damn these jagers, they might not be making any dents in my plans, but they do have the potential to grind them to a halt." Salem who is sitting in her chambers watching multiple jagers out on their missions, things going to smoothly for them to smoothly.

These ones, in particular, the silver pikemen could pose a serious threat. With the incredible morale boost after the liberation of beacon. When emotions were at an all-time low her Grimm was ready to strike anywhere, but then these four showed up and gave humanity Faith and Hope to leave her Grimm weak and starved. She thought of a way to be rid of them and to give her Grimm strength. Then a twisted smile came upon her face as she thought of a sinister idea. She planned to kill two birds with one stone, going to the seers she manifested another monster of one of her favorite creations. "It will be too easy," She said maniacally.

Victor was on the third to last puddle when he spotted the same tentacle Grimm they saw at the beacon. "Pike One that weird tentacle thing is behind the spire go take it out," said Victor. Luke nosed his plane down yawed to the left and gave a split second burst on the Grimm; Killing it immediately.

Victor releases his flames on the last of the puddles, as Blaidd and Odin arrived just in time, helping Luke and Victor sweep the dragons from the sky. "Splash twelve! I've got reaper." Odin said Getting his second reaper after a long drought.

Checking their ammo and fuel they have got just enough to make it back to base. "This is pike flight, we are RTB." Luke said to North Star. "Rodger Pike flight. Head to vector… what?" North star said with surprise. "Pike flight, The subs have detected another black coat on sonar moving fast." North star said, then in their mirrors pike flight see it. A fully grown and well matured Fei long probably nineteen meters (sixty-two feet) in length heading south. "We have to stop that thing." Said Victor, Victor then reversed in an effort to kill it, but when he set his sights on the Grimm his prop blades sputter and then it stopped he was out of gas.

Victor quickly Switch to his wing tanks and pitched his plane back up firing a quick burst at a sloping angle counting on the ballistic drop to the dragon. The bullets turned into lucky hits as the Grimm dived into the ocean below and swam away. "Darn, it got away," Victor said. "Its ok, you've weakened it enough that even a hunter can kill it." Luke assured. "So that's like what, a two-second burst." Odin joked, making everyone laughed including North star.

After getting back to base and refueling and reloading the quickly made their way to the area it was spotted. By the time they made their way to the are it was in dusk had already settled. Once again they were about to split off into two before North Star came in "Pike flight we got an emergency distress call from a passenger ship. Head to vector two eight zero now." North Star urged. Luke took the lead and they all went full throttle.


"My hero." Sun said girlishly as she and son were fighting this Grimm out of the blue. Suddenly a mysterious whistle echoed around the are it grew louder and louder till it finally, 'POP POP POP!' Machine gun fire echoed around them as a small plane was the source of the odd sounding whistle. Blake the looks to see the dragon drowning in the water what she and sun weren't able to do in minutes the plane did in seconds

She and sun went back onto the ship were the passengers and crew were cheering. "It's the liberators of beacon!" one of the crew members yelled. "Jagers, Jagers, Jagers!" A small group of people were chanting. Sun was trying to get people to acknowledge them but to no avail.

Then Blake saw them, One pilot in a bigger plane with the words Grimm jagers on it gave a small wave to the people onboard. The second one with a large sharks mouth on it gave a light ball screw wave it seems he or she wasn't interested with the people on the boat. The third one a blue plane with bent wings winked at son and gave him a finger gun greeting; Sun shot him a jealous glance. Blake smiled at this seeing a different emotion on Sun's face was a breath of fresh air on this long trip. The final plane, the one that killed the dragon, flew by again looking at her directly and gave nod. Acknowledging the work she did when she faced the Grimm. Now they flew off into the twilight and blake hope that she can see these Grimm jagers again in action someday.


"MOP Airbase This is AWACS North star." A woman's voice was heard in the control tower asking to land as they have been assigned to the newly formed Silber Pyke squad. "Copy north star clear to land at 1-7 right" The control tower operator said.

After successfully landing at the small airport, They were informed that the young squadron had already landed less than half an hour ago. Their mission was a great success contacting the Grimm and slaughtering efficiently.

The young woman in the AWACS is a young enlisted nineteen years old, soon to finish training. She enlisted in the Air Force when she turned seventeen and a half years old after graduating from high school. She wanted to join the VMFA but she was unfit for training when she was fourteen but, she still wanted to fly and thanks to the Air Force Academies act she is one step closer to realizing her lifelong dream. According to the bases of the Air Force Academies act both the young aviators and the enlisted pilots must be on joint training missions to help familiarize them with each other. Now she was one step away from earning her wings, and with this squad hopefully, it would be more sooner than later