"What in the world just happened?" Yang yelled as she dove toward the floor, feeling the heat of the destroyed truck engulf the room. Reigel crawled to cover behind a pillar as the windows shattered under a hail of bullets. Most of the Achilles troops had made it without any problems. Others weren't as lucky, the Auras now winking out from the severe damage. The White Fang didn't fare better, with slightly less than half of them now unconscious.

"A setup." Reigel growled. "They wanted to take us out it seemed." Reigel now activated his Scroll as the other troopers took cover. "Luis! Talk to me, what happened?"

"Sorry boss!" Came Luis's voice amidst the static and screams of the locals outside. "I can't do much right now. All I can tell you is that a sniper has got a bead on you guys from the town's main clock tower and that you have a few armed White Fang troops closing in one you. You stay in there, you are gonna be dead."

"Copy that." Reigel said as he checked the others. "Thorne, Dusk, status!"

"This is Thorne." Came the first reply. "My unit is good."

"This is Dusk!" Came the second. "I got two guys with depleted Aura and one unconscious! I ain't pursuing anyone!"

"Alright. New plan." Reigel yelled. "Thorne, get your boys ready to move out and intercept our marks. Dusk, get those prisoners out of here and make sure they spill what we need to know. Gregor, I need you and the backups to move out of the city and help Thorne with the interception. Luis, you and your guys have to try and take out the goons coming for us. We have no chance at pursuing the stolen tech if we are caught in here."

"I'll do what I can." Luis acknowledged. "But be warned, we got lots of panicking people now. Soon enough, we will have some Grimm to deal with."

"Just focus down that sniper." Reigel said. "I'll take on the punks coming for us and then head to the last possible location our targets are headed to with Yang."

"How are you going to do that?" Yang asked.

Reigel looked to her before asking. "How are you with trucks?"

The Faunus gathered at the warehouse trained their guns on the doors. Already people around them were running and screaming amidst the gunfire that rang through the air. They knew they needed to be quick. Soon enough Vale authorities would arrive along with the Grimm who would be attracted to the panic and fear. It was priority now to expose the Atlas team that had currently attempted to retrieve their stolen technology. They weren't sure why they needed to do this, but it didn't really matter if it hurt relations between Vale and Atlas.

As they approached the warehouses, the revving of an engine inside caught the attention of those who possessed animal ears. They prepared to fire at whoever would soon attempt to leave the structure, with the commanders now ordering their troops to fan out.

And then the truck crashed through the doors, careening towards them at max speed. Shock registered on their faces for a split millisecond before they finally turned and ran away. The truck now hit the ground, skidding around on circles before it slammed into the wall of a building, jostling around its occupants.

Yang gasped as she bounced off the window, her metal arm shielding her head against the glass. "Are you CRAZY!?" She yelled at Reigel. "Forget getting us out of there, I could have died! Who in the hell taught you to drive?!"

"Just shut your trap kid!" Reigel yelled back as the truck suddenly took fire from the surrounding White Fang.

"Get us out of here man!" Yang screamed as she ducked her head below the window, narrowly avoiding the bullets.

Reigel slammed on the pedal, but the truck did not respond save for a few whirs. Bullets continued to pelt the disabled vehicle and dread continued to pelt Yang's mind. "Okay! Now would be a very good time to GET US MOVING!"

"Shut it! I got this!" Reigel yelled back as he floored the pedal once more. This time, the truck roared to life and moved down, almost mowing over the Faunus extremists. Of course, Yang still wasn't prepared for the burst of speed Reigel had put out, which caused her to slam backwards into the seat. Yang blew a lock of her hair out of her face as she struggled to sit upright.

"Oh god, I swear if I die because of your driving…!" Yang yelled, though it was to no avail as Reigel drove the vehicle right down the roads leading out of Lorden. "How in the world did your team put up with this?!"

"Well I imagine Wesley was the only one who held it together most of the time." Reigel spoke. "Nicole often got traumatised and Diana usually threw up…"

"I did NOT need an answer to that question!" Yang screamed, genuinely terrified now at Reigel's dysfunctional vehicle skills. "How in the world of Remnant are team WNDR's members all insane?!"

"You can go ahead and complain for all I care." Reigel snapped. "We still have people to catch up to."

"Doesn't matter if your driving kills us!" Yang screamed back. "Will you at least not crash us into anything at full speed?"

Reigel now ignored her remarks as he fired up his Scroll. "Talk to me."

"Okay boss, we have gotten three locations from the guy." Dusk replied over the Scroll. "Thorne is headed for the furthest one now while Gregor is heading for the one a ways away from town. The one I think you should go for is the one right by the cliffs since it's the only place you can get to quickly."

"Copy that. How is your exfill?" Reigel asked as he barrelled through a few trees, shocking Yang in the process as the glass windows started to crack.

"We have retreated from the town." Dusk said. "Luis has also gotten away. We'll head to you soon enough."

"Roger." Reigel nodded as he cut off the call. He now turned his attention back to driving, just as the truck smashed through a boulder, completely wrecking the front and smashing the windows completely.

The massive truck now pulled up on the sand, White Fang troops now jumping out and opening the doors of the trailers. They kept a lookout as others pulled out the wreckage of an Atlesian paladin. Others pulled out parts of paladins while another truck unloaded a fully equipped paladin.

The commander, a rather burly ram Faunus, now looked at his watch, noting the time that it showed. He smiled as he noted that he was right on time. It would be at least fifteen minutes before the ship arrived to collect on this. It would definitely be of use to the White Fang to have some Atlas technology on hand, despite how broken it was.

Then, his ears picked up a strange sound. The cracking and snapping reverberated through the air along with a violent roaring sound. Apparently, the others heard it as well, for they looked around quizzically, unsure of where the source came from.

They got their answer soon enough, when the truck flew right over them from the cliff above. The Faunus shouted and ran away as the truck crashed into the sand at top speed. It skidded around for a while before finally tumbling onto its side, rolling around a few times before it finally came to a stop on its wheels, smoke rising from the vehicle as the engine finally went dead.

Within the truck, Yang groaned as she pushed her way out of the vehicle, smashing the door off and then climbing out onto the sand. For a while, she felt okay, maybe a little bruised and battered, but her Aura had held out and her prosthetic seemed to have taken no damage from the crash. Then, she felt the churning in her belly as the bile rose to her throat. She finally realised that she couldn't hold it in any longer, dumping her stomach contents out onto the sand.

Reigel now jumped out, loading his shotgun as he did. He then caught the sight of Yang vomiting, which made him grimace. "Really kid? Now?"

Yang spat out the last of the bile before she turned back and glared at him. "Ok, seriously. How have you not killed anyone with your driving yet?"

"Look, I have a lot of time devoted to a lot of things, but driving was never one of them." Reigel answered. "Besides, if it gets us there quick, I don't see the problem."

"I ride a motorbike for goodness sake!" Yang screamed. "And it is still safer than this!"

"Well good for you!" Reigel answered. "Now shut up and get to cover!"

Yang frowned at his statements just as the bullets started flying. She reacted instantly, diving toward the ground behind the truck as Reigel followed suit. "So what's the plan? It's just two of us against like thirty of them…"

"Thorne and Gregor are headed here now." Reigel said. "We have to hold out till they do."

"That's not a very sound plan coming from you…" Yang blinked. "Isn't there something we could try?"

"You two are dead!" Came one of the Faunus. "You hear me?" At this, Reigel sighed. Twisting his hand around the corner of the ruined truck, he fired the shotgun and now heard the cry of pain echo through the air.

"Nice shot." Yang remarked.

"It was mostly luck." Reigel answered as the hail of bullets hit the truck again.

"So, other than being able to trick-shot the rest of them, got any ideas?" Yang asked.

"Not really no." Reigel said as he fired again. Judging by how the bullets kept going, Yang was sure nothing had happened. "Only thing I got left is close quarters. My Semblance should help out just fine, but that isn't happening with all those guns pinning us here."

"What can your Semblance do anyway?" Yang asked.

"It's mostly a physical power-up." Reigel said as his arm became coated in a strange white flame. "I call it Aura Fang."

"Aura Fang?" Yang frowned. "Weird name…"

"It comes in handy in a fistfight, especially against those with Aura." Reigel explained. "But it does give me a good strength boost."

Yang blew a lock of her hair out of her face. She dared a peak at the enemies they faced, shrinking back as she flexed her metallic fingers, a crazy idea popping into her head.

"Hey Reigel, hit me." Yang said.

Reigel stared at her with disbelief. "Seriously kid? I've got no time to entertain a masochistic necessity."

"It isn't." Yang said. "It will help us save our skins. So hit me with your hardest, and don't you dare hold back."

Reigel flexed his robotic fingers. He now recalled what Yang's Semblance could do. If combined with his, it could definitely give her an edge. The real questions were how and if the side effects were worth it.

Deciding that there was no merit to waiting and that there was no other solution, Reigel activated his Semblance, a white coloured flame now covering his arms. "Alright kid, you'll get what you want. But a word of caution, you might want to brace yourself."

The White Fang troops continuously fired upon the truck, their bullets now putting more holes into the metal plating. Once of them finally ran up with a Dust powered rocket launcher. He hefted the weapon onto his shoulder and took aim. A single shot would be all he needed to take out the two who had attacked them.

Then without warning, a ferocious cry echoed through the air. All the Faunus extremists watched as the truck their enemy hid behind was slammed toward them. The vehicle now caught fire as it tumbled toward them. The sight of the burning mass caused a very predictable reaction in the White Fang troops. They turned and ran away as fast as they could.

The burning vehicle now struck one of the other trucks before it exploded, blowing up the other vehicle as well and scattering burning debris all over the sand, while the shockwave of the blast pushed anyone near it to the ground. A few Faunus were knocked out cold while others now felt their Aura's flash, indicating critical levels.

As the others recovered, they looked up to see two figures charging at them. All watched with shock as they recognised the one leading, a girl with blood red eyes and hair that burned like gold.

Reigel followed Yang's lead, finding himself rather impressed with her solution. He never thought she'd use the wreck of their truck as a way to cover their approach into close quarters. All it needed was a little contribution from his part. He watched as Yang now tore through the White Fang. With all she had just done, he was sure she could handle such goons.

He now turned his attention to his own foes. He spotted the first Faunus extremist run up to him, a lady rabbit Faunus it seemed. Raising his shotgun, he shifted it into its sword form, parrying her weapon. "Get one thing straight lady…" He snarled as he pushed her back. "There are lots of chivalrous guys in the world. I'm not one of them." Reigel now clamped his metallic claws on her forearm, hauling her overhead and slamming her into the sand before delivering a punch to her face.

Reigel turned as another charged at him. He gathered the white flame of his Aura Fang Semblance into his fists again, striking his target with it. Instantly, he felt his own Aura become energised by his opponent's as his Semblance drained the Aura out of his opponent and fuelled his own. If there was only one issue about his Aura Fang Semblance, it drained his own Aura just to keep it active. But as long as no one knew of this, he figured he'd have the advantage.

Some distance away, Yang fought her own battles against the White Fang, beating down any that got too close to her. She ducked as another swung his blade for her head before she hauled him off his feet and threw him away. She then raised her prosthetic as another came from her right, catching his sword before breaking it into pieces and then delivering a hook to his face.

Okay… Okay… Yang assured herself. Its fine, I'm still good. Now, I just need to… She barely finished her thoughts before the sound of heavy footfalls on the sand caught her attention.

Yang now turned to see a massive Faunus charging at her. However, as she braced herself for the fight, she caught a glimpse of the ram horns that grew from his head. Her thoughts ran still as she subconsciously recalled the nightmares that had plagued her for so many nights. Thus, she was completely defenseless as he charged into her, knocking her off her feet and barreling her into the wall of the rocky cliff.

Yang gasped as the wind got knocked out of her. She strained hard against the Faunus commander, her hands straining to push him off.

"I see… You're the kid Adam wounded, the one from Beacon right?" The Faunus taunted, which made Yang's face go pale. "Yeah, I remember you. You took out a bunch of my guys when we attacked the school. But I guess you didn't count on Taurus being that much stronger huh?"

Yang answer only with strained grunts as she attempted to push him off. However, he was strong, much stronger physically than most of the other opponents she had to face through the years.

"You know what kind of eyes I see? I see a scared little girl. And I do have to admit, not a lot of people aren't scared of Taurus. That guy? I'm sure he got something broke inside."

"Shut it…" Yang groaned as she tried to push back.

"Well sorry, but this is what the real world is." The Faunus sneered. "It's not all fine and dandy where you get to play hero and return with a smile on your face. I'm gonna knock you down all the way and make sure you never stand again. That's the way you should be, nothing but a snivelling little…"

The Faunus didn't get a chance to finish before a metal claw clamped down on his shoulder and threw him off, forcing him to let Yang go. Yang hit the sand hard, looking up to see Reigel and the White Fang commander now sparring each other. Yang watched as Reigel landed a punch, the shimmer of the ram Faunus's Aura flashing and appearing to be siphoned toward Reigel.

"What the hell?" The ram Faunus exclaimed. "Did you just suck out my Aura?"

"Good eyes…" Reigel noted. "No one really notices that at first glance. You're not an ordinary White Fang, someone higher up it seems."

"Tch…" The ram Faunus grunted as Reigel swung another jab, narrowly dodging that but falling prey to a kick. Once more, the ram Faunus felt his Aura weaken. "Cut it out!" He roared before charging at Reigel. Reigel in turn grabbed his horns and flipped over him, kicking him forward.

"Get this into your head big guy, I don't appreciate what you just said to that kid." Reigel said, a dark look on his face as he walked forward, his sword shifting back to its shotgun form. "So what if she's scared now? She'll pull through, I know she will. I didn't train her these past few days so that she could remain a snivelling runt, which is more than I can say for you once I'm through you little dirtbag…"

"Tough talk." The ram Faunus snarled. "But you forgot one little thing… It isn't just me you are dealing with…"

Reigel now heard the whirring of gears and machinery. He turned to see the Atlesian Paladin now moving about. He grunted, knowing that it must have been started by one of the White Fang troops who had managed to evade the brawling. It posed a problem for him now, considering his Aura Fang Semblance didn't work on machines. He broke into a run, firing shotgun shells into the mech. However, it remained unfazed, now starting to turn its cannons toward him.

Then, just before it could fire, Yang charged in, her hair aflame once more. Drawing her left hand back, she gave a punch to the mech's leg. Although it didn't demolish it, it was enough to throw its aim off, the Dust cannons now firing wildly.

"Yang…" Reigel started before she held her hand up.

"Reigel, not now. You can chew me out all you want later, but first let me take care of this thing." Yang replied as she slammed her fists together.

Reigel nodded in silence, knowing there was nothing else to say. He charged toward the White Fang commander while Yang now focussed on the Paladin. Yang rolled about, dodging rocket shots and laser blasts, trying her best to hit the mech where she could However, it didn't appear to be taking damage. She now recalled what Weiss had said during their time in the Vytal festival, that the ones they had faced before were just prototypes. She reasoned that she now squared off against the real deal.

The Paladin now abandoned the ranged weaponry for favour of melee combat. Yang now charged the mech down, hoping to smash its limbs off. However, the mech now jumped, avoiding her completely while firing a few shots at her from above. Yang barely had time to dodge before the projectiles hit, getting blown away in the process.

She cried out as she hit the sand, feeling a bruise form on her right shoulder. She panted as she got up, squaring against the mech that now held her at point blank range.

Sloppy… Yang cursed as she stared down the barrel of the mech's cannons, knowing there wasn't another way out. Then at the corner of her eye, she spotted an unused rocket launcher, possibly dropped from one of the White Fang soldiers earlier when she had rammed the truck at them. Time stopped for a split second as Yang considered her options. She then noticed the glow of the Paladin's weapons and made up her mind.

This is a bad idea… She thought as she grabbed the launcher and pointed it right at the barrel of the Paladin. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, the explosive projectile now detonating the cannon and sending burning shrapnel everywhere. Yang didn't have time to flinch from the explosion or consider the damage her Aura had taken. Holding her prosthetic up to shield her face, she charged at the Paladin that was now tottering slightly. Drawing her right arm back this time, she roared as she threw a punch at the Paladin's leg, her hair once more burning brightly as she did. The metal strut of the mech now crumbled into bits from the force of her punch, causing the mech to fall over again.

Yang now spun around, facing the falling body of the mech as it descended toward her. She now lashed her right out into an uppercut. She felt her fist shatter the chassis of the mech, watching as bolts and nuts broke apart or popped out while the steel plates and joints buckled and cracked. The Paladin took the air again, this time spinning through the air before it landed in a crumpled heap behind her, the pilot ejecting just before it did. A split second later, the mech exploded, overcome by the massive damage it had sustained.

Yang stared at her arm in shock, amazed by the level of strength she had just displayed. She then heard thuds sounding from her right. She turned to see Reigel now slamming the ram Faunus down onto the ground before lifting him back up and giving him a kick in the butt. The Faunus cried as he hit the ground, the last drops of his Aura now winking out.

"You won't get away with this…" The White Fang commander growled. "You just messed with monsters, and you'll pay the price soon enough…"

Reigel stared coldly as he holstered the shotgun on his back. Before he could make a move, Yang stepped forward, her eyes still glowing red. With her leg, she hefted the ram Faunus onto his back, putting one foot over him.

"You told me before, you'll knock me down all the way so that I'll never stand again." Yang said as she grabbed his throat with her right arm, the metal groaning as she lifted him up effortlessly. He strained against her iron grip, clutching the metal limb tightly, though it didn't even budge.

"Well then." Yang smirked as her eyes turned back to their normal lilac colour and her hair stopped glowing. "If I'm always going to be knocked down, I guess I'll just have to keep standing up every time after." Drawing her left hand back, she slammed his face with a wicked uppercut, drawing some blood from his nose and knocking him out cold.

Reigel now heard the rumbling of vehicles coming in and registered the calls on his Scroll from the other units. "Well, I suppose that wraps it up." Then another truck blew, startling Yang in the process.

Author's note:

Apologies for the late upload. Like before, work has been murder and it was tough to try and make this fight scene come out. Hopefully it goes as well as I had hoped.

Anyways, for any interested, Reigel's Semblance is loosely based off the abilities of Ragna the Bloodedge, from the Blazblue franchise. That guy is among my favourite fighting game characters and I'm finally glad I had gotten that concept down into RWBY.

As always, do read and review. This story comes to an end in the next chapter.

Sincerely yours,

Jdbl00d