Chapter 9: Deadlands (Part 1)

Location: The Deadlands, en route to Anvil Gate Timeline: 16 A.E.

It had been an hour or so since me, Ruby, and Ralphie followed Marcus and his squad into the Deadlands and we started to approach something burning. When we saw it on sight, me and Ruby almost gagged... well, mostly Ruby, but it still affecting me, too. It was the Locust barge that I had shot down while at the bridge.

Dom pointed out, "Hey, it's a barge."

Baird replied while turning to us, mostly to me, "Looks like the one you shot down earlier, Edward."

"Ugh... don't remind me." I replied, then gagged again from the sight of it and smell, even through my helmet.

Then we approached it after me and Ruby stopped gagging and looked around to see a bunch of wild Tickers scattering.

Dom asked, "Uh, anyone got a pump? And some duct tape?"

Baird commented, "I hate those chompers. Little creeps can't leave anything alone. Ugh!"

Dom responded, "Yeah, imagine rooting around looking for parts all the time."

Baird replied, "Hey, I make intelligent use of free resources. That's how come we're still alive to bitch about it!"

I followed up, "Scavenging is the best way to look for spare parts for guns, metal for ammo, and repairs for your armor, and other things. I do it all the time back in the Wasteland."

Baird commented to Dom about what I said, "See! Even he's a scavenger, and look how he is. A badass."

Dom thought for a moment and replied, "True."

Then Marcus walked up and said, "Come on. The Locust must have more of these gas barges."

I turned to Marcus and asked, "Wait, are you thinking on hijacking a Locust barge?"

Marcus nodded and replied, "Yeah."

I shrugged and replied, "Eh, good enough for me."

Ruby replied, "Yeah, I would like to go there by air, too. Even if it's a gas barge made out of flesh and metal."

Then we heard another gas barge flying by and we turned to see it. Then Marcus pointed out to it and said, "There's our ride. Let's track it."

As we then began to track down the gas barge, I noticed Baird stopping and running back, ripping out a device out and came running back.

I asked him, "What's that, Baird?"

Baird replied, "Oh, you'll see."

He then ran past me while I stood there before shrugging it off.

As we continued forward, Baird said to Marcus, "When we hijack the barge, let me drive. I think I've got a way to control it."

Marcus replied, "It's all yours, Baird."

As we entered through a cave of sort, the whole thing itself started to collapse on itself. We immediately ran out to the other side before the cave fully caved in.

After that, Marcus yelled, "Keep it moving!"

As we started to walk around the corner and saw cages hanging from trees.

Ruby asked out, "Uh... what is in th-those c-cages?"

Baird replied, "Yeah, that's what I was going to ask."

Marcus answered, "It's a 'Keep Out' sign."

Cole replied, "Well, it almost worked."

I replied, "Yeah, I've seen worse from Raiders, using mutilated bodies and hang them from chains with hooks on the end."

Dom replied, "Yeah, that does sound worse."

Then as we walked past the tree, Dom then pointed out to our right, "Looks like our barge!"

Marcus added, "And they've gotta land sooner or later."

Then he said, "Come on, or else we're gonna lose 'em."

As we continued, Dom shouted out, "Heads up, guys. I think I saw movement out there!"

Dom wasn't wrong on that. I also saw movement out there and was heading closer to us, but more... underground. Of course, I thought at first, it was one of those 'digger' things from before, but I noticed that it was moving more freely and not in a straight line.

Cole shouted, "Whoa, it's heading our way..."

Marcus shouted out to us, "Spread out and keep moving!"

After a bit of keeping out of the way, the thing went after Ruby and a claw popped out at her.

Since I was at her side, I was able to grab the said claw and prevented it from attacking Ruby. It then started to struggle to break free from my grasp while it screeched at me. Then it surfaced and tried to attack me.

Baird yelled out, "Shit! It's a Corpser! You know, only smaller."

I turned to Baird, while I still hold on to the small Corpser's claw, and asked him, "Wait, there are bigger ones?!"

Baird replied, "Yep!"

Then Marcus said to me, "Just kill the damn thing and let's go!"

I nodded and replaced my 'CZ57 Avenger' with my Plasma Defender and shot it in the face, killing it as it turned into a puddle of green goo.

Ruby turned to me after I killed the mini Corpser and said, "Thanks."

I replied back, "No problem, Rubes! I'm always here to protect you."

Then Dom stepped in and added, "And I'm always here to protect you, Miss Rose."

Ruby gave a warm smile as she replied, "Again, thank you."

Then a Locust Savage Drone showed up, carrying an ammo box, and stopped in the sight of us.

The Savage Drone then dropped the crate and charged at us with its Retro Lancer until I shot it in the head.

Cole said to me, "Damn, Eddie! Do you have a dead-eye or something?"

I replied, "It's what we call 'practice', Cole. You should know about it, being a Thrashball star and all."

Baird chuckled in response and Cole did the same while I replaced my Plasma Defender with my new Retro Lancer I've picked up while at the bridge.

Dom then said, "Well, there's got to be more Locust around here, right?"

Baird replied to him, "Oh, I bet all his little ugly buddies are out there somewhere."

Dom said, "Yeah, probably right where the barges are heading."

Then right on cue after walking further up, more Locust showed up.

Baird shouted, "Called it! More grubs above us!"

I immediately killed the Digger Locust and then I shouted to Ruby, "Yo, Rubes! Show them your sweetheart!"

Baird and Cole immedietly stopped and turned to her. Then Baird replied, "Oh, shit!"

Marcus asked, "Her sweetheart?"

Ruby nodded to me and used her Semblance to appear in the air (Like from the RWBY Red trailer) and pulled out her Cresent Rose in sniper form, then blew a Locust's head off while still in the air.

Marcus, Dom, Baird, and even Cole were dumb-struck by this and I heard Dom whispered, "Wow..."

And then Ruby landed and walked back while her Cresent Rose transformed into its scythe form.

Dom exclaimed, "Wow! It's also a scythe?!"

I replied, "Yep! She calls 'her', Cresent Rose. She built that thing herself."

Baird began, "Wowowow... really?! She built that?!"

I simply nodded and Cole laughed, "Haha, it looks like you're not the only one who builds tech and such, Baird!"

After she swiftly wiped out the Locust Savage Drones and Grenadiers, then a large Locust guy showed up with a... minigun?!

Dom shouted out, "Grinder!"

Ruby takes noticed and looked towards the said Grinder as it roared, "GRIND!"

And started to fire at Ruby, who was using her Semblance to dodge all over the place, avoiding the Grinder's line of fire.

Then she appeared on top of the Grinder with her Cresent Rose's blade up to its neck. Then she fired a round and used the recoil to uppercut the Grinder, decapitating it. Ruby jumped off of it and the Grinder dropped dead onto the ground and dropped its weapon.

Then she puts away her Cresent Rose and pulls out her Hammerburst, then turned to us and smiled warmly as she giggled to the sight of the squad.

Ruby then said, "And that's how it's done!" as she stood proudly.

Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole were left speechless as I laughed in reaction from their faces.

Ralphie just beeped as usual and I said to them, "And she's just a Huntress-in-training, so imagine her when she's fully trained."

Marcus commented, "Wow."

I then walked up to the corpse of the Grinder and picked up its 'Mulcher' and stored it in my Pipboy.

Marcus then walked up to me and Ruby, and said, "I'm glad that I agreed to bring you three along. We definitely need people with your skills in our ranks AND to have you guys backing us up."

Ruby and I chuckled and I replied, "Glad you think so, sir!"

Ruby commented, "I'm happy that I impressed you, Mr. Fenix!"

Then Marcus said to us and to Dom, Baird, and Cole, "Alright, let's get going."

XXXXXX

Location: Near Vale, in the abandoned Atlas Research Facility Year: Unknown

'3rd POV...'

"So let me get this straight: Edward, Miss Rose, and Ralphie were sucked in through a portal from this gateway?" Ironwood concluded as he points toward the said gateway.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake nodded in response while Team JNPR and Penny stood by.

Ironwood became a little worried about this, then said to them, "I think I know what the gateway is."

All of them started to listen carefully as Ironwood began, "I believe that the gateway is a dimensional/space bridge. It can either send you to another dimension or to another planet light years away. It can also take you to a different timeline of a world and/or dimension. It's hard to even explained it all, but I think you get the picture."

Jaune asks, "Wait, how do you know of this, sir?"

Ironwood sighed and replied, "Because my grandfather worked on this very project during the war. He told my father about it, who told me about it, but not where the project was located. I guess I finally found out, huh?"

Then Ironwood said, "I think that all of you should get some rest for now."

They all nodded, and began to walk into the barracks part of the building.

Then Yang thought, 'I hope Ruby's alright.'

To be Continued...