Echoes of the Past
The gunfire paused. A trail of smoke exhausted from the two black, chrome barrels. The twin handguns were massive compared to her small but deceptively strong hands. The metal reflected the moonlight that leaked into the dark tunnel from the cracks above that lead to the silver moon above. Hitting a button, both magazines slid out and hit the ground. She calmly slid fresh ones in. Lifting the pistols at head level, she trained them down the dark concrete tunnel.
A Bloodcurdling howl echoed from deeper down the tunnel, it was close. She remained still, intently waiting for her enemy. The sound of thundering paws charging became louder and louder until the all too familiar crimson eyes glowed in the darkness ahead. Then another pair, then another, and another. It was too dark to make out their shape. She could only see their eyes and hear the ravenous snarls. Walls of stone on her left and right left her with the option of running or fighting in the one-way grim infested tunnel. So she trained her guns on the nearest set of eyes.
Then it pounced.
They shot at her like a bullet, massive black demons moving too fast for their size. The thunderous boom from the handgun exploded in the tunnel. The flash from the gun lit up the tunnel just long enough to make out ten more grim in front of her. The bullet hit the wolf looking monster directly in the chest and the immense impact sent it backwards, tumbling onto its kin. The rest of them continued the charge unwaveringly. She fired off both the handguns rapidly, flashing the tunnel in light and ripping the grim to pieces with the massive rounds. They continued to run at her but she never let them get close enough to use their massive ten inch razor claws. when only two of the Beowolves were left they turned and ran down the tunnel where they came, absorbing into the darkness. The cold cavern drowned back into silence as if nothing had happened. She stepped over the evaporating corpse of one of the beowolves and remained alert for another minute before deciding it was safe.
She holstered one of her handguns and reached inside one of the pockets of her black combat coat. The bright screen of her scroll lit up her face. Dried blood and mud was caked on her neck and face. A few newer claw marks ran down her left cheek, a small trickle of blood trailed down past her left ear. She looked half dead, over-exhaustion multiplying her weathered appearance. But despite the blood, her ocean blue eyes were filled with steady determination. The long ponytail of her cherry red hair was mixed full of blood and dirt.
She scrolled through her contacts and put the scroll to her ear. It rang for a second then came back to saying no service was available.
"S***" She cursed, placing the Scroll back in her coat pocket. Contemplating whether or not to continue down the tunnel she decided to head back the way she came to get back to her partner. Walking back took around thirty minutes, including the fact that she didn't meet any grim on the way either.
After she turned one of the corners of the cement tunnels she saw the edges of artificial light illuminating off the tunnel walls ahead. She followed it to a massive circular room that had the size and look of an auditorium. The room had tens of rows of stone rows that elevated around a flat surface below that resembled an ancient Roman coliseum. The roof was a hundred feet from the ground and lines of cracked stone exposed crumbling dirt. The whole structure was built a mile below the surface of Remnant. The only people who came here now were the morally questionable and the ones who have a hope of finding a long lost treasure of an ancient civilization. Her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the massive cavern as she entered from one from one of many tunnels that connected near the stage.
She saw movement in the corner of her eye and she immediately dropped to a combat stance, hand on her holster. The cavern was quiet as a crypt, her eyes scanning the rows of stone seats around her for any signs of danger. The ominous feeling inside her grew but she shrugged off her caution and continued towards the center of the stone stage. She stopped when she was dead center of the stage and took a minute to think. Then another quick subtle movement in the shadow alarmed her senses. This time she pulled out one of her handguns and clicked on a flashlight, Training them where she thought she saw something.
"Onyx?!" She called.
Nothing, there wasn't the slightest sign of anything nearby as far as she could see. The massive empty cavern only expressed its vast emptiness in the cold damp darkness. She turned around to leave and she saw it but it was too late...the end of the rifle struck her in the head.
They had decided to meet each other at the GPV. The Global Port of Vale. It was early morning when the port was beginning to hit the rush hours and amidst the heavy traffic of passengers passing in and out of the terminal arrived Camilia, Russet and Sylvia who all seem to have poorly slept. Onyx had already been waiting for them in the lobby. He waved to them and the three headed over to meet him.
"You all look like hell." Onyx said half joking.
"Same could be said for you." Camilia answered.
"Onyx, you know I'm not a morning person." Russet complained, stretching his arms in a yawn.
"Come on, we're down this way. I already have a ship waiting for us." Onyx said, leading them down the large corridors that acted as the arteries of the ship port. They reached the security stations where passengers lined up to be checked and cleared to continue to the terminals ahead. Onyx lead them past the long lines of people and cut to the very front of the line to where a blue shirted officer stood, backed by two older model Atlesian security androids. The glasses wearing officer noticed them.
"Excuse me sir, you have to get in line like everyone else. I'm going to ask you to go-" Onyx reached inside his coat's chest pocket and retrieved a small black book looking item and handed it to the officer. The man took it and his eyes went large from surprise and he immediately straightened his back and stammered an apology.
"I'm sorry. Go right ahead sir. Are they with you as well?" He asked motioning to three following him.
"Yes. thank you." Onyx replied, taking the black book back and brushing past the officer.
"Oh and maybe put a good word in for me up top eh? The Name is Griedmal. Couldn't hurt much right?" The man tried to regain Onyx's attention but he paid him no mind and continued to walk past the security checkpoint. The others followed closely behind, feeling the angry eyes of the patiently waiting passengers behind them.
Heading for the south terminals to where the military ships where they had to go through multiple more security checkpoints and even a dust scanner at one point. But Onyx's authority carried them through without a single question asked. They reached a smaller terminal entrance with two armed androids positioned near the entrance. The sign read "Dock 34-D [RESTRICTED ACCESS]" Onyx turned and headed for the door. One of the androids blocked him and he lifted his military ID in front of it's visor to be scanned. The android then moved out of his way and they continued through the metal door.
They walked out into the warm summer air of Vale. They were crossing an elevated metal bridge to a circular concrete platform where a grey and black military themed ship waited. They stepped onto the platform and passed two neon-orange wearing port workers who finished fueling the ship. The group went to the back of the ship and the back hatch of the ship lowered, forming a ramp where a grey military uniformed man stood in a salute. Onyx returned the salute and shook hands with the man. The ship port was too loud to attempt any conversation so they all quickly went into the ship and shut the hatch, the noise of the port cut out immediately.
"Sergeant Ferrow sir, i'll be your pilot for this trip" The man introduced himself and shook hands with Onyx once again.
"Captain Nightfall, glad you could meet us." Onyx answered.
"Anytime. Where are you heading today sir?"
"I have the coordinates on my scroll. But this will take some searching."
"I see...well in the meantime let's get everyone suited." The pilot pointed to the row of seats on both sides of the walls. "seats are here, make sure you're all buckled in while we lift off. Your luggage goes in the apartments above." I also heard a co-pilot was being provided." He said, looking expectantly as the four of them. Everyone was confused but Onyx who was looking at Russet.
"Want to?" Onyx asked.
"wait what...umm alright cool yea i can pilot." Russet said with a small bit of pride and excitement. "just for the record i haven't piloted one of these military ships before."
"ah don't worry, they're actually easier than most." The pilot reassured him, "most of the work is automated."
"well i wasn't saying i couldn't pilot it, just that i haven't flown this model before is all."
"you're going to love it. The dust engines on her really pack a punch." The pilot said, handing an extra pair of silver rimmed aviator sunglasses to Russet. He accepted them and put them on with a large smile.
"God, just get up there already." Camilia said, pushing Russet towards the cockpit. "i'm already sick of seeing that face of yours."
"Ouch." Russet said, following the pilot to the cockpit and closing the door to it behind them. The rest of them packed their bags into the compartments near the ceiling and took seats and locked into the seats that lined the walls of the bay. Watching out the small windows and feeling the rumble of engines roar to life they accelerated against the hold of gravity and started to travel thousands of feet into the air in a manner of seconds.
After they evened out their altitude they unstrapped from their seats and Onyx began to discuss the mission.
"So here's where we're heading…" He pulled out a thumb-sized holo projector and a highly detailed 3d digital image of a forest appeared. But the image zoomed in and the scattering of stone and large tunnel entrance to the underground was shown. "Its an old ruins south of Vale, deep in the wilderness." The image zoomed in again and broken statues and large detailed boulders were scattered around a massive stone arch entrance to a large tunnel. "The ruins lie underground and are made up of miles of tunnels and stone caverns. A perfect place for a pirate stronghold. And just recently multiple pioneer expeditions have been going missing near this area. We know it's not only the Grim that were causing this. A survivor came back with torture marks and burns from dust ammunition, claiming that someone had killed their group."
"Is it the same people who kidnapped my sister?" Sylvia asked.
"We think so." Camilia said.
"It's most likely, yes. They're the only group who has kidnapping operations outside of the walls." Onyx confirmed.
"Then we go in there and kill them." Sylvia stated quietly. A brief moment passed then Onyx continued.
"But we have to be careful. If the pirates have their base underground it may take a while to find them."
"and the fact that we're out of range of the transmit communication system only makes this more dangerous." Camilia added.
"But i bet the pirates have a tower of their own and are communicating with each other that way." Onyx said. "Sylvia, how long has your sister been missing?"
"She's been missing for two weeks now."
"then it's very likely she's still alive."
"what makes you say that?"
"After people go missing around here, their bodies usually don't show up until months later. The pirates want to preserve what they have."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sylvia asked with disgust and horror written on her face. "How long till we get there?"
"A few hours." Onyx answered. "Until then get some sleep, you'll need the energy."
Sylvia got up and entered the lavatory, leaving Onyx and Camilia in the bay. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, memories coming back to their heads.
Camilia let out a laugh, breaking eye contact "Just like old times huh?" She said.
Onyx sighed, crossing his arms behind his head on the seat and closing his eyes. "Just like old times." he repeated. The phrase had a sentimental meaning in both of them as they remembered their long history.
"I wish it was like this more often...just the few of us. Someone to save and grim to kill. Like heroes."
"We're not kids anymore. We know the truth behind this work more than anybody else." Onyx said darkly.
"Have you thought about what it would have been like if we didn't chose all of this?" She asked, a silence growing in the air.
Onyx still kept his eyes closed as he answered. "No."
"Oh come on. A normal life. No orders, no mission, no duty, no grim, no-" He cut her off.
"Cami there's no point in daydreaming, we chose this a long time ago. There's no going back. You know that."
"Well there is another option…" She said cryptically.
Onyx opened his eyes to a deadly stare in her direction. His eyes featured that glow in that of a snake. Deadly and unforgiving, It sent a chill down her spine.
"No." he said. "Never. I've killed people with my own hands because of that. Believe in the cause. Believe in light. Believe in Remnant." He closed his eyes again and went back to resting.
"Onyx. I do. That's why i think it's a good idea…" She tossed a small pendant into Onyx's lap. He opened his eyes and picked up the small metal trinket to inspect it. It was the Vanguard emblem, the wings around the lighting bolt in cold metal laid in his hand.
She locked eyes with him again. She spoke, "Lest we Forget..."
"Lest we Forget…" he answered.
HEY GUYS, BACK AGAIN HERE WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT SO FAR NOW THAT THE STORY HAS BEGUN TO BUILD UP A BIT. I WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HYPE FOR RWBY SEASON 3 REACHING ITS CLIMAX. IM VERY EXCITED AND IM SURE YOU ALL ARE AS WELL. THANKS FOR READING!