It's a day late, I know. I was busier than expected over the weekend.
This is not the season finale. There are two all-original episodes and an epilogue left.
1 scientific yard = 100 inches
Episode 12: Breached
Jaune wasn't sure if he'd actually lost consciousness, but the first thing he was aware of was a cacophony of screaming alarms. The next thing he was aware of was a groaning Pyrrha pressing against his chest. A few seconds later, his partner managed to eject the canopy and flopped out. He followed suit, tumbling awkwardly to the ground.
The other half of their team had already escaped their mangled machine, and were leaning against each other for support, checking their weapons at the same time. Nora quipped to her partner, "Wasn't that fun, Ren?"
As Jaune's hearing returned to normal, he realized someone was screaming- no, everyone was screaming. Chaos reigned around them. They had landed in the middle of a town square, with the actual breach not twenty metres behind them. It had been busy, full of people going about their daily lives, before the ground had suddenly exploded. Around them were people running for whatever shelter they could find and the bloody corpses of those who couldn't get away fast enough.
A security guard with a rifle bravely stood between a restaurant packed with panicked people and the onslaught of Grimm. He managed to take down a pair of Beowolves before being tossed clean out of the square by a Deathstalker, which continued through the reinforced glass doors of the makeshift shelter.
"We've got to buy these people some time!" Jaune shouted to his team, drawing his sword and rushing forward toward the besieged store. Behind him, a pair of men fired pistols wildly at the horde, failing to do any significant damage before being swept away as the Grimm charged toward a clothing store.
He knew he wouldn't be able to save them all, maybe wouldn't be able to make a difference at all. He knew their lives were effectively forfeit, but that they had to do their duty. He whispered to Ruby, "Guess we'll be seeing you soon after all."
They woke up to the sound of blaring alarms, and when they stepped outside to look, they could see smoke coming from the city. It was something they'd hoped to see, but not yet, and that immediately put them in a foul mood.
Emerald Sustrai surveyed the scene. "You don't think..."
"Sure looks like it," Mercury Black observed.
"That idiot," Cinder growled. She declared to her team, "We're moving this up. The plan goes ahead."
Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck had much the same idea as his team of students. Grab one of the Paladins and use it as an armoured shelter when the train reached the end of the tunnel. It hadn't been easy, since he'd been trying to hold his ground at the same time, but he'd managed it. Unlike the others, though, he was stuck at the back of the train and he'd wasted time dragging the half-broken machine through Grimm and ruins before emerging into the daylight.
As soon as he saw the light, he blew the hatch and jumped out, the now unmanned walker collapsing behind him. He readied his weapon and surveyed the scene. Again, he came to much the same conclusion as his students. Grimm pouring in. People running, desperately fighting, or simply dying. Help coming, fast enough to save the city but not the people in the square. His students desperately trying to defend a store and the dozens of people within.
Oobleck felt a pang of sadness as he drew his weapon and charged forward. He wouldn't be able to save everyone, not even close. But he could at least save those in his charge and some other lives in the process.
"Is this really happening?" Velvet Scarlatina asked for the fifth time, nervously turning over the box in her hands.
To put it lightly, Team CFVY had an interesting morning. They had been heading to the city for rest and relaxation after their harrowing mission. Halfway through the flight, they'd heard the sirens and Coco immediately ordered the pilot to divert to the rising column of smoke, something which he had not been happy about. Instead of a nice relaxing day after going through hell, they were now going to have the opposite.
"Yeah, Velv, it's real." Coco put a comforting hand on her nervous teammate's shoulder. "Don't worry. We've got this."
"One minute," the pilot announced.
Coco calmly leaned out the open door of the tiltjet, a thin frown appearing on her lips. It was worse than she thought. The middle of the square had been torn apart, with rubble tossed everywhere. One of the stores- her favourite clothing store, actually- had been obliterated when the train crashed through. She could tell it had been a train- the wreckage was still smouldering.
Bloody corpses lined the square, mixed with the burnt wreckage and rapidly decaying dead Grimm. There were few people left alive in the square- they had either been cut down or made it to somewhere slightly safer. Nearly useless gunfire erupted from a mostly-intact tea store on the west end of the square as a dozen Beowolves turned and charged, obliterating what was left of the front wall. She knew right away that everyone in that store would be dead in minutes. The tide was not turning. Grimm continued to pour out of the tunnel in a horde.
"There!" Yatsuhashi shouted, pointing toward the north end of the square. Five fighters were defending a restaurant, with gunfire and flames visible from the air.
The team leader looked. The fighters were clearly tired, but seemed to be holding off the Grimm. They could drop in and help, but it wouldn't do any good for anyone else in the square. Or they could defend another building, leaving the fighters on the ground on their own until further reinforcements arrived.
She made her decision. "Drop us on top of that tea store."
"Will do." They held on tightly as the aircraft swerved to the left, taking them directly over the tea store. In a well-practiced motion, they all jumped off. Seconds later, the tiltjet climbed into the sky.
Without a word, they hurried down the stairs. Power had failed in the building, but sunlight streamed in through damaged walls and broken windows, casting odd and ominous shadows. The upper story was once offices, now with paper and equipment strewn everywhere. Some of it was streaked with blood. Twenty or so scared people huddled in corners. Some of them were already dead.
Velvet surveyed the destruction. "Oh, god..."
A lone Beowolf stalked up the staircase, sensing prey. Before any of Team CFVY could react, a trio of shots rang out from behind them.
A security guard leaned against the wall, pistol held rigidly and aimed toward the staircase. The guard looked half-dead, covered in blood and what looked like someone else's severed legs. Velvet choked back her impending nausea and asked, "Are you okay?"
A crazed look was in her eyes. She growled at nobody in particular, "You can't kill me!"
"She'll be fine up here," Coco said, nudging Velvet away.
There was nothing they could do for the shell-shocked security guard, so CFVY continued downstairs. Coco raised her voice and called out, "Is there anyone down here?"
There was no response. The mutilated corpses, trashed shelving, and blood-splattered walls told the whole story. The smell of death mixed with the smell of tea to produce one of the most sickening odours they've ever experienced.
Velvet began toying with the box in her hands as they headed outside. Coco shook her head. "Hey, come on, you just spent all the semester building that up. Don't waste it here."
The faunus had a retort in mind, but said nothing. She watched as her team leader unfolded her handbag into a large rotary cannon. Even after Velvet figured out how she did it, it was still a singularly unnatural thing to watch.
"You destroyed my favourite clothing store," Coco quipped, barrels spinning up. "Prepare to die."
Across the square, the situation was much more desperate. Team JNPR wasn't near CFVY's caliber, and they were fatigued, with Aura and ammunition running low.
"How many of them are there?" Jaune complained, swinging his sword through an Ursa. He didn't quite duck under its paw and winced as the attack connected. At the same time, his partner took out the beast with a precise shot to the head.
"Until that breach is sealed, they will simply keep coming!" Oobleck told them. When he had arrived, it earned them a brief respite and gave them hope that their situation may not have been as desperate as they feared. Though the Professor was a powerful fighter, there was only one of him, and he was in bad shape after holding off the White Fang on the train.
"Where is everyone else?" Pyrrha asked as she caught Akoúo̱. Dead tired and with adrenaline fading fast, she hesitated for a moment before tossing it again into a pack of Beowolves. "Where are our reinforcements?"
The Professor knocked a Beowolf away with his weapon. "The first have already arrived!"
"Then why aren't they helping us?" Jaune complained, frustrated. Raising his shield, he awkwardly blocked the strike from another Ursa.
"Because they saw others to protect!" he replied quickly.
"If we go down, the thirty people behind us are dead," Ren reminded him.
"Then we must continue until further help-" He was cut off by the rapid chattering of a heavy automatic weapon. Glowing bullets zipped in front of them, ripping through the Grimm horde and cutting down even the toughest of the creatures.
Team CFVY's position put them in enfilade with the Grimm charging toward JNPR and Oobleck. Coco had initially focused on clearing the area immediately around them before cutting down as many of the monsters charging toward the other team as she could.
The biggest disadvantage of her weapon was that it couldn't fire for very long. After running out of ammunition, the young woman stepped forward and swung the giant weapon, smashing the skull of an already perforated Nevermore. With the horde momentarily thinned out, both teams had a chance.
"You okay over there?" Coco shouted across the square.
She didn't recognize the team, but did recognize both the voice and distinctive weapon of Professor Oobleck. "That's affirmative!"
They had been the first to arrive, but not the last. A quartet of Atlesian military dropships swooped down, depositing squads of AK-200 robotic soldiers. They immediately opened fire, tearing into the Grimm and clearing the area around them.
Another Beacon-marked Bullhead arrived less than a minute later, depositing a nonchalant Professor Peter Port, an irate Professor Glynda Goodwitch, and a very nervous and somewhat angry Team CRDL. A third Bullhead was right behind them, dropping off two exchange teams just outside the ruined square.
Port and CRDL moved toward them, while Goodwitch stalked straight toward the breach, swatting Grimm aside with her crop as she went.
Cardin Winchester described the situation in less than savoury terms as his team moved toward the others. "This is so fucked up."
The three Beacon teams, along with their professors, converged. With renewed energy, they formed a staggered line alongside the Atlesian machines and began pushing the Grimm back toward the breach.
In an ironic twist of fate, Cardin found himself between Velvet and Jaune. Swinging his mace into an Ursa, he quipped rudely at them, "Guess you screwups had some fight in you after all."
Velvet said nothing, instead kicking a Beowolf just slightly harder. Jaune gritted his teeth. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Ahead of them, Glynda raised her crop and focused, rearranging the rubble into a makeshift plug and forcing it into the hole in the ground. The entire process took seconds. She sighed and fell to one knee. Moving that much around was truly exhausting, and something she generally tried to avoid doing too often.
Soon, the rest of the group would catch up to her and eliminate the last of the Grimm, ending the crisis.
Roman Torchwick knew it was time to get out. As soon as the train had stopped bouncing, himself and his short-statured partner had opened the hatch on their padded compartment and ran for the edge of the square, slipping away among the chaos. Having to fight off a few Grimm was a small price to pay for the distraction, and Neo had handled it easily.
That had been minutes ago, and they had made their way a few blocks over into an abandoned but largely undamaged shopping grocery store. Sitting on a checkout belt, he turned over a bottle of Atlesian pilsener in his gloved hands. "Go ahead, Neo. Grab something for the road."
She pried open the cash drawer on checkout terminal and took the lien. He sighed. "How terribly uninspiring."
The young woman gave him an annoyed look before marching over to one of the freezers and removing a single pre-packaged sundae. By the time she had returned , it was gone, and she tossed the cup into a bin sitting abandoned one till over.
Roman tucked the beer into his jacket. "Not what I had in mind, but better. Let's go."
They decided to exit through the back door, which led into a secluded alley. The thief calmly pushed the door open and motioned to his partner. "After you."
To their surprise, the flaming bitch and her shit kids were waiting for them at the end of the alley. Cinder Fall glared menacingly, fire in her eyes as she stalked toward them. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Away." Roman said calmly with a flourish of his cane. "I am a criminal, after all, and there are a lot of authorities around."
His casual tone only infuriated her further. She balled her fists as Emerald and Mercury raised their weapons. "You can't do this!"
"Actually, you're wrong. I can, and I have," he replied, a smirk on his face. "Did you really think I would take the fall for you?"
"We had a deal," Cinder growled. "This isn't the plan! You're ruining everything!"
"Well, you should have thought of that before you hired a selfish criminal. Besides, it's not like you're losing anything. You look like the hero, just like you wanted, and I walk away with the Lien, just like I wanted. It's win-win." He tipped his hat. "Farewell, Cinder. May we never meet again."
Cinder growled and unleashed a burst of fire from her hand, intent on burning the traitor to ashes. The attack hit thin air, and the two thieves shattered into glass that quickly faded away to nothing.
They were gone.
"I told you so, Ozpin," Ironwood growled, though more defeated than anything else.
The Headmaster turned around in his chair, face impassive as always. "And if I had acted as you wished? Allowed you to send the troops?"
He took a sip from his coffee. "Your forces stop the attack, possibly with fewer casualties, possibly with more. In the end, you are hailed as a hero, and appointed head of security because of the prestige associated with the action."
A pause. "The intent was always to elevate your position and degrade mine. One question remains- what would they have you do in that position?"
"Keep the Festival safe," he replied automatically.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Head of security of the Vytal Festival, James, is a very powerful position. You now have control not only over your own forces, but over a sizable proportion of Vale's as well, in practice if not on paper."
He tented his fingers. "No, you're waiting for something. They're waiting for something. The question is, what is it? I don't suppose you have any idea?"
"I don't know what it is," Ironwood repeated. "It could be the dark rising, it could be another kingdom for all I know. There's no point in speculating."
"No, I suppose not," the Headmaster said, standing. "I suppose you must take your leave now."
He nodded agreement. "I've got a lot of work to do."
"James," Ozpin called as the General walked away. He turned to listen. "Remember your allegiances, but also remember your responsibilities. I have faith in you."
The teenaged girl traced her gloved fingers over the glass window of the ornate wooden case. Carefully, she opened it and removed the largest two items inside.
Two hours prior, she had heard the news. Dr. Polandina, renowned scientist, was dead, an apparent heart attack. A great loss, her father had said. He expressed no sympathy, saw no tragedy beyond what the company had lost. A strategic asset of great value.
Although she said nothing at the breakfast table, the news shook her. Her sister was dead, and now Polendina was, too. Had they been killed for what they knew? Was she next? She had always felt safe with her bodyguards and security systems, but would they be enough? Polendina had been similarly protected, and now he was dead.
The two elaborate pistols, one white gold and one satin silver, gave her some comfort as she turned them over in her hands. Duelling pistols, an elegant weapon from a more civilized age where affairs could be settled in a sporting manner. Supposedly. The actual accounts suggested a more brutal age where two people confronted each other over petty matters and one walked away. They also suggested that such a time may never have existed.
Whatever the story was behind the name, the pistols in her hands were lethally effective weapons. Six-inch precision barrels were mated to sophisticated Dust chambers that could be disabled and adjusted with a touch of a button and quickly switched out with other types. The actual magazine that held the projectiles was hidden below the chamber. Dust-infused notch and post sights were mounted on top, and the frame below the barrel tapered to a point that extended slightly beyond the rest of the weapon. In keeping with a weapon fit for a Schnee, the weapons were crafted with precious metals and carved by hand with intricate designs.
Of course, she wasn't under any illusions. Her sister was an excellent fencer and a skilled enough fighter to be a huntress candidate- technically a huntress at the time of her death. She had dedicated her time to other pursuits, and was not nearly half as good as her sister was at her age. Sure, she could hit a head-sized target at thirty scientific yards, but the rest of her combat technique was mediocre at best. The pistols were a last resort, nothing more.
She still had many more questions than answers. Why would someone steal Dust shipped from Atlas to Vale, only to ship it somewhere not far from Atlas? What was Activation and what did it have to do with Spectral Dust? Who was really behind all of this? Was it a grand conspiracy, or just a long series of coincidences?
Winter Schnee holstered Aurum and Argentum beneath her jacket. She had one burning question to focus on: What killed her sister? And she knew one thing for sure: She was playing a dangerous game.
"Miss Schnee?" an urgent but polite voice interrupted. She recognized it as one of the servants, though she couldn't name her. "Your presence is requested."
She smoothed her jacket and pulled up the cuffs of her gloves one last time. "I'll be right there."