When Earth Meets Dust

by LoftiestMilk0

The Old World has many secrets buried underneath the surface of the wasteland. Some people think it should stay that way. Others think unearthing them will help them rebuild. What they don't know, is that if you look carefully, you may find something entirely different...

25. Chapter 24: Desperation

Chapter 24: Desperation

A ruthless breeze tore through the trees at the foot of the mountains. The sharp shrapnel that grew naturally on the local flora flew through its clutches along the mountain side, showing no mercy to its fellow fauna. It was as if nature itself was retaliating against a true crime committed just a few short hours previous. And it was angry.

The breeze was accompanied by a powerful flash of light. It blazed through the early dawn air in a desperate attempt to find justice. It was unnatural, jarring, and, most of all, very, very anxious.

'Where?! Where?! Dust, please just…'

The incomplete thought couldn't keep up with the tremendous velocity. It wasn't loud enough to beat the powerful wind sailing through the trees.

'Please…please, please, please…I'll do anything…just please…please be okay…'

The rushing wind whipped away the plea without remorse. Even as the force blazed through, the wind seemed to not care at all for its wishes.

'Please! I have to find you! I need to! Where are you?!'

Suddenly, the wind stopped. The powerful force stopped dead in its tracks at the suspicious disturbance. But it wasn't due to caution. It was because this was the perfect opportunity. To try. To just say fuck it, and just try and-

"KENNY!"

The cry rang across the horizon. It was so powerful that even the birds perched on some nearby branches scattered away in fear.

"Shh! Quiet down, will you? We cannot risk compromising ourselves!"

The whisper came from behind a bush. But she didn't care. Right now, there was only one thing on her mind. And there was nothing stopping her from-

"Gretchen. I need you to listen to me."

The sudden proximity of her partner's voice startled her back into reality. She stared wide eyed into his tinted stare.

"We will find him. Do not worry."

The stern glare made Gretchen tense. It usually does. Erwin was by no means the most comforting person. But this time, there was something different about it. It was laced with a slight hint of…sympathy.

Gretchen tried to respond, but her scratchy throat didn't let her. She settled with a simple nod.

Erwin nodded in return. He beckoned for them to crouch behind a bush. A moment went by in silence before Erwin pressed his ear.

"Tin to Crow."

"I read you, Tin. Everything alright?"

"Yes. Emotions are on edge, that's all."

"Roger that. Standby."

Erwin didn't need to acknowledge the order. He was just checking in. Luckily, they seemed to be fine. For now.

He watched the horizon for a moment. It wasn't just his partner who was frustrated. He too found himself on edge for the first time in a long time. Although for entirely different reasons. The cold darkness of the awfully early morning did little to comfort him.

He was startled by a quick flash of light in the distance. It was barely visible, but it was there, and it lasted for only a fraction of a second. He smiled as he adjusted his frames. Excellent.

"Our allies are in position. Tin. Terry. Move quickly towards point delta."

"Solid copy."

"And quietly this time."

Gretchen and Erwin exchanged a look. This was going to be a long day.

The electrum partners followed their orders to the letter. They didn't dare risk being compromised again. They couldn't. They were able to hide themselves in the shadows of the pine trees and tall bushes. The dark and cold morning seemed to help keep them subtle, too.

They were getting closer to their objective when their comms crackled to life again.

"Hold up. I sense something."

Erwin crouched behind a thick log. "What is it?"

"Beowolf. Across the river."

The silver-clad teen dared a peek over his cover. Sure enough, he spotted the foul creature lurking around in the trees across the water. It was sniffing the ground desperately, as if it were looking for something.

"What is on your mind?" asked the one named Crow. Erwin hummed in thought.

"It is tracking something. It seems we are not the first to take this route."

"I had a feeling. Keep moving, and try not to be seen."

"Wait. You think Kenny came through here?" Gretchen forced under her breath.

"According to Commander Pic, this should have been the river Ken followed." Erwin's look became grimmer. "It leads straight to the village. Whether Kenneth reached it or not remains to be seen."

"Oh," was all Gretchen managed to say. The two were able to continue their trek through the woods without alerting the Grimm in their wake.

They were getting closer. The river was getting louder as they got nearer. At this distance, the cliffs would be in sight if not for the lack of morning light.

Suddenly, the roaring got much louder. Unnaturally louder.

"Shit!"

Unfortunately, by the time Erwin figured out why that was, an Ursa shot out from the trees. Erwin was able to roll out of the way. But a loud yelp revealed that Gretchen wasn't so lucky.

"Ah!"

"Gretchen!"

She dodged a second powerful strike just in time. The giant paw pounded a boulder instead, shattering it as if it were made of ceramic. Erwin readied his pen, but as he did, more Grimm showed up from the trees, eyes locked onto their new prey.

"We have to go loud!"

"Do it! We are headed your way!"

He quickly flung his pen at the first Ursa. It pierced its heart and exited the carcass, quickly bouncing towards two more in the blink of an eye. Gretchen had finally recovered and was thrashing her sickles at a rather large Ursa.

They seemed to be coming from nowhere! Wave after wave tried to suppress the two teens with little success.

Erwin did his best to keep the creatures off of him and his partner. But there were so many! And all at once! Erwin shook his head in frustration as he took down another enemy that tried to pounce onto him.

This wasn't right. No, Ursa don't try and outnumber their prey. They normally work alone, sometimes in pairs. Not in waves. This was just…

This was too organized.

"Gretchen!" Erwin hollered as he rolled beneath a failed body slam. "There are too many!"

"I can see that, genius!" She loudly grunted as she split a creature in half mid-air. "Do you have anything productive to say?!"

"Bah! I am trying to see if you still can-"

"LOOK OUT!"

Slam!

His vision blurred as a powerful strike sent him flying. His tinted glasses flew and slammed against a tree. He coughed as he painfully landed on his back.

The Ursa was already onto him. It raised its claw quickly, trying to kill its target before it could scurry away.

Boom!

But its head disappeared in a mist of black ash.

Erwin sighed in relief. He lied there for a moment as he felt the familiar sensation of powerful sound waves echo through the air. It splattered and killed any Ursai it touched. But Erwin? It barely only tickled his fine, long hair.

The fight finally died down. Erwin couldn't help but chuckle. He was going to hear about this later, he was sure of it.

The night sky was blocked by a head draped in dread locks. A bright smile accompanied the view.

"Hello there, Tin. Do not tell me you are running low on oil again?"

"Enough, Crow. You were late. Again."

The man laughed. "Fair enough. Up you go."

Erwin gratefully accepted his leader's offer to stand. He looked down and scowled at himself. Blood and mud covered his precious suit.

"Curses. I just had these dry cleaned."

"You should've thought of that before you came out here," Gretchen smugly replied. She split her rifle as she smugly smiled. "Oh, that's right. You gotta 'look professional'. I always forget."

"Very amusing." He shook himself off as best he could. "Look, Canton. Something's not right about all of this."

"I know. Regina has expressed her concern as well. But now is not the time. We need to get to the village."

"You don't understand." Erwin stepped closer to Canton. Normally, Canton wouldn't be too surprised by this. The silver teen was never good with authority and was usually quite aggressive. But this time, he couldn't help but step back.

The strangely clear irises were powerfully menacing.

"Something is not what it seems," Erwin growled. "Ursa do not attack in formation. They are wild and uncollected. Not this…organized."

"He's right. I only know because he forces me to study." Gretchen handed her partner his shades with a sly wink. He quickly snatched them out of her grasp and pressed them against his face. "If this was the way Ken came through, he must've fought a ton of them."

"Which is also very strange," added Erwin. "This area rarely has Grimm activity. It just makes no damn sense."

Canton regained his composure. "Noted. But for now, we have a mission to complete."

He didn't wait for a response. He immediately turned to his partner, who had just taken a sip from the clear river.

"Anything, amor?"

A silent shake of her head made Canton grumble. He looked towards the mountain.

"Quickly. Let us make sure we are clear."

He knew he had said enough. Regina sunk down to her haunches. The feather at the tip of her rope rested on the drying mud. Gretchen and Erwin also understood immediately, and quickly did the same.

Canton shut his eyes. He raised his arms high beside him as he hummed lowly.

Swiftly, he brought his powerful palms together. A witness would expect a loud, deafening sound. Something menacing and betraying to their position.

Instead, only silence remained. Not a single sound could be heard from the clap. But that doesn't mean it was silent, no, not at all. Canton simply commanded the sound waves and spread them across the forest.

Regina stared with hungry eyes. You see, this was what made this duo tremendously different. Hunters and Huntresses each train independently, mastering their unique craft and style before learning to adapt to work in a group. But not Regina and Canton. They were trained so close, their Auras were practically one. And thus, their Semblances worked in unison.

The sound waves Canton sent out were exaggerated. They were thick and powerful, but yet, somehow, silent to everyone else. Only Regina can sense them, her Aura being the most sensitive of the two. Anything these soundwaves touched that was moving or had a heartbeat would be immediately surrendered to Regina's sharp eyes, with no hope of escape.

A few moments passed before Regina stood up. She slowly turned towards her partner. Her silent stare was more than enough for him to interpret.

"I see…"

"Well?" asked Erwin impatiently. "Are we clear?"

Canton continued to gaze into Regina's eyes.

"No."

Gretchen suppressed to urge to cackle. "If it's more Grimm, we can take 'em! I'm just starting to wake up!"

"Gretchen."

"Huh?" The sound of her name made her very uneasy. She stood from her perch on the ground. "What, Canton? What's the matter?"

"…they are not Grimm."

"What?!"

"We are completely surrounded."

"What are you saying?" Erwin rushed over to Canton. He grabbed his shoulder, forcefully turning him. "If not Grimm, then what surrounds us? Whom?"

Canton's expression darkened. "I have no idea."

The ground shook beneath them. Startled, they frantically looked around. The tremors grew faster and louder, heading in their direction.

"So much for a stealth op," mumbled Gretchen.

"Yellow formation, now!"

The team reacted swiftly to their leader's order. They circled their backs to one another, leaving no blind spot to the mysterious perpetrator. The ground only shook more violently, making team CRGE stress their namesake.

"Dust, what is that?" Erwin anxiously asked. His sweaty palms gripped his small weapon nervously.

Suddenly, the air was lit with the sound of automatic weapon fire. From all sides, bullets hailed towards the team in rapid succession. The unexpected rain of firepower caused the group to break formation almost instantly.

"Scatter!"

They quickly tried to find cover wherever they could. The brutal fire storm seemed to have no end as it ripped at their Auras. Gretchen dove behind the nearest cover, finding Canton there too.

"Are you hurt?!" hollered the leader over the deafening bullet storm. Still shocked from the sudden attack, Gretchen subconsciously patted herself down.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, fine actually. Wait. My Aura…"

"How much damage did you take?"

Gretchen checked her gauge on her scroll. "What?! It felt way more than that! I took a ton of direct rounds!"

Another screeching wave of bullets ripped at their thin cover. Canton cursed.

"Damn! Stay in cover! Erwin! Can you seem them?!"

"No! I- shit!"

"GAAAAHHHH!"

The loud roar was followed by a short yelp of pain. Erwin went flying towards Canton, knocking all three out into the open. Instantly, the storm closed in on them. They screamed in agony as their Aura flared in defense.

Gretchen was the first to react. She ripped at a vile in her belt and tossed it without thinking.

Boom!

It seemed to have worked. The fire storm died down enough to allow them to recover. They hastily did so, with Canton preparing his bow.

"Counter attack. Gretchen, move across the river. Regina is there."

"Right!" The Faunus disappeared in an orange flash.

Erwin planted his stance close to his leader. His pen protectively orbited them both.

"I have eyes on a tango," he rapidly said. "It's dark, but it's there."

"Do it."

Excalibur shot towards the mysterious target. Erwin aimed carefully to what he thought was a possible jugular. In a split second, the pen made contact.

"AH!"

Erwin smiled sadistically. But it was replaced with a frown at the sound that followed next.

"Hahaha! THAT TICKLES!"

"Shut up, you!" came another loud bellow. "Kill the humans! I'M HUNGRY!"

"What on Remnant…"

He couldn't finish his thought. Their assailant had finally stepped into view. It was a beyond hideous creature. It was unlike anything they had ever seen. The ominous yellow skin looked thick and impenetrable. The massive figure rivaled most of the trees in the forest. The clothing didn't look like cloth at all, but a bunch of random scrap and junk forged together to make some type of wearable apparel.

But the creepiest thing about this monster was its smile. It looked forced, as if someone took a knife and carved it into the large, ugly face. Only one thing came to mind upon the sight of this thing lumbering towards them.

Demon!

"Haha! There you are! COME HERE!"

"Fuck!"

Erwin snapped back into reality. He commanded Excalibur to try again. Now that he knew what this…thing looked like, he easily found his target. The pen entered the jugular with ease this time, loudly making a cringing slick as it entered the weak spot.

To his surprise, the creature didn't die instantly like it should have. It clutched the wound, trying to howl in pain. After a moment, it finally collapsed into the river, its blood tainting the pure white stream.

"More!" Canton began open firing. "The girls are in position! Let us kill these things!"

The demons were closing in on the pair. Erwin could see the rest of the team on the other side of the river, diverting most of the enemy force away from them. Their counter assault was already falling apart. Gritting his teeth, Erwin roared loudly as he fully engaged himself into the fight.

The bloody battle proved stressful. Canton found himself already losing energy after only killing three of the yellow-skinned demons. They howled and roared like monsters, desperately trying to kill the humans in their sight.

They were trying to get close. The nailed clubs and sledgehammers swinging in their direction were old and rusted, but the demons didn't seem to care. They only wished to obliterate their foe, and from what Canton could tell, they also wanted to eat. And they were fucking starving.

There was no end in sight to this! When Canton could finally could glance at his scroll, he discovered that his Aura was the last of his team to finally enter the yellow.

'Curses! Gods help us!'

"We need back up!" yelled Gretchen. "Where are they?!"

"I do not know! But they must have heard the battle!"

"I'll try and call! I'm sure-"

"Gretchen?!"

"Canton! There's a bigger one!"

"What?! Where?!"

Before he could try and discover what she meant, three bright red rays of light ruthlessly ripped into his Faunus teammate. She screeched loudly in pain, the painfully hot lasers burning her natural barrier. Another shot of the red beams flashed in her direction, but Regina tackled her to the ground just in time.

"No! Erwin!"

"Way ahead of you!"

The duo abandoned their post in favor of their partners. They quickly open fired on the larger demon, successfully making it flinch and stumble back.

Dust! That's it?! Even their most powerful attacks only managed to make this thing angrier!

"GAHH!" it yelled. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT, WRETCHED HUMANS!"

Canton ordered his team to take cover. They did so just in time. The triad lasers were at full blast again. They melted the rocks and trees in an instant.

The leader checked Gretchen's Aura. Oh, sweet Dust. Twenty seven percent. Almost in the red. No. This can't be happening…

He thought, and thought, and thought. The agonizing sound of foreign weapon fire weren't helping his clouded mind. The demons had regrouped, and they and their leader were converging fast onto his team. No, this wasn't what they signed up for. Grimm were one thing. But this?

This wasn't worth it.

"We retreat!"

"NO!" Gretchen immediately coughed at the forced reply. "We don't even know if Ken's out here! We can't leave!"

"We have to. Fall back. I will buy you time."

As he expected, Regina immediately objected. She angrily signed towards him, her facial expressions reinforced the way she felt about the ridiculously stupid idea. He ignored her, simply blasting covering fire towards the oncoming force.

"Fall. Back! I will not repeat myself. That is an order!"

"WE CAN'T!" Gretchen was now fully in tears.

"I refuse to leave." Erwin's voice didn't have the normal monotone it usually had. He shakily adjusted his cracked lenses. "We have to do this."

"NO!" Canton was furious. These fools! "You will leave! NOW!"

KABOOM!

"YEEEHAAAA!"

The explosion made the team flinch and dive lower into cover. It also managed to stop the loud assault. Canton dared a look over into the battle field.

Pink smoke. Canton uncharacteristically cursed.

"Fucking finally."

Back up finally arrived! The demons were caught completely off guard as they were flanked from all sides. The cause of the pink smoke was now in the middle of the yellow crowd, crying out obscene gestures and, quite frankly, stale and terrible one-liners.

"Take THAT! And THAT! Ever wondered what the moon looks like?! Cuz you're ABOUT TO TAKE A TRIP!"

Although that last one was quite fitting. One of the demons was sent flying into the air at an incredible speed, never to be seen again.

The waves of a certain pair of automatic pistols supported the loud connoisseur of death, although their wielder remained near silent.

A flash came in from their left. Just as quickly as you could have seen it, countless body parts were sent splattering across the forest floor. The cause of it returned to its master, whom entered the remainder of the crowd. And obliterated it almost instantly with her weapon.

Someone came rushing in from behind them, startling Canton. His blade raised high, he stopped when he saw him stumble back and almost trip.

"Whoa! H-hey! It's me!"

Canton sighed and lowered his weapon. "Damn it, Jaune!"

The blonde laughed nervously in relief. "S-sorry! I wasn't sure where you were, so when I spotted you I got excited. Are you guys okay?"

"Better now. What took so long?!"

"Oh, come on, man!" Jaune shrugged. "We were already at the village! It's a bit of a climb, you know!"

"I guess you are right. Thank you for the assist."

"No prob! Although, we're not out of the woods yet."

Jaune chuckled at the unintentional pun. Canton, however, was not in the least amused.

"The large one I believe is the leader. We have to take it down."

Jaune's usual sheepish look was replaced with one of determination. He nodded.

"Got it. I have a plan. Gretchen, how's your Aura?"

"Not good," answered Canton instantly. "I do not want-"

Gretchen stood tall. Fire almost literally lit in her eyes.

"Let's do this."

Jaune hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded towards her.

"Canton, I need you, Erwin, and Regina to spread out and provide covering fire from the trees. Gretchen, you're with me. I'll take you to Nora."

"I will not leave her side," retaliated Erwin. "Why must we stay so far away?!"

"Long story short, you guys have been fighting for a while. Keeping your distance won't risk your Aura getting worse. We're at a hundred percent. I can protect Gretchen. My Aura is the strongest on my team." He smiled widely, causing Erwin to relax slightly. "Heh. I guess that was the long story. Don't worry, man. She's safe with me."

The silver teen was hesitant. The smile was so genuine, he could only agree to the well thought out plan. Without another word, everyone followed their new orders. Jaune drew his sword and engaged his shield.

"Okay! Ready?"

His confirmation came in the form of a tight grip on his leather belt from behind. He took a second and closed his eyes.

'Okay. Okay. This is it. Just breathe. Remember what Pyrrha taught you. Bump and slash. Bump and slash…'

"Uh. Hey, Jaune?"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"Ready when you are, dude." Gretchen murmured.

"Oh!" Jaune cleared his throat. "Right! Sorry about that. Let's go!"

Jaune rushed out into the open. It took a second for the weapon fire to find him, but it was denied by the greatly defensive Crocea Mors. He grunted at the force of the bullets ripping at his shield, but he kept his breathing under control. Just like Ren taught him to do.

Peering over his defense, he saw the first…thing…come into sight. Allowing himself a mighty roar, he didn't hesitate to smack right into it.

"AH! What the-?"

Slash!

The creature lost a massive arm. Crying in pain, it quickly moved out of the way. Grinning to himself, Jaune continued to pummel through the thick crowd of evil beasts towards his objective. He repeated his motion, not caring to really kill anything, just get it out of the way. Bump and slash. Bump and slash.

Behind him, he heard the auto fire of Gretchen's own weapon. She understood immediately what her impromptu partner was doing. She went for the knee caps, significantly slowing down their yellow-skinned adversaries. It didn't kill them, but it sure did one hell of a job getting them off of their asses.

Jaune slammed right into one final target. The surprised creature moved away on its own. Now in the heart of the battle, Jaune saw Nora continuously hammering away at the larger leader in the center.

"Just! Die! Already!"

The great demon disobeyed. It swiftly dodged and parried most of the Valkyrie's attacks with cumbrous swiftness. Jaune quickly tried to come up with a plan.

But he just realized he didn't think this one all the way through.

'Ah, crap!'

Pzzt! Pzzt!

Those damn lasers were now barraging Nora. Realizing she couldn't do much else now, she swiftly retreated. Jaune took this moment and looked at his scroll attached to his shield.

'What?! Nora's Aura! It's already yellow!'

"NORA! Get cover in the trees! Hurry!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

The large demon spotted him and open fired. Luckily, his shield took the force, but Jaune knew he couldn't block that thing for very long.

He and Gretchen found another large boulder and quickly dove behind it.

He turned to Gretchen. "Your Semblance is lightning, right?" She nodded. "Good. How much Aura does it take?"

"It depends, but I don't think I have enough to take that thing down."

"That's fine. I need you to listen carefully."

Gretchen's fluffy ears perked towards Jaune. He knew instantly she was, hah, all ears.

"I need you to hit Nora with your Semblance! Give it everything you've got!"

He was expecting the shocked expression. "Jaune! Even if I only used half of what I have left, I might… kill her!"

Jaune laughed, making Gretchen incredibly uneasy. Another barrage of lasers smacked their cover, almost melting it completely.

"No time to explain! Just trust me! I'll cover you as best as I can!"

The boulder suddenly disappeared. Jaune raised his shield.

"NOW, GRETCHEN!"

Gretchen reluctantly began to charge her Aura. Deciding to use her power sparingly, she took aim towards the now rushing hammer-wielder. She finally burst into a fully electrical being.

Jaune yelled loudly as he bull-rushed the demon, effectively distracting it. Gretchen hollered as she readied herself.

'I'm so sorry!'

She fired. Her storm instantly connected with her target, who stopped dead in her tracks.

'Oh, Dust! She's hurt!'

"Ahahaha! That's the good stuff!"

Gretchen's eyes flew wide open. To her dismal disbelief, Nora was laughing. Actually laughing. No…

She was cackling!

'Wait! I see know! Her Semblance!'

Now fully aware of the situation, Gretchen put in every ounce she had left in her. She charged up Nora as best she could, blinding everything in the area. She felt herself connect to her, both sharing one single thought together.

'Let's strike this bastard!'

They leapt into the air. The powerful electrical storm sent all the demons flying, popping every single one like water balloons. Now, only the great beast remained. Right below the powerful wrath of the electrifying Huntresses-in-Training.

KABOOM!

One single lightning strike erupted from the sky. Nora's super charged fist landed straight below into the clearing, smiting the demon before it could even register what had happened.

It evaporated into a blood red mist.

With the demons finally defeated, and the larger one popped like a fat zit, the two girls landed softly next to each other in the deep impact crater they created. Jaune too was there, although he wasn't very happy. He desperately wiped his face and spat disgusting blood.

"Ack! Ah, come on, man! Gross!"

"Wow! Jaune, it worked!" Gretchen excitedly pumped her fist into the air. She suddenly felt herself very, very tired. "Ugh. But damn, that took a lot."

"Great job, girly!" Nora smacked Gretchen on the back, almost knocking the wind out of her lungs. "You're pretty strong! *gasp* We should tooootally hang out! And we can have GIRL TIME! Pyrrha can come too!"

Gretchen was on the verge of passing out. "Yeah…sounds…like fun…"

The three of them climbed out of the crater. Their teams were there waiting to help them out.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha worriedly pulled him up from the crevice. "Are you alright?"

Jaune rested his open hand on his knee, attempting to catch his breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Never better."

His partner sighed in relief. She gripped his hand a little tighter as he stood straight. She couldn't help but smile. "Nicely done. You have an excellent way of improvising. I'm proud."

"Heh heh." Jaune blushed as he brushed his shaggy hair with his free hand. "Ah, it was nothing."

"Great work, everyone," proudly announced Canton. "It seems no one is hurt." He smiled at the recovering Faunus. "Majorly, that is."

"Good." Jaune stood straight. He smiled appreciatively towards his beaming partner. "Let's get out of here."

"The village isn't far, right?" Gretchen rapidly questioned. "We can still make it!"

The two team leaders exchanged a stale glance. And Gretchen didn't like it one bit.

"No!" she immediately retaliated before anyone spoke. "We can't just leave!"

"Gretchen. This is not-"

"WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE HIM!"

"Gretchen. Please."

Jaune's somber voice made Gretchen shiver. The look on his face told her even he hated the situation.

"I don't like this anymore than you do. But we just…we don't know what we're dealing with. We have to go back."

Gretchen swallowed hard, trying desperately not to yell again. "We've come this far. We can't just…give up!"

"We aren't," Jaune said calmly. He walked up to her and placed a sympathetic hand on her trembling shoulder. "Those things, whatever they are, could still be anywhere. We had this much trouble taking them down. Who knows what would happen next?"

"Ken wouldn't just quit. Especially if it was one of us. Any of us."

The teeth-gritted statement silenced the blonde. Even the others looked at each other, knowing too well that she was right. Ken wouldn't just walk away.

…would he?

"You're absolutely right."

Gretchen's eyebrows shot up. Jaune smiled.

"He wouldn't just quit. He'd keep fighting. Just like we would, too. But he also wouldn't want us to risk our lives for his. Not like this. He'd want us to turn back and get help."

The Faunus opened her mouth to speak, but words escaped her.

"For now, we get back to Beacon. Professor Ozpin will know what to do."

She remained silent. This was all Jaune really needed. He nodded towards Canton.

"Can you and Regina lead us out of here? Pyr and I will take the rear."

Canton nodded. "As you wish."

"Hold up!"

Jaune looked towards Nora, who was hungrily staring at the trees. Ren walked up to her.

"Jaune," he said quietly. "Another one. He's hiding in the trees."

Everyone was set on edge immediately. Jaune quickly raised a hand in an effort to calm them.

"Just one?" he rapidly questioned.

"Yup. I got him."

"Apapap!" Nora rapidly blocked Ren's path with her arm. "He's mine! I'm still fired up!"

Jaune sighed. He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. "Okay. Make it quick."

"Aye aye, cap'n!"

With an enthusiastic salute, Nora dashed towards the hidden prey. A lightning fast punch destroyed the first set of trees, forcing the demon to leap backwards.

Jaune blinked. He felt his heart skip a beat in response to his instincts. Wait. That was quick. That move had much more finesse than what he had seen from the others…

Oh, shit!

"Nora, wait!"

"Gotcha! You can't hide from-"

"Stay. Back!"

Jaune couldn't stop her in time. Nora was suddenly flung backwards. She gasped from the unexpected force.

"Oof!"

"Nora!"

Ren dashed towards the target. Storm Flower open fired on the enemy as he ran towards it.

"Ren!" Jaune sprinted forward, his allies following close behind him. "Stop!"

"GAHHHHH!"

Ren pounced onto the creature, fully ready to bury his sharp blades into the neck of the offending monster. But, out of nowhere, a stream of fur jumped him, and he was suddenly ripped towards the side.

"Gack!"

He couldn't scream as he landed painfully onto the grass. The set of sharp fangs on his neck didn't let him make a sound.

"REN! NO!"

He knew he was defeated. Effectively pinned to the ground, Ren could only drop his weapons and raise his hands in surrender.

The remainder of the teams rushed towards him. But what they heard next stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Don't come any closer! Or my friend here will make sure this one gets it!"

Jaune had to forcefully hold Nora back by the arm. She clenched desperately at her weapon, tears streaming from her eyes as she anxiously gripped the trigger.

"No…no…no…" she murmured through clenched teeth.

"Damn it." Jaune stepped forward towards the demon. It held a menacing weapon pointed straight towards him. It was large, and it looked like it could rapidly fire its cargo at its victims. If that thing fired those lasers from before, they were absolutely toast. Literally.

Jaune swallowed as he adopted an angry expression.

"Your kind attacked us," he said powerfully. It was so foreign even Pyrrha was startled from behind her shield.

"Jaune?" she whispered silently.

"My kind?!" responded the demon angrily. "HAH! You insult me! How dare you associate me with those wretched abominations?!"

Jaune was taken aback. He studied the creature closely. Besides what it was wearing, it looked identical to the monsters that attacked him and his friends. He was going to have to play this one carefully.

He looked over at Ren, who looked rather calm considering the situation. The creature that was tightly clamped around his neck wasn't one of those things. Instead, it was actually a normal looking dog, although it looked tremendously ferocious. It growled deeply, tightening its grip on its prisoner with every slight movement.

He returned his attention to the demon. "Let my friend go."

"Now that is where you must be careful with your demands," it responded. "He and that girl attacked us unprovoked. Do understand that this action causes me to distrust you and your people."

Huh. Jaune couldn't help but scratch his head. It sounded much smarter than the rest. It also wasn't killing anyone on sight. This one…this one was different.

"Jaune."

He looked over. Everyone had lined up next to him, forming a line in front of their new enemy. Pyrrha searched his gaze thoughtfully, as if she was trying to read his thoughts.

"We need to get to Ren," she said worriedly. "I can try and come up behind it."

"No!" She blinked. "Look. Let me handle this. Keep Nora behind me."

She took a second before nodding and returning her attention to the creature. Jaune unconsciously smiled.

He took another step forward. Instantly, the creature raised its weapon higher. The dog also tightened its grip on Ren, growling louder. Jaune quickly raised his palms.

"Whoa! Easy!"

"Careful, human," it cautioned. "Your next move can very well determine your comrade's fate."

"Okay. I understand. Who are you?"

"Who I am is irrelevant."

Jaune gulped. Shit.

"O-okay. Um. My name is Jaune."

"I don't honestly care."

Jaune sighed. "Alright, then. Look, I understand you don't trust us. But we've been through quite a lot."

The creature took a moment to observe the surroundings. "Yes, I see that. I must say, I am impressed at the might you people have."

"Then you probably understand how easily we can turn the tables?"

The creature growled. "But that doesn't mean I'm afraid you. Impressive, but utterly foolish."

Jaune blinked. That wasn't the response he was expecting.

"Jaune!"

He saw Pyrrha physically holding back an incredibly distraught Nora. She was fully in tears now, trying to pull away from the powerful grip.

"Hold on, Ren! I'm coming!"

Jaune had enough. He lowered his hands and stared straight into the demon's eyes.

"Listen. We're on a search and rescue mission. We were defending ourselves from these…things in the middle of our retreat. If you let our friend go, we won't attack you."

"A search and rescue mission, you say?" the creature sounded suddenly intrigued. "From what I can see, I find that hard to believe. It looks more like a search and destroy."

"We were given no choice," Jaune swiftly answered. "But you're right. You aren't like those monsters we fought."

"Oh?" It laughed. "Tell me, Jaune. How do you mean?"

"You aren't trying to kill us on sight."

"Hmm." The creature was thoughtful for a moment. "You have my attention."

Jaune silently celebrated. "Nora attacked you because I thought you'd try and kill us. I see now I was wrong. We will leave you at peace. Please, just let my friend go."

"Not quite good enough, human."

Jaune thought for a moment. This thing really was smart. Even though he had no intention of trying to harm it, it knew very well of what both teams were capable of.

"However, considering you are actually trying to reason with me, I will give you one chance."

Jaune perked up. He quickly nodded. "Now it's my turn to listen."

"You are wise. For a human." It loudly laughed. "Very well. There is something I must ask of you. If you help me with my own mission, then maybe, just maybe, I will be willing to free your Ren here."

Jaune exchanged a glance with his partner. Even Nora had stopped struggling.

"Okay," Jaune said quickly. "Go on."

"I also am in search of someone. Help me find them, and I will release your friend."

"Who are you looking for?" Jaune genuinely asked.

"Someone dear to me," thundered the voice of the monster. "A person whom I see as my long lost brother."

Jaune was suddenly set on edge again. Damn it. Another smart demon? Great. Like one wasn't enough.

"He is the great messiah from my land. One they call 'The Lone Wanderer'."

Jaune almost felt himself hurl at the title.

"Kenny?!" Gretchen suddenly said. "You're looking for Ken?"

"Ah. It seems you know whom I speak of."

"No way…" Jaune couldn't believe it. Of anything he could have possibly expected, one of these demons looking for their newest friend definitely wasn't one of them.

Then again, this day was just full of surprises. And the sudden appearance of these creatures couldn't be coincidental. He thought for a moment. Okay, so it knew who Ken was. But a "long lost brother", as it called him, seemed very unlikely.

It could very well be trying to kill him.

"Yeah. He's our mission, too."

"Careful, Jaune." Canton stepped closer to his fellow leader. "Confidential or not, we cannot let this thing know our mission."

"I know, I know. Just trust me."

"Very well."

"Hmm. So, you are his allies, then?" questioned the monster.

"Yes. And we're looking for him, too. But we don't know where he is."

"Lies. Why else would you be out here in these woods?"

Jaune smiled eagerly. "I can ask you the same thing."

The two stared at each other for a moment. Finally, the creature laughed loudly, relaxing its grip on the weapon.

"Ha! If that is the case, then I request an answer."

"An answer?" Erwin suddenly chimed in. "What does that mean?"

"Simple, my spectacled friend." The creatures creepily smiled. "There is a vital piece of information that Ken only shares with those he finds dear to him. An answer to a question he only shares to his most trusted allies."

"Shit," Gretchen murmured. The demon cackled again.

"Here is my question. What was his mother's favorite passage? The poem that defines the Lone Wanderer himself?"

"Seriously!?" whispered Pyrrha. "We don't have time for this! Jaune?"

She looked over at a pondering Jaune. He had his hand pressed to his chin, quietly whispering to himself.

"Wait. I know this! It's…uh…oh Dust, what was it?"

"Jaune?"

Jaune tapped his foot anxiously. Oh man, this sounded so familiar! He distinctly remembered having a conversation with Ken about this during one of their training sessions. Not a code, but just a simple fact that he claimed to rarely share. But crap! What was it again?!

"It's like, oh man, 'revolution'? No, that's not it."

"Jaune?! We really don't have time for riddles!"

"It's with an 'R', I know that. Wait! Is it an 'R'? Crap!"

"JAUNE!"

"Wait! I got it!"

Pyrrha flinched at the excited tone. Jaune almost hopped in excitement.

"Revelation! Twenty-one six! Wait, I think it is. Yeah! That's it!"

The silence made Jaune incredibly uneasy. Oh no. Did he get it wrong? This can't be good.

After what seemed like an eternity, the creature quietly hummed to itself. Finally, it spoke.

"Dogmeat. Release him. He is a friend."

The dog let out a strange whine. To a human, it could almost be interpreted as a request for assurance. Which seemed to be the case.

"Don't worry. If they wanted to kill us, they would have done so already. I believe we can trust them."

He didn't need to say more. The dog slowly released its hold on its prisoner, whom immediately dashed away. Nora rushed towards him.

"Renny! Are you hurt?! Are you okay?!"

Ren rubbed the sore puncture wounds in his neck, which were being sealed with a few sparks of magenta colored Aura.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Jaune felt relieved, but immediately cautious at the same time. He returned his attention to the creature. To his relief, he saw it tucking its large weapon behind its back. The dog had immediately reverted from menacing to curious, sniffing the ground around them furiously.

"I apologize for the…misunderstanding," the monster offered. "But, I believe you. I trust we can work together."

"Wait. That's it?" Jaune seemed a little confused. "I have the right answer, and you just…trust us? Like that?"

The creature nodded. "Absolutely. A friend of Ken's is a friend of mine. And I take care of my friends."

"Forgive us if we find that a little hard to believe," Erwin shot menacingly. Nora easily agreed wholeheartedly, clutching Ren close to her and staring daggers at the monster.

"Of course. I am Fawkes. A pleasure."

"Uh…likewise?"

This earned Jaune nasty looks from his friends. He chuckled nervously.

"Ooor not."

The dog barked excitedly. Fawkes let out a roaring laugh.

"And it seems my friend here has found a trail! Quickly! Try and keep up!"

With that, the creature named Fawkes dashed into the morning darkness at a shocking speed. Jaune was rooted to the spot, his mind going a mile a minute.

'Okay, hold on a minute. What. Just. Happened.'

"Jaune?" Canton questioned quietly. He waved a hand in front of his shocked face. "Are you alright?"

"What do we do?" Pyrrha innocently asked with a shrug.

Jaune wasn't entirely sure how to answer. The only thing he could really think of doing was to give them his own shrug. And take off after the large creature.

Pyrrha sighed. "It seems we have our new orders."

They quickly followed Fawkes downstream. These two were much faster than they looked! Their speed could compete with that of a Huntsman. Although it was still quite easy to get in range behind them. Except maybe Jaune, who was still struggling to keep up.

"Jaune!" Canton slowed down next to his friend. "I thought we had agreed to retreat? What are we doing chasing this…thing?!"

Jaune huffed as he struggled to keep his air. He really was in no mood to answer. He simply continued his bee line towards the massive monster ahead, who was causing quite the rhythm of tremors with its footsteps.

"We have to go back!" Canton growled angrily when he was met with silence again. The rest of the party was just as concerned as he was. He didn't even have to look at their faces. He sensed their desperation.

"That is it. For the safety of our teams, I will now-

"I messed up, Canton."

The breathless response surprised Canton. "What do you mean?"

"Shit, you were right. Absolutely right. Shit. Shit"

"Sorry?" The sudden vulgarity was out of the norm for the blonde leader.

"I shouldn't have told him about Ken."

"You're right. You should not have."

"But there's something about this whole…thing."

"Jaune. You need to start making sense. Right now."

"Remember that day? During training? You were teaching me and Ken some techniques." Canton allowed him to continue. "He said something about a friend. Someone who he helped, and now he considered him a brother."

"Yes. I remember that."

"This is him. Fawkes is Ken's ally. From the wasteland."

"I understand what you are saying, Jaune," Canton replied angrily. "But that doesn't mean-"

Jaune shot a sharp look towards Canton. "Ken can make some pretty strong friends. And if he trusts someone, or even something, enough that they are willing to trust us in an instant, then why can't we?"

Canton didn't know what to say. He simply watched as Jaune picked up his pace to try and keep up with the faster party ahead of him. The tribal sighed.

'At the very least, we'll make sure it does not hurt Ken. I simply pray that this isn't a mistake…'

Luckily, Fawkes and his companion slowed down enough for them to get in earshot, allowing the blonde leader to catch his breath.

"Hey, Fawkes right?" he called out in between breaths.

"Hmm? Yes? What is it?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Hehe. Right. So…what are- er, what were those things back there?"

"Meta Humans," answered Fawkes. "More commonly referred to as 'Super Mutants'."

"Meta Humans?" Canton chimed in from next to his blonde counterpart. "Are you implying that those creatures were once human?"

"Not implying," he corrected. "They indeed were once human. As was I."

"So, why are you so different?" asked Pyrrha.

"It is…difficult to explain. Perhaps another time."

"Okay. Can I ask you another question?"

"By all means."

"Um, how do you know Ken?"

"He saved me from captivity," Fawkes answered. "And I like to believe he saved me from myself."

"He really means that much to you?" chimed in Gretchen.

"More than you know. He freed me. Truly freed me. And I am forever in his debt."

Jaune processed all of this as they ran towards their objective. It was a lot to take in. He was skeptical at first about this creature. For crying out loud, it was a giant monster!

But Jaune felt the sincerity in his voice. The others may not, but he did. And he knew Fawkes truly meant every word he said.

At least, he hoped.

Fawkes slowed to a halt, forcing the party to stop. The sound of the powerful waterfall filled the slowly brightening morning sky.

Dogmeat was barking madly. The pup howled to different points in the surrounding trees, causing the group to become anxious. Fawkes growled.

"What's wrong?"

"We are being watched," boomed Fawkes.

Everyone eagerly searched the area. All eyes hungrily searched for any sign of unwelcome guests in the forest. The river next to them angrily thrashed and flowed in the silence that followed.

Crack!

"Gahh!"

Something flew through the trees towards them. The Super Mutant was suddenly knocked off balance by the mysterious object. He crashed on the ground, angrily shouting obscenities to his unknown assailant.

Jaune's mind kicked into gear. "Everyone! Defensive techniques!"

Sure enough, the unseen attacks began to barrage the Beacon Academy students at full force. The two shields covered their teammates while the silver pen and powerful sound waves assisted in standing their ground. But this whole time, no one had eyes on what the hell was attacking them. Nothing was there!

"Damn it!" Jaune coughed as another forceful shove made him plant his heels deeper into the mud. "What's going on?!"

"I can't see!" Pyrrha responded. "They must be attacking from the river!"

"Negative!" Canton seemingly slashed at nothing. "Regina senses nothing across the water!"

Jaune decided to take a leap of faith. Just as he shouldered his shield into another blow, he dropped his guard and swung his blade in front of him.

"Ahh!"

Slash!

A spark appeared in midair. Suddenly, a figured shimmered into view, stumbling backwards from the powerful counterattack. Jaune's eyes went wide in realization.

The masked figure rippled out of view again.

"They're invisible!" Jaune shouted. "Be careful!"

"Cowards!" shouted Fawkes. He gathered his gun from the mud, priming the spinning barrel. "Show yourselves! NOW!"

He fired blindly into the trees. Nothing reacted to his attack beside the dirt and bark that was ripped apart by the rapid wave of bullets. But them something shimmered as the bullets finally found their mark on something.

"Ah HAH!"

The figure had no time to move as Fawkes locked onto it. Howling in laughter, the Super Mutant emptied his clip into the now visible figure's chest, effectively killing it.

"Take THAT!"

Jaune watched closely as the bloody body collapsed. Just as he did, he saw something around it shimmer, then finally die out. Just like Aura naturally does after running completely out.

But something about it was all wrong. It looked fake. Exaggerated. It had no unique color trait, or any sense of depth Aura should normally have.

The dark air suddenly shimmered around them. Jaune coughed in surprise as more laser beams screeched through the air towards them.

"We still have more!" Jaune yelled over the loud sound. "But I can't see them!"

"I got 'em!"

Jaune looked over at Gretchen, confused. "What?! How-"

Before he could finish, he watched as the orange-haired Faunus dashed right up to him. Startled, Jaune could only watch in horror as Gretchen proceeded to slash at the air.

Right in front of his face!

"AH! GRETCHEN I'M ON YOUR-"

A person interrupted him by suddenly appearing in front of him. The body collapsed at his feet.

"…side."

He tried to calm his trembling body. He looked up to a smiling Gretchen. Her green eyes shimmered in the dark.

"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you." She laughed. "I can see them," she proudly announced. "They can't escape my Faunus sight!"

"O-oh…" Jaune shook away his shock. "Great! How many?"

"Two more. They're attacking Regina and Canton."

"Okay." Jaune nodded, knowing now exactly what to do. "New plan. Everyone, follow me!"

They all quickly rushed over to their friend's side. They were desperately trying to deflect their unseen opponents, but the invisible attacks were now tenfold on them. Jaune cursed.

"Gretchen! Go!"

The Faunus rushed ahead towards them. Her naturally superior eyes locked on to the silhouettes that moved rapidly around her comrades. Letting out a final yell, she zoomed forth and attacked with her powerful blades,

Slash! Slash!

Canton and Regina allowed their partner to do her job. One of the assailants was effectively taken down. They cried out in pain as their body violently sparked and returned to the visible spectrum. The second only grunted, almost immediately turning invisible after landing on its feet. Gretchen yelled loudly in annoyance.

"Oh no, you don't! Get back here!"

She fired her rifle towards the shimmering outline. The target was quick on its feet. It leapt left and right, dodging each wave of firepower. Gretchen was forced to take a beat and reload her weapon.

Crack!

"Ah!"

She was hit from behind. She fell to the ground, stunned from the blow. But it wasn't all for nothing. Her assailant had exposed itself.

"Time for you to die," said a dead, robotic voice. It raised a sharp knife above its head.

But a different blade pierced its abdomen. The masked figure gasped in pain.

"No. It is you who will die."

The black suit collapsed in a puddle of its blood. It also shimmered, just like the previous dead compatriot. But Jaune was too shocked to notice.

Canton flicked the blood from his knife. "Gretchen. We really need to work on your peripherals. We cannot afford for you to be blindsided."

She could only nod, still shaken from the blow. Canton helped her back on to her feet.

"Do you have eyes on our final attacker?"

She shook her head while she looked around. "N-no. I don't- wait. Over there."

She pointed towards the river bank. Sure enough, the final, uncloaked figure watched them from across the river. The menacing orange visor shimmered in the slowly lighting night.

Fawkes roared as he stomped towards the river bank, Eugene spinning to a halt.

"Coward! Come and fight!"

The figure only stared. The Hunters stared back. Barely recovered, they huffed and puffed in exhaustion as they watched their enemy from afar.

"What do you want?"

The questions startled the group. They looked at Jaune, wondering why he would just blurt out the question that was on their minds. But they didn't say anything. Mostly because they silently hoped for an answer.

"To kill you. Was that not clear?"

It was an expected answer. Nothing necessarily out of the ordinary, considering what just happened moments ago. But it was the way they pronounced it. The mechanical voice was menacing, evil. And so…punctual.

"But I now see I severely underestimated you."

"Well, you better get used to it, bub!" Nora announced. She loaded her weapon with more explosive rounds. "Time for some target practice!"

"If you say so. But just know that your cause is lost."

Nora hesitated, looking over at Jaune for reassurance. He grumbled.

"Where is he? What have you done with him?"

"Exactly where you expect him to be. And I didn't do anything to him. You did."

"What?!" Jaune was genuinely surprised. "That doesn't make sense!"

"That's very unfortunate." The masked man adjusted his suit. "But, you'll know in time. My job here, however, is done."

"Correction! It is not!" Fawkes laughed. "We are still very much alive! Fool!"

"While that is very unfortunate, Super Mutant, I simply only needed to stall you. And kill any of you if I could. Now, we only have one thing left to do."

"Oh yeah?!" Gretchen yelled. "And what might that be?"

Click!

The unsettling sound made Jaune pale. He snapped his head towards it. On the ground, one of the downed soldiers held a plump item in his hand, high above his chest. He coughed loudly.

The voice across the river echoed once more. "To distract you."

A bloody eye looked up at Jaune through cracked orange glass. "Long. Live. The Enclave."

Kaboom!

He was knocked back. The dark forest suddenly flashed white. Jaune was slammed against a tree, forcing him to spew blood.

"Gack!"

He quickly returned to his feet, rubbing his eyes as fast as possible. Luckily, his vision returned to him rather quickly. He silently thanked whatever god out there that had granted him his powerful Aura. But he knew the others probably weren't so lucky. He surveyed the area in search of his friends.

They were blown in different directions. Canton and Erwin were far enough away from the blast and were already gathering the others. Jaune quickly took a head count.

'Ren, Nora, and Regina are okay. Wait, where's Pyrrha?! Oh, thank Dust. She landed kinda far. Okay, that leaves Gretchen. Wait…where is she?!'

Jaune snapped his neck left and right, loudly making it pop. He panicked when he didn't see the missing member.

"Gretchen!" he hollered. "Where are you?!"

"The river!"

Fawkes was already sprinting downstream when Jaune heard him. Jaune's heart dropped.

"Oh no!"

Gretchen's head burst through the water, desperately gasping for air.

"HELP!"

He couldn't think. He didn't have time. Completely forgetting about their adversary, Jaune landed in a full sprint behind the tremendous Super Mutant.

"Hang on, Gretchen! We're coming!"

He ran as fast as he could. But to his horror, the stream ripped Gretchen at a tremendous velocity. Even Fawkes growled in frustration as the river was flowing with such power.

"Jaune! Up ahead!"

Jaune gulped. "No. No. NO!"

The waterfall!

Jaune shook his head. 'Think, Jaune! Think! What do I do?!"

He desperately tried to come up with a plan. Up ahead, he spotted a tree that hung slightly over the bank. He locked onto it and ran straight towards it.

'If I can get to that branch, maybe I can-'

Splash!

He looked to his right. Erwin had jumped into the river after her!

"No! Erwin! The waterfall!"

It was all he could gasp. He was already extremely exhausted. Cursing under his breath, he tried to come up with something. Anything involving the tree ahead and saving his friends.

Nothing.

All he had was…nothing!

'Ah, to hell with it!'

He ripped off his armor and shirt. There was no other way. If Fawkes can't reach them, then there was no way in hell that he possibly could. There was only one way to gain any sort of speed.

The only thing faster than running was the river.

Jaune dove in. He almost yelled in pain when he came in contact with the bone chilling drink. He surfaced with a desperate gasp of air.

Jumping into the powerful flow was a mistake. He was disoriented. Confused. Freezing. But he shook it all off and tried to regain control of himself. He spotted Erwin's long hair, barely staying afloat above water.

"Erwin! ERWIN!"

He didn't respond. His limp frame suggested he must have been knocked out. With the large rocks and trees sticking out of the river, it comes as no surprise. Jaune desperately paddled towards him. The moment he was close, he latched on to his collar.

"Gotcha!"

"Gah!" Erwin coughed water from his lungs. Jaune quickly reached out and tried to anchor himself onto a branch in the middle of the water. It uprooted with a sickening snap! The two student were pulled once again into the force of the river.

'Oh, Dust!'

Jaune caught a glimpse of fur next to him. To his slight relief, he watched as Dogmeat dragged a barely conscious Gretchen onto the steep bank. Now, he could worry about…

The rumbling became louder. The force of the water somehow became stronger. When he finally gained some essence of control, Jaune looked ahead of them.

"Oh, shit!"

He latched onto Erwin. Not to try and keep him safe, or to try and calm him down. This time, it was out of complete, unadulterated terror.

They were flung over the edge of the waterfall. Jaune screamed.

Snag!

Suddenly, they stopped. Midair. Jaune would have sighed in relief if whatever it was that stopped him wasn't choking the fucking life out of him!

He quickly reached up and grabbed whatever it was that was choking him. It was a gigantic arm. The moment he grabbed it, it wrapped its huge hand around his instead, allowing him to breath. Jaune quickly adjusted his grip on a flailing Erwin.

"Oh, God!" he shouted. "Fuck! Fuck!"

Jaune looked down. He offered him an awkward smile.

"Heh. Uh. Hey, dude?"

Ewrin looked up. "What?!"

"Don't look down." A bit ironic, really, considering the blonde couldn't rip his gaze away from the terrifying fall beneath them.

"Argh! You're heavy!"

Jaune looked up. Fawkes was hanging off of the tree branch he had seen earlier, desperately trying to hang on.

"Fawkes?" was all Jaune could gasp.

"Quickly!"

Jaune yanked at Erwin's arm. He swung him up onto Fawkes' back. The silver teen swiftly climbed up over him back to safety. Jaune was about to follow suit when he was suddenly swung behind him.

"Whoa! Hey! What are you-?!"

"Yaaaaa!"

Jaune was flung high into the sky. He painfully landed on his back on the soaked dirt. He coughed, and coughed and coughed. Water flowed freely from his lungs.

"Damn!" he finally murmured. "That…was too close!"

Before he could try and stand, he was caught in a powerful embrace, almost forcing him to lose his breathe again.

"JAUNE! Oh, thank goodness!"

"Gah! Pyrrha! Can't! Breathe!"

"Oh! I'm sorry!"

Pyrrha released him from her grasp, but kept him close to her.

"Are you okay?!" she asked desperately.

"Heh. Yeah. I think so."

Her motherly and caring look was replaced with a stern stare. Suddenly, she planted a powerful fist into his bicep.

"OW! What was that-?!"

"That was foolish!" She nearly shouted. But, a smile crept back onto her face. "But brave. Just…. don't ever do that again, okay?"

Jaune couldn't help but smile. "Heh. Well, considering the circumstance, I can't really promise much."

Pyrrha giggled, shaking her head. She brought him in for another, softer embrace.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thanks."

"Hate to break it up, love birds, but Jaune is kiiiiinda naked right now."

"What?"

Pyrrha pulled away to look at Nora grinning suggestively. She held in her hand Jaune's shirt and armor. Confused, it took Pyrrha a minute of looking back between that and Jaune's, eh, wet body to make the connection.

"Well, well, Pyr!" Nora teased. "Is this how you imagined it happening? Hmm?"

"Wait. What?! Huh?!"

Her face became a furious crimson that rivaled her very hair. She shoved Jaune away from her and awkwardly stumbled back, mumbling something unintelligible.

The rest of the party began giggling, much to Jaune's chagrin. Not really understanding what was going on, or why Pyrrha was being so…weird, Jaune simply stood and snatched his clothes from a cackling Nora.

"A-alright. Look." Jaune quickly dressed, shaking as much water as he could from his blonde curls. "Is everyone accounted for? Is anyone hurt?"

"I think we will all be fine." Canton responded. "But our Aura's have taken tremendous damage."

"Yeah. I figured."

"We are almost there."

The group turned to face Fawkes, who had just climbed up from the ledge. "And it seems everyone is safe. For that, I'm glad."

The Super Mutant turned to face the horizon. The light of the sky began to slowly illuminate, converting the black sky into a hint of navy blue.

"But I understand if you must turn back. I would not want you to risk your lives again. It seems this adventure has much deadlier barriers than I originally anticipated."

"Who, or what, were those guys?" asked Erwin. Fawkes shook his head.

"I have never encountered them before. But they are the Enclave. And I will see to it myself that they burn for what they have done!"

This declaration echoed throughout the forest. Jaune walked over to the ledge, observing the view of the village from above.

"That must be it, then?"

"Indeed, my friend."

"You know, you are almost too trusting."

Fawkes curiously observed the leader to his left. "Hmm? An interesting thought. Considering I just saved your life."

"Exactly. And that's why I will see this through."

"Oh?" Fawkes questioned. He looked over at the others. They were exhausted and still recovering. "And your friends?"

Jaune turned to face them. "Look, guys. This…well this hasn't turned out as I thought it would. Canton was right. We aren't ready for this. That's why I understand if-"

"Don't you even dare."

Jaune was taken aback. "Pyrrha?"

The Spartan-clad Huntress looked at all the others. They definitely were beaten and almost broken. But even she knew they weren't ready to give up. Not yet.

"We've come this far," she said strongly. "And we aren't the only ones at stake here."

"Ken," Gretchen gasped. "We have to find him."

Pyrrha nodded. "I think I speak for all of us when I say: we have a mission to complete."

Everyone simultaneously nodded. Jaune was shocked, but also proud.

"Incredible."

Fawkes had everyone's attention again. "And this is why I always have faith in my brother's allies. You say I'm too trusting. But now you see why, Jaune."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"This is a moment I will remember for as long as I live," Fawkes said. "And to all of you, I offer my sincerest thanks."

"Of course." Pyrrha said. "And thank you. For saving all of our lives."

"Fawkes? Dogmeat?" Jaune set his sight onto the village. "Lead the way."

It didn't take them long to reach the village. Even with the steep terrain that remained in between. But sore muscles and bruised limbs couldn't stop this powerful force from attaining their goal. Especially when it was just in arms reach.

The sky was a lighter blue now. The morning light raised a sense of hope with the group as they approached the village. Regardless, caution was the top priority this far into their mission. What with the events of that day thus far.

Fawkes wasted no time when they reached the village. He rushed inside the open gate, seeking for any enemies with his massive weapon. The others followed suit with their own search tactics, which were well practiced by this point.

"All clear," declared Canton. "No life signs detected."

"Dust of Remnant," mumbled Gretchen. "What happened here?"

"I guess that's what Ken was trying to find out." Pyrrha responded. "Where could he be?"

"The tower," Jaune immediately concluded. "He probably went in to find some answers."

"Why do you think so?" asked Erwin curiously. Jaune shrugged.

"Well. That's what I would do."

"Hmm." Canton nodded. "Alright. We split up in our teams. Jaune, you-"

A deafening sound came from the surrounding forest, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"What one Earth was that?!" shouted Fawkes over the sound.

"Grimm!" Jaune said. "And those are Specters!"

"Gah!" Fawkes aimed Eugene towards the painful sound. "Cursed demons! They come for more! Dogmeat! Do you have a trail?!"

The pup barked in confirmation. The two teams lined up next to the Super Mutant, preparing themselves for the fight at hand.

Jaune came close to Fawkes' side, sword and shield ready. "Fawkes! We'll hold them off! You go and find Ken!"

"Hmm?! Are you sure?"

"Just go! We don't have much time!"

The mutant hesitated only for a moment. Thanking the brave knight, he ran after his trusted companion towards the relay in the heart of the village.

At the door, Fawkes looked towards his newest allies. He saw them brace themselves at the sight of an evil black wave on the brink of colliding with them.

"I know they will survive," he whispered. He looked down towards Dogmeat. "The trail leads here?" the pup barked happily. The mutant nodded. "Listen carefully. I need you to wait here."

Dogmeat whimpered in concern. "I know, my friend. But this time, I know not what lies beyond. I can't guarantee your safety. Stand guard here. Come find me if fate chooses to frown on us once more."

The dog growled. But, he sat down obediently. Thanking him once more, Fawkes rushed inside of the menacing building.

He discovered the stairwell in the heart of the structure. Determining that there was only one path to follow, and no time to lose, Fawkes tucked away his weapon and vaulted the railing.

"OOF!"

He landed at the bottom with a massive quake. The concrete floor cracked and caved, yielding to the massive creature's solid weight. Barely phased by the jump, Fawkes stood onto his feet, unhinging his weapon from his back.

"Welcome, my old acquaintance. I did not expect you so soon."

The voice startled the mutant. He angrily searched for the source in the pitch black darkness.

"Eh?! Who's there?"

"I am slightly disappointed, Mister Fawkes. I expected you to remember me. Pitty."

Fawkes roared in anger. He pulled the trigger of his weapon, sending bullets screeching through the dark. A spark emitted from the far corner, effectively destroying a hidden speaker.

"And yet, you are still as savage as I remember. How foolish of me to expect anything different."

Fawkes realized what was going on. The crackle on the voice suggested this coward wasn't even here. Of course he wasn't.

"You!" Fawkes howled. "Yes, I remember you!"

"Then what is my name?" asked the electronic voice. Fawkes angrily growled.

"Theos. That is your name."

"Excellent. At the very least, your memory is not as subpar as I expected. Perhaps there is hope after all."

"Show yourself, coward!" demanded the Meta Human. "Where are you?!"

"Now, now. No need to get flustered. I am sure I am not your ultimate goal. Is that a correct assumption?"

"You dare play dumb with me?" Fawkes eagerly stated. "Now that is something I didn't expect from you!"

"An interesting observation. Indeed."

"And it seems we both were wrong on this day!"

"Hmm. It sure seems that way."

"Where is he?!" Fawkes demanded. "I swear, if you have done anything to him-"

"He's alive. And not far from you. And at this point, I do not possess the resources to stop you from reaching him."

"Good!" Fawkes stepped forward. "Then lead me to him!"

"I am afraid I cannot do so, Mr. Fawkes. You must find him yourself. After all, your search buys me more time. In any case, I have the upper hand, so it is no matter that you are…ahead of schedule."

"What does that mean?!"

"Irrelevant. Unfortunately, I must now take my leave. Mister Fawkes?"

"Hmm? What?!"

"It is always a pleasure. Until our next…encounter."

The intercoms loudly shut off. Fawkes roared in rage. He sprinted through the chamber, clumsily running into walls and doors. He stumbled into a few rooms, searching for any sign of Ken.

After a short and desperate search, he came across something familiar. He hummed to himself, disappointed by his find.

"Poor soul. No wonder he was so easily succumbed."

Without really thinking, he slipped it into his pocket and moved on to the next chamber.

Here there was plenty of light. Ahead was nothing more than a single door. He quickly rushed toward it. He used the sheer force of his Super Mutant strength to kick the thick metal door from its concrete frame, stumbling inside in a blind rage. When he finally composed himself, he searched the room with hungry eyes.

He didn't have to look much further.

---

The cold and dark sky slowly died once the sun began to wake. The hues of a warmer morning lit up the pale sky. The wind remained calm throughout the many disturbances on the surface. The ambiance, besides on the ground, remained peaceful.

Something zipped through the air, ripping apart the sense of peace. But there was nothing in sight. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of sharp blades slicing at the air at tremendous speeds.

But then, the air began to speak.

"Patriot Air Base two, this is Red Falcon niner five seven. Do you copy, over?"

*crack*

"We read you RF. You're clear for landing. Welcome home."

This exchange over the air was brief, but not at all random. The dark blue sky shimmered suddenly. Then, a machine appeared in the sky. Twin blades ripped at the clouds as black smoke spat out from its rear.

"Damn it!" Maker slammed his fist into the dash. "Piece of shit!"

He commanded the vertibird to decline to a lower altitude. He couldn't afford anyone spotting them, and the damn cloaking device was malfunctioning again.

"No need to get yourself worked up, William."

Maker looked over at his…copilot, for lack of a better term. The brown eyes didn't pierce his soul like he expected them to. Instead, they gazed out through the view screen.

"Do you want us to be seen?!"

His little outburst will prove to cost him. Because now, the brown eyes were piercing through him. Maker resisted the urge to shutter.

Instead, he returned his attention to the shitty vertibird, finding the beautiful scenery very calming.

This place was breathtaking. It proved to be nothing like Vacuo. This was what he imagined Earth was like before the war.

He came low over a green hill. At its bottom was his destination: a small, hidden cavernous opening.

Maker enjoyed the beauty of this scenery one last time before entering the cavern. His heart sank at the thought. He hoped to God it wouldn't meet the same fate…

The chopper landed inside the dimly lit landing pad with a loud thump! Maker exhaled as he gratefully shut off the engines.

"What troubles you, William?"

He hesitated at the sudden question. It was unexpected. And he wasn't entirely sure how to answer.

But then again, maybe he did.

Maker looked over at Theos. He was waiting patiently for an answer. After a moment, Maker sighed.

"I'm just…concerned."

"About the mission?"

"Well…yeah. I guess I really don't understand."

Theos took a moment himself. Even when he was thoughtful he was intimidating.

"I do not expect you to now. You will, in due time."

"Okay, but there might be some issues."

The sound of the propellers dying killed the silence. Theos furrowed his brow.

"And what…issues are you referring to?"

He was obviously displeased. If there was anything you could learn about this man, it was that he didn't like when things don't go as he wants them to. Maker gulped.

"I heard…rumors. At first I thought it was just regular mess hall chatter, but they continued even after we set up our base here."

"Go on." Theos said almost angrily.

"Uh, well…again, just a rumor. But I heard that the president had…brought something with us. Something special."

Theos didn't like the sound of that. 'The 501st did find something out in the west coast of the US. Autumn's…insurance?'

"Like what?" This time, curiosity was mixed with the anger in his tone.

A tap on the door. Looking out, Maker saw a face too familiar. One he dreaded.

"Shit. Connor." He grumbled to himself.

He looked back at Theos, who was still locked onto him. Swallowing hard again, Maker hastened his message.

"I'm not sure what, but my team referred to it as…'a game changer'…"

He didn't wait for a response. The air was way too tense. He opened the door to the cockpit and quickly slipped out. He'd much rather deal with Connor than Theos' seemingly endless questions.

"Well?" Connor spat. "What's your report?"

Maker snarled. He really hated when Connor did this. Thinking he's in charge.

"None of your business. I report directly to the president. Not you."

"Well you're in luck." Connor said dryly. A smile formed on his pale face. "He demands to see you and you're…buddie there. Immediately."

"Good. This way we waste no time at all." Theos had stepped next to Maker. "Lead the way."

"Oh? Are you telling me I know something you don't, Doctor?!" Connor's smile only grew with a perverse satisfaction. "Unfamiliar with the new base?"

"Negative. I studied this place in detail before we adopted it. I was the one who recommended it to Augustus, after all."

Connor's smile faded. His eyes were filled with an unsubtle rage as he turned on his heel and stormed out. Before following him, Maker gave Theos a thumbs up, satisfied with the doctor's response.

Theos ignored him, choosing to follow their reluctant guide. Maker grumbled yet again.

'Meh. You're no fun.'

The size of this place was deceiving. The cavern and its mappings did no justice to the vast chambers and winding tunnels it housed. It would take almost half a day to at least step foot in every one of its chambers. And that's without stopping.

But it didn't take long to get to the heart of the system. Maker, on the other hand, was already out of breath when they got there. The great room was filled with the sounds of a busy base.

You know, computers, people, yada yada. Stereotypical stuff.

Maker took a deep breath as they approached the front.

"Good lord, this place is massive!"

"Quit complaining," snapped Connor. "You need more training, wimp!"

He was going to retaliate when he noticed the president speaking to a familiar face. The person was wearing an old Chinese stealth suit, the helmet tucked beneath his arm. At the approach of the expected trio, the soldier saluted his charge and made way towards Maker.

The soldier stopped in front of him. Blood covered his face like paint on a canvas. Maker nervously swallowed.

"Jensen."

"Maker."

He took a deep breath. "I heard."

Jensen nodded, a hollow expression on his face.

"Did…anyone else make it back?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. Just me."

Maker's heart dropped. He felt heavy to the point of barely collapsing. No…

Jensen placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know. They were my brothers, too. But it wasn't all in vain."

The scout looked up at his comrade. A man he would easily call brother. Jensen smiled.

"They died well. They gave the enemy hell. Especially Griggs."

Maker was silent, but he nodded at the name. Griggs was a crazy son-of-a-bitch. He had no doubt in his mind how he went down.

Jensen retracted his hand. He offered his comrade and friend a crisp salute, and finally left. Maker, his hand still above his brow, stood there a moment.

President Autumn, having watched the exchange, made his way towards his subjects.

"Lieutenant. I offer my deepest condolences. I know how important your team is to you."

Maker let his hand dropped. He nodded, but said nothing,

'And I know you really don't give a shit.'

Autumn proceeded to turn his attention to Theos. His tone became suddenly bitter. As per the usual.

"Doctor."

"Augustus."

Rage quickly built up in the president's face. "Well? Out with it."

"Are you formally asking for my report?"

"I am ordering you to report on you AND your team's findings!"

The building hatred pleased the scientist greatly. Maker could easily tell. Theos straightened his back.

"It went perfectly. I have the results we were looking for in regards to civilization and its relationship to the local wildlife. I also intercepted massive amounts of data from the famed CCT."

"Excellent. That will be vital to our success. Anything else?"

This time, Maker spoke up.

"Sir. It seems the portal is possibly sabotaged."

"What?!" Autumn's voice angrily echoed through the cavern. "Explain! Now!"

Theos sighed, making Maker a bit uncomfortable. Looks like he didn't want him finding out about that….

"Um…we encountered Super Mutants on our mission. Well, not us, but they were present in the area."

"Impossible!" Augusts tensed. "We had the portal destroyed!" Then, he became thoughtful. Almost angry. "Unless…I was lied to."

Theos exchanged an angry look with his colleague, confirming that his note was not appreciated.

"Negative. I set a charge to destroy the power source once we were through. It was not entirely thorough, but it was enough to render it useless. It seems our enemy is more resourceful than previously expected."

"Theos. You fail me when it is most critical. Again."

"That is nonsense and you know it, Augustus. We would not even be here were it not for my work."

This silenced the president. Maker rolled his eyes. 'Way to toot your own horn, dude.'

Autumn simply turned on his heel. Theos smiled. He normally does that when he knows he lost.

"Well, no matter. Should the Brotherhood find a way in, they will be no match for us. We have countless knowledge and new technology that they could never wrap their primitive little minds around. We have the advantage."

"Isn't that what we had before the battle of the purifier?" Maker whispered towards Theos.

"I heard that, you fool!"

He gulped. 'Ah, shit…'

When he turned around, the angry expression Maker was expecting was actually not there. Instead, a sinister smile adorned his face.

"Dear boy. You have yet to see how much we've grown. Especially in such a small amount of time."

It was Theos' expression that darkened this time.

"You found something."

Augustus' smile widened. "Oh yes, Theos. How did you know?"

'My theory of this place was correct,' the scientist thought.

This made Maker's curiosity bubble. "Um, what did you find, sir?"

"Allow me the…pleasure to show you."

The president then walked towards a chamber. Theos and Maker exchanged a look, then followed the shady leader.

Maker took a second. He watched Theos walk ahead of him. Huh. That was….

Theos looked over his shoulder at him. This made Maker snap out of his trance and finally follow.

"This place was not by any means unused," hissed Autumn. "It was abandoned. Just like back in Vacuo."

"I'm picking up a trend here," mumbled Maker.

"And for the same reason, as well." The president stopped at a wall of windows deep inside the tunnel he walked. "How fitting."

"Is this reason you are referring to the 'Great War' we discovered in the history logs?" asked Theos.

"Why yes. Yes it is." Autumn hovered his finger over a panel. It generated a holographic button, waiting to be pushed. The president looked over at the bane of his existence. "I must say, Theos, you sure do know how to pick 'em."

The sinister smile made Theos think a moment. He knew he should've checked the cavern first. A mistake he won't make again.

Autumn's smile only widened. Then again, maybe it was too late to learn this lesson…

"Gentlemen. I present to you: the legacy of our dear Kingdom of Vale."

He pushed the button. Lights flashed in the chamber beyond the glass, illuminating its cargo row by row.

Maker's heart stopped. His eyes went wide.

"Dear God in heaven…"

Theos clenched his fists. 'Impossible…'

What he saw beyond him were rows and rows of humanoid robots. Each was linked to miles of thick cables that snaked up to the ceiling. The machines were dormant, but a red pulse in what we would consider the hearts and faces began to glow with the sudden power surge.

"Robots?" Maker finally breathed out. He looked at the president in despair.

Theos grumbled. These were no mere robots. He could very easily tell. They were much more advanced.

Androids.

Autumn emitted a malevolent laugh. "My dear boy, these are no robots. These are masterful works of technology compared to those buckets-of-bolts back in the wasteland. I introduce you to the Atlesian Knight. Or 'AK 130', as per the proper abbreviation."

"Atlesian? As in Atlas?"

The president gave the young man a curious look. "Ah. Perhaps that is why they are named such."

"Augustus. What plans do you have for this army?"

The president looked much more disappointed than usual.

"If you truly cannot fathom the possibilities, then I shall tell you." Autumn stepped closer to the glass. "Our numbers have gotten much stronger now. The 501st are strong as they are, but now, with this technology at their backs, they will become a truly unstoppable force.

"Coupled with our new Aura discoveries and its implementation to our existing armor, the Enclave will rebuild its former glory…and beyond."

"War."

Autumn looked at Theos. A rare look of pride.

"Not quite. A reclamation. A reclamation to what is rightfully ours."

"But sir, these 'Huntsmen'…" Maker trailed off. He knew he had said enough.

"From my understanding, they are nothing more than mere children. Formidable, but beatable."

Theos resisted the urge to shake his head. 'It is as if he wishes to be blind…'

"Wait…children?" Maker asked, confused. "What…do you mean?"

Both Theos and Autumn gave the young lieutenant a look of curiosity. The president most of all.

"You should know exactly what I mean! Did you not encounter the enemy face to face?!"

Maker was still confused.

"Well, not really. I was observing from far away…"

"Your team was killed by them!" Autumn was angry again. "How do you not know who the enemy-?"

"Easy, Augustus," Theos intervened. He turned to Maker who was already watching him, waiting for an answer. "Do you recall that party you spotted? Making way to the relay tower?"

"Y-yeah. They were with that Super Mutant…" Maker seemed to make the connection. "But…"

"That's right, boy." Autumn said sharply. "Those children are Remnant's finest. Or so they are expected to be, since they are merely students."

Maker was shocked. He couldn't fathom this new information. He gripped his arm as he swirled everything in his mind.

'MacTavish…Pelayo…Griggs. They were killed by… a bunch of kids?'

"Fool." Augustus spat in disgust at Maker's realization. "You were always so naïve."

Theos was a bit surprised by this. He instinctually looked over at Connor, who seemed to be pleased by the interaction.

"And that is why I am demoting you."

The words rung in his ears, like a nightmare haunting his dreams. He couldn't breathe. He could barely think.

"From this moment forward, you are a second lieutenant. Your special privileges given to you by me are hereby revoked. Captain Connor? Relieve the lieutenant of his rank. Immediately."

Connor swiftly did as he was ordered. He ripped off the patch from Maker's shoulder, grinning widely all the while. But Maker was too shocked to care.

Theos' expression darkened. 'It is just as I feared.'

Connor tossed the patch on the ground.

"Don't worry, Bill. At least you don't have to call me your pier anymore."

Maker angrily looked at Connor, who laughed at the expression.

"But don't forget to respect your Captain!"

"William Maker," announced the President. "You are dismissed. And you are to report to briefing at 0700. Is that clear?"

It took a moment for Maker to return from his trance. He exchanged a look with Theos, one that differed from any look he ever had.

He had finally begun to understand. Good.

With a quick salute and a barely audible affirmation, Maker spun on his heel to walk away. He stalled.

One more glance. This time, he spoke. Very quietly.

"I'll see you around, Doctor Theos."

The scientist grinned. Maker was then escorted out by armored men. Once he was gone, the president then approached the mysterious man.

"You really didn't think I wouldn't notice?" He angrily questioned. "Using that poor boy as a tool for your schemes?! That is damn near treason!"

"I was following your orders. I have no-"

"I ordered you to gather information! Not go on a damn field trip!"

"I only did what was necessary."

"Necessary?! HAH! Forgive me while I find your lies difficult to ignore! I know what you're planning!"

"What am I planning, Augustus?"

This stopped the paranoid president. He simply stood there boiling to the point of almost popping. Theos tried not to smile. He tried his next words very carefully.

"Mr. President. With your permission, I would like to upload my intel onto the main computer."

Autumn sneered. "See? Was that so hard? Permission granted. I shall escort you myself."

They walked to the next chamber that housed the main core. Theos was silent, while the president barked orders to his subjects. The thoughtful scientist was left at peace until they were at the computer station.

'A bit sooner than expected. But no matter. Everything is still according to plan.'

Once Theos completed his task, he turned to look at the president, who was now speaking to that blasted second hand scientist of his. The nervous looking lab rat made a note on his clipboard before departing.

He approached the president. "A recent development, I presume?"

Augustus sneered again. "Why, yes. And I believe it's time to fill you in." He first turned to a suit in the corner. "What's the situation?"

"Squadron Charlie has settled in Anima," boomed the speaker on the black helmet. "We are prepared to scout Solitas to the north, on your orders."

"That won't be necessary. They are to remain incognito. Tell them to send their men back here immediately. Only leave behind minimal troops and supplies."

"Yes, sir. Understood."

Theos watched as the armor clanked out of the room.

"This is an unexpected change."

"We have had many unexpected changes, Doctor." The president moved over to a large monitor on the far wall. He tapped away at a holographic keyboard. "Too many. That is why, from now on, any and all operations will be monitored by me. Personally. Including you."

"I see." No. This wasn't planned at all…

Augustus pulled up a large tile, beckoning towards Theos.

"Come. While you have been working on your own little experiments, I also have been working on my own."

Theos came closer. His brown eyes scanned the tile at the top first.

"'Experiment AA'? How come I've never heard of it?"

"Like I said, Doctor. It is my own little project."

The eyes scanned again. This time, the entire tile.

Theos' eyes went wide.

"Impossible!"

"Not at all." Augustus cackled. "You are to remain here. In my sight. No more games. No more bullshit. You are now under my control. And you will help me finish my experiment."

Theos looked at the president. This time, his own anger showed on his face.

"Autumn. This is madness."

"No, my dear friend. It is necessary. Necessary for us to conquer this world. And it all starts here. On the Island of Patch."

---

Okay, I really need to break out of this cycle of close calls. They are way too addicting.

I'll try and keep this brief. And I do respond to a few guest reviews below!

I'm still here! Real life is just kicking my ass! I'm on break in between semesters, so I'm crunching away at the story. Thank you for your patience!

As always, I'm reading reviews and answering questions. I will go back now and answer a few reviews I had missed. As per usual, I answer guest reviews at the end of each chapter. Please feel free to leave a review! I appreciate the support! And thank you to the kind souls who had sent me a message simply to check in on me. I appreciate the concern! :)

Happy belated Holidays everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed every gift and every ounce of food! You all deserve it!

See you guys next chapter!

Kind regards,

Just another fan.

---

For the Guests:

Guest review from July 9, 2016. Chapter 9 (holy shit this was a while back!)

Thanks for reading! I understand what you mean one-hundred percent. But that's the beauty of Fallout 3. EVERYONE has a different experience. But even so, The Lone Wanderer has a few key traits that are consistent regardless of play through: He/she was raised in the vault, so they have almost no idea of what the wasteland is really like before choosing to find James. Also, he/she was raised by his father and understands his values and beliefs (it's just a question of whether he/she believes those themselves and whether they choose to honor them). And finally, they have a tremendous influence on the Capital Wasteland (whether they are evil or good). My argument for MY Wanderer is that Ken is a kind soul and has faith in humanity, much like some characters in RWBY. Is that canon? Is it the way it should be? Absolutely not. This is simply my view of my character and how I chose to write Ken Ramirez, the Messiah of the Capital Wasteland. And I like it! I did, however, had drafted a concept for an evil Wanderer. I scrapped it simply because I don't have a lot of experience with playing an evil character, which coincidentally is the same reason why I left out some of the DLC content. Buuutt since writing this story I have played more of F3, and who knows! I maaaay have more coming in the future as a result ;) TEASE TEASE TEASE. But that's not till after this story is complete of course!

Guest review from September 12, 2016. Chapter 20.

An electricity kink, you say? I literally laughed my ass off after reading that haha!

Randomdud01: No worries, my friend! Thank you for the support! Kenneth has definitely grown to be a formidable fighter. His mutations are an advantage, but as you pointed out, it can also hinder him if he's not careful. But there is one thing people seem to have missed. Specifically about Ken. Maybe it'll be more obvious n the upcoming chapter? Hint: It doesn't have anything to do with his Semblance.

I may have missed some, so I apologize. I'll be better about it on the next one!