Chapter 44: The Battle of Vale (Part 1)
(Amity Coliseum)
The whole coliseum was engulfed in darkness. From the giant holo screens to the emergency lights, none were working save but the stars and moon that hovered above them. The audience around the stadium slowly stirred, a bit uncomfortable at first but when the explosion happened, panic began to spread.
In the announcer's booth, Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck were trying their best to calm the citizens as they gathered information around them.
"Security, what's happening over there?!" Bart asked softly whispering to his earpiece. "What happened to the lights and what in the world was that explosion!?"
"W… we don't know sir. All of our systems are down. We can even get a feed from the cameras."
"What!? How is that possible?!"
"What's happening Barty?" Peter inquired also equally curious. But they were quickly silenced when the main holoscreens around the stadium suddenly came back online, showing a red screen and a black queen chess piece at the center.
"Wait… someone's hacking through!" The two announcers could only watch and listen as a benevolent voice echoed from the speakers, silencing all other sounds in the arena.
…
…
…
"This… is not a tragedy. This… was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."
Ironwood stood from his seat when he realized that he was the one being mentioned by the voice.
"They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One man's attempt at a synthetic army? What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? Perhaps to plant them amongst us to as watchers to keep us in check? Are they already among us as I speak? Perhaps they mistook their authority as permission to play god. I can't really tell."
Ruby slowly raised Penny up from her, uncaring for the weight she put out. Slowly the soldiers around them lowered their weapons and turned to the large red screen above.
"And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dishonorable-attack on the defenseless, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves."
The students at the front row slowly began to rise from their seats, eyes sharpened as if they were being provoked to a challenge.
"As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"
With that final question asked, the transmission ended leaving the crowd perplexed and frightened. But before anyone could voice a shriek, an ear piercing scream can be heard coming from the android below.
"Ah… arghhhh!" Penny felt another surge of that pain coming through her processors. That same feeling she had in the highway slowly resurfacing. It was taking over her body and much of her mind. "My… head!"
"Penny!" Ruby cried out, holding the poor girl together. "Penny what's wrong!? Answer me!"
"N… no!" She held on painfully. "I can't… hold it back. I can't! Ruby… please lEt go of me!"
"Penny no! You can fight it! Whatever it is, you can fight it! Just… hold on!"
"No! I c… c c C… c… cANnot." The poor girl pleaded using her last remaining arm to push her first friend away. "Please! Ruby, I'm bEgGinG you. You have to… y… y… you have t… t… to… geT aWay fRom ME! I dOn'T WaNt t h… hURT YOu!"
"What's going on?" The guardsman asked equally frightened. "Penny, wha… GAH!" He barely got a chance to reach for the troubled girl when he got blasted by another droid from behind.
"What the heck!?" The lieutenant gawked in disbelief. "Unit 227, stand down!"
…
But the droid simply looked at him, its face void of any emotions.
"Unit 227, I am ordering you to stand down! NOW!" But much to his horror, the droid's visor suddenly glowed in a shade of red, with the symbol of the same black queen appearing at the center. "What in the…?"
Before anyone knew it, the droids began to fire indiscriminately into the crowd. Whether they were soldiers, Hunters or civilians, it didn't matter to them. Everyone was free game and so they mercilessly butchered down anyone they had their visors on.
(Fairgrounds) (A Simple Wok)
The panic spread throughout fairgrounds like a wildfire. By the time the first shots were fired, the people screamed and ran in different directions as their protectors suddenly became their executioners. From the seats of that noodle stand, Weiss and Blake watched as the whole area turned itself into a warzone. Androids that were placed to protect them were firing upon civilians while the police and the few soldiers stationed within the fairgrounds itself fought back in futile resistance.
"This… can't be…!" Blake gasped, covering her mouth as the scene of carnage laid before her. "Why is this happening!?"
"I don't know but we need to call for help." Weiss quickly reached for her scroll hoping to get some assistance, but she was only greeted with the same red screen as everyone. "I got no signal!"
"Me neither." The cat added in despair. And just when things couldn't get any worse, they were alarmed by a scream coming from just around the corner.
"Arghhhh! Someone! Anyone! Help me!" A poor delivery boy was on his back when an assault droid hovered over him readying its arm blade to deliver the killing blow. "Ahhhh!"
It took only a millisecond for that droid's head to be sliced from its body as Black and White descended upon it.
"Get out of here, quick!" Blake yelled out prompting the civilian the get up and run. She turned back to the area only to notice more droids forming up in front of them. "So what's the plan?"
"We need to get everyone to safety." Weiss stated out, drawing her rapier. "Until backup arrives, we need to hold them off and help the others. We do this by the book."
"Alright…" Blake submitted. It was a stalling plan but a plan nonetheless. "I'm right behind you."
(Beacon) (RWBY's room)
Zwei let out a bark when he was alerted to the sound of heavy banging on the door. The droids that kept guard upon the room had barged in unannounced expecting to find the blonde bomber within. But instead they were greeted by the adorable face of the little fur ball.
"Hey tin cans!" Yang's voice shouted from the top bunk bed, catching their attentions. "Didn't your makers teach you how to knock?" With a simple move, the yellow haired boxer knocked slammed the two droids to the wall making a dent on the concrete.
*Woof!*
"Thanks for the heads up little guy. Come on. It's time to blow this Popsicle stand."
However the sound of a very familiar siren caught her attention. "Alert! Incoming Grimm attack! Threat level… nine. Will all citizens please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner…"
That… did not sound good.
(Courtyard)
Down by the courtyard of the academy, in front of the elevator leading to the clock tower, Glynda and Qrow were fending off a wave of droids as they came. Caught off guard by such a blatant attack only few of the students and teachers were present to hold against the attack. Barely anyone had the chance to even get their weapons when the droids attacked in force.
Waving her wand in a majestic manner, Glynda shuffled a number of debris in the area forming them into the shape of javelins and flinging them at the machines, piercing their metallic bodies and pinning them to the ground. Fighting valiantly by her side was Qrow who skillfully dispatched a number of droids with his bare hands before finally drawing his blade out to cleave them whole lot of them in half. Their fight here would've been worth a song or two had they not seen the Grimm that slowly began to covet the horizon.
"Oh… that… can't be good." The old crone stated. "I hope you got something up your sleeves. Because I don't think the city's defenses are cut out for that."
"No… they're not." Glynda agreed bluntly. "But Emerald Forest is still the forefront of our defense lines. The traps and security measures we've placed there should hold them off, at least for the time being. They'll eventually reach the Academy. And if they break through here, the Grimm will have march over freely towards the city."
"We need to get to Ozpin." Qrow muttered but was rudely disturbed when a droid tried to cleave his head off. "If only these things weren't in the way!"
Bang!
The man got his wish in the form of gunfire from the opposite side of the courtyard. He turned, noticing a small cohort of Atlesian soldiers standing in formation.
"Defense Team! Open fire! Hold them back until we reestablish contact with command!"
"Sir yes sir!" The soldiers obeyed letting out a volley from their weapons drawing fire from the robots.
"Ms. Goodwitch! We got this! Go!"
The two Hunters nodded back and quickly rushed towards the clock tower hoping that they weren't too late.
(Ozpin's office)
Ozpin stared out of his window in horror as the whole city was set aflame. In just a few minutes after the ominous broadcast ended the world around his academy seemed to have erupted in a state of war. Screams and gunfire could be heard even from his soundproof office. He knew that this day would come, that the entirety of his Order would be tested. But nothing could've prepared him for this. To see his kingdom, his home burning by the fires of war was just… unimaginable.
Reaching for his scroll, the Headmaster dialed a number hoping that the line wasn't cut off just yet. But he was disappointed when he saw the same red screen and black queen chess piece on top. He cursed lowly to himself quickly reaching for his worktable. The wireless network might be jammed but the wired lines might still work.
"Professor Peach? Security? Is there anyone there!? Will someone please answer me!?" But all Ozpin got was static. The situation was growing darker as time went on. Knowing well that he won't be doing much good at the safety of his office, Ozpin reached for his cane marching to the elevator, praying for it to still work.
Ding…
And it did. Just not in the way he expected. The elevator doors opened with a chime, but Ozpin was suddenly greeted with visitors. Visitors with red screened visors and rifles in hand.
Like the experienced Huntsman that he was, Ozpin rushed back and took cover behind his table flipping to create a makeshift barricade. It worked like a charm as the droids open fire riddling that glass table full of holes. They seemingly poured out of the elevator for a moment, not even easing their attacks. But it eventually proved their downfall when Ozpin retaliated in full force.
The droids barely stood a chance as the old wizened Hunter crushed them with speed that would've made Ruby's semblance look like a walk. With cane in hand, Ozpin pounded the robots to submission, even going as far as using one of them as a shield letting the other droids blasted its body. He later tossed that broken droid to the crowd piling them together like a messed up piece of art before shoving his cane down on their chest guard making them into a metallic kebab.
A brief moment went by when he saw their visors dim signaling the end of that engagement. Ozpin quietly dusted the dirt from his uniform already thinking of having a talk with Ironwood after this mess. But he was interrupted when he noted one of the droids still active, its hand holding onto a strange device with a timer set on its screen.
"Oh no…" The Headmaster muttered in dread turning towards the opened elevator noting the hundred large explosive canisters latched to the walls. They were linked with that device, meaning he had little time to act. "Damn it!" He cursed out loud before suddenly rushing to the walled terminal typing down furiously on the screen as if his life depended on it. "This is Headmaster Ozpin, ID number 001. I'm authorizing emergency self-defense protocol."
"Clearance verified. Do you wish to proceed with this protocol?" The computer asked in a monotone voice.
"Yes. Release all rocket lockers to their designated students!"
"Voice and password confirmation required."
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…
…
"Dorothy…" The old wise Hunter said softly in relief as the computer acknowledge his command. Soon enough he turned around and saw the locker room tore itself apart as the weapons of his students launched off to their proper owners. He can only hope that it would be enough. "I'm sorry… everyone."
He gently closed his eyes as the timer on the device finally end, engulfing both him and his office in a fiery inferno.
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"Goodbye… Ozpin…" Cinder muttered watching a blazing light atop the clock tower consume all. "It's been fun…" A sinister grin rising from her lips.
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Down below, Glynda and Qrow shot upward when the whole upper half of the clock tower turned to a giant blaze of fire. The cogs and gears that made up the internal structure flew from one another, scattering across the academy like asteroids. None of them wanted to believe it… but the symbol of their academy, the oldest building in Vale was destroyed and their Headmaster along with it.
"Ozpin…" Glynda could only gasp in horror watching that unbelievable scene from afar.
"Glynda!" Qrow alarmed the woman pointing at the students who were about to be crushed by the falling debris. With a wave of her wand, the cogs and gears slowed to a halt saving them from a messy end. "What are you kids doing!? Get out of there!"
"Ah… y… yes sir!" They obeyed and hastily made their way out.
But this little diversion only led to worse things to come. Just as the two Hunters were recovering from that blast, they quickly realize the gravity of their situation. Their Headmaster… was gone. There wasn't a body to confirm it but even Qrow had to admit that not even he, a monster like Ozpin, could've survived such an explosion. Glynda could only cover her mouth, still unable to comprehend the situation.
"Glynda!" Qrow once again brought her out of her trance. "What do we do!?"
"I… I don't know." She answered, her voice clearly rattled. "Without Ozpin we won't be able to muster additional forces. We…"
"Hey… HEY!" The grim reaper brought her out of it. "Snap out of it! Ozpin might not be here, but we're still standing. Pull it together or there won't be a tomorrow. Like it or not, you're the one in command now."
The witch took a deep breath, nodding to the man. He was right. They were prepared for this kind of situation. She and Ozpin had created all manner of contingency plans for every possible scenario. She just never imagined that she would actually use them.
"Yes… you're… you're right Qrow." Glynda steeled herself burying her fears away. "We're still fighting. We can still beat this. We need to regroup and gather as many abled bodies as possible if we're going to fight off this threat."
Qrow smiled smugly. That was the Glynda he knew and loved… in a way. "Alright. So what's the plan? We got no communication."
Glynda looked around and saw the wirings on the tree line. "The communication network might be jammed but the school's speaker system should still be operational. We should still be connected to the fairgrounds as well. I'll use that to rally as many teachers and students as I can. We'll form a defensive perimeter near the edge of Emerald Forest and hopefully slow the Grimm down."
"Okay… that leaves the fighting to…"
"No Qrow." Glynda cut the drunkard off. "I need you to get to the city and coordinate with the defenses there."
"But Amber!"
"The people are being threatened. If we, the protectors of the world, cannot defend them, then we have no obligation to hold that title." She said softly casting her gaze to the burning tower. "It's what Ozpin would've done."
Qrow gritted his teeth at the plan. Glynda was weakening the school's defenses by spreading them around. The more resources she throws at the defense of the city and its borders the fewer defenders there will be in the academy itself. It would mean exposing their soft side to the enemy.
"You know they'll come for her… right?" He warned knowingly.
She knew that. It's what she would expect of their attackers. "Don't worry about Amber. I'll make sure she's protected. Now go."
(Amity Coliseum) (Corridor)
"Oooof!" Jaune let out a painful yelp as his face made contact with the concrete floor. How many times had he been thrown about? Six? Seven? He already lost count. It were times like these that he was quite grateful for his ridiculously large pool of aura. If it wasn't for that invisible shield, he probably would've been killed a dozen times over already. But still… there was a bad side to it. Even though he could take on a large amount of punishment like a walking tank, those blows to the body still hurt. "Oh boy…"
"Arghhh!" But he wasn't the only one in pain. The one who delivered that mean kick to his stomach was also feeling the aftereffect of that blow, holding his leg like he just smacked on a wall. "What the heck are you made of? Rocks? Why won't you just lie down and die already!?"
"That's not gonna happen!" Jaune countered, returning to his stance, readying his weapon and shield still trying to put up a fight. "Not today anyway."
This little scenario was starting to get old. Even Roman who was standing back this whole time watching the blonde knight get pounded was starting to get bored. It was fun watching the kid get whacked here and there but now this sight was just sad. I mean… where's the joy in beating someone who won't even shriek or beg for mercy?
"Hate to interrupt your little fest here, but can we speed this along?" The crook spoke tapping his pocket watch. "We kinda have a schedule to keep here."
"Don't you think I'm trying!?" Mercury barked back clearly irritated. "He should've been dead five minutes ago! But that stupid aura of his just keeps getting in the way!"
Indeed. Any ordinary man with his aura unlocked would've been on the floor unconscious and bleeding to death with the amount of beatings Jaune took. But yet despite everything he went through, that boy still had the galls and the tenacity to stand up like he was just pushed down. The White Fang elites who also took part in the beating were short on breaths, tired from constantly swinging their weapons. Even with all that muscle they couldn't take down the stubborn boy.
"Then do your thing and finish him off already! The Grimm are attacking and we're already behind schedule! Chop chop!"
"Grr…" Mercury grumbled. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was taking orders from a badly dressed crook. He slowly turned to the blonde boy, readying another kick—and this time he wasn't gonna hold anything back. "Fine. You asked for this kid. You should've stayed down like a corpse when you had the chance."
The glow on Jaune's body brightened as he raised his shield. He was gonna hold these scumbags even if he had to take on everything they had.
"Try me…" He challenged which only made the assassin snarl. It was like an annoying pup who didn't know when to quit. Clocking his boots, Mercury fired himself forward building a strong momentum for a finisher axe-kick. It would've spelled disaster as a blow like that would make even the toughest juggernauts fall flat on the floor.
Jaune braced for the blow, raising his shield upward. All he asked from his mind, heart, body and soul was for the strength to whether it.
"Haaaaaa!" The kick came down. But just before it made contact, Jaune felt a surge of energy rush through him. That same power that built inside his body forced itself out of his chest in the form of a bright blinding light. As Mercury's leg connected to his shield, that energy burst out like a torrent, blasting everything and everyone flying in every direction. "Wahhhh!"
Roman, Mercury, the White Fang soldiers and even the corridor itself shook from that blast. So much so that one might think a mighty hammer from above came crashing down on them.
By the time the light dimmed, Jaune found himself staring down at the roughed up bodies of his enemies strewn across the floor. They were beaten… but mostly because they were stunned by that unknown force. It was the same incident that happened in the café and Mountain Glenn. He had so many questions to ask but quickly understood that this was not the time. He had a chance to run—so he took it and didn't look back.
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Back inside the arena, the Huntsmen and Huntresses in training were alarmed by the sudden arrival of their lockers. It came so suddenly that some of them tore through the walls of the coliseum just to meet their owner. No one was sure how they arrived but they certainly weren't gonna turn away a gift that came flying to their laps. After arming themselves to the teeth, they quickly retaliated in full force, beating the droid army back to a certain extent.
Without a plan or a method of attack, the Hunters returned to their own primal instinct of self-preservation. They fought and fought, leaderless and scattered.
Ren and Nora were holding their ground by the main entrance hoping to get a better grasp of the situation. Coco and her team were fending the remaining drones taking the blunt of the fight. Surprisingly enough the other teams that were on board continued their struggle hoping that this battle will end soon.
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"Penny!" Ruby cried out to her robotic friend as she still tried to calm her down. The poor girl was still clutching her head in pain feeling her body losing control. "Penny, please listen to me. Whatever it is that's happening to you, you have to fight it!"
"I… CaN't! rUby… I'M SoRrY bUt i jUsT… cAN'T!" The string blades slowly began to move on their own hovering menacingly around her. "PLeeeaAase! You haVe to… RUn…!" Her voice became more and more intelligible as it went. Before anyone knew it, the adorable girl drew out her weapons and began attacking in force. The soldiers around her barely had the chance to defend themselves when they all got swatted like flies. One guard was able to fire a few founds before he found himself pinned to the wall. "I'm sO SoRry!"
"Be careful! She's out of control!"
"Move in and subdue!" The lieutenant ordered his men, to which they followed to the letter.
"No! Wait stop!" Ruby tried to stall them but to no avail. The soldiers marched in, weapons at the ready. They attacked in pair, some rushing in a pincer move while others provided cover. But they didn't stand a chance against her. Her blades covered all her blind spots making it practically impossible to catch her off guard. One by one, the soldiers fell to the ground, defeated and stunned.
"Ruby!" Pyrrha was the first to dash to the girl's rescue blocking the energy blast from those floating blades. It was certainly a lot different from the fight she had. These lasers were dangerous, lethal even. They would've cut through her aura if her shield didn't shed the blast. These weren't meant to hurt, they were meant to kill. "Stay back! I'll handle this."
"Pyrrha! No! You don't understand! She's not herself! You can't hurt her!"
Another shot came and thankfully her shield held. "What are we supposed to do then?"
Ruby darted around trying to analyze the situation. She didn't want to hurt Penny but her flying swords were making the situations difficult to manage. Trying to help a friend while she flings dangerous particles and sharp objects at you wasn't exactly easy. In fact, one might say that it was pure suicidal.
However, a glint of string produced an idea for her. Ruby saw the blades float around and noticed the very thin strip of string that held them together. She was always curious how Penny made all those swords float around and now she knew. They were all connected to both her arms and that oddly shaped pouch on her back.
"There!" The junior grim reaper announced pointing at the android's back. "We take away her weapons! That pouch on her back must be controlling them. If we get rid of it, we can stop Penny from attack us!"
Pyrrha noted the strings too and hesitantly agreed. She also didn't want to hurt the poor girl any more than she had already done with the arm and all. "Alright. What's the plan?"
"Keep her occupied. I'll be right back!"
"Ok… then… wait… what?" That was as far as Pyrrha got when her fellow Huntress vanished leaving a trail of rose-petals in the dust. If that was the plan, it was pretty vague and lacking a lot in details. "Uh… alright then…?" The flying blades pointed at her with a menacing glow.
(Atlesian Battleship) (Bridge)
The Captain of Blue 4 was disgruntled as his crew scrambled around to their stations. He could hear the guns of his ship firing on the Nevermores and every few shots brought at least two or three down with them. But despite his best efforts, even all the weapons on his ship couldn't stem such a tide. The whole horizon outside of his ship was covered by a thick layer of miasma trail left by the Grimm. From the sky, right down to the forest below, he could see the hordes and packs marching upon the city an uncoordinated manner.
These animals didn't have the capacity to use tactics or strategy in anyway. They didn't have formation or even a plan of attack. They just charged straight towards the defenses, without a hint of fear in their eyes. That was because they didn't need a strategy. With every Grimm that lay dead on the ground, a thousand more would be ready to take its place. Like an endless tide of darkness they covered the forest and would soon cover the whole city had the defenders not react.
"Damn it!" The Captain cursed turning to his com officer. "Give me an update soldier! Do we have communications!?"
"Yes sir. But just barely." The officer reported back not taking his eyes off the screen. "Our stronghold within the city is trying to establish a radio post. All standard communication lines are down but we should be able to talk with the other ships in the area."
"Excellent." He quickly raised his scroll hoping the line would connect. "This is Blue 4, Blues 2 and 3, fall into defensive position."
The static line reported in. "Roger! Blue 3, in position."
"Blue 2, what's your status?"
"This… this is Blue 2!" The other line reported but with gunfire in the background. "Our Captain is gone. All of our combat droids have gone haywire and are trying to take over the bridge. We're holding out but it's only a matter of time before they break through. They also sabotaged our engines and weapons. We require immediate assistance over. I repeat: Droids have taken over the ship, we require imme—" He was cut off when a defining shrieking noise echoed in the distance. "Oh no. The Nevermore has broken through the shield! The hull is breached! I repeat: our hull is br…bzzzt!"
The Captain of the proud vessel could only watch in horror as the adjacent ship was crudely ripped apart by the flock of Nevermores. The flying Grimm clawed and pecked through the armor of the cruiser, crushing it under their weight before it finally gave in and crashed to the forest below.
"Dear god."
(Coliseum) (Hanger bay)
"Everyone please remain calm!" Dr. Oobleck shouted as he and a few faculty staff were guiding the civilians towards the main hanger where the supposed airships were bound to pick them up. "Move in an orderly fashion, please! There's room for everyone here. There is no need to push and shove."
But the panicking crowds could barely contain themselves as they continued to push their way forward hoping for a first seat in the next airship. Students and tourists alike mashed together like some uncoordinated mob praying for safety to whatever god that would listen to their pleas.
"Bart!" Peter's bombastic voice boomed in calling the good Doctor. "There you are."
"Peter? What's the matter? Did something happen?"
"We have a problem." The large professor stated ominously. "There aren't enough seats in the airbuses."
"What!? That's preposterous! These airbuses should have plenty of space for long flights. How can that be?"
"Two of them took off right before the first attack." Peter explained tiringly. "We're loading in the next one but it will be full before we can get half of these people onto it. We can probably squeeze a few dozen more but that will be it. We'll have to find some alternate way of transport."
"ARGHHH!" A loud series of cries and screams echoed behind them sparking them into action. The two Huntsmen rushed back to the front of the hanger only to discover people again pushing and shoving, trying to get away from the attacker.
"My… word!" Bart gasped when he noted the large Nevermore poking its head into the hanger, its beak reaching out for the large airbus. Eventually it grabbed hold of one of the wings, slowly pulling it to the edge of the coliseum. "Get everyone out of the airbuses! NOW!" The panicking crowd complied and quickly got out of the buses before the next flying Grimm pulled it to the same falling end. It tried to peck a few of the people as well, but the large beast couldn't get into the base due to its massive size. Eventually it got bored and flew off. But now it left the people on board with a different predicament.
They had no way off the station!
"Look! A transport!" One of the students pointed in the direction where a Bullhead was heading their way. They quickly waved at it, hoping to get a ride on the airship. But their hope was again dashed when the ship opened its cargo bay revealing a pack of Beowolves crammed inside. "Oh no… it's… it's the Grimm!"
"Everyone, get back!" Peter drew out his blunderbuss firing a round at the oncoming Grimm. "We will deal with this. Come along Barty… one more round for the sake of it?"
"You read my mind." He grinned.
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Back outside, Team CFVY and NDGO and half of Team JNPR were dealing with the droids pushing out of the arena. Coco would've loved nothing better than to let loose with her weapon cutting a suave through the enemy lines. The tight corridor here meant that she would make this little area a killing zone. But unfortunately the number of civilians in her way stopped her from doing performing such acts.
"Get out of the way people!" The fashionista shouted at the civilians hoping that they would grow a brain and get out of her crosshair. But unfortunately with every five citizen that passes by, there always seem to be more coming through with droids trailing not far behind. "Ugh… this is ridiculous. I can't use my weapon at full power with all these people around! Yatsu, you take point. Velvet and Fox, you two are with me. We're gonna punch through this crowd."
"Roger!"
"Understood." They complied.
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Back at the center of this mess, Ironwood was doing his best not to lash out at those around him. The situation was getting worse by the minute. They had no communications with the outside, his own droid army has turned against him and his forces scattered.
"What are our losses?" He asked one of his men already having a clue to the answer.
"General. We lost four squads during the initial attack sir. We've managed to secure the side entrances but there… there are just too many droids. They outnumber us 4 to 1. We lost contact with security control and the engineering block. We've managed to pull some of our guards from the other sections but we don't have the manpower to cover all the entrances. Also we have some reports seeing White Fang within the arena."
"Damn! Can we at least get our fighters to launch?"
"We're trying now sir. The engineers say they should have the bulkhead doors open in a few minutes."
"Tell them to hurry. We can't afford to stay here any longer."
"General, sir." Another one of his officers called out. "We just got word from Blue 4. It's… an incomplete report but we have a rough guess of the situation outside."
"Good." James muttered though his expression conflicted with his word. "What does he have to report?"
"You're… not going to like it sir."
"Soldier, information never displeases me. It is ignorance I find unforgiving. Report."
"Y… yes sir." The soldier began in a startled tone. "The situation is the same in the city. All of our combat droids have gone haywire. They tried shutting them down but to no effect. Several of our outposts in the city have been lost and all of our available forces are fighting back. Beacon Academy is also suffering the same conditions and no word has been reported in. There has also been a report saying that Grimm have invaded the city."
"What!?" The General gasped in disbelief. "How is that possible!? They should've have been able to breach the defenses so quickly!"
"No sir. The walls are holding. The Grimm appear to be entering through the old hole in the plaza. Someone must've reopened the breach. All emergency services are at play right now so we're completely on our own."
Rargggghhh!
A sinister growl caught the General and his men by surprise. They turned and noted a pack of Beowolves staring at them hungrily. Where they came from was anyone's guess.
"Grimm!? Here!?"
"Attack! Protect the General!"
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A few meters from the main battle between the droids and Hunters, a mother and son hid from the firefight, frightened by the sound of shouts and screams that echoed throughout the hall. Only the flashes of gunfire guided them to the exit. Much to the son's dismay, the sudden explosion tore a piece of the ceiling down on top of them trapping his mother under a weight of rubble.
The son tried to help his mother up but his small frame and undeveloped muscles made it impossible to lift the debris. They were just too heavy for him. Frightened, scared and confused, the boy could do nothing but hold his mother's hand and pray, hoping that someone would aid them. He prayed for a warrior to aid them, a hero unmatched to come to their rescue.
But the horrors of that battle soon dawned when a low growl echoed from deep within the corridor. They turned and gasped when an Ursa made itself apparent, its red eyes and ivory mask cast at them.
The fear generated from their encounter made the Grimm licked its lip, as if it was looking at a delicious meal. The mother beckoned her son to run and save himself. She pleaded him to leave her behind. On an ordinary day, he probably would. But not this night. That stubbornness born out of youth that he was raised with somehow brought him the courage to stand against that beast. He puffed his chest against the monster, unarmed yet he bore the bravery that would make even the greatest of Huntsmen tip their hats to him in respect.
The Ursa let out a roar as if it was trying to crush that arrogant act with brute force. The boy flinched only for a moment but stayed the course. His eyes wavered but his body stayed still, his feet rooted to the floor, his arms outstretched as if to say 'You shall not pass'.
It was an act of defiance and foolhardiness. Courage mixed together with hopelessness and madness altogether. Letting out an irritated snarl, the beast raised its claws ready to deliver the killing blow. The boy closed his eyes and awaited his untimely demise, the crying voice of his mother unable to reach him anymore.
…
But the blow never came.
Slowly the child peeked through the corner of his eyelid looking back at the beast. The Ursa's claw was still hanging up in the air but its eyes once red like blood now dimmed. They were again confused as the beast fell flat on the floor, its corpse slowly vanishing. Perhaps the blade on his chest would merit an explanation.
"You alright, little guy?" Jaune inquired as he pulled his Crocea Mors out of the carcass smiling at the little hero. Silently the boy nodded, eyes bulging wide as if he recognized the figure in front of him. He mouthed the name 'Jaune' like a boy looking upon a person he saw on the holoscreen.
"Y… yeah." The little tike nodded, his fear turning to hope and awe as he looked at the hero in front of him. Jaune scanned the kid making sure that there weren't any permanent damage. Thankfully only his shoelaces were untied. That can be fixed later.
"It's not safe here. You should stick with the large crowd. They'll keep you safe."
"B… but my mom." The little one gestured to the rubble where Jaune noted a woman's upper half was poking out.
Slowly he reached down to the debris using all of his strength to toss the rocks away piece by piece until it was finally cleared. "You ok ma'am?" Jaune asked which the woman bowed in gratitude.
"Yes… thank you. Thank you sir." The mother quickly grabbed her son's hands rushing off to join the rest of the evacuees. All the while, the little boy waved back to the Hunter, an awed smile on his face.
"Ha… oh boy. Here we go." Jaune quickly entered the main bulk of the fighting where he noted his teammates on the other side supporting their comrades against the mechanical menace. "Ren! Nora!"
"Jaune?" The gunslinger raised a brow unexpectedly seeing his leader.
"Heya Jaune!" Nora followed waving at the blonde before swinging her hammer again to the next poor robot that came in her sights. "Having fun? I certainly am!"
"Jaune! Where have you been?" Ren asked curious to where he was when the whole thing went down. "And… what happened to your face?"
A sigh escaped him. "It's a long story. Where's Pyrrha?" He asked noting the absence of his partner.
"Don't know. Last we saw her was back in the arena. But we… have more pressing matters over here."
Jaune looked to the fight and could agree that the fighters could do with some help. "What's the situation?" He asked calmly directing his attention to the main fight… or if you could even call it that. From Jaune's perspective, it looked more like a messed up massacre of Man VS Machine with neither side truly winning.
"We got a ton of out-of-control robots coming that way, Grimm attack in the hanger and all the civilians are sandwiched right in between. We're trying to hold them off but…" He didn't need to finish that sentence. It was plainly obvious to the naked eye. The Huntsmen and Huntresses in there were once again doing what they did best. They fought.
Jaune had to admit that they were working quite efficiently as teams. Team ABRN was at the very front of that fight crushing the droids with relative force. Their leader Arslan was barking out orders and calling attack patterns with her teammates though the one with the pink hair seemed oddly passive for some reason.
Coco was at the back with her Team dealing with the smaller crowd. It was plain to see that the Heavy-Weapons girl was tempted to use her weapon but was unable to due to the mixed crowd.
Team NDGO was pretty much the same. Nebula coordinated with her party like a well-oiled machine. They can easily cut through the horde of droids with no problem. Ocatavia was cutting machines with ease throwing waves of fire in every occasions, Dew was using her wind power to enhance Gwen's kunais throwing them in every direction. Nebula was behind them all firing crossbow bolts with the utmost precision. They were effective fighters. It was no wonder that they were famous back in Vacuo and champion of their regional tournaments.
Team BRNZ of course was also at the thick of the fight, with more than half their team dedicated to close combat. Like a group of highly-trained thugs they muscled their way through the droids with their sniper providing close support. They were like metal grinders who enjoyed their job to the fullest.
These teams were beyond good. They were great. Together they could easily crush these droids and claim victory. Yet… they couldn't. It wasn't because they weren't strong enough; they had plenty of strength and firepower to start a revolution. It was because they were uncoordinated. Each team was doing their own thing. They had perfect synch with their team but not each other. One group's tactics messed up with another's offensive constantly making it impossible for them to be thoroughly efficient. That messed up barrage of uncoordinated attacks led to the unproductive nature of their strikes.
"This is a mess." The boy groaned.
Ren seemingly agreed. "Yeah. Right now it's back to just… killing and destroying. You have a plan?"
"We need to fall back and regroup. We're not gonna beat these robots at this rate."
"Agreed." The green warrior nodded. "Some space here would do us some good. But how are we gonna get them to follow us? It's not like anyone here will listen to you… or any of us for that matter." Ren had a point. This is nothing like back in the Breach incident or Mountain Glenn. They didn't know him like Team CFVY or RWBY. Those close to him would probably listen to whatever he had to say but everyone else will require some… convincing. It's not like he could just go up to one of them and ask them politely to fall back. No… that old trick won't work, especially not to some youthful teens with deadly training.
"You need to convince people?" A cocky voice interrupted Jaune's meditation making him turn to the source finding a certain monkey taking space with his teammates in tow. "I think we can help with that."
"Sun!" Jaune exclaimed. "Great to see you. Mind helping us out?"
"Hey, I'm pretty sure we'd all feel a lot better if you were calling the shots." The Prince of Primates smugly added. "What do you need help with?"
"We need to convince the other teams to stop fighting and regroup. There's an open section of the hanger that's unused right now. If we can take the fight to that area, we'll have a lot more room to maneuver than this corridor."
"Good call." Neptune abruptly agreed. "Fighting in this tight space is suffocating enough as it is."
"But how are we gonna convince those guys to stop and run?" Scarlet asked pulling close. "They don't look like the type who'll listen unless that person is of some importance."
Jaune agreed as well. Fighters like them tend to be hardheaded and stubborn when they're in combat. Only a teacher would be able to get them out of their bloodlust state. The boy looked around and saw Nora using one of the robot's head as a baseball, laughing nonchalantly all the way. It was there, an idea dawned on him.
If he can't convince them to stop, he'll just have to create a situation to make them stop.
"Nora!"
"Yes Jaune-Jaune?" The Asgardian perkily stated with a euphoric smile.
"I need you to create a smokescreen. I need you to cover that entire area. You think you can do that?"
"Psshh… like blowing a school of fish in a barrel." Nora waved back cockily readying her grenade launcher. "Just say the word!"
"Alright. Ren, Sun. Once Nora creates the explosion, I need you to get everyone to the back room. Make it sound urgent to make it convincing."
"Pshh… pa-lease." Sun waved his worries off. "If I can convince Neptune to tell me his worst fear, I think I can persuade these guys to follow."
"I knew I shouldn't have told you!" The blue boy snarled at his leader.
Seeing the team ready, Jaune turned to his teammate and nodded. "Ok Nora… do your thing."
With a wide-eyed grin, Nora raised her weapon up high transforming it to its 3rd form, opening the whole section of the front firing her entire salvo onto the crowd creating a pin heart shaped cloud in the air.
The explosion rocked the corridor to its foundation shaking the very nuts and bolts that held it together. The smoke that erupted from that explosion caused the entire battlefield to grind to a complete half with many of the droids being blown to pieces by the shockwave.
"What the heck?" Brawnz Ni, grumbled as he stumbled back coughing from too much intake of the smoke.
"I can't see!" Bolin, cried out swatting the fog away in futility.
"Everyone get back!" Sun yelled to the top of his lungs alarming the others of an unseen danger. "There are more of them coming up the hallway!"
"Retreat! Retreat!" Neptune followed firing a few round from his weapon to make it look convincing. "They're everywhere!"
"Get out or get left behind!" Sage bellowed pointing to the large double doors. "Don't just stand around! Move people!"
Whether it was from the sound of urgency or the fact they couldn't fight under the new conditions, the Hunters withdrew from the area, falling back to the adjacent room with utmost haste. One by one they followed the voices. The uneasy poke of their fear of death halted their need for battle and quelled their bloodlust, forcing them to withdraw and perhaps it was for the best.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With the last of the teams safely made it to the open area in the next room, Sage and Scarlet closed the double door behind them and barricade it with the nearby vending machines. It wasn't sturdy, but it would at least buy them some time.
"That won't hold them for long." Neptune stated and right he was as the droids on the other side began pushing in. "Ok… I was wrong. That won't hold them at all! Get back everyone!"
Jaune took a breather along with his team. The fight wasn't over, not by a long shot, but at least now they stood a better chance fighting them in here.
"Jaune?" The boy turned around at the call of his name. He restrained a smile when he noted that it was the General who called, his soldiers marked with the signs of recent conflict. The appear to be forming a barricade at the rear end of all the civilians.
"General Ironwood? Am I glad to see you, sir."
"Likewise, Jaune." The General smiled. Seeing the students safe and sound was probably the first good news he received in the last hour alone. "Though I'm afraid I only have terrible news to offer."
Jaune's face twisted in regret. "What's happening, sir?"
"The city is under attack and we don't have enough manpower to defend the civilians. What's worse is that all methods of wireless communication are down or jammed."
"What about the people?" Jaune asked. "Aren't they being evacuated?"
"We're trying but the Nevermores destroyed the airbuses in the hanger. Two Huntsmen are dealing with the Grimm situation inside but we have little in the way of getting thousands of people off this station."
"What about the smaller ships?" Ren inquired pointing the Bullheads in the area. "Can't we use those instead?"
"They'll never survive the firefight outside." James explained. "They don't have the armor necessary to deal with that battle. A single Nevermore can tear through their hulls easily."
"What about the military transport?" Jaune asked this time. "Don't you have specialized transports? The one on the lower levels?"
"We do." He confirmed it with a hesitant nod. "But I don't know if we have enough of them to get all these people to safety. And… there's more."
"More? What do you mean?"
WHAM!
The sound of machines breaking through a door caught them out of their conversation.
"Uh… guys." Sun called out as he drew out his quarterstaff. "We're about to have company!"
Jaune saw this and quickly moved up, ready to fight. He scanned his surroundings looking for anything they could use to their advantage. The open space provided them with a lot of room to fight, but they could still use some coordination to give them the edge needed to win this fight.
"Everyone, form up!" Jaune shouted at last calling their attention. "We have to do this together. I need everyone behind those barricades and make them stronger!"
"Jaune?" Velvet quirked a brow to his strategy. "Are we falling back?"
"Trust me on this." He answered her. "I need everyone behind those barricades and build them up higher and stronger. Coco, I also need you to hold back on your gun. At least for a while. Team SSSN and Team BRNZ, I want you guys behind those Bullheads and get ready to strike on my mark." The said teams looked at one another, a bit confused on the boy barking orders. "Team ABRN, you guys will be playing decoy. Set yourselves up by the door and get the droids to follow you. Everybody else should help the soldiers get these barricades up. Use everything you can find. Benches, trashcans, anything that's thick"
"Why the heck should I take orders from you?" Brawnz sniffed not really sure why a scrawny, scraggly, Pretty Boy was calling the shots. "I'd say we just open the doors and pummel those suckers! Hard and fast, just how I like it." A number of nods and agreeing mutters followed with the crowd.
"I'm with Brawnz on this one." Roy, the other member of the team agreed. "We've been turning those things into scrap metal over the last few minutes. I don't see why we should change tactics." Again murmurs of agreement fell on the side of idiocy and blind reliance on strength alone.
"That's not going to work!" Jaune reasoned doing his best to restrain his voice. He knew that sparking an argument here will only crack their already invisible relationship. "Look, we haven't got time for an explanation but right now, you're all fighting ineffectively. I know each of you have your own methods but you're just getting in each other's way. Don't you see? We're just fighting, not attacking."
"And you're supposed to be the expert is this situation?" Bolin inquired giving the blonde boy a look.
"He is…" Ren openly challenged stepping in like as the new voice. "You might not know this, but you guys are speaking to Jaune Arc. He's the one who stopped the White Fang at Mountain Glenn. A hero of this kingdom. Out of everyone here, no one has more combat and tactical experience than him."
"He's right." Coco smiled casually on the sideline slinging her favorite handbag to her shoulder. "He did lead us back there."
Ren took the pause as a sign to continue. "Everyone here has placed their faith in yourselves, your teams. You're probably still feeling the rush from the tournament. But right now none of that matters. It's not about who the better fighter is or who can get the most heads out of the battle. At this very moment the lives of all those people behind those are counting on us. We can't act like vagabonds or loose cannons now. And if anyone can come up with a plan to fight this threat, it's him. I'm asking you all to take a chance of faith with him."
Easy enough, all the excited mutters of Branwz's plan died down leaving room for discussion.
"Well he's got my vote." Sun raised his hand up. "The guy might not look it, but he's always got a plan when we need one."
"Yeah, I say we follow." Nebula agreed which Dew simply rolled her eyes at muttering something about being 'smitten'.
"Guess that makes 3 out of 5 teams." Ren counted with a confident smirk as he turned to Branwz who simply grunted back. He looked more like a bull ready to charge at the first sign of blood.
But thankfully he still had a brain. "Fine…" He said finally. "We'll do it your way. For now."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Back in the arena, Pyrrha was holding on to dear life as she deflected wave after wave of Penny's attacks. With every attack she dished out, Penny cringed softly as she muttered one apology after another. Pyrrha would retaliated with her polarity powers but using her semblance and blocking those attacks at the same time proved rather difficult.
"I aM ReALly sOrrY!" Another incoherent apology escaped the android. If she was any more human than she was now, the girl would've been balling her eyes out in regret. "I ReaLLy hAVe no CoNTrOl oVeR IT!"
But Pyrrha simply brushed it off, panting heavily from the constant blocks and dodges. "It's alright Penny. I don't blame you. But… this would be… a lot easier if… you just give me a few seconds." She spoke with each blow coming dangerously close to her neck.
"I'm tryING. buT My bOdY is reaCtiNg oN nATurAL INStinct. It's uSiNg my dAtA aNd AdApTIng it'S ComBaT TacTiCs AgaiNst Y…y…y… yOu!"
"Whoa!" Pyrrha dodged another shot and true to Penny's words, her attacks were slowly becoming more deadly, more apparent. The blades were moving faster, in more random areas, even going as far as striking her blind spot repeatedly. The last attack even grazed a little bit of her hair. It was only thanks to her training and constant vigilance that she has been able to keep up with the android's mechanical failure. "Ok… I think I get what you mean. Wha!?" Another shot from her blaster deflected from her shield sending the redhead down to the ground. "Ow…"
"PYRrha!" Penny gasped. Her bodily functions once again took over readying her blades for a straight on attack. "LoOk oUt!"
The champion looked in horror as the blades came down on her. But just before Penny's subconscious could let loose, a sudden unnatural gale suddenly enveloped the area.
"GANGWAY!" Ruby's voice echoed in making the two fighters turn to see the innocent grim reaper running at them at full speed, a torrent of leftover snacks and unfinished drinks following her trail. Noting the large tornado, Pyrrha hastily moved out of the way not wanting to deal with a force of nature. "Coming through!"
Reacting on the sudden barrage, Penny's blades retracted forming a defensive fan cutting all the debris coming her way. Popcorn bags, overly large drinking cups, soda cans and a heck of a lot more, came barreling down on her like a tornado of junk and unhealthy food. Fortunately enough, with only one hand to control the blades, Penny's processor couldn't efficiently block the attack and soon enough she found some of her weapons being pinned down by heaps of trash.
"Now Pyrrha!" With that signal, the champion immediately knew what she was getting at. Using the controlled extent of her polarity powers, Pyrrha forced the android's last arm down and magnetized her feet to the floor rendering her completely exposed vulnerable. The stringed robot struggled but couldn't counter Pyrrha's attack.
"I got her!" The champ declared, her hand vibrating with a darkish glow. "Whatever it is you're gonna do, you'd better do it fast, Ruby. I can't hold onto her for long!"
"Got it!" Ruby hastily made her way to her robot friend noting the pained expression on her silicon face. "Sorry about this Penny. I didn't mean for that to hurt."
"It's Ok rUbY." The girl accepted her apology softly despite the cranking feeling she was having on her limbs. "I cOmpleTely uNdERstAnd the cIRcUmsTancEs."
"Alright then. Give me a moment and I'll untie that backpack of yours."
"I'M afraID tHaT WiLL nOt bE eFfeCtiVe." Penny advised, her face twisting in pain as her body continued to push itself despite the magnetic interference. "EvEn If yOuu ReMoVe my WeApon CaTche, IT WiLL nOt sTOp my BoDy fRoM AtTacKinG yOu."
"Th… then what can I do?" The redhead panicky asked. "Do I put you to sleep? Shut you down or something? There has to be some way for us to stop you without hurting you…"
"ThErE is…" She reassured her first friend using her eyes to gesture to her hair. "My faTheR, installed a seCoN-Dary CPU PrOcesSor in ME, aS a SAFetY mEaSure AgAinst tHiS KinD of AtTaCk. HOwEvEr IT SEEmEd tO haVe bLockEd mY AcceEss to PrEvEnt WhAtEver iS CoNtRolliNg me FrOm sPrEAding."
"O… k? So how do we… unblock you?"
"My bOw." She stated plainly. "It HelPs ReLiGaTe mY liMITER. ReMoVINg it WiLl fOrCe my MaiN pRoCeSSOR to gliTch foR a ShOrT peRiOd of TIMe. It wiLL resEt alL my cOnTroLs aS WelL AlLoWing me To SwItcH."
"I have no idea what that means. But ok! Here we go!" Ruby reached out for the little pink bow expecting to yank that thing with a quick motion but she quickly discovered that the little trinket was far more durable than she originally. It looked like a thin piece of cloth at first but it actually felt tough like leather. "Arghh! What is thing made of? Titanium!?"
"I'm SorRy. THe MaTeRIaL uSeD in thIS boW is maDe spEciAly To PrEVent OtHerS fRom PuLlinG it."
"And you couldn't have mentioned that a bit earlier!?"
"Ruby!" Pyrrha complained already feeling her magnetic powers losing its grip. "Hurry!"
"I'm going as fast as I can! Why. Won't. This. Stupid. Bow. Budge!?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Remind me again: Why did we agree to play decoy?" Nadir asked turning to his team who eyed him back. The entirety of Team ABRN was stationed right in front of the double doors waiting for the first wave of attackers to press through. The droids on the other side of those doors were ramming as hard as they could ready to make mincemeat out of anyone that got in their sights.
"We didn't." Bolin explained sighing. "We were picked."
"And we all just decided to go with it? What happened to the right to choose our mission? I think we should file a complaint."
"Nadir…" Arslan snarled at her cowardly member. "Shut up and get your butt in gear. They're almost through!"
"Ugh… this is such a…" The pink haired Hunter never got to finish that line when the door began to bend inward. "Oh snap!"
"Reese. Get ready to do your thing." The tanned skill lady ordered to her teammate hovering over her board.
"Always ready." She winked back with a confident grin. And none too soon either as the barricade that held the doorway finally gave in pouring the nearly endless wave of killer droids to their area. "Show time!"
"Attack!" The whole team with the exception of Nadir engaged. They ploughed through the formation of droids ripping each and every one of them to tiny pieces. The team would've made their teachers back in Shade proud with their excellent display of teamwork and skill. About a minute into the fight, the droids immediately turned their gaze onto the team, seeing them as the prime threat. Before they knew it, all guns were pointed at them.
"I believe we got their attention." Bolin stated plainly which his leader rolled her eyes to.
"Gee, ya think!? Fall back!" They immediately complied rushing off towards the Bullheads at the open end of the room. Arslan turned back and saw the droids give chase. The plan was working well so far. Now if only Nadir would hurry and… "Nadir! What do you think you're doing!?"
The pink haired Huntsman trembled as he fired petty shots at the droids. He was walking back in the opposite direction. "Uh… guys? A little help?"
"Oh for the love of… GAH!" Arslan yelled out in irritation feeling like she was surrounded by morons. She quickly launched an elongated string from her wrist snatching the boy by his collar. "Get over here!"
"GWAHH!" The boy was pulled into the girl's arms away from that mess faster than he could scream. "Oh hey there."
"Next time, I'm leaving you back there." Nadir could only whimper in reply.
But despite that little setback, the plan was working. Jaune could see it from his hiding spot along with the other teams and the General's soldiers. The droids had begun to chase Team ABRN in that area, spreading themselves in smaller pockets while the rest of them continued to file in from the doorway. With a little diversion, the main bulk of their forces were now easily split in three and spread out in a way that they could be destroyed without each Hunter getting in each other's way.
With the moment in hand Jaune raised his blade and shouted. "Now Coco!"
"I thought you'd never ask!" The fashionista climbed out of the camouflaged debris, her weapon unfolded and ready to raise hell. "Eat lead, scrap heads!" A gentle squeeze of the trigger was all she needed to grind the rear section of the droid army to dust.
"We got them! Now! Attack!" Jaune commanded which everyone gladly complied. The Hunters rushed out of their cover, some from the snack bar, some from the Bullheads and others from the debris scattered around the area. With combined efforts they mercilessly tore through the droids like an all you can kill festival. They rip, they punch and slice and stab and shoot. They did what many Hunters did best… they fought.
"Sergeant, supporting fire on that area!" Ironwood commanded to which his soldiers obeyed, firing rapidly in the general direction. To say the least, James was both surprised and impressed. It was a rather crude plan to stage an ambush. The droids' A.I. algorithms weren't that sophisticated, which is why they could easily be tricked by such a simple strategy. Using the aggressive stance to pull agro on a single team, the other droids shared on that same function believing the attacker to be the biggest threat. They would be completely unaware of anyone sneaking behind them.
Whether it was plain luck or wild guess, James couldn't tell. But it was plain to see that the boy had some skill. To be able to rally a group of trainee Hunters was no small feat and getting everyone to agree with his plan was a greater still. Such a trait would make him a fine leader in this type of situations. Calm and coolheaded, those around him can't help but see that thing will work out fine, one way or another.
Before long, the whole battle turned completely one-sided favoring the humans. Brawnz was practically having the time of his life beating the heads off lifeless drones. His team was following suit acting like the tip of the spear plunging through the enemy formation with little worries.
(Beacon) (Courtyard)
Back at the academy, Blake and Weiss were locked in combat in a four way battle at the central courtyard. Between them and the Grimm, the White Fang and droids, it was hard to say who was winning. Everywhere they looked they were beset by friends and enemies alike. The Atlesian soldiers were doing their best to support them and protect the civilians but there were too few and too stretched as they were already.
"Keep firing! Don't let up!" One of the sergeants and his men were firing rapidly at a Death Stalker that somehow snuck its way through the defenses.
"Behind you!" Weiss tried to warn them but was a little too late when the Atlesian Paladin suddenly dropped on top of their battle lines making a mess of things. Weiss clasped her mouth shut as the slaughter continued as the large machine dragged one of the poor soldiers away flinging him into the air like a ragdoll. "Oh… no…"
"Weiss look out!" Blake rushed in, pushing the heiress aside as a Beowolf tried to cleave her pretty white head off. "Haaa!" Using her semblance to create a shadow, tricking the beast, the Black Cat countered slicing the beast in four separate pieces. "You ok?"
"Yeah…" The Ice Queen nodded in gratitude. "But we need to help them. They don't stand a chance against that… Giant Killer Robot."
"I know… but we have more pressing matters." Blake pointed at the large crowd of droids coming their way. "If that battalion of droids gets passed here, they'll spread all over the school grounds. A lot of people could get hurt."
"But we can't just abandon them!"
However, before the Faunus could protest, they were cut off when the school's statue was suddenly flung from its roots, crashing onto the giant Paladin crushing it underfoot. The two gawk in disbelief and knew that only one person in Beacon could pull something like that off.
"Children!" They turned around noting the Headmistress there, wand in hand.
"Ms. Goodwitch!" The two said out loud, half in awe and half in relief.
"It's a relief to see you two." The blonde witch breathed a sigh. "Are any of you hurt?" They shook their heads in reply. "Thank goodness."
"Professor. What is going on?" Weiss inquired hoping for clarity in the situation, her voice clearly shaken. "Who's attacking? Are we at war? Why can't we call anyone!? What happened to our defenses!?"
"I'm afraid I'm just as in the dark as you are, Ms. Schnee." The witch stated also looking worse for wear herself.
"Is the school taking action to this?" Blake was next sounding quite distraught. "Where are the other teachers?"
"Calm yourselves!" The witch snapped at them making the two students stand at attention. "We cannot allow fear to control our actions. Remain steadfast and do your duties. As of this moment I have taken command of the academy and its resources. I am displacing all of our available assets to the Emerald Forest to stem the tide of Grimm. As we have no method of communication at the moment, it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this fight. Most of our volunteers have already gone ahead. There are only a few teachers and myself to hold key locations in school grounds. I'm afraid I'm all that's left here." She sighed at the end letting a moment of exhaustion come over her.
Weiss and Blake couldn't believe it. If what Glynda said was true, then it would only be a matter of minutes before the Academy falls to the Grimm itself. Without the Hunters to defend it, there would be no chance for any of them to get out of here alive.
"Then… what will happen to us?" Weiss asked fearing the answer.
"I'm afraid the only way we can survive now, is to fight, Ms. Schnee." Glynda answered sadly. "I'm sorry. I wish there was a better way to say this, but without communications… we can't expect any help other than the soldiers stationed here." She looked at their faces, their eyes widened and their mouths agape. "You two should escape while you still can. The landing platform should still have some airships left. Take one and get as far away from here as possible."
"But… what about you, Professor?" Blake asked worryingly.
She waved it off casually for the first time in a long while. "Don't worry about me. I'm an experienced Huntress. A few hundred droids or Grimm are no match for me. But you two on the other hand should get going. I wouldn't want any of you to…"
"Absolutely not." Weiss stood her ground surprising the witch. "You can't ask a Schnee to run away. A Schnee never backs away from a challenge. It's just what we do."
"Me neither." Blake nodded, for the first time actually agreeing with the heiress. "We can still do some good around here. Besides, I still need to find Yang."
Glynda looked at the two, smiling softly but at the same time feeling a sense of dread in her. These two children were willing ready to lay down their lives at an unwinnable battle. It wasn't something children like them should do when they have so much to live for.
"I cannot ask you to do this." She told them. "No one will judge you for running away."
"Oh I'm not doing this for charity." Weiss added earning a look from her teacher. "I expect a substantial bump in my extra-credit overall scores when we finish this."
"Weiss…" Blake sighed at her teammate which she shrugged.
"What? End of the world or not, I intend to graduate from this academy at the top of my class."
Glynda could only laugh softly at her ego. She could use a little bit of that confidence as well. "Should we survive the night Ms. Schnee, I assure you I will be very generous with both your scores." Their moment of peace was quickly interrupted when another explosion occurred from the adjacent building. "That's the cafeteria."
"That noise…" Blake's bow twitched when she heard a familiar gun trotting sound echoing from that direction. "I know that! It's Yang. It has to be!"
Rarrrr!
An Ursa Matriarch roared from the sideline as it rushed towards them with its pack in tow.
"Ms. Belladonna, you go find your partner. Ms. Schnee and I will hold our ground here. We'll meet at the lower base of the clock tower."
"Roger!"
(Amity Coliseum) (Engineering Block)
Neo let loose a sly and sinister grin as the main reactor of the coliseum began to spark. It seemed like such a waste to destroy such an expensive masterpiece. If she and Roman had enough time and manpower, they could've dismantled the darn thing and sold it piece by piece in the black market earning themselves a little bonus for a long awaited vacation. But… orders were orders and like any good henchman she was obligated to follow any instruction her boss gave her.
Watching the minions constantly sabotage each piece like a massive puzzle, the pinkette couldn't help but throw a yawn as things became somewhat boring for her. Protecting her boss was supposed to be her job. Not babysitting a couple of brain-dead idiots while they tinkle with technology beyond their understanding. She almost wished that the Atlesian Army would find out what they were doing and try to stop them. At least that way she'd be rid of this boredom.
"Ow~" The whining voice of Roman made Neo perk as she greeted her boss with a wide-eye smile only to drop it completely when she noted the bruise on his cheeks. Her brow rose which begs the questioned of what occurred. "Icepack… Now!"
Neo obeyed waving her umbrella around and producing said icepack like magic.
"Ah… much better." The oddly dressed criminal sighed with relief, placing the cooling pack on his cheeks. But his expression turned to that of anger once his pain subsided. "That… is the last time… I work with the White Fang or that stupid legless moron!" He threw the icepack away hitting one of Junior's goons in the head. "He can't even kill one measly kid. Seriously, that AMATEUR! If I see him around here again it would be too soon… TOO SOON! Argh! Another icepack!"
Neo complied handing the poor boss another pack which he gladly accepted.
"Ugh… forget it. What's the status of dismantling?" He got his answer in the form of lights flickering and an engine dying. "Ohohoho… looks like this day might just turn good just yet. Neo, ready the charges. I want to be the one who gets to blow this rock in the sky… to pieces."
