Chapter 73 – Arcturus Base – Pt. 3
Ruby
The Aqueducts rushed with great speed, chunks of destroyed, charred rubble were carried in the flows. A hand erupted from the surface of the water and gripped onto the edge of the path, and Ruby hauled herself out. Dripping with cold water, she panted, pulling her body out from the water. She rolled across the floor and stared up at the sky, seeing the smoke polluting it from where Starla blew up the Fuel Tanks. The fires burned hot and bright; she could see that orange hue in the black smog.
She heard the gasping for air from Oscar, Jaune and Pyrrha – as the three of them freed themselves from the cold wet grip of the rivers. She looked back at the water as it flowed past… and she saw the burnt remains of unlucky soldiers who did not make it, but their corpses were thrown into the waters by the shockwave. Ruby looked away from their bodies, and she pushed her hands against the floor, getting back up, and reaching over to Crescent Rose that she threw out the water before she pulled herself out. Her fingers locked around the red and black weapon, pulling it to her chest.
She felt like glass, exhausted from their daring escape. "Ruby…" Jaune panted as he walked over to her, his hand outstretched to his close friend. She nodded and grabbed his hand, and he yanked her up to her feet with great effort. Ruby staggered forward but Jaune steadied her, looking at her. "You still with us?" He asked her with a slight chuckle in his voice. Ruby blew out a breath, rubbing her knees with her hands. She then just gave him a thumbs up.
"My heart's still beating, right?" She asked with a chuckle, making Jaune laugh too.
"That's my gal." He said with a chuckle, patting her on the back. He turned as Oscar threw Crocea Mors to him, and he caught it with ease. Pyrrha pulled Milo and Akoúo to her hand after giving Oscar Traveller's Atrocity as well.
"That went better than I expected." Pyrrha admitted with a smile.
"You're telling me." Oscar agreed as he wiped the water from his stinging eyes. Ruby transformed Crescent Rose back into its Scythe Form as she looked around. They were close to Arcturus Base, but the Aqueducts washed them out of the facility itself. But from here they could hear the conflict that was erupting, as they friends came to rescue them, unaware that they were actually outside of the base right now.
"What's going on in there?" Jaune wondered as he looked at the Base with Ruby stood next to him.
"Our friends – they came for us. We need to get back in there, help them. We have to, this base needs to fall if we have any hope to get the Aphax Violet. Weiss, Yang, Sun and Neptune don't have much time left. We don't have anything left to wait around for." Ruby said as she spun Crescent Rose through her fingers, but Oscar's eyes slowly widened as he turned around.
"Guys?"
"It's a Fortified Base, we've never attacked something like this before. Outposts and an Island? Sure, but they had weak spots – but this Base is pretty much the Acolytes of Lien's H.Q. Assaulting it won't be easy." Jaune pointed out as he looked at Ruby.
"Guys?"
"We can't just stand here and do nothing. Merlot and the Embered Grove are just beyond this base, we need to destroy it." Ruby replied.
"GUYS!" Oscar yelled this time, and all three of them turned to stare at him.
"WHAT?" Both Jaune and Ruby loudly replied, then all their eyes widened with dread. "Oh…"
The Grimm were coming, the whole infestation of them that were lurking inside of Old Town? They were being drawn by the attack, just as Ortega planned them to. The only problem was that Ruby, Jaune, Oscar and Pyrrha were on the wrong side of this whole ordeal. But they still had their aura and they strength, even if they were soaked. Ruby's aura returned with a red crackle as she spun Crescent Rose through her fingers, glaring at the monsters of Darkness that charged towards them.
"Why can't we just get a break?" She yelled, and she fired Crescent Rose behind her, riding the recoil as she attacked the Grimm. Oscar's eyes widened as he reached out for her.
"Ruby!"
The Rose Thorn shot towards the Grimm in a blood red blur, and she slashed Crescent Rose's curved blade clean through their bodies, ripping through the black muscle of the Sabyr's. The Feline Grimm roared as Ruby sliced and diced them, she spun round and rolled across the back of a Beowulf, and the blade of her trusted weapon dug into its chest and as she rolled across the floor the weapon sliced it clean in two. Black smoke surrounded her before she spun the weapon through her fingers, and it transformed down into its rifle form. The revolving chamber of dust shells spun and coated the bullets in whichever one she desired – inspired by Myrtenaster.
She selected ice and fired it into the leg of the Beringel. The huge Ape Grimm roared with rage and pain as the ice froze it to the ground, unable to break free. Ruby's silver eye glared at the Grimm and she blasted towards it, and her scythe hooked onto the throat of the Beringel. She spun round and she fired down into the ground, shooting the blade up the throat of the creature. Ruby flipped through the air and landed down on the ground. She turned and heard the roar of another creature, an Ursa Major. The huge Ursine bellowed at her, massive bony spines adorned its back and shoulders, before it charged towards her, bashing the smaller Creeps out of its way.
Crescent Rose returned back to its Scythe Form again, and Ruby gritted her teeth, ducking under the swiping paw, razor sharp claws cut through the air but Ruby narrowly avoided it. Her long red cape blew in the wind as she moved, and she arched her scythe behind her curved back, stopping the second paw. The Ursa snarled at her, but she glared right back at its fiery eyes, she could see the hate in them. Nothing more than that – primal hatred for everything that had a soul.
Ruby spun Crescent Rose suddenly, and the huge scythe cut clean through the wrist of the Ursa's paw, black smoke bled out from its body. It howled in immense pain as it staggered backwards from Ruby, and she turned, and she slid under the attacking Beowulf that tried to get her from behind. She swung her Scythe across its legs, taking them on with great speed, and as it fell, she reached down to her leg and unsheathed her Dagger and pinned its skull to the floor. Ruby rushed straight for the Ursa Major and she drove Crescent Rose straight into its chest and she twisted it round and jumped over the beast's shoulder, using her bodyweight – which was relatively light – but also her strength, and she slammed it to the ground.
Ruby yelled with rage as she ripped her Scythe from the chest of the Ursa, which stilled lunged for her, even when it was dying, and Ruby swung downwards into the head of the beast. Its bony skull was cut clean in two, and Ruby panted, pulling the knife from the ground where that Beowulf was killed.
Jaune cracked his neck and he walked forward to help his best friend, with the love of his life and his other very dear friend on each shoulder as they all drew their weapons. Jaune gripped onto Crocea Mors tight as the Grimm all came for them. He stared at the attacking Sabyr as it jumped towards him, eyes burning red as its long-curved teeth were poised for him. He swung his shield across its face, so hard that the beast was thrown across the ground. The Sabyr rolled over the floor and growled in pain, before getting back up and charging towards Jaune yet again. Jaune slashed the Sabyr hard with his sword, reducing it to a cloud of ash, before thrusting his large shield into the jaws of another. The Sabyr bit down into his shield but Jaune swung the creature over his head and slammed it head-first into the ground. He ran the blade of Crocea Mors straight through its belly, the blade reached the ground as well, killing it slowly.
The Sabyr writhed with the blade in its belly, most normal animals would cry out in pain, but with the Grimm? It was nothing but rage, people believed they roared in pain – but really it was just some kind of endless anger. Instead of feeling pain the way we would experience it, their anger just grows and grows and grows. The Sabyr slashed its claws up at Jaune's face, until the Knight finished the beast off by pushing the blade upwards, cleanly slicing the beast in half, causing it to crumble into a thick cloud of black smoke. He pulled the blade of Crocea Mors from the ground where the Sabyr was pinned, and he turned, and saw more of the Grimm coming for him.
He hardened his emotions and he sheathed Crocea Mors into the shield, extending the blade into his Greatsword. A Beowulf roared as it jumped straight towards Jaune, and he swung round and sliced up the gut of the beast, cutting in clean in two. It yelped as it passed by him, leaving nothing but smoke behind him. He had become much stronger than he was five years prior and learned how to better use his sword. He held the hilt of Crocea Mors tight and swung it round, one-handed, and took the heads of two Creeps off in that single swing. Their smoke filled the air as they died, then he reached out and caught a smaller Beowulf by the throat, holding it off the ground.
Jaune slammed it down to the ground with great force and he stabbed his sword down into his chest, leaving the sword in the soil behind him. He ducked down and dodged the ranged attack from another – unique species of Grimm. Known as a Spiker – these beasts were large beasts, around the same size as a Boarbatusk, but with very little armour. They were easy to take down, but their razor-sharp claws and long tail that could launch quills at their targets? They were very vicious beasts, and it kept firing the spikes at Jaune.
The Knight of Arc rolled backwards, and he gripped the hilt of his sword, ripping it from the soil, and he immediately deflected the incoming quill that was launched at him. He made his way towards the creature, but more Grimm were coming for him. Pyrrha's training however was not forgotten, and he had managed to make it into his own fighting style over the years. Another Sabyr roared at him, before charging forward, Jaune kicked it in the chest as it lunged for him and it fell to the ground, tumbling across the grass. He swung round and sliced straight through its open jaws, causing the bottom jaw to hang low, dangling from sinewy black muscle.
Jaune deflected the second quill from the Spiker, and the spine of bone bounced off the large blade of Crocea Mors and shot straight through another Beowulf, killing it instantly. It crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, a hole with black smoke bleeding from its heart. Jaune rushed towards the Spiker and he roared with fury and he launched the huge sword towards the Spiker, and the whole sword went right into its skull, killing it instantly. Jaune jumped towards the crumbling body and he grabbed his sword, and pirouetted round and beheaded the three other Beowulves that lunged for him.
As the smoke flowed around him, Pyrrha stared with awe at how skilled he had become over the years she missed. She smiled, her attraction towards the Blonde Man was just growing ever stronger. She looked away from her lover and saw the other Grimm that were headed their way, and one of them was a Hellhound, like the one that Ruby and Oscar fought when they bound their auras together. Pyrrha spun Milo through her fingers as the large army of Grimm charged towards her.
Pyrrha's walk accelerated into a full charge, then she launched Akoúo towards a Creep that tunnelled through the ground and erupted out from the soil. She called her discus sword back, and she threw herself forward, and slashed straight through the soft unprotected underbelly of the creature. It howled in agony as she flew through its disintegrating body. She twirled through the air, and landed on both feet, her heels dug into the soil as she transformed Milo into its Rifle Form. She aimed down the sights and nailed three Griffins out of the sky, sending two of them crashing down to their depths. But one of them fell straight for her, and she spun Milo through her fingers, transforming it down into the Xiphos, holding the blade backwards so the back of it gently touched her arm.
The Griffin crashed towards her, and Pyrrha waited until the last second, before jumping up into the air and launching Milo downwards and nailing it straight through the side of its head, finishing it off. Pyrrha landed on her knee and called Milo back into her hand, staring ahead as the Hellhound roared furiously at her. The black fur that covered its large body ignited and the monster charged towards her. Unlike Beowulves, the Hellhound was shaped more like a traditional wold – except it was probably three times the size – and ignited flamed across its hide. The eyes burned like a house aflame, then the monster from the Charred Forest ran straight for her. It jumped towards her but Pyrrha slid underneath it as it crashed into the ground, its claws paws dug and ignited the grass, slashing them across the rocks. It pressed the glowing claws to the rocks, and they melted down into lava.
Pyrrha flicked her red hair from her eyes and she looked around, judging the area to see how she could take this thing down. The Hellhound's paw was covered in fire and the beast bellowed, belching clouds of fire from its jaws where smoke poured out alongside countless glimmering orange embers. The Beast slashed the paw of molten claws at Pyrrha, but she rolled out of the way, and she threw Akoúo towards it, and it bounced off its head, temporarily dazing it. The Invincible Girl rushed towards the creature and she slid underneath its burning hide, cutting one of the legs badly. The Hellhound snarled as it fell to one knee, turning to see Pyrrha sprinting up the rubble of ancient destroyed buildings.
The Hellhound barked up at her as she moved with such elegance, but the creature may be immobilised due to her taking out one of the legs, but it could still attack. It dug its claws into the destroyed rocks around it, and melted them down into burning hot lava, launching it up at her. Pyrrha ducked to avoid them though and she jumped off the destroyed building, transforming Milo into its spear form, before launching it down with all her might. The spear was shot further by the extra shot from the gun sticking out the other end as well. The razor-sharp spear punctured through the ear of the Hellhound, pinning it down to the ground, and Pyrrha landed with her fist slammed to the ground. She looked forward once more and pulled Milo from the fading corpse of the Hellhound.
Time stopped, and Oscar charged straight past her and he yelled as he slashed Traveller's Atrocity through their bodies with speed and agility. He struck so hard and so fast that even the bony armour of the Ursa Major could not stop him. The bone fragments shattered as he shot back and forth, eviscerating the beast into dust. The Ursa lunged for the fast-moving man but he cut clean through its chest, killing it as it jumped for the blur. He stood behind it and turned around, seeing more Beowulves and beasts coming for him.
He stared at them and he shifted Traveller's Atrocity's form, and the sword split in two, into the dual knives that he also uses that can also shift into guns on command. But it was not the Firearms he wished to use just yet, he walked towards the Beowulves and he stabbed one of them through the side of its jaw. It bit down on the blade in its own skull before dying, and Oscar cut across the back of the other's knee. The Beowulf snarled as it fell to one knee, and Oscar spun round and drove the other knife up its jaw, so hard that the tip of his knife ruptured the roof of its skull. He twisted the blade and kicked the creature from his grasp, splitting the skull open.
More Beowulves charged towards him, so he ducked underneath the claws of the Alpha and he rammed the knife into his stomach and ignited the dust that was injected into the blades by the cartridges also loaded into the weapons. The fire burnt through its body, setting its black fur alight and the body inside out. The Alpha Beowulf roared with rage as it staggered back, and it swung downwards at Oscar even with a burning dagger stabbed into its belly. Oscar dashed aside, using his semblance to his advantage. He jumped up and grabbed onto the spines that protruded from its back of thick black fur. He took his second knife and he transformed it into his Revolver, and he pressed it to the back of its head, firing it over and over, until it was dead. The body collapsed and Oscar jumped off it, rolling across the floor, launching the gun as it transformed into its Dagger Form mid-flight, and it stabbed straight through the skull of another Sabyr.
Oscar kicked his still burning blade up from the floor, cooling it off with the ice-dust injection, simply by selecting that chamber. Steam trailed from the now cool blade and Oscar walked back to his other blade where the Sabyr faded from existence. He connected the two blades back together, forming into the Sword that he held. He spun it through his fingers and turned as a Knights' Bannerman stood before him, holding a sword in its hand. It said nothing as it stared at him. "Come on then, you ugly bastard." Oscar snarled, and the Knights' Bannerman yelled as it sprinted towards him with the sword.
It jumped upwards and spun through the air, swinging the sword downwards at Oscar, but he blocked and parried the attack, sparks flew from the hard contact of two swords. Oscar kicked the Knights' Bannerman in the leg, bringing to its armoured knee. Oscar swing towards its head but it ducked down and punched him in the gut. Oscar slid back from the skilled warrior that rose back up, pointing its sword at his face. Oscar held the hilt with both hands, circling the Bannerman, blade aimed straight at it as it walked with him. The Bannerman yelled with a demonic screech as it swung the sword down towards Oscar's shoulder with all its might, but Oscar pirouetted and he held the black of Traveller's Atrocity upwards against his back, between his shoulder blades. His hazel eyes glared at the burning red eyes inside of that skull of the Corrupted Soul.
Oscar slid his sword across the blade of the Bannerman, and he lifted his above his head and brought it down with immense force. The Knights' Bannerman held the sword horizontally to try and stop Oscar's attack, but he struck so hard that he still dug into the metal. Black smoke poured from the armour plating, but the entity still stared up at Oscar. The Spectral Grimm swiftly swung the sword upwards, smacking Oscar's chin to knock him back. The Knights' Bannerman was injured but it was not backing down, keeping its sword on Oscar and the Huntsman did the same.
Oscar shot forward and he slashed his sword across the blade of the Knights' Bannerman, sparks bounced off their blades as they collided into one another. The follower of the Knights of Grimm took its sword and deflected Oscar's incoming attacks and spun the sword round and went to stab Oscar in the chest, only for him to stop the blade with the armour plating on his gauntlet. He then used his semblance and thrusted himself into the armoured warrior to knock it back.
It staggered backwards as Oscar charged forward, repeatedly striking the Knights' Bannerman over and over again with his sword, using countless different fighting moves that he had learned over the years. Pirouettes, and downward strikes, mixing it up so the Bannerman could not predict what he was gonna do. The Bannerman stopped his blade with his own, until Oscar grabbed that sword and ripped it from the metal hand of the soldier, and he drove it straight through the Metal Casket's chest.
But before it collapsed… he heard a soft voice as time slowed.
Save… us…
Stop… him…
The Knights' Bannerman bellowed as it collapsed into itself, pulling the metal and the sword into the singularity formed by destroying it, sending it back whence it came – to the Charred Forest. Oscar panted as he stood tall and lowered Traveller's Atrocity.
Sometimes… he forgot.
These are still people… the Knights' Bannermen…
They're just people Umbra turned into monsters.
We should remember that… so that we can honour them.
The Four of them came back together, Pyrrha opened her palm as the outline around her hand turned black, her polarity yanking Akoúo right back to her. The Grimm just kept coming. "We need to get back inside of the Base!" Jaune told her as he pulled Crocea Mors from his shield, returning it back into both forms as it was.
"Yeah… we can't fight that many." Ruby said as she backed up with them. The ones they just fought were the first ones that were coming… but they could see how many more were coming. They all looked back at Arcturus Base and they ran as fast as they could, because soon – that army of darkness was gonna hit.
Cardin
It was all-out-war back inside of the Headquarters of the Acolytes of Lien.
Tank Shells and Missiles flew overhead as the Airships shot across the sky, performing impressive evasive manoeuvres as the hacked Anti-Air-Cannons repeatedly fire their powerful round at them. One of the fighter jets spun through the air, launching blinding red flares to send the missiles from the Surface-to-Air-Missiles haywire. But one of the Cannons fired a well-placed shot, sending a shell that blew the wing of an Acolytes of Lien Fighter Jet down. Flames bled from the severed wing, smoke trailing behind the crackling flames, and the jet spun out of control with a terrifying shriek.
The vehicle crashed into the ground outside of the base, blowing apart the already decimated buildings, spreading flames throughout the remnants of this once great empire. Smoke filled the air, and Cardin watched as the jet crashed into the background. His eyes wide as the glow of the fire itself reflected off his eyes. He turned and he saw more of the Acolytes of Lien coming for them. He spun his Mace through his fingers, deflecting their bullets as they all fired upon him. Then an Acolytes of Lien Trained Huntsman sprinted towards him.
He too had a mace but unlike Cardin's it was using electrified dust. He slammed it down into the ground with immense force, hitting like a lightning bolt that shattered the tarmac that they stood atop. Cardin staggered back to avoid the attacks from the Huntsman who was being paid by the Organisation. However, unlike Freelance Huntsmen – like himself and most Huntsmen in fact – he was in a uniform and similar armour. In fact, it was very familiar to what the Atlesian Huntsmen and Huntresses would wear, sacrificing style for unity.
Cardin grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, and he spun his Mace through his fingers, pacing back and forth as he watched the Huntsman stare him down. "Looks like you bought in, huh? What's it like working for a bunch of Mercs?" Cardin asked as he circled the Huntsman who fell from his path.
"Keeps the money in – it's all life needs to be." The Huntsman growled; Cardin scoffed.
"There was a time where I would have agreed." Cardin said, before he charged forward and he jumped up and pushed himself off a destroyed wall. He yelled as he slammed his Mace down at the Huntsman with all his might. The fire dust crystal in the heart of the mace blew the ground apart and knocked the Huntsman back a few steps. Cardin swung round and he slammed his fist into the helmeted face of the Huntsman, so hard that the visor shattered from his fist. Cardin rolled out of the way, since the Huntsman transformed his Mace into a Shotgun, firing it at Cardin, only to miss. The crackling shells flew past him, blowing holes in the brickwork behind him.
Cardin rolled backwards and he kept his distance from the Huntsman, who's fist suddenly shot forward, his semblance gave him the ability to extend his aura, essentially making his farms elongate at great distances. Cardin was not ready for a fist to suddenly stretch forward over many meters. Cardin recoiled back from the punch as the Huntsman sparked his Mace once more, sprinting towards the Huntsman. He ran with great speed and his elongated arm – that was forged from golden aura – reached up and he swung towards Cardin and slammed both his boots into his chest. Cardin grunted, but his armour that he wore absorbed most of his strike, making very little damage to his aura itself.
Cardin grabbed onto the arm of the Huntsman and he swung him over his shoulder and into the ground, before he brought the mace down into the soldier's gut. He winced in agony as he felt his aura crackle – it was not broken, not yet – but very close to being broken after that attack. Cardin channelled the power of his semblance into the mace, the Wickerman's Flame travelled up his arm as it burned the flesh and skin and ignited the dust crystal. He yelled as he slammed it down, breaking the semblance of the Huntsman, a bright golden flash coursed across his body.
Cardin then swung his boot into the side of his head, so hard it knocked his helmet off. Cardin rolled his shoulder as he stood there, until a bullet suddenly struck his shoulder. He grunted, both his armour and aura protected him from real harm, yet it got his attention. He saw the Acolytes of Lien all firing on him. He sighed and cracked his neck, then he sprinted forward, spinning his Mace through his fingers, deflecting the bullets fired from their rifles. He jumped up into the air and he slammed the mace down into the ground, the fire dust crystal inside created an almighty explosion, shattering the ground and throwing the first soldier up in the air.
Cardin caught his heel and swung him down to the ground with all his might. Cardin rushed past the defeated soldier and swung under the blade of the next. He rose back to his feet, and slammed his mace into the chest of another, grabbing one soldier by his helmet and lifting him off the floor. Cardin swung the mace across the helmet of another soldier. The glowing red T-Shaped Visor shattered into a hundred pieces, and chunks of metal broke off from the strike. Cardin turned back to the soldier he had by the face and he slammed his head back down into the road with all his might, such a strike easily collapsed the helmet around his head. He turned and he deflected the bullets from the soldier he passed, who fired his one-handed submachine gun at him.
The soldier ran forward with the False Crimson Dawn Blade, and he slashed it towards his face, only for Cardin to swing his mace right back. The blade got stuck inside and the soldier gasped as Cardin twisted the mace, snapping the blade immediately. The soldier's eyes were wide behind that glowing read visor. "M-Mercy?" He stammered.
"Nope." Cardin replied as he slammed the mace against his face, sending the soldier flying back, right into the path of an oncoming truck that splattered him. Cardin flinched at that one. "Oh! Did… Did not mean for that. Gods, that was gnarly."
Cardin was not the only one holding the Entrance to Donovan's Labs – Cinder and Emerald were both still out there, fighting together against the Acolytes. It was just like old times.
Cinder flew through the air, her eyes burned hot as she spun round and she launched spikes of glass down towards the soldiers that fired up at her. She blasted down to the ground, slamming her fist down into the ground so hard that it created an almighty eruption. Emerald swung round and landed behind the very person that gave her person – and who she loved. She slashed her dual sickles across the bodies of the Acolytes of Lien that tried to stop them. The long curved green blades sliced and diced them, whilst Cinder formed her two Obsidian Swords. She lunged forward and slashed through a couple of Atlesian Knights. The machines fell apart and she lifted their broken bodies into the air with the element of the wind, then she melted them down into magma, and turned them into sharp spikes with ice. She launched them towards the stationary technical that fired its machine gun at them. The soldier screamed before being cut shot – and chopped up – by the huge chunks of broken metal that pinned his ripped-up body to the wall.
Cinder summoned the storm as well, calling upon lightning and she brought it all crashing down form the heavens, shattering the ground as the forks of molten light attacked their enemies. Emerald swung past her and she spun through the air, grabbing onto the long chains that held Silent Judgement together, and she sliced them across the helmets of the soldiers beneath her. She landed on the other side of their bodies, firing her two revolvers at the soldiers that hit behind cover, firing at her. Until the doors broke open and a Paladin marched out, firing missiles and machine guns at her. Emerald's eyes widened as she saw the huge machine as it stomped past them all.
Cinder cracked her neck and she blasted towards the vehicle, and she slammed her body into it so hard it caused the vehicle to stagger. It turned and swung at her, only for Cinder to stop its fist with her hands. It pushed her to the ground, but she stayed on her feet. She yelled with rage and uppercutted the Paladin, blowing pieces of metal clean off its body. Flames belched from where the plates once were. The hulking suit of armour stumbled away from her, and right towards Emerald who threw the chained sickles, wrapping them around its legs. She pulled tight, and the legs crossed over, causing the suit of armour to crash to the ground with great force. Cinder landed on top of the cockpit and she stared down at it, heating her fist up and she punched straight through it, grabbing the pilot and ripping him out of it.
She looked at him and she just slammed her head into his, rendering him unconscious, throwing him away from the ruined Paladin. She dropped down from the Paladin as Emerald stood next to her with a smile.
And stood before them?
Was none other than Cardin… looking dumbfounded.
"You're… so damn badass." Cardin gasped as he gazed at the two who looked at each other with adoring smiles.
"It takes practice." Emerald winked, but as the three of them stood there, more Acolytes of Lien started to arrive.
"Take 'em out!" The Captain yelled and the three of them sighed.
"When will these guys stop throwing their lives away?" Cinder asked.
"I was thinking the same thing." Cardin agreed, spinning his Mace through his fingers.
"We can't let them into Donovan's Facility, we have to hold the entrance until they come out. So… let's see if we can get these guys to get the message." Cinder said as she formed two more Obsidian swords… and then they continued to defend the Labs.
Blake
The skilled Faunus Huntress ducked down behind the burning wreckage of an Armoured Personnel Carrier, with Nora beside her, who was still reloading her Grenade Launcher. "Gods… they just keep coming." Blake panted as she looked at her aura. "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." She said to her.
"I know, especially with those frigging tanks shooting at us. We can't get close enough to take them down." Nora said, flinching as a tank shell flew right past them, exploding into one of the buildings in the distance. And worse, was the fact that the Grimm were getting closer and closer. With multiple gates blown down, the Acolytes of Lien will be the least of their problems – their objective is to get to the Embered Grove.
Merlot can wait, Weiss cannot.
Blake peered round the destroyed vehicle to see the others still battling, but they still could not push up. The Mercenaries had built up quite the barricade, using their vehicles to block the road off, whilst repeatedly firing their guns at them, forcing most of them into cover. They had them right where they wanted them. The Architect grunted as a Sharpshooter hit him in the shoulder, the impact of the bullet struck him so hard and so suddenly that it sent him tumbling backwards, of which he recovered by rolling across the floor and back onto his feet. He aimed his Rifle and fired it back at the enemy, slamming his metal shoulder behind cover. The bullets bounced off the metal, sparks flew from where the flames burned.
"Well this is just great." The Architect scoffed sarcastically.
Yenna floated up into the air and she darkened the sky, blasting lightning down towards the blockade, but they even had a defence for that, because there was a new Soldier Rank, they had not encountered – must have been newly created. It was a Support Class, named a Shield Weaver, and these soldiers did not have much in terms of offensive weaponry, but they were the ones that protected their battalion. Hardlight Dust formed from his large backpack, swirling with blue energy, forming a dome of light that protected their forces from the elements that Yenna forced down upon their heads.
Yenna's eyes widened and she descended before the Hellfire Tank could knock her out of the sky with the turret. The shell narrowly missed her as she dove down to the ground, slamming her fist to the ground. Roots dug through the roads, breaking the tarmac and they lifted the roads up, crumbling the less flexible chunks of it, forming a wall of their own. "They wanna play that game?" Yenna scoffed as she held the wall up with her powers. Nora and Blake nodded at each other, then they charged forward whilst Qrow deflected the incoming bullets by the soldiers.
"That Hardlight Shield makes strikes from above useless! And we can't hit them from the front." Blake said as she stood behind the wall of tarmac that Yenna held up.
"Then we go around!" Qrow yelled, grunting a missile exploded against his chest, his glowing red aura protected him, but he was running low. Kragen grabbed Qrow and dragged him back behind cover so then the old warrior could recharge.
Blake looked around and her amber eyes widened, and her cat ears perked up, she did in fact see a way round… but it was across the street. She looked at Nora and she knew that they needed her here, she was their heavy hitter. She needed someone who was fast and stealthy, like her. Her attention turned and she saw Ren firing Stormflower round the pillar of a decimated building. Ren… perfect. "Ren!" She called to him, yelling over the gunfire and explosions. He just managed to hear her, and he turned to see her. "We can go around! Take out that soldier making that Shield!" Blake called and he nodded, and he rolled from his pillar to her.
Both of them stayed low to the ground, whilst Yenna held up the tarmac, the road was barely holding together from how many bullets, shells and missiles had crashed into. "Over there! You see that Garrison that some of those soldiers came out of? It is still open, and there is an alleyway that we can take round there!" Blake told him.
"Good idea. We can take out that soldier and then Yenna can rain lightning down on them." Ren said as he looked at the Raven-Haired Spring Maiden, she smirked at them.
"You can bet on it, kids." She assured with a wink with her violet eyes. Blake looked at Ren and he was ready just as he reloaded his dual pistols, spinning them through his fingers. Everyone was ready to hold the soldiers where they were, so then they did not pay attention to their flanks.
"Alright. Three, two, one – GO!" Blake shouted, and they both sprinted out from cover, rolling to dodge the missiles and bullets that flew through the air. The air was filled with danger, bullets were everywhere, and the ground was not even flat anymore from all the craters. But that did not stop them, not even when one of the Sharpshooters hit Blake in the head, but her corpse faded away into her illusion, and Blake threw Gambol Shroud, holding onto the cable. She swung round as it hooked onto the catwalk of the building and she launched herself around the corner and slammed both her heels into the chest of the Sharpshooter. They both fell from the building and he crashed into the Garrison, straight through the roof and onto the ground.
Ren sprinted as fast as he could, and he jumped through the open gates of the Garrison, and they both turned the corner, swiftly moving through as they passed by the empty Garages where the trucks and Hellfire Tanks were being kept. This place was built for defence, there were Hangers and Garages everywhere, alongside many, many Garrisons. They had thousands of soldiers here, and more than enough firepower to hold the Grimm in Old Town Back. Blake turned the corner, and their eyes widened as they saw a Juggernaut and a Glider Jockey inside, the two turned and the Glider screeched as it sharply turned and fired its two machine guns at the two stealthy Hunters.
Blake flipped backwards, using her semblance to cast a burning shadow of herself that exploded just as the Juggernaut charged forward. The Juggernaut staggered backwards with a growl, towering above Blake Belladonna, and Lie Ren sprinted forward and ran across the wall, jumping off to stab his blade into the neck of the Juggernaut. The huge Armoured Soldier caught Ren by the throat though and lifted him above the ground before smashing him into the ground with all his might. The ground shattered like glass, but Ren rolled aside, just dodging the huge soldier as he came after him. The Juggernaut – like always – was armed to the teeth with weapons. The right arm transformed into the huge machine gun, three barrels shaped in a triangular way spun and unleashed a storm of powerful burning bullets towards him.
Blake on the other hand was busy fighting the Glider Jockey, who stood atop the vehicle that was nimble even in tight quarters like these. Blake slid underneath one of the desks and she flipped it over, then kicked it towards the Jockey. The Glider Jockey however had a sword that was coated in fire dust.
Crap, they've been getting creative.
The sword cut clean through the metal desk, slicing it in two and passing right by him, and he charged towards her again, thrusting through the rough environment. Blake bounced off the walls and she fired Gambol Shroud repeatedly at the Jockey and his Glider. The vehicle was tough, as expected, and continued to fire its machine guns at her. Some of the rounds hit her strong purple aura, but that did not stop her from battling against the soldier. She launched herself towards the soldier and she landed on the glider. She ducked down to avoid the sword that he swung at her, but then he caught her wrist that held Gambol Shroud, going to stab him in the gut. He held her tight, then Blake suddenly performed an impressive and elegant backflip, slamming both her feet up his jaw so hard it knocked his helmet off.
Underneath, the soldier was a Faunus, but he did was not one to care for the White Fang or their species – only money. That was all he fought for, like most of the Acolytes of Lien that did not stay loyal to Ortega back at Atlas. He had long curved horns on his head and he even had them tattooed with red lightning marks. Blake glared at the Faunus Mercenary, then they continued to battle each other.
Ren was still taking on the Juggernaut single-handedly, after seeing a few Juggernauts get destroyed so fast by the Maidens, he would not be lying if he said he forgot how dangerous these guys were. The Juggernaut's left arm extended a razor-sharp blade that ignited with fire dust, and he swung it upwards, across Ren's aura, which threw the skilled Kuroyurian back. He crashed onto the ground and the Juggernaut sprinted towards him, and stabbed the blade down towards him, but he rolled out of the way, and immediately jumped up and bounced off the wall. He stabbed both Stormflowers into the back plating of the Juggernaut, he staggered forward and yelled with rage as he reached back for Ren, firing up into the ceiling wildly.
Ren fired both his pistols into the armour plating, slowly breaking it apart, and just as the Juggernaut nearly shot him, he jumped off with a perfect flip. He landed down on the ground, lifting his head up so fast his hair swung back. The Juggernaut glared at Ren, aiming the powerful machine guns at him, before charging towards him with that massive blade once more. Ren sprinted at the huge soldier as well, and he slid under the eight-foot warrior, slashing the blade across the pistons that kept him so high up.
Ren always thought of Juggernauts as the Prototype for the Paladins, and he was not wrong either. The Acolytes of Lien simply saw another use for them after the Paladin was completed. The piston was severed, and coolant designed to keep the flawed piece of technology from overheating started to burst and hiss from the leg.
The Juggernaut fell to one knee but it continued to fire its machine gut at Ren, shredding the walls and destroying the lights in the process, but not one bullet even grazed the swift Huntsman, who circled round the Juggernaut, he jumped towards him and punched him in the side of his helmet, using his aura to enhance the punch's force, just as he did against the King Taijitu back in the Emerald Forest during Initiation.
Blake punched the Glider Jockey across the jaw, so hard that he staggered across Glider. The Vehicle screeched as it started to lose control. Blake cast another shadow of herself, using the fire dust just like last time, and it exploded atop the Glider. The eruption blew one of the wings clean off, flames danced around them and as she jumped off the Glider, she threw Gambol shroud and the Hook dug into the wing. And with all her might she swung the vehicle round and launched it towards the Juggernaut. As he fell from the air, Blake threw herself upwards and she wrapped her legs around his neck, flipping through the air, and smashing him head first into the ground, so hard one of his horns snapped off.
The Glider that she launched slammed and exploded against the armour plating of the Juggernaut. The huge armoured soldier staggered backwards as the armour around him broke apart, fire crackled around him and the ammunition inside of the machine gun all started to erupt. The Juggernaut roared with rage within the armour and Ren covered his face as the entire Juggernaut exploded, all the dust ammunition inside of it erupted at once, leaving nothing but a mangled, burning wreckage of the armour, and nothing of the pilot at all.
Ren sighed, looking past the smoke to see Blake who nodded at him, then the two of them continued. They approached the exit of the Garrison, and they saw the Shield Weaver on the other side. He was in the middle of the Blockade, which meant that they had to get past the other soldiers that were unaware of their presence right now. "Crap… how are we supposed to get to him?" She softly said as she tried to come up with an idea. But as they examined the area, Ren had an idea.
"The Flamers." Ren said, she turned, and her eyes widened. There were Incinerator Troopers amongst the soldiers at the defences, they could break their line by blowing up their backpacks, filled with fire dust. "We blow them up, it will give the others an opening, and clear the way for us to get to the Shield Weaver."
"Alright, Ren you take out the Incinerators, I will go for the Weaver." Blake said, and he nodded, aiming Stormflower at the backpack of the first Trooper he could see. He was getting ready to burn their friends to ash – but he was not gonna let that happen. Blake sprinted forward, and Ren took the shot, his green bullets impacted the backpack and the shot ignited the dust instantly, creating a powerful fiery explosion that killed the soldier instantly, and destroyed some of the trucks that were used to block off the road. The soldiers turned with shock, but then Ren hit the other, walking forward as he fired repeatedly to take them down.
Blake slid under the incoming bullets from the Acolytes of Lien Captain who aimed his Machine Gun at her. She jumped up and launched her Grappling Hook into his chest. The Captain grunted as she threw herself towards him and kicked him in the chest with great force. As she kept moving, she yanked the blade of Gambol Shroud out immediately, and made her way directly towards the Shield Weaver. The soldier turned and he aimed his pistol at her. Blake deflected the bullets and she shot forward, slashing her sword straight through his body and the backpack.
She looked at his body as he fell to his knees, then her eyes widened, and the backpack suddenly exploded from the unstable Hardlight Dust inside. The explosion threw her across the ground, and she groaned in pain, looking up at the sky. Things were getting blurry, so many explosions, she could barely even hear over her ringing ears. She rolled over and pressed her hands to the floor, softly coughing, grabbing her chest and rubbing her head. She looked around… and saw something she didn't expect.
A Tank shell flew over her head and exploded into the side of the Hellfire Tank behind the defences.
What?
A Tank? Attacking the Acolytes?
Blake lifted her head to the black smoke… and her eyes widened with disbelief of who it was that walked through the smoke.
"I was wrong." He said as he stretched his hand to her, and she looked up at him…
… to Mazen Ursus.
"You were right. I won't make that mistake again, Miss Belladonna." He promised, and behind him?
The White Fang and the army they had massed, of Faunus who wished to fight against the Acolytes of Lien. With Kaa and Arkaas stood by his side, and they had amassed quite the army. It was not as large as what Ortega had on the way, but it was more than any of them expected. He had… at least a one and a half thousand brave warriors at his side and armed to the teeth with tech and vehicles taken from their raids on the Acolytes.
Mazen pointed his Chainsword at the Acolytes of Lien, as the White Fang helped Qrow and the others back to their feet. "With me, my brothers and sisters! Today we will end Kelham and the Acolytes that follow him! No more will their genocidal campaign for Vir Nominis Umbra continue!" Mazen yelled and Blake took his hand, and he pulled her back up to her feet.
"Fight! Fight for the Faunus! For Humanity! For Menagerie!" Mazen roared and the White Fang roared with fury as they charged towards the Acolytes of Lien, and they even had three Atlesian Dreadnaughts that they customised to carry the White Fang Symbol upon its hull, and their Airships came pouring out from them, and thanks to Ortega changing the targeting system of the Cannons? They were only attacking Kelham's Aircraft, not any of the others.
Blake smiled…
… they had a chance.
They could beat them.
Mazen looked at Blake and he nodded his head to her, and he spun his Chainsword through his fingers and he walked forward with her.
Finally… the White Fang were on their side once more.
Author Note - I'm back!
Sorry this took a while to update, I was in the process of moving AND had no internet for a few days, so I could literally do nothing about that. But I have finally returned and can get back to normal.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Mazen and the White Fang have finally arrived! Hopefully they will not turn on them again, now that they know that Vir Nominis Umbra is the monster responsible for the war that they started against the Acolytes of Lien and Jacques Schnee. This was a cool chapter to write, especially with Blake and Ren Vs the Glider Jockey and the Glider. I love some of the Acolyte Types, the Juggernaut has always been a personal favourite, alongside the Seekers and the Tremor Troopers.
Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt