The little shop smelled of burning incense and fresh meat.
Ren walked down the isles, searching for the best ingredients he could find. They needed filling food that would last and not taste bad. Emerald and Penny were willing to eat just about anything, but everyone else had opinions.
A pack of sausages caught his eye. They'd be able to camp outside of Chisana Machi for a few more days, a week at most. That would be enough time to finish off a nice, hearty stew. Though, the vegetables he'd normally use weren't available this close to Vaccuo.
He picked up a bundle of leafy stalks. They smelled a little spicy. That would need balancing, but they felt crisp enough to work for tomorrow's lunch. The bell on the front door rang as he picked through a bin of roots and tubers.
"Can you believe it? One of them just showed up out of nowhere," A woman said as she came in.
"They should know their kind aren't welcome here. Not after what those animals did to Forest. " A second voice, a bit higher, followed her. "That poor boy."
Ren sighed. They wouldn't be convinced about anything by a 'wandering Huntsman'.
"He still has scars covering his face, just like the ones on their horrid flag."
"I bet she's just walking around with those colors."
"You'd think so, but no."
"She isn't?!"
"I was walking down main street when she sauntered in like she owned the place." The woman started 'whispering'. She was so loud that everyone could easily hear. "She had this long coat and wings so big they almost knocked poor Mister Ashen's plants off his fence. Went straight to the bar."
"Drinking at this hour? Disgusting." The woman paused for a moment. "But she really wasn't wearing their sign?"
"No, I think she's one of the clever ones who's waiting for us to drop our guard."
Ren checked the date, three days before Yang's expected arrival. She was supposed to send them a message when she got here, but it could also be a coincidence.
'We might have found Yang.' He texted Jaune, before grabbing a pair of parsnips. Keeping Jaune up to date was important for a number of reasons, confirmation of Ren's own mental stability being one of the most important.
'That's good?' Jaune's reply came almost immediately. 'I mean… That was why you guys left, right?'
'It's probably good.' At the very least, it would mean they weren't camping in the most hidden areas they could find.
'How do you feel about her taking over that city?' Jaune asked the most important question. Something that would tell their leader if he had been completely taken in by Weiss. Nora was already compromised to some extent, so she needed more watching.
'I'm still angry and awaiting an explanation that makes any sense.' Ren replied. 'How's the siege?'
'You still sound like you and if more Hunters come back from chasing you, we'll be a lot better. We tried flushing her out four days ago.' Jaune's icon stayed on typing for a long time. 'Three Hunters and two students died.'
'I'm sorry.' Ren thought back to how hard it was to land a blow on Cinder during Professor Goodwitch's classes. That was before she became an Anathema.
'I have no idea how someone missing an arm can fight that well.'
'You fought her?' Ren's hand shook. Jaune had improved a lot, but...
'Not exactly. She showed up in the middle of us trying to defuse one of her traps and Professor Port took point.'
'You faced one and lived. That's more than most can say.'
'Haven't we faced four or five at this point?' He sent another message before Ren could respond. 'Crap, sorry. I mean… You and Nora were..'
'It's fine.' A pair of kids who'd been brainwashed... facing one down... being the sole survivors. 'Yours is still a major accomplishment.'
'Sure.'
Ren went over to the potato basket. If it was Yang, then he'd need to grab enough for two more people, maybe three.
'I g2g. Time to get some use out of my "strong Aura".' Jaune sent one more text.
'Good luck.' Ren responded. With that finished, he went back to the basket and-
An explosion shook the building. Onions fell to the ground as glass shattered.
Ren tossed his basket to the side, vaulting over the stands to get to the front faster. He blew past the women, not bothering to apologize when they nearly fell. He didn't have the time and they were incredibly rude.
A cloud of dust rose into the air several streets away. By the time he arrived, a crowd had formed.
"Murderer!"
"He's fine, his Aura hasn't even broken." A woman shouted over everyone else as she leapt through a hole in a brick wall. Her black wings spread wide as she flew above the man who must have been her target. Blood-red hair spilled from a crown of horns, six in total. Someone else might have mistaken her for just a very strange Faunus. From what Ren remembered, some of them had multiple animal traits. However, only the Anathema could have traits from more than one type of animal at once and he'd never heard of a six-horned bird.
His hands hovered over his weapons, fingers twitching from the urge to draw them and shoot. She wore a heavily armored long coat that faded from brown to black and glistened with expensive materials; it technically could be owned by anyone with a ludicrous amount of money.
However, the golden bracelets on her wrists were all too familiar. The sight of one closing in on his face ended most sparring matches during his first semester at Beacon. Before they knew the truth about team RWBY and just thought of them as incredibly talented girls.
"Goddamn freaks! I'm not gonna let you kill anyone else!" The man scrambled to his feet. He was stocky and strong, but the gun in his hand would be the bigger threat to most people. It was large enough to break the Aura of a normal person. Three long scars crossed his face, just like the slashes on the White Fang's flag, and fresh blood was on both his knuckles and his shirt. "This won't be like last time. There may be three of you, but this time we're ready."
"Freak? Really? That's the best you've got?"
"If your daddy screwed a bird to make you, then that's what you are."
Yang chuckled, covering her mouth with a fist. "Sorry, sorry, it's just… My mother's name is actually Raven, but you have no idea how big of a mistake"- She backhanded his first shot to the ground. -"you've made."
"Ahh." The man stepped back, gun wavering.
He glanced around, locking eyes with Ren. "Hey, you ! You're some kinda Hunter, aren't you?"
"I am." Ren said without any inflection.
"Then why aren't you helping me?"
Yang glanced over, breaking out into a grin when she saw him. "Oh hey, Ren. Good to see you again."
The color drained from the man's face.
"You shouldn't have done this." Ren said, glancing from the man to Yang. They were all among the most wanted people in the world, kill on sight for the Anathema.
"Phfft," Yang rolled her eyes and pointed over her shoulder. "Take a look behind me and you'll understand."
Ren stepped around her, not letting the man leave his sight. As he moved, the crowd parted. While many were partially covered in dust, three also had blood on their clothing.
The bar was less destroyed than he expected. Only one single table had been flipped over. All but two of the people inside were crowding around the windows. Those two were a young man and a little girl huddled in a back corner, both obvious Faunus due to their ears. The man's face was slowly turning into a nasty bruise and blood spattered what had been a nice, white shirt. A long gash had been opened above one eyebrow.
"Who did this?" Ren kept watch on the Faunus. As soon as he asked, several of the humans in the bar turned their glares toward him.
"He was keeping all of us safe from those monsters." One of the men inside shouted, several buttons had been popped off of his shirt and a splotch of blood marred the left hand side.
"They're a menace." A woman stepped up next to him, her own blouse in a similar state.
"Neither of them are people you should be worried about." Ren stepped through the hole in the wall. The little girl stood up as he walked toward them.
She spread her arms wide, standing between him and the man, her entire body trembling.
"Please, I'm here to help." Ren pulled a kit from his belt pouch as another shot rang from outside.
"You really don't learn, do you?" Yang shouted.
A fleshy impact, the sound of wood splitting, and another shot.
Ren held up a wipe. "I need to disinfect your wound. It will sting a little."
"Mimi," The man groaned.
"Daddy?" She turned around.
"Mimi, let him come over. He's… he doesn't look like a bad person." His cheek had swelled so much every word was slurred.
"Thank you, Mimi." Ren whispered, kneeling down. The man flinched as he began to work. "I'm Ren. What's your name?"
"Angelo."
"What happened?"
"We're going to see grandma," Mimi whispered.
"And you stopped here?"
She nodded. "I was hungry."
"So- someone didn't like how I spoke to the waitress," Angelo said slowly. "The others..."
"It isn't fair." Ren picked up a patch of gauze and tape.
"It is what it is." Angelo pointed at the door. "I… I begged her to just let it go when she saw me. Now… it's all going to get worse."
Ren nodded. There wasn't much more he could do for the bleeding. "Let's go to your car now then."
"Thank you."
The fight continued as Ren worked. From the different voices shouting, several more must have joined in, but the result was a foregone conclusion. Yang was stronger than the Anathema who destroyed his home and it took most of her own empowered soldier's lives to kill that monster. Unless this village was secretly a retirement community for Hunters, there was nothing they could do to stop her…
"Hit her again."
Pyrrha fired another lightning bolt at Nora. It read as thirty two percent weaker than the prior, according to Penny's sensors. A pink barrier formed in front of Nora's palm. Sparks scattered across its surface where the lightning hit.
Penny clapped quietly, it would be rude to distract Nora when she might succeed!
"Good. Now, push more power into it," Weiss said. She was seated opposite Penny, watching the light show and catching everything important despite glancing down to her scroll a lot.
The hairs on Pyrra's arm raised as the current increased back to the strength where- Oh, it happened again. One bolt slipped through Nora's fingers. Then another, and another and Pyrrha cut off the power before she blasted Nora off of her seat… again.
"Ahhh. Why is this so much harder than just using my Aura!" Nora shouted, fingers twitching. Pink sparks ran all over her body, but Penny knew what Nora's Semblance was now and that there was nothing to be concerned about. "Be right back!"
Before anyone could respond, Nora dashed away, running a circle around the camp, then another, and another. At some point she picked up a fallen tree and began performing squats with it raised above her head.
"Weiss," Penny continued to follow Nora's movements. "I apologize, but I am curious about something."
"Yes, Penny?" Weiss glanced at her, continuing to type.
"I do not believe that enough happens every time that Pyrrha shocks Nora to require such detailed notes."
"You're correct. I'm not just taking notes; I'm also looking over the results of some very interesting research." Weiss continued typing. "A question for everyone. Have you ever seen a ghost?"
Penny paused. She ran a shallow search of her memory banks. "I have not. But I have seen images of them."
"I believe that there are," Pyrrha said slowly.
"Not whether you have seen pictures or believe in them. If you, with your own eyes, have seen one."
"I-" Pyrrha paused for a moment. She began crossing her arms, but stopped before one would touch the many injuries on her abdomen. "I do not believe that I have."
"Exactly. While many people have reported such things, there hasn't been definitive proof of it. At least, until a recent archaeological expedition that the Atlas Army performed." Weiss turned her scroll to the group. It showed an image of a man stepping through a brick wall. He was mostly translucent and was wearing very strange clothing. "They have active recordings of a specter defending what they now suspect is a tomb."
Penny performed a deeper search, this one for anything she wasn't supposed to know about. No data found. "I was not aware of anything like that."
"Nor should you. The entire operation is as black as Grimm."
"Alright, so ghosts exist. Woo." Emerald said from the side of the fire. When she spoke, Pyrrha tensed and sparks jumped between her fingers. " Why would Atlas hide this?"
"Research into Anathema technology, along with acquiring the aid of one, necessitates secrecy." Weiss continued typing without looking at them. Her reason made sense to Penny. Everything related to that was classified. From how the others were staring at her, they must not have a good understanding of security procedures.
"Wait what? They're doing what?" Nora ran back to the fire with a log over her shoulder.
"Look at the state of the Atlas army. Nearly two thirds is robotic. While not quite at human level intelligence they can patrol, fight, and even perform basic public relations. Though, they are legitimately terrible at the last of those. The other kingdoms barely have automated turrets, let alone full scale models. These are systems that are programmed with responses, not intelligences that happen to be limited."
More accurately, Atlas robotics were even more advanced, but that was a secret that Penny was not supposed to tell anyone about. Though, her father's explanations of how her heart and mind were created were weird and complicated, one part was actually him dreaming up a circuit and another team member some sort of formula, so she probably couldn't tell them too much, even if she was allowed to.
"This is all on top of the communications, material science, and avionics advances. We're decades ahead of everyone else at least. This isn't an advantage that can simply come from funneling more money into basic research. It comes from deconstructing and testing technology that the other kingdoms ignore for fear of it being tainted. Or even, putting up with those who built it until they can explain."
Both Nora and Pyrrha frowned and looked slightly away from Weiss. It was not an uncommon reaction, but one that Penny still wasn't sure exactly what it meant. Weiss hadn't said anything incorrect and there was no bodily shift that could indicate anger...
"You lost me." Emerald pulled her own scroll out and began playing a game that was best online. However, there was no signal to a communications tower.
"I too am confused, but for different reasons." Penny pinged the region and received no response, as expected. "I hadn't thought about it before, but how are you receiving that data?"
Weiss took a deep breath. "How much about computers and networking do all of you know?"
"A great deal." Penny responded.
"Basically nothing." The others followed.
"Wonderful, this will make an equal amount of sense to all of you." Weiss continued typing. "Before we left Beacon, I used my access in Atlas' systems to build several warp gates. The dragon guarding their main database was not amused because I had come in through the wall, but he was easy to convince."
There was only silence.
Weiss glanced up. "I'm assuming the dragon was really an AI and the wall represented an air gap because nothing was supposed to be networked."
Nothing changed.
"I placed the central warp point in my own scroll, so I can still access it and write anything I need to."
"What?" Pyrrha blinked several times.
"I went into Atlas' servers via a metaphysical avatar and drilled through several of their walls to access places that I wasn't supposed to be in right then. The dragon guardians were hard to persuade, but I could plausibly claim need-to-know. My avatar had an official badge of position and everything."
Emerald squinted at her. "I can't tell if you're screwing with us or not."
"It's all true."
"That means you can access them now?"
"Yes." Weiss smirked and turned her scroll around. The front page of today's Atlas Herald was loading. "I made a direct connection from each to my own scroll. I did the same thing to Vale's communication's tower, which is why I have all normal functions."
"Weiss," Penny took a moment to consider how much to say. "I have interacted with a large number of Atlas networks and that does not sound like any Atlas AI nor does that explain how you can connect to a server without any reception or connection."
"I warned you it wouldn't make sense. You need to be able to shift part of yourself into a datastream in order to see how connections still exist, but magical understanding bridges them."
"That isn't how anything works and I would-" An engine roared in the distance, cutting off what Penny realized would have been giving away too much about what she really was.
The sound was still far away, but was moving right towards their clearing. After a few seconds, more engines appeared. One, five… at least ten other vehicles were following closely behind the first.
They all knew that Ren could be recognized every time he went into town. Some Hunter team must have finally caught them.
Penny stood up and opened her back panel, allowing ten blades to splay out behind her. Emerald ran to the back of their line because her weapons were still on Weiss' belt. Her job was to just use her Semblance. Pyrrha readied her shield and rifle, taking the back. With her injuries, she needed to stay back.
"Nora," Weiss tossed a vial of Ice Dust to her.
"Are you sure?" Nora hesitated for a moment, before pulling the stopper free and pouring a small amount into her hand.
"We need massed fire against this many. Just don't hit us and you'll be fine." Weiss drew her own sword and stepped to the front of the group.
Penny joined Weiss because she was combat ready, unlike almost everyone else. She increased the output of her secondary generator, linking it to her blades. Sparks of green ran along the edges as the capacitors charged. She moved her blades a wide circle, rotating them in front of her as she prepared.
In the distance, a flash of light appeared shortly before the sound of wood exploding. Penny locked onto her first target, a monstrosity of blackened steel and burnished brass that spewed green flames from its exhaust pipes. A motorcycle that looked like something from those late-night shows that Penny wasn't supposed to know about. The rider's face couldn't be seen over the windshield, but their hair was dark red.
"I have a visual." Penny said as the charge reached one hundred percent.
"Where?" Nora raised her hand. Pink icicles were floating around it, but there was also a line of ice slowly growing up her arm. "This is tricky."
"You're doing great, Nora." Weiss had her own version of the spell floating by her side. "The only problem was the Ice Dust you left on the back of your hand. Penny, fire to disable the lead vehicle."
"Roger." Penny locked onto the wheel and released the firing lock. An orb of green light appeared between her swords, growing from a pinpoint to the size of a fist within a second. She stopped feeding it energy at sixty percent of safe power. "Target locked. Firing!"
A green laser erupted from the energy orb, blazing through the tree cover. Leaves and branches exploded, heated too quickly to light on fire. The rider rose up, running on only their front wheel, and caught her beam in one hand! The energy dissipated as soon as it touched their fingers.
Penny cut the power early, killing a Hunter was not acceptable! "Attack ineffective. They absorbed it."
"Everyone, hold your fire!" Weiss growled.
"What?" Nora turned, the icicles following her.
"That isn't an enemy; or at least the first one isn't." Weiss pulled her scroll out again, scowling.
"What are you doing?" Pyrrha asked, eyes still on the forest.
"Making sure I don't have to be even angrier when-" She was interrupted by the motorcycle blasting through the woods and skidding to a stop.
A Faunus woman with dark red hair flipped her sunglasses up and smiled. Considering the sharp teeth and aura of small, black particulate orbiting her, it didn't help much.
She looked right at Weiss. "Hey there gorgeous, need a lift?"
Weiss turned her scowl to the woman. "Why like this?"
"Well, some people were telling me to not and I needed this. It's been two weeks on my own!" The woman shrugged. There was something about how she spoke that made Penny think something else was going on. "And also there were a bunch of people who really needed a punch to the face."
"Ren, how true is that?" Weiss said as Ren leaned back from behind the new woman.
He pursed his lips. "While she isn't wrong about there being people in need of a lesson, I find this excessive."
"Excessive is the entire point." The woman said, "Besides, now it'll be more exciting when we escape from… three?"
"Four," Ren stated. "The same group we outran last week."
"Four Hunters and thirty or so guys with guns."
"Only thirty-four people and we shot you because you didn't tell us you were coming!" Weiss got louder and louder with each word.
"Oh yeah, thanks for that." The woman laughed. "I needed a recharge and, honestly, I don't think any of you would be able to really hurt me anymore."
"I might just put that to the test." Weiss growled. Her eyes flashed with a silver light and all of the teeth extended to form sharp points.
"I can't wait. Though you're a lot more daring than I thought you'd be. Wouldn't exactly be appropriate for all of our friends to watch."
"I-" Weiss' cheeks brightened. "Fine, you asked for it, but that doesn't resolve our current problem."
"It's not really a problem; we'll just leave."
"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Weiss snapped. "If you hadn't noticed, we aren't exactly mobile and our camp is still set-up."
"You'll all ride with me." The woman grinned, patting the side of her motorcycle.
"No offense, Miss Stranger," Penny said, "But I do not think that all of us could fit and even if we could, I may be too heavy for it myself."
"If I'm not too heavy you won't be…" She squinted at Penny for a moment. "I don't actually know which of you is Penny and which is Emerald, but you're all welcome aboard Bumblebee once I get a little bit more..."
She stomped on the ground and three trees behind her exploded in a burst of green fire. The wood and ash swirled towards her, compressing down into more dark orbs. Then, it flowed down to her bike. A moment later, more iron and brass extruded from each side, forming two sidecars.
The dark aura surrounding her was almost imperceptible by the time she finished.
"And, voila." The woman raised her arms wide. "A chariot fit for two Queens. Sorry Ren, but you'll have to scooch."
He had already taken a seat in the right hand one.
"Don't worry about the tents, I'll build a cabin for us to sleep in the same way."
Once more Penny could not help staring at the impossible feat just performed. It answered many questions, but she needed to be sure. "You are Yang Xiao-Long, are you not?"
"In the flesh." Yang grinned and twisted a lock of hair. "Oh, right, demon mode."
While Nora and Pyrrha went over to Ren, Yang melted. Her hair and horns turned into a black sludge that hardened and flaked off, revealing the blond hair and lilac eyes which dotted every wanted poster Penny had seen.
"You kept the wings?" Emerald asked as she took her own seat.
"Flying. Is. Awesome." Yang smiled and patted the seat behind her.
"Fine." Weiss walked up and paused for a moment. She grabbed the collar of Yang's coat and pulled her down into a kiss before taking a seat behind Yang. "But I'm still mad and as soon as we aren't time constrained we're going to have a talk about communication."
"I can't believe you, Miss Plans, is this calm." Emerald said quietly as Penny took a seat next to her.
"There are extenuating circumstances regarding Yang's behavior that we don't have time to go over right now."
Penny nodded again. She'd read some of the Anathema logs. They were incredibly detailed. The bike shifted as she settled in.
"Holy shit, you weren't kidding." Yang looked at her with wide eyes.
"Why would I be kidding about that?" Penny tilted her head to one side.
"I just… Nevermind." Yang shook her head and revved the engine. "Buckle up because the path we have to take is gonna be a little wild."
They blasted off far more quickly than a motorcycle should be able to go, especially one holding so much weight. The path was… decidedly not wild. It was primarily a straight line that contained an unnecessary amount of jumps and three instances of Yang either flipping them over backwards or sideways.
"I do not understand why this is necessary." Penny looked at Emerald wobbling back and forth, a green ting on her cheeks. "It's a straight line."
"It isn't though." Yang mumbled something under her breath.
"If we continue on this path, we will go over a cliff in thirty seconds." Penny looked ahead, confirming the estimate.
"Look, just trust me on this, you'll see soon." Yang continued accelerating, making no attempt to avoid driving straight off of said cliff.
Penny wasn't concerned about a fall, all of them should be able to survive it, but this would not make them-
As soon as they were airborne Penny suddenly felt a very strong wireless signal which should also be impossible. It would mean that they just moved several thousand kilometers away. She double and triple checked as they plummeted towards the pure white ground. As they landed, a cloud of snow erupted from the impact.
"What the hell?" Emerald shouted as she brushed clump of snow off of her shoulder. "Where are we?"
"Ummm…." Yang made noises and pointed to the North West. "We need to go that way next to get home."
Penny coughed. "The city of Mantel is two point seven kilometers in that direction."
"We're in Atlas?!" Everyone else shouted.