It's a Job, Chapter 16: Anvil

"Perimeter check."

"East wharf, clear."

"Apartments, clear."

"Fuel station, clear."

"Equipment yard, clear."

"Cathedral, clear."

"Copy, all positions report clear. Next check in 15 minutes. Schnee out."

Ruby nodded in satisfaction as Weiss signed off. Another hour gone. Another hour closer to daylight, and to the inevitable arrival of reinforcements. Long-range radio communications had gone down shortly after Torchwick had stumbled into town. Weiss said it was probable they were being jammed from Watts' fortress under the mountain. So, with nothing to do but wait, they had established a series of defensive positions around the civilians in the dust bunker, with each hardpoint responsible for scouting a portion of the town. Ruby was in charge of the patrols around Saint Barbara's Cathedral. The large stone structure offered excellent protection and overwatch, and it formed the anchor of the west end of the defensive line. Currently, Ruby stood at the gate to the small cemetery beside the church, watching as the latest wave of patrols disappeared into the dark. She glanced up at the dark belfry, where Blake was positioned with an array of machine guns and rockets.

Her reasoning for placing Blake in charge of the heavy weapons team was simple. Blake was the only person outside of the prodigal mercenaries who had practical experience in the use of machine guns and explosives. For obvious reasons, Ruby trusted her more. Weiss would have had a coronary if she knew that an ex-terrorist slave with a history of attempted murder was in charge of enough firepower to flatten a battalion, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Ruby rested her scythe across her shoulder and strolled down the street beside the cathedral. She would rather have been inside out of the chilly night breeze, but her place was in front of her men, visible and resolute. Psychological warfare was an important part of large scale anti-grimm operations. The visible presence of hunters would inevitably raise the morale of the accompanying soldiers, and this in turn would reduce the negative emotions that attracted and empowered the creatures of grimm. Yang proudly claimed that soldiers oogling her skimpy huntress outfit did more to repel grimm than a dozen machine gun nests.

Ruby doubted that.

"Captain Rose! All quiet so far." The pair of sentries stationed on the corner acknowledged her as she approached.

"Excellent. Carry on." The militia had arbitrarily awarded Ruby the title of 'Captain'. Ruby cared little for titles, but if they wanted to call her Captain Rose, she wasn't going to-

A gunshot echoed through the night, instantly interrupting her thoughts. Ruby pivoted toward the noise, ready for action. Both sentries shouldered their rifles and nervously scanned the streets.

"No flare. That's not good," Ruby muttered. All patrols were equipped with a red flare for 'contact' and a green flare for 'all clear'. When neither appeared, Ruby was worried.

"You." She pointed to one of the sentries. "Get inside and order everyone to their assigned defensive positions. I'm going to check this out."

"You're going alone?"

"Of course. Now move!" Ruby jogged into the dark without further delay. She silently cursed their lack of radios as she hurried through the night. The decision had been made not to use the radios carried by the former SDC mercenaries, just in case they thought better of working with Weiss and tried to contact Watts or his remaining troops. Ruby knew it was a necessary security precaution, but the radio silence posed serious risks of its own.

Ruby found the patrol easily enough. The three civilians and two mercenaries were clustered on a street corner, arguing.

"What happened? Who fired?" Ruby demanded as she jogged up.

"Him!" One of mercenaries pointed accusingly at a civilian. "Stupid yokels, jumping at ghosts and-"

"If there's no threat, why didn't you send up a green flare?" Ruby cut him off.

"Because I saw something!" The man who fired protested. "I swear there's something out there!"

"Look," Ruby explained, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice, "Every patrol on this side of town is sitting there on a hair trigger now, waiting to see if we're under attack we're not. Unless you have a clear and present threat, fire the green flare."

"Glady." The mercenary produced a flare pistol, and fired. The green comet arched high into the night sky, and they all saw it at once. Ruby only got a glimpse of it, but the dark shape far above them that tucked its wings and dove away from light was unmistakable.

"Griffon! If there's one, there's probably more. You five, return to the cathedral immediately, alert our forces there, and join the defensive line around the building." Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed deeper into the city.

"Hey! What about you?" Someone shouted after her.

"I'm going to go find your ghost," Ruby called over her shoulder. "Now hurry!" Ruby had sent the patrol back for more than one reason. Mostly, she needed to get word back to the rest of her forces that grimm were beginning to move. But in addition to that, Ruby didn't want to risk the agitated militiamen accidentally firing on another patrol in the dark.

Ruby ran through the deserted streets, moving just below semblance velocity. If there were grimm lurking in the dark, she was going to find them. A few blocks into her search, she spotted a strange dark shape lying beside a car.

"Huh. What have we here?" Ruby approached the unknown object. "Oh..." Her curiosity evaporated as she recognized a dead cat faunus woman, her White Fang fatigues stained with dried blood. In a flash of realization, Ruby remembered this place. She had shot this woman in the back during her run-and-gun the previous evening. She stepped back, hardened battle insticts struggling to suppress an unwelcome feeling of remorse.

"Dust, she wasn't any older than me. I wonder what her name was?" Ruby wondered aloud. "Wait. What are doing, Rose? She would have killed you and celebrated. Get your head on straight!" She berated herself. Ruby turned quickly away.

"Captain Rose!" The shout echoed down the street. "Is everything alright?" The next patrol had found her.

"So far." Ruby jogged down toward the patrol. "We spotted a griffon at high altitude, but streets are clear so far. Proceed as planned, but stay sharp."

"Understood. We'll keep- Wait! Look!" The merc pointed behind Ruby. A single red flare arced through the night.


"That's by the equipment yard," the soldier said. "Far edge of town."

A crackle of distant gunfire echoed through the night, followed by a mournful howl that Ruby recognized as a beowolf alpha.

"It's begun," Ruby announced simply. "Pull back to the cathedral immediately. I'm going to round up the rest of our patrols. I don't want any of our people getting caught in between the grimm and our defensive line."

"Yes Ma'am! Move out!" As the patrol hurried away, the shooting across town intensified. Another red flare lit up the night, then another. Ruby quickened her pace. The equipment yard must be under sustained attack. She rounded the corner, and was surprised to see a large group of armed men in the street.

"Captain Rose!" A militiaman hissed. "We've got movement at the far end of the street."

"Noted. Why do we have two patrols here?"

"Uhh, we sent a runner for backup?"

"And left a gap in search pattern? You better hope a tiajitu hasn't slipped through thanks to your carelessness," Ruby snapped.

"Incoming! Twelve o'clock!" A flare went up, and its glare bathed a deathstalker in an eerie crimson glow.

Everybody fired. The street reverberated with dozens of gunshots, and Ruby couldn't help but be glad for the extra manpower. The beast skittered forward, dust slugs burning holes in its chitinous armor. It screeched in pain as the barrage took its toll, then abruptly swerved into a side street.

Cheers erupted from the militia. "Yeah! Look at 'em run!"

"It's not running," Ruby retorted, "It's flanking! Double time it back to the cathedral before its friends show up. I'm going to cut it off, then find our last patrol. Go!"

Without waiting to see if her orders were followed, Ruby dashed between two low concrete buildings. Calling on her semblance, she blurred through a cluttered storage yard and burst into the next street. The deathstalker was thirty yards away, moving through the dark with a sinister efficiency.

Ruby attacked with lethal skill. Ducking under a snapping claw, she caught a bony joint with with her scythe. Using the leg as a pinion, she swung under the monster. Three rifle shots slammed into the grimm. The deathstalker dropped its bulk, trying to crush the annoying insect beneath it. Ruby rolled clear, coming up behind the grimm. It swung around to face her, only to be met by a flurry of bullets. Ruby sidestepped as the lethal stinger crashed down, then grabbed ahold as the deathstalker jerked it back. The momentum carried her up over the monster, and she landed on its back.

"Gotcha," she hissed, raising Cresent Rose for a killing blow.

"Fire! Fire! Waaaaaah!" A confused warcry resounded from the dark. Gunshots flashed, and bullets whined around Ruby.

With a snarl of frustration, Ruby hurled herself off the deathstalker. A split second later, a wet explosion tore the beast apart.

"What the..."

Wild cheering erupted from the other side of the street. The last patrol swarmed into view, high-fiving and waving their weapons.

"You gotta be kidding me." Ruby growled. "Hey!" She shouted, walking into the road. "Are you crazy? You could've killed me!"

"Uhh, you're welcome?" A soldier with a grenade launcher gestured at the remains of the grimm. "Looks to me like we just saved your neck. Lucky for you we found this grenade launcher by the truck that crashed in front of the bunker."

"You saved me? I'll have you know I had this situation well under- you know what? Forget it. As I'm sure you've noticed by now the grimm have finally crawled out of their holes and are hungry. We're deploying to our defensive positions around the cathedral. You're the last group out. Stay close to me, and we'll get back to the rest of our forces before more of the vermin show up. Let's go."

Ruby produced her Scroll as she led the patrol through the night, and dialed her sister.

"Rubes! What's up? We got a radio call from your people about griffons overhead." Yang sounded slightly winded, and confused noise garbled the call.

"Yes, we spotted one, and I've got grimm on the perimeter. We're pulling back to our defensive line. Are grimm at the equipment yard?"

"Die, scum! Die! Sorry, multitasking. Yes, but they're just testing our strength. I'm literally holding them off one-handed."

"Right... keep me informed of any major changes."

A heavy crunch was the only reply.

"Yang, you there?"

"Look out!" A voice screamed behind her.

Ruby whirled in time to see a huge black mass eclipse the stars. "Griffon!" He mind warned her, but it was too late. The grimm swooped in at head height, screaming ferociously and dragging its talons through the patrol. Cresent Rose flashed out to meet the attack. Ruby caught one of the griffon's legs, but she was off balance and the force of the impact knocked her flat on her back. She sprang to her feet, but the griffon was gone. Ruby turned her attention to her patrol.

"Oh, no."

One man lay in the street, his head nearly torn off. Another was writhing on the sidewalk, gasping in pain and clutching at his chest. Ruby dashed to his side. She was no medic, but you couldn't be a hunter without knowing at least a little bit about emergency first aid.

"Let me see it," Ruby ordered, trying to calm the wounded man.

"Ahh! It hurts!" Ruby could see one arm was broken, and the man's ribs had been laid open by a powerful claw. It was a painful reminder just how lethal grimm could be to unprepared humans.

"I know, but you've got to hold still. I'm need to help you."

"Please, huntress, don't let me die! I don't wanna die!" The man grasped at her with his good arm.

"You're not going to die. Hold still so you don't make it worse. This is going to hurt, but it's got to be done." Ruby turned, looking for the rest of her patrol. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Well, that's just great," Ruby snarled. "Cowards bolted. Probably half way back to the cathedral by now."

Now that she listened, Ruby realized the amount of gunfire around her had significantly increased. Screams and howls blended in a unholy symphony. Then one of the screams became much louder, and much closer. Ruby lept to her feet as a howling projectile flew out of the darkness and crashed against the storefront beside her. It thudded to the sidewalk in a shower of broken glass. Her breath caught when she realized what the missile had been. It was a woman in an SDC security uniform. She was clearly dead, her body mangled by the force of the impact.

"How...?" Ruby's mind swam. Then she realized the truth, and the truth was worse than anything she could have imagined. Three deep wounds marked the mercenary's body, the unmistakable claw marks of a giant nevermore. She had been picked up, carried to a great height, and dropped. Suddenly, the disappearance of the other three members of the patrol suggested far more gruesome possibilities. Surely one griffon hadn't managed to simultaneously kidnap three men?

A groan of pain from the injured soldier pulled her back to the problem at hand. Ruby knew her situation was precarious. Grimm could attack in force at any time. Her place was at the cathedral, leading the defence, but instead she was out of position, and weighted down with a badly injured man. She had to act fast before things got worse.

Moving with practiced speed, Ruby applied compression bandages to the long gash in the man's side. Satisfied he wasn't going to bleed to death in the next few minutes, she gingerly rested his broken arm across his chest. Now came the hard part. Ruby had the physique of a world-class athlete, but her raw strength lagged far behind hunters like Jaune Arc or her sister. Dragging the man all the way back to the cathedral would be slow, laborious going.

Inspiration struck. Ruby stood, and headed for a garage attached to the store.

"Huntress! Please! Don't leave me here!" The soldier tried to rise, but sagged back with a gasp.

"I'm not leaving you," Ruby called over shoulder. "I'm getting us a ride."


"Ok... Let's see if I remember how to do this." Ruby slid behind the steering wheel of a small white pickup truck, thanking her lucky stars that the keys were in the ignition. It had been nearly a year since she had driven any kind of vehicle, and frankly, she would have been more at home on a horse.

"Right. Keys... that way. No, the other." The truck growled to life. "Ha! So far so good. Now let me just set the parking brake and I'll open the garage d- Woaaah!" The truck shot forward, and the garage door collapsed out into the street in a cloud of dust. Ruby stomped down on the other pedal, and the truck skidded to a halt just outside the garage. "Well, that's one way to do it. Note to self. Accelerator on the right." Ruby put the truck in park, and climbed out. She ran to where the soldier lay on the sidewalk.

"Nice exit," man said with a weak smile.

"Yeah, well, I'll just blame it on a rampaging boarbatusk or something. Here, get a good, tight hold on me with your good arm. You're going to have to help me get you into the back of the truck." It was slow and painful work, but Ruby managed to boost the injured man into the bed of the pickup. She pushed a box against his legs to keep him from sliding, stepped back, and slammed the endgate.

Back behind the wheel, Ruby pointed the truck toward the cathedral. As she started rolling, her Scroll buzzed.

"Hel-"

"Rose! Where are you!?" Weiss was practically screaming. "We've got griffons and nevermore dive bombing our forward positions. Yang's men are fighting for their lives, and I hear you have abandoned your post!"

Ruby's temper flared. "I am making sure my patrols made it back in one piece, and it's a good thing I did. I haven't seen you out here killing deathstalkers in the dark."

"I am directing the defense from my assigned position, which is exactly what you should be doing too, Rose!"

"Don't tell me how to do my job!" Ruby shot back. "I'm saving lives out here. Maybe you should do the same!" Ruby hung up, steaming. Weiss might be experienced at corporate security, but when they came to hunter work, Ruby trusted her own judgement. They would get through this, and she didn't need anyone looking over her shoulder telling her how to handle herself.

Ruby's mood improved as she turned the last corner and the cathedral came into view. The patrols had made it back, and Saint Barbara's Cathedral and the houses around it bristled with weapons. They were ready.

Cheers resounded from her troops as Ruby stopped in front of the cathedral and exited the truck, but the huntress spared no time for celebration.

"Get a medic out here! I've got an injured man in back. Move!"

A stretcher team ran from the cathedral, followed by a SDC merc. The man slid to stop in front of Ruby and snapped off a salute. "Captain Rose. All other defensive positions are in sustained engaged with the grimm. Flyers have made travel highly unsafe. Miss Schnee has been trying to reach you by radio."

"I already spoke to her," Ruby responded. "Are the defensive lines holding across town?"

"Yes, but-"

The response was cut short by a storm of machine gun fire from the cathedral steeple. Ruby and the merc instinctively ducked as a shrieking shape swooped out of the dark.

"Nevermore!"

The grimm fell like a meteor, its wings tucked against it's side. Ruby realized in a instant that this grimm had no intention of pulling up. It was a living missile, pure and simple.

"Blake! No!" Ruby stared in horror as the nevermore bored through the wall of the steeple. Wood and masonry exploded into the night sky as the broken body of the nevermore tumbled into the street. The pointed roof wavered, then slowly tipped backwards.

"Get out!" Ruby screamed. "Get everyone out of the cathedral!" She sprinted to the arched doorway, frantically gesturing to the men inside. "The roof is coming down! Move! Move!"

A desperate scramble insued. Supplies were dropped and heavy weapons abandoned as the milita made for the door. A tremendous crash was the only warning that they were already too late. With a roar of splintering wood, the remains of the steeple plummeted through the roof of the cathedral. A pair of muscular hands grabbed Ruby's arm.

"Captain Rose! Get back!" The SDC merc pulled Ruby clear of the chaos. A choking cloud of dust engulfed them both.

Ruby shook free of the soldier's grip as she blinked debris out of her eyes. "Oum's teeth! We gotta get in there! Get some men up here!" She shouted to nobody in particular. "Hurry!"

The door was nearly barred by a fallen roof timber. Stooping down, Ruby started to wedge herself through the narrow opening. She had to get in there. Her men were inside, trapped, injured, or worse. And what had become of Blake in this catastrophe? Ruby couldn't let herself dwell on it. She had to save as many lives as she could.

"Incoming! Here they come!"

Ruby pulled back from the door as she heard the shout of alarm. Cresent Rose flew into her hands, and she set her jaw in anger. They weren't going to catch her with her guard down again.

Rifles fired on the left flank. Ruby could see the shadowy figures of beowolves leaping from rooftop to rooftop and darting in and out between buildings. She ground her teeth in frustrated rage. She had counted on her heavy weapons to decimate an attack like this before her troops ever had to fire a shot. Now, they were going to have to dispose of these grimm the old-fashioned way. Was it possible this was no accident? This was exactly how an attack should start. Long-range bombardment to knock out emplaced positions, followed by skirmishers. If a horde of grimm could fight with that kind of strategic thinking, what chance did her militia stand?

"Take five men and start helping the survivors," Ruby ordered the mercenary beside her. "I'll deal with the grimm." She shrugged back her hood and twirled Crescent Rose once to find her grip. "You want this town? You're going to have to go through me."


"Ouch! I gotta stop hanging out with huntresses. It's just too dangerous." Blake picked the last thorn out of her leg and tossed it away. "Yeah, right. Like I have a choice in the matter." Blake brushed her hand over the steel collar at the base of her neck, the ever-present reminder that her actions were not her own to dictate.

"Stupid bush." Blake aimed a kick at the rosebush where her desperate exit from the bell tower had ended. She had thrown herself clear as the Nevermore hit, and rolled awkwardly down the roof of the cathedral before falling into the flower garden that bordered the cemetery. Cats might always land on their feet, but that didn't save you if you went into a rosebush the size of a car. Finally free of the painful foliage, Blake set off for the front of the cathedral at a trot, where, from the sounds of it, Ruby and her forces were up to their necks in grimm.

A quick look up the street confirmed that the battle was in full swing. Ruby flashed back and forth, cutting down beowolves and firing into the advancing monsters. The militia lit up the night with volleys of rifle fire, the incessant shooting mingling with the howls of the grimm in a terrifying cacophony. Blake's resolve wavered. She was unarmed, having lost her carbine in the collapsing tower.

"If only I had my old Gambol's Shroud. Then I could be of some real use out there." It had been nearly 5 years since Blake had fought with her beautiful weapon, and her fingers tingled with longing to hold it again. "Stop daydreaming, Blake," she chided herself. "Think. You were an infiltrator. So infiltrate."

Picking her moment, Blake sprinted across the street and disappeared into the shadows of the buildings on the other side. Advancing with fluid, stealthy movements, the faunus circled the melee in front of the cathedral. Taking a running start, she caught a gutter and hauled herself onto the roof of a lean-to.

"Ok, now what?" She whispered to herself. She was in perfect flanking position, but without a weapon, what could she do?

"Hey! Cat! Get down! They'll see you!"

Blake spun on her heel, and her blood went cold. Four armed White Fang stood beside the house, staring up at her in annoyance. For one horrible second, time stood still, and Blake realized that her fears were absolutely accurate. She hadn't wanted to believe it when she heard Ruby and Yang talking to Weiss about the possibility of grimm being controlled and weaponized. Even the White Fang, violent and ruthless as they had become, couldn't stoop that low, could they? Obviously, they could. These men had to have advanced with and through the beowolves Ruby was killing at this very instant. The worst case scenario was staring her in the face, and she could not deny it.

"Get down!" The command was sharp this time. "If you blow our cover, so help me, I'll break your knee caps."

Blake realized that the White Fang thought she was one of them. That was good, it gave her time to work. Stepping backward, she dropped lightly did the ground in front of the squad.

"Small arms. One huntress. Looks like the nevermore wiped out the automatic weapons." She delivered the report with crisp accuracy, slipping effortlessly back into the role of scout and saboteur.

"Easy," the leader replied with a nod of approval. "Their pathetic defenses are in full retreat all across town except for right here. The cathedral soon be isolated, then we will roll right over them and and drive all the way to the harbor. Commander Tyrian is on his way now with reinforcements."

"Understood. I'll follow your lead." Blake nodded to the leader and stepped aside. Her mind raced. Ruby didn't know she was about to be surrounded and overwhelmed. The radio that kept them in contact with Weiss and the rest of the defense had been destroyed in the collapse of the belltower. If she didn't act now, the defenders of the cathedral be slaughtered, and the way would be clear for a devastating flanking assault into the town. So she acted.

As the White Fang advanced past her toward the cathedral, Blake stepped behind the last man. With a lightning-quick movement, she pulled the pistol out of his holster.

"Hey! What-" the man spun around, and as he did Blake's foot caught him in the crotch. She grabbed his collar as he doubled over in pain, and jerked him up against herself as a shield. Blake shot the next man before he had a chance to turn. The third man fell as brought his weapon up to fire. With a furious curse, their leader leveled his rifle. Blake yanked her living shield sideways as the faunus fired, and she felt his body jerk as the slugs tore into him. Pain, shock, and rage filled his eyes as Blake stood nose to nose with the man. The fourth faunus froze, realising what he had done. Blake seized the initiative, kicking her shield away and into his leader. As the two men collided, Blake emptied her pistol.

The bodies of the last two White Fang hadn't even hit the ground before Blake was moving. Snatching the submachine gun dropped by the second faunus, she charged forward and planted her shoulder into the door of the lean-to. It gave way with a crash, and Blake fell inside. She pressed herself against the wall, watching and listening. The gunshots were sure to attract attention. Blake was no stranger to violence. She had killed before, when she fought with the White Fang. It was never something she was proud of, but she had, at least for a time, been able to justify it. Now, as she looked out of the lean-to at the four bodies she had left in the alley, she was surprised to feel nothing but cold determination. She had a cause now. She was protecting her friend and the civilians trapped in this madness. The men she had one fought alongside had betrayed the ideals that they claimed to champion. There was no decision to make. Blake's course was clear.

Satisfied that there was no immediate threat, she stepped out of the lean-to. She had to warn Ruby that the line had collapsed, and that they were about to be surrounded. As she stepped over the bodies of the patrol, a weapon caught her attention. Bending down, she removed a chain sword from the leader's belt.

"Hmm. Dual counter-cycling blades. Good hardware," she mused. "Bought and paid for with SDC money, no doubt." Blake revved the small motor in the hilt, and listened to the deadly whir of the spinning blades with appreciation. "I'll just take that with me."

Clipping the scabbard to her belt, she set course for the intersection in front of the cathedral, where she would undoubtedly find Ruby. Rounding the corner of a stone house, Blake took cover behind a chest-high wall and took stock of the battle. The defenders were being stressed to the breaking point. Beowolves and juvenile deathstalkers swarmed out of the shadows like some nightmarish flood. They came across roofs, trying to gain entrance to the upper stories of the fortified houses. The grimm were cut down in waves by Ruby's prepared defensive positions, but their numbers never thinned, and the every casualty suffered by the defense was irreplaceable. Ruby fought in the thick of it, a remorseless red tornado of death. She flashed back and forth in front of her men, leaving a carpet of evaporating black corpses in her wake.

An ursa announced its presence with a low bellow, and thundered into the fray. Ignoring the gunfire that seared its bony armor, the hulking monster closed in on the huntress. Ruby met it, dancing back from the crushing blows as she struck at the grimm's arms and legs. Blake watched the contest, unwilling to venture into the street with such a powerful threat standing between her and her master. Ruby could kill this beast, then Blake would deliver her message.

Something caught Blake's attention, and her ears flicked in alarm. She hadn't really seen anything, but she had seen a star wink out, then suddenly reappear. Her feline eyes narrowed as she glared into the moonless sky. Another star winked. Something was up there, it was coming down, and there was only one obvious target.

With a graceful jump, Blake vaulted the wall and sprinted through the melee towards Ruby and the ursa. She only had one magazine for her submachine gun, and she doubted the light caliber weapon would be much good against a grimm of that size. Slinging the gun over her shoulder, she drew her chain sword and revved the blades.

Blake had never understood why people felt it was necessary to scream as they launched an attack. Why would you alert your target of any impending assault? Consequently, the first warning the ursa had of her presence was spinning teeth of the chain sword tearing through its left knee. The beast lurched forward with a horrible roar, and tumbled awkwardly to the pavement. Professional huntress that she was, Ruby seized the initiative, and buried her scythe's blade in the back of the monster's head.

"Blake?" Ruby blinked in surprised as she caught sight of her slave standing on the other side of the carcass, a bloody weapon at her side. "Dust, it is good to see you made it out of the cathedral! You can tell me-"

"No time," Blake cut her off. "We got a flyer, and I think it's coming down."

Blake pointed, and both girls paused long enough to stare into the night. "Griffon!" Blake hissed, her faunus vision finally spotting the dark shape above them. Her submachine gun was up in an instant, and it's automatic chatter joined with Cresent Rose's heavy report as the two weapons spat a torrent of gunfire up to meet the diving grimm. Their aim was true, or perhaps the grimm was just unlucky, but one of the mighty wings that held the griffon aloft jerked and folded up, and the monster crashed through the roof of an empty house at lethal velocity.

"Thanks for the warning, Blake. This is a whole new kind of war. That ursa was nothing but a distraction, and the griffon knew when it was going to be there. We're in for a long night unless Weiss's call for help gets us some reinforcements."

Blake laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder as the huntress started forward. "Look, I don't have time to explain everything, but we're about to be surrounded. The rest of our forces are retreating, and we didn't know because our radio got lost in the collapse."

"What?" Ruby snatched her Scroll from its pouch. "Oum's teeth! Seven missed calls from Weiss!"

"It gets worse," Blake continued. "The White Fang are definitely working with grimm. I killed four of their operatives, but not before they said that Tyrian is coming with an assault force. They're going to roll right over us, Ruby. We have to fall back immediately."

"Impossible!" Ruby responded. "Untrained soldiers like we have will be torn to ribbons trying to move in the open under a grimm assault. Throw some White Fang in, and it would be a massacre. The only chance is to defend from a position of strength. Beside, retreating now would mean abandoning the injured trapped in the cathedral."

"If we stay, we are all going to die!" Blake shouted over the noise of the ongoing combat. "We might save a few if we retreat."

"We're staying here, and that's an order!" Ruby snapped. "Here, call Weiss and explain the situation. I've got a job to do!" Ruby tossed Blake her Scroll, and then sped away to continue her war.

Blake swore under her breath and looked down at the scroll. To her dismay, it was already dialing Weiss Schnee. Perfect. She wanted to have this conversation about as much as she wanted a strong kick in the teeth.

"Rose! Where in the actual-" Blake held scroll out at arm's length as the wrath of the Schnee heiress screeched from the speaker. The faunus waited until Weiss had to pause for air, then spoke rapidly.

"Miss Schnee, this is Blake Belladonna, contacting you on behalf of Ruby Rose. We-"

"Un-Be-Lievable. First she ignores me, then she sends her pet to talk to me instead. Well, speak up, faunus. What does she wants you to say?"

Blake's blood boiled. If they hadn't been in the middle of a life-or-death situation, she would probably have said something that would have got her sent to the whipping post. "Listen. Our radio got destroyed by a nevermore. Ruby couldn't contact you because we've been fighting off a serious and sustained assault. We just learned that the rest of the line has pulled back, but now Ruby says we can't retreat because we have wounded and our men can't fight in the open. We have reason to believe a stronger assault of both grimm and White Fang is approaching, and we are digging in to defend against it."

"I don't even know where to begin," Weiss sounded equal parts exasperated, defeated, and furious. "You've comprised the entire west flank. We'll consolidate at the next phase line and close the gap, but we can't send you any reinforcements. Tell Rose she's on her own. Schnee out."

The call went dead, and Blake stuffed the Scroll into her pocket with a contemptuous snort. Arrogant Atlas brat. Well, screw her. If they were on their own out here, they were just going to have to make the best of it. It wasn't the first time Blake had been surrounded and outnumbered. She ran forward at a jog find a position that covered the street most of the grimm were using. As she neared the corner, a new sound became audible over the shooting and the roaring. It was a grinding rumble, and the very ground seemed to be trembling.

"What now?" Blake cautiously peered down the street. "Oh. Crap." A solid formation of boarbatusks were rolling down the street like some unholy tsunami. Everything fell before them. Parked cars, lamp posts, a mailbox, everything was smashed down and trampled underfoot. As Blake watched in horror, one of the monsters peeled off and rammed directly into a brick house filled with mercenaries and militia. She could hear shouts and screams as the masonry collapsed, and half the house folded up on itself. The rest of the living battering ram roared on, intent on smashing all remaining resistance. Blake's submachine gun was all but empty, and it wouldn't have been much use against the onslaught anyway. Dropping the weapon, she ran.

Blake had never been ashamed to retreat. Suicidal last stands were good only in tragic romance novels. In real life, you died, your enemy rolled over whatever position you had been defending, and as an after thought someone might shovel you into a hole. Now, as she sprinted across the street towards the collapsed mess that had been the cathedral, Blake had only one thing in mind. She had to find cover hard enough that the boarbatusks couldn't squash her like an ant.

Bounding up the steps, she vaulted through had once been an expensive stained glass window. Debris choked the interior. The belltower and most of the roof had fallen into the sanctuary. A few militiamen were trying to search for survivors. One of them turned to face the new arrival.

"Sergeant Belladonna! What's happening out there?"

Blake almost laughed at the ludicrous title. Apparently, when "Captain Rose" gave you some authority, even a slave could suddenly become important.

"Line's collapsing," Blake announced tersely. "Coordinated boarbatusk rampage is tearing through our defenses. Gather whatever weapons you can and prepare to defend this building. The stone walls should give us an advantage." Blake didn't wait to see if her orders had been followed. Grabbing a dust carbine that lay discarded in the wreckage, she took up a position at a broken window and waited for the onslaught.


"Move! Move! Fall back to the cathedral! Now!" Ruby shouted to make her commands heard over the chaos of battle. The line was collapsing. Boarbatusks were crushing her forward defenses. The accursed monsters were behaving like battering rams, cracking open houses and then moving on, leaving beowolves and juvenile tiajitu to prey on the survivors. The last report from the front before boarbatusks rolled over the positions told of even more grimm approaching. Their only chance now was to defend a single hardpoint, and the only candidate was the wreckage of St. Barbara's Cathedral. She was attempting to rally as many of her men as possible and get them in cover before it was too late.

Cresent Rose ran empty, and Ruby mechanically slammed a fresh magazine into her weapon. Her ammunition supply was dangerously low, depleted by a day of running skirmishes. "Gotta conserve ammo, won't be able to resupply at the docks until morning." Ruby processed the information calmly, assessing her situation even as she cut down a leaping beowolf.

"Last man!" An SDC mercenary nodded to her as he ran past. Ruby was glad for the few professional soldiers she had under her command. They had been instrumental in providing some order to what could have been a chaotic retreat. Now, all the forces that could withdrawal were behind her, and would be in the protection of the cathedral in a matter of seconds. It was time to move. Ruby took one last look up the street, then turned and flexed her semblance.

The world around her blured as she warped up the street. Familiar with the challenges of moving at superhuman velocity, Ruby easily avoided the debris that lay in her path. She had just enough time to be surprised when she saw something dart out of the shadows and strike at her too fast to avoid.

"Oooof..." Ruby bounced off a lightpost and ricocheted into a wall. She set her feet, and slid to a stop on the sidewalk. She spun Cresent Rose into a defensive grip, her pride more than a little hurt that something had been able to hit her while she was traveling that fast. She searched the street, looking for something to take her anger out on, and was not a bit suprised when Tyrian Callows sauntered into view.

"Callows." Ruby spit out the name with all the hate she could muster. "Tired of hiding in the dark while we burn though your disgusting minions?"

"Hehehehe. Yes, actually. To see this much blood flowing from a distance is like a starving man being locked out of a banquet. Time to quench my thirst, and deliver a glorious slaughter in honor of the Goddess." Giggling maniacally, Tyrian drew a pair of bladed pistols. "Please, fight back with everything you've got."

Ruby narrowed her eyes in disgust and rage. "Putting you down is going to be both an honor and a mercy killing. Let's do this."


The crash of Crescent Rose on Tyrian's weapon resounded through street, and from Blake's position in the window she could see sparks fly from the blades. The combatants separated, and then fell upon each other in a ferocious whirlwind. Blake tried to track the faunus in her weapons sight, but both he and Ruby were moving so fast that she stood as high a chance of shooting her master is she did of shooting Tyrian. Lowering her weapon, she bit her lip in frustration. Ruby was on her own out there, and was dangerously exposed. She needed to get out there. She had a chain sword, and she knew how to fight.

Blake stood up with a burst of resolute motion, then promptly threw herself back into cover as a rifle slug exploded against the masonry beside her.

"Dust! We got incoming!" Someone shouted, but by now it was obvious the defenders of the cathedral faced a new threat. Muzzle flashes winked from the dark on three sides, and bullets whined through the windows.

"We're surrounded!"

"Run! Every man for himself!" A militia volunteer tried to sprint past Blake, his eyes wide with the panic.

"Get back here," Blake hissed furiously. She clotheslined the man with a vicious blow, and kicked him back in the direction from which he had come. "There will be no retreat!" Blake screamed. "Stand your ground, or Matriarch's honor, I'll kill you myself. Now Start! Shooting!"

Blake led by example, stepping to the window and emptying half a magazine at the muzzle flashes and shadowy forms that marked the positions of the White Fang. "Come on! You cowards want to die with loaded guns?"

That did it. The militia rallied, and a flurry of return fire ripped from the cathedral. "That's more like it," Blake shouted. "Do not let up! Your families are counting on you."

Blake looked out her window, and her lip curled in disgust as she saw a beowolf alpha dash past the White Fang. These faunus had betrayed everything she thought they stood for. They had allied themselves with unholy monsters to slaughter civilians. For maybe the first time in her life, Blake was fighting with a perfect sense of moral clarity, and it felt good.

"Die, monster!" She emptied her gun into the charging grimm. It stumbled, but pressed forward with a howl of rage. Dropping her carbine, Blake drew her chain sword and met it in the door. She ducked nimbly under the crushing blow aimed at her head, and drove the screaming teeth into the Alpha's gut. Black blood sprayed as she ripped the weapon free. She hacked at a leg, and the mortally wounded grimm toppled back down the steps.

She turned to retreat to her window, but never took the next step. A concussive blast tossed her against the door jam. Blake fell in a heap as masonry bits showered down.

"Dust rocket." Her combat training kept her mind calm and rational even as her body screamed in protest. "Get up. Move. If you stay in the door, you'll die." Blake tried to rise, but her legs refused. Everything seemed slow, distorted. The chaos of battle was far away. Struggling to her hands and knees, she saw a tiajitu streaking along the curb, heading for her.

"Not like that! Come on, Blake! Fight!" She looked again, but the taijitu had stopped. No, it was backing up. What? Blake blinked. Impossible. Then the snake-like body snapped like a whip, and the head cracked against the concrete with terminal force. Yang Xiao-Long strode into view, gauntlets smoking and eyes blazing.

"Come on! WHO IS NEXT!?"


"Aaaaaahahahaha!" Tyrian cackled as he danced away from Ruby's strike. "Getting tired, girl?"

"Never!" Ruby spat as she pressed her attack. Truth be told, she was tired. She had been in one fight after another for the last two days, and even her trained endurance had its limits. Tyrian was agile and quick, and Ruby was struggling to keep up. Gritting her teeth, she swung at him with her tried and true low-high-overhead combo. The faunus deflected her last strike, and with a animal-like snarl, sprang forward and grabbed Cresent Rose by the handle.

Ruby struggled to keep her grip and footing as Tyrian drove her back with fanatical strength. Her backpedaling came to an abrupt end as her back thumped against a wall. Tyrian leered down at her. "Oh, you're a good one. My children will feast on your bones. Goodbye, Huntress."

A tail barbed with what could only be a stinger twitched into view, and pulled back for a lethal blow. Ruby only smiled, because she could see behind Tyrian.

A hand closed just below the stinger.

Tyrian had just enough time to yelp in surprise before he was jerked backwards with the force of a steam piston. Yang's fist caught him between the shoulder blades, and hurled him forward into the wall hard enough to crack bricks.

"I leave you alone for a few hours, and look at the trouble you get into," Yang gave her sister a fake stern look. Her right hand crushed Tyrian's stinger with a iron grip, and she stomped a foot down on his back. The faunus let out an unearthly howl as he flailed under her foot.

"Look out, Yang," Ruby warned. "He's calling for help." Grimm all around the cathedral stopped whatever they were doing, turned, and headed for the sisters on the run.

"Don't care," Yang responded, and something had changed in her voice that made Ruby glanced sharply at her sister. Yang set her jaw, and methodically emptied the left half of Ember Celica straight into Tyrian's back. He screamed and thrashed as the slugs tore into his arua. It broke with the last shot, and Ruby heard ribs break as Yang slammed her boot down again.

"Yang! Incoming! Now!" Ruby stepped forward to meet the wall of grimm coming to rescue their leader. Yang hesitated. She had this monstrous scum at her mercy. Now was her chance to finish him off. But the barn debacle at the end of the disastrous hunting trip had taught Yang a valuable lesson about endangering others while satisfying her bloodlust. Killing this faunus could wait. Gripping Tyrian's stinger with both hands, Yang swung the man bodily into the air, and kicked him straight into is onrushing allies. He screamed in pain, and Yang realized she still held the end of the stinger in her hand. She tossed it aside in disgust, and stepped forward beside her sister.

"Ok then. Least kills buys breakfast."


"Sergeant Belladonna! You're going to be okay! You're gonna be just fine!" The militiaman that had drug Blake back into the cathedral knelt in front of her, holding her chin and shouting to make himself heard.

"I know that," Blake snapped, her energy returning. "Get back to the window and keep shooting!"

"Yes ma'am!" The man hurried away. Blake couldn't help but smile. Nobody had ever called her ma'am before, and nobody had willingly exposed themselves to withering gunfire to drag her to safety. These were good people, and she was going to do everything in her power to save them. Slowly and painfully, she struggled to her feet, and as she stood, a strange vibration in her pocket caught her attention. Ruby's Scroll! Blake had forgotten all about it. She fished the device from her pocket, and looked at the screen.

"Incoming Call. Lie Ren"

Blake's heart skipped a beat. This could only mean one thing. Ruby's desperate message sent as the airship was crashing had gotten through. Help had come. With trembling fingers, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Ruby, I need your exact position." Ren went straight to business, his tone calm but deadly urgent.

"Uhh... this is actually not Ruby. This is Blake Belladonna. I'm the slave you helped her with."

Ren paused noticeably. "Ok. Where is Ruby?"

"She's fighting grimm with Yang in front of the cathedral. We need help quickly, sir. We're surrounded and outnumbered."

"Understood. I'm dropping Nora directly on your position. We'll handle the rest of the town. Lie Ren out."

The call ended. Blake sank against the wall, weak with relief. The odds of her living through the night had improved significantly. Over the din of battle, she thought she heard the scream of a Bullhead's afterburner.

Wait. Who was Nora, anyway?

And then, as Blake pondered that question, her faunus ears picked up a war cry, and it got rapidly louder.

"sssssSSSSMASH!"


Author's Note:

'Nora Valkyrie has entered the chat'

Yang's claims about her outfit are probably correct.

Yes, I know it's been far too long since I updated. Rule #1 for writers- Do not overcommit in the rest of your life. In case you were wondering, this story will be finished in its entire, intended, unabridged length. Thank you to everyone who fav/follow/reviews "It's a Job". The goal is always to provide a product worth reading, and maybe even reading twice. So. Back to work.