Chapter 78 – The Drift of Wandering Star
R.W.B.Y
After so long… Team R.W.B.Y were reunited once more.
Their leader looked at Yang and Weiss with both disbelief and joy in her silver eye, Weiss and Yang both smiled at her as they stood there. They had never looked so healthy, and their aura was even visible thanks to the cure that the Witches managed to concoct. "I… I can't believe it…" Ruby giggled with happiness, turning to see the hero himself – the Architect – who managed to make this whole thing be possible. The Architect was injured after his clash against the Prometheus Squad, sparks leaked from his open wounds, but he was still functional. He fell to one knee, but he looked at Ruby and gave her the thumbs up.
Mazen stood beside him with his Chainsword in hand, looking at him. "Stay back, Architect. You've done more than any of us could have asked of you, repair yourself. We will handle the rest." Mazen assured, and the Architect chuckled as he nodded his head, crouching down behind some cover.
"Yeah… Yeah, sure… that sounds grand." The Architect agreed, keeping his Rifle close, charging it up so then he could still fight from a distance if he needed to.
Ruby wanted to just hug the Architect for making that suicide run to save her sister and best friend, but they still had a massive battle to win. Whitley stood tall, smoke trailed from the scorch marks across his body and he stared straight at Weiss. "You… you should be dead." Whitley hatefully snarled at her; Weiss' eyes widened when she stared at the giant robotic body that he was inside of. That was no Juggernaut Suit, it was a Robotic Paladin, just like the ones that Watts' Black Queen Virus infected back at Beacon seven years ago.
"Whitely?" Weiss gasped. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Oh yeah, you guys kinda missed some stuff." Ruby said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Uh… like what?" Yang asked.
"Ortega's on our side now, he shot Whitley in the face, the whole Fall of Arkhonex stuff, Jaune's Sword, Oscar being made by Ozpin with the Relic… you know… all the good stuff." Ruby said with the shrug of her shoulders, and Weiss scoffed.
"Well… I guess you can fill me in on the details when we're through this mess." Weiss said as she spun Myrtenaster through her fingers, and Yang slammed her fists together. The Acolytes of Lien immediately opened fire on them, and Team R.W.B.Y charged in unison, Ruby blasted up into the air and so did Yang, launching high in the air and launching herself down towards the Mercenaries. Yang pummelled her fist down with all her might, so hard that the tarmac shattered like fragile glass. The hard rock crumbled into dust around her, fire and shrapnel thrown high into the sky. The soldiers screamed as the golden beauty attacked them, she swung upwards and punched the soldier up into the air, so hard that his helmet was thrown straight off his head. Yang stared at the soldier as he plummeted down towards the ground, winking at him before she slammed her fist down into his face with explosive force.
The soldier crashed down into the ground, knocked unconscious and lucky that the attack made by Yang Xiao Long did not kill him instantly. Yang turned and crossed her arms over each other, blocking an incoming incendiary round from one of the soldiers firing at her. The fire crackled around her body and her powerful aura, smirking as Ruby suddenly shot down overhead and she slashed straight through the soldier, slicing through the armour plating that he wore. The soldier died instantly, but Ruby spun the huge scythe fast to deflect the incoming bullets, and Yang sprinted alongside Ruby.
"Sunflower!" Ruby called out, and just like old times they still answered to their team attack names. Both of the sisters blasted towards the Juggernaut who sprinted at the pair. He extended a long burning blade, slashing it towards them both but Ruby jumped over it whilst Yang slid under the attack made by the massive soldier. They both rose up behind the soldier, and Yang landed on the curved blade of Crescent Rose. Ruby swung around and fired Yang towards the Juggernaut, and she punched through the armour with great force, shattering it from one punch, knocking the soldier out from the suit, tumbling across the ground. He immediately aimed his pistol at them both, but Ruby shot the soldier in the head with Crescent Rose in its rifle form.
Ruby turned and she saw more of the Acolytes of Lien charging towards them, and she pointed Crescent Rose forward at the vehicles that roared and bounced across the terrain with machine gunners on the back of their truck beds. "Checkmate!" Ruby called out, and Weiss charged straight past her, forming Glyphs once more, making her smile.
"Oh I have missed you Glyphs!" Weiss cheered, shooting forward towards one of the trucks and thrusting Myrtenaster forward, creating an almighty pulse that stopped the truck dead in its tracks, flipping it over her head. Blake swung across the roads and she flipped through the air, landing on the bonnet of the truck. She stabbed her sword into the hull, but she then pulled the blade swiftly from the hull and ran towards the driver seat. She grabbed onto the roll cage and swung herself in, pummelling both her feet into the face of the driver in front of her, knocking both him and the passenger next to him out of the vehicle. She shot through the whole vehicle without even touching the sides. The truck drifted out of control and rolled onto its side.
Weiss lifted Myrtenaster upwards and she gently slid her fingers down the pointed blade, staring at the soldiers that sprinted towards her, and Blake landed next to her with a smile. They both fought side-by-side against the Mercenaries that charged towards them. One of them slammed his sword towards the Schnee Huntress, grinding his red blade against her trusty sword, she then rolled across his back and slashed her sword up the armour around his back. He staggered back from her and she quickly ducked underneath the Tremor Trooper's powerful fist, and she drove her sword through his stomach. The soldier growled in pain yet still went to hit her, until Blake kicked the soldier in the jaw, protecting her friend, and throwing her grappling hook towards the soldier that Weiss staggered, and the hook stabbed into the same spot.
The soldier yelled in pain and Blake yanked him towards her and she took her Sheath and slammed it against the back of his head, taking the soldier out with great speed. Weiss arched her arm and aimed Myrtenaster forward, looking at Ruby and nodding, and so did Yang to Blake. "Bumblebee!" Ruby called out, and the two of them sprinted towards the Hellfire Tank that walked round the corner, and it fired a powerful shell directly at them.
The huge tank shells exploded all around them as it also fired missiles and mortars from the silos in the top of the cannon. The missiles shrieked as they spun through the air before crashing down towards them in fiery explosions. Blake shimmered away as one of the explosions hit one of her illusions, and Yang blasted towards the spidery leg of the Hellfire Tank, slamming her fist into it with all her might. The powerful pistons and joints snapped from the sheer force of the Brawler's cybernetic fist. The Hellfire Tank collapsed to one knee but continued to fight, blasting its cannon and machine guns at them all. The bullets shredded through the terrain, but Yang kept moving, and so did Blake.
She threw herself towards the cannon and she cast one of her shadows, using the technique that Weiss suggested, and she used fire dust to create an explosive shadow. The explosion in the silhouette of Blake's body travelled through the main gun, creating one massive explosion that split the long turret in half from how powerful it was. The Hellfire Tank groaned in pain. The two of them looked at each other and Yang smirked a nod, and Blake threw her grappling hook to Yang and she spun her round and round, before launching her towards the Hellfire Tank. Yang yelled as her hair ignited and eyes turned red, pummelling the entire tank into a thousand pieces in a huge explosion. Yang landed on the other side, her hair still crackling with flames as she stood tall, wiping some of the embers off her shoulder.
"Hell yeah… it's damn good to be back." Yang said with a grin on her face, the burning wreckage of the Hellfire Tank collapsed to the ground.
Ruby and Weiss stood side-by-side as they saw more Acolytes of Lien headed their way. Weiss stared at Whitley who was still holding the final defence of the Acolytes with those tanks that were still raining hell down on them. But in front of them they saw an Acolytes of Lien Gunship roaring towards them, firing all its machine guns at them. Ruby shot to Weiss and carried her out of the way in a white and blue flash of colourful petals. They both landed out of the Gunship's path, and it pulled a sharp turning manoeuvre, glaring right at them once more.
They both looked at each other and smiled. "Ice Flower!" Ruby called out, and Weiss spun her sword through her fingers and plunged it down into the ground. She closed her eyes as the large Glyph formed and rotated on the ground before them. Ruby stood at the ready as the glowing white Arma Gigas rose from the ground once more. The huge spectral knight gripped its sword tight as it turned to the two of them, and Weiss looked at Ruby.
"Go!" Weiss called to her, and Ruby sprinted to the Arma Gigas' giant sword, running along the huge blade and it pirouetted, throwing the Silver Eyed Huntress towards the Gunship. It fired its missiles and machine guns at the skilled warrior, but Weiss defended her with her Glyphs, shooting fireballs from her Glyphs thanks to coating the blade of Myrtenaster with Fire Dust, and the shots blew up the missiles in the air, whilst Ruby transformed into her swirling cloud of petals and accelerated herself towards the Gunship.
She erupted from the storm of rose petals, yelling with fury, Crescent Rose transformed into its War Scythe Form, and she slashed straight through the right wing of the Gunship. The aircraft shrieked with deafening pitch as it spun out of control, flames and smoke bled from the severed wing, and Ruby landed down on the ground. Weiss saw that the Gunship was crashing down towards some of the White Fang soldiers that were helping them fight this war, so she conjured more Black Glyphs that caught the Gunship before it could crush them all. They all ran out of the way before the Glyphs gave way, and the Gunship slammed to the ground, with zero casualties on either side.
The White Fang restrained the soldiers who were in the Gunship, taking them Prisoner instead of killing them whilst defenceless. Team R.W.B.Y formed back together, and with the battle shortly taking a break, Ruby immediately wrapped her arms around Yang, hugging her extremely tightly, something that Yang returned the favour with. Blake and Yang hugged again too. "Well… that was one fantastic reunion, couldn't have asked for better." Weiss chuckled as she turned to hug Ruby, and Yang hugged Blake.
"Yeah, definitely fitting for us." Blake agreed with a laugh in her voice.
As they stood there, Blake stared at Sun and she smiled with relief and love, sprinting towards him and jumping into his arms. He caught her and nearly fell over from how hard she jumped into his arms. He staggered back and held her close, tears streamed down her cheeks as she held him, never wanting to let him go. And for the first time since he was infected with the Pathogen… she kissed him. They shared a long and passionate embrace as they kissed, Sun pushed his hand through her soft black hair as he held her. "Don't… ever leave me again." She sniffled tearfully and he smiled as he gazed into her eyes.
"I don't plan to." He whispered.
Yang stood there, and she turned… and her lilac eyes widened with the same love as she saw him. Kassius stood there, like a deer in headlights as he dropped Lash Equinox onto the floor. Tears welled in his eyes – in Kassius Locke's eyes – and they both ran to each other's arms. They immediately shared a long and loving kiss, refusing to stop or even release each other. They both pressed their heads together as they stood there. "I… I'm so sorry… for disappearing like that… I didn't do it on purpose." He stammered, but she shut him up by kissing him again.
"I know…" She whispered into his mouth. Kassius sighed with relief, since it could have seemed pretty suspect when he was snatched by Kelham and his Traffickers that night. But as they held each other, Yang looked past Kassius and saw his team.
Cardin and Emerald were the ones that surprised her. "Oh… uh… hi…" Cardin awkwardly waved as he scratched the back of his head. Kassius chuckled.
"It's alright, they're on our side now. They're still assholes but they're good assholes." Kassius said, winking at them, making both of them chuckle.
"That sounds about right." Emerald nodded.
"I'll take that." Cardin agreed, making Yang chuckle.
"Well… never thought I'd say it a few years ago… but it's good to see you again, Cardin… and you Em." Yang said as she looked at them and they both smiled.
"You too, Yang." Emerald said shaking her hand.
"What a wonderful reunion. I wonder if it's gonna get interrupted again?" Jaune asked as he walked over to them, and just as he said it one of the mortars came crashing and exploding down on them. Jaune tumbled backwards from the explosion and he groaned. "Remind me to keep my mouth shut!" Jaune yelled as he ran towards cover. But they could hear something else, a deafening horn from something echoed throughout the battlefield. Junior's eyes widened as he saw it slowly moving towards them.
"Oh gods… I didn't realise he had those with him." Junior said with shock.
"What? What is it?" Kragen asked as he hunkered down, they all peered over the destroyed rubble and they saw them. There were massive Rigs, gigantic armoured vehicles with house sized wheels, armed to the teeth with weapons and loaded with more vehicles and soldiers. But that was not all that they had – they saw something else being loaded off those things.
"They're Rigs… they can carry armies with ease." Junior revealed, but Kragen's silver eyes widened when he saw what they pulled the sheets off.
"Oh no…"
There was a folded-up machine underneath, but then its ancient metallic triangular legs opened up, and it stood tall with a metallic trumpeting screech. It stomped towards them and fired a powerful red beam of light towards them, blowing some of their aircraft out of the sky. The Airships crashed into the ground behind them in a fiery blaze. "What is that thing?" Melanie asked with horror in her eyes, but the Huntsmen and Huntresses who fought on the Volcanic Chain Isles remembered what this thing was. Except this one was much larger and in much better condition than the rusted sentry that they clashed with.
"It's a Warden… an old piece of Arkhoni Weaponry." Ruby revealed, the huge Warden easily scaled the ancient ruins of Arkhonex, firing its lasers up towards their air force as they battled above them. And more Rigs were there, blasting more mortars towards their position. The second that they had their enemy on the retreat, they always unleashed something to even the odds.
"How do we take them down? Those Rigs?" Sun asked as he held Ruyi Jingu Bang tight.
"We don't, unless you are the same size. It's the whole point of them, they're designed by the Atlesians to travel cross-country and be able to fight Grimm, even the big ones." Junior explained as he watched the Rigs getting into position.
"So… what do we do?" Neptune asked as he held Trishula in its Rifle Form.
"We take out the driver and try and clear them out… or hope that Ortega and Penny can regain control of the Drift of Wandering Star." Junior said.
"Do you really think they'll stand down once he has control?" Jaune asked him.
"When a Dreadnaught of that size has all its Broadsides aimed at you? It would be the clever move to stand down." Junior answered, and he was not wrong. They saw what the Broadside Cannons were capable of, the Drift of Wandering Star could easily wipe them out right now. Ruby looked at what they were up against once more, those massive Rigs were slowly moving into position, dropping off the remainder of reinforcements that were serving Kelham, they were not going to get anymore.
This was it, this was definitely their last stand, holding the Embered Grove, even though they have already lost. The Warden moved with great speed across the destruction of this battle, firing its laser up into the sky to try and take down the jets and airships.
But as they waited, they felt bizarre quakes, seismic activity, all over the place. "Cordovin? Are you picking up these tremors?" Ruby asked her.
"Affirmative. But I have no idea what could be causing it. I have eyes on all the Grimm trying to get past our forces and not one has gotten past, and even then… to get readings like these? It must be massive." Cordovin commented, and Ruby looked around. There was nothing that big for miles… but then the Tremors began to fade once more. Whatever was causing them was nearby, which meant they needed to take down Arcturus Base as fast as possible.
Weiss scoffed. "Never a dull moment with us, is there? We've been out of action for the past month… and as soon as we are back it's back to business as usual." Weiss chuckled, she looked at Ruby and Neptune with a smile.
"I've really missed this." She laughed.
All eyes fell on Ruby for a plan, she and Jaune both thought as they examined the battlefield. Thanks to Kassius' Team and Team C.F.V.Y, Donovan Gele was eliminated, which left only two more of their foes here. Whitley, who was right in front of them in that massive Paladin. And Kelham, who was up in the Drift of Wandering Star. "We need to get rid of their leaders – we need to take down Whitley. We need to hope that Ortega and Penny can handle Kelham on their own." Ruby explained.
"You say that like it will be easy to take Whitley down. We still have to fight through the Acolytes to get to him." Oscar said as he stood next to her, and Qrow watched the battlefield from there.
Then… Ruby revealed her plan… one that was… insane.
"Not if we have some help. Cordovin." She contacted the leader holding the Grimm back. "Forget holding the Grimm back – let the bastards flood the base." Ruby said.
"What?" Cordovin questioned.
"We can't break their line, not even with the forces we have on our side. But with your help and all your forces and the Grimm at the same time? They won't stand a chance." Ruby said, but Oscar gently touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, I don't want all of them to die. We just need to use the Grimm to get to Whitley and take him down. Hell, the Grimm may help them turn sides." Ruby said as she looked at him. Oscar smiled at her, he was worried that she was backtracking to her merciless way of thinking she had before – but in fact, her plan was rather genius. They may have the Acolytes of Lien outnumbered but they have the better position, but the Grimm flooding in and hitting them at their flank?
That breaks their ranks and will help their forces advance.
"You know it will be chaos if we do that, right?" Qrow asked her.
"Well… someone could give us a bird's eye view?" Ruby asked him with a smile, a smile that Qrow had not seen for quite a long time – it reminded him of the Ruby that he used to play video games with all the time.
He missed that smile.
"I guess I could, kiddo." Qrow agreed as he stared ahead.
"We could use the Colossus' help too, to take down that Warden and those Rigs. But we shouldn't destroy the Rigs, we may need them later." Hazel agreed as he stood with them, and Glynda nodded her head, her trusty Crop still in her grasp.
Ruby held her fingers to her earpiece, staring at the soldiers and the massive Advanced Paladin that Whitley's Atlesian Knight body was piloting. "Cordovin, on my mark. Let them through." Ruby ordered, and there was a temporary silence before Cordovin answered, of her simply contemplating on the chaos about to go down.
"Once we let them through, we send all our forces in?" Cordovin asked her.
"Yes, every single soldier, vehicle and weapon. Their defences will crumble, and those who want to live, and switch sides will do so." Ruby explained.
"And those who don't?" Cordovin asked her.
"Well… I guess that's their choice. And that's what the Grimm will be for." Ruby said. "We have Rigs and they have managed to hack into an Arkhoni Warden, it's a big robot, about the same size as yours, just faster. We will need your help to bring that thing down." Ruby explained, and Cordovin sighed.
"All forces prepare to retreat and let the Grimm enter the base. We're gonna use them to break the Acolytes' line. On my order." Cordovin said to them all. "Waiting on your order, General Rose."
General?
Huh… wow… I guess I'm a general now.
Ruby stood tall with Team R.W.B.Y beside her, alongside the rest of her brave friends and family, staring at the Acolytes of Lien, where they had set up their final defences. She pointed forward with a scowl on her face.
"Now."
The Acolytes of the Rose and Cordovin opened their defences and instantly retreated, with the huge horde of Grimm swarming up behind them. They all ran and drove as fast as they could towards their line, and as soon as they were close, they turned directions away from the Acolytes of Lien. Whitley turned and he gasped, Weiss watched, and she clenched her hand into a fist as she watched the Advanced Paladin spin around. "Incoming Grimm!" He yelled.
That was it… the moment they were waiting for.
"CHARGE!" Ruby yelled, she and Team R.W.B.Y charged at the head of the army that followed her, sprinting and driving across the battlefield towards the Acolytes of Lien's final stand. Team J.N.P.R and Team C.F.V.Y sprinted alongside them, and the three Maidens took off into the air as their eyes ignited, and Ozpin sprinted with great speed, Kragen alongside him, and the Architect aimed his rifle from a distance, still helping as best he can.
Team R.W.B.Y sprinted up the destroyed buildings of Arcturus Base, and leapt directly towards the Acolytes of Lien as the Grimm collides into their defences.
This was it.
The End of the Acolytes of Lien.
Penny
She held on tight, if she were human, she would feel the butterflies in her belly as she grabbed the handles on the top of the airship's interior. Ortega was beside her, reloading his Revolver whilst Arkaas was ready for combat. But he kept making these glares at Ortega, ones that made Penny rather nervous of him. She knew that the Elites that Mazen broke out from prison were lunatics, and the only ones that seemed like they were sane in the slightest were both Arkaas and Kaa. But Arkaas was still very violent and hateful.
He stood there with his Bow in his hand and a pistol holstered on one of his cybernetic eagle shaped legs, and his large feathery Eagle Wings were folded up against his back from where they protruded from his shoulders. "How are we looking, Pilot?" Ortega asked as he walked past Arkaas, looking at the soldier.
Shells suddenly started to fire at them as they flew up towards the Drift of Wandering Star. "Damn it! Just as I was about to say this was gonna be easy!" The Pilot exclaimed with frustration. "Hang on tight!"
The Airships roared up through the sky, pulling evasive manoeuvres to avoid the incoming shells that shot towards them. Jets also came for them alongside some Airborne Grimm, slashing their claws across the metal bodies of their hull. As they flew closer and closer to the Drift of Wandering Star, one of the shells from the Broadside Cannons exploded against the wing of one of the Airships, flames and burning shrapnel flew from the wing. The Airship spun out of control and crashed into another nearby, shattering themselves in a ball of flames.
Their Airship was moving as fast as it could, blasting glowing red flares from their compartments to avoid the incoming missiles, and firing its very heat seeking missiles towards the Acolytes of Lien Jets in the sky. Ortega looked down, and he saw the Anti-Air Cannons were still shooting down Kelham's Jets and Airships, but they were being destroyed one by one by the Hellfire Tanks below, blowing them to pieces with their powerful cannons. Pretty soon they were about to have no cover whatsoever.
"Look out!" Penny called out, just in time too, because one of the Acolytes of the Rose Dreadnaughts was right next to them, firing all the Broadside Cannons at once into one of the Acolytes of Lien Dreadnaughts. But that ship was doing the exact same thing, fire and smoke belched from the open wounds left behind from their assault on one another. The constant explosions were deafening and blinding from how strong the orange colour palette was. The Acolytes of the Rose Dreadnaught was taking a heavier hit than the Acolytes of Lien one, especially when the Drift of Wandering Star started to open fire on that one as well.
"This is Rose Twelve! We are taking extensive punishment! Request immediate assistance! Repeat! Request Immediate Assis-ARGH!" The Bridge was totally obliterated from the barrage of the Drift of Wandering Star's Broadside attack, pummelling and annihilating the very top of the ship. Massive flames and plumes of thick black smoke bled from the bridge and the Acolytes of the Rose Dreadnaught began to plunge down from the sky and crash into Arkhonex with a thunderous eruption.
"Damn it, we need that thing to drop its shields." The Pilot said.
"The shields are designed to stop shells from damaging the hull, but there are gaps in the Hardlight Shielding, they are essentially giant panels. Get us in between them, I have marked you a good spot, the closest one to the Bridge." Ortega explained, connecting his Scroll to the Nav-Computer of the Airship.
"Gods… I hope you can get that thing on our side. It doesn't matter how much of the victory our Ground Forces have; it can still win this thing for Kelham." The Pilot said.
"I know… and I will get it back under my control. It is my ship after all." Ortega said. The pilot flew as hard and fast as he possibly could to get to the Drift of Wandering Star, and Arkaas glared at Ortega menacingly, slowly reaching down to his pistol. Penny stood there as she looked around, not even noticing what Arkaas was up to. He drew his pistol and aimed it straight at Ortega's head, and Penny gasped.
"NO!" She screamed, grabbing the gun and forcing him against the wall, he fired, and the bullet went straight through the pilot's head, killing him instantly.
"Shit!" Ortega yelled, grabbing the controls as they flew towards the hull of the Drift of Wandering Star. The cannons started to fire at them as Penny fought against Arkaas behind them. Penny caught his fist and she threw him up against the ceiling, but he immediately dropped down and slammed his cybernetic taloned foot down against Penny's cheek, digging the claws deep into her face. Penny screamed in agony as he dug them further and further. Ortega looked back with horror when he heard her agonised screaming and he immediately drew his Revolver and aimed it at Arkaas. "What the fuck are you doing?" He yelled.
"I've been waiting for this Ortega! For how you imprisoned me there!" Arkaas yelled maniacally, showing his true side as he launched towards Ortega with his Gun. But before he could get close, Ortega did something almost as crazy. He took the controls and he pointed them downwards, crashing the airship down into the hull, nailing the gap between the Hardlight Shieling Panels. The Airship smashed against the powerful armoured hull, shredding the metal skin of the jet and flames ruptured from it.
Arkaas screamed, thrown through the window and onto the hull of the Drift of Wandering Star. Ortega tumbled but Penny caught him in her arms, and she held on tight as the wreckage of their Airship slid across the hull of the Drift of Wandering Star. She and Ortega both got up and ran as fast as they could out of the Airship, jumping out of it just as it slid and plummeted off the edge of the Airship.
Penny checked Ortega, making sure if he was okay. "Dad? Dad? Are you okay?" She asked him with worry, he turned, and he looked at her face. There were three gouges in her artificial skin, and he saw the sparks that bled from her instead of blood.
"Gods… what the hell did he do to you? Are you okay?" He asked her instead, gently touching her cheek.
"I'm okay… just a scratch, nothing that can't be repaired." Penny assured with a bright smile on her face. Both of them stood up, looking around for a way inside of the Drift of Wandering Star. There was a way in but there was also no sign of where Arkaas went, they both walked past the powerful intakes of the engines that kept the Vessel afloat.
"Where the hell did that Eagle Faunus fuckface go?" Ortega growled with anger as he held his Revolver tight, looking around.
"What was he talking about?" Penny asked.
"I don't know… I don't remember sending him to the prison… hell I don't even remember him at all." Ortega said, which was a big mistake.
Arkaas screamed with immense fury as he suddenly erupted up from one of the wings, he must have been underneath them, and he immediately flew towards Ortega and grabbed him by the throat, flying high in the air with his huge Eagle Wings. Ortega choked as he held him there, flying high above him. "You sent me to that hell! Because I was too extreme for your precious little company's morals? Well allow me to send you down there as well!" Arkaas yelled, throwing Ortega off the Drift of Wandering Star. Ortega screamed with terror, until Penny literally threw herself off and launched one of her swords to act as a grappling hook.
She dove down and caught her father and yelped in pain as the cable that held her there yanked against her spine. "I've got you!" Penny yelped as she held on tight. She started to retract the cable of her sword which pulled them both back up to the Drift of Wandering Star's hull.
"That guy's totally lost his mind." Ortega stammered as they both ascended back up towards the hull of the Dreadnaught. Penny and Ortega both clambered back up onto the hull, but as Penny stood up, she turned, and he eyes widened because she saw Arkaas banking round the Drift of Wandering Star and he flew straight for her. Penny's back opened up and she launched her swords towards him, and she used the cables and wrapped them around his body. Penny slammed his body down to the ground with great force, and he grunted in pain, struggling to move.
"That's enough!" Penny yelled at him, but he forcefully spread his wings out, and it unravelled the cables around his body. He jumped up and swiftly kicked Penny in the chest. Ortega staggered across the unstable ground, the wind was enough to nearly knock the two of them off the black, red and gold hull of this ship. But he aimed his Chrome Revolver at Arkaas and fired it over and over again at the Eagle Faunus, he rolled out of the way and sprinted towards him.
The Eagle Faunus was just as fast on the ground as he was in the air, and he drew his Bow and Arrow, firing it towards Ortega. He ducked down and dodged the arrow before it could hit him in the face, and he shot at him, nailing him in the shoulder. His aura protected him but luckily it did not look like it was a very strong aura since it was already beginning to flicker from that one shot. But then again, he was thrown directly from the Airship when they crashed, so that meant that he did not have much aura left in his system.
Arkaas' wings suddenly opened up again and he flew directly at Ortega and punched him in the face so hard that it sent him tumbling down the exterior steps into the airlock of the ship. He groaned as he clambered back up the stairs, Arkaas had just unintentionally given them a way in, but he could not leave Penny out there. As he walked up the stairs, Arkaas suddenly grabbed Ortega by the throat and stared straight into his eyes. "Maybe you were right about people like me and Kelham… we are too dangerous. So I'm gonna really enjoy making sure that machine of yours can't even recognise you… well… she'll recognise your screams." Arkaas laughed sinisterly.
"You… came all this way… to kill me… for that? Because you were too dangerous? What the hell did you do? Remind me?" He strained as Arkaas held him.
"You sent my team in to eliminate some dangerous individuals, paid by the Vacuo Council. But there were civilians, so you wanted to do it cleanly and not hurt anyone. But that took too long… so I did it the fast way." Arkaas answered, and Ortega remembered… he immediately remembered that mission.
"You… I remember your team now… you murdered them all. Innocent men, woman… children!" Ortega strained. "And you dare judge me for punishing you for that?"
"No… I judge you for not having the courage to actually take me down yourself. I never did like cowards." He hissed as he pointed his pistol against Ortega's head, ready to kill him.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Penny yelled, tackling Arkaas and they both tumbled back down the hull. Penny stabbed her swords into the hull to slow herself down, and she immediately got back up and sprinted towards Arkaas, tackling him again, punching him in the face over and over again. He jumped up and punched Penny in the face, knocking her off his chest. He then flew towards her and dug his cybernetic talons into her shoulders, lifting her up in the air and flying around the hull, before the weight of carrying someone brought him back down towards the hull. He slammed her down, so hard that his razor-sharp talons punctured through her shoulder.
Ortega stumbled after them, reloading his Revolver to save his daughter. "Penny!" Ortega screamed as he rushed to her, but then Arkaas grabbed Penny's damaged arm and he pulled with all his might. Penny shrieked in agony as sparks and coolant sprayed like blood from her severed shoulder, Arkaas threw her arm he ripped off aside and he grabbed one of her swords and pushed it down towards her face to try and kill her. Penny held him back with her other arm, using it to stop the blade… by letting the entire blade stab through the arm.
Penny winced and screamed in agony. "Don't worry, machine! I'll make sure he dies nice and slow!" Arkaas promised, until suddenly more bullets flew towards Arkaas. The first broke his aura but Ortega did not stop there. He fired over and over again, sending bullets that shot straight through his body. One through his shoulder, three into his chest, another through his throat and the final one through his eye. Arkaas grunted, partially alive as he staggered backwards towards the intake of the engine.
He opened his wings as he tried to fly away, dying as he flew. He let out one final scream though, as the intake suddenly pulled him down into the powerful engines, silencing him and completely vaporising him. Flames erupted from the engine and alarms began to blare.
Arkaas was dead… and he was the last of the insane Elites, Kaa was the only one left and she was on their side.
The Insane White Fang Elites were finally vanquished.
Ortega instantly went to Penny's side, seeing the damage that Arkaas had done to her, her entire right arm had been ripped off, sparks and oil leaked from her as she whimpered in pain. "I've got you, come on…" Ortega gently said to her as he helped her back up to her feet. "I've got you baby girl." He whispered, looping her only arm round his neck and shoulder. She could still walk, and she looked at him with a smile.
"I'm… sti-still functional, right?" She stammered; her voice even sounded damaged too.
"Yeah, you're still alive. Come on, we can still take the bridge." Ortega said to her, but in truth he was very worried. Penny was the powerhouse needed to get through, but he still had his revolver. He opened the airlock and closed it behind him, helping her through as they both kept moving towards the bridge. It felt like it was miles away, but soldiers were still in their path. Penny turned and she launched one of her swords down the hallway, pinning a soldier to the wall, and she retracted it back to her. They kept moving forward, and Ortega shot each of the soldiers that turned the corner in the head.
They turned round the next corner, and ahead was the very location that they had been looking for.
The Bridge.
"Come on… we're nearly there…" Ortega said to her as he helped her get closer and closer to the bridge. "Did I ever tell you about the time you used to make me these bracelets?" He asked her to try and take her mind off the pain she was suffering from.
"N-No… I-I don't know… My memory… it's damaged, remember?" She stammered, her voice kept on malfunctioning, going higher and deeper over and over again, there were moments where her natural voice came through, but she had suffered so much internal damage that her systems were going haywire.
"Every time I came back from work, sometimes it would have been really, really tough on me. Really bad news, the kind that made me wanna just cry. But every time I came home, you were always making something. Sometimes it was a toy, sometimes it was a drawing… and sometimes it was something like this?" Ortega said, lifting his wrist up to reveal the very same bracelet that she made him after one of those very hard days. Penny looked at it and she smiled.
"I… I… made tha-that?" She struggled.
"Yeah, yeah you did. It was such a hard day but the moment I sat down next to you, I nearly cried just because I loved you so much." Ortega admitted with tears in his eyes.
"Maybe I can make you… another one." Penny suggested, making him laugh.
"I'd like that." Ortega admitted, they approached the doors and he reloaded his revolver, ready for a fight.
BANG!
The doors exploded, and both of them were thrown to the ground. Ortega groaned as he laid there, looking at Penny as she laid there, also in pain, then his eyes lifted, and he saw him.
Kelham.
He crouched down and stared into his eyes with sadistic malignance.
"You have something I need."
Then it went dark, after Kelham kicked him in the face.
Ortega
As Ortega came to, all he could hear was the sound of pained whimpers emerging from Penny Polendina. He looked around as his vision cleared, and he saw her. She was leant against the wall… and they had mutilated the poor girl. Both her legs had been chopped off, sparks leaked from the wounds and her other arm had been severed. "Gods… this one truly does not know when to give up now, does she?" Kelham laughed as he walked around.
Ortega looked around; they were still on the Drift of Wandering Star, but they were not in the Bridge. It looked like they were in the unused Cargo Hold, it was almost pitch black if not for the lights that Kelham brought in here. Kelham swung round and punched Penny across the face, normally that would break a man's fist, but he was using a Tremor Trooper's Fist, and more of her artificial skin was broken off from that dull impact.
"OPEN UP! I know you have it you little synthetic bitch! I must say I am impressed, Merlot made you well, didn't he? Made sure that you felt pain and everything… he even gave you an Aura. I wonder how he managed that? All for a pathetic failed father over there?" Kelham scoffed, holding the very bracelet that he daughter made for him not very long before she killed herself from the bullying she suffered from.
Ortega stared at him with hatred in his eyes. "Ooh, did you know that when you were real and not dead you made me this lovely little bracelet?" Kelham mocked, which just made Ortega hate him more and more with every word that he said. Kelham walked towards Ortega and he crouched down, staring straight into his eyes. "You really think you have a second chance? You baby is dead, pal. Accept it, playing with these toys won't change that fact. You failed as a father." He snarled, but Ortega immediately swung his head into Kelham's, so hard it caused him to stagger back.
"Fuck you!" Ortega barked with hatred in his voice. "Don't ever talk about my daughter… and never lay a finger on her!"
Kelham stared at him and then at Penny, scoffing. "You really think that's her? Man… that is sad… that really is very sad." Kelham scoffed, shaking his head, still holding the Bracelet Penny made him many years ago.
"She is my baby… she died long ago, yes that is true – but I have her back now. And you won't hurt her again." Ortega growled.
Kelham smirked sinisterly as he brandished the modified Crimson Dawn Blade, broken down into six blades, to make two gauntlets that had three long claws on each that could give him the same portals that Raven could open. He sliced her cheek ever so slowly, making her wince in pain. Ortega looked at his hands, and he was not bound… and judging by the many silhouettes in the darkness? There was a reason for that… if Ortega even dared make a move on Kelham then he would be dead and so would Penny.
"That's right… you can talk a big game… but there's nothing you can do to stop me. Or we will kill both of you right here and now." The Komodo Dragon Faunus shrugged his shoulders as he paced around the room. "Now… onto business. Tell this thing to open up so I can take the Power Cell, and you two can walk out of here… well you can. She can't really do much walking anymore." Kelham scoffed as he gestured to what was left of Penny.
"The hell do you want it for?" Ortega questioned, and Kelham walked over to him, at a safer distance this time, and he crouched down to look Ortega in the eye.
"All my life I was a failure. I failed at everything… even dying at one point… I do not intent to ever fail again. There is a device in the Emerais Catacombs that will grant me that power, and you are holding the last piece of that puzzle for me to become a god." Kelham explained, and Ortega's eyes widened.
"The Aura Destabiliser…" Ortega realised.
"That's the kiddie." Kelham answered.
"You're insane, that thing was untrustworthy as hell, it was the very thing that the Congregation of Dawn used. It turned their Followers into monsters!" Ortega argued.
"Because they did not use it correctly, but I will." Kelham answered.
"How the hell could you possibly know that?" Ortega questioned.
"Because it was only in the prototype stage, but Sylens Emerais finished his work on the project. You see the Lords of Arkhonex – before Ezekiel Arc betrayed them – had the plan to use this device when it was perfected to turn their soldiers and themselves Ethereal, the Grimm could not harm them that way, but they could kill the Grimm in that form. They could take back Arkhonex with zero casualties. But… when Ezekiel betrayed them, the airship they had bringing in the Power Cells was destroyed, and they were scattered across the city." Kelham explained as he held his arms out to the Ruins of Arkhonex.
"And we have the last one?" Ortega assumed.
"Exactly, dear friend. So… spare yourself some suffering and tell the metal bitch to open up. Or I will open up your throat, right in front of her." Kelham warned as he pressed the blades of his claws against Ortega's throat.
"No… Please… don't." Penny begged, Kelham glanced at her and he smirked, lifting Ortega up and moving him right in front of her, the blades still pressed to his throat.
"You keep pushing me, robot! Open up and let me take the Power Cell or I will slit your daddy's throat and bleed him dry!" Kelham yelled. Penny stared at her father with heartbreak, she knew he did not want her to open… but she did not want him to die either.
"Okay…" Penny sniffled sadly. Kelham pushed Ortega to the ground and he walked over to her as she opened up, and Penny glanced at Ortega as Kelham picked up the Power Cell from the compartment where her swords were kept.
Penny winked.
"Finally… the cell to become a god." He worshipped the Power Cell, holding it before him. As Penny sat there, crackles of green grew from her body as she lifted her head and stared directly at him, and suddenly the swords shot forward and slashed across his body, his aura was up but it knocked him to the ground. The soldiers all tried to fire on her, but she launched her swords at them all one by one and blasted that devastating beam of green energy towards them, killing the soldiers that surrounded them all.
Fire began to burn in the subdeck, but as she tried to finish Kelham off, he deflected her blades and he suddenly drove both his swords into her gut, lifting the girl off the ground. She cried out in pain as he held her there. He dropped her to the ground.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… well played girl… but I'm afraid you just played your last card." Kelham said, suddenly drawing his Eight Shooter Revolver and he turned to her, quick firing the gun over and over again, striking the hammer eight times. Penny took seven bullets to the chest, one hit her core and the others blew her torso to bits…
… and the eight went straight through her cheek.
Her head recoiled back, and she laid there… lifeless.
"PENNY!" Ortega screamed with anguish as he reached out for her destroyed body. Kelham picked the Power Cell up and he passed by Ortega, stopping with Penny's bracelet in his hand.
"Gods… your daughter was shit at her crafts, wasn't she?" He said, ripping the precious bracelet in half right in front of Ortega, before he opened a Portal and disappeared.
Ortega crawled to Penny's side, cradling her body in his arms as he sobbed.
"Not again…"
"Not again…"
"Not again…"
Author Note - Kelham has to die for this... I bet that is what's going through your heads right now, right?
I love Penny and Ortega so this bit was so damn heartbreaking to write - Penny promised to make him another Bracelet. If anything is gonna send Ortega over the edge though? It may be this moment...
God Arkaas had a brutal death, but now that is the last of the Evil White Fang Elites dead and taken care of. But on a happier note, writing Team R.W.B.Y fighting together once more was absolutely brilliant, especially doing the Team Attacks. Shows that the old Ruby truly is still in there, no matter how much suffering Umbra throws at Ruby, she is still that ball of sunshine deep down.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt
