Mountain Glenn ho! We finish off the business with Adam's Bastion this chapter. Things are gonna get crazy from now on. Hope you guys are excited. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, the Persona series, Five Nights at Freddy's, or Devil May Cry.

Volume 3-8: Mountain Glenn

As the bullhead headed out for Mountain Glenn, Yang spoke with Oobleck. "I gotta admit, Doc. I never took you as something of a fighter." "I will admit I consider myself more an intellectual," Oobleck replied, "But as a Huntsman I've seen my share of tussles." "Like the mushroom?," Ruby asked. "Those are truffles," Blake replied. "The sprout?," Ruby asked again. "Those are brussels," Yang said. Ruby tilted her head. "The seafood?" "Those are mussels," Weiss said. "So why you in particular?," Gabriel asked. "The headmaster informed me of the situation involving the White Fang," Oobleck said, "And as an expert on both history and archaeology I was considered the best choice for a surveillance mission to locate them."

"What does history have to do with this?," Nora asked. "I guess those not native to Vale would know," Jaune said, "But Mountain Glenn is considered the worst failed expansion attempt." "Yeah, everyone in Vale knows about it," Ruby said, "The expansion lacked natural defenses and was ultimately overrun by Grimm and walled off." "Indeed," Oobleck said, "Now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder. Only someone brave, foolish, desperate, insane, strong, or some combination of the five would dare venture too deeply inside." "Which ones would we constitute?," Jeremy wondered. "If I had to measure," Oobleck said, "A decent combination of brave and strong."

"I'd count Adam as desperate, strong, and insane," Blake noted. "Would that make the rest of the White Fang foolish?," Ruby wondered. "Foolish or not," Oobleck said, "The city makes for an excellent hideout. Once we land our top priority is to make a reliable base camp. Once accomplished, we'll see if we can't get the attention of any possible White Fang scouts. Normally a situation like this would require stealth, but Ozpin tells me there's an important reason why we need to be seen. Ah, here we are now. Everyone prepare your landing strategy."

The twelve students soon landed on the outskirts of the city, weapons out and active. Jeremy's rabbit ears were twitching. "I'm already hearing movement. Sounds like Beowolves. A whole pack if I had to guess." "Can you gauge how far away they are?," Oobleck asked. Jeremy took a listen. "I'd say at least two, maybe three hundred yards away, and closing slowly. I don't think they've noticed us yet." Oobleck nodded. "All right then. You all may be students, but as of right now your first mission as Huntsmen and Huntresses has begun. From this point forward you need to do exactly as I say. Understood?"

The group nodded. Gabriel's nosed then twitched. "Hey... What smells like dog? Fritz, did you remember to take a shower before we left?" "Of course I did," Fritz said. "Isn't Fritz a fox?," Ren asked. "Foxes are part of the canid family," Oobleck pointed out, "But I don't think it was Fritz that Gabriel was smelling." Susie then looked at Ruby's bag. "Uh, Ruby? Is your bag... Moving?" "Uh...," Ruby started, but then Zwei popped out of the bag. "What and how?," Yang said in shock. Oobleck just stared at Zwei. "We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility and you brought... A dog?"

Before Ruby could answer, Oobleck called out, "Genius!" He quickly grabbed Zwei. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound! Making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours!" The others looked at Ruby, who quickly got over her shock. "I'm a genius." "I'm pretty sure that's not why you brought him, though," Weiss said, "I mean, we have five Faunus here, and their senses are just as sharp as an ordinary dog." "Shh," Jeremy said, "One of those Beowolves is getting closer."

The group turned around and spotted the Beowolf prowling. "Should we rush it?," Yang said. "Not just yet," Oobleck said, "Any sudden burst of negative emotions would draw the Grimm right to our location. Instead we'll wait, and track it. If the specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." "How long will that take?," Jaune asked, "Because we're supposed to be on this trip for a week." "It's hard to tell," Oobleck admitted, "Lone Grimm have been known to stand isolated for months- And there's the whole pack."

Sure enough, more Beowolves had appeared. They quickly turned to the group. "And now they've seen us," Oobleck realized. "I guess that means tracking is out of the question," Ruby noted. Oobleck nodded. "An accurate assumption. Nothing for it. Our mission parameter has changed to search and destroy. Show me what you're made of, children." Gabriel lifted Watson in its rifle mode, firing on the first Beowolf and killing it instantly. He then rushed in, his eyes glowing white as he did. Instantly the Beowolf in front of him seemed to hesitate, and back away as if in pain. Gabriel took the chance to fold Watson into its shotgun mode and blast the Grimm.

"What was that?," Blake asked. "Gabriel's Semblance," Fritz explained, "He can calm the emotions of any creature around him. In the case of Grimm, it confuses them and makes them unable to fight." Jeremy turned on Ovation and blasted a group of Beowolves using his own Semblance, while Susie bounced off their heads, blasting them with Sunrise as she did, creating a trail of rainbow-colored Dust. Yang rushed at a charging Beowolf, killing it with Ember Celica. Jaune struck another with an Aura-enhanced kick. He then spotted Pyrrha. "Watch out on-" "Left!," Pyrrha finished, nailing another Beowolf with Akouo. "Two more from-" "Behind!," Jaune said as the two of them downed another set of Beowolves.

"Those two have really gotten in sync," Nora noticed as she blasted another Beowolf with Magnhild. Ren chuckled. "It's like they were meant for each other." His own Semblance, which masked his emotions, kept him hidden as he blasted several Beowolves using StormFlower. Blake used a combination of her shadow clones and Gambol Shroud to take out a few more Beowolves, while Weiss used her glyphs in conjunction with Myrtenaster. Finally, Ruby finished off the alpha by slicing it in two with Crescent Rose. "Well, so much for that pack."

Susie then tapped Jeremy on the shoulder. "Hey, I spotted something out near that high-rise." Jeremy took a look. "Doctor, I think we hit pay dirt." Oobleck looked at where the two had spotted something. What looked like a masked individual with a black hood was ducking out of sight. "A White Fang scout, no doubt. But it will take some time for him to report back. In the meantime, we should find a suitable location for a base camp." Before long, they found a completely empty and defensible two story building that was still largely intact. What little openings there were proved small enough to act as bottleneck points, and there were narrow alleyways surrounding it. "This will do for the night," Oobleck said, "Let's make sure to secure the perimeter."

Fritz noticed the other side of the building bordered the edge of Mountain Glenn. And a herd of Goliaths could be seen in the distance. "Think we'll have to worry about them?" "Not likely," Oobleck said, "Those Goliaths look ancient. And much like humans and Faunus, Grimm grow wiser the older they get. I'd wager they've lived for hundreds of years. That makes them stronger than average Grimm. And in all that time they've lived... They've learned."

He adjusted his glasses as the herd moved on. 'They've learned that for all their size and power, they are no match for human spirit. And that any direct attack is only going to get them killed, with every human they kill bringing in ten more to avenge them. But such is their desire to see mankind and its creations destroyed, that they cannot simply give up. So they wait, and they watch. For just the right opportunity to strike."

"The Mountain Glenn project," Fritz realized, "The recruiter didn't know what it was, but it's clear it was meant to be important. And we know the White Fang is working for human criminals for whatever reason. Whatever the project is, I'd be willing to bet the Grimm are at least aware of it. Else they would have attacked the White Fang in the city." Ruby nodded. "Yeah, even the youngest of Grimm would likely holding back on orders from the Elders."

"An accurate assumption," Oobleck said, "If history has told us anything, it's that the Grimm are often willing to use war, banditry, and other human crimes to their advantage. Some of the oldest are even capable of holding off on killing immediate prey in hopes of being lead to greater prey. Hopefully, we can prevent a tragedy like what happened here." The group settled in for the night, with Ruby taking the first watch. "Well, Zwei. Looks like we have quite a day tomorrow."

Meanwhile, the scout returned to the underground tunnels. "Adam, Sir, we spotted a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses scouting the upper city." "Looking for us?," Adam asked. "Unknown," the scout said, "But they did spend the greater part of the day surveying the area. If they haven't found us yet, they soon will." Adam grunted. This was not what he expected at all. "She said no one would find us out here... What's the status on the tunnels?"

A nearby lieutenant reported. "We're getting close to the walls, but at this point the operation is at its most delicate. Workers have already spotted Grimm in the side tunnels." "We can't afford to lose valuable troops at this stage," Adam said, "Slow the work down for safety purposes. We rush only if the Huntsmen find us." The lieutenant nodded. Adam turned to the scout. "Find their base camp and report to me. I want to know who is looking for us."

Unfortunately for Adam, by the time the scout found the base camp, it had already been vacated, the group having slipped into the Metaverse to continue their infiltration. Jaune and Pyrrha came back from their scouting. "Wall's down," Jaune said, "That scout must have reported to Adam and now he's looking for us." "It's a good thing we thought to bring our teacher," Yang noted. Oobleck was busy marveling at the Bastion. "Astounding. A rare, once-in-a-lifetime look into the psyche of an individual from their perspective. Doctor Jung would have a field day with this sort of insight."

"Who?," Nora asked. "Vitellary Jung was a notable doctor who existed in the time shortly after the Great War," Oobleck explained, "As you're all aware, the war was less about borders and trade routes as it was about culture. Atlas had unintentionally started the war by declaring all culture and emotion be suppressed as a counter-measure against the Grimm. When Mistral, who should have been outraged by this concept due to their emphasis on culture, sided with Atlas, Vale took action against them both, with Vacuo siding with Vale to avoid being targeted next."

"Not exactly a high point for either of our kingdoms," Pyrrha noted to Weiss. Weiss nodded in agreement. "After the war ended," Oobleck continued, "Doctor Jung did an extensive study, producing a thesis on how the forced suppression of emotions, as opposed to the willing suppression such as with Ren's Semblance, would only aggravate the Grimm more due to the underlying negative stigma that resulted from it. In his own words, it's better to wear a mask of indifference than to truly be indifferent." "Speaking of masks," Ruby said, "We need to hash out new codenames." "I've already decided on Bard," Jeremy said. "I'll be Nemesis," Blake decided. She turned to Oobleck. "What about you? This is only temporary, but..."

"Just refer to me as Doctor for the duration of our time here," Oobleck suggested, "So, this is how the Phantom Thieves operate. A clever concept. Rather than force the issue through illegal means such as bribery or blackmail, they get right to the heart of the issue and rely on the target's own guilt and conscience." They headed for where the wall had been, behind which was a vast room with various file cabinets. "What is this place?," Nora asked. "Something akin to a war room I'd imagine," Oobleck said, "Anything and everything having to do with White Fang operations. Clearly Adam's memorized them all." As he got out one of the files, the group noticed a Shadow approaching.

The Shadow turned out to be a purple-skinned woman with horns, wearing only a loincloth and having her hair cover her chest, and carrying two swords. Ruby was able to talk with her and obtain Yaksini. Another Shadow approached, this one a two-headed dog with a lizard's tail. Talking to it gave Ruby the Persona Orthrus. "Oh dear...," Oobleck muttered as he looked at one of the folders, "I think I know what the White Fang are planning here." "What's the matter Doctor?," Weiss asked. "It seems the White Fang need Dust for two important reasons," Oobleck replied, "One is fuel for a train that's being repaired, and the other... For a mass of explosives."

"Wait, back up a moment," Ren said, "What's an entire train doing in the city?" "Not in the city," Oobleck clarified, "Under the city. Before the Grimm destroyed Mountain Glenn, the people built a subway system designed to connect it to the main city. It was supposed to be an easy commute that could avoid the Grimm. It worked... For a time. But without natural defenses, the Grimm started to overrun the expansion. In a last ditch effort, the people vacated to the underground, relying on the natural caves they used for the subway to keep safe, cutting themselves off from the surface." "But that didn't work either, did it?," Gabriel realized, "They wound up causing an explosion into another cave, which revealed subterranean Grimm. Eventually the kingdom sealed off the tunnels."

His eyes widened. "And the White Fang is in there now! They plan on bringing those Grimm into the city! Using the train filled with explosives to breach the city center!" "Are they insane!?," Blake called out, "This won't just endanger the kingdom, but their very lives! Especially without the Paladins!" "We need to complete the infiltration today," Ruby said, "Once we're out I'll contact Joker. Oracle provided us with a special device to increase signal strength, like a mini CCT tower." "Excellent," Oobleck said, "I can alert Beacon of the impending breach, just in case of the worst case scenario. What's our next move?"

"We need to find the Room of Origin,' Ren said, "It holds the key to the beginning of Adam's distortion." As they approached the Game Room, they encountered another Shadow, a violet-skinned male humanoid with twin sword and horns on its head. Ruby was able to speak with this Shadow to obtain Rakshasa. Just past it was the Game Room. Just as Blake predicted, the game this time was shogi. Oobleck sat down at the controller center. "You're going to take this?," Jeremy asked. "I happen to be a master of this game," Oobleck said, "And we have no time to be dallying about. Not when lives are at stake."

Sure enough, he was able to end the game in less than a minute, shutting down the mechanical player and allowing the group into the Room of Origin. Blake looked around the room. She recognized the pictures. "These were happier times." She saw pictures of the White Fang back when they were still honorable, still had morals. Weiss noticed one picture of Adam without his mask and gasped. There was a scar on his face with the letters "SDC". "He was branded!?" Blake nodded. "He used to work at the SDC, hoping to make a better life for himself. But he was fed up with the unfair working conditions and tried to form a strike. The manager he worked under had him branded to make an example. He was freed by the White Fang shortly afterward. That's how we first met."

"But neither that picture nor this one of you breaking up with him seems to be the key," Jeremy noted. "What about this one?," Nora said. She picked up a picture of Adam being congratulated by Sienna Khan. "I remember that moment," Blake said, "Adam had killed a man during that incident. Dad berated him, but Sienna Khan commended him on his quick thinking. Up until that moment, he'd been reluctant to lash out at humans, even after what they had done to him. But in this moment, he had been told that it was okay." "That's not something you say to a man whose mind is bordering on unstable," Oobleck noted, "Is the glowing normal? The picture, I mean." "Yep," Ruby said, "Looks like we found the key."

They hurried through the Bastion, finding the Door of Origin. "There's a guard captain," Ren noted. Ruby put a finger to her lips for silence, then slipped over to the Shadow before pulling its mask off, revealing a stone demon with no arms and dressed in a white gi. "Celeste, you're up!" "Scheherazade!," Susie called out, "Psio!" The psychic blast proved the Shadows weakness, letting the group surround it. "Why are you opposing the White Fang? Do you hate Faunus?" "Not at all," Ruby said, "If you'll notice, several of our group are Faunus."

"So you are. But then why do you still attack White Fang?" "Some of what they're doing isn't so honorable," Ruby pointed out, "They're endangering their own kind, and perpetuating a cycle violence. That can't be good for Faunus right." The Shadow looked down. "That's true. I've been having those same thought of late. It seems we are on the same wavelength. I am Take-Minakata. I'll stay with you as a mask from now on." Ruby grinned as the new mask merged with hers. "Okay, let's open the door." Inside the group found the Treasure, still in its intangible state." "Now we have our infiltration route," Gabriel said, "We just need to send the calling card."

Back in reality, the group noted that the camp had been visited, but not raided. The device was still intact. "Okay," Ruby said, "Oracle will be using this to send the calling card straight to the White Fang's scrolls. Adam's bound to see it." Oobleck finished his report to the academy. "Defense forces should be in position within the hour. They can stay active for a few days if necessary." "Do you think the project will be shut down if Adam has a change of heart?," Susie asked. "I don't know," Blake said, "Truth is, these days... He's not the only fanatic among the White Fang..."

You didn't think I'd give Adam Taurus a Heel-Face turn and not make a villain to take his place, did you? We'll be getting into that soon enough, but first, Ruby's current lineup:

Medusa Lv34/Nekomata Lv22/Leanan Sidhe Lv23/Matador Lv23/Sudama Lv23/Nigi Mitama Lv24
Suzaku Lv24/Yaksini Lv24/Nue Lv26/Shiki-Ouji Lv27/Rakshasa Lv30/Take-Minakata Lv34

She's growing stronger and stronger, and the rest of the team with her. Next we see how removing the Bastion affects Adam. And yes, there will be another Parasite. Read and review.