Here we are at chapter 127. I heard about the mid-season break for the volume. I admit, it does kind of suck to wait that long for the second half, but they deserve a break too. Anyway, let's see how the groups will handle their separate missions. I do not own RWBY. They belong to roosterteeth. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 127. Enjoy.


Chapter 127: True Fear

Yang's group head to Pietro's pharmacy. They break through the front door, finding a few Atlas robot soldiers guarding the building inside. Porphyrius fires his rifles to take out two while Lloyd tackles a third to the ground and rips its head off with his claws. The rest of the group stay on their toes as they enter the building, making sure there aren't any more surprises waiting for them.

"You guys check on things here. We'll scope out the back storage area," Lloyd says before he and Porphyrius walk away.

Jaune opens up one door, while Yang stands ready to blast anything that stands in her way. When nothing comes out to attack them, Jaune comes around the corner and turns the lights on. Just as he does, Yang gasps excitedly with stars in her eyes, while the rest of the boys look on in mild awe.

"Okay, the others are definitely missing out," Yang notes.

Meanwhile, Porphyrius and Lloyd check out an old storage room in the back of the pharmacy.

"You think there's anything here that could really be of use?" Lloyd looks around, finding nothing but junk.

Porphyrius finds a long silver, rectangular canister and hits a switch to open it. When he sees what's inside, his one eye widens.

Lloyd suddenly knocks him aside with a look of glee, "Oh, Merry Christmas to me,"

A few minutes later, Yang's group is riding through the streets of Mantle on a trio of hover-cycles, with Oscar riding shotgun with Yang. Yang is loving her new ride so much, that when she notices an overturned car on top of another like a ramp, she can't resist.

Oscar sees what she's about to do and freaks, "Yang, no! Yang, no, no!"

But Yang jumps over the makeshift ramp, firing off her gauntlet to spin in the air and then lands safely with style. Jaune and Ren watch her, but refrain from risking the same stunt since they don't have her experience.

"Where are Lloyd and Porphyrius?" Ren asks.

"YAAAAHHHOOOOO!" they hear and look up to see Lloyd and Porphyrius jumping off one rooftop while riding a pair of hover-boards in the air, with Lloyd doing some spins before they land next to Yang. "I am definitely keeping this!"

Where'd you find those?" Oscar asks.

"Back of the pharmacy. You'd be surprised what Pietro was working on in his spare time," Porphyrius replies.

Lloyd sees another car coming by and he jumps up, spinning 360 in mid-air over it before landing back on the ground. As the pair are coming around a corner, Lloyd reaches out with his right claw and hooks around a lamppost, spinning around the corner while the others follow him. With their rides secure, the group go through the city, taking out surveillance cameras and any Atlas drones they spot. As they do this, they gather civilians out into the streets as they prepare to escort them to the crater. Porphryius is seen guiding a few people to the larger group. Oscar is knocking on doors, while Jaune is bumping fists with a child.

"Only take what you need," Jaune tells the parent.

"Wait, so where are we going?" one civilian in the group asks.

"We'll be escorting you all to the crater beneath Atlas. It'll keep you warm, and it's the safest place for you all right now. Don't worry, besides us, Robyn Hill's happy huntresses will be there as well to provide protection. You'll be safe," Lloyd eases their worries.

Just then, they hear roaring mixed with screaming and look back to see a pair of Sabres coming around the corners of a few buildings. Jaune runs ahead and throws out a small pod just as they charge. The pod lands in front of them and creates a hard-light shield to block their path. Porphyrius and Ren then drop down and impale the Grimm with their blades. With the threat dealt with, the shield deactivates and Ren kicks it back to Jaune, who catches it with his shield.

"Way easier to use than a hover-bike," Jaune mutters.

Oscar looks concerned, "Have the Grimm already pushed this far in?"

Porphyrius and Lloyd join them, "No, I think these ones were stragglers from last night when we were evacuating people from Mantle to Atlas," Porphyrius says.

"He's right," Lloyd looks back to the horde of Grimm in the skies above. "Ever since that horde showed up, they've just been sitting there. They haven't once attacked, but we can't be sure how long that will last. Any Grimm that are in the city were from the previous battle. While we've gotten a lot of people out before..." they look back to the civilians, who are scared. "The residual negativity here is drawing those stragglers in deeper."

"We need to get these people to the crater, but if more Grimm attack along the way, it will cause problems," Yang thinks before she gets an idea. "Ren! If Jaune hits you with his aura amp, can you mask everyone until we get to the crater?"

Ren looks a little annoyed about the idea, but agrees to it, "We can give it a shot, but it IS a long trip through Mantle,"

Jaune then notices one of the kids crying. Deciding to keep the people's spirits up, and the negativity down, he speaks up.

"No, that's a great idea. We'll be able to have a Grimm free journey all the way to the crater where everyone will be safe,"

Of course, some people are not as positive about the idea, "Do we really gotta shack up with those animals in the slums? I'd feel a lot safer up in Atlas," one older woman complains.

Of course, Porphyrius is having none of that, "Yeah, well, here's the deal, so listen up. The General decided you're not worth it anymore, so the Atlas military is NOT coming down to help you anymore. However, the Faunus are willing to help you however they can. Regardless of whether or not you deserve it," he then looks on at the rest of the group. "Listen up, this isn't about what you want, or how you feel about the Faunus. This is about SURVIVAL. In case you haven't noticed, there is an army of Grimm waiting outside the city, and they don't care whether your human or Faunus. If you want to go where it's safe, then come with us to the crater where we'll keep you safe. If you don't like it, then you're more than welcome to stick it out here with the Grimm by yourselves. None of us are going to Atlas, so those are your only options. Or are your stupid, backwater views about Faunus, who actually care about helping you, matter more than your lives and the lives of your families?"

Porphyrius' words cause the woman and some of the other civilians to look down in shame and guilt. Here they are, hoping for those that will never come and yet they slander those that are willing to help. Makes one wonder who the real animals are. With the problem dealt with, the gang begin escorting the group through the city. Unfortunately, because it is such a large group, they can't move quickly. Jaune and Ren take point on one hover-cycle, with Jaune using his aura to amplify Ren's, allowing him to use his semblance and mask everyone. Oscar takes the rear on another hover-cycle, while Yang takes the left flank and Lloyd and Porphyrius take the right. During the slow journey, Porphyrius and Lloyd have their own conversation.

"You okay?" Lloyd asks.

Porphyrius sighs, but nods, "I'll be fine. It's just annoying. Everyone hear knows about what's lurking right outside the city. They know that the Atlas military will no longer come to help them, and yet, they're still holding onto such insignificant crap. Why must it be so hard to get people to work together? That's always been the one advantage the Grimm have had over humanity. They've always been united, even though they're soulless beasts,"

Lloyd looks on ahead, "The most important goals in life are never that easy to obtain. I believe Brother would say that right now... *sigh* I don't like this. I didn't like everyone disagreeing back at the hideout. Ren and Nora, who are usually inseparable, Yang and Ruby were starting to go there, but luckily Brother got in the middle and kept the focus on him. I know that things are hard right now. I know that things haven't been going well for all of us, but that doesn't mean we should start acting like this. Now is the time for everyone to stand united. If only Ironwood hadn't lost it when we learned about Cinder and Salem, then maybe things would've turned out differently,"

"The General has always been known to prioritize destruction of the enemy or victory, no matter how many bodies get sacrificed along the way. We all knew what he was like. But, we can't focus on that right now. Khazhak told us to stay here and help the others, so that's what we should be focusing on. The Grimm horde hasn't made any moves yet, but there's no telling when that will change. At least with everyone at the crater, we will have better odds," Porphyrius glances up in the sky.

Lloyd sighs again, "That won't matter if we don't find a way to work together. Not just us, and not just the rest of the team... But, everyone,"

Meanwhile, with Khazhak's group, Penny and Voshkie'ahk watch as more civilians are being gathered in the crater. Behind them, the rest of the group watch as May opens up a gate leading to another building that was originally blocked off from everything else.

"Alright, everyone get moving," May ushers them inside.

Nora steps up to May, "Thanks again for coming,"

May waves it off, "Don't mention it. Once Robyn learned about the Amity tower, it was all she could talk about. Wherever she is, I'm sure she'd want us doing anything we can to get it up into the air so we can get the word out to everyone and get them talking again," May closes the gate behind them. "Besides, Fiona's got the rest of your group helping in my place with the evacuation," she walks by, not seeing the despondent looks on Blake and Nora's faces.

"Yeah," Nora mutters before they walk on.

"So, what exactly is your idea for getting us up to Atlas again?" Khazhak asks as they enter the building.

They come inside to find large tubes at the center of a large circular room. They see laborer versions of the Atlas robots, loading boxes and cargo into the tubes, which then get shot upwards towards Atlas.

"Snowshoe Shipping is a subsidiary company for the SDC," Weiss explains.

Edom looks at the drones, "Which means that these aren't military drones, and therefore, they don't work for Ironwood. Clever,"

Weiss smirks, "The pneumatic tubes are designed to be used for the Dust that's refined in the crater to be sent up to Atlas in various locations. One of those locations being the Atlas military compound. Seeing as how they were one of my family's company's biggest buyers of refined Dust, they made one just for them. We just have to find the one for the military base, and we're in," Weiss explains as they all look up at the tubes.

"Interesting. The military won't be expecting us to use such a roundabout method of entering their compound," Bahamut notes.

"They're focused on the Grimm horde and on what's going on outside their base, but not what's on the inside," Tiamat adds.

Khazhak glances at Weiss, "Geez, does your family's company own EVERYTHING in Atlas, or do they rent buildings out to other companies?" his joke makes Ruby and Nora giggle.

Weiss looks insulted as she turns to him, "THAT... is hardly important right now. Let's focus on the task at hand, thank you," Weiss walks ahead, leaving Blake to chuckle and Khazhak to grunt in amusement.

The group spread out and start checking monitors and controls as they look for the tube they seek. Luckily, the drones here pay them no mind and go on about their day, which makes things easier for them. Penny walks up to one monitor to see if it is the one. Unfortunately, it is not, but that is not what plagues her mind at the moment.

"Are you okay?" she turns to see Khazhak approach her. "I can tell that something is troubling you. You need to work on your poker face, Penny... Are you still dwelling on what Ironwood said earlier? You shouldn't listen to his bull-crap. Ironwood will blame anyone other than himself for his own mistakes, for which he has made far too many to keep track of."

Ruby walks over, "Everything okay?"

"I do not like it when friends fight," Penny laments.

Ruby sighs, "I know. We may not always agree with each other on what's the best course to take, but-,"

"No," Penny stops her. "I mean Winter. The General. They were our friends. But then the Ace Ops attacked you. And he said people were going to die... because of me," Penny turns away.

Ruby gently turns her back around, "That was a lie,"

"Penny, Ironwood will do or say whatever he wants to get what he wants. And he doesn't want you. He wants the Winter Maiden. He is incapable of admitting when he's wrong and when he's afraid. He thinks that's what it means to be brave, but that's wrong. True courage comes from admitting one's failures and fears. He only said those things to scare you," Khazhak adds.

Penny still seems sad, "I was the protector of Mantle. But now, I'm more than that... and I wish I wasn't,"

Ruby takes her hands into her own, "But, you're still you Penny,"

Khazhak lays a hand on her shoulder, "If you didn't become the Winter Maiden, then Cinder would've obtained that power, and so would Salem. If that had happened, both Atlas and Mantle would be gone by now. But, that doesn't change the fact that you are still Penny Polendina, the protector of Mantle, but more importantly... our dear friend. Always remember, that you are NEVER alone,"

Penny smiles a little now, "Thanks, you guys,"

Ruby hugs Penny, while Khazhak keeps his hand on her shoulder.

Just then Nora gets their attention, "Hey guys, I found it!"

The group walk over to one terminal that Weiss and Nora are at, "So, this is the one, huh? Guess there's nothing left to do but move forward now" Voshkie'ahk says.

"Well, with our skills, and my semblance," May turns invisible for a moment before reappearing "-You all couldn't be in better hands,"

"So how do we use this thing?" Nora turns to Weiss.

"It should be simple," Weiss walks to an opening in the tube and sits down, "If you lie down in the tube and press launch-," but then Nora presses the button, shooting Weiss up the tube with a loud scream.

The rest of the group watch in slight horror, but Nora starts laughing with excitement.

"You're joking, right?" Bahamut asks.

Khazhak and Edom stare up, "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Khazhak asks.

"Yep," Edom replies, popping the "p".

"Lloyd must NEVER know about this," the two think together.

Meanwhile, at the crater, Yang's group has just returned with their group of civilians safely. Fiona and Joanna come out to greet them.

"Hey, these are the people from Sector 7. That area is clear now," Lloyd tells them.

"You guys cleared out Sector 7 already? That's great? To be honest, I wasn't sure how you'd guys do without the rest of your group here," Fiona says.

However, her words have a negative effect on the group, with Ren walking off, Oscar and Jaune looking sad, and Yang looking irritated, while Porphyrius and Lloyd look concerned.

"Well, as you can see, we're doing just-," Yang begins before Porphyrius stops her with a hand on her shoulder.

"What's matter is that we got them here safely. Let's focus on that," Porphyrius calms her down.

"How has everything been here? Have there been any issues?" Oscar asks.

"Surprisingly, there haven't been that many. We have your friend to thank for that," Fiona says, leaving the group confused.

They enter another part of the camp to find Azula Skyfall playing a piano while Klein is helping with passing food and supplies out to people. Her music seems to keep everyone calm, which helps keep the negativity levels down. Lloyd smiles at seeing his girlfriend using her talents to help the camp.

"Somehow, her music is keeping everyone from fighting with each other, and is keeping them in better spirits than they would've. Don't know how, but hey, I'm not complaining if it makes things easier for us," Joanna notes.

A few moment later, Azula finishes her music and leaves before noticing Lloyd and the others.

"Lloyd!" Azula runs over and hugs her boyfriend with a kiss on his cheek. "I'm glad you're okay. Did everything go well?"

"Yeah, it did. How did you do all this?" Lloyd asks.

"Well, truth be told, I'm not all that good with surviving in the slums like this, unfortunately. I had to figure out some way to help, and apparently, my music could do just that. I play to keep people from fighting and keep the negativity levels down so the Grimm will be less likely to attack. I'm just doing what I can," Azula explains.

"Azula, you know it's dangerous outside of Atlas right now. You shouldn't be here," Lloyd says.

"Ah, ah, ah, if you're here, then I'm here. Besides, I helped you escape, which makes me a fugitive too basically. So, you're stuck with me, so you'd better get used to it," Azula says, making Lloyd sigh, but he smiles anyway.

Just then, Fiona gets a call, "Fiona, Crimson again. We've spotted two groups of Grimm moving in from the east and the west. We can't take them with all the civies we got,"

Fiona pulls out a map with her semblance, "Oh, come on," she whines.

Yang looks at the others, and they nod with smirks.

"Hey, we'll take care of them. Just focus on getting those people here," Porphyrius says.

While the rest of the group take care of the Grimm in the east, Porphyrius and Lloyd handle the Grimm in the west. Lloyd races through the streets on his hover-board while a pack of Sabres give chase. Lloyd glances back as they get close, waiting for the right moment until... now.

"Now!" LLoyd yells out. Porphyrius comes out from one corner and fires his rifles at a bridge over the street. The bullets damage the bridge, and then he hits it with a few of his gravity shots. The damaged bridge comes down, just as Lloyd passes under it and takes out the Sabres beneath all together. Lloyd regroups with Porphyrius just as they see a Manticore flying in towards them. Porphyrius moves and smashes his gauntlet into a lamppost, causing it to lean at an angle. Lloyd rides his hover-board onto the leaning lamppost and flies up into the air right at the Manticore. The Manticore gets ready to chomp down on Lloyd, but he switches his right claw into its drill form and drills right through the Manticore head-first before landing back on the ground.

Porphyrius sighs as he joins him, "That takes care of the Grimm in this area. Hopefully, Yang and the others have taken care of things on their end."

Lloyd looks ahead, "You think everyone's going to be okay. Ruby and Yang weren't exactly in agreement before, and Ren and Nora were on opposite sides. I've never seen them like that before. We shouldn't be fighting each other right now,"

"I know. Hopefully, we can fix things before they get worse," Porphyrius then calls Fiona. "Fiona, we've taken care of things on our end,"

"Good, because now we've gotten word that Grimm care causing damage in the north," Fiona replies, making the boys sigh.

"Alright, we'll meet up with Yang's group and-," Porphyrius begins.

"We're not going to make it," Yang suddenly calls in and stops him.

"Yang? What's wrong?" Porphyrius asks.

"We've got an emergency. We're not going to make it!" Yang says.

"What kind of emergency?" Fiona asks.

As this is happening, Lloyd looks ahead and his eyes widen shock.

"...You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Porphyrius, Lloyd, we need your help, now!" Yang replies.

Porphyrius is about to reply when he notices Lloyd's expression and looks ahead, only to widen his eyes as well.

"Yang... we're not going to make it to you in time," Porphyrius replies.

"What? Why?!" Yang replies.

"...We've got our own emergency right now," Porphyrius mutters.

Ahead of the pair, walking towards them... is Kamir'ahk Shiryu, smirking evilly as he draws his sword.

"Now, I'm only going to ask you once: Where... Is... Khazhak?"


And that's the chapter. Khazhak's group make their way to Atlas, while Lloyd's group handle things in Mantle. However, something has happened with Yang's group, but now Porphyrius and Lloyd must face Kamir'ahk by themselves? What happened to Yang's group? Will Lloyd and Porphyrius survive Kamir'ahk? Until then, please Read and Review.