Chapter 1: Argus Limited
I was going to meet the others back at the train station, I just had a little business to finish first. I walked into the Jewler's shop, the bell above the door alerting the woman at the desk of my entrance. The woman was fair haired and had bright green eyes.
"Ah, hello you here for your ring?" She asked.
"Yes, I hope it wasn't too much of a problem with the time frame, I know how hard it is to keep on top of timing." I smiled to her.
"No, luckily you chose gems we have in stock. Here you go, I hope she says yes." The shopkeeper smiled.
"Yeah... I hope so too." I smiled knowing that she wouldn't say it but show it. I slid the velvet box into my pocket and left.
I leaned back with a soft sigh, it had taken a while for us to pack everything and actually book our spots on a train to Argus, in that time I had replaced my old weapons and reformed Cerberus into a scythe, I had a new guitar and a completely new outfit. The long coat I wore was a charcoal grey with neon blue running on the front view edges, dark grey skinny jeans with a knife strapped to my right thigh, a nice strong leather belt, a grey undercoat and a pair of fingerless elbow length leather gloves held together by silver studs.
I looked at the small bag that held what few items I had, mainly small tools that I would use in a forge minus a hammer since Qrow said I couldn't bring one with us. I stared at my nearly black bag, it looked like a bulky cylinder the straps on it came together to make more of a partial chest plate of leather.
Looking at the others I saw my girlfriend Neo was happily reading a book she had brought along, Ice was busy checking on the condition of his sword, no idea why he loved katanas so much, he'd look way cooler with a broadsword or a longsword. Naniele was munching on a pretzel Ice bought her. Jet was chatting to Sky and Ray was reading a fashion magazine.
I watched as Ruby zoomed over with a childish grin on her face.
"And?" Was all Yang asked, Ruby held out a little bag.
"What an absolute waste of time-" Weiss then got interrupted by the blonde bombshell we call a friend.
"What did you get me?" Yang asked.
"You'll have to wait and see!" Ruby sing-songed to her sister.
"No fair." Yang exclaimed and went to snatch it.
"Hey you two no fighting, even I've had enough fighting for a while." I called down at them.
Neo tugged at my sleeve and showed me pictures of the beautiful beaches along the coast of Argus.
"Sorry, it's still a bit early for swimsuit season." I joked poking at her sides as she pouted.
"But hey one step closer to Atlas, another step closer to caving you know who's face in." Ice laughed I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I'm glad you're all excited. But I don't think you appreciate the trouble I went through to leave Atlas." Weiss exclaimed obviously unamused by our antics.
"I know you're worried, Weiss, but trust us. Team RWBY won't leave your side for a second! I promise." Ruby smiled.
"And anyways I have a few bones to pick with your old man, so don't think for a second you'll be alone if he ever confronts you." I called over as my nails grew into their usual claws before reverting back. Weiss smiled at us.
"No one's gotta be worries with us around." Some idiot called as my ear swivelled.
"And you are?" I growled showing my teeth.
"Why Dee and Dudley of course. The Argus Limited's very own Huntsmen. We'll be keeping everyone safe as we pass through Grimm territory." Dee said I glanced at his spiked mace and clicked my tongue trying to measure them up.
"But for a generous tip, we can make sure your passenger car gets extra special attention should things get dangerous." Dudley winks at the group of course I got up and glared at them.
"Yeah, I got a tip for ya." It was Qrow, finally joining the group.
"Get lost." I snarled at them.
"Looks like Mistral's really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days." Qrow joked shoving his hands into his pocket as he came to stand by my side.
"Hey, you're talking to-" Dudley started.
"A professional Huntsman, right. Well, it seems one of you heroes left the staff entrance to the caboose wide open." He sighed showing his Huntsman ID to them. I glare angrily at them.
"It'd be a shame to lose your job before it even started." Qrow continued patting my shoulder to calm me down.
"I didn't do it!" Dudley tried to defend himself.
"Come on Dummy." Dee growled as they walked off, Dudley gave us one last glance before following his partner.
"Well I didn't do it either." Dee argued.
"You know sometimes the burden of saving the world feels overwhelming. But then people like that come along and make me grateful that it's our jobs and theirs." Oscar smiled as I calmed down and slumped back down onto the bench.
"No objection there." I replied.
"So, you kids ready to go? Bike all loaded up? Weird deer robot?"
"Yeah." Yang smiled.
"Grimmgash is parked up next to it. Got most of my tools, still don't understand why you won't let me bring the hammer I made." I told him. Neo then patted the pet carrier with Heathen happily curled up inside.
"I know what you're capable of when it comes to improvisation. At least we won't lose the cat." He told me I groaned.
"Just waiting on Blake. As usual." Weiss told him as I went to check through my things again, unbeknownst to Qrow I did sneak my forge hammer in with my bag.
When we boarded the train, my team were placed in a room with two sets of bunk beds. I was laid on the bottom bunk with my guitar happily playing away as Neo continued with her book. Naniele was doodling on some paper Ice gave her while he was playing a game on his scroll. Heathen was giving himself a bath on the end of my bed.
"Find it..."
I suddenly stopped and looked about the room.
"You guys hear something?" I asked putting my guitar down.
"No..." Were their replies.
"The relic is inside. Kill everything."
I've never heard any voice like that before, an angry snarl almost like a general but not at the same time. The train suddenly jolted. I pulled on my bag and pulled out my Cerberus scythe.
"This isn't good, right team let's go!" I snapped running out to see what we're dealing with.
As we climbed to the top of the train, we gasped at the sight of a group of Manticores approaching from the back. Dee and Dudley are already up top and prepare to fight the Grimm. A much larger Grimm, a Sphinx, lands on the train and lets out a loud roar.
Dee charges his weapon, an electrical spiked club, and charges forward to attack.
"Kill him first!"
The Sphinx roars and a Manticore flies by to snatch up Dee. So, it was the Sphinx I heard.
"Dee!" Dudley screamed in vein, I rolled my shoulders.
"So 'Leader' what's the plan?" Ice joked as I switched to my shotgun.
"Show no mercy." I said as the veins on my arms turned purple.
I was fine with shooting the Grimm out of the air and even slashing some with my new scythe when they got too close, the weapon however didn't feel natural to me, the large sweeps were appealing to watch but it just felt off for me.
I decided to leave the manticores to my team while I went to help Qrow deal with the Sphinx Qrow almost got crushed by its paw only escaping due to his avian form. I tried to see if I could slash the paws from under it but as soon as the blade came in contact with the Grimm it shattered, chunks of the Cerberus Scythe dropped away down into the forest below. The Grimm turned to face me.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? The Betrayer, you would have been a glorious Sentinel to her Majesty." It hissed at me.
"I can understand you... how?" I asked it keeping its attention on me while Qrow looked for a weak spot.
"We are both Grimm Shifters, I just chose to bow to our rightful Queen." It laughed then suddenly took off, my own Grimm instincts begged me to jump off the train too.
"Tunnel!" I heard Oscar scream, my legs moved on their own slipping down between the cars I quickly went inside to regroup with my team, when Neo saw me, she leapt into my arms grateful I was still with them I then saw Heathen had joined in hissing and puffing up.
As we re-joined the others, we had walked in on Qrow arguing with Dudley.
"Qrow if you wanna scare the man let a professional do so." I growled walking over.
"Oh, and what are you going to do?" Dudley asked sarcastically I only sighed and removed my gloves, the pale skin underneath was suddenly covered in a coat of silver fur, bright blue cracks glowed from the skin beneath, my claws dug into his coat.
"You are going to turn off those turrets, then we'll see to your arm." I told him calmly.
I let go of his now torn coat and pulled my gloves back on. My ear flicked when I heard a baby cry, turning to the passengers I saw an obviously destressed woman in need of some help.
Walking over I put a hand on her shoulder ignoring the murmurs from the other passengers.
"May I?" I asked gesturing to her baby.
"O-of course." She said handing me the child. I only began to hum a lullaby I could barely remember as I gently rocked the child, the cries soon stopped as the infant fell asleep.
"There we go, nice and quiet." I smiled handing it back to its mother.
"Thank you." She said as I re-joined the others.
"Do we have a plan?" I asked.
"We need to keep the passengers safe and divert the Grimm." Sky told me.
"Okay, we split here then, Sky, Ray, Jet, I'm trusting you three to protect the train, with Dudley unable to use his arm he can't shoot his gun properly.
"You got it." Jet said.
"The rest of us keep anymore Grimm from following, that means we need live bait." I continued.
"The Grimm are attracted by what Oscar is carrying, and the sphinx leading them is interested in seeing me dead in particular." By this point they knew what I was planning.
"You'll be okay, right?" Sky asked I chuckled.
"Well, nothing has killed us yet. We'll meet you in Argus, it will just take a bit longer."
"Right, get the passengers to the front of the train, we'll decouple the back car and deal with the Grimm from there." Ruby said as the plan was put into action.
"Wait... we can't take Heathen with us... it's too dangerous for him." Naniele piped up, I looked over to the cat and sighed, going down to his level.
"Do you wanna join us, or keep these people safe?" I asked him, the cat looked me in the eye and in the back of my head I heard him.
"Okay we'll see you again in Argus." He put his paw onto my knee and bumped his head against mine in a farewell.
"Heathen is staying on the train, his food is back in our room, feed him a can in the morning and a can before you turn out the lights." I told Sky, she nodded and we began to move into position.
I stood on the back car as the sphinx landed again, we locked eyes as the others prepared for my signal.
"You are only delaying the inevitable give us the relic and your deaths shall be quick." It said, I pulled my gun out and shot a Manticore down telling the others to act fast.
"Go fuck yourself." I shouted as the Manticores began to attack, un sheathing my claws and allowing my form to be covered with silver fur, I took on my Beowolf body and lunged at the Sphinx, we grappled in the air, being smaller gave me an advantage as I slashed at its wings soon grounding it on the train. I howled to them. Qrow and Ruby soon finished the Grimm off, not before it destroyed the tracks though, losing the bones and fur I pulled my hood up and noticed that the smoke from the Sphinx was drifting into me.
I was then thrown from the train and landed hard, in the snow.
"Is everyone okay?" I heard Qrow call, after a few reassuring calls I raised my hand to alert them to where I had landed.
"Still alive!" An old woman called I sat up to look at her, somehow, we didn't notice an old woman sneak into the back car... or the Huntsman in there with her. He walked out, black hair, he was dressed in reds and oranges like Ice, he was holding his head groaning.
"That sure was a close one, huh?"
"Damn it Ms. Calavera, why did I let you convince me to hide back here with you?" He asked rubbing his head. He had sea green eyes and a sword on his back.
He smelled familiar...