Hello everyone! Sorry about the wait, I've been a tad busy as of late. Again, sorry. But hey we're back! So that counts right?
Anyways, welcome to the 43rd chapter of The Darkling Thrush! WOOO! We'll hit 50 someday folks!
As always, I'd like to thank everyone who left a review last chapter. Thank You, The Novice Storyteller, noone297, Vostok2142, jin0uga, Baoh joestar, SMxABULM, PeoplexLikexGrapes, Bagration and MagisterShiryu! Thank you all for your continued support of this story! Without any of you, this story wouldn't be how it is today. If no one showed any interest in this story, It would never have gotten past chapter 5. Again, thank you all for your support and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!
Before we get started, I saw there was some concern with all the killing in last chapter, especially those committed by our heroes. Trust me when I say that was by design. Under any other circumstances they would be handling the situation differently, but this is The White Fang and an army of Grimm, they're going lethal. And its not out of character, specifically for those students from Vacuo...well, save for Nebula. Who didn't shoot that one White Fang soldier when she could have...
Well, enough of that, more notes down below!
XLIII
The Fall of Vale: Part 3
With the exploding corvette to his back, Russel walked deeper into the stadium. Reasoning that circling around the entire colosseum would take longer, Russel settled on cutting through the arena. Given his injured state at the jaws of The Ursa, Russel settled on the least amount of effort and stress, he had a wound to think about and not enough aura to spare. So through the stadium's hallways Russel ventured through, all in an effort to make it to the other side.
The further he wandered away from the edge of the colosseum and closer to the interior, the quieter the world seemed. Out there in city of Vale where battles for survival were raged, Russel found a relative calm her within the halls of Amity, up amongst the clouds. The cold whistling of the wind his only company.
But that was fine with Russel, it gave him the time to think, something he'd found himself doing quite often as of late. He lifted a hand and lightly applied his fingertips to massage his forehead. Sometimes when Russel thought a lot, he'd get these killer migraines. He'd complain about them to others before, but he'd always played it off with that snarky wit of his, so nobody ever took him seriously.
Russel sighed as he lowered his hand and applying it to his wound. Cuts and bruises, scrapes and burns, those were easy enough, even for someone with as small a supply of aura as he possessed, but these were puncture wounds. Much more difficult that the average paper cut. You really had to know your anatomy to apply your aura correctly, because it wasn't just a flesh wound, there was something penetrating the outer layer and stabbing into you, cutting god knows what on the way. And the last thing anyone needs is some jackass near immortal Grimm running you through with a set of thirty two pearly whites.
So Russel had to really think, recollecting images in textbooks he'd seen back in the day in Oakwood. But that was a long time ago, and those days were a little fuzzy on the memory. So he paused for a moment and closed his eyes, concentrating and thinking, rummaging through the whole of his life for a moment when he'd lazily looked through some odd book in a dusty old run down library.
"Hm." He muttered to himself as he thinned his search. "Ttch, intestines." He smirked as he felt another one of those migraines coming on. With his mental recollections complete, the Thrush focused his attention fully on his gastrointestinal tract. And with the surgical expertise of a man doped up on pain he applied his aura to his ripped organ and focused all his efforts and healing the damn thing.
When this was all over, Russel would have to go and see a proper physician, there was no doubt in that fact. Sealing up the wound is only a temporary fix. He'd been bleeding internally for a bit now, and he was a hundred percent positive there were no diagrams or pictured examples in library textbook he could refer too.
But while he Russel was on the topic of blood, he realized he'd been wandering for quite some time, not so much walking in the direct path he'd set off on. All he'd really done was just go inside, got away from any craziness he could avoid on the outer rim of the landing platforms. And now, Russel walked a curved path through an ocean of red.
The CRDL boy had blinked at the sight he hadn't even noticed. He'd been too busy focusing on himself that he'd completely blocked out the world around him to notice what was right in front of him. And all Russel could do was stop in his tracks and stare in awe at the ocean of blood before him. It seemed to go on forever, completely consuming the floor of the curved hall.
It hadn't been even an hour, and these the results of The White Fang's attack. The release of their Grimm onto these people, and all Russel could do was stare like a gawking idiot. Laying in the sea of crimson were the sources of the copious amounts of blood, the bodies of men, women and even children, all of whom had attended this evening to enjoy themselves and observe the best humanity had to offer as defenders of Remnant.
And all Russel could do was hang his head low and continue on.
When the Altesian Corvette fell, all across Vale the people stared in wonder. A smoking, fractured warship crashed into the homes of thousands, enveloping the surrounding area in a fiery cloud. Civilian airships and Atlas military craft began to pour in from all over the city, racing against time to save any poor innocent caught in the disaster. Cardin raced through mobs of attacking Grimm, swatting the smaller beasts aside with his mace and dashing past the larger blood thirsty monsters, all in an effort to make it there to the crash site and lend his hand in the rescue effort.
But Cardin wasn't racing into the heart of darkness alone. The piercing wails of patrol car sirens zipped by as the local police made use of their equipment to the best of their ability. They weren't Huntsmen, they were simple ordinary folk who'd been deputized to keep the peace, they didn't have auras, but they had what really counted, and that was the courage to see the night through and fight back the monsters the sieged this fair city. Patrol cruisers were now battering rams, being driven into the mobs of Grimm, sending the soulless creatures flying or smearing them on the hood of the car.
The CRDL Leader couldn't help but let out heartfelt cheer at the sight of honest men doing their part to keep the city from plunging into the depravity. And they weren't alone, both Cardin and the policemen found themselves but few of the many running to their burning homes. Cardin could see one Glynda Goodwitch running across rooftops beside a grizzled peer. The thunderous footsteps of marching Atlesain Knights rang like comforting chimes against the volleying thunderous cannon blasts the streak the skies.
The people of Vale, the common folk who were neither capable of running up the sides of entire mountains nor capable of inhuman feats, the ones who made the kingdom of Vale a kingdom at all, they could hear the men and women, and the mechanized soldiers, running to their aid. The deathly cries of the boogiemen that stalked the frontier, they all fell silent in those moments. The burning fires that raged through the crashed corvette and through the homes of many whimpered, receding into nothingness. Their heroes were coming. Like forces of nature, undeterred by masses, their protectors were coming.
Now approaching the homes, having joined his efforts with the others soldiers and police, the Huntsmen and other ordinary folk who could not stand idly by as their world came crashing down around them, Cardin tore his way through an onslaught of Grimm. He was back to back, shoulder to shoulder with his fellow man. He smashed a Beowulf's with his mace with such force that it imploded into its neck. With the wave of her wand, the fires were dragged from the burning homes and washed through attacking Grimm. Deputized men in uniforms of blue plowed into the biggest of Grimm, toppling them and continuing on.
Fighting through the Grimm was only a means to an end. As soon as Cardin and the others broke through the black mass of blood lusting monsters, they set on the task of running door to door and evacuating the people. The Atlesian Knights moved in small squads of four akin to the normal Huntsman team establishing a perimeter while Goodwitch got to work putting out the spreading the fire. Police officers offered their battered cars, ferrying fleeing families from their homes to the designated safe zone.
But Cardin couldn't find any joy nor pride as he lifted a fallen doorway, allowing a family to escape their burning home. One look in that families' eyes made his heart sink. This was all they had, this was their home and they were being forced to run away from it all. And that saddened Cardin, who knew exactly what they were giving up for the possibility of surviving through the night.
Far off somewhere Cardin knew his family home was no doubt under siege, just like the rest of the city. And all the Winchester boy could do was pray that his family had gotten out in time, that they were well on their way to the safe zone and sitting tight until the he and the rest of Vale's defenders could save their kingdom. But he couldn't linger on those thoughts for long, Cardin needed all his faculties to see himself through the uphill challenge.
"Soldier, escort these people to the safe zone." Cardin ordered as he directed the family to the awaiting Atlas Knight that stood guard nearby. The soldier nodded before turning to lead the way for the people to follow.
Cardin then turned his attention back to the flaming wreck in the distance. Too busy lost in his thoughts over the crashed corvette landing near his family home, Cardin didn't notice the sudden shift of color in the Altas Knight's visor. Turning to an intimidating shade of red, the Knight received its newest orders from the commandeered Flagship flying overhead. It then halted in its step, much to the family's confusion. It the quickly spun around and fired on the family.
The gunshots caught Cardin's attention, snapping him from his worrisome thoughts of the fate of his family. He turned around, half expecting some sort of Grimm attacking the civilians he'd recently freed, but much to Cardin's horror that wasn't the case. There stood the mechanized foot soldier, standing in the blood of the family it'd just murdered.
At a loss for words, Cardin just stared as the robot turned its gun on him. The bullets bashed against Cardin, striking his outer armor and scraping against his forehead. The corrupted robotic soldier continued to fie upon the CRDL leader and would have killed him had it not been for the Winchester semblance of invulnerability. The bullets bounced off, leaving Cardin relatively unharmed. Quickly regaining his faculties, Cardin let out an angered shout before charging at the robot. He struck down with his mace, ripping it apart at the waist.
Despite its otherwise perceived destruction, the top half of the Atlesian Knight remained active. It raised its assault rifle upward and aimed at Cardin once more. Bit before it could get off another shot, Cardin smacked its rifle out of its mechanized hands. The Winchester then raised his boot over its faceplate and proceeded to curb stomp the Knight's head until it stopped moving.
Satisfied with the Knight's destruction, Cardin turned his attention back to the people it had gunned down. He frowned, disheartened at the sight. Cardin had many questions, such as what had brought the Atlesian Knight to shed the blood of the innocents it had been charged to protect. But Cardin couldn't bring himself to ponder his query, he was needed elsewhere.
Turning to find more Atlesian Knights going haywire, firing on civilians, Cardin knew this wasn't a time for him to slack off, this was a time for action. So he ran off, feeling a weight of guilt bearing down on his shoulders as he ran past the fresh corpses of a family he never knew. But he couldn't bring himself to mourn, not now when there were others who needed him.
Cardin ran at the Atlesian Knights screaming, quickly turning their attention from the civilians onto himself. He ran into a hail of oncoming dust rounds, not giving damn if they hit him or not. Cardin pushed on in spite of the explosive rounds, he had the incentive not to falter, not give in to pain. He pushed it aside and kept going, swinging the Knights aside with his mace and then bashing their heads in.
With the pair of Altesian Knights in pieces, Cardin turned his gaze to the sound of nearby gunfire. Not too far from where he stood, The CRDL leader could see a pair of officers under fire from another rogue Knight. Behind their cruiser they hid while the robot relentlessly attempted to cut through the car to get to them. Cardin let out an anger shout before raising his mace and striking the ground, sending another explosive streak of magma shooting through the pavement and detonating under the robot's feet.
Cardin turned to those few remaining men, women and children and urged them to step out from hiding. They cautiously peered from their makeshift cover of wrecked cars and fallen chunks of the corvette that had landed in the streets and looked to Cardin.
"It isn't safe here." The Winchester boy rose his mace and pointed to the pair of officers he'd just saved. "Those men will take you to somewhere that is. Go." The people nodded and ran from cover, quickly rushing to the pair of officers who stood by, ready to herd them to the safe zone.
But one man lingered for a moment, even when he felt his child tug on his arm to join the others in their exodus. The man stared at Cardin, who stood in the street, taking a moment to catch his breath and gather himself. "Huntsman." The man called out, catching Cardin's ear. "Thank you." The man said.
Cardin just stood there and stared unsure how to respond. For a moment he felt like smiling, show the man and his child a toothy reassuring grin just like any there courageous Huntsman would. But Cardin couldn't find it in himself to smile. Not when he stood in the presence of the dead and dying. So he just nodded and saw the man and his child off. That was all he really could do.
He watched silently over his shoulder as the officers ran off with the people, thinking that he's should go with them, for their protection. He had to remind himself that they were better off than most, that nearby others cried out for help. And with the Atlesian Knights turning on the people of Vale, they needed Huntsmen like Cardin more and more.
So Cardin shouldered his mace and walked off down the street, following the sounds of violence. Ready to do what was required of himself.
Within Amity Colosseum's interior, the battle between the White Fang's five man strike team and the rag tag group of Huntsmen raged on. Bone breaking blows were traded and blood was spilled, gun shots streaked hallways while sparks shot off colliding blades. And all the while The White Fang Captain Pangolin accomplished his mission's objective while his brethren engaged the academy students in mortal combat.
Pangolin reached into a sack he'd burden himself the entre trek below and for the umpteenth time today he'd retrieved a small compact explosive device. He pressed a button on the side of the device, priming the explosive and attached it to the side of the colosseum's propulsion engine. With that done, Pangolin tossed the empty sack aside and took a moment to admire his handiwork. All over the engine room there were several similar devices attached to equipment and the base of architecture, all beeping and flashing the color red.
The Captain smirked at a job well done. He reached into his jacket pocket and produced another device. At the push of a button, Pangolin sent out a signal to the bombs, activating the countdown that would inevitably end with sending the Colosseum plummeting down to the city below. But before he could, he and the rest of his team would have to get clear. So now with their mission complete, it was time for the White Fang to evacuate. Pangolin then calmly walked out the engine room exit and into the ongoing battle.
Far off down the hall, the more seasoned White Fang scimitar wielder made use of his endurance and simply bided his time while his opponent wore himself out. But the Mistralian Huntsman, Nindo, refused to give into the habits of a sloth, he would not give in so easily. Sweat dripped down both blade user's brow as they locked eyes, a silent glare was exchanged. And with fevered blows, the heat of combat escalated once more as their blades collided.
Revy gave it all she had, using her pole weapon to combat the frog faunus. But the man had an uncanny flexability and agility to dodge her attacks. Not to mention he had the reach to strike at her. Seeing no other course, the Vacuan Huntsman let out a cry then charged at her opponent, aiming to close the distance. But the White Fang member was seasoned beyond Revy's years and welcomed the attempt on his life with open arms, knowing fully well she posed little a threat.
Just as Revy closed in, the frog legged faunus fell backwards, landing on his hands and stuck out his feet. He kicked out, smacking his boots against Revy's gut and then with all his might, he launched her back, throwing her further down the hallway and knocking Nindo over. The frog faunus smirked at his efforts and leapt to his feet, giving his scimitar wielding comrade a thumbs up. The fire blade wielding White Fang soldier acknowledged his teammate's aid and regarded the pair of unconscious huntsmen with a simple nod, before turning to rejoin his companions.
The Iron Nail's bout with Ezekiel had rocked the very floor they stood upon. The faunus Huntsman carried with him a pair of spiked brass knuckles, which protected his fists every time he collided with The Iron Nail's coated body. He didn't hold back at all, putting in every ounce of aura he could muster into his punches, into his form to maximize the damage. And for a moment, for a brief moment, as he landed another blow against the left side of The Iron Nail's face, Ezekiel felt as if he might actually have a chance of besting the larger man.
It had been almost a month since The Iron Nail had lost his left eye. It had been bashed out of his head atop a hill in a cemetery in Oakwood. And in that time, The White Fang Lieutenant had strived to compensate the dip in his depth perception. But one month wasn't enough. This was proved by Ezekiel's punch. The Iron Nail hadn't even seen it coming. But The Iron Nail rolled with the punch. It may have been unexpected, but he knew how to take a punch.
Any hope of defeating The White Fang Lieutenant was dashed by his imposing stature. And The Iron Nail could see the look of defeat in Ezekiel's eyes as he stood tall, not all showing any signs of weakness.
"You claim it's a privilege to be judged by your weight? Rather than your race?" The Iron Nail boomed, his voice filling the hallway. His colleagues all tuned their eyes to The Iron Nail and stared in awe as he rose his weapons as if he were about to strike down the faunus student. But he didn't, simply relinquished his grasp of his hammer and sickle, letting them drop hard onto the floor. "The truth is, boy, you've deluded yourself into believing there's a difference!" He shouted.
"You think trading a greater evil for a lesser makes amends for the years we've all lived under their boots!" The Iron Nail said in a scolding manner before ramming a fist into Ezekiel's gut, knocking the wind out of the boy. "You believe we can coexist, that we've reached a compromise with this façade!" He gestured to the whole of the Colosseum.
Ezekiel coughed roughly as he brought his arms to shield himself from another one of The Iron Nail's blows. But The Iron Nail simply slapped his arms apart before backhanding the young man. "Look around, boy! This symbol of unity glorifies the four kingdoms and their horrors!"
"It's a symbol of peace!" Ezekiel spat. But before the DNCE boy could get another word in, The Iron Nail delivered another blow, causing him to stumble backwards.
"It's a symbol of united oppression." The Iron Nail corrected. "If Vale truly were the utopia you claimed it to be, then this wouldn't exist." The Iron Nail then ran forward and socked Ezekiel across his jaw, sending the boy flying. And before the faunus Huntsman even hit the ground, The Iron Nail came sprinting forward, delivering a series of punches while Ezekiel was in midair.
"You hold onto dreams and fantasies, believing them to be ideals." The Iron Nail said as he reached out to Ezekiel, plucking the portly boy from the air and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt. "Vale isn't an ideal. It's a flaw." He spoke lowly, almost growling as he looked up into Ezekiel's disheartened eyes.
"You are young, you think you've been hurt in a way no other could comprehend." The Iron Nail said before releasing his hold of Ezekiel, letting the boy fall flat on his back. "You've been shown an act of kindness. And now you feel as if you owe Vale." The Iron Nail stared down at Ezekiel with judging eyes. "But this is just another form of oppression." He said, leaning down over the DNCE boy. "They've deceived you, brother."
"Argh!" Ezekiel shouted as he seized the chance to strike at The Iron Nail. But the White Fang Lieutenant caught his fist and squeezed around it, shattering his brass knuckle. The pieces of his weapon fell to the floor and all Ezekiel could do was stare at The Iron Nail in disbelief.
"I do not blame you." The Iron Nail sighed. "This world is wicked and unjust. And I forgive you." He said before reeling back an arm. And without another word, The Iron Nail delivered a knockout punch, defeating the last of the assembled group of Huntsmen. He then turned to face his fellow faunus, feeling the weight of their stares for the first time. "Is it done?" He asked as the frog faunus retrieved his weapons.
"Bombs are counting down." Pangolin confirmed as he removed a handgun from his back pocket. "But before we go, some maters to attend to." He said before turning his weapon on the unconscious Darnell and pulling the trigger. None of the White Fang even flinched at the gunshot. They all just stared approvingly as the Captain walked from unconscious student to unconscious student, putting a bullet through their heads.
"Seeing as we're finished," The Iron Nail as he gestured to the unconscious Ezekiel laying on the floor. "Would one of you kindly lend me a hand with him? Sadly, he is a job for two." The other members soon rushed to aid The Iron Nail, seeing the point to his efforts. Ezekiel wasn't a Huntsman, he was a faunus and he deserved to be saved. But before any of the other trio of White Fang soldiers could make it to The Iron Nail's side, Pangolin step forward and offered his services.
"Ah, thank you, Captain." The Iron Nail smiled at the Pangolin. It had seemed the veteran member of the White Fang had misjudged his younger counterpart after all. "I'll grab his legs and you his arms?" He said before bending over to reach down for the young beaver faunus.
"Fuck no." Pangolin cursed before leveling his gun at Ezekiel and pulling down on the trigger twice.
The Iron Nail stared wide eyed as Ezekiel's body kicked, the gunshot ringing through his ears. He looked up to Pangolin shooting the man a furious glare. "What have you done?!" The Iron Nail's voice boomed loudly through the halls.
"You're getting soft in your old age, Lieutenant." Pangolin scoffed as he holstered his hand gun. The Captain then turned to address the remainder of the team to give the order to evacuate the arena. But before he could, one of The Iron Nail's cold metal hands reached out and snared Pangolin's arm and yanked him off his feet.
"He was Faunus!" The Iron Nail shouted angrily, spewing spittle over the Captain.
"He was a Huntsman." Pangolin shot back coldly, unfazed by The Iron Nail's heated actions. "Now, unhand me."
"Let him go, sir." The Iron Nail turned to find the rest of the strike team at his back, their weapons drawn, ready to engage him should it come to that.
The Iron Nail met their stares, as if challenging them. But as the moments passed by, he realized any confrontation between them, whether just or not, would only end in further faunus bloodshed. That was a cost The Iron Nail would never accept. So with a contentious grunt, he relented, deactivated his semblance and released Pangolin and letting him drop onto his feet.
"You're years are finally catching up to you, clouding your judgement." Pangolin said as he straightened himself. "If we were Huntsmen, I'd be charged with the duty of arresting you for treason. But we aren't Huntsmen, we're better than that. We're a brotherhood, a community of likeminded." He said before strutting off down the hall. "And because of that, I'm going to forget your indiscretion."
"Not to mention, we're on the clock." The White Fang captain jotted a thumb to the engine room. "Now, without further ado, shall?" Pangolin gestured to the way they'd initially arrived from.
Without another word, the rest of the strike team began to head out, following their leader, leaving The Iron Nail behind. The larger gorilla handed faunus lingered, staring down at Ezekiel's fresh corpse with a frown. With a regretful sigh, The Iron Nail turned on his heel to follow his comrade's example in fleeing from the impending explosion. But The Iron Nail would spare one final glance over his shoulder, to the soul he could never save.
All over Vale, Atlesian Knights were suddenly running rampant. The dramatic turn of events had caught all off guard, including one General Iron wood who was shot attack by a squad of knights he'd kept deactivated at the back of his dropship
"General Ironwood!" Ruby's voice filled the Airbus' man cabin as she and the rest of her fellow Huntsmen in training watched in horror as Ironwood's dropship spiraled downward, unable to fathom the loss of such a revered and respected military mind.
Pyrrha closed the distance between herself and a nearby viewport, joining other students who crowded around staring out to the night sky at the fireball. She was at a loss of words, enough good men and women had died already, and now another seemingly joined the mass of dead. And the young woman couldn't help but feel responsible.
Even with the stirring words from Jaune she'd received earlier, claiming that she was not at fault, but another woman whose voice still haunted her mind with its alluring yet menacing tone, Pyrrha recognized the part she played in the madness that now assaulted Vale. They'd put Pyrrha in a position to weaken the people of Remnant's resolve, and now they all paid the price for her misstep.
With a heavy sigh, Pyrrha ripped her gaze away from the view port and turned her attention elsewhere. The fact of the matter was that Vale and its people were in danger, the school was under attack by the combined efforts of Grimm and White Fang, and her self-loathing thoughts would help no one other than the Grimm she had sworn to defend against. So Pyrrha looked to the front of the Airbus, where she found a number of her fellow students arguing.
"Ironwood just bought the farm! What the hell are we gonna do now?" Arslan of Team ABRN shouted as she and other Team leaders stood around the Airbus' pilot seat.
"We stick to the plan!" Jaune exclaimed before pointing out the front port and down to Beacon Academy below. "We get down below and we lend a hand!"
"You kidding?!" Sun exclaimed before pointed out the same viewport up to the Altas Flagship hovering in the sky, raining hell down upon the city. "It won't matter if we get to the school or not. That ship's got guns shredding everything it can aim at!"
"And we'll get creamed if we attempt to fly at that thing." Coco shot back, gesturing to the Airbus they currently occupied. "Look at this thing, they wouldn't even have to aim to shit this plus size whale out of the sky."
"It's suicide." Arslan nodded in agreement.
"Not with me at the wheel it's not!" Brawnz shot back as he jabbed one of his thumbs against his chest. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent driver."
"But this isn't a car Brawnz!" Nebula shouted, gesturing to the pilot's seat and the ship's controls, of which consisted of several levers, numerous screens with colorful readouts displayed and six pedals.
"Pfft, girl, I'm versatile as hell." Brawnz said before winking at Arslan.
Nebula rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Dew would say otherwise." She said, earning a number of 'oh's from the other students.
"Excuse me, sorry, guys?" Pyrrha spoke up, quickly gaining her fellow Huntsmen's ears. "Perhaps we could reach a compromise?" She suggested.
But before they could reach a consensus, Ruby's semblance enhanced speed kicked up a gust of wind that knocked the majority of the students off their feet as well as nearly tipping the ship onto its side. They looked after the crimson reaper, watching as she sped off without a word back into the arena.
"Ruby!" Sun shouted after the RWBY leader. "What heck is she doing?!"
"Taking things into her own hands." Jaune said with a knowing tone. The blonde knight then turned to his fellow students and caught their eyes. Pausing for a moment, he looked amongst them, finding all too familiar looks of fear that he once upon a time bore. These troubling times, the whole world felt like it was closing in on them, they had every right to be afraid.
But then Jaune looked to Pyrrha. Though the guilt she felt bludgeoned her every passing second, The Invincible Girl managed reciprocate his stare with a loving, reassuring smile. This was his chance, to be the hero he'd always dreamt of being, and they both knew it. Everyone was looking to him now, and more than ever they needed to follow.
"What would you have us do, Jaune?" Pyrrha said, cutting into the silence.
"We're heading to Beacon." Jaune declared.
"But what about the ship with the big ass guns?" Bolin shouted from the back of the airbus.
"If I know Ruby, she's already taking care of it." Jaune said before looking through the crowd of students and signaling out a familiar head of blue hair. "Neptune, we need a pilot. You game?"
"This thing? Yeah, I can do that." Neptune shrugged. The SSSN member then cut his way through the group, pushing past the leaders and took the pilot's seat. "Everyone buckle up! I don't have a licensee!" He called out to the others before tracking down the ignition switch on the console in front of him.
Quickly, the gathered students all ran for their seats. Pyrrha took her seat beside Jaune and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face the Mistral champion and smiled. "Thanks Pyrrha." He said, raising a hand and gently placing it over Pyrrha's.
"Mind if I have a seat?" A foreign female voice asked. Both Pyrrha and Jaune looked up to find none other than Serin standing in the aisle, gesturing to the vacant seat beside the pair. Seeing no reason to rebuke the Team STAG leader, they welcomed Serin.
"Crazy night, right?" Serin said, doing her best to sound friendly, while she also toyed with the gun in her hand.
"Uh, yeah, you could say that." Jaune coughed awkwardly as the Airbus jerked forward.
"Sorry about that!" Neptune shouted from the pilot's seat up front.
The Airbus jerked once more before taking off into the air. A chorus of cheers and applause erupted from the gathered students. The Airbus slowly ascended into the air, with Neptune steering the ship towards the direction of the school. If one were to inspect the Mistral student's features closely, they'd be able to see a stream of sweat flowing down his forehead. But Neptune kept calm, he stayed cool and quietly made his peace with whatever deity existed. Then without another word, he pulled on the throttle and the Airbus took off.
"Woo!" Neptune shouted smiling ear to ear.
"Good going Neptune." Sage gave a thumbs up to his teammate from where he sat in the airbus' rows of seats. "We knew you could do it!"
"Yeah, just don't crash, okay?" Scarlet said, earning a number of glares from several students sitting adjacent from himself. "Wot? Wot I say?"
"So, I noticed you've got your entire team here." Serin said, continuing a halfhearted conversation with both Pyrrha and Jaune.
"Yes, we were lucky enough not to be separated." Pyrrha said, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "I notice Tobias is here. Where's Angela and Michael?"
"We got separated." Serin said simply. She glanced upward, taking her eyes off the weapon she fiddled with in her hands and looked forward. There sitting close to the pilot's seat was Tobias, waiting for her signal. "But they should be fine, just dealing with a pest control issue."
"Pest control?" Jaune raised a brow.
"One of CRDL, Dove." Serin couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry though, they're fine. Probably having the time of their lives."
Hearing this, Pyrrha blinked. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean. Pest control on Dove?"
"What do you think it means, Pyrrha?" Serin turned to face Pyrrha, flashing a sinister smile. "Now let me tell you a story, I'm sure you'd like to hear it. I mean, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon."
Without warning, Tobias shot out of his seat. The STAG boy whipped out an underslung shotgun from his coat and turned the weapon on the student sitting directly across from himself, Gree Granite, the leader of Team GRNN. He pulled the trigger and blew the Haven student away. A series of fearful shouts filled the cabin as Tobias used the chaos to make his way to the front of the ship.
Neptune then glanced over his shoulder, seeking to find out what the commotion was all about. But the blue haired boy found only the barrel of Tobias' shotgun aimed right at his face. "Keep the bird steady." Tobias growled threateningly, giving Neptune a good look at his wolverine fangs. "Or I blow your goddamn brains out."
"Uh, okay." Neptune replied, knowing all too well he wasn't in the position to refuse. "I can do that."
"Serin?" Pyrrha looked to the STAG leader for an explanation.
"That's my name, don't wear it out." She laughed as she stood from her seat. Serin brandished her gun and raised it into the air, firing it once at the ceiling to quiet down the restless bunch of Huntsmen in-training. "Now, if none of you have figured it out, in the name of The White Fang, I'm taking over this ship." She said smiling bright.
"Yeah, hell no." Nadir said, quickly shooting up from his seat and taking aim with his rifle. But before Nadir could even snake his finger around the trigger, Serin spun around and blasted a round through the barrel of his weapon, exiting through the stock and rendering it useless.
"Back in your seat." Serin motioned to Nadir with her gun in a threatening manner. Slowly, Nadir complied and sat back down beside Reese and Bolin who patted their teammate for his efforts. "Anyone else gets up? I put a fucking bullet in your head." She said before stepping out of the aisle to move about freely. "Now how about that story I was talking about?"
"It's a simple story, really, about a little girl who watched her family die." Serin said as she walked around the main cabin, her gun at her side, ready to crack down on any other would be heroes who'd try to step up and take back control. "I grew up here in a village on the borderlands of Vale with my Mom, Father and little brother. But it isn't easy being Faunus amongst a town of humans. You catch angry stares from people who don't even know you, who think they have the right to label you, to decide your value."
"But then one night, they couldn't just settle with the awful stares and their silent glares." Serin's eyes as she overlooked the assembled students. "The villagers rallied behind a drifter, who wore an Atlesian Helmet. I remember looking at him from where I hid in my room, staring into that featureless faceplate of his, as they dragged out my family and burned them."
"In other words, 'Fuck Vale' and 'Fuck Atlas'?" Nolan rolled his eyes as Serin passed by. Hearing the BRNZ boy's words, Serin responded appropriately, smacking his head with the butt of her gun. "Argh! Fucking Faunus bitch!" He shouted, quickly earning angry stares from Velvet and Neon who sat nearby.
"Hmph. Yeah, I guess I am." Serin shrugged.
"I'm Faunus too." Velvet said, as she stood from her seat. Serin then quickly spun around and turned her gun on Velvet, but the second year student stood unfazed at the threat. "I've felt the very same prejudice you have. And I'm sorry about your family, Serin. But what you're doing here isn't right. Look outside, innocent people who had no part in your family's murder are dying!" She pointed to a nearby viewport, where down below the people of Vale struggled in a fight for survival.
But Serin didn't care to hear Velvet's protests, she'd already made up her mind. There would be no dialogue, no treaties, no more faunus abused in the pursuit of a human defined 'peaceful' world. "You're just another sellout, Velvet. All too willing to lie in bed with our people's enemies. Take, for example, your newfound friendship with Cardin. Didn't he bully you not too long ago?"
"And he showed remorse." Velvet glared. "He made amends, and now we're friends. Possibly more than that now, hopefully." She said, blushing slightly.
"Well, don't you feel proud of yourself?" Serin sneered before turning her head towards the front and nodding at Tobias.
Tobias took his shotgun and jammed it right against the back of Neptune's head. "Aim us at the school." He said lowly. "Full throttle."
"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" Neptune asked, only to have Tobias to press the barrel of his weapon against his head harder. "Oh, oh you are."
"Less lip, a little more ship crashing into the school." Tobias threatened with another forceful shove of his weapon. The Airbus slowly tilted and began a fast downward descent aimed at Beacon Academy. The students all exchanged frightful looks.
"And what do you hope to achieve by that, Serin?!" Velvet shouted, calling into question the motivations of the pair of White Fang infiltrators. "You'd be dead too!"
"You fail to understand the lengths we will go to accomplish our goals." Serin said, unmoving. "For every one of us who dies, another hundred of you goes down as well."
As The Airbus began to make its deadly approach with the school, it became apparent to prevent their demises, the assembled students would have to act, fast. A tense air fell over them as everyone's grasp tightened around their individual weapons. And Serin could see it, even if she was locked in a heated glaring contest with Velvet.
Even with all the theatricalities, Serin wasn't the real threat. Pyrrha had recognized this early on. The STAG leader's theatrics and speeches were a distraction, keeping the students on their seats while she ran interference, keeping their eyes off Tobias. Even if they managed to disarm Serin, Tobias could still get a shot off on Neptune, and then there'd go their pilot, the only one who had any chance of safely landing the Airbus. And still, with the ship already on its course trained at the school, Neptune really was the only loose end.
But even from where she sat, far away from Tobias, Pyrrha was a lethal and effective Huntress. With Serin distracted with holding the others at a standstill, The Invincible Girl raised a hand and aimed it at the shotgun in Tobias' hands. The next few moments were crucial, Pyrrha had to be quick, or else Tobias would get a shot off. So she activated her semblance polarity, and in a 'blink and you'll miss it' instant, completely disassembled the weapon in his hands.
The clang of metal smacking against the floor of the Airbus cut through the tense silence. Those students closest to Tobias and Neptune sprang to action. Sage rushed forward, ramming his shoulder against the White Fang infiltrator while also clearing Neptune. With thankful sigh, Neptune eased up on the Airbus, slowing its descent and began to pilot the ship towards a clearing by Main Avenue.
A brawl broke out in the front of the ship as well as in the back. While the likes of Team SSSN minus Neptune fought Tobias, the others rushed Serin. A series of well-placed shots quickly incapacitated Yatsuhashi, who fell forward to cradle his knees. Another shot struck Flynt's shoulder, causing the musician to let out pained cry as he ducked for cover. Bolin closed the distance bewtween himself and Serin, as did Brawnz. The two charged at the STAG leader, but she leaped over them, causing them to crash into one another.
"Grab her!" Nora shouted as she, Danny and Reese came charging at Serin.
The only advantage Serin possessed over the mass of Huntsmen in training was the closeness. They were unable to go all out lest they attack themselves. Serin on the other hand, did not share the restriction. She shot at whoever got close and let the others trip over themselves as she played keep away. Nora and Danny charged at her from behind, but Serin managed to dodge the pair of Beacon students by jumping through a row of seats. She then quickly rammed her knee into Roy's face, knocking him back into his seat as he leapt to tackle her.
But despite the challenge she posed, Serin couldn't help it as they closed in around her. These students were some of the better trained out of the four schools. They knew how to control their auras, they knew how to heal and how to take a bullet, substantially decreasing the chances of a successful escape. And over towards the front of the ship, Tobias fared poorly against the combined efforts of Sun, Scarlet and Sage. And like a cornered animal, Serin got desperate. She weighed her options and decided to do something crazy.
Jaune led the charge, followed closely behind by Pyrrha, Ren and Octavia as he leapt over seats. The blonde knight half expected Serin to attempt to make a break for the Airbus' door, to try and test her luck with gravity. But instead, he found the STAG leader running forward over seats to meet him head on. Whipping out Corcea Mors from its sheath, Jaune intended to strike at the woman and end it all. He reeled back his blade and swung forward, but blow didn't connect.
Serin jumped upward, somersaulting over the JNPR leader and landed in the aisle behind him. Ren raised one of his automatic pistols, only to have it knocked out of his hand and kicked into Pyrrha, sending the pair falling onto the floor. Octavia then ran to tackle Serin from behind, but the woman spun around and smacked the fiery NDGO girl with the butt of her gun, sending her onto the floor.
Jaune then spun back around to bring down his blade on Serin, only for the wolf faunus to side step his attack. Corcea Mors then slashed its way into one of the bus seats, burying itself in the fluffy white cotton contents. And before Jaune could remove his sword, Serin head-butted the knight, disorienting him and causing him to release his weapon. The next thing Jaune knew, Serin was snaking an arm around his neck and jamming her gun against his head.
"Nobody move." Serin growled, causing everyone to pause at the sight of her taking Jaune hostage. Jaune struggled to get free, but Serin's grip was tight and the gun she continued to force against the side of his head further dissuaded him.
"Drop the gun." Serin glanced out of the corner of her eye, finding Nebula standing off to the side, her crossbow raised and trained on the STAG leader.
"Shoot her Nebula!" Nolan shouted from the rear of the ship. "Just fucking shoot her!"
"Oh just shoot the bitch already." An annoyed Dew rolled her eyes.
"You're in no position to make demands." Serin smirked as she eyed Nebula's finger on the trigger of her weapon, noting how it shook slightly. "You don't even have the guts to pull the trigger."
"Hey!" Sun called out from the front of the ship, catching everyone's attention. There stood Sun, with Sage and Scarlet at his sides while he held Tobias in similar hold, one of his own guns aimed at his head. "We've got your pal, you've got ours, why don't we do a little trade, eh?"
"Or you could just surrender!" Scarlet chimed in. "We'll accept that too!"
But even caught the way he was, Tobias would not go quietly. "I refuse!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "I refuse to be used as a tool for the humans!"
"Dude, I'm Faunus too." Sun deadpanned as Tobias attempted to struggle free.
"Never!" Tobias shouted. He then reached up for the gun aimed at his head, much to Sun's surprise, and pulled the trigger himself. A red mist spray to Sun's left, completely covering Sage as the trio of SSSN boys stared in awe.
"Bloody hell!" Scarlet exclaimed in shock.
"Why would he do that?! What was the point?!" Sun shouted in utter disbelief as Tobias' body fell to the floor beside Gree's. "Why are they so suicidal?!"
"Oh, Oum…" Sage cringed as he stuck out his tongue to wipe it on the inside of his jacket. "My mouth was open…"
With everyone distracted, Serin turned her gun on Nebula. But not everyone was distracted by Team SSSN's outburst, Pyrrha remained vigilant. She raised her hand and activated her semblance once more, the proceeded to rip apart Serin's handgun. The metal pieces hit the floor, alerting the Huntsmen. With Serin weaponless, Jaune bashed the back of his head against her face. Momentarily dazed by jaune's attack, Roy sprang to his feet and tackled her from behind, sending the trio of them hurdling onto the floor.
"Grab her! Grab her!" Arslan shouted as she and other students began to dogpile on top of Serin as to better secure the radical.
"Anyone got some rope we could tie her up with?" Marie-Anne asked to no one specific. But before anyone could answer the DNCE girl, what was once Serin's gun began to levitate off the ground. Those who piled on top of the STAG leader watched in awe as the metal morphed, becoming thin lines which then wrapped around Serin's arms, binding them to her back. "Whoa." Marie-Anne muttered as her mouth hung open.
"What do we do with her?" Ren asked as Roy and Arslan hauled Serin to her feet.
"This place got a restroom?" Jaune asked aloud, earning a number of affirming nods from those students hanging by the back of the ship. "Good. Lock her in."
A series of claps filled the main cabin as Roy and Arslan marched Serin past the students to the back of the ship, to be confined to the restroom. With that mess sorted, the gathered Huntsmen turned their attention to Jaune, who once more held the stage.
"We're going to be landing soon guys," Jaune said, pointing out to the forward viewport where they could see the front of Beacon Academy. "We're down a guy and some of us are hurt. But they need us out there. What do you all say we go out and lend them a hand, huh?" He said, earning a couple of nods from his peers.
Pyrrha just watched as the boy, no, the young man, she admired most took charge, a proud smile on her face. With a quiet lull falling over the assembled students, they all attended to their belongings. Pyrrha herself claimed her weapons then marched to the door, waiting for them to land so she may exit and join the fray outside.
"It's gonna be a little hot, guys! Get ready!" Neptune shouted from the front of the ship.
"You heard the man, lock and load!" Coco exclaimed as she eagerly raised her giant machine gun.
"You ready?" Jaune asked as he joined Pyrrha by the door.
Pyrrha nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." She smiled.
The Airbus landed in the center of Main Avenue, behind a group of armed students who rallied against the combined forces of Atlesian Knights and Grimm. With a slow hiss, the door of the ship opened. And out came running all the Huntsmen inside, all ready to do their part.
Back up above the city of Vale, aboard Amity Coliseum, The White Fang strike team finished off the last of the Atlas troopers guarding the platform. The team knew escaping the colosseum death trap would be a long shot, seeing as the Black Queen virus had seized control of all forms of communication. A wave of relief washed over them as there remained one dropship, no doubt to be used by the very same troopers they'd slaughtered after the evacuation of the civilians had been completed.
Perhaps it was the afterglow of battle, or fatigue, or the sense of pride that caused the team of five to stall. Everything was going off without a hitch. Looking over the side, they could see the city of Vale dealing with a plethora of issues, ranging from the Grimm, to the White Fang, to fires that spread from the corvette's crash, to the commandeered Atlesian Knights. They caught their breath and savored the taste of victory. But with the team entranced by the sight of the screaming city, none were aware of another figure emerging from the arena's entrance.
Russel Thrush emerged from the arena, a somber expression on his face, earned by the horror he'd witnessed. But Russel did not walk in a fog, he had control of his faculties and was conscious of the many dead who lay scattered around the platform, just as much as he was aware of the White Fang soldiers who stood off to the side, basking in the wake of the destruction they brought to the city below.
But it was not any of the other four who earned Russel's hateful glare. The Iron Nail stood oblivious to his dagger eyes, staring blankly out to the night sky. And suited Russel just fine. Tracking blood off his boots through the platform, Russel quietly approached. He lacked the means to properly engage his enemies, so he took the time to scavenge from the dead. From a wide eyed corpse, Russel plucked the assault rifle it clutched to.
Russel then cocked the rifle and took aim. Only now did the Thrush realize he'd never held a gun before, well, never properly held a gun before. There was the time in Oakwood with Marlowe, but he never had the intention of firing it. But this was an entirely different affair, there was a heft to the Atlas weapon, a measure of weight that bore down on it. He found it surprising, citing how he'd seen so many run off into battle in historical footage showcased in Oobleck's class.
It was humbling in a way, Russel found himself a new appreciation to the Atlesian military and the youths they molded soldiers out of, they'd made it look so easy. But there were some things the Altas military industrial complex could never get right, Russel mused as he leveled the rifle at the oblivious White Fang. After all, if the Atlas military were the kind of force they boasted to be, then why were they all dead?
Then without another thought, Russel snaked his hand around the trigger of the gun and pulled it. An onslaught of lead shot forth, streaking the very floor The Iron Nail stood on. It would have been a kill shot for sure, but as Russel had previously noted, he'd never held a gun before in a day of his life. The kickback was intense, the stock of the gun bashed against his shoulder, causing him to fire wildly. It was stupid really, he'd trained in knives and swords all his life and yet suddenly he thought himself a master of guns that he could just pick one up. But that wasn't how it worked.
So Russel just blew his one advantage and alerted the White Fang of his presence. They turned on their heels, weapons raised, ready to engage any remaining Atlas soldiers who dared to stand in their way. But they didn't find a soldier, they found Russel. The Iron Nail was the only one who held caution, raising his sickle and hammer, locking eyes with Russel. But the others relaxed, some even chuckling at the sight of Russel barely able to properly hold the rifle in his hands.
"Oh, how pitiful." Pangolin laughed. The captain then dug into his jacket pocket, pulling out a timer he'd synced to the bombs below. Seeing the countdown drawing close to zero, Pangolin smiled. Without another word, the captain reached for his gun and drew it. With one shot he blasted Russel off his feet. "Alright, times up. Let's get the hell out of here."
"You underestimate our opponent, Pangolin." The Iron Nail said, not once taking his eyes off Russel. The Thrush stabbed the rifle he held onto the floor and used it to pull himself back up.
"Feel free to stay and fight then, but we're leaving." Pangolin scoffed as he and the others began to board the Dropship.
"So be it then. I will delay him."
"Delay?" The frog faunus shot The Iron Nail and odd look before turning to see Russel struggling to get back on his feet. "You give him too much credit, he can barely stand."
"You don't understand, do you?" The Iron Nail turned his gaze away from Russel, meeting the frog faunus' bizarre stare. He then began to berate his fellow faunus and tell a tale of his adventures in Oakwood, operating in the name of The White Fang. He spoke of a boy who'd cost him his team and nearly foiled their schemes in the backwater town. And that boy was in their presence.
But The Iron Nail made one mistake too many. He'd taken his eyes off of Russel. The White Fang busied themselves with kicking on the Dropship engines and squabbling about the threat he posed, that none of them considered what Russel was capable of doing then and there. Though he couldn't wield the gun he held, Russel was still dangerous. He didn't the gun, he never once needed a gun. He stuck knives and swords, and other pointy objects he could throw. Like the bullets in the gun's magazine.
Discretely, Russel ripped out the gun's clip and emptied out the remaining bullets, a total of three. Without another word, he stood up and started running. The Iron Nail turned his attention back to Russel, hearing the sounds of his rapid footsteps. He quickly raised his sickle and ran to meet his enemy head on.
As they closed the distance between each other, The Iron Nail let out a sharp yell and reeled back his arm before swinging his sickle forward. But the attack didn't connect, Russel slid between The Iron Nail's legs and kept on going. The gorilla armed faunus spun around, raising a brow at the Thrush's tactics. He watched for a moment before realizing Russel did not intend to fight, but rather, he aimed to rob them of their ship. So The Iron Nail gave chase.
Russel dashed past the frog faunus, pushed the scimitar wielder aside and shouldered Pangolin, causing the Captain to fall flat on his face on the boarding plank. His abrupt entry into the Dropship did not go unnoticed as the shotgun toting faunus woman spun around in the pilot's seat and took aim with her weapon. But Russel whipped out one of the bullets he'd taken and chucked it at the barrel of the shotgun and clogged it.
The gun exploded in the faunus woman's hands, sending her backwards and bumping against the Dropship's ignition. The ship's engines then roared to life and began to shoot forward, scraping against the platform. Seeing the ship about to take off, the remainder of the White Fang strike team raced to climb aboard lest they be left behind.
"Russel!" The Iron Nail shouted after the CRDL boy.
Russel wrestled for control of the ship with the injured woman. But the arrival of The Iron Nail and his comrades quickly changed the battle for supremacy. He drew another of the remaining two bullets and jumped. He spun in midair, giving his throw the extra momentum to be effective. And then he threw the bullet at The Iron Nail's eye patch. The bullet pierced through the black fabric and cut into the eyelid behind it. The Iron Nail, however, didn't even flinch and stormed forward and socked Russel across his jaw, knocking him against the ship's control panel.
The thrusters kicked on and the ship shot forward off the side of the colosseum and began to spiral downward towards the ground below. Pangolin's surprised cries fell deaf to The Iron Nail's ears. The veteran White Fang member battled Russel, grabbing ahold of the Thrush and choke slamming him against the console once more. But The Iron Nail's actions weren't of pure brutality, but also a precise strike. He bashed Russel's head against the autopilot, switching it on and causing the Dropship to level out and putting it safely out of harm's way.
Pangolin and the others smacked against the Dropship floor, no longer in freefall, while Russel took the last of his bullets and drove it into The Iron Nail's hand. The Iron Nail released his grasp, recoiling in pain. Then he promptly removed the bullet and tossed it aside. But once again, The Iron Nail made the mistake of taking his eyes off Russel, even if only for a moment.
Russel fished his scroll out of his pants pocket. Originally, he'd intended to throw it at The Iron Nail, but much to his the Thrush's surprise, the device buzzed to life. Though the sparks that emitted from it was slightly concerning, Russel wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. So minding the knife hole in the center of the screen, Russel pulled up the locker requisition prompt and signaled for his daggers.
"Drop dead." He sneered. Russel then turned to The Iron Nail and chucked his scroll at him. Whereas Ezekiel blindly struck at the White Fang Lieutenant and was lucky enough to capitalize on his near blindness, Russel had a level of familiarity of The Iron Nail's missing eye. He never even saw it coming, the scroll that bashed against the bullet in his eye patch, causing it to seep further into his head.
But The Iron Nail paid it no mind and charged ahead at Russel. He activated his semblance, coating his body in metal once more and threw a punch at his most hated foe. "Will you just fucking die?!" The Iron Nail shouted as he delivered a punch to Russel's gut. With the air knocked out of him, Russel could only stagger forward, unable to block or doge the next barrage of metal coated fists that struck.
Before The Iron Nail could finish off Russel, however, a rocket locker pierced through the side of the Dropship. It streaked through one of the engines, causing the entire left side of the ship to catch on fire. The locker then struck The Iron Nail from behind, knocking him forward and then finally crashing through the Dropship's controls. The entire front of the ship exploded, shooting electrically charge wires about and a number of shrapnel that cut the rest of the strike team.
With the Dropship's controls destroyed and the left engine nonfunctional, the ship began to dive down towards the city below. Russel then ran for the rocket locker, bashing a fist against it and causing the door to pop off. He reached inside and drew his daggers, then he turned to face The Iron Nail and cracked one of his taunting smiles.
The Iron Nail spat onto ground before raising his sickle and hammer. "You don't even know how to work those." He glared.
"I don't have to." Russel smirked. "All I need to know is that you hate that I have them."
"Let's rectify that, shall we?" The Iron Nail leapt forward, intending to strike at Russel. But the CRDL boy rolled out of the way, causing The Iron Nail to bash the rocket locker instead, causing it to crumble beneath his hammer and expose its fuel tank. He then turned to face Russel once more, but instead of finding the Thrush standing there and taunting him with that mocking grin of his, he found the boy running towards the Dropship off ramp. He raised a brow at the Thrush's actions, unsure of his play. Because, by the looks of things, Russel had no intents of stopping.
During the whole fight, Russel made an effort to be mindful of the state of the ship he stood in. With the engines totaled and the controls scrapped, there was no conceivable way the Dropship would be landing safely. There was only one way off, and that was gravity. So he raced forward, shoved aside those White Fang members he couldn't give a damn about and ran for the exit.
"Russel!" The Iron Nail, still coated in metal, shouted after the Thrush. But before the Lieutenant could give chase, the wild electric wires struck the rocket locker's exposed fuel tank, detonating it. The resulting blast rocked the ship and knocked The Iron Nail off his feet. Heading the explosion, Russel leapt out of the ship, leaving it and its White Fang occupants to the mercy of their own abilities.
Russel should have probably been afraid to jump, but he wasn't. The ship wasn't so high up, having spent a good amount of time itself plummeting to the ground before leveling out. But Russel also had one ace up his sleeve. The first thing he ever learnt at Beacon was how to land. So he echoed his landing strategy from initiation, hit the ground into roll. But not everything went as planned, Russel hadn't accounted for the increased momentum. So the Thrush kept on rolling down the empty street of the residential district of Vale.
After coming to a halt, Russel picked himself up and looked to his surroundings. There he was, standing in the middle of a long evacuated street, smiling like a mad idiot high off of adrenaline. He couldn't stop himself from laughing, he felt as if he'd cheated death. He then turned his gaze back to Amity Coliseum floating over the city in the distance and smiled.
But that soon faded, however, as Russel witnessed a small explosion on the colosseum's underbelly. The Thrush then watched in horror as Amity dropped out of the sky and crashed into the city below.
"Beautiful." Cinder said as she admired the view afforded to her and her pair of henchmen. Out over Vale, the once prided Amity Coliseum plunged into very ground. Entire city blocks were crushed under its weight.
"It's almost sad." Emerald said, feigning a sorrowful expression.
"It's horrendous." Cinder smirked as the sounds of civilian's cries of terror caught her ears. "Focus on the Atlesian Knights."
"Oh, I'm getting all of it." Mercury said as he held the scroll in his hand aimed down below at a squad of robotic soldiers gunning down innocent citizens of Vale.
"Good. Continue the broadcast until the end." The puppeteer Vale's downfall instructed, only for she and her cohorts to be rocked by a sizeable tremor. "And do not miss what happens next." Cinder said before turning to make her leave, walking off towards Beacon Academy.
The tremors surged through Vale, causing all to pause. A mountain south of the city shook violently, rattling off whole chunks of rock. Those watching just stared as an inhuman claw shot out of the mountain, followed by a terrible scream. The mountain hatched apart, giving birth to another monstrous Grimm, the kind of legend. The Dragon Grimm spread its wings as the tossed the mountain apart before taking flight.
Over the remnants of Mt. Glenn it flew, a mysterious black liquid dripping from its underbelly. With every flap of its wings The Dragon drew closer to Vale, screaming a deathly cry and striking fear into the hearts of everyone who watched it soar. The Grimm in the city, and those beasts that poured in from the nearby forests, rallied as if heeding The Dragon's call to action with renewed vigor. The skirmishes between Vale's Defenders and the invading Grimm intensified as the Dragon's looming shadow fell over the city.
And all the while Ozpin could only watch from the doorway at the base of Beacon Tower. Standing idly by while the best and brightest of Beacon ran to the aid of others, Ozpin waited. He'd been at this time and time before, he'd been an excellent judge of character, he his choice for Amber's successor.
Not too far from where he stood, Ozpin could see the young generation of Huntsmen banding together. They fought against rogue mechanized soldiers and fended off attacking monsters from the civilians they herded out of the Fairgrounds. Airbuses landed in a small makeshift landing zone and began to ferry people out of the school to the designated safe zone.
It was then, in the heat of battle, that Pyrrha caught sight of Ozpin. As Team JNPR tag teamed a Deathstalker, The Invincible Girl quickly finished off the Grimm before running off after the Headmaster.
"Where's she going?" Nora exclaimed in confusion.
"Keep fighting! I'll go find out!" Jaune announced not only to his team but to those other students within earshot before he took off after his partner.
"Headmaster Ozpin!" Pyrrha called out, catching the grey haired man's attention. And just like that, any doubts were finally put to rest.
"Ms. Nikos." He greeted her with the kindest smile he could muster. "I'm sorry, I thought you would have had more time to consider, but now I need your decision."
Pyrrha paused for what must've felt like a lifetime, but in reality was only for a moment and not a second longer. But in that moment she thought of her life and all the events that had led her on the path of a Huntress. She recalled the first time she'd ever stepped into an arena. She thought of her first championship victory against the then reigning champion Daedalus. She thought of the airship journey to Vale and how she'd met Jaune, Ruby, Nora, Ren and even Russel. She thought about the last time she'd talked to her parents.
But in truth, none of that mattered. Pyrrha's decision had already been made for her. All around her the city was crumbling, choking on dust clouds and sieged by invading forces led by their unknown enemy. To refuse the burden of becoming The Fall Maiden, was to forfeit humanity. So Pyrrha turned to Ozpin and nodded. No matter what happened next, she would live with her decisions.
"Good. "Ozpin said before gesturing to the doorway, motioning for Pyrrha to enter Beacon Tower. "Shall we?"
Then without another word, Ozpin and Pyrrha, followed closely behind by Jaune, stepped inside. But their actions did not go unnoticed. Not too far away, atop a nearby building stood Cinder, a sinister smile on her face. "Finally."
From the get go, I always had an idea of Russel's semblance and over the course of the story I've teased it through his headaches. But this is the first time its been displayed so prominently.
I've gone out of my way to portray Cardin as a hero, or rather, to make him heroic. So, that's cool right?
Whenever I write The Iron Nail, I like to think he sounds like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises. He's just this hulking foe who monologues while he beats you up. And, originally, when I planned this arc out last year, this entire Iron Nail vs Ezekiel thing was going to be between Adam and Ezekiel. But I changed it, seeing the way the show was going it totally sank any Blake centric storyline I had planned moving forward. But I think it works better with The Iron Nail, it builds more to his character and adds dimension to him, so it all worked out.
The Airbus section was difficult to write, I didn't know how to properly portray Serin and Pyrrha in the equivalent of a hijacking. But I think I nailed it.
The final bit with Russel and The White Fang was probably one of the crazier ideas for an action scene that I've had in a long time. Where they destroy the ship they're fighting in. But, believe me when I say, it is nowhere near as crazy as this one fight sequence I've got coming up. And It'll be very, very soon.
So, yeah, that's about it. Thanks again for reading! Next chapter may be out next week, or later this one, we'll see. I'm kind of busy at the moment. Until then, later days!