Okay I'm going to assume that the lack of feedback that I am getting in the review section is because I'm doing decent or good. Apologies if it seems that I am in some way needy or desperate I just prefer validation to ensure I'm doing all right. So let me waste no further time and begin.
[Church Family Estate: The Garage/Stables]
The garage was connected to the stables by two large metal doors, this is where the director kept his most prized horses and ponies along with his automobile collection. Right now his son was in the garage examining a motorcycle to take out, quite possibly steal or borrow without asking. He had two large duffle bags with him, one packed with ammo and tools the other with a change of clothes and cleaning necessities he might need.
On his back was his Sniper Blade he named Cobalt Cutter, his revolvers at his waist, stockless AK-47 strapped to his chest. He grabbed the keys to take the motorcycle out for it's long drive ahead of itself.
That was when he had arrived, the father, "Well now, where are you off to?"
"What do you need, pop?" Church asked knowing his Dad wouldn't make it easy.
The Director walked over to the motorcycle brushing the chrome bars, "This is a nice ride, but something tells me you're planning on taking it out farther than Atlas limits?"
"... I just have some stuff I have to get through..." Church tried to hide the truth.
Sitting on the bike, the father patted the seat next to him, "Does this have anything to do with the the fact that when you were with the White Fang?"
"You knew?"
"I've had my suspicions... then I had newer death threats that added some details from both human and faunus..."
"...I saw him again... he broke my friends... he's one of the reasons some of them are."
"One? So I guess you'll go after all of them... That mercenary group? The leaders and others who work in the shadows? Including her?"
"..." Church hesitated to answer, "Something inside me... can't get rid of her... no matter what I can't hate her..."
"Welp... if you're gonna start your confused revenge mission... sounds like Menagerie is the place to go..." The Director said taking the keys and walking even further past the garage to the hangar that was further past the the rows of cars, "But you're not making the journey on a bike... you're making it in THAT." The older man pointed to a shiny, old-fashioned, but fully functioning Seabull (Seaplane)
Clunking metal shoes hit the floor as Simmons had entered in his new armor, "You're not making it alone... I want to help..." His boots, wrists, and torso were protected now by machine gun gauntlets with a built in scroll. His torso armor was a bit bulky but still offered him a lot of protection from the various elements that would affect him. His backpack was built with more features but hadn't changed in appearance. Only part of his armor that was metal was the soles of his shoes which looked more like a high tech brace then boots. He had his plaid maroon flannel and black pants underneath that grey and black material his armor was made from. His metal hand and cybernetic eye implant was visible but his hand was mostly covered by a fingerless gloves he thought made him look cool.
"You sure you're ready?" Church asked.
"No... but these guys hurt a lot of innocent people... They need to be stopped." Simmons nodded.
"Great you're in..." Church commented as he turned to face his Dad while his friend got his gear and put it in the aircraft, "So what are you gonna tell Carolina?"
"Don't worry about that, but if you get lost in Menagerie, always look at this..." His father handed him a photo of a younger Director and Allison Church, "Ya never know... it might help."
"Thanks... I... I love you, Pop." Church admitted.
The Director, no... the Father looked back at his son and replied, "I love you too son..."
[Sarge's Farm]
Another loud plop was heard as Sarge had thrown another bag into the back of his pickup truck. This one was filled with old but still good MRE's from the days that he was still in the Atlas Royal Navy. When he was leading a sea voyage against pirates, given his own rogue like behavior in boot camp and the academy after, they saw fit to put him against similar opponents. From a great soldier, voyager of the sea, to a now farmer and sheriff of a small but popular trade town. Not that he minded, but it reminded him of a promise long forgotten.
Shaking the past from his skull, Sarge continued putting more bags into the back of the tailgate until the pile was completely done. Brushing his hands together he prided himself on such a simple task as Mercury came out from the house with a backpack and a confused look as he glanced at Sarge.
"Going on a vacation, Sarge?" Mercury questioned as he started to try to pass him by.
Sarge smiled as he placed his fists on his hips, "You can say something like that? I got some of the other farmers to lend a hand looking after the place while we are gone."
"We?!" Mercury replied stunned.
Sarge took the moment of his student's expression and snatched the pack from Mercury's hand, "Yeah, ya think I'm just gonna let you go to help Emerald by yourself?"
"Well... yeah."
"Well for starters ya ain't packed nearly enough. What ya got in there... a few granola bars and water bottles? Hogwash, that ain't gonna last ya two days. Let alone the darn near few weeks it would take to make it to Haven by foot. No matter how fast ya run, I doubt you'll keep up or outlast this here reliable piece of machinery."
"But Sarge..."
"No need to thank me. Let's see, if we head out now I'm sure we can stop by a few places that let us rest our heads. Then we can drive easily and be in Haven by the end of the week assuming nothing bad happens."
"But you see the thing is..."
"I should have just enough gas to get us to the next town, just in case I have a few Jerry cans and my toolkit. Oh, and I almost forgot..."
"Sarge I appreciate you want to come with me but-" Mercury tried to protest against the old man.
But Sarge brought up a pair of cowboy boots, no, not just any kind, the almost exact type he was looking at in the shop during the Vytal Festival games. They even came with a shiny set of silver spurs that he like. Sarge smiled as he handed them to Mercury, "Emerald told me ya been eyeing those for a bit so I thought, hell why not?"
"Sarge... why?" Mercury asked.
Sarge let out a small sigh before speaking the truth, "You're not going on a mission to get to Emerald. You're helping me get to Emerald."
"Why?"
Sarge groaned as he couldn't hide the truth from Mercury anymore, "What I'm about to tell you stays between us..." Sarge whispered into Mercury's ear to tell him the horrible truth he's been hiding from his students. Mercury's went wide at the shocking revelation, while struggling to keep his cool he simply nodded and swallowed the answer as he didn't know how to process what he heard.
"So... ummm, what now?" Mercury quizzed to avoid drawing attention to the matter.
Sarge furrowed his brow, "We take it to the grave and you're not going to tell a soul. So when we see her keep your mouth shut about it. Now get in."
"Yes Sir." Mercury gulped as he went over to get into the side of the vehicle.
[Somewhere In An Empty Mistral Apartment Building]
A cloak covered a woman who stumbled to get inside the empty room came to the middle of what looked to have been an empty living room. The whole place was vacant but she pushed herself to get to the second floor to give her an edge against those who may attempt to go looking for her. Those specifically who are after the second half of the Fall Maiden powers, they're after Cinder Fall, also known as Tex.
Tex cleared the wooden, living room round table of whatever trash and clutter remained as she laid down while tearing her sleeves off from the dress. Using her one good hand she ignited a fire as she looked down at her right arm knowing what she would have to do next and prepared for a world of pain. In the palm of her right hand a black squiggly swarm of tendrils wriggled as if they knew what was about to happen. Her fingers on her ignited left hand glowed a bright red with the very tips going into a yellow and orange hue.
Taking a deep breath she brought her hot fingers to her palm and moved slowly to get the jump on the parasitic Grimm within her. The beast must have known what was to come as it retreated back into her palm with only the bone marrow arrow sticking out. Sighing and cursing the little bastard she sharply inhaled and exhaled slowly as Cinder committed to herself. Reaching into her palm, she powered through the scalding pain, the smell of burning flesh just to get that nasty fucker out of her.
Through clenched body parts and sheer will Tex or Cinder powdered through and extracted the insect from her body as it's black tendrils slapped around her. Her right arm fell limp as it lost a lot of vital nutrients, blood and nerves when that thing was in for so long. She looked at the thing with it's one red eye on the side of it's squid shaped body before torching it in her arm.
Tex closed her eyes as she couldn't remain awake anymore and rested now knowing that she had one less worry to concern herself with. Now that the parasite wasn't with her she now had to focus on the staying hidden and gaining her power another way. Assuming no one else would be after her.
[Somewhere Back In Anima]
Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie ran through the abandoned Kuroyuri, trying desperately to make back to the group before their history would repeat itself.
"Not again, not again..." Ren told himself over and over again.
They came to a stop after passing under an arch leading to the center of town. Ren hunches down panting, but Nora is hardly winded. When Ren lifts his head and his worried eyes change to ones smiling in relief.
In front of them, Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose Melanie and Militia Malachite, Franklin Delano Donut, Emerald Sustrai and Michael J Caboose face the other way, but abruptly turn, Jaune putting his hand on his weapon. Qrow is propped up against the tree as Delano attends to his needs the best he could.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ruby asked.
Jaune followed Ruby's questions, "Did you hear that noise? What was that?!"
Ren's eyes grew wide and he falls to his knees, clearly alarmed, "No..."
"Ren! What is it?!" Emerald wondered as she pulled out her guns.
The sound of plodding footsteps can be heard coming closer.
Jaune held his hand in the air, "Wait, you guys hear that?"
Ren spoke weaker trying to protest, "No..."
"Ren?" Caboose moved forward to ensure Ren was fine.
The footsteps came to a stop. A bone horse head breathes loudly, exhaling black smoke. Within the bones are glowing red lights and around it is the black flesh of a Grimm. Ren lifts his head to see the one beast that scares him in this terrible world, the beast from his young nightmares. Weapons can be seen, stuck into a humanoid body that has bones sticking out perpendicular to its spine. Slowly, a torso raises, revealing a horned, figure of a Grimm. The horns and front part of the face are bone while the mouth is merely thin strips of Grimm flesh stretching across an opening. The mouth, the bones, and the eyes all glow red. The Nuckelavee twitches its head and roars as it prepares to kill.
Okay sorry if this seems more rushed and shorter but now I'm in a rush. By Nov 28 I'll be gone for a while. So while I got time, I'm gonna finish this and get the next part of the story posted on a different story because this is too long. I think four seasons per part will do.
Until next time Churchisalive signing off for now.