Weiss is terrifed.
She had landed a lot farther than anticipated and she landed alone, even stretching out with her psychic power she couldn't feel anyone for a fair distance.
She started to head towards the cliffs as a doubt started to plague her "if I can't haul ass I'll be left behind and alone...that'll... be just lovely..."
as she's running, her feet thundering into the dirt the dim of combat fills her ears and it's not the crack that typically accompanied dust weapons but bolt shell detonations...
The ground she's running across becomes not the forests floor but the streets of the world she and Rylanor attacked and where he was separated...
She looks up and, in her vision, she sees her visor and HUD with the right side displaying a tactile map in a circle and above it is a display with her power armour condition in each segment and the integrity of her iron halo shield with turnover hand side having the vitals of her Palentina blades and Rylanor and Rylanor's is flickering red indicating he's being wounded.
Her heart rate rapidly spikes in pace as she sees one by one her elite unit's life signs to dark with each mocking her as they pass "you failed us..." " you've failed us all" "we should have gone extinct" and very quickly all she could hear is Rylanor screaming out for her as she can all hear the voice of Eldrad... "Wenoa! My queen! My love! Why have you forsaken me so!"
" You failed your legion and your farther little human... You should have killed me when you had the chance "
this causes Weiss to let out a psychic screech that booms across the streets in her vision shattering every pane of glass, very stone shatters and the debris are sent flying outwards in a hail storm of death shredding anything it hits in the vision as if struck with the shock wave of a nuclear bomb. Once the debris field clears and the dust is blown away, she sees the Eldari officer stood over the corpse of Rylanor holding his head up by his Maine of White flowing hair...
"ELDARI SCUM!" She belts out at full force; she can feel her whole throat vibrate and ripple from it and for a breath moment can see the real world and there's a pair of Faunus white Fang members out on a hunting trip running away from her as fast as they can firing dust rounds which rip into her flesh but her regeneration even aura boosted is INSANE with how fast it's able to seal her wounds.
One of the Faunus is a young female deer Faunus and is the 1st to about turn and fire and lands a shot straight through Weiss's right eye and makes an exit wound and nearly blows her feathered hat off.. But much to their horror she and her partner can see her eye and very head stich itself back together again?!
Weiss in her vision sees everything shift from the day of Rylanor's mutilation to..to.. The day of the massacre of Isstvan...
This stops her dead in her tracks as she backs up and falls on her ass as she sees the headless corpse of Ferrus Manus, primarch of the iron hands marching towards her...
Outside of the vision the two white tang hunters can see the glowing huntress to be is on her ass and screaming as she backs up into a tree babbling a name over and over between frantic apologies "I..I'm so sorry...ahhh! Ferrus!.." The male and older spider Faunus stops and looks " she's having a break down... " the younger female slaps him "we've got our chance to run! Let's go leave the fucking human!"
Weiss in her hallucination can see not only Ferrus Manus and reveal burned out dreadnoughts but thousands of astartes, all bearing horrific wounds, dripping with blood and viscera with huge craters blown in their armour from bolt shells as others are burned from flamers...
She sits with her knees against her chest rocking back and forth shaking a cold sweat drenching her body as her heart painfully thunders against her chest like a drum being pummelled by a power fist.
Her psychic power is causing plants and soil to turn to ice and or burst into flames. In her hallucination she sees a tsunami of blood, sweat, spilled oil and fuel rise up over the ghostly gathering of the fallen and threatens to come down over her to drown her when she feels a pair of hands on her shoulders shaking her and the vision fades and she sees Ruby and Penny stood over her and she can smell burning wood, her own sweat and blood pouring over her.
Weiss?! Holy shit you okk? " Ruby belts out with extreme concern as Weiss whimpers and shakes her head as some of the blood is coming from her eyes but she's quickly bouncing back thanks to be regeneration from her gene seed. Ruby chucks crescent Rose to Penny as she scooped up Weiss and lays her sword on her hugging her close as she speaks to Penny "don't say anything penny please...this isn't something you'd understand"
Penny nods as she wields crescent like a natural "understood, I am armed and ready!" The trio takes of running towards the temple as Penny has triangulated the temples position thanks to picking up a scroll symbol. Weiss is a shaking weeping mess in Ruby's arms as she feels an odd sense of calm in her.
later at the temple...
When the reunited Blake and Yang reach the temple, they see 4 pieces of relics already gone "Cardin's been through here already, I can smell that 1st legion arrogance form here" Blake comments rolling her eyes as Yang walking around the temple says "They did right the princilia belacosa Blake..*ahem* Blake. sorry, that's going to take some time to get used to."
Blake chuckles a bit "It's fine... anyway. so, who do you reckon is showing up next hmm?" Yang looking around at the pieces then the woods "I have no idea, Ruby or that ginger chick."
Right on cue Ruby holding Weiss and with Penny comes running out the woods which makes both Blake and Yang glance at each other with concern as they rush to meet them as Ruby props Weiss up against the temple wall who is still out of it. collecting crescent Rose form penny, she pre empts Yang "she had a breakdown.. I don't why but we need to finish this trial and get her to Qrow and fast, look she's been shot at by someone."
she says pointing out the fact Weiss's outfit has holes in it.
Yang glances at Ruby and uses high gothic "Ruby, did she see any of that?" Ruby responds " no, we got there towards the end of it. "
Blake looks at the quivering Weiss and fees sympathy for her saying "these trials need serious reforming"
Penny speaks up "Salutations! But yes, miss Schnee will need serious medical attention to help her recover..." she's cut off by a shout form Weiss "I'm right here! I'm fine will everyone just shut the fuck up so I can pull myself back!"
this has all 4 of them recoiling from shock.
The rest of Penny's handlers/teammates arrive not long afterwards with Marcus being particularly pleased to see penny in good condition but stops when he sees Weiss "What's wrong with Schnee?"
Ruby answers "a break down, she landed alone" Marcus having specialised in dealing with situations like this in case they came up in Penny runs over to Weiss but when she spots his deer ears, she uses her glyph to shove him back "stay away from me mutant filth..." And at this Marcus backs away and doesn't say a word.
Soon the ever-bubbly Nora and stoic Ren arrive with the former hefting her thunder hammer/grenade launcher over her shoulders saying "haha! We got here in time for some company! why is everyone so tense?" She asks everyone about the awkward air that's thick enough to cut through but before anyone can answer Jaune's yelling can be heard as he flies through the air as if thrown.
Marcus seeing it's Jaune climbs up the ruins of the temple with surprising speed and times his jump to catch the falling demi Primarch much to everyone's shock. Jaune can feel himself get caught by someone as the two rolls across the forest floor and once the dust settles, he can see its Marcus, the deer Faunus he met last night which makes him comment "ouch, but worth it for that" he comments using his dorkyness to be endearing to Marcus who groans as he stands up "Jesus... What are you made of Arc? fuckin' cast iron?"
"No, I'm just built different, ow that hurts, cheers for the save" he says as Marcus pulls him to his feet who responds "About 6ft tall of dorky handsome cast iron dam, come on we've got a trial to do, wait where's the red head?" Jaune looks behind him and says " yeah about that... " right on cue Pyrrha is thrown through the air by a death stalker "yeah..."
Meanwhile on Ironwoods airship...
The airship is high above Atlas as to minimise potential exposure of their quests.
A storm bird of the night lord's legion detachment that's on this planet touches down on the flight deck of the airship with its human crew being dismissed on leave and only having android crew present on ironwoods orders.
The ramp lowers down and out steps a terminator praetor in Tartarous armour flanked by two mk8 errant armour champions wielding chain glaives and wrist mounted volkites, the praetor himself uses a lightning claw and a combi bolter with Melta gun. The trio is greeted by Ironwood, Sarrin, winter and Qrow who is in his own armour, the bright candy red shimmering in the sunlight.
Qrow greets them taking his helmet off revealing his hair is a lot longer in his true form with it being shoulder length "welcome sons of Nostramo, it warms me to see astartes again." His usual drunkard demeanour is gone and as he greets the astartes legionnaires like old friends much to Winter's shock. The astartes take their helmets of revealing the praetor has very miniscule ears sticking out the top of his head as he's of Blalerian gene seed, looking at Qrow 1st he says "likewise son of Prospero, and Lotara Sarrin, I never expected to meet the captain of the conqueror in all my years of service."
Sarrin nods "it is a dam shame we can't meet on her bridge but this will have to suffice" she says in a joking gesture which earns a chuckle form the terminator as he addresses Ironwood "I am legion praetor Balimar Galantos, it is my understanding we are to discuss a recent finding?"
the general responds "yes straight to the point, come inside gentlemen"
After a few minutes the whole group is in the bridge and Ironwood places his scroll onto the holo table displaying the blurred picture of the astartes with a checkerboard pattern shoulder plate and says "this was taken 1 day ago from the Pict feed from one of our androids, the white Fang faction has recruited an "astartes" or perhaps more to aid them in attacks on our assets. We have a full list of legions thanks to Qrow hear but neither he or us can recognise the allegiance of the individual"
Balimar leans forwards for but a few moments as his immense bulk casts a shadow over Winter and answers "This is the sigil of the Lamneters chapter of astartes, successors of Sanguinius the Primarch of the blood angels, I have served with them before alongside Loken's sons of Artemis, is this the only picture you possess?"
Ironwood answers "the only on at present moment, I suspect they will be more in the near future, how many do you think there are?" He asks Balimar as Qrow departs to let Ozpin know what's going on with the praetor answering "The fact you still have any assets left in the field means there is only one, they are known for caring a great deal about civilians and often are very self-sacrificial in nature. That and they typically only operate alone as bad luck follows them wherever they go which means this one likely fell though the warp of tell victim to a sorcerers trap."
Ironwood and Winter let's out a sigh of relief as Sarrin has remained silent waiting for a chance to talk to the astartes of the 8th alone to ask private questions.
Winter then says "we need this astartes taken out before he causes more damage..." She's cut off by Balimar saying "There is a good chance his chapter is looking for him, and if they find him dead at yours or our hands it will mean they will be honour bound to declare open war on you, if you're struggling with terrorists and 1 astartes then try facing the might of a chapter even at half strength."
This has winter glancing at Sarrin, one of the only humans her desk served under astartes forces before and the old venerable woman simply nods a yes at the wordless question. Balimar chimes in "I have a few assets in the vale already, we will keep an eye out and stop an attack if we come across it, I will not however risk the lives of my men protecting mere supplies, I have standing orders form my Primarch to safe guard menagerie as it doesn't possess a defence beyond hunters. If that will be all I will take my leave"
He makes to leave along with his honour guard and Sarrin follows them with intent and once outside she asks Balimar "I have a question Praetor" out of respect he turns around and says "Ask what you will captain Sarrin"
She then asks "The World Eaters, do they still walk the galaxy at large?" The veteran Praetor answers grimly " only the silver shields and Khárns war hounds of Niceria, the rest fell to madness of Khorne under Angron. "
Sarrin feels her old heart sink in her chest and doesn't respond as she hears back inside.
Meanwhile Qrow is informing Ozpin of his findings "there is a blood angels' successor on this world, one of Yang's gene lines. Bright yellow armour checker board pattern on one shoulder. If you see it, you must inform me as soon as your able to."
Ozpin responds grimly "I have gone news, Weiss Schnee has had a break down during her trial, her trauma still haunts her Qrow, we must see to it" this has Qrow cursing in native Prosperan as he calmly says "wait until night fall, we'll have to call a class early it seems. Ughhh... Are you doing well Ozpin?"
the old sorcerer responds "I'm doing fine Qrow you worry about me too much."
Qrow says "can you blame me Ozpin, your one of the only mortals I've fallen for." The older man answers with a chuckle " that's only because I can drink you under the table when I'm in the mood for it. I'll see you tonight Qrow. "
to be continued...