Welcome back to "Reality", everyone! It feels really bizarre to get into this story as we're near summer's end. Being a year older doesn't help either, but I'm still happy to be writing.
Anyways, we got this story off the ground with quite the start last week. But now, we're moving into the nitty-gritty of the story and its key elements this time, including the reintroduction of a few key characters. If you're all ready to read, I'll let Xiaomei take it away!
REALITY
Hello again, everyone. I'm sure by now you have several questions you'd like answered. Truthfully, I don't have all the answers. I can only see so much after all…
When we last left the remainder of our heroes, there was some division on what they should accomplish next. Protect the abandoned Mantle from Grimm, or find a way to launch Amity Tower and release a warning to the rest of Remnant. This vocal debate on the decision resulted in split groups of our heroes for the time being. Ruby and her comrades are bound for Atlas to obtain the clearance codes for Amity, while Yang's group sets off to help Mantle's unprotected citizens.
And as this begins, it seems Salem is sending something on the hunt in order to discover the secrets behind the Lamp of Knowledge. However, there are more players that stand against her in the battle ahead.
If you may recall, Raven Branwen, the Spring Maiden, was brought aboard a special team that consisted of Tifa Lockhart, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Enji Todoroki. They were brought together by Professor Paradox in order to go and retrieve the Reality Stone. In spite of some setbacks and turmoil, particularly in Raven's case, the group has managed to arrive in Solitas.
Sadly, the chaos has already unfolded… so what will they do now?
Through the hi-tech binoculars in his left hand, Obi-Wan Kenobi zoomed in on the city of Mantle in the far distance, seeing the packs of Sabyrs that were entering through the destroyed section of the outer wall. He was standing by the Manta, where Tifa Lockhart and Raven Branwen were, looking towards the dark red clouds up in the sky, hearing them rumble with thunder. Enji Todoroki narrowed his eyes onto the sight underneath his flame mask.
"We need to make a move, and soon," he insisted of his colleagues, "The longer we wait, the more people are in danger," he pointed out.
"But where do we even start?" the bar hostess inquired back, "Aside from the Grimm pouring into the city, we still have to figure out how to get the Reality Stone from Salem!" she pointed out.
"That can wait," Raven confirmed suddenly, getting her attention, "We've got a third problem on our hands," she noted, holding up her Scroll.
"What is it?" Enji asked as he approached. She merely showed him what was upon her device's Hard-Light screen. He blinked in surprise to see the various mugshots of Team RWBY, Team JNPR, those of the Omni Force, Oscar, Penny, Carla, Pietro, and Maria.
"Oh gosh…" Tifa uttered in shock, putting her left hand over her mouth.
"Why are they being targeted by Atlas?" the Hellflame Quirk user inquired.
"No clue," the Spring Maiden replied, "Just says that they're to be brought into custody on sight," she noted, looking back at the screen and narrowing her eyes, "Qrow isn't on here…" she realized.
"He may have already been captured," Obi-Wan inferred, getting her attention as he put down his binoculars, "We need to consider our options," he advised of his colleagues, "From what I can gather, Mantle is defenseless, and Atlas is being targeted," he pointed out.
"And we probably should meet up with whoever on the Omni Force is here," Tifa added. Enji closed his eyes in thought. There was a lot going on from the look of everything. So it would be better to work in numbers while also furthering their objectives.
"Kenobi, take the Manta up to Atlas and find out why exactly they're being targeted," the Flame Hero instructed to the Jedi, making him blink in surprise, "Lockhart, you'll go with him," he insisted of the bar hostess.
"Wait, what about you?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow out of concern.
"We're going to Mantle, aren't we?" Raven assumed, folding her arms over her chest as she looked over to Enji. He merely nodded in confirmation.
"Protecting everyone takes priority over finding the Reality Stone," he told his comrades, "That said, we do need to figure out the current situation here," he mentioned seriously, "Stay in contact at all times," he advised on, "If we meet up with members of the Omni Force, relay a message as soon as you can," he instructed.
"Understood," Obi-Wan replied, heading back up the ramp leading onto the Manta.
"You two be careful, okay?" Tifa insisted, hopping into the cabin before the door closed. The ramp was then withdrawn, along with the landing gear as the airship flew up from the ground, blowing some snow away as it took off into the air. Raven watched on, lowering her gaze in thought. She grabbed onto the hilt of her Omen momentarily, but then pulled her hand away. Enji noticed.
"You don't have to use your Semblance," he assured, getting her attention.
"Oh, uh…" she stammered out, clearing her throat with a cough, "Yeah, I just…" she tried to say, "It'd be an awkward way to start, wouldn't it?" she assumed, exhaling a sigh, "I'll use it if things get bad," she promised, "Let's move," she said, leaping up into the air and assuming her corvid form as she flew off toward Mantle.
"Right," the Hellflame Quirk user responded, expelling flames from the soles of his feet to fly after her. With things starting to unravel, they didn't realize just how crucial their help would be in the battles ahead…
X
The image of Clover being impaled by his own Harbinger haunted Qrow Branwen, who was holding the bloodied pin of his deceased friend in his hand. He stared somberly at it, sitting in a prison cell made of Hard-Light Dust. Footsteps were heard pacing nearby.
"Huh…" the voice of Robyn Hill sighed out, "This is your fault," she grumbled, "You realize that… don't you?" she questioned, continuing to pace as Qrow listened on, "All I wanted was to bring people together…" she pointed out, "to give them a chance at a better life…" she affirmed on with a small smile, "But you…" she growled, glaring angrily at the individual in the next cell over, who happened to be Jacques Schnee.
"Me?" he said in surprise, putting his right hand onto his chest, "I am a victim!" he proclaimed, to which the Happy Huntresses' leader scoffed as she paced away, "I'll admit I was duped! Used!" he confessed while still seated on his bench, "And although my hands may not be clean, at least I am not a murderer!" he snarled, directing his gaze toward Qrow, who looked up upon hearing that. Robyn stopped pacing, giving him a sympathetic look. Though she hadn't seen what had happened, she trusted him.
"He didn't kill anybody…" she noted somberly, "And I'm not gonna stand here and be lectured by some snake with a mustache who helped that man tear us all apart!" she added vehemently, raising her voice to Jacques. They then turned their attentions onto the fourth and last cell in the room. Inside was Arthur Watts, who was contently lying down on his bench with his hands propped behind his head.
"Yes, well…" he began as he raised his left hand, "I suppose we're all stuck in it together now," he remarked to his fellow prisoners, seemingly nonchalant about being amongst his enemies. An awkward silence followed as Robyn continued to pace.
"Speak for yourself," Jacques said in response, "I know the right people," he boasted proudly, "I'm sure Whitley has reached out to my legal team and will have me out of here before you can say—"
"SHUT UP!" Robyn roared as she punched the Hard-Light Dust wall, startling the SDC president as he widened his eyes in surprise. At that moment, a buzzer sound went off, getting their attentions. Qrow went ahead and closed his hand to hide the pin he had. The door opened, with a squad of Atlesian military soldiers entering the room. One went ahead and accessed a holographic panel beside Arthur's cell, having the Hard-Light wall come down as he sat up on his bench. He gave off a smirk underneath his moustache as two of the soldiers approached.
"You do realize you already caught me?" he pointed out in question. His wiseass comment earned him a rifle getting bashed against his head by one of the men and knocking him out cold as a startled Jacques yelped. Everyone watched in confusion as the soldiers dragged Arthur away. They left the room soon afterward, letting the door slide shut.
"…Huh…" Robyn sighed after a few moments, "I hate not being able to do anything…" she confessed, walking back over to her bench and sitting down upon it.
"We can do something…" Qrow chimed in, getting her attention as she looked over at him. He lifted his head up, revealing a dark gaze in his eyes. "We can kill the man who put us here…" he declared firmly. Robyn understood his anger. But while she shared it, she also was worried that he could take it too far…
Back in Mantle, civilians were already starting to evacuate their homes at the discretion of the Happy Huntresses, heading towards the crater right beneath where Atlas once lied. Trying to get a grip on the situation was next to impossible, especially with all that was happening. Even the news wasn't certain what to make of it.
"With still no word from General Ironwood, Mantle citizens are frightened and perplexed by the sudden withdrawal of military personnel," one reporter explained as a part of a news broadcast, "especially given the massive Grimm horde outside the kingdom," he pointed out additionally, "I've… never seen anything quite like this," he admitted on as the he took a few steps to the left, enticing the camera to focus on the evacuating civilians in the streets, which included Joanna as she was helping guide them. She then turned and took of the news team on the scene. "It truly feels like the end of days," the reporter stated, followed by giving off a confident expression, "but the Atlas Eye is committed to updating the public, until our dying—" Before he could finish his remarks, the Happy Huntress snatched the microphone from him. "Wha—? Hey, wait!" he yelled as she walked by him. He tried to get his microphone back, only for Joanna to suddenly stab her crossbow staff into the ground as she glared, startling him as he backed away with his hands up in surrender.
"Citizens of Mantle," she began into the microphone, turning to face the camera, "General Ironwood has abandoned you, but we have not!" she declared, "If you can hear this, gather any food and supplies you need to stay warm, then head to the Mantle crater," she advised over the televisions throughout the city broadcasting the news, "The Grimm are starting to make their way back into the city," she pointed out, "but we can hold the line if we all come together," she affirmed to those watching, all while at Pietro's pharmacy, a pair of Atlesian Knights investigating were suddenly gunned down by Yang, who had entered alongside Jaune, Ren, Oscar, Gaara, Kevin, Wendy, and Sabo, "If we don't, well…" Joanna continued from the broadcast, "you've all seen what's waiting for us out in the storm," she noted grimly, "It's time to show your teeth, Mantle," she insisted of those watching. She then walked away from the camera, shoving the microphone back into the reporter's hands as he yelped in surprise.
Back at the pharmacy, Kevin went ahead and picked up the rifles that the Atlesian Knights were wielding. He went ahead and holstered one of them to his left leg. He then looked around and blinked in surprise.
"Where's the cat?" he inquired, noticing that Carla wasn't in the room. Wendy perked up for a moment, lowering her head.
"She's with Doctor Polendina and Maria right now," she answered, "Just in case… they need protection or… something…" she mumbled, looking around the room.
"Uh… okay…" the hybrid Osmosian responded, holding onto the other rifle in his hands.
"So what's this equipment Pietro wanted to give us?" Sabo asked, wandering about the pharmacy.
"He didn't say," Oscar noted with a shrug. At that moment, Yang opened a door into a darkened room, taking on a ready stance in case of any more android soldiers being present in the building. Jaune then leaned in, feeling his right hand along the wall before finding the light switch, illuminating the room.
"Huh!" the blonde-haired huntress gasped gleefully as she and Jaune both smiled to see what was there, "Alright," she said, putting her left hand onto her hip, "the others are definitely missing out," she affirmed as the others with her peeked over to see what was inside. Moments later out in the streets, she, Jaune, Ren and Kevin were piloting a quartet of hoverbikes, with Oscar riding backseat with Yang, and Wendy riding backseat with Kevin. Wearing her orange sunglasses, the blonde-haired huntress had her vehicle take the lead, smiling excitedly. Not since losing her own bike did she get to enjoy the thrill of riding once again. She then glanced off to the side and lightly gasped upon noticing something. It was a nearby ramp, which she eagerly drove toward.
"Yang!" Oscar yelled in a panicked tone, "Yang, no! No!" he screamed desperately, but he was too late. The blonde-haired huntress rode the bike up the ramp onto the wall, firing off a round from her prosthetic arm to perform a flip in midair. While she smiled at the thrill, some of her hair got caught in Oscar's mouth, which he tried to spit out. They landed safely on the street, continuing to ride along. Jaune and Ren shared a look afterwards, with the former bumping over a piece of debris as he yelped.
"Woohoo!" Yang exclaimed excitedly as she veered around a corner, with Oscar letting out a panicked scream as he held onto her tightly, while the others followed. Flying after them from above were Gaara and Sabo, with the former riding upon a cloud of sand, while the latter had fire expelling from his bottom half to propel himself forward.
"Seems like she's having fun with this," the Flame-Flame user commented, seeing the blonde-haired huntress speed along the street.
"That's good," the Kazekage noted, getting his attention, "Better to be optimistic than afraid," he pointed out.
"Yeah… right…" Sabo half-agreed, glancing off to the side solemnly.
"Sabo, what happened with Winter wasn't your fault," Gaara affirmed, causing him to blink in surprise as he looked back over to his squadron leader, "We can't keep blaming ourselves for what's happened," he advised seriously, "Otherwise, we're just dividing ourselves like Salem wants…" he mentioned in a grim tone.
"…Right," the Revolutionary Army chief affirmed, hurrying along with him after their friends. Perched atop a building nearby was Raven, who crouched down as she watched her biological daughter speed through the streets on her hover bike. She let a deep sigh, putting her right pointer and middle fingers onto the communicator in her ear.
"Found 'em," she confirmed, "Well, some of them, anyway," she corrected as she glanced off to the side.
"Where are they?" Enji asked through their communication line.
"They're heading east," the Spring Maiden answered, "Not sure why, but I'll fly over and find out," she decided as she stood up and paced upon the rooftop for a moment, "Have any idea why Atlas is targeting them?" she inquired.
"Huh…" the Hellflame Quirk user sighed. He was standing in front of the windows of a store, with the televisions inside broadcasting the mugshots of Team RWBY, Team JNPR, those of the Omni Force, Oscar, Maria, and Pietro. "It would appear they apparently betrayed Atlas by some reason or another," he inferred in response, keeping his fingers upon his right ear, "Not to mention that General Ironwood has apparently halted any evacuations of the city from the night prior," he added.
"Why would he stop evacuations when Grimm are running amok?" Raven asked.
"I'm not sure just yet…" Enji responded as he narrowed his eyes, "Keep tabs on Xiao Long and the others," he instructed, "I'll rendezvous with you soon," he assured, ending the communication.
"Huh…" Raven sighed out. This felt strange, especially considering how the last time she actually saw her biological daughter, they were enemies. Trying to reconcile wouldn't be easy at all. But she didn't expect it to be.
She then hopped off of the building, assuming her corvid form and flying off. As Yang and her group were still riding throughout the streets, they were unwarily being watched. Perched upon a bridge that they drove under was a Grimm-like figure, who growled.
A little while later, Ren shot down a security camera with StormFlower, disabling it. Oscar and Kevin were helping evacuate people, knocking on the doors of people's homes to entice them to come out. It wasn't long before they had gathered a large group of Mantle's civilians. Jaune was doing a fist bump handshake with a child, before looking up to his parent.
"Only take what you need," he advised seriously. In the meantime, the others were standing before the large group of civilians that were gathered.
"The crater?" one woman wielding a snow shovel uttered upon hearing where the group was planning to escort them, "Are you sure it's safe out there?" she inquired out of concern.
"Absolutely, ma'am," Yang assured in response with a pump of her prosthetic fist.
"We should move," Gaara insisted, getting his girlfriend's attention, "It won't be long before—" Screams of people behind them caused the pair to immediately perk up as they whipped around into defensive stances. A group of civilians was running away from a pair of Sabyrs. They spotted the large group they were heading toward, charging forward. Jaune quickly got to his feet and took out a white circular object from his belt. He pressed its button, having it charge as its blue lights shined.
"Heads up!" he yelled, pitching the device out towards the two Grimm. It bounced along the street, slowly coming to a stop as the lights were shining brighter. All of a sudden, it activated a large Hard-Light shield, causing the Sabyrs to screech to a halt. As they tried to claw at it, Ren leapt in from above and stabbed them both with his blades, causing them to dissipate into ashes. Once the Hard-Light shield deactivated, he dribbled the disc with his left foot and kicked it to Jaune, who had his shield's insignia glow purple with Gravity Dust to pull it in and stick to it. He let off a smirk. "Way better than a hover bike," he affirmed confidently.
At that moment, a loud screech went off. Everyone gasped to see the Teryx coming down towards them, readying its talons. However, Wendy suddenly shot up in a burst of wind, kicking it aside in an instant. As it crashed against the side of a building, Sabo took initiative as he readied a fireball upon his hands. He flung it out, striking the Grimm and making it dissipate instantly. Meanwhile, Oscar went back over to stand with Yang and Gaara.
"Have the Grimm already pushed this far in?" he asked, sounding quite surprised.
"No…" the blonde-haired huntress responded as she put her prosthetic hand onto her chin in thought, "I think those were more from last night," she noted aloud.
"And there's only gonna be more coming…" Kevin pointed out as he walked over, "We need to keep everyone calm, at least until we can get to the crater," he insisted of the group.
"Easier said than done…" Oscar remarked.
"Still…" Yang uttered, blinking in realization, "Ren!" she called out, getting the ponytailed teen's attention, "If Jaune hits you with his Aura Amp, think you can mask everyone?" she inquired of him, while he looked somewhat vexed by the mere question, which Wendy noticed.
"We can give it a shot," he replied, "but it is a lengthy trip through Mantle…" he pointed out. Meanwhile, the Team JNPR leader didn't immediately reply, noticing that the child he had been interacting with earlier was crying into his father's shoulder as he held him in his arms.
"No, no, that's a great idea," Jaune affirmed with a smile, "We'll have a Grimm free journey all the way to the crater," he added assuredly as he outstretched his arms, approaching the group of civilians.
"Do we really gotta shack up with those animals down in the slums?" one woman inquired of the group, getting their attentions, "I'd feel a lot safer being up in Atlas…" she noted, folding her arms over her chest as she glanced up toward the floating city overhead. A couple of people seemed to share her sentiment. That elicited a glare from Yang.
"Yeah, I'm sure you would," she retorted as she turned to face the civilians, "But the people up top have decided you're not worth the trouble," she pointed out, gesturing toward Atlas, "The Faunus, on the other hand," she continued, "have been willing to lend all the help they can," she noted, "Regardless of whether or not you deserve it…" she mentioned as she crossed her arms. There was a lot of hesitancy in the crowd. Some weren't sure of this decision. Gaara then stepped forward.
"I understand the situation isn't ideal for you," he told the civilians, causing them to perk up, "Even so, I don't believe it's wise to stay in the city when heating has been compromised, along with the evacuations from General Ironwood being halted," he explained, "Your grievances should be aimed at the people responsible for putting us in this situation, not to the people willing to help you," he advised on.
"So… I'll just…" the shovel-wielding woman chimed in as she leaned over, "I'll just go get our things then…" she decided with a sheepish smile. As some people went ahead to gather their belongings, Yang went ahead and placed a soft, sweet kiss onto Gaara's left cheek.
"Nice job, Sandy," she complimented, making him smile a little. A few minutes later, the group was slowly helping guide the people throughout Mantle's streets, with Ren's Semblance veiling their emotions. He was aboard Jaune's hover bike, riding backseat as he concentrated with closed eyes, keeping his right hand upon his teammate's shoulder as his Aura shimmered.
Yang and Kevin's bikes led the group alongside Gaara, while Jaune, Ren, Sabo and Wendy were in the middle. That left Oscar aboard the lone hover bike in the back. He could hear the muttering of some of the people in the crowd.
"I don't want to go to the slums…" the disgruntled woman from earlier complained.
"Mother!" her daughter whispered in a reprimanding tone.
"General Ironwood said we were going to Atlas…" she grumbled out.
"You're setting a bad example!" her daughter quietly shouted back.
"Those kids should…" As he could hear the negative murmuring amidst the crowd, Oscar lowered his gaze. Things were already difficult enough with making sure they were safe. But now, it just seemed to be getting even worse.
"It should not be this hard getting people to just cooperate…" he muttered out.
'And yet…' Ozpin chimed in from mind amidst the chatter, 'it's something I'm becoming increasingly concerned about,' he admitted. The former farmhand shook his head.
"You know, I really don't need your additional commentary right now…" he muttered out. Wendy perked up as she caught wind of his voice, glancing back at him.
'You all have every right to be upset,' the former headmaster affirmed, 'especially you, Oscar,' he added, 'I'm sorry I left you…' he apologized. That seemed to only further vex the former farmhand.
"I'm not upset that you left," he pointed out, "I'm upset you came back," he said, tightly gripping the throttles of the hover bike, "I started to feel like me," he noted, "Not the same me I was before all of this, but…" he continued while passing by a dirtied stuffed animal on the street, "the me I always wanted to be…" he proclaimed, "I felt… like I was actually part of the team," he finished, taking on a solemn expression. Noticing that, Wendy turned herself around and walked over to him.
'I understand…' Ozpin said within Oscar's mind, not noticing the Sky Slayer approaching, 'But even though it may not have felt like I was with you, I was never truly gone,' he pointed out, 'You're gaining control of my remaining magic, recollecting my longest held memories…' he listed off as the former farmhand grabbed the Long Memory in his left hand, looking at it curiously, 'Which means…' the former headmaster continued, 'our two souls are still on the inevitable path to becoming one…' he noted grimly.
"But… I don't want that…" Oscar confessed.
'Neither do I…' Ozpin affirmed in response.
"Oscar?" Wendy said, getting the former farmhand's attention as he perked up to see her walking beside him, "Is everything okay?" she asked out of concern.
"Oh, uh, I… uh…" he stammered, putting his weapon back onto his belt, "I guess… I'm just a little…"
"It's Ozpin, isn't it?" the Sky Dragon Slayer guessed suddenly, causing him to blink in surprise, "Don't worry, I won't say anything," she promised as she gave off a reassuring smile, "Not until you're ready to tell everyone," she added.
"…Thanks…" Oscar said quietly in gratitude. He then remembered how Carla wasn't with the group, noticing how somewhat downcast Wendy seemed. "Are… you okay?" he asked, making her perk up.
"I'm…" she started to reply, letting out a sigh, "managing…" she finally said, "When we couldn't stop Cinder back in Atlas, I was so frustrated…" she confessed, clenching her fists tightly, "And even though the Winter Maiden's power didn't go to her…" she continued, trembling a little at the memory of how Fria had died, granting Penny her power instead.
"It wasn't your fault," the former farmhand assured with a slight shake of his head, "You did what you could against Cinder, and that's all anyone could ask for," he pointed out. The Sky Dragon Slayer just looked down solemnly. Everything that the Fall Maiden taunted her about in their battle made her feel so inadequate. Even after all of the training she went through in Atlas, it still wasn't enough to stop her. "Wendy?" Oscar said, trying to get her attention.
"Sorry…" she apologized, shaking her head, "I should help lead the way and sniff for any trouble," she inferred, jogging through the crowd towards her colleagues at the front.
"O-Okay…" the former farmhand stuttered out. He expected Ozpin to chime in with something, but surprisingly heard nothing. Just then, he noticed that Ren's pink Aura was becoming sporadically visible around the crowd of civilians. Jaune saw as well.
"Hey, you good?" he asked of his teammate worriedly, glancing back at him.
"It's just a lot to focus on," he admitted in response, with his Aura still flickering amongst the crowd.
"You can do it, Ren," Jaune assured confidently, "We're almost to the crater—"
"I don't need a pep talk," Ren suddenly interjected as his eyes were still shut, "I need to focus," he insisted firmly. His team leader was quite surprised by his tone, though he understood just how strenuous it must've been for him to mask several people at once.
"Right…" he said, turning his head away despondently. Having witnessed the scene ahead, Oscar let off a slight frown.
'We need to find a way to work together,' Ozpin confirmed within his mind, getting his attention, 'Not just the two of us,' he mentioned on, 'All of us,' he stated firmly. The former farmhand knew he was right. Without the whole world coming together as one, Salem would win.
X
Elsewhere in Mantle, Penny was standing on a rooftop, taking a long look at the many civilians making their way to the crater. She could tell that a lot of the people were unhappy with what was happening. Jenny walked over to her, pressing her belly button bolt to assume her camouflaged form.
"Hey," she said, putting a hand onto the new Winter Maiden's shoulder to get her attention, "It's gonna be okay," she promised, giving her a soft smile. Her fellow robot girl returned it, though she still seemed a bit solemn. Behind them, May was removing the chain to a fence with a sign upon it that said 'Authorized Personnel Only'. Weiss, Ruby, Blake, Nora, Danny, Peter, Kim and Genji watched as the Happy Huntress opened the gate.
"Alright, come on," she beckoned. Hearing her, Penny turned around with Jenny, following most of the group inside, save for Blake, Nora, May and Peter.
"Thanks again for coming," the orange-haired huntress said with gratitude to their newest ally, pausing before she walked in.
"Don't mention it," she responded with a dismissive wave, enticing her to head in, "Once Robyn learned about Amity Tower, she wouldn't shut up about it," she noted as she rolled her eyes while grinning, heading inside the gate with the others, "Wherever she is, I'm sure she would want us doing what we can to get it up in the air and get the world talking again," she affirmed, closing the gate after she went in, brushing her gloved hands.
"First things first though," Peter pointed out, getting their attentions, "We gotta get that clearance code," he noted as he narrowed his eyes underneath his mask.
"Sorry that we're pulling you away from helping with Mantle for this…" Blake apologized to May.
"No worries," she replied, "Besides," she continued, passing the others by, "Fiona's got your friends helping out in my stead," she pointed out. Hearing that made Nora frown slightly.
"Yeah…" she said as she looked away for a moment, rolling her eyes before walking after the others.
"Guess she's still a little hurt over things…" Peter assumed quietly. He then looked over to Blake, who was glancing back despondently towards Mantle's citizens gathering in the crater. "Thinking about Ben?" the web-slinger guessed, getting her attention as she blinked in surprise, looking back at him, "I'm worried, too," he admitted, "So let's make it right and do whatever we can until he gets back," he advised seriously. Steeling herself, the cat Faunus nodded, heading off with him to join the others.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Ruby wondered aloud as they were heading toward a factory-like building. They entered moments later. Inside, numerous robots were manning devices next to large, slightly transparent tubes, while some were moving crates. One of them went up one of the tubes with an audible whoosh. The robots themselves didn't react as the group walked in.
"Snow Shoe Shipping is an SDC subsidiary," Weiss told her colleagues, "meaning all the drones here report to the company," she explained, "not the general," she mentioned with a smirk, "The pneumatic tubes allow for Dust refined in the crater to be sent straight up to Atlas," she pointed out as she and the group witnessed one of the crates of Dust be whooshed through one of the tubes, heading upward, "We just need to find the one for the military base," she noted, putting her hands onto her hips.
"Are there any buildings in Atlas that your family doesn't own?" Peter inquired jokingly and sarcastically as he walked over to stand beside her, causing her to blink in surprise. Nora giggled at the comment, while Danny stifled a laugh. Blake did let off a small smile.
"That…" Weiss began as she threw her arms down, glancing back with narrowed eyes onto the web-slinger, "isn't relevant at the moment…" she snootily remarked, trotting off with a huff.
"Hey, I'm just saying…" Peter said as he shrugged. That earned himself a giggle out of the cat Faunus, making himself smile underneath his mask. He was glad that she still had some positivity in spite of everything.
As the group dispersed to search for the correct terminal, Penny trotted over to one. She stared sadly as the panel upon it read 'Terminal Destination: Atlas Academy'. Taking notice of how she looked, both Ruby and Jenny approached her.
"Hey," the former said, getting her attention as she turned her head to see them walk over.
"I do not like it when friends fight…" the new Winter Maiden admitted solemnly, glancing away.
"…I know…" Ruby replied after a moment, exhaling another sigh, "Yang and I might not agree on how best to save Mantle, but—"
"No…" Penny interjected, causing her to look over in surprise, "I mean Winter… The general…" she listed off, "They were our friends," she pointed out, "But then the Ace-Ops attacked you…" she noted as she looked at the ground sadly, "And the general…" she continued while turning away, "he said people were going to die… because of me…" she said. Taking on a determined expression, Jenny stepped forward. She turned her fellow robot girl around to look her dead in the eye.
"That was a lie," she stated firmly, "And he was only saying it to hurt you…" she mentioned on, "I mean, there's a reason I got so mad back there…" she sheepishly pointed out, remembering how she snapped her friend's Scroll in half. She looked off to the side for a moment, pondering everything that was happening. As doubtful as she was, she knew a lot of what was happening rode on her shoulders.
"I was the Protector of Mantle…" she recalled, "but now…" she kept going, "I am much more than that…" she noted, "and I wish I was not…" she admitted sadly as she looked away.
"But…" Ruby started to say as she came over, taking Penny's hands into her own, "you're still you, Penny," she assured with a small smile, "By becoming the Winter Maiden, you did protect Mantle," she pointed out, knowing that if things had gone as planned, Atlas would have left the city below for dead.
"And that makes you a hero," Jenny affirmed on, placing a comforting hand onto her fellow robot girl's cheek.
"…Thank you…" she said in gratitude after a moment, enticing the two Omni Force members to give her a warm, comforting hug.
"I found it!" Nora called out, standing with Weiss and Genji beside one of the terminals. The others made their way over.
"Guess there's no turning back now," Blake inferred as she approached alongside May.
"Between our secret weapon and my Semblance," the Happy Huntress began as she gestured toward Penny before turning invisible as a demonstration, "you all couldn't be in better hands," she affirmed confidently, reappearing in the process as she bowed.
"Fancy," Peter remarked as he folded his arms over his chest, "So, what do we call ourselves?" he wondered aloud curiously, putting his right hand onto his chin, "The Sneaky Squad? The Atlas Infiltrators? The Revengers?" he listed off as guesses.
"Uh, I think that's the least of things we need to worry about, Pete…" Kim pointed out bluntly.
"Eh, to each their own…" the web-slinger responded with a shrug.
"So how do we use this thing?" Nora asked as she rested her elbows upon the terminal console. Weiss walked over to the tube nearby.
"It should be simple," she affirmed in reply amidst the whoosh of the air flowing inside, seating herself down in the opening, "If you lie back in the tube and press launch—" Without a moment of hesitation, the orange-haired huntress pressed a blue button upon the console. The ex-heiress was suddenly sucked into and up the tube, screaming out of surprise. Everyone watched on with bewildered expressions, while Nora grimaced. But then, she gasped excitedly, giggling with a hop.
"Well, that sucked," Peter quipped.
"Huh…" Danny sighed, assuming his ghost form as rings of light flowed up and down his body, "I'll go get her…" he decided, flying up as his legs came together into the form of a wispy tail, phasing through ceiling. Needless to say, the troubles for the group were barely beginning…
X
The moment Ben woke back up, he sat up with a start, still finding himself inside the chamber of the Monstra. He calmed himself down, wiping the sweat off of his brow. And then he noticed something. He rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt, seeing that his shoulder was completely healed, no longer having the cauterized appearance nor the webbing over it.
"I wondered if you'd notice," Salem's voice chimed in, getting his attention as he turned to see her seated upon a bony bench behind him, "Are you going to say thank you?" she assumed with a curious tilt of her head.
"Tsk…" the Omni Force leader scoffed, turning away, "Why would you heal me or… whatever you did?" he inquired back. Silently chuckling, the Master of Grimm stood up and approached him.
"Right now, you're little more than a mere, powerless insect with no means to fight against me," she told him, "But I'm not entirely heartless," she affirmed, "I want you to live…"
"To watch everything fall… because of what I've done," Ben finished for her, causing her to glance down at him in surprise as she stopped, "Am I wrong?" he assumed. She grinned.
"You're actually quite correct," she answered, "Before this whole escapade began, my beloved mentioned that you were on a downward spiral," she recalled, "You were in mourning, reeling from the deaths of your friends and colleagues…" she pointed out, causing the Biomnitrix bearer to tense up.
"Stop it…" he growled out.
"And yet, in spite of all that hardship and sorrow…" Salem continued as she walked around him, "you persevered," she noted, "You took on burdens that were not your own, putting them onto your shoulders one after another," she kept going.
"Save it, Salem," Ben spat back, "You don't know me, you don't know what I've done or what I've been through," he argued, shaking his head. She came to a stop, glancing over at him for a moment before looking at the scars that lined her left hand. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Would you like to know why I don't cover these scars?" she inquired, getting his attention as he looked to her, "My beloved and I had a son," she told him, "He was a healthy boy with power that rivaled mine," she noted, "Perhaps one day, he could have surpassed me…" she mentioned as she turned away.
"Could have…" Ben repeated, narrowing his eyes.
"He was diagnosed with a rare disease that resulted in his body's deterioration," Salem noted, lowering her head, "To help… sustain him, I gave him my blood," she pointed out, lifting up her right arm to show off her scars, "These… are a reminder of what I've had to do to keep him alive as long as I could," she said solemnly, exhaling a deep breath. Ben looked down in thought for a moment.
"For someone so fixed on tearing humanity apart, you sure sound like you wanted to keep this kid of yours alive…" he told her, causing her to glance back at him.
"Perhaps you have a point," she admitted, looking at her vein-like scars, "If you know the truth about Ozpin and myself, you'll understand just how twisted our lives became," she said.
"Say I don't," the Omni Force leader retorted, "What is the story?" he inquired.
"Hm," Salem hummed out, letting off a little, "I think it would be better if Ozpin himself told you the story," she admitted as she started to walk, with the membrane door squelching open for her to walk through. Blinking in realization, Ben gasped as he shot up to his feet.
"What are you planning to do with him?!" he immediately questioned, clenching his fists tightly.
"Nothing that you'll be able to stop, Benjamin," the Master of Grimm responded, "But you'll be happy to know that company will be here shortly," she affirmed, letting the membrane door slowly start to shut behind her as she glanced back with a smirk.
"SALEM!" Ben roared as he charged toward her, only for the door to shut completely. The Master of Grimm took a deep breath and exhaled. She then glanced over to notice Tyrian sulking nearby, crouched down dejectedly.
"Is there something wrong, Tyrian?" she inquired of him.
"Hmph…" he scoffed, "Why are you treating that animal with such... kindness?" he questioned back, "He's our enemy, is he not?" he asked on, "Wouldn't it make more sense to… dispose of him?" he assumed, taking on a wicked grin. Salem gave off an exasperated expression.
"If you're asking to kill him, then the answer is no," she replied, much to his disappointment as he groaned, slouching his shoulders, "The only reason why is so that he can see exactly what the path he's on has wrought," she told him as she trotted off down the pathway of the Monstra, "Only then will I let him be killed," she affirmed, "Whether by my hands… or by anyone else's…" she mentioned. Tyrian giggled.
"Then I hope that opportunity comes sooner than later…" he said, grinning wickedly back toward the chamber where Ben was imprisoned. Inside, he sat down on the floor cross-legged, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He knew that this situation was far from ideal. But he was going to do his best to keep it from getting worse.
X
Back at the crater of Mantle, a group of civilians were brought down to the crater via an elevator shaft, as Joanna was making her way inside a tent. Inside, Fiona was drawing lines on a map of the city while talking to someone through her earpiece.
"No Crimson, I need you and your team over in Sector Eleven," she communicated, "Mantle police are helping us clear the hospital, but they're gonna need backup," she pointed out to her colleague, while her fellow Happy Huntress passed by, grabbing a few Fire Dust crystals off of the table she was at. The sheep Faunus then sat down with a sigh of exhaustion.
"You're doing great, Fi," Joanna assured to her while throwing a crystal into the furnace, granting it more fire, "Robyn would be proud," she confidently added.
"I feel like you should be doing this after flexing on the news like that…" Fiona retorted while making her golden Aura shimmer around her right arm as she absorbed the Mantle map. Joanna chuckled as she walked back over.
"How else was I supposed to get the word out?" she questioned, setting the remaining Dust crystals down onto the table, "Besides, it seems to be working," she pointed out. The two of them then made their way outside, noticing the newest group of civilians that had just arrived. "Where's this group coming in from?" Joanna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That would be Sector Seven," Yang answered, getting their attentions as they saw her, Jaune, Ren, Oscar, Gaara, Kevin, Wendy and Sabo heading towards them, with their quartet of hover bikes parked nearby.
"You cleared Seven already?" Fiona inquired of the group as she started to smile, "That's great!" she exclaimed, hopping excitedly, "To be honest…" she continued sheepishly, "I wasn't sure how you'd be doing without all of your teammates…" she admitted. Hearing that enticed Ren to walk away from the group, which Jaune saw. Kevin and Sabo looked off to the side ashamedly, while Wendy lowered her gaze.
"Well as you can see, we're doing just fine," Yang pointed out in response with somewhat of a glare, folding her arms underneath her chest.
"Easy, Yang," Gaara advised, putting a hand onto her shoulder, "She meant no ill will by that," he affirmed with a shake of his head, causing her to lower her head ashamedly.
"So… where are you putting everyone?" Oscar asked curiously, changing the subject. Fiona glanced over to Joanna, who gave her a nod of approval.
"We're working to get most of them settled in houses or other shelters," she told the group, "A large portion of the community is also trying to get old mine shafts into a livable condition," she explained on as various civilians were settling in, talking amongst themselves and with the residents.
"We've got a lot of people to keep warm," Joanna mentioned, "Looting the SDC refineries is our best source of Dust," she pointed out, "Fortunately, no one's getting arrested during the apocalypse," she added, glancing up toward Atlas, "Just knowing those Grimm are circling out there doesn't feel great…" she said grimly, "What are they waiting for?" she wondered aloud.
"For the perfect moment to strike," Gaara answered, causing her to look over at him, "So we're working on two fronts to help prevent that," he affirmed on, "We're still united, even when we're working separately," he assured, glancing back at his colleagues, who all gave off grateful smiles. That is, except for Ren, who was away from the group still. Just then, the badger Faunus who had earlier helped Oscar jogged over in a panic.
"Fi!" he called out, getting Fiona's attention, "We got another fight breakin' out…" he noted.
"Crap…" she muttered out as her ears drooped, "Thanks, Uncle!" she said with gratitude as she waved, "We'll handle it…" she promised exasperatedly.
"I'll handle it," Joanna corrected, putting a hand onto her shoulder, "You've got enough to worry about," she noted. She then adjusted her neck with a few cricks, cracking her knuckles. At that moment, the sheep Faunus heard a ping in her ear.
"Fiona? Crimson again," a male voice communicated as she put her fingers up to her ear, "We spotted a decent sized group of Grimm moving in from the east," he told her, enticing her to pull out the map of the city in a golden flash from her right arm, "Can't take them with all these civvies," he pointed out.
"Oh, for crying out loud…" she complained in frustration. Meanwhile, Gaara looked back at his colleagues, who all shared glances with each other.
"Did he say east?" Yang inquired, catching Fiona's attention as she saw her cock prosthetic arm confidently. A little while later, she was riding her hover bike through the city streets with her boyfriend riding backseat. They were being chased by a Teryx, who flew after them.
The Kazekage prepared small shuriken of sand that hovered in between his hands, flinging them out at the Grimm. Though they didn't deal as much damage upon striking, they were enough to irritate the Grimm as it screeched, still flying after them. His girlfriend glanced back.
"Okay, got its attention!" she called out.
"Copy!" Kevin responded over the line. He and Ren were following them on a side street, driving their hover bikes with Oscar and Wendy as passengers respectively.
"Ready?!" the former farmhand called out, taking out a device that looked like a stick grenade. On the adjacent street, Yang fired off a few shots from her Ember Celica onto the Teryx, trying to slow it down.
"Now!" she yelled into her communicator. At that moment, the Sky Dragon Slayer stood herself up upon the moving hover bike. She crouched down and launched herself upward in a burst of wind.
Meanwhile, Yang passed a rock bridge where the same Grimm-like figure from earlier was perched. It decided to quickly dash off of the bridge before the Teryx could collide with it. Ren suddenly turned right, cutting in between the blonde-haired huntress' bike and the Grimm, allowing Oscar to throw the grenade in its path. It exploded in a burst of wind, launching the Teryx into the stone bridge. As it collapsed onto the Grimm, the debris broke one of its wings, pinning it down to the ground. That allowed for Wendy to dive toward it from above. Wind swirled around her arms.
"SKY DRAGON WING ATTACK!" she bellowed, mightily striking the Grimm with the torrents of air she created, causing it to dissipate into ashes after a pained screech. Turning her bike around, Yang smirked at the sight of their victory. Elsewhere, Jaune was riding his vehicle with another Teryx in pursuit of him. He quickly veered left around a corner.
The Grimm followed, only to suddenly wind up ambushed by a column of fire that erupted from below. That was courtesy of Sabo, who smirked as he waved his left hand goadingly for the Teryx to come at him. It screeched before diving down.
But in the process, it failed to see that Jaune was coming toward it, standing on his hover bike with the sword and shield of his Crocea Mors drawn. The Flame-Flame user stepped aside, allowing his colleague to successfully decapitate the Grimm into ashes, which blew by. The blonde-haired huntsman had trouble maintaining his balance after his finishing slash, about to fall off his vehicle. Thankfully, he managed to land upon it safely and properly, coming to a stop as he sheepishly chuckled.
"Got yours, huh?" Kevin guessed as he and the others rode over, getting their attentions.
"Same to you, I guess," Sabo assumed, adjusting his top hat.
"Okay, Fiona…" Yang communicated as she exhaled a sigh of relief, putting her metal fingers up to her earpiece, "That's one more problem taken care of," she confirmed.
"Good," the sheep Faunus' voice responded over the line, "And thanks for taking care of Sector Six, too," she mentioned gratefully, causing everyone to perk up in confusion upon overhearing.
"Uh… we weren't even in Sector Six…" Kevin pointed out, placing his fingers onto the earpiece in his right ear.
"Really?" Fiona said, "Civvies there said that they got saved by some fire guy, so I thought it was yours…" she pointed out. Everyone looked over to Sabo, who blinked twice.
"Hey, I've been here the whole time…" he assured, holding his hands up in a placating manner. Unbeknownst to the group, Raven was watching them from afar, perched atop a nearby building. She sighed, putting her fingers up to her own earpiece.
"You know, just because you're a hero or whatever," she grumbled through the line, "that doesn't mean you have to help everyone right now…" she pointed out.
"It's better to try and alleviate any negativity we can to keep the Grimm at bay," Enji responded. He was standing outside a factory-like building that had been evacuated, having his right hand over his ear. "How are things with your daughter and the others?" he inquired. Hearing him say that made the Spring Maiden inwardly flinch as she looked down at Yang from the building she was upon.
"Uh, they're fine for right now," she answered after a moment, "Just helping with evac and getting rid of Grimm," she pointed out, pausing as she exhaled a sigh, "Enji…" she began, "I'm not sure… if I should be the one to talk with them first…" she admitted as she looked away. She was expecting him to yell at her in response, closing her eyes.
"I'll be there shortly," he promised to her surprise, "Stay close to them," he advised on. Raven gave off a little smile of gratitude as she removed her fingers from her ear. She looked back down at her daughter and the others, who were about to head off.
"Hey, we're getting reports of more Grimm coming in from the west," Fiona suddenly communicated, getting their attentions as they perked up and frowned, "The Huntsmen there could really use some backup," she pointed out.
"Huh…" Yang sighed, slumping in her seat, "Okay. We're on our way," she relayed back as she put her metal fingers onto her earpiece.
"Grimm just don't make it easy, do they?" Kevin grumbled in question.
"It's all the negativity," Oscar pointed out, getting his attention along with Ren's, "Salem's forces aren't moving in, but it's enough to start attracting the stragglers," he noted.
"And enough to keep on our toes at all times," Sabo mentioned.
"That doesn't matter," Wendy said, "We have to get everyone from Mantle into the crater before the Grimm get to them first," she insisted firmly.
"Easier said than done considering how apprehensive those others were earlier…" Gaara remarked, "But we'll still do it," he affirmed.
"Guys…" Ren chimed in, causing them to look over at him as he gave off an exasperated expression, "we're not finished…" he pointed out. The group looked to see a trio of Sabyrs coming towards them.
"All right…" Yang exhaled, waving for the others to join with her, "We need to hurry this up and take—" Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed something. The three Grimm each looked to their right before screeching to a halt, turning back around and running off in the opposite direction. Raven took notice.
"What the hell…?" she uttered out in confusion. She then glanced over to where the Grimm had been looking and gasped, blinking out of shock.
"What just… happened?" Ren asked, quite surprised.
"They ran…" Jaune said as he came over via his hover bike, "I've never seen Grimm act that way before…" he pointed out.
"But what were they running fro—?" Before Oscar could finish his question, something suddenly tackled him from above, knocking both him and Ren off of their hover bike.
"Oscar!" Wendy screamed. The former farmhand tried to stand up, only for the creature to bite him at his left arm, flinging him aside. It was a large Grimm who had a short, wide snout with its teeth overlapping over its jaw. It lacked eyes, but had canine ears and quill-like spines on its back, one of the former notably having been seemingly sliced off. It had a tar-like body, often dripping black liquid from its primary mouth and body.
It attempted to pounce onto Oscar, only for the Sky Dragon Slayer to blast herself up with a burst of wind from her feet, kicking it aside as it crashed against a building. However, it quickly recovered as it latched its claws against the wall to catch itself. It lunged out at Wendy, who was still in midair. She gasped as the Grimm swiped at her, sending her crashing through the window of the building on the opposite side of the street in an instant.
"Wendy!" the former farmhand cried out, standing back up. He quickly drew The Long Memory from the back of his belt. But before he could deploy it, the hound-like Grimm landed on the street and pounced onto him, causing his green Aura to shimmer from the tremendous force of its weight, also knocking his weapon out of his hands.
"Shit!" Kevin cursed, quickly placing his hands onto the metal framing of his hover bike to absorb its metal to coat himself with it. In the meantime, Sabo drew his pipe as he charged over and swung it at the Grimm. However, an arm suddenly protruded from its back, grabbing hold of the Flame-Flame user's weapon. Before he could do anything, he found himself flung aside as he crashed back first against a lamppost in a pained grunt.
Bits of gravel and sand started to swirl around the hound-like creature as Gaara had it build up upon its legs. While he held it in place, the hybrid Osmosian charged in, forming his arms into sharp metal blades. The Grimm noticed, also seeing that Oscar was trying to get away from it. It stretched its head out and ensnared his left leg in his jaws, followed by swinging him around.
Kevin's attempted slash was actually taken by the former farmhand, much to everyone's shock as their eyes widened. His green Aura shimmered again before breaking apart, fading away like flickering embers. He lost consciousness as the Grimm slammed him down onto the ground, howling mightily. The hybrid Osmosian was practically speechless.
"How the hell—?" He couldn't even finish his question as the hound-like creature knocked him away in an instant. Fortunately, he was caught by a cloud of sand courtesy of Gaara, who too was shocked by the current situation. Raven had been watching from above the whole time, letting her eyes shake.
"Shit…!" she cursed, quickly grabbing the hilt of her Omen. She was about to take whatever that Grimm was down before things could get worse. But without warning…
"Stay… away…" a voice eerily hissed, causing her to gasp before she was suddenly slashed at by a Fallen with sharp, claw-like nails at its fingers and toes, knocking her back. She was ready to grab her weapon, only to find that it was no longer in its scabbard.
"Take… Spring…" another voice chimed in, belonging to a lankier Fallen that had possession of her blade. Scoffing in frustration, Raven let red flames of energy trail out from her eyes. Back on the street below, the hound-like creature had its body twitch and spasm as the unconscious Oscar lied in front of it.
Jaune was horrified, seeing its body pulse and morph. It assumed a bipedal state, picking up the former farmhand with its right hand. Reacting quickly, Sabo ignited his right hand in fire before flinging a fireball toward it, only for it to jump back to dodge.
"Okay… that thing's not like others…" Kevin commented as he stood back up. Yang was inwardly panicking. She had never seen any Grimm like this before. But she snapped out of her stupor, knowing that her colleague needed help know.
"Oscar!" she yelled, having her hover bike charge toward the beast, preparing to punch it. But all of a sudden, it held the former farmhand out. A look of panic crossed the blonde-haired huntress' face before she grabbed the handles of her vehicle in order to try to turn away from the Grimm. However, the hound-like creature caught her by her face with its left hand, pivoting around and throwing her at a nearby wall.
"Yang!" Gaara screamed, quickly making a mound of sand rise up to catch his girlfriend before she could hit the wall. In the meantime, Ren took a couple of shots at the Grimm's back, causing it to turn around and be stabbed through the chest by the grappling blades of his StormFlower. He hopped up and reeled himself over, intending to kick his target. The hound-like creature's left arm pulsed before it suddenly grew longer, allowing it to whip Ren away and send him crashing into a fence, dropping his weapons in the process.
"LET HIM GO!" Wendy's voice roared as she came down from above with wind swirling around her right arm, "Sky Dragon…" she started to chant. But to her surprise, the Grimm suddenly held Oscar up at her, causing her to gasp in surprise. In that moment of hesitation, she was struck squarely in the stomach by the stretched out left fist of the hound-like Grimm, sending her flying back.
"Wendy!" Sabo cried out, shooting himself up in a burst of flames to catch her in his arms. That left Jaune, Gaara and Kevin to face their lone foe as they were prepared to charge. Back on the rooftops, Raven had conjured blades of ice to clash against the long nails of the Fallen she was fighting. She had the edge in speed, about to land a critical slash across its chest with the blade in her right hand. But all of a sudden, it disappeared.
"Wha—?!" Her shout was interjected the moment the nails of her foe sliced at her face, making her red Aura slightly flicker. She gritted her teeth, glancing back to see that the other Grimm had her ice blade in its other hand.
"Can't… let you… play…" it voiced out eerily. Scoffing with frustration again, the Spring Maiden made her right hand spark with blue electricity. Back on the street below, Jaune drew his sword out from his shield, prepared to make his charge. Gaara had tendrils of sand shoot forward, only for the hound-like creature to hold Oscar out in front of itself again. Quickly, the Kazekage retracted the sand tendrils as they dissipated. His girlfriend blinked in surprise.
"It's… using Oscar as a shield?" she noted, quite confused.
"But… Grimm aren't that smart…" the Team JNPR leader noted, narrowing his eyes. Meanwhile, Ren picked up his StormFlower as he got to his feet. But as he did, the hound-like creature overheard, holding the former farmhand in between it and its foe. Wendy leapt over to land next to Yang, only for the Grimm to swing Oscar out in front of them. They knew if any of their attacks struck him while he had no Aura to defend himself, he could very well die.
"Give him back!" Ren shouted out angrily. The hound-like creature stood almost upright, letting its neck pulse and shift into place. No one knew what was about to happen. And then…
"No…" it growled out, turning away. Everyone was in shock as their eyes widened.
"Did it just…?" Jaune started to ask, completely flabbergasted. He and the others were so stunned, they were tuning out the clashing sounds from the nearby roof. After blocking a few more slashes from the Fallen with the sharp, long nails, Raven dashed over behind the other Grimm that held her blades. It didn't even have a moment to react before she palmed its back, electrocuting it fiercely. Its red Aura flickered before breaking apart. She grabbed her Omen from its hand and slashed it across its back, making it fade away into ashes.
The other Fallen growled as it dragged its nails across the floor threateningly. The Spring Maiden scoffed, readying her blade. Back below, the hound-like Grimm paused, setting Oscar down gently as it went onto all-fours. Its back pulsed and morphed again, with several cracks being heard emanating from it as it twitched and howled, all while everyone watched, unable to do anything at the risk of putting their comrade in harm's way.
With one final roar, black ooze erupted from the Grimm's back, with a drop landing on the unconscious former farmhand's face. The creature above him had sprouted red, bat-like wings. As some of the black ooze dripped from its body, it panted momentarily before picking Oscar up in its mouth. Wendy gasped.
"Oscar, no!" she screamed, running over as her hair shined a bright pink. However, the Grimm suddenly ran forward to evade her and leapt onto the wall of a nearby building, jumping to the top of it. Just as Raven slashed the other Fallen to death, with its body dissipating into ashes, she looked over with widened eyes. The hound-like Grimm climbed onto the roof, flapping its wings and flying off.
Ren ran over just as the Sky Dragon Slayer let her hair go back to normal, breathing heavily out of shock. They had never experienced anything like this before. Kevin picked up The Long Memory off of the ground as he let his hands go back to normal, along with his body as it was no longer coated in metal.
"Kids, what's your status?" Fiona suddenly communicated in question, getting Yang's attention as she put her fingers onto her earpiece, "West side's taking damage," she pointed out.
"What do we do?" Ren asked, knowing that the situation had gotten really complicated. Everyone looked to each other for an answer, only for Gaara to take on a serious expression.
"Sabo, fly on ahead!" he commanded, getting the Flame-Flame user's attention, "We'll hurry after you!" he promised.
"Got it!" he responded, rocketing himself off of the ground with flames expelling from his lower half, flying off into the distance.
"Kids. What's your status?" Fiona communicated again, wondering why she hadn't received an answer earlier. Yang, Jaune, Ren and Kevin got back onto their hover bikes, with Gaara and Wendy riding backseat with the former and the latter respectively. They quickly drove off in pursuit of the Grimm who had their colleague.
"We've got an emergency, we're not going to make it," the blonde-haired huntress finally responded over the line.
"What? What kind of emergency?" Fiona asked. Yang took a moment to pause.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" she answered, keeping her focus on the flying Grimm as she and her friends followed it. In the meantime, Raven leapt from rooftop to rooftop, putting her fingers onto her earpiece.
"Enji, get to where I am as soon as you can!" she yelled seriously, "Oz just got snatched up!" she pointed out.
"What?!" the Hellflame Quirk user exclaimed over the line, "By who?!" he inquired on. The Spring Maiden took a moment to pause.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" she responded, "Just hurry!" she insisted, assuming her corvid form to fly off after her daughter and the others. What she and the others had yet to realize was that there was more to this Grimm than met the eye. And they'd soon discover why…
END
And that brings an end to the second chapter of the story, which I thought had a really good hook! My only issue was that when Oscar was getting attacked by the Hound, no one tried to help get him away before it shattered his Aura. Otherwise, this was a very interesting setup, and I hope TerrorKing10 and I made it even more interesting here.
That's about it from me! Next week's an update for "The Challenge of a Lifetime" after so long! Hope you're excited to see it!
Catch you later!