And I'm back with another chapter of Remnant Unleashed. I am glad that a lot of people liked my last chapter. I really wished it was a little longer, but nothing can be helped about that now.
Now, onto the reviews.
Ham1999: I'll consider doing a chapter solely focused on Vader, as a tribute to his suit actor. I'll have to put some thought into it.
Jack Smith1: If you have to redo the fanfic, I can wait. Sucks that it got corrupted, but to hear it's a heavy AU story sounds pretty awesome. I'm not much of a Warhammer fan, but I do love Halo. In fact, as I mentioned in a previous chapter, I am considering doing a Halo/Star Wars crossover focusing on Noble Six. I plan on doing the same thing I did in my Lone Wolf series, in terms of Anakin going down a different path.
Luffy L Deathwalker: I haven't really thought about who would be who's padawan if the Jedi Order were to be rebuilt on Remnant. That's still up in the air at the moment.
Spartan-626: Thank you and yes, the Bad Batch trailer looks awesome. I hope they give us the official release date soon.
Anyway, lets get this chapter started. Disclaimers are the same as before, please enjoy.
Chapter 22: Field Trip
Men finished loading supplies onto the Rogue Shadow while Kota finished going over the report sent to them by one of their spies in the Empire. It turned out that the Empire had sent a Bounty Hunter to some planet far beyond the reaches of known space to assist a new ally of theirs. The report indicated that the Bounty Hunter had made contact with the people of this planet.
Surprisingly, the report also mentioned a sighting of Galen which confirmed that Kota was indeed alive. "General, the supplies are loaded onto the ship. We are cleared to take off." Proxy informed the general.
"Thank you, Proxy." Rahm said as the droid took the seat beside the blind general who then guided the ship from one of the many hangers where the rebels kept their fighters stored once he was cleared for take-off. It didn't take long for the Rogue Shadow to break out of the atmosphere before it made the jump to hyperspace.
Meanwhile, back on Remnant, Ozpin sat his desk while Ironwood, Plo and Glynda kept him company. "They were here… Ozpin, they were here!" Ironwood shouted, slamming his fist against Ozpins desk. Plo was able to sense the frustration that the General had. Not only had someone broken into the CCT tower during the dance last night, they had managed to give the Atlas soldiers the slip and no leads were found as to their identity. To make matters worse, the intruder had a lightsaber which they used to kill several Atlas soldiers in what Plo believe to be an attempt to frame Galen for murder, much like Barriss did to Ahsoka eighteen years ago. Further complicating the matters, Robyn had just informed them that Rick was missing and hadn't been since last night.
"We're very much aware of that! Thank you, James." Glynda reminded the general.
"Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?" the general asked. An alert sound played from Ozpins desk, signifying that someone had arrived on the elevator. Stepping out of the elevator were Ruby and Galen.
"Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." Ruby said, pausing before she quickly explained herself. "It wasn't me." She added.
"Thank you for coming, Ruby, Galen. How are you both feeling?" Ozpin asked.
"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't O-for-three." Ruby answered, getting silent stares from the three adults in the room. "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it." She answered.
"Don't worry about it." Galen assured, making Ruby smile a bit as Ironwood walked over to them, thanking the two for what they did last night and going to saying that what they did was what being a huntress and huntsmen is all about, which also made Ruby feel a little better about herself.
"Now, the general here has already informed us of the events that… transpired last night, but now that you two are rested, we were wondering if you both had anything to add." Ozpin asked the two with Glynda following up by asking the two if anyone else was with her or if she looked familiar.
"I… I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was Semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked." Ruby began.
"She also seemed to be pretty skilled with a lightsaber." Galen added. "I could tell that they had a bit of training. I'm not sure if they were force sensitive, but their skills were at the best amateur level. Though it does warrant the question of where they got it from."
"Save for the glass and lightsaber, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby and Galen." Glynda said.
"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone." Ironwood countered crossly.
"But that also limit our suspects." Plo added calmly.
"Wait. You think this girl is connect to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby asked. Ozpin answered by saying it was possible, but they still lacked the evidence to link the two together. Ruby then decided to mention something they heard from their investigation. "Actually, I… I think I remember her saying something about a hideout or something, in the southeast. Just outside the Kingdom." she added.
This caught Ozpin's interest, while Glynda was about to question Ruby about her earlier statement that the intruder said nothing to her, but Ozpin quickly interrupted her, thanking Ruby and Galen for their time before suggesting that they spend time with their teams, while also instructing them to be discreet about the matter. Ruby left, but Galen stayed behind. "Anything about Rick?" he asked.
"Nothing. Miss Hill informed us he left the base last night, but he hasn't returned. She's becoming concerned for her nephew, I can understand that. But she was meant to head back to Atlas yesterday, but has decided to stay until she finds her nephew." Ozpin answered. "But I take it that's not the only reason you wanted to say."
"No. When I fought that woman, I sensed something off about her. Something very powerful, almost ancient. I don't know what it is, but I have a suspect of my own. I might be wrong about this, but I think they might also be the one who managed to help Roman acquire those Paladins and other equipment." He surmised, referring to the imperial blasters and two AT-ST's they found.
"Interesting." Ozpin said intrigued. Galen then asked that he and his team be the ones to look for Rick, but Ironwood said that they already had a handle on the situation. Galen would have protested, but he somehow had a feeling that he would be looking for Rick sooner than he though and left Ozpins office, catching up with Ruby who was laughing nervously when her teammates asked her about what happened.
Back in Ozpins office, the two headmasters, Glynda and Plo were discussing what Ruby and Galen had told them. "Well, there we have it. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way." Ironwood suggested.
Glynda growled in frustration at Ironwoods suggestion. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like its contest of measuring di-!" she began before Ozpin stopped her from finishing her sentence. "Well, he does." She added.
"She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon and beyond Remnant. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic." Ozpin stated.
"I have served you faithfully for years… but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses, and wait-!" James began to counter before Ozpin asked him if when he was preparing for war which does he send in first, the flag bearers or scouts.
"I agree with Ozpins words. Sending in a full assault force into a territory that is no doubt rigged with traps will result in many casualties. Perhaps you can condone the loss of your men, even if they are machines. I however cannot." Plo began. "Furthermore, I believe that Mr. Autumn is still unaccounted for and I believe that we may find him in the one place we least expect to find him. If we were to launch a massive assault, not only would it leave the kingdom defenseless but Mr. Autumn may be killed in the process." The Kel Dor Jedi Master added.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ironwood asked.
Back in Team RWBY's dorm room, many a student were giving their opinions on the matter. Weiss and Arthur said that what Ruby and Galen did was rather risky, while Blake and Rose believed that both of their leaders did the right thing by telling Ozpin, but Ruby wasn't so sure about her decision. "I'm inclined to believe that what we did was both risky, but it was the right thing to do. If we didn't tell them about what happened or even mention what we learned from out investigation, it would come back to haunt us." He said assuring Ruby, getting the young girl to smile.
"Galen's right. I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby. Oh, I know what will cheer you up!" Yang chimed in, producing a package that was the length of her forearm from the desk, which Ruby wondered what it was. The moment that Yang mentioned that their dad had sent to them, Ruby got excited that she zoomed over to her sister and wrapped herself around Yang, trying to take the cylinder package from her.
The package opened and another cylinder, this one black and hairy fell out onto the floor before it started to shake and transformed into a Corgi, getting all eight students to lean in close to the corgi, which then barked twice. Weiss and Blake reacted with shock, along with March while Ruby and Yang reacted excitedly, the leader of Team RWBY being the most excited of them all. "Zwei!" she shouted, quickly scoping up the dog into her arms.
"He sent a dog?" Blake asked.
"In the mail?" Weiss added.
"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!" Yang assured, her two teammates as Zwei gave Ruby lots of kisses, during that time Blake was quick hide on Ruby's bunk, seeing that she was a cat Faunus and Zwei was a dog, also wondering if Yang meant their father or the dog. As for Weiss, she started to object about having a dog in the dorm room, but after looking into the dog's eyes, she changed her tune pretty quickly, getting March and Rose to laugh at her sudden change.
"What, for someone who's not very keen on animals, this is really funny to see!" March said, laughing loudly.
"If I had known that little miss perfect liked dog's, I would have brought Rufus in here already." Rose added. Her dog soon entered the room and Zwei immediately jumped out of Ruby's hands, landed on the floor and started to sniff Rufus all over, with Rufus doing the same thing. "Looks like Rufus made a friend."
Galen and Arthur watched this and after the corgi had finished sniffing the yellow lab, Zwei dashed towards Galen and jumped into the air, prompting Galen to catch the dog who then started to lick his face. "Awe, look. Someone missed you, Galen." Ruby teased.
Before Galen could respond, Glynda's voice came over the intercom, asking for all first-year students to report to the amphitheater. Seconds after they heard the announcement, Weiss wondered about what they were going to do about Zwei while they were away for a week. Surprisingly, the package also came with a note from Tai, who explained why he had to send Zwei to them and he also sent them all the food that Zwei would need, which was dozens of canned dog food along with a can opener, the latter of which bounced off Zwei's head. "Well, that settles it! Come on guys, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang said, leaving the room while Weiss talked to Zwei as she left, with Blake following suit, avoiding Zwei.
Galen and his team, plus Rufus followed them and soon arrived at the amphitheater with Ruby following them several minutes later, wearing a large backpack which she placed next to the luggage of several other students before she rejoined her team, who were standing in front of Team JNPR. The mummers of the students quickly died down as Glynda came up on the amphitheater stage, saying that Ozpin had some words for all of them.
"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are all aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin said, addressing the students from all four academies before stepping away from the microphone as the students began to file out of the amphitheater.
"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Yeah! We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip by night!" Yang added.
"Somehow I doubt it will be that easy." Arthur said aloud, but the others didn't hear him as they already approached the holographic screen dedicated to 'search and destroy' missions. To Team RWBY's delight, 'Quadrant 5' needed Grimm cleared out and it was in the southeast. Ruby signed both teams up for the mission, but to their dismay, the screen said that first years weren't aloud to take this mission. "Like I said." Arthur muttered.
"Wonderful!" Weiss said sarcastically.
"Well, we tried, lets go look for something else!" March said aloud, promptly heading for another screen, but Rose was quick to grab the tail end of his jacket, holding him in place. "Aw, come on!" he pouted.
"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.
"We mail ourselves there!" Ruby suggested.
"Well, that's one option." Ozpin said as he appeared behind them. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you eight will make your way there no matter which job you choose." He said, getting the other three members of Team RWBY to glare at Ruby who rubbed her head nervously.
"What ever makes you say that?" Ruby asked innocently.
"I'm still curious how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago." he added, getting Ruby to stutter a bit. "I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?"
Much to their surprise, Ozpin selected some things on his scroll and the hologram screen made a noise, indicating that both teams were given the mission. While Ruby thanked the professor, Ozpin told her not to thank him for what he did, going on to say that Teamwork and persistence may have carried them this far, but the things outside the kingdom will not care. He also advised them to stay close to their Huntsmen at all times, and to do exactly as they said since they will be leading them and could send them back to Beacon if they found their skills to be unsatisfactory. While seven of the students left the board, Galen stayed behind to talk with Ozpin. "Why did you give us that mission? You said it yourself, you and the rest of the staff determined that the concentration of Grimm was too dangerous for first-years." Galen asked.
"I know, but like I also said, I had the feeling that no matter which job you and the others choose, you'd somehow would make your way to the southeast." Ozpin answered.
"And that doesn't bother you?" Galen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It does, but they need to make their own paths. Not only that, but they have a Jedi with them and that will improve their odds, along with the Huntsmen and the others." Ozpin added, leaving Galen behind and very confused. Galen's confusion was soon put to an end when he caught up with the others, who had various stunned expressions, having just discovered who it was they would be shadowing. "Why, hello students! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Oobleck said with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, in the southeast a pack of Beowolves ran through the ruined streets of a city long since abandoned by time. As the pack continued to run through the city, a barrage of blaster fire cut them down before the sounds of an engine revving soon echoed through out the abandoned buildings as the screamer raced down the street where the pack once was. "Damn it!" Rick cursed as he swerved right, narrowly avoiding a crash into a derelict Landstalker, a prototype four-legged vehicle armed with twin machine guns and six plasma-mortar/missile launchers that were sent in an attempt by the council to retake the city six years ago, but failed.
Putting his foot to the pedal, he continued down the street with a large pack of Ursa's right behind him, their eyes glowing blood red as they gave chase, passing many more wrecked Landstalkers and old Puma's, prototype battle cars equipped with two machine guns and a powerful cannon that was said to kill a Deathstalker with one shot. "Did those idiots on the council really think just because they had advanced firepower, they would be able to reclaim this damn city!?" he said to himself, hitting his Screamers boosters to jump over a broken bridge. The Ursa's stopped chasing him, but the moment he landed, he found himself trapped by a large horde of Grimm that consisted of regular Beowolves and a few Alpha's.
Jumping out of his vehicle, he ignited his lightsaber and began to cut down the creatures of darkness. "You try to get to Beacon and yet you end up getting stuck in a place worse than hell and infested with these monsters. Yep, I am one lucky son of a bitch." He said sarcastically, before he sheathed his Jedi weapon and pulled out his submachine guns. "Take this!" he shouted.
Firing both his submachine guns, he cut down three regulars with a burst of gunfire dodging the claws of the wolf Grimm, as if he sensed where they were going to hit him. Ducking down to avoid the claws of an Alpha, he fired the last of the rounds in his SMG's before he reloaded them. As he did, he took a hit from an Alpha's claws, draining some of his aura and sending him back a few feet, causing him to drop his submachine guns. "Damn it!" he cursed, pulling out a grenade. Primming his explosive weapon, he tossed the grenade which exploded shortly after landing on the ground, taking out a few creatures of Grimm.
"I've got to get the hell out here!" he said, dashing to scope up his submachine guns which he quickly secured to his thighs before he pulled out his rifle, switched it to its LMG mode which he then held good and tight to his shoulder and pulled the trigger. A barrage of bullets flew towards the remaining Grimm, killing them before he tossed another grenade towards the creatures of darkness. Ejecting his empty magazine and loading a newer one, the grenade exploded killing the last of the Grimm that had come after him. "Why did I have to get stuck here?" he wondered too no one in particular before he hoped back in the Screamer, which had suffered a bit of beating from the landing he made and decided to find a place to lay low and repair his vehicle.
Back at Beacon, both Teams RWBY and GARM were horrified to see that their guide for the week was none other than, "Professor Oobleck?" Weiss asked.
As usual, Beacons history teacher began to pace in front of the students while talking fast as usual. "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, students, seeing a you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you; we will not be establishing a single base of operations: rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted out air course, and readied the airship. And…" he said, zooming into Weiss' face. "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!"
Weiss looked over to Blake who was equally disturbed much like the others save for Galen and Arthur as Rex, Ahsoka, Echo, Fives, Hardcase, Jesse, Kix, Waxer and Boil walked over to them. "Ah, perfect timing. I almost forgot to mention that we will be accompanied by these highly skilled individuals who will assist us in this mission." He added. "Come now, children; according to my calculations, we are already three minutes behind… schedule!" The history teacher was then quick to zip into the airship farthest ahead of them, while Fives and his brothers followed the doctor.
Ruby tried to put on the same positive and upbeat tone she had before, but quickly became depressed as the rest of her team, along with Rose and March who were also disturbed while Arthur just walked to the airship. As Team JNPR arrived, Galen made his way over to Rex and Ahsoka. "I didn't think you would be called out to assist us. What's going on, Captain?" he asked.
"Aside from the fact that Trigger is still MIA, General Plo assigned us to assist you and your team in your mission. Even if you and your teammates are skilled, you'll need a little more firepower especially if the clankers are in the sector you guys are checking out. Its better to have more help than less help." Rex answered.
"Plus, it was the only way to keep Ironwood from launching an airstrike and provoking whoever is using the target area as a hideout from launching whatever they have planned. Plus, I sensed that Neo is there so there is a good chance I might be able to get through to her with Rick." Ahsoka added.
"If we can get her on our side, we might be able to figure out what's going on and who the intruder from last night is." Galen added, before the good Doctor called out to two teams that they were now four minutes behind schedule. It wasn't long before they boarded the airship which then took off and headed towards the southeast.
As the airship flew over buildings and streets, Yang said to Oobleck. "I guess I just never saw you as a much of a fighter."
"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've seen my fair share of tussles." He answered, confusing Ruby with what a tussle is, which she thought was a mushroom and sprout, only to be corrected by both Yang and Blake, while getting March to laugh. "Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fir to assign me to this particular… assignment!" he continued.
"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asked.
"Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager." Oobleck answered, turning sharply to Weiss, who still didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. "The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location of one of the kingdoms greatest failures!" he added.
"Mountain Glenn." Ruby answered.
"That's right! It was an expansion of Vale… but in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city." Yang added.
"I also seem to recall that the council of old launched a massive operation several years ago in an effort to reclaim the city. They used prototype military equipment which they believed would give them the advantage against the Grimm and reduce casualties, but the prototypes came from a company bought out by the Schnee Dust Company which were defective and there were heavy casualties. The Schnee company was able to pin the blame on the council for their negligence on using the prototypes to cover up the fact that they were sent without being fully checked out, but the backlash caused the old council to step down." Arthur added, remembering what his cousin told him.
"Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder." Oobleck acknowledged.
"And a likely place for a hideout." Blake added, getting the good doctor to adjust his glasses and smile.
"So that means the rules of engagement are pretty clear. Take out anything that's hostile." Rex said as the airship came to a stop over a street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the city called Mountain Glenn. The airship hovered above the ground as the two teams, Oobleck, Rex and his brothers, Ahsoka and much to their surprise, Rufus who stowed away on the airship not wanting to be away from their master for a long time. Everyone had their weapons drawn, except for the Doctor who held his coffee canister as the ship headed back to Vale.
"Children!" Oobleck called out. "You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntsmen and Huntress has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Same applies for the Captain, do you understand?" he asked. The students nodded, but he soon looked at Ruby, who he startled. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags at school."
"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So, I didn't." Ruby answered.
"She's not wrong…" Oobleck said to himself. "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return." He instructed, but Ruby wasn't willing to leave her bag behind. "Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with…" Oobleck began to question before the zipper on Ruby's bag opened up and popping out was Zwei's head, getting everyone to stare at the uninvited guest.
"Get back in the bag." Ruby whispered to the loveable corgi who merely barked in response.
"I don't want to even know how she was able to get that dog into her bag." Hardcase stated who then noticed that Rufus had finished doing his business in a nearby building. "Seems there not the only one."
"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought… a dog?" Oobleck asked Ruby in a tone that almost sounded disappointed. Ruby tried to answer, but Oobleck just said 'Genius!' getting Ruby to give her friends a confused shrug as a speeding Oobleck snatched her pet away from her, tumbling to the ground as the doctor said "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!"
Zwei barked happily in the doctor's hands while Rufus just walked op to Rose's side. As for Ruby, she was stunned by the unexpected reaction before she proudly stated that she was a genius, much to the dismay of the others who facepalmed at the grinning leader. All except Galen who was focused on the bullet casings near the landing sight. There was a long silence before Blake asked Oobleck what his orders were.
"Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it!" the doctor said, dropping Zwei before putting his hands behind his back in a serious pose. "As you have been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity, it is also the area where Mr. Autumn has been last seen near. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior for this behavior, one of which being… Grimm." He explained, causing everyone to look confused before the doctor informed them of a lone Beowolf behind them one hundred yards away.
Everyone raised their weapons, ready for battle but the Doctor stopped them, explaining that there are a number or reasons why Grimm would congregate in an area such as Mountain Glenn, particularly if they were drawn to negative emotions such as sadness, envy and hatred, all of which are qualities being held by the White Fang. At first, Oobleck said that they were to track the Grimm, but that plan was thrown out the window when the rest of the pack showed up and charged towards them. Once Yang asked what the plan was, Oobleck told the students to show him what they were capable of.
"Cover your ears, Zwei!" Ruby said, swinging her weapon and prepared to shoot as her dog curled up in a ball.
"You heard the doctor boys, take them out! Stay together and don't let your guard down!" Rex instructed the other clones before he fired his trusty pistols at the incoming Grimm. Fives and the other ARC-Troopers followed suit with their blaster's carbines. Blue blaster bolts slammed into the creatures of Grimm while Yang ran towards one of the Beowolf's, smiling and knocking it out in a fiery punch.
Several creatures stopped chasing after Yang and focused on Blake who stood and waited with one hand on her hilt, waiting until one of the creatures swiped at her shadow clone, allowing the real one to slice her would-be attacker in half before cutting down a few more.
Behind Blake, Arthur and Weiss ran from several of the creatures before Arthur gave Weiss a boost, taking down one of them with her rapier before dashing towards them with her weapon held high and slayed four of them in a straight line before stopping. A couple of Grimm almost got the drop on her, but were slashed apart by Arthur's gauntlet blades.
March on the other hand swung his sword around like a mad-man, firing a shotgun shell when he had one of the creatures on the blade of his sword. A claw swung at March, knocking his Aura down a bit but the Rabbit Faunus was quick to get back to his feet and in the blink of an eye, got up close to the Beowolf that attacked him, sliced its head off.
Rose slashed several creatures of Grimm with one of her swords while firing her other sword in its revolver mode, downing a few creatures while her canine companion sunk their teeth into the neck of another Beowolf, allowing Rose to shot it down. "Good boy." She praised.
Ahsoka sliced one Beowolf down the middle before she reached out the force and pushed several creatures back into the wall of a wrecked building, allowing Waxer and Boil to riddle the creatures with blaster fire. She then threw her shoto towards another Grimm, cutting it in half as Galen unleashed a stream of lighting from his hands, shocking many of the Grimm to death. "It may be a dark side ability, but at least he hasn't tried to kill any of us." Ahsoka said to herself, thrusting her sabers behind her and stabbed an Alpha in the chest.
As for Ruby, she shot multiple bullets towards a wave of incoming Beowolves downing a few Grimm before firing herself forwards, cutting the last one in two all of which was seen by Zwei who was chasing is own tail. "Heh. Piece of cake!" she said to Doctor Oobleck, lifting her weapon.
"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" the doctor asked. The two teams, former Jedi padawan and eight Arc Troopers did just that, cutting down any Grimm they came across but finding no clues as to the whereabouts of the White Fang and their hideout, all the while Oobleck continued to observe their actions. "Excellent work, students! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!" he proclaimed to the tired students.
As they followed the Doctor Yang asked the question, they were all thinking. "Hey, Doc, y'know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a 'pro Huntsman' in action. Like, fighting, or at the least, helping us fight?"
"Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity!" he said over his should, before turning around to face the two teams. "Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, students. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination! Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that." he added, viewing Yang's reluctantly-accepting face from his rebuttal.
"Well, yeah… O-Of course!" Yang replied, trying to sound more resolute in her answer, but Oobleck didn't buy it one bit.
As they continued further into the city, Oobleck decided to ask each of the students why they wanted to become Huntress and Huntsmen. "Tell me, Yang: Why did you choose this line of work?" he asked the blonde-brawler who tried to answer it was to fight monsters and save lives but the good doctor cut her off, asking what the honest reason was for her wanting to be a huntress. Yang simply answered that she is a thrill seeker. She wanted to travel the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as she could, and if she helped people along the way, it was a win-win for her and the people she helped.
Oobleck then turned to Weiss. "And you, Miss Schnee? A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So, why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?" he asked, writing in his journal as Weiss finished off a couple of Beowolves.
"It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty." Weiss answered.
Blake slashed open a door that released a swarm of small Nevermores from the building, forcing her to back-flip under them before shooting them all down with her swords pistol form as Doctor Oobleck jumped down. "And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose." He observed.
"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption… Someone has to stop it." Blake answered, but when Oobleck asked how someone would do that, she didn't have an answer for the Doctor.
Rufus dashed back to Rose, leading a single Ursa towards his owner who held her breath, looking through her rifles scope before pulling the trigger and sending a bullet straight into the head of the Grimm. "And you, Ms. Henry. I've been told that you come from a ranch built by your own father before he passed. Why do you want to be a Huntress?" he asked.
"Well, Doc, I want to have the life my father never had. I mean sure it might sound selfish and all, but I want to honor my Pa in a way that would make him proud of me, to show him that even in the other world, I always remember him and what he taught me and become the person he wanted me to be." She answered.
"I see." Oobleck mused, before he turned his attention to March who was blasting away at several Creeps. "And you, Mr. Evergreen, you seem to be the most 'unusual' member of your team, why is it that you want to be Huntsmen?" he asked.
"With the Grimm on the rise, we need a lot more Huntsmen and Huntresses. Plus, seeing as their not many Faunus Huntsmen around, I'd figure I'd be the one to inspire others to become Huntsmen instead of joining the White Fang." March answered, for the first time being serious.
Oobleck then turned to Arthur who had finished inspecting an abandoned toy, left behind by one of the people who died in Mountain Glenn. "And what about you, Mr. Penwolf? What is the reason you want to be a Huntsmen?" he asked.
"My family has been warriors for years, longer than any others in Remnants history. As a warrior, it is my duty to continue the legacy left by my parents so they can rest in peace, knowing that their son is becoming the man they want him to be." Arthur answered.
Oobleck then turned his attention to Galen, who was inspecting some tire tracks that were recently made. "And what about you, Mr. Marek? You're a Jedi and a skilled warrior. Why do you want to become a Huntsmen when your skills are on a level greater than many others?" he asked.
"Do you see that?" Galen asked, turning his attention to Ruby who had a whole turkey on the sharp end of her weapon, teasing Zwei. "I made a promise to someone close to Ruby to keep her safe. I may have inadvertently gotten her captured by the Empire, but there is something more special about her than just the fact that she's one of the best first-year students. I know the Empire will return to Remnant and I want to make sure that she survives. I may have done some terrible things back where I come from, but I won't let that stop me in protecting her." he answered.
Oobleck smiled, though he didn't fully understand what Galen was getting at but still smiled at the fact that someone gave him an actual answer. He then walked over to Ruby, who quickly sheathed her weapon, believing that the Doctor was about to have them move onto another area. Before they could continue moving, a voice echoed from nearby and flying through the air was Rick.
"INCOMINNNNNNNGGGGG!" he shouted before he hit the ground hard, bounced a few times before he slammed into the wreck of a Landstalker and fell backwards, much to everyone's surprise. "Man, that stung! I knew I should stayed to work on the Screamer, but I didn't…" he began before he turned around and noticed the others. "When the hell did you all get here?" he asked.
"When did we? What are you doing here? Do you know how worried your Aunt is?" Ahsoka asked in a semi-angry tone.
"Hey, don't go blaming me for this. Its hardly my fault. One minute I'm speeding towards Beacon because I 'sensed' something, next thing I know I get slammed on the side by a Puma of all things which sent me straight on course to Mountain Glenn and blocked my way back by collapsing a building with that cannon it has!" Rick answered, clutching his side in pain. "I did take a few scrapes from some Grimm, but I'm ok." He assured, but Kix could tell that Rick's ribs were bruised a bit.
"Well, seeing as you're here, Mr. Autumn, why don't you lead us to where you are keeping your vehicle. Its going to be dark soon." Oobleck said, throwing his bag to Yang. "You six, go with the Captain and his men and make sure that there are no more of those… creatures. Your leaders and I age going to secure the perimeter. Come Ruby, Galen." Oobleck instructed the two, who followed him with Zwei by their side. They turned a corner and saw a wide-forest stretching below the ruin city and saw a massive line of elephant Grimm marching through the trees.
"Whaaaa…" Ruby said in awe at one of most awesome sights she had seen in her life.
"That, my dear girl, is a Grimm." Oobleck answered, just as the girl pulled out her gun, wanting to kill it. "I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size." Oobleck informed her, getting Ruby to ask the doctor what they were too do if the Grimm attacked them. Oobleck answered, "Fret not, Ruby: those Goliaths are not concerned with us. Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you have fought, that they've undoubtedly live hundreds of years, and in that time between killing humans and attacking our borders, they have done one important thing: They've learned. They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will bring more." As he finished explaining, one of the Goliaths swivels its thick neck, looking at the figures watching their procession with its glowing red eyes.
"Then why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?" Ruby asked.
"If I had to guess, I'd say they are waiting." Galen surmised, as the Goliath looking at them turned its head forwards and moved with the rest of its kin. While Doctor Oobleck and Galen turned around and walked away, Ruby asked why Oobleck why he wanted to be a Huntsmen, instead of asking the doctor why he was interrogating her teammates. Oobleck answered that while he was capable of fighting, he believed he could have a larger impact by passing the knowledge he taught everyone of the students that passed through his classroom and that these ruins serve as an opportunity to learn from the tragedy and become stronger.
Back with the others, they had finished setting up a campfire in the old garage that Rick had stored his Screamer in and had just finished discussing the answers they gave Oobleck, when Ahsoka walked up too them. "You all are still young, so you still have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do with your lives. You are still students after all." She said, just as Oobleck, Ruby and Galen returned.
"Ah, wonderful; a textbook campfire!" Oobleck said excitedly, as Ruby sat next to fire with Zwei by her side. "Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" he asked. Quickly, Ruby raised her hand, allowing Oobleck to rush off somewhere to get some sleep.
"Waxer, Boil. Take the first watch with the girl." Rex ordered the two 212th Arc Troopers who did just that on the roof of the building. The distant howling of several Beowolves in the distance told Ruby that this mission was going to be much more difficult than she originally thought, but deep inside her she was happy to have Galen with her, who was the first person from his team to assist Ruby in keeping watch for anything that would try to kill them, but in the back of her mind Ruby felt something different about herself.
And chapter is done. As you have noticed, I made it so that the Vale Council sent a military force into Mountain Glenn years before the story with the prototypes of vehicles built by the Schnee Dust Company, but failed due to many defects caused by Jacque cutting corners in their building. The guy values money more than anything in the world.
As for the vehicles, the Landstalker and Puma are from Ratchet Deadlocked and some pretty badass vehicles. Machine guns, mortars and a cannon, they are good against enemy death bots, against droids and imperial forces, that will be seen later on down the road. For those who want to know what they look like, check out the Ratchet and Clank Wiki site and if you want me to bring in the Hovership from Deadlocked, let me know.
Oh, Kota and Proxy are on their way to Remnant.
Now, I have a good idea about Galen's semblance, thanks to Darth Cody, but I would like an idea as to what Ricks semblance should be. Anyone have any ideas? I'll take any I can get.
Anyway, please read and review and I'll see you all next time. Oh yeah, and have yourselves a happy holidays.