Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, it is owned by Rooster Teeth
Pulsing, pulsing and pulsing. Both my heart and the device pulsed, one with the purpose of moving red fluid through my body at four miles per hour.
The other...I don't know. Of course no one knows, in fact, a group of scientists study the letters engraved on the pillars with, what seems like, scanners, but much larger and fixed to a computer instead a tent nearby.
With one final pull and grunt the suit fixes to my augmented body, acting as a second skin. I slowly left one of my arms without problem, it reacts as if it was my real skin. Skin that was replaced with prototype prosthetic's built centuries ago. Limps that once were bulky and primitive are now replaced by nanobots and an adaptive metal alloy with ceramic plating.
I slowly think to memories of old.
A family, a mother, father, two sisters and three brothers. Of course I remember the pointless arguments with my siblings over who ate the last pizza or who broke the window via rouge baseball. And what should have been dead long, long ago, I still remember as if it was yesterday. Am so engrossed with my thoughts that it wasn't until a sergeant was shouting in my ear to get my attention. The privates nearby quickly spring to attention from their warm fire, whereas I simply look up at him.
Still shouting and in full gear he shouts, "Alright men, our objective is clear. So listen up and shut up.", pauses for two guys to stop their conversation before continuing, "In ten minutes we will make history. The top brass has given the green light for Operation Grounded Voyager. Our guys and squad Cheetah will go through the portal and set up a base of operations. Our goal is to make contact with any forms of life or intelligent fauna of some kind, secondly we are providing support, recon and security for the main exploration team following us. Soldiers, I swear to you, that we are standing on the edge of making history. We'll be remembered as the first of exploring a brand new world in possibly another solar system, galaxy, or, hell, another universe. Now hop to!"
"Sir!", the team grabbed their rifles and helmets, the latter of which being placed on shortly. I too took my rifle, slung it over my shoulder, and head towards the squad as a drone is sent out in a last ditch effort to see even a glimpse on the other side of the portal. By the technician's sigh and irritated look, it seems that it was to no avail. However, the sergeant seemed to grow a light bulb in his head. He turns to one of his subordinates and says, "Pull the cable".
He looks confused and asks again, with the sergeant repeating his order. His subordinate then turns to me and tells me to do it.
I walk up to the heavy cable in front of us and yank it back, oddly it gave resistance and there seems to be something attached. I re-adjust my stance and yanked it, nearly being knocked over by a human-sized drone as it flies by my head.
With some quick dives and nervous chuckles, I get back up as the sergeant replies with the biggest grin I've ever seen.
"We're going in."
Where I once saw an endless tundra near a sea, it was now replaced with a sprawling forest covered in a layer of snow.
We stumbled out of the portal, the sight compared to the urban sprawls I seen so far could compare nothing to this place. As far as I can tell, there are no cities except for a cottage about four kilcks northwest of our position. The sarge decided to keep our footprints light and to leave nothing behind, the others however were still in shock of a place that didn't had a single city district. From what I read, about 75% of Earth's remaining landmass is covered in city, hydroponic bases or industry. Many of them probably haven't seen a forest of this scale.
Something was off though, in my head I thought, "If there is a cottage nearby, where are all the others? It would simply make sense that we are near civilization or a camping trail." This little discussion in my head continued until I got my answer.
One of the scientist's placed a recon pod ten feet away from me to collect samples of the snow, soil and that other science shit, when I saw eyes. But they weren't human; red...too red, almost the color of crimson, stared at the unaware scientist as it slowly reared up for a lunge. My hands quickly jerked my rifle at the beast, but by then it was too late. It jump, jaws open, and swallowed the bottom half of the man. I fired shots at its bony-looking head. It kept that poor bastard until it was quickly being fired from multiple angles.
With a scream the monster ate half of his body- blood and entrails splattered on the alabaster snow, panicked voices and rifle fire hammered into the the pitch-black hide as it charge into the squad. On instinct, I activated my micro-thrusters and maneuvered to its back, quickly taking out my machete and hooking on the shoulder blade.
The beast roared in pain as one of its blood-soaked claws reached for me. Realizing this, I reached into my holster and whipped out my pistol, unloading a round into the thing's head. Instantly the round killed it, as its lifeless body turned into dust dropping me on the ground.
"More incoming!" one of men yelled. In that moment everything turned to shit; only two of the seven scientists managed to make it back to the portal and me and the sarge remained. Everyone else were either being torn apart to pieces or swallowed whole, I managed to retrieve a camera drone that was damaged by a spike shot into it. Turning I yelled to the sarge -whose right arm was barely hanging on and shooting with a pistol as he took out another beast- to run.
"No! My objective is to secure you as well!"
"Fuck your orders! Get out of here now!" with that I shoved him into the portal, along with the camera drone, before I was swept to the side by a beast who rammed his head to my side. The force knocked the wind out of my lungs and I hurled into a tree or two.
Before I could gather my strength and make a marathon to the portal, there was a flicker, then it started to become smaller. With a burst of energy I ditched my machete and gun, making a mad dash to the shrinking portal. I reached out with my hand in a vain attempt to stop. With only a foot in front of I dove to the tire-sized ripple... it closed.
I tumbled into a stream, the cold surrounding me as it froze the wiring and thus making me paralyzed for a moment. Groaning I tried to get up, only to feel pain in my chest, glancing down was a strong trunk that kept me down in that stream. My struggles caused the herd to look at me with blood-stained fangs and entrails dangling from their claws. Grabbing my pistol, I started seeing white dots dancing in my vision. "No not now" I muttered to myself as I aimed the pistol at the alpha whose mouth showed a satisfied grin.
Smiling myself I said "At least he won't like steel crusted limb", I pass out and close my eyes for what seems to be the last time.
Just before I saw a rose petal.
Warm...so warm...
I opened my groggy eyes as I saw a fire in a stone hearth. The heat it made caused my servos to unfreeze and for Denitro to flow through my skeleton. With a yawn I studied my surroundings; a lounge with a couch with two chairs situated near the fireplace and a coffee table in front of the couch along with a poster of the 'Archive Men'.
In the corner of my eye I saw a figure behind. I tried to grab my pistol only to find that all my equipment and suit were taken off of me replaced by a bandage wrapped around my chest. Adrenaline pumped into my brain as I quickly grabbed a fire iron and held in a way that could deflect a sword...if I my body was active. However, I decided to keep this charade up and to keep some distance between me and...her.
In both her hands she was holding a tray, holding a roll of bandage, a few pills, a mug of something and a plate of cookies. She stood still and said-
"Its okay, just please put the iron down. I'm not going to hurt you.", her voice was that of a young adult and as I scanned her for any hidden weapons, of which she didn't, I stared straight into her eyes. I still didn't trust her and asked, "Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?".
She stepped forward and I pointed the rod at her, positioned at her neck if I need to eliminate her. The brunette then replied with a calm voice.
"My name is Summer Rose."