RWBY: Shadow Company

Chapter 17

Cold.

Weiss felt cold. And her head felt like shit.

She couldn't move. Her body felt stiff and tired. Her body swayed with the van as it drove across the forest in Mistral.

She had realized that her eyes were still closed. She struggles to open them.

They didn't blindfold her. So that was a given. But her hands were still tied to her back, and her mouth gagged. And that wired device clamped to her back.

She heard voices in the van.

They sounded like they were screaming.

"Ah!" He screamed as he held his arm high. He wailed as his comrade wrapped it with bandages. Weiss followed the blood and found the source of the problem.

The blood trail led to her weapon on the floor. Its blade snapped in half.

And the other half was in the guy's chest. It looked like he shot himself in the arm.

"Hold still! I'm trying to help you!"

"I think you might want to pull that blade out." One of them tried to reach out for the blade.

"No, it's in his artery. He'll bleed to death if we do that."

"We warned you. You shouldn't have played with it, man. Now, look what you've done to yourself. Where did you even find that?"

The injured man grunted, "Inside her room, I stole it after she left."

"Argh, that's it. From now on. I'll be holding onto this." The team leader said.

Weiss tried to say something, but her throat felt so dry that she couldn't make a sound. But once she tried to move her body, she let out a cry of pain. The device on her back still hurts.

All of them looked at her, and one of them smirked, "Hey, she's awake now. Hope you've enjoyed the ride, Schnee."

She gets up from her seat, but a hand grabs her and shoves her back down. "Sit your ass down, Schnee. You're lucky that we didn't kill you yet. The Queen has plans for you."

Queen? Weiss thought to herself.

"Hey, is everything alright back there?" Said the driver.

"Yeah, you two keep a lookout." Said the team leader. So, seven in total. Two in the front and five in the back.

But Weiss felt weak. She couldn't feel her aura.

She couldn't summon her glyphs even if she tried. She noticed that she wasn't healing at all.

"Don't mind if I take this. It's a little broken right now, but I think I can fix this up to my taste." Said the team leader as she showed Weiss.

"Hey, I found it first. It belongs to me."

The others laughed.

Weiss's heart shattered when she saw her weapon. Her blade snapped in half, now a length of a short sword. "Not bad, a gun and a sword. Meant for close range."

The injured man smirked at her, "Good luck finding ammo. I've never seen dust rounds like that."

"Much be rich people stuff. I'm sure we can compensate for it."

"Sit tight, Schnee. We still got a long way to go."

Weiss wished that somebody would save her right now.

/-/

"I see them," Said Leon. His rifle aimed down the road. "Looks like three vans filled with armed soldiers. Huh, I expected bigger. Where are the rest of them?"

Frost walks up beside him and checks the road, "They must be further behind them. They don't want to draw too much attention."

"Okay, I can see them coming through."

"Do you see Weiss?"

Leon sighed, "Not yet. I'm still trying to pick up Weiss's scent. Look, whichever van they've put her in, I'm sure the two of us can get her out just fine."

"I know, it just that all of this waiting is making me anxious, Leon. Sorry."

"It's alright, Frost. And I'm sure Weiss is fine too. If she can survive the raid, then she can survive this."

"I'm not so sure. Those guys did something to Weiss. I saw it through the footage."

"You were stalking them?" Said Leon.

"It was only for that night. And I had to make sure."

"Whatever you say, old man."

"Right now, we can't lose her. We've followed them into Mistral. And if they manage to succeed, then-"

"Relax, Frost. If you want, you can borrow my stress toy if it makes you feel better."

Frost sighs and waits in position.

"So, what the plan again?"

"I get their attention and make the first shot. I deal with the front while you deal with the back. Then we will work our way into the middle and free Weiss." Frost explained.

"But what about the reinforcements?"

"That's why we are doing this quick and clean. Now, are those charges ready?"

"Charge and ready to go." Leon gives a thumbs up.

"Good, we'll need them later. Switch to thermal vision. Get to your position."

Before the break, Leon grabs Frost's shoulder, "Hey, we'll get Weiss out, okay? Don't worry. You've got the beast on your side."

"I'll call you by your callsign, Brute. Wait on my signal. I'm going for it."

Leon nods, "Go get them, gunslinger."

/-/

"He could be after us." Said the driver.

"Why?" The one sitting beside him asked.

"I don't know. I had this feeling like we are being watched or something."

"Turn that damn thing off. It pisses me off just by hearing it."

"But if we turn off the tracker, then we won't know if someone is near us." The driver replied.

He smirked, "Oh please, who is dumb enough to take us on?"

"The shadows from Atlas? They might be chasing us right now."

"Idiot, it's not them that you should be scared. Have you ever heard about the beast in the south?"

"You mean that guy who can change into animals? Yeah, why?"

"I heard that he's in the shadows."

"He is!?" The driver looked at him with fear.

"Well, it was rumored."

"Don't scare me like that. The last thing I need right now is to crash this van."

"You think the Queen would be pleased? We only have one of the Schnee family members."

"Let's hope so."

"You think that shadow from before is chasing us?"

"Ha, yeah, right. Like that guy's going to pop out of the trees or something."

Frost steps out.

"What the." The driver suddenly stops the van. The gunslinger stood before them on the dirt road, causing the rest behind to stop as well.

They noticed the familiar white cloak and black armor. The driver and the shotgunner both stared right at him, not knowing what to do.

The team leader from the back bangs the wall to get their attention, "Hey, what's going on? Why did we stop?" She asked.

The two in front stared in disbelief and fear.

"I-it's him." Said the driver.

"Who? Speak up, soldier!"

"It's the shadow from the raid. The one who attacked us!"

"The shadows are here! We're under attack!"

Frost quickly draws his revolver and fans it, sending two rounds at them in seconds, killing both of them.

One of the bullets had pierced through the driver's skull and went into the back of the van, passing by Weiss's ear and killing the injured man sitting on her right.

"What the fuck!"

"Found you," Frost said.

Weiss ducks down while the rest in the van panicked, "Fuck. We're under attack! Call the others, warn the commander!" The team leader shouted.

"It's just one guy! Let's get out there and kill him!"

"Roger, calling for backup." The drivers from the second and third vehicles began to radio for help.

The third driver noticed a shadow in red armor appear at their side, staring at them.

"Wait, there's another one!"

Leon walked out of the tree line and fired his rifle at the third van, killing the driver first before dumping his rounds onto the side of the vehicle.

Frost walks forward, shooting two more soldiers coming out of the second van.

He quickly moves back and takes cover as the guard sitting in the front shoots at him, "Floor it! Let's ram this son of a bitch!"

"You're going to die, shadow!"

The van started to move out of formation and turned straight into Frost's direction.

Leon returns the favor and shoots the back tires, causing the driver to lose control.

"Fuck, we forgot about the other one!"

Frost wastes no time and shoots the driver before moving out of its way to crash into a tree at full speed.

He quickly makes his way to the back of the van and opens the door, tossing two primed grenades at the disoriented guards inside before closing it shut.

"Oh sh-!"

Meanwhile, Weiss was hugging the floor as a loud explosion happened outside as the shooting went on.

One of them pulled out two explosive charges and activated them, "For the queen!" He screamed as he charged out of the van.

Leon spotted him, but Frost beat him to it as he shot him in the head. The explosives landed right at the side of the vehicle, just a few feet from Frost.

"Shit!" Frost reacted and dived away from it.

The bomb exploded, sending the van toppling over to the side, with everyone and Weiss over.

Leon reloads his rifle, "Frost! You alright!?"

Frost grunts as he gets up, "Son of a bitch. I'm getting too old for this. Yeah, I'm alright." He reloads his revolver and gives Leon a thumbs up.

"That guy was a suicide bomber."

The leader grunts in frustration, "You two, open fire!"

Two rifle barrels stuck out of the door and began shooting at Leon, forcing him to retreat and take cover.

"I'm taking fire! I can't reach her!" Leon shouted as he backed away.

"I got it!"

Frost pulls out his second revolver and makes his way over to the downed vehicle. He sees four heat signatures left alive in the van. One of them must be Weiss.

"Convoy one, hold tight. We're coming soon." Leon heard the radio inside the van.

"We got to hurry. Reinforcements are coming in fast. I can hear their comms going crazy." Said Leon.

"Keep him pinned!" The leader shouted as she turned to face Weiss. "If we can't get her to the scientist, then we have to go with Plan B." She pulled out the broken Myrtenaster.

"We kill the Schnee bitch right here." She said as she lunged towards Weiss.

But Weiss had managed to break free from her binds and caught her before she could thrust the blade through her chest, forcing the two of them to struggle with each other.

"I'll admit, you're persistent, Schnee! You are going to die here!" She said as she laughed menacingly.

"Help! Somebody help!" Weiss screamed for her life.

"9 Bang-out!"

Frost shouted as he tossed the grenade right in front of them and blinded them.

"My ears!"

Weiss felt her neck free again and found Myrtenaster within reach as it lay beside her.

Without hesitation, Weiss grabbed her weapon and stabbed her in the chest and through her ribcage.

"Argh! You bitch!" She screamed in pain.

But before she could do anything else.

Weiss pulled the trigger, sending a burst of flame erupting from her weapon. In an instant, Weiss saw nothing but red.

Her ears are ringing. That blast was too close for comfort.

The two in front are dead now. Leon covers Frost as he enters the van.

He finds Weiss buried under the body of her attacker. The hole where Myrtenaster pierced had a scorched mark in the body.

And Weiss was barely breathing and bloodied.

"Weiss! Can you hear me? I'm here!"

Soon the sounds of more vehicles were getting louder. Leon knocks on the van to get his attention, "Frost, we need to leave. Grab Weiss, and let's go!"

Frost grabs Weiss and carries her out of the van, not forgetting to take Myrtenaster with him.

Upon exiting the van, "I got her, But she's barely awake." Said Frost.

Leon checked on Weiss and saw that she had gone through some shit.

"Wait, what is that thing on her back?"

Bullets whistled by them as the rest had already reached the ambush site.

"Time to go! Into the trees!"

They both ran into the forest. And the golden troopers chasing behind them.

"Stop them!"

"Are those charges still ready?" Frost asked.

Leon pulls out the detonator, "As ready as they'll ever be."

They stopped as they approached a cliff.

They've made it past the point of no return. Or, in this case, the blast zone.

"Now?" He asked.

"Over there! They're right there!"

"No time like the present, do it now!" Shouted Frost

His partner wasted no time and pressed it.

"Stop!" The commander said as he pointed his rifle at them.

But then a big explosion erupted.

Once the explosion died down, they got back up and continued their pursuit, "After them!"

"Where are they?"

"I don't see them, commander."

"Fuck! They must have left during the explosions." The commander screamed. How is he going to explain this to the Queen now?

/-/

"Ha! We did it!" Leon cheered as he flipped them off. "Fuck you, golden pricks! Suck on that, assholes!"

"Leon, that's enough. Come over here and take a look at this."

Leon walked over, "So, what is this thing on her back? Do you know what it is? The poor girl."

Frost grunts in frustration as he looks at it, "It's a nullifier. They used to use these things to detain rouge huntsmen so that they couldn't escape so easily."

"I'm not following."

Frost sighs, "It cancels out a person's aura. They can't use it as long as that thing is on their back. But now they don't use this model anymore for obvious reasons. And you need a key to unlock it."

Leon slowly gets it, "And the only key is back at the ambush site."

"Okay, we can still fix this. The nullifier cancels out her aura, but she can still heal without it. We need to dress her wounds and fast before she catches a fever."

Now it was Leon's turn to panic, "Fuck, I forgot she's still bleeding!"

"Calm down. We learned first aid before. Hand me your medkit."

Frost started to tear the dress into a skirt and made more bandages out of it. Leon opens his canteen and pours water into Weiss's mouth.

"We have to find a safe place for her to rest. We need to get this thing off of Weiss soon."

"This is going to take a while." Said Leon.

"I know, just hang on, Weiss."

How does he know her name? Weiss thought as she slowly drifted to sleep

A/N: Alright, the long-awaited rescue. But even is Weiss is safe for now. It's going to get a lot tougher now that the Golden Company knows that she is missing.

You may notice that some of the characters are OC. But they are also related in a way, like Ares. I have a few plans for him.

The Gunslinger In The North (Frost) and The Beast In The South (Leon). At first, I didn't have an idea after the start of the story. But when the idea came I had to start planning it. Might be more but I need to think about it further on that.

Now, for Ruby and Yang. I'll be honest. I haven't thought much about it yet. I did have a draft but I don't know if it makes sense right now.

Hope you like the chapter, and thank you for reading.