Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Chapter 07: Mountain Glenn

/Well, well, Ozpin./ Councilman Rouge sneered. /Look what good your program had brought./ Ozpin resisted the urged to rub his temples.

"Isn't it rather early for this sort of conversation?" Ozpin asked the man on the other side of the call, audio only.

/Are you trying to avoid it?/ Rouge asked.

"Not at all." Ozpin said. "However, I believe that now isn't a good time to be high strung." Glynda hands him the coffee pot filled with freshly brewed coffee. "Especially since I haven't had my coffee yet."

/Ozpin, take this seriously!/ Rouge scolded.

"I am." Ozpin said calmly, taking a sip from his mug.

/You do realize your students nearly caused a catastrophic incident last night, right?/

"And no one died. Shaken, but otherwise unharmed." Ozpin pointed out.

/That's right. Thanks to Colonel Kuchiki./ Rouge grew quiet for a moment before speaking again. /Something troubling was brought to me rather recently. It involves one of your students: Ichigo Kurosaki./

"Oh?" Ozpin wondered, feigning curiosity. Glynda only stood beside him quietly.

/There had been sightings of strange and violent behavior from him up until last semester. In fact, there had been similar periods during his tenure at Beacon and just as quickly they started, they end./

"That isn't anything unusual." Ozpin said. "There have been students from outside the Kingdoms that are… deeply affected by our dark world."

The head councilman let out an exasperated sigh. /And you're telling me you let them just roam around within the city without supervision? Who knows what could happen?/

A tranquil fury stirs up in Ozpin. "I don't appreciate how you are demonizing the students. My students."

/…We'll continue this talk later, Ozpin./ And with that, Rouge ended the transmission.

Ozpin sighs rather tiredly. "He really loves to have the last word." Then, another call was coming through. Dreading it was Rouge, again, Ozpin glanced up.

Qrow Branwen.

Never before was Ozpin ever so quick to press the answer button. "Yes, Qrow?"

/Hey, Oz./ Came the gruff, if maybe a little tipsy, voice. /Came to report from Lopt./

"Of course." Ozpin said. "Did you find anything?"

/The Gleipnir seal appeared for a moment last night./ Qrow said.

Glynda gasped and looks at Ozpin. The man looked serious. "Did anything else happen?"

/No, thankfully./ Qrow said. /The Order officials here seem bothered about it, but said there was nothing to worry for the time being./

The answer somewhat relieved Ozpin. Somewhat. "As long as it's holding out strong. Still, I'll have to speak with Seth von Johann about this."

/Yeah. Catch you later, Oz./

"Be safe."

/You too./ Qrow ends the call.

"Prof. Ozpin, is there anything we can do about the Gleipnir seal?" Glynda asked.

"The best course of action would be to renew it." Ozpin said. "However, that's impossible now."

"Why?" Glynda asked.

"Because the person who created the Gleipnir seals died seven years ago."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was a heavy silence in the living room of 1-A. The RWBY girls sat in silence on the couch and Ichigo sat on the coffee table before them, his arms resting on his knees by his elbows and his fingers were interlocked. Uryū, Renji, and Rukia stood behind their leader on the other side of the table. The ticking of clock was the only sound.

"Um, Ichigo, I—" Ruby spoke up, but quieted when Ichigo raised his hand.

"…You lied to me." Ichigo started. "You lied and went gung-ho into a situation none of you were—"

"What about you guys? You were doing it too!" Yang retorted.

"We had permission!" Ichigo told her. "By Ozpin, by Ironwood!"

"But we helped."

"And jeopardized the mission and nearly caused a fatal outcome." Ichigo said. He takes in breath and releases it. "What happened last night was under the jurisdiction of the VPD and the higher ups of the council and Beacon Academy and it had to be handled orderly. That mission was not something for first years to take on." He looks at Blake. "I get it, it involved the White Fang. Whatever the hell they are doing surely isn't good. But, let the more experienced people handle it." Ichigo glances at the clock to see the time and gets up to his feet. "Classes are about start. You four better get going. I mean it." With all of that said, he gets up and leaves.

"But, we—" Ruby started.

"I think it is best that you four think over the repercussions of your actions." Uryū said before leaving too, as well as Renji and Rukia, leaving team RWBY with their thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ichigo, are you doing okay?" Rukia asked as they head over to their dorm before heading to class.

"…Should I be?"

"No. No, I guess not." Rukia said. "I'm surprised to see you act like that."

"Really?"

"You weren't the most cooperative individual during our early years here, Kurosaki." Uryū said. "While I was impressed, I was also concerned." His tone lacked the patronization.

"Well…things change." Ichigo said. They make their way to their respective rooms. Uryū and Rukia go into their dorm to gather their things. As they did, Uryū comes across the books given to him by Ohana. He puts his textbooks down so he could look over them. Given the circumstances, he'll have to wait before he'll give the girls the books. Soon, he comes across Viral Bullet, a book he didn't order but Tukson thought he would be interested in it…

Tukson…

Uryū turns the book around to read the summary.

Rurik is a rookie, freshly out of the police academy and assigned to veteran, Danny. As the two struggles to work together, they uncover a mystery surrounding an odd virus called the K-virus circulating in the black market and linked it to a series of cold cases. What is the K-virus and who is manufacturing it?

Uryū smiled watery. A crime/mystery novel, a favorite genre of his. He remembers back when he first met Tukson. The Quincy was trying to find a place to work, but all the ones he asked for turned him away because of his heritage. Eventually, two men agreed to sit him up for a workplace where he could earn a lot of money. Desperate for money for food and bills, Uryū said yes. When he went to the establishment, imagine his horror when he realized what kind of place it was. Thankfully, before the men tried to force him in, Tukson called out to him, pretending that he was an old friend of Uryū's and takes him away. As a thank you, Uryū begun to work at the bookstore.

Saddened by the memory, Uryū places the book back down and retrieves his textbooks.

"Wait until the resolution, there's quite a cliffhanger."

"Resolution…" By storytelling definition, it is the book wrapping up the story. Sometimes, there may be a plot point introduced to pave the way for a sequel. Another definition is a solution. Curious, Uryū puts down his textbooks and opens the novel. He skims through the pages until a passage caught his attention.

'Rurik looks at the novel curiously. Why would Danny leave this? The young man remembered what the veteran said and opens the tome. To his surprise, a portion of pages were cutout and there was a vial inside the secret compartment.'

Secret compartment… If that's possible, where would it be? He checks the hard front and back. On the back cover, he notices a square-shaped indentation on the inside of the back. He digs through his sewing basket to find one of his needles. He gets one and carefully traces a cut around the indented area.

Rukia returns to the room. "Uryū, are you—what are you doing?" From the indentation, Uryū pulls out an SD card. He glances at Rukia. Without a word being spoken, Rukia left to get Ichigo and Renji. Uryū pulls out his Scrollbook and turns it on. He inserts the SD card and starts to type. Rukia returns with the other two. "Do you have it set up yet?"

"Almost. Turn off the light." Uryū ordered. Renji did so, turning the room light off and closing the door. Uryū enlarges the screen and plays a video on the SD card. After a few seconds, Tukson appeared, setting up the camera. When he finished, he sits back.

He clears his throat. /Hello, IURR./ The team was taken aback. /If you are getting this message, it means one or two things. Either A) I'm no longer in Vale…or B) I have been killed./ He pauses for a moment. /I'm sure that by now, you've learned that I was a member of the White Fang. I'm sorry, Uryū. I'm sorry that I had never told you. I just didn't want you to get wrapped up in anything. You're a good kid./ Uryū looks down to the ground, seemingly in shame. Renji pats his shoulder in comfort. Ichigo looks at his partner sympathetically before turning back to the recording when Tukson continued. /Lately… the White Fang has been becoming more fanatical. Of course, that has been apparent for the past five years since Sienna Khan came into power. But this… something big is going on. Much bigger than we could ever comprehend…All we ever wanted was equality, acceptance… Please… Please, stop my brothers and sisters. I don't care how, but…Please…/ Tukson's pleading image goes away is replaced by a series of schematics. The team look through the various diagrams and blueprints.

"What is all this?" Uryū wondered. Ichigo thought the same thing, looking at a diagram of some locomotive.

"Hey, guys. You might wanna take a look at this." Renji said as he pulls up a screen and show it to them.

"Is-Is that a bomb?" Rukia asked.

"We need to show this to Oz." Ichigo said. Forgoing attending their classes, team IURR hurried to Ozpin's office with the Scrollbook in hand. Inside awaited Ozpin and General Ironwood. "Old man Oz!"

"Mr. Kurosaki, shouldn't you and your team be in class?" Ironwood asked, taking note of their uniform.

"Please, pardon us, General Ironwood." Rukia said. "But you guys need to take a look at this!" She motions Uryū to put the Scrollbook on Ozpin's desk and turns it on, showing the schematics. As Ozpin and Ironwood read through them, their respective expressions turned to calculated and apprehension.

"This is… This could cause a citywide panic." Ironwood said.

"Enough to attract a Grimm invasion." Ozpin said. As well as another issue with the Gleipnir seal.

"That settles it. I will send men to Mountain Glenn—"

"I think it would be wise to tackle this discreetly." Ozpin advised sagely.

"But, Ozpin…"

"Tell me, General, would you send out flag bearers or scouts?" Ironwood grew quiet from the question, casting his eyes away in defeat. With a faint smile, Ozpin rose from his chair. "I'll make contact with Qrow, as Lopt is a fair distance away from Mt. Glenn. Then, there is the matter of finding a suitable team to rendezvous with him…" The metaphorical lightbulb lit up in his head. "Why don't you four take this mission?"

Team IURR's collective jaws dropped in shock, as did Ironwood's. "…Are you sure about that, Oz?" Ichigo spoke up. "After what happened last night and…"

"I don't see why not." Ozpin said. "You and your team has grown since the Bount case."

After mental debating, Ichigo sighed. "…We'll do it." Rukia, Uryū, and Renji stared at their leader before glancing at eachother.

Ozpin smiled. "Good to hear."

"Ozpin, is that really a good idea?" Ironwood asked, concerned.

"And why wouldn't it? It's better than looking aimlessly for available Huntsmen in the area. Who knows how long that would take? Time is of the essence, James. Now, there is a matter for more."

"Actually, we do have a team in mind." Rukia said.

Ozpin grinned. "Oh? And who would that be?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I hate you." Keigo said to Ichigo. "You know that, right?"

"Duly noted." Ichigo responded.

"We were just on our way back to Beacon from a boring mission and you just had to call us." Keigo continued.

"Poor you." Mizuiro said dryly as he strode by.

Ichigo felt his Scroll buzz in his pocket. He looks at it to see a text from Ruby.

We're sorry! T.T

Ichigo ignores it and turns off vibrate on his Scroll and leaves it silent.

Aren't you being a little harsh? , the voice said sardonically. Ichigo ignores it too.

"Kurosaki…" Uryū spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you wanted to do this?" Uryū asked.

"We wouldn't be here if I wasn't, right?" Ichigo countered. Uryū didn't answer, but Ichigo can sense the Quincy's worry. But for who or what, he doesn't know?

"Where's the Huntsman we were supposed to meet with?" Tatsuki asked Ichigo.

"He should be around here somewhere. Let's take a look around." Ichigo said.

Teams IURR and TAIM were just dropped off in a clearing away from Mt. Glenn and are now heading their way over. They reach a cliffside, overlooking the defunct settlement.

"So, that's Mt. Glenn." Lirin said, perched on Uryū's shoulder.

"You could almost feel the sadness in the air." Orihime lamented.

Uryū pushes up his glasses. "The city was built to house over 8,000 people, including various households, apartments, and businesses such as Merlot Industries. It even had an underground metro system to commune with the main city to bypass the dangers of Grimm. It was fine, for a spell."

"Unfortunately, the city didn't have the natural barriers that Vale and Lopt has. It wasn't long until the Grimm started to take over in vast numbers." Mizuiro added. "The remaining people took refuge into the underground system…"

"…Only for them to get finished off by subterranean Grimm." Ichigo finished.

"And thus, 20 years later, Mountain Glenn is still the world's largest tomb." A gruff man said. The students turn to see a man in gray sauntering to them in a way that that reminds them of the man's namesake.

"You must be Qrow Branwen." Rukia said.

"That's right." Qrow confirmed, before taking a swig of alcohol. "And you lot must be the star students I've been hearing about."

"Well, I wouldn't say star." Keigo said sheepishly.

"He's talking about team IURR, Mr. Asano." Mizuiro said.

"Would you stop with the 'Mr. Asano' crap?!"

"You've heard of us?" Ichigo asked.

"Here and there. I've heard more from my nieces." Qrow said.

"Nieces? Oh, you mean Ruby and Yang?" Ichigo asked. "I remember Ruby mentioning an uncle."

"That's right." Qrow said. "Now, let's get going."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The main street is barren, which is to be expected of an abandoned city. It was an eerie sight. The group walked past a playground, complete with a moss-covered swing set, a half-broken seesaw, a rusted jungle gym, a vine-infested merry-go-round, several bleached spring riders, and a playhouse or two with a tattered Vale flag. There's even an abandoned tricycle and some toys to add to the already gloomy scene. The area had faded color due to years of exposure, becoming as dull as the rest of the city.

"It's so quiet here." Orihime commented. "And the air feels heavy, too."

Uryū looks around at the ruined road before gazing at the sky. He can also feel the dense atmosphere. "Strong emotions tend to stay, even after people are long gone."

Keigo starts to pick his nose with his pinky out of boredom. "I really don't get it." Tatsuki resisted the urge to punch him.

"I wonder where we should start first." Ichigo said. Mizuiro turns on his headset and holographic screens appeared.

"I'd say we try to find a way into the underground. There's supposed to be a tunnel that leads to the main city from here before it was sealed off. If these plans are still in operation, then they'll likely use the tunnel and railway to lead the Grimm into the city." Mizuiro said.

"Lirin, use your radar/sonar thing to find anything." Ichigo said.

The artificial cockatiel huffed. "You know, you could've asked nicely. But I guess that's a part of your charm." Her crest raises up as she activates her function. "Give me a minute. With these buildings, it may take a while."

"That's handy." Qrow said. "Let me guess, you got that from Kisuke, right?"

"As in Kisuke Urahara? You know him?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah, well, he's an old friend of mine."

"I've found what looks to be entrance ways into the underground metro system." Lirin informed them. "There's one a mile northeast from here, another a mile and a half in the west, and the last one is just south down there." She points her wing to the various directions.

"Can you send us the coordinates?" Renji asked.

"Of course." Lirin answered before sending the information to their Scrolls.

Ichigo starts to count on his fingers and thumbs. "I think it's best that we split into three groups of three."

"Then how about I team up with Rukia and Orihime?" Keigo decided zipping over to the two girls. "How about it, ladies?" Tatsuki shoves him away.

"Nice try, Casanova. If anybody is gonna team up with them, it's gonna be me so perverts like you stay away."

"So mean!"

"Then can I go?" Kon asked.

"Hell no!" Tatsuki exclaimed. "You're a pervert too!"

"If you two don't mind, I'll tagalong with the two ya." Qrow said to Ichigo and Uryū.

"Sure. I don't see a problem." Ichigo said.

"Then that just leaves Renji, me, and Mr. Asano." Mizuiro said.

"Let's go, Mr. Asano." Renji said, coyly.

"Why is everyone bullying me?!" Keigo cried.

"Do you want to go with the girls, Lirin?" Uryū asked the cockatiel on his shoulder.

"I'd rather go with you guys." She told him.

"That settles it then. Team A (Tatsuki, Rukia, and Orihime) will go to the northeast entrance, team B (Mizuiro, Renji, and Keigo) will go to the one in the west, and team C (Ichigo, Uryū, and Qrow plus Kon and Lirin) will head south." Ichigo said.

"Keep in mind: Once we enter the underground, comm signals will be going offline." Uryū informed.

"Any objections? Then let's go."

"Right!" everyone said before going to their assigned location.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you feeling okay, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked.

"…I will be." The girl said. Her grip on her staff, Shun Shun Rikka, is tight. "It has happened before, right?"

"That's true." Tatsuki said.

"I wonder if Ishida-kun could sense it too…" Orihime commented.

"No doubt. As a Quincy, he was born with a higher than average Aura Sense." Rukia said.

After some time, they found what they are looking for. It looked like an entrance to a subway station. Tatsuki gets to work to remove the debris blocking the way. As she did, a flock of Baby Nevermores sprung out.

"Gah! Damn it!" Tatsuki cursed as she tries to punch the Avian Grimm away.

"Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime exclaimed. She slams the tip of her staff to the ground, six golden-yellow elongated rhombuses forms from the point before detaching and starts attacking the Baby Nevermores. Orihime willed the projectiles to attack the Grimm at any angle. After they were finished off, the projectiles fade away. "Tatsuki-chan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you."

Rukia glances inside the entrance way. "It looks like we can get through. Look out for any Grimm though."

Tatsuki and Orihime nods in agreement.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The underground ceiling collapses near the end of the stairway in the west entrance, Keigo screaming all the way. He laid there motionless, contemplating on his life choices.

"Someone was eager." Mizuiro commented when he and Renji came down the stairs. A muffled 'fuck you' came from Keigo.

Renji looks around the mouth of the cavern. It was empty, save for some Dust crystals and the planks of wood used to keep the place from caving in. The three make their way through until they've reached the entrance to the main hub. Once they did, Renji caught a glimpse of White Fang soldiers and grabs Keigo and Mizuiro back into the tunnel before they were seen.

"I'm telling you, I heard something a while ago." a dog Faunus with ears said.

"It was probably a Grimm."

"I don't think Grimm screams like a girl." Keigo narrowed his eyes at that.

"Looks like the schematics were right." Renji said.

"So, what now?" Keigo asked. Mizuiro had an idea.

The five WF men stood in guard, looking around for anything odd. One spots a small cube-like machine crawling with four, spiderlike appendages. The soldier stare at the item curiously. The other four saw it too and turned their attention to it. The cube soon stopped and retracted its legs inside of itself.

"What is that?"

"Don't know."

When nothing happened, one of them aimed his gun at it but was stopped by another. "Wait, don't shoot it. We don't know what it could do."

"Look at it. It's just sitting there. For all we know, it's recording everything or sending a signal." He shoots the cube, destroying it. At the same time, a bright flash of light illuminated, blinding them. Renji uses the opportunity to knock the Faunus men unconscious.

After the workout, Renji cracks his knuckles. "These guys were pushovers. Their Aura wasn't even properly awakened."

"That explains why they didn't seem to sense our presence." Mizuiro said.

"Man, even I could do better." Keigo commented. "That's just pitiful."

They walk past a crate with a hexagonal insignia on it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo, Uryū, and Qrow found themselves in what looks to be a bazaar of sorts. Stands and ripped cloth strewn about.

"It's hard to imagine that it used to be alive with people around here." Lirin said. "Are there other places like this outside of the Kingdoms?" she asked Uryū.

He adjusts his glasses. "Unfortunately, yes. Settlements that lacked the natural borders or stable protection to keep Grimm away often falls rather quickly. And just as quickly, a new settlement is built over the old one and the cycle continues on and on…"

"So, does that mean Mountain Glenn could be revived?"

"Due to its size, it would be highly improbable."

"Hmmm…" Lirin hummed.

"I've been meaning to ask you two something." Qrow said as they walked.

"Okay?" Ichigo said.

"How are Ruby and Yang doing?" the older man asked.

"Why ask that? I thought they spoke with you." Ichigo said.

"Well, yeah. But, I wanna hear it from their 'mentor'." Ichigo glanced Uryū nervously, unsure if he should tell the uncle of Yang and Ruby what his nieces were up to yesterday. Qrow chuckled. "Let me guess: They went over their heads and made a mess."

Ichigo and Uryū look at eachother. "…Uh…"

"I've heard about it over the news." Qrow said. "The stray rose petals were a dead giveaway."

"…You could say that." Uryū said.

"It's not the first time they did something like that." Qrow said. "When Ruby was very young, Yang took her out to go find Yang's mom, my sister. A bunch of Beowulves would've made them Grimm chow if yours truly hadn't followed them. Then, there was a time the girls made our dog high as hell from a mushroom." At the surprised looks of Ichigo and Uryū, Qrow said, "Don't ask how they got their hands on one and don't worry, the dog is fine."

"I think I get what you are trying to tell me, but what they and their team did yesterday could have disastrous." Ichigo said.

"I know. Believe me, Tai and I had our own fair share of scolding them whenever they did something wrong." Qrow said. "At the end of the day, they're still good girls."

"…Yeah." Ichigo said. Uryū doesn't say anything, but he pushes up his glasses.

"Tai and I… We've lost a lot and we're scared of losing any more people." That struck a chord with Ichigo. He had grown very close to Ruby and her team. So close that he fears their safety. Uryū too. He had just reunited with Weiss and he didn't want to lose her. "Like how we lost Summer… as well as losing Masaki and Kanae."

"You… knew our mothers?" Ichigo asked.

"My team was a year lower, but yeah." Qrow said. "Masaki and Summer were like two peas in a pod. And Kanae, well—" He sudden jumped back on one foot as he hissed in pain.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked. Qrow held his hurt leg.

"Yeah…" Qrow said. He pulls up his pant leg to see his skin burned. "The hell I just stepped in?"

Uryū inspects the ground and notices a small puddle of a strange green substance. He also notices a trail of the same liquid leading into a building. He follows the trail, being mindful not to step on the substance. Inside the dilapidated building, Uryū finds a steel drum leaking the liquid. Judging from the level of oxidation, it was a decade old.

"Did you find anything, Ishida?" Ichigo asked as he and Qrow entered the building.

"I think so." Uryū said. "It looks like some type of toxic waste." He turns to Qrow. "How are you feeling?"

"A little singed, but alright."

"If you feel anything wrong, anything at all, please inform me." Uryū said before going back to inspect the drum.

Qrow chuckled to himself. "Sounds like something Ryū would say." He muttered, low enough that the younger two can't hear.

Kon notices something on the drum. "Hey, what's that?"

"He's right. There's something there." Lirin said.

Uryū looks too, noticing something obscured by a layer of dust. He wipes it away, revealing a hexagonal symbol. He gasped. "That's…" Qrow sees it too.

"Merlot Industries?"

"Why would Merlot Industries have something like this?"

"What's that?" Ichigo asked. When Uryū stares at him pointy, Ichigo says, "I came to Beacon to kick Grimm ass, not learn about some company."

Uryū rolls his eyes. "It was a research and development corporation that did research on artificial intelligence and genetics. But, what sort of research results in toxic waste…?" Uryū wondered. Not only that, why was the drum still in relatively good condition? Didn't Merlot Industries fall along with Mountain Glenn over 20 years ago? Is it being used by the White Fang…?

*Ba-dump*

Ichigo felt a surge of negativity coming from the other side of the building. He cautiously made his way over to door, carefully pushes it opened by an inch. There he sees a train, the White Fang and one Roman Torchwick. Bingo. Before he could tell Qrow and Uryū his finding, he heard something collapsed.

"Uryū!" he heard Lirin called.

"Hey! You okay?" he heard Qrow asked. Ichigo whips around to see Uryū fallen on his side.

"Ishida!" Ichigo exclaimed, rushing to his partner. Thankfully, the slimmer male didn't fall into the green liquid. Ichigo carefully lifts him up by his arms and pulls him away from the barrel. "Hey, Ishida, what happened?" The dazed Quincy struggled to clear his head.

"I…I don't know…" he muttered.

Qrow glances at the substance. "Is it emitting fumes that only effects Quincys?"

"I'd rather not find out." Ichigo said. Uryū gingerly gets up to his feet. "You sure you don't want to rest?" Ichigo asked. The Quincy opened his mouth to answer before his eyes trailed to the partial opened door.

"The door!" He exclaimed. Before they could move, WF soldiers burst through the door, ready to fire. Qrow was quicker and uses Harbinger to shoot at them. While not fatal shots, the WF soldier went sprawling to the ground. Seeing the opportunity, the three men run through the door.

"Lirin, go find the others!" Ichigo told her and she takes off.

More WF mooks came to attack, but the combined efforts of Ichigo, Uryū, and Qrow proved to be greater. Ichigo, using the back of Zangetsu, sends WF mooks flying through sheer strength. Uryū sees several enemy soldiers running towards him. Instead of using his bow, the Quincy takes out three small, silver tubes and throughs them at the enemies' feet. They glowed slightly before ice grew out, trapping them. Qrow showed why he's a veteran. His moves were like a combination of both Ichigo and Uryū, hard and forceful but planned and precise.

Hearing the commotion, Roman angrily exits a tent he was in. "Perry! What is all that commotion?!" He sees the intruders. "Oh, brilliant." He muttered.

"It'll be best if you come quietly, Roman Torchwick." Uryū advised, aiming an arrow.

Roman wasn't faltering as he casually clapped his hands. "Top notch acting there, Quincy boy. Now go run along to your tree friends, maybe have a cup of tea with a squirrel or something." Uryū was dangerously close of releasing his arrow at the man's throat for the insulting comment.

"At ease, Ishida." Ichigo said. He sees Lirin in the air flying back to them.

"Intruders!" a distant White Fang member shouted.

"I can see that!" Roman said, gesturing to Ichigo, Uryū, and Qrow.

"No. There is more!"

"Oh, for…" Roman grumbled as he rubbed his temples. He was starting to get really irritated. "Start the train, now!"

"But, it's much too early!" a WF member with glasses, Perry, objected. Roman's response to the comment was to shove his cane at the Faunus' throat.

"If this plan derails, so will your head." Roman threatened. "Do I make myself clear?"

"…Y-Yes, sir." Perry wheezed. Roman releases him and hops into the train as it starts up.

"Like hell you'll get away!" Ichigo shouted. He tries to get on the train but was blocked by the WF. Thankfully, a shot of lightning courtesy of Rukia came through and froze the Faunus in place, allowing Ichigo, Uryū, Qrow, and the rest of the Beacon group to hop on the train.

They make their way to top as the train picked up some speed. "We need to find a way in!" Qrow said. Keigo spots a hatch nearby and made his way over to open. When he did, he broke into a nervous sweat.

"Uh…guys?"

Ichigo and Tatsuki runs over to see what Keigo found. It was a bomb. "Oh, crap." Ichigo muttered. They heard something unlatching. They look over to see the connector tethering the train railcars together are coming undone. "Everyone! Get to the next railcar!" he bellowed. No one wasted anytime as they leaped over the gap just as the railcar was freed and left behind.

About a minute later, the railcar exploded. The result was a sizable hole, letting Creeps into the tunnel. "They're using explosives and the tunnel to lead the Grimm into the city!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Mizuiro, Ishida, get to the further most bomb first to deactivate. You'll just waste time here and there will be less damage!" Ichigo ordered. Those two are their best options this, with Mizuiro's Weak Point Semblance and Uryū's demolition knowledge. The slighter men dash forward, only to be stopped by WF forces.

"Where do you pretty boys think you're going?" a woman taunted, aiming her gun at them. A wire coiled around the barrel and pulled the gun out of the Faunus' hands. Three golden-yellow shields flew towards the rest of entourage.

"We got your back!" Keigo said.

"Let's hurry!" Orihime shouted.

After that, Mizuiro and Uryū continued their run, Keigo and Orihime following. "I'll go find Torchwick." Qrow said as he too sprints off.

"Okay, be careful!" Ichigo said. He hears another of the latches unhook. "Damn it! Everyone move!" They all make it in time as the loose railcar came undone. Just like the one from before, this one exploded as well. More Grimm started to pop out, now with Beowulves and even a King Taijitu. Seeing this, Ichigo and Renji their ranged weapons to shoot at the Grimm. Unfortunately, there was too many. "This isn't good!"

Qrow makes his through railcar after railcar, beating up WF soldiers on his way, before reaching the cab, where Roman and Perry is. Roman heard the man barging in. "Great, look what the cat dragged in. A rather annoying bird."

"I'm not exactly a big fan of you either." Qrow countered. After that, the two exchanges gunfire.

Meanwhile, Uryū and Mizuiro got work on their second bomb. "Alright, it looks like you can snip the second top wire now." Mizuiro said to Uryū. The Quincy cuts the wire, resulting in the bomb's defusal. "On to the next one." They emerge from the hatch.

"Two down, and one more to go." Keigo said. They move on to the last one, but Uryū paused to look back, towards the direction the train is going. "Hey, Uryū. We don't have much time!"

"Come on, Ishida-kun!" Orihime said.

"Coming!"

More Grimm kept appearing despite Ichigo and Renji's efforts. "This getting us nowhere!" Ichigo said as he shoots at the Grimm.

"I've got an idea! Hey, Rukia!" Renji shouted. "Let's do Crimson Bloom!"

"Crimson what?" Ichigo asked.

"I saw Ruby doing the whole Team Attack thing yesterday! It looked interesting!" Renji answered.

"Ready, Renji?" Rukia said as she stood by Renji's side.

"You bet I am." Renji said. He has his shield toward the Grimm and Rukia has her palm in front. At the same time, a red glow starts to gather from the mouth of the shield's skull as a blue electrical light emanated from the rings on Rukia's middle and ring fingers, connected to the Kuchiki Bracers.

"Crimson Bloom!" they called out together. A light red beam shoots out of Hihio and a streak of lightning shoots out with the beam, swirling around the laser, and hits the Grimm, obliterating them into nothingness.

Back in the cab, Qrow and Roman continued their fight. "Your persistence reminds me of a certain little red."

"…Is that so?"

The sound from Renji and Rukia's Team Attack winds up garnering the attention of Roman. "What in the…" Qrow takes advantage of the distraction and charges at the career criminal. Roman tries to shoot him with Melodic Cudgel but he misses and is knocked out by a hard punch from Qrow. Perry tried to get away but was knocked unconscious by the veteran Huntsman.

"Now, to stop the train." Qrow said. He goes to the lever and pulls it down to stop the train.

The train starts to screech as the brakes willed the wheels to stop. "Sounds like Qrow was able to get Roman." Tatsuki said, holding a thoroughly beaten WF member by the collar.

Ichigo walks over to Mizuiro and Uryū. "You guys got all the remaining bombs?"

"Yes." Uryū said. "Thankfully, we've arrived at good time. A week later or so, there probably would have been more."

"We've got a problem!" Lirin exclaimed, flying to them.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"The end of the tunnel is almost seven miles away now and train isn't slowing down fast enough!"

"The resulting impact could cause the engine to explode, resulting in a hole to the city to cave in, allowing anymore Grimm left to have access to the city." Uryū said.

"How can we slow the train down further?" Ichigo asked, almost to himself.

Why not use your power?

Ichigo gasped. He clenched his fists.

Why are you hesitating? It is your power after all.

After the stunt you pulled back at Pastoria? Forget it! Ichigo thought.

So, you want a city devastated? Like what happened to Mt. Glenn? To Sakura Village?

Ichigo's eyes widened.

You want those girls under your wing to suffer such a loss?

Ichigo feels the familiar surge of his Semblance activating. "…No."

"Kurosaki?" Uryū inquired, noticing Ichigo starting his Semblance. Up until now, Ichigo has been scarcely using his 15-Minute Power Up, which was suspicious enough on Uryū's part. Suddenly, Ichigo sprints into a run. "Kurosaki!"

"H-Hey! Ichigo!" Keigo shouted running after him.

"What's he doing?" Qrow asked as he emerged on the roof. Roman, Perry, and the remainders of the WF are in the cab tied up.

Ichigo leaps from the cab and dashes forward as far as he could. "Ichigo, what the fuck are you doing?!" Kiego asked. He sees Ichigo holding his hands and arms forward. Realizing what Ichigo is planning, the skater runs back to the others. "Brace yourselves!"

As the train drew closer, Ichigo grimaced as he prepared himself. The locomotive hits him hard despite its decelerated speed. Ichigo struggled to keep himself upright and run over, his feet drag through the rail track, breaking the wood into splinters. Some stuck into Ichigo's legs, but he ignored it.

"…Come on…Slow down…" He dared to look back, seeing the end of the line is getting close. "…Slow the fuck down, goddammit!" His brown eyes flashed a golden color.

As if answering his called, the train finally slowed to stop with Ichigo's body being a half inch away from the dead end wall. The train hissed out some steam and Ichigo sighs. He shimmies himself from the tight spot. "Is everyone okay up there?"

"…We're good!" Renji responded after a while.

Ichigo smiled in relief. It's a good thing I was able to use my Semblance again without any interference, Ichigo thought.

Who says it was your Semblance?

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-What?" He looks at his hands. He notices some scratches on his palms. Shouldn't his Aura have prevented this damage?

Studying him from on top of the train was Uryū.

Since I've been watching the Resident Evil Timeline by GamerThumbTV on YouTube, I can't help but see the parallels between Merlot Industries and the Umbrella Corporation.

RWBY Vol 7 Ch 3: New Outfits! New Weapon Upgrades! Cute, Awkward Bumblebee Flirting! And RIP Forrest!

Next Chapter: Make it Right (November 30)