Chapter 10: The Mission Begins
The six months of training and planning passed by in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Despite not having much new information Ryu and Luna continued to meet once a week. The training had continued at a steady pace. By the time the mission had rolled around Ryu, Luz, Sun, and Holokai had managed to get up the full one ton of weight gear on with everyone else was only up to adding on the boots. The students made their way outside early in the morning to meet up with Professor Port. The sun had just began to rise.
"Ah students good to have you here bright and early we've got a very important mission ahead of us I hope you're prepared." Port declared.
"We're ready," Caesar declared.
Every nodded in agreement.
"It's go time," Ryu stated.
"Alright then load up on the airships it's time move out." Port ordered.
Everyone got on the airships. Ryu, Mana, Sun, and Iris were in one while Tala, Holokai, Luz, and Caesar were in another. The group set off towards the southwest. By the time everyone was in position it was eight in the morning.
Ryu was perched high up in the a tree on a cliff face overlooking the tracks. His eyes were on the hunt for the train. A call came in on his scroll.
"Ryu you spot anything?" Caesar asked.
"Nothing yet, over." Ryu replied.
"Over?" Caesar questioned.
"Sorry it's standard for a message to end with over in a military." Ryu explained. "Just a slip from when I would do stuff like this in the war."
"I see…" Caesar replied.
"Anyways has anyone else spotted anything?" Caesar asked.
"Nothing here," Mana replied.
"No sight of them," Sun answered.
"Nothing on our end," Tala responded.
"Keep on the lookout students you never know when they'll come." Port pointed out.
"Yes sir," they all replied.
Ryu remained focused on the look for any sight of the enemy.
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After the brief call with everyone Sun resumed looking for the train with Iris. The two were in the cover of a few bushes on a cliff overlooking the tracks. Iris was looking through her sniper rifle.
"Welp I'm bored out of my mind already." Sun stated.
"We've only been out here 30 minutes." Iris pointed out.
"I know," Sun replied. "Doesn't change the fact that I'm bored."
"Just be quiet and help me look the sooner we find them the sooner we can get some action." Iris commanded.
"Help you look you've got a sniper rifle I don't even have binoculars." Sun brought up.
"We'll why didn't you get them like everyone else." Iris replied.
"I uhh…. Uhmm… I didn't think of it at the time." Sun admitted.
"Uhhhggg… I sometimes forget brains aren't necessarily your strong suit." Iris sighed.
"I'm not gonna argue with that I'm more brawn than brains." Sun admitted.
"We'll that's a shock." Iris exclaimed.
"What?" Sun asked.
"I just thought you'd be more mad at me calling you stupid." Iris explained.
"I'm use to it I've always focused more on strength since I was a child." Sun explained. "I've always relied on my brute strength to get me through problems."
"And how as that worked out?" Iris questioned.
"We'll… I survived the destruction of my clan and living on my own after it." Sun lamented.
Iris didn't respond.
"I'm guessing you didn't know." Sun assumed.
"What happened?" Iris asked.
"It was during the Faunus Rights Revolution closer to the end of it." Sun began. "Atlas had come seeking our help. We however wished to stay out of the war. Instead of leaving us Atlas attack. They MURDERED my family! Out of nothing but fear we would join the side of the Faunus as the Shinku Clan did! Only I managed to escape. From that day forward I swear use my strength to defend innocent group from destruction as to honor my family's memory."
The was a moment of silent for a few seconds.
"I'm… sorry to hear that." Iris finally spoke up.
"Thanks I'm just glad I could hold true to my word." Sun stated. "I made the right choice in coming here."
"Yeah, don't mind me asking but why did you come here?" Iris asked.
"I don't mind." Sun replied. "I came here to seek a purpose."
"I thought defending the innocent was your purpose?" Iris questioned.
"But what if there's no group to defend or clan or town in danger then what what's my purpose then?!" Sun exclaimed. "What do I do when this is over what is my purpose when we win?"
"You idiot you had a purpose all along but you couldn't see it." Iris pointed out.
"Huh?" Sun replied.
"If you want to defend the innocent you can't just focus on a group you have to focus on individuals too." Iris explained.
Sun's eyes widened at this epiphany. He began to laugh out loud.
"I really am an idiot I've been search for a purpose outside of honoring my family this whole time only to have it right in front of me." Sun exclaimed.
Iris smiled.
"Thanks Iris," Sun stated.
"Your welcome stupid," She replied.
"Okay you can stop with calling me stupid I get it we all get it." Sun retorted.
"Yeah, yeah," She replied.
Two and half hours passed by and no one had spotted anything. Ryu, along with the others, had not moved from their spot during that time. While Ryu was waiting a call came in from Caesar.
"Hey Ryu have you spotted anything yet?" Caesar asked.
"Nah nothing yet I'll let you…" Ryu began.
In the distance he saw a train coming from the distance.
"Hold on I see a train coming." Ryu announced.
"Is it them?" Caesar asked.
"I don't know it's still in the distance but it's moving at high speeds I'll hop aboard and investigate." Ryu answered.
"Alright let us know if it's them." Caesar ordered.
"Roger." Ryu replied.
"Who's Roger?" Holokai asked.
"Ugggghhhh… there's no Roger it's just something you say when you're confirming orders." Ryu explained.
"Oh… we'll why didn't you just say okay?" Holokai asked.
"Just shut up!" Ryu shouted.
Ryu hung up. He wait for the train to approach. When it was passing under him he jump from the tree he was and slide down the cliff face. When he was close enough he leaped onto one of the cars closer towards the end of the train. He made his way into the car. There was no one around. He took out his scroll and contacted Caesar.
"Yo Caesar I'm inside there's no one here." Ryu stated.
"Alright look around and see if that's the train we're looking for." Caesar order.
"Roger." Ryu replied.
He started looking through some of the crates. He notices a fairly large one. He careful prys it open. Inside he found something that sent chills down his spine.
"This is one hell of a bomb." He observed.
The containment of the crate was a large bomb.
"Wonder if there's more." He pondered.
Ryu continued to look around. He found many more bombs in various sizes though most were on the larger side.
"If this car is filled then…" Ryu began. "Oh crap."
Ryu quickly made his way to the next car and search the containments of that car. The contents were the same. He searched another car up a found the same result.
"Oh no don't tell me…" Ryu began.
He frantically took out his scroll and contacted Caesar.
"Caesar I found the right train." Ryu stated.
"Really can you figure out what their planning?" Caesar asked.
"Yeah I think I know and it's something you won't like." Ryu replied. "It's oh crap."
Ryu quickly moved to cover as two guards came in.
"What the?! So it's true some did board the train!" One guard shouted.
"We'd best contact Night we've already had one train stopped we can't lose this one!" Another shouted.
"Ryu what's going?!" Caesar demanded.
"What was that?" The first guard exclaimed.
"Dammit." Ryu stated.
He rushed out of cover catch and charged the guards.
"It's the intruder!" The second one shouted.
The two tried to slash at Ryu with their blades but Ryu evaded them and finish the guards with two punches to the face that snapped their necks. The guards dropped to the floor.
"Ryu are you okay?" Caesar asked.
"I'm fine just some lackies but this is bad." Ryu answered. "I've found bombs big, very powerful, and there's a lot of them."
"What?!" Caesar exclaimed.
"I've only search three cars so far but it's safe to assume they have the whole train is filled with explosives." Ryu pointed out.
"But why? Why do they need that much fire power?" Caesar questioned.
"Think for a second, if they have this much explosives what do you think it's made for?" Ryu brought up.
Caesar remained silent as he began to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"If that train reaches Vale…" Caesar began.
"It could wipe out a quarter of the city. At best." Ryu finished.
"This is bad." Caesar pointed out.
"Thanks for the update captain obvious." Ryu retorted.
Ryu heard the shouting and footsteps of guards coming his way.
"Alright Caesar change of plans tell everyone to get back to the city and call Ozpin let him know the situation." Ryu ordered.
"But what about you?" Caesar asked.
There was a brief pause.
"I'm stopping this train one way or another." Ryu answered.
Caesar was remained silent for a few moments contemplation what Ryu just said.
"Just come stay alive okay." Caesar ordered.
"Tch… Do you know who you're talking to I don't die easily." Ryu replied. "Let everyone know okay."
"Got it." Caesar replied.
He hung up.
"The situation seems bad from your conversation." Luz observed.
"Bad doesn't describe it if Ryu fails. At best a quarter of Vale will be wiped of the map." Caesar explained.
"What?!" Luz exclaimed.
"Call everyone and let them know what's going on as well as order the to go back to the city. I'll get a hold of Ozpin and let him know what's going on." Caesar ordered.
Luz remained speechless from the news.
"Luz now!" Caesar shouted.
"Oh… Uhmm right." She replied.
She took out her scroll and contacted the rest of the group.
"Everyone we need to return to the city now the situation is worse than we thought." Luz ordered.
"What's going on?" Mana asked.
"Ryu's on board the train the Night Hunter's hijack and found it full of bombs. If it reaches the city It'll blow a quarter of Vale off the map at a minimum."
"WHAT?!" Mana exclaimed.
"This is insane!" Iris shouted.
"What about Ryu?" Sun demanded.
"He's on board and gonna try and stop it." Luz explained.
"Then I'm going to help him I can't let him do it alone." Sun stated.
"Are you insane!" Iris shouted.
"Sun listen to Luz and pull back we'll have to trust Ryu on this one. Let's hope he make it out alive." Port ordered.
"But!" Sun began.
"No buts now go." Port ordered.
"Fine!" Sun relented.
"Tala, Holokai do you understanding?" Luz questioned.
"Loud and clear we're pulling out now." Tala replied.
"Ryu better not fail." Holokai stated.
"We'll have to trust that he won't alright let's pull out." Luz stated before hanging up.
While Luz was in her conversation. Caesar had contacted Ozpin.
"Ozpin it's Caesar we've got bad news." Caesar stated.
"What is it?" Ozpin asked.
"Ryu found the train the Night Hunters Hijacked and on board were large bombs, a lot of them." Caesar explained.
"What?!" Ozpin exclaimed.
"It's heading right towards the city and if it reaches it at least a quarter of Vale will be blown to pieces." Caesar further explained. "Ryu's already on board and is going to try and stop it."
"This is worse than any of us thought." Ozpin pointed out. "I'll get right on the evacuation of citizens in case the worse comes to pass. You and the rest of your team focus on pulling out and assisting in the evacuation."
"Understood sir," Caesar stated before hanging up.
After the two were finished with their calls they hopped back aboard the airship with Tala and Holokai. Sun, Iris, and Mana returned to their airship. They all made there made there way back to the city.
On board the train Ryu fought of the guards with easy as he made his way from car to car. This is bad I have to stop this train and fast, Ryu thought to himself. When he entered the next car he was face to face with a multitude of guards in exosuits.
"Ah son of bitch." He stated.