Chapter 35

Ruby

It was 8:30 and they had been talking with Colin and Maria for hours. "I still can't believe that you can get that big." Ruby marveled, Yang gave him a mischievous wink. He rolled his eyes and adjusted himself in the hammock. Maria whined and tried to get her space back before giving up and laying on top of him, snuggling into his chest. He leaned back losing his view of the group, eliciting chuckles and smirks. "So now that we've caught up, would you guys want to go on a very dangerous adventure? I'm stressing the word dangerous." He said raising his hand and pointing in their general direction. "Ooh, sounds like fun. I'm in." Yang said from her bunk, accidentally rolling in the wrong direction and hitting the ground with a bang. Giggles erupted from the other three as Yang tried to get up on her bed, failing she just rolled up next to Blake.

Before anyone could question it a loud knock drew their attention to the door. "Sheila who's at the door?" Colin asked aloud. "Rogue squadron, they are very tense and I recommend you give them the stand down order before they enter." Came the person less response. "Naah, open the door." He said as the door clicked. 9 tall people in very tight metal armor with complex looking helmets, guns raised, they cleared the room quickly checking all of the entrances, closets, and window for traps before calling "Clear!" "Sir, you're going to give a bad impression. Take your helmets off and play nice." Colin said from his position under Maria. "Yes, Sir" The man with some stripes on his armor said before taking his helmet off and saluting. Colin got up, slowly shoving Maria off him, earning him some whining. He ignored it and saluted the squad leader.

Dropping salute Colin gave the man a handshake and hug. "It's good to see you Joe, long time so see." He smiled, Joe returned the smile and turned to his squad. "You heard the commander, play nice, introduce yourselves." He said to the 8 other armored people who removed their helmets and she was bombarded with "Hello's" and "How are you today's" from the mix of men and women squad members. She tried her best to salute and look professional, before giving up because she was wearing pajamas. They group took up positions at the window and door, looking very alert. They didn't say a word, before Ruby tried to start some small talk she was saved by the man in charge. "Hello, my name is Joe Sorros, I'm the leader of Rogue squadron ground division. We deal with, unusual threats." He told them saluting.

Ruby returned the salute sloppily, he grabbed his Colin's seat and sat down in the middle of the room. "You want to come along?" he asked in a rhetorical tone. "Yep, anything to help the people at beacon." She told him before anyone else could respond. He looked at them, "You think you're ready to fight against any kind of Tyrranid?" he asked "I think they could learn more from watching from a distance. Rather than getting into what is honestly bullshit and a super unfair fight with some Tyrannids on their home turf." Colin spoke up. "Hey, we can handle this. Were ready." Ruby complained. "You might think so, but I've fought these things before. It's not fun. What usually happens is they send a few gene-stealers to ambush you. Then they lead you in a retreating fight to the center of the nest, then they swarm you in the hundreds. All kinds of nasty creatures, from the size of a panther, up to the size of something that can eat a tank." Colin said from his position below Maria in the hammock.

"What's a tank?" Ruby asked "It's about 4 times the size of a regular car. With tracks, and usually a big gun. Sometimes missile launchers, antiaircraft weapons, the like." Colin said nonchalantly. "I'm fine with you coming along to watch, but under no circumstances will you engage anything." Joe told them sternly. "But…" Yang tried to cut in but was silenced with a stern look from Joe. "No. That's final. Or you don't come along." He said looking from person to person. He got the nods he was looking for, "Good, now get in whatever armor or battle uniform you have. We leave at dusk." He said putting his helmet on as the sun started setting.

(30 minutes later)

Colin

They were ready and they were just waiting for the go ahead from central command. The comm disk in the center of the room crackled to life, "This is central command, you are clear to proceed with the clearing op. good luck rogue squadron." Came a voice from the disk. "Thanks central, we'll take all the luck we can get." Colin said putting his helmet on, along with the rest of rogue squadron, the consecutive hissing of helmet seals was the only noise as they prepared, opening the door and exiting the room in a tactical fashion. "Comms check, sound off." Colin said over the inter helmet comms. "One here, two here, three here….. Nine here. Team ruby present. Came Ruby's voice, they had their armor that Colin gave them on. After he had upgraded their power supplies. "This is ten, do I need to move my Mech on site?" came a male voice, "Yes, I think well be in a sewer system big enough to fit you. We're coming out the front now." Colin said just as the point guard opened the doors.

"Roger that, powering up." The voice of ten replied, when the entire team made their way outside they cloaked, leaving team RWBY the only ones still visible. "Press the blue button on your wrist." He whispered moving his radio to side chat for their team only. There were some "Oooh's" and "Aaah's" and one "I knew that." Before team RWBY was just as invisible as the rest. The only reason they didn't get lost was because every member of the team had a blue outline around them. They made their way to the outskirts of town silent as the night, when they came upon a black object about 15 feet tall in the shadows. It made some whirring noises and blue lights came on where eyes should be, it stood up into the light and showed them what it really was. A Mech, bipedal with a cockpit like a fighter jet, one arm was fitted with a laser Gatling cannon, the other a chain sword. On top was a rack of missile launchers. It started moving and cloaked, it lead them about a mile out of the city to a large sewer grate.

The Mech pried the metal grating off and jumped in, the hole. Landing with a splash, laser fire began and the team quickly jumped in after it, landing in a tunnel about 20 feet tall. Pouring fire on the unsuspecting group of gene-stealers. "Clear", "Ruby, get down here" he said as four splashes behind them confirmed they were in there. "De-cloak, and check ammo levels." Joe said as the team decloaked one by one, checking their weapons. One member of the group took out a scanner and walked in circles for a second before the scanner beeped. "This way, nest is about a mile-ish away." He said putting the scanner down and picking his weapon up. "Form a circle around team RWBY, Mech lead the way." Joe said as they started moving down the tube, splashing as they went.

The Mech's scanners lit the area up in a blue grid, moving from side to side as it walked. The group was on high alert, "Movement, front, 100 feet. Multiple contacts moving this way." The Mech operator said as the Mech took a couple steps back and its laser cannon spun up. The rest took up positions on its side, one even climbing on the back of the Mech and using it as a rest for her sniper rifle. "Movement stopped, I've got nothing." The Mech operator said worriedly. The laser cannon still spinning. Then some scary looking creatures broke through the concrete walls and attacked the team from the side. Laser fire going everywhere as screaming ensued.