Disclaimer: Nope Never has been mine.

Road to the End, Volume 3

By: athrunzala

11: Reclamation II

Back at the staging area, Ruby was pacing nervously. She had never been in charge of an assault force before, so the waiting was starting to get to her. So she paced. And she mumbled to herself.

"Ruby..."

She continued pacing.

"Sis..."

The pacing continued, getting faster.

"Ruby Rose!"

Weiss' shouting pulled the younger woman out of her trance.

"You need something?"

Weiss sighed, putting her head in her hand. "Ruby, you need to calm down. If you don't stop, you'll have made a new ditch in the middle of the road."

"Oh," Ruby said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I just... I've never..."

"I know, sis. I know. None of us have. But hey! We got our uncle backing us up, so that's a thing!"

Yang flashed her old, trademark smile as she uttered this, hoping to reassure not only her sister, but herself as well.

"Yang..."

"There it is!"

Blake was cut off when Ruby shouted, her finger set off in the distance. Sure enough, at the end of it was the signal flare, indicating that the first wave had successfully reached the airship docks, and was going to be holding them. It meant that everything was going according to Ironwood's plan, which had been built around Ruby's simple idea that an all out assault, just as the White Fang had done nearly three years prior, would allow them to retake the academy. They turned and boarded the airships they were standing in front of, the craft rumbling into the sky.

Within minutes, they were over their insertion point, which was, unsurprisingly crawling with Grimm.

"Sorry, ladies, but I can't land. You'll have to... jump..."

The pilot was met with Yang's grin as she was the last to leave the airship, her three team mates having jumped already. The descent was faster than she remembered, but she hadn't forgotten the new landing strategy that Blake had taught her.

Once on the ground, they immediately got to work regrouping and taking out Grimm, in an effort to clear the landing pad. This would allow the members of the first wave to join the assault, and provide fresh troops.

The hail of Dust rounds grew less as the hoard was cleared out. Confident in their progress, the young Huntresses eased up on their assault, leaving the mop up to the Atlas troops that had come up with them.

"Ma'am, you four should head into the campus. We've got this."

Ruby nodded at the soldier, gave her a thumbs up, and swept her hand forward.

"Let's go. Uncle Qrow's expecting us."

"If he isn't already drunk..."

"Weiss, just a lesson about our uncle," Yang began, "he's..."

"He's always drunk," Yang and Ruby blurted out together, their moment past, they smiled at each other, and started towards where they could hear the sounds of fighting.

A short distance from where Team RWBY had landed, Taiyang and Qrow had finished taking out a pair of Ursa, while Raven had made quick work of the Beowolf pack that had decided to attempt an ambush.

"That... was easier than expected." Qrow looked around as he said this. Everything was telling him that this was too easy. Almost as if they were being allowed to do this.

"You're telling me."

Raven walked over, sheathing her weapon as she did so.

"I'm not usually one to agree with you, but in this case, brother, you are right. Something is very wrong about this whole thing."

"Uncle Qrow!"

"Dad!"

The trio looked over as Team RWBY got closer, only to see Yang and Blake peel off before they could get into normal speaking range.

"Where are they going!?

"Yang said she saw someone, and Blake followed her," Weiss puffed out. Long sprints were still not her forte, and it was showing.

Qrow's eyes grew wide at this. He turned to Taiyang and Raven, his face worried. "Go after them."

The blonde male nodded and took off in the direction that he had seen his older daughter go.

"They'll be fine."

"NOW!"

His outburst shocked Raven into action, and she was soon neck and neck with her former lover.

"What was that about?"

"If they saw who I think they saw, neither one will be able to do this. Not unaided. Besides, you have no idea how long I have wanted to see my sister panic like that. Ow!"

His final outburst came after a gloved hand met his shoulder.

"Winter!"

"I see your team is doing their jobs... as I thought. Care to explain why you deviated from the mission, Qrow?"

"Don't start that now, Ice Queen."

"Winter, it's our team's fault."

Ruby spoke up, the confidence in her voice echoed in her face as she put her weapon in its holster on her back.

"Explain."

"Blake and Yang both rushed off after something. He sent his other team members to back them up."

"I see," the older Schnee said, her voice calm and collected. "Then I shall join you three to keep the manpower levels the same."

"But who is gonna hold..."

"The first wave is in bound. The soldiers can hold this area for now."

Across the campus, Jaune was getting his second wind, thanks to a timely intervention that had sent half of a Paladin with White Fang markings crashing through the group of Creeps he had been fighting against. He looked over to see the source, to be greeted by an almost ever present smile that was on Nora's face.

"Bullseye!"

"Nora," Ren panted slightly, "please don't do that again."

"That, too? Okie dokie!"

She then skipped over to where Jaune was.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, his breath returning. "Thanks, Nora."

He then motioned for Ren to come over.

"You know, Jaune, I'm not sure we are supposed to be this far into the campus yet. We haven't rendezvoused with Team RWBY or Team STRQ."

"It'll be fine, Ren. After all, we..." Jaune's statement trailed off as he started tracking a familiar form with his eyes. "Change of plans."

"Uh... what?"

"Jaune...?"

"Stick close to me. Found a high priority target."

The blonde swordsman then took off towards where his quarry was sauntering away from them.

"We'd better go after him, Nora."

"Uh... huh..."

Nora's usually bright demeanor had changed when she caught sight of who it was they were going to be chasing. All the same, she caught up to where their leader was, her weapon at the ready.

Before too long, the trio was in the school's arena.

"Oh the irony of this."

The sultry voice rang out from the shadows at the back, mocking them. Egging them closer to anger.

"I honestly don't see the irony in any of this."

"Oh, but you should. Your fourth died in a room full of objects she could control, and you three will die in an arena.

The owner stepped out of the shadows, her red, form-fitting gown swaying slightly at the bottom. She brushed an errant strand of hair out of her face before looking at them all and smirking.