ARCN chapter 5
Transit and Terrorists
A few days passed, and the airship took off to deliver its payload of eager young students to the forest of Forever Fall for the day trip. However, teams ARCN and CYAN had mysteriously found themselves aboard another ship into Vale. With pardons in hand, they stepped off the airship and into the kingdom. Cole and Amber kept close to each other as they walked, and Chris pushed Penelope in her wheelchair a short distance behind them. Amelia made up the front of the line, walking with an air of regality and dignity unheard of by anyone outside of royalty. Night, Napier, and Rust made up the back of the line. The group walked through the city, looking around at the buildings and pedestrians as they made their way to the train station. The building was majestic and graceful, not unlike the heiress destined to inherit it and all its associates throughout the four kingdoms. The tracks were bordered on either side by marble platforms, with banners hanging from proud columns proclaiming their numbers. Colossal locomotive engines sat parked on the tracks like majestic iron horses, waiting to bolt from their marble stable at a moment's notice. The group walked up to the ticket booth, and Amelia spoke to the man behind the booth.
"Good morning, Gray," she said cheerily.
"Oh, good morning miss Thyst!" the dark-haired man replied. "A ticket to Atlas? I'm sure your father thinks you're overdue for a visit."
"No thank you, sweetie."
"Vacuo, then? It's been months since you last visited your grandmother," he continued.
"Again, no thank you, Gray. However I would like eight tickets to Mystral, if you would be so kind," she said with a smile.
"Eight tickets? Oh, for your friends! Of course. But, if you don't mind my asking, shouldn't you all be in school today?" he asked.
"We have permission from headmaster Ozpin," Amelia replied, handing him her scroll. "Feel free to verify if you like."
"Alright, everything checks out. Please, enjoy your trip," the young man said as he returned her scroll to her. He gave a slight wave, and the violet-haired girl smiled and nodded as she walked away.
"Well, he seems nice," Amber said, giggling slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amelia asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Well, do you like him?" Amber asked cheerfully. Amelia huffed, and she turned to face Amber.
"Firstly, it's none of your business how I feel about anyone. Secondly; even if I did have any feelings for him, which I certainly do not, it would never work between us. An heiress and a commoner would never work out. Does that answer any questions?" she drawled with a haughty turn of her heel.
"Yep, that's our princess," Penelope giggled, and Chris laughed behind her.
It took a little creative maneuvering to get Penelope's bulky wheelchair into the train car, but it took no time at all for everyone to get settled. The seats were lavish and plush, and felt like velvet under their fingers. Each seat had room for two people, and every two seats faced each other with a table between them. Penelope hoisted herself into a seat, but when Chris moved to pick it up for her, she raised her hand for him to stop. She reached out and pressed a button on the chair, and it quickly folded in on itself to roughly the size of an inner tube. He slid it under the table with his foot, then placed his massive bladed minigun on the shelf above the seats and sat beside her. Amelia and Night took seats on the opposite side of the table, and team ARCN sat across the aisle. Napier and Cole sat by the window, with Rust and Amber respectively sitting beside them. Cole set his hand on the table, and Amber set hers on top of his with a light blush. Cole smiled at her, and clasped his fingers around hers. The train started with a lurch, and slowly moved from the station and down the tracks.
The first hour of the trip was uneventful. Night had pulled out a deck of cards and was dealing a friendly game of poker among his teammates, while Cole stared out the window at the autumn leaves of Forever Fall. Napier had fallen asleep against Rust's arm, although the taller boy didn't seem to mind. And Amber had busied herself with her scroll, plugging in her headphones and watching the Achieve Men concert on FreeTube. Suddenly, a loud banging noise shook both teams out of their reverie, and the teammates glanced up.
"What was that?" Amber asked in a panic, pocketing her scroll quickly.
"I don't know, but it came from the roof," Napier replied.
"Let's check it out. Night, stay here. Protect Penelope and Cole, okay?" Chris barked in his commanding voice.
"Got it!" Night responded, and the group mobilized. After grabbing their weapons, team AARCN (Amber, Amelia, Rust, Chris, and Napier,) made their way to the door. They climbed up the ladder on the back of the car and stood on the roof, where a shirtless White Fang lieutenant directed a gaggle of Faunus rebels. He turned, and glared at the gathered crowd of huntsmen- and huntresses-in-training.
"Get them!" he shouted, and the terrorists charged.
Have you ever stuck your hand out the window of a car driving slightly over the speed limit on the highway? Imagine that, except the vehicle was going about twice as fast, and you were standing on the roof. This is the conundrum the friends had to contend with as they struggled to brave the harsh winds lashing at their clothing and hair while they fought off the Faunus insurgents. Amber and Chris were able to keep the line at bay by firing copious amounts of bullets into their midst, but when Chris's ammo feed ran dry and he had to reload, the terrorists breached their defenses. Amelia met the endless waves head-on, throwing punches and kicks into the group and sending a good dozen of them careening over the edge of the train car. However, one girl can only do so much against the seemingly endless waves of terrorists, and it wasn't long before they had forced her back. Rust took her place, swinging his Knochenbrecher every which way. The head connected on nearly every hit, sending insurgents crashing over the edge and to the ground with surprised screams. It started to look like they could turn the tide of the battle, when a train whistle bellowed over the din and another liner zoomed past on the adjacent track. About four dozen more terrorists leapt over the gap between the two moving trains, landing on the occupied vehicle with primal grace.
"They just keep coming! We can't win this!" Rust shouted over the noise.
"We won't have to!" Chris replied, pressing a button on his helmet.
"Get down on the ground! All of you!" the insurrectionist shouted as he kicked down the door. Cole made to climb out of his seat to confront the Faunus when he brandished a machine gun in his direction. Cole changed his mind rather quickly and obediently got to his knees, his hands above his head. He turned his gaze to Penelope, pointing his gun at her, and she rose her hands.
"Don't shoot! I can't walk!" she shouted.
"She's not lying," Cole added. The terrorist let out a reserved sigh and began looking around the room.
"You on the floor, don't move. You on the bench, you're welcome to try," he sneered through his mask before turning around. The sound of a shotgun cocking filled the crowded car, and he whipped his head around to try and find the source of the noise.
"What was that?" he demanded angrily.
"Probably the invisible cowboy behind you," Cole offered as his eyes flashed silver.
"Don't test me, smartass! Do you think this is a game!?" the terrorist shot back, raising his weapon before the sound of gunshots filled the room. He fell to the ground, his head encased in a fresh block of ice.
"Peekaboo," Night chuckled as he cocked his shotgun.
"Good shot!" Penelope cheered.
"Think you could do that before I have to kiss carpet next time?" Cole asked as he picked up the terrorist's gun. It was pretty standard, he figured out how to use and reload it in almost no time at all.
"Dramatic timing counts for something, Cole," Night replied with a shrug before placing his shotgun on his back. He drew two glowing pistols from his belt and held them up.
"Right. Let's secure the safety of everyone else aboard this train. Hopefully the others are having a lot more fun than we are."
"This is Chris Lucien of Beacon Academy, calling all nearby settlements! We are in need of assistance, send a huntsman immediately!" Chris shouted into his helmet.
"What are you doing?" Amelia yelled before getting knocked down by an incoming attack. Rust stopped her from falling off the roof with his hammer, hoisting her back up.
"Calling for backup! We can't win this on our own!" Chris replied, firing his gun as he kept yelling into the microphone. "This is Chris Lucien of Team Cyan from Beacon Academy! We are attempting to engage the White Fang on the roof of a moving train, but our team is down two personnel! Team Argon is also down a man, we need backup immediately! Send help to the Thyst Railway car number 647 inbound from Vale to Mystral!"
"Is it working?" Amber asked, knocking several Faunus back with a sweep of her halberd.
"We can only hope," Chris replied grimly as the enemy began to push them back.
Professor Ozpin sat in his office, listening to the frantic message on his scroll. When it came to a close, he pressed a button on his desk, and his voice boomed all over the school.
"Team Petal, please report to the headmaster's office immediately. You are excused from classes for an urgent assignment."
"Headmaster?" Professor Goodwitch asked as Ozpin picked up his scroll.
"Glynda, please instruct team Petal on the nature of their assignment," he said calmly. "I need to contact an old friend."
"Of course, sir," she replied, walking out of the room.
The comrades were on their last legs as it stood. The White Fang had pushed them back to the second last car of the train, in spite of their efforts to advance. Their numbers were too great, and the team realized it was only a matter of time before they were completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, a low whistling noise rose over the rumbling of the train. It grew louder in pitch and volume, until it drowned out the noise of the train completely. The combatants looked up simultaneously, and their gaze was greeted by a Bullhead breaking who-knows-how-many aerial speed limits and one or two laws of physics to catch up to the speeding train. The engines were absolutely screaming from the immense strain being placed on them. The small airship caught up, and the noise of the engines died down slightly as the hatch opened. Five figures stood inside the body of the vehicle, each poised to leap onto the train and take action. A tan boy with brown hair and a shaolin spade slung over his shoulder was the first to jump, followed by his blue-haired female associate. She was followed by a girl with a massive boomerang and short purple hair, then a dark-skinned girl with white hair and tiger ears. The last to make the leap was an older man in armor much resembling that of a roman centurion. The Bullhead pulled away, closing the hatch as it slowed down and faded into the distance.
"Professor Calix!" Amber shouted cheerfully as the huntsman made his approach.
"You know him?" Rust asked, completely bewildered as he tried to deflect an enemy blow.
"He was our teacher back at Lumina!" Amber replied excitedly. She was beside herself with joy to see her favorite teacher again.
"Good to see you, Amber," the man replied. His armor was made of a pale gold metal, bound with leather as rich red as the finest of wines. In his right hand he brandished a polished steel gladius, while his left arm bore a tower shield. "Alright Petal, let's show these punks why you don't mess with Beacon!"
Four White Fang soldiers guarded the room full of hostages. They were lightly armed, mainly keeping to swords and small weapons, except for one. He was privileged with carrying a large rifle, guarding the back entrance. Suddenly, the door slid open and a small Dust crystal rolled into the room. Confused, the guards approached the stone to investigate. One of them prodded it with the tip of his rifle, and it erupted into a miasma of light that blinded the soldiers. A hail of gunfire erupted from the car, and as the smoke cleared Cole and Night stepped over the unconscious terrorists.
"I take back everything bad I ever said about your semblance, Night," Cole said with a chuckle.
"You said bad things about my semblance?" Night replied, frowning worriedly.
"Of course not. So I guess I don't have to take anything back," Cole answered. He knelt over one of the trembling hostages. "Are you okay?"
"You need to help the others!" the pink-haired woman cried out. "They're trapped back there with those awful men!"
"Don't worry, you're safe now. We'll take care of this," Cole said with a reassuring smile before standing up. "We need to keep moving, there's more."
"Right," Night agreed, cocking his pistols for emphasis before the pair ran off. The door closed, and the pink-haired woman looked up with a malevolent chuckle. She carefully peeled off the blue contact lenses she was wearing, exposing her strawberry red eyes, and pulled off her hood. With a deft rub, the light layer of makeup covering her freckled cheeks and nose was gone. Her hair fell out around her in a pink waterfall, which she promptly bound in two pigtails as she stood up. She pocketed the indigo sweater she was wearing over her cherry red vest, and cleared her throat.
"Cole Anderson…" she mused in a light French accent. "This is going to be fun."
Meanwhile, on the roof of the train, the battle raged on. The newcomers were clearly adept warriors, under the guidance of their brown-haired leader. He was highly talented with his shaolin spade, knocking opponents backwards and over the edges of the train. His ridiculous amount of belts clattered against his tan shorts with nearly every movement he made, although the noise of the train almost drowned them out. The polished leather armor on his chest and upper arms was immaculate, shimmering brown in the sunlight with each movement he made. His companions were just as terrifyingly strong as he was. The girl with violet hair wielded a devastatingly huge boomerang, which she tossed around as though it weighed nothing. The breeze seemed to bend to her will, returning her favored weapon with haste and efficiency. She was clad in a light green long-sleeved shirt and a bright pink skirt that curled inwards as it reached her knees. It was like she was wearing an oversized tulip as a skirt. Her blue-haired companion wielded a chakram attached to a cable on her wrist. When she threw it, she could retract it with a graceful sweep of her hand and return to her palm. Her shoulder-length blue hair would sway as she whirled in perfect sync with her partner. She was always there to protect her teammate when she was defenseless, and read her motions with an unspoken analysis that Cole would be simply green with envy over. In short, the two had perfect combat harmony. The last member of the team was simply terrifying to watch in combat. She drew the pistol from her hip as several terrorists charged her, brandishing their weapons and yelling noisily. Her orange cloak fluttered in the wind as she stood in silence, watching, waiting. When the moment was opportune, CRACK! A swift lash of the whip concealed within the gun would send her opponents reeling. She was fearless, like a fearsome tigress watching her prey. She wore her snowy-white hair at her shoulders, contrasting vividly with her mocha skin. In combat her style was minimalist, moving only slightly to attack and letting the sheer length of the whip do the work for her. Her narrow green eyes were calculating, and her ears would occasionally twitch, as though they were listening for some unheard noise. This new team was certainly terrifying to watch, and more terrifying to stand in the way of.
"This is just like the warehouse, eh Lily?" the brown-haired boy yelled over the rush of wind, laughing as he batted enemies away with his spade.
"You and I remember the warehouse very differently!" the white-haired girl shouted back as her whip mercilessly sent opponents over the edge of the train. Suddenly, the sound of scraping metal was heard over the din, and a large Faunus with two bandoliers over his back stepped towards the group, dragging his swords on the roof behind him as he walked. His face was concealed by a large mask, signifying his high rank within the organization. Aside from the bandoliers he had nothing covering his roiling chest muscles, which glistened with sweat as he moved. Two large bovine horns protruded from the side of his head.
"It's been so long, you little runt," he snorted as he hefted his scimitars over his shoulders.
"Oh hey, it's… You!" the boy replied cheerfully, laughing.
"Me who?" the man growled.
"You from the… Ah hell, where was it again?" he asked aloud, snapping his fingers as he tried to remember.
"The lieutenant from the alley!" the girl with the moonshine-white hair yelled in frustration.
"Oh yeah! You're that guy! Didn't you have a shirt back then?" the boy replied, cocking his head. The lieutenant roared in frustration and swung both scimitars at him. He ducked the strike and rolled between his legs.
"Yeah, you definitely had a shirt back then," he said with a grin. The Faunus whirled, snorting with rage.
"Shut up and die already!" he screamed, his eyes glowing red under his mask. He swung his scimitars in a furious flurry of razor-sharp steel. The shock wave from his strikes left deep rents in the roof of the train he was standing on, reaching out several feet in front of him. But when the dust settled, his coffee-haired foe still stood. He had his spade held in front of him with both hands. He glared at the burly man with a look that can only be described as pure determination in his eyes.
"Why won't you just DIE!?" the tall man roared, slamming his foot down on the steel in his rage. With a forlorn groan, the metal gave way, and the lieutenant quickly sank to his armpits in jagged steel. He roared in a cross between pain and frustration, struggling futilely against his pit. The boy stood over him, his spade poised to finish him off.
"I will, trust me. But not like this. It won't be by your hand," he said with a stern expression. He connected the flat of his spade to the side of his head with a loud CRACK, and the man fell unconscious. His scimitars clattered off the edge of the train as his struggling hands fell limp.
"Looks like Edgar got in the hole," Rust said with a grin. Amber gave him a funny look, and he looked at his feet. "Inside joke, never mind."
"What's going on here?" Cole asked, completely bewildered as the terrorists hastily began retreating out the nearest something that could be considered an exit.
"I don't know, but are you complaining?" Night replied as he began to untie the hostages.
"If they're retreating, then that means something really bad is probably going to happen," Cole shot back as he began to analyze the train.
"Sir!" a short solider said to a tall fellow wearing black. "The device has been planted!"
"Good. We'll fall back for now," he replied with a nasty sneer at the heroes. "I doubt these idiots will know how to stop it."
"Idiots?" Rust cried with outrage, then stopped. Something about this guy seemed familiar, but he didn't have time to place it before Chris charged with his weapon. He brandished the gun like a greatsword, yelling as he crossed the roof of the train car. The man smirked and held his own sword aloft. The scabbard let out a soft click, and the red ninjato within ejected at insane velocity. The hilt collided with Chris's chest and sent him reeling. Before he could recover, the stranger had grabbed his blade and delivered a flurry of devastating slashes to his chest. His armor sparked meekly as he fell to his back.
"Who's next?" he asked as he sheathed his weapon. Nobody dared to take another step forwards. His eyes fell on Napier, and his mouth curled up in an unpleasant smirk. He darted towards her, appearing in a blink at her side.
"A shame we don't have more time to play, pup," he sneered at her as her hands began to tremble. "But next time we meet, I'll be sure to kill you."
"That's it! You're the guy from the club!" Rust cried out as he turned to face him, but the stranger was already gone. More than that, the roof of the train was all but deserted. The friends and companions all looked around frantically, trying to discern what had happened, when Cole's voice rang out from Amber's scroll.
"I don't mean to alarm anybody, but we have a bomb!" he shouted from Amber's pocket.
"A bomb? Are you sure?" Amelia hollered into the scroll as Amber pulled it out.
"I don't have all the information yet, but I'm positive! If it goes off, it'll be devastating for sure!" he replied.
"Ow! Why are you yelling?" Night's voice rose from the scroll.
"They're on the roof of a moving train, I have to yell," Cole retorted. "If you can't take it, go untie the hostages over there."
"Thank you Cole, we'll take care of it from here," Amber said into the device before tucking it back in her pocket. "So, who here knows how to disarm a bomb?"
"We can't disarm it unless we know where it is," Chris added as he climbed to his feet. His armor let off a volley of sparks as he tried to move, but he seemed unharmed.
"Maybe it's that big rectangular box over there," the girl with violet hair offered. She pointed her boomerang to what appeared to be a metal crate roughly two cars ahead of them. The group rushed to it. Upon closer observation, it did in fact have a timer and several wires jutting out of the device.
"This is either a bomb or a really awesome slow-cooker," the brown-eyed boy said.
"Can you disarm it, Lily?" the girl with blue hair pleaded. The snow-haired girl shook her head.
"The harmony is too well-balanced, I can't understand it. I'd just end up killing us all faster," she said forlornly.
"Well we have to do something!" Rust shouted frantically as the timer slowly ticked down. Every second was an agonizing eternity wrapped in an instant as it counted to midnight.
"Let me think…" Lily said with a pause, furrowing her brow.
00:20
"Whatever we're doing, we need to do it fast!" Rust demanded.
00:15
"Can we cut the wires?" Amber offered.
"Too dangerous, some of them could be decoys," Lily replied.
00:10
"Screw it!" Chris yelled as he pulled his sword off his back. He made four quick slashes in the steel the bomb was riveted to and replaced his sword. With a heave, he yanked the device from its resting place and held it aloft. He made to throw it, then detached his arm entirely. It flew from his body and behind the train in a hiss of steam, tumbling through the air before detonating harmlessly behind the train. The group stared back in shock, then looked to Chris.
"What? You weren't doing anything. I fixed it," he said impatiently. He hopped down through the hole in the roof and trudge back to his seat.
"Can I get one?" asked the brown-haired boy, referring to the mechanical arm.
"No," replied Lily curtly before hopping down into the hole after Chris.
