8
Contact/The First Strike/Reporting in
Destiny= Bungie
RWBY= Rooster Teeth
Let's do this.
/
"Sometimes...Cruelty is a necessity in warfare. To show an enemy weakness is to court death. There comes a time when you need to be a monster, when hatred becomes your greatest ally."- Xia Zhang, leader of Fireteam Emeici, teaching Kevin Holden the ways of a Hunter.
/
Kevin was not a morning person. If anything, had he the choice, he'd rather just sleep in. Too late though, he was awake. As he tried to move out of the bed, someone let out a small adorable purr and latched onto his arm. The Warlock, bemused but smiling sleepily, threw his arms around the young woman at his side. She seemed quite happy with the attempt to cuddle.
"It's time to wake up..."
"Mm...Five more minutes, Kevin. Please...?" The black haired young woman nuzzled against his neck. "I'm still a bit tired."
The Warlock was suddenly stunned because not only was he sleeping with someone but because he also recognized that voice, the black hair that was in his face and the two cat ears he was currently looking at in horror. He paled completely and let out a surprised yell...
And then...He woke up. He looked at the time and realized that it was 0430 in the morning.
"So..." Sparky said amused as he flashed into view in front of Kevin's rather red face. "I assume that dream was quite good?"
Kevin laid his head back on the pillow and groaned in embarrassment and sleepiness.
The Stormcaller eventually managed to get out of his room in a tired, sleepy state of affairs. By the time he was at the usual spot everyone was giving him a wide berth. Kevin put his tray down and wolfed down his breakfast. He had two mugs of coffee with him.
The lunch staffer was about to say something when her superior had walked over and shook his head. Some things were best left alone.
"Uh, you look like crap." Yang told Kevin who finished up his plate of breakfast.
"Frightening dreams." Kevin said quietly as he downed a mug of coffee.
"That's not what I know..." Sparky told him over the mental link.
"Fuck off Sparky."
"Morning guys!" John said cheerily as he slid into the seat next to Kevin with Hestia in tow. Both of them were positively glowing. Kevin glowered at them both and went back to glaring into his coffee cup.
"Well, someone's grumpy this morning." Hestia said.
There was a crackle of electricity as Kevin's hands sparked. "Not now, please." He muttered. He then downed the second cup of coffee before standing up. RWBY and JNPR watched with some concern as the Stormcaller nearly bumped into Cardin, cursing the larger boy who recoiled in fear.
"Well...That was something." Jaune commented. He noted the roll still sitting there on Kevin's tray. "Hey, is he gonna eat that?"
"Jaune." Pyrrha looked at him sternly.
John simply slid the tray in Jaune's direction. "Let him be guys." He said with a grin. "He'll be okay, Kevin has...sleeping problems."
"We can tell." Blake deadpanned as she read her book.
"Does he have to be so rude about it?" Weiss asked. "I mean, I didn't hear much about what he said to Cardin but...by Dust. The guy looks ready crap himself."
Ruby frowned. "Is he really okay John?"
John shrugged. "Time will tell, he's been through a lot when he first started out." He said. "I wouldn't ask him about his combat records. Even I don't know much about them." He didn't say anything but Kevin's solitude frustrated him as well.
Blake glanced at him as she closed her book. For Kevin to keep secrets from his brother, who he cherished very highly, that was surprising. "I have to go." She said suddenly.
"What? Why?" Yang asked.
"Just have to check something out."
/
Kevin washed his face in the bathroom. He let out a sigh as he realized who he was dreaming about. Why, he didn't know but it was creepy and embarrassing. And with a certain small, floating construct that had been by his side for many, many years he was going to have a tough time dealing with it.
By the Traveler's Light...He was messed up in the head. Kevin grabbed some paper towels and wiped off his face.
"Hey, Kevin? Are you alright?" Sparky asked.
"No. Obviously not. I'm dreaming about girls." Kevin answered.
"So what's wrong with that? Unless of course it was one of those dreams?"
"Do you think me so cold that I would forget Carla so easily?" Kevin asked Sparky, his thoughts turning dark.
"No. Of course not." Sparky answered gently. "But she always wanted the best for you."
"I failed her Sparky. I failed her and Hans." Kevin spoke quietly over their mental link.
"Whatever short life you tried to give them was happy." Sparky said. "That was what Carla told us when you held her in your arms. Did you forget? It was not your fault but you managed to bring the rest of her caravan to safety. That was why she loved you Kevin, because you refused to give up. You kept fighting."
Kevin lowered his head.
"You've never given up. So why should you now?"
Kevin tried to speak. "I have to think." He said to Sparky who did not reply but he did send his approval through the link. Kevin exited the bathroom.
"What do you have to think about?"
The Stormcaller nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see Blake staring at him, one of her eyebrows raised.
He stared at his feet awkwardly. "Sorry, I had a...disturbing dream last night. I didn't want to talk about it." He told her.
"Everyone was worried about you." Blake said, looking very concerned.
"Did John put you up to this?" Kevin asked.
"No, I came here to make sure you were okay." She answered him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay." Kevin nodded his head. "Just...freaked out is all."
"Sorry," Blake looked sheepish. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Kevin shook his head. He wanted to say more but then he realized who was looking at them. Yang, Ruby and the rest were looking from around the corner. John was there as well, grinning.
"So!" He asked. "Having a private moment?"
The look Kevin gave him could have killed a puppy.
/
Amity Coliseum, Skies of the Kingdom of Vale
Xia Zhang huffed as she promptly ignored the man hitting on her and proceeded to push him out of the way. She really didn't want to listen to him blather on and on.
"Fuck you then!" He called out in a reedy voice.
"No thanks!" Xia snarked back. "I'd rather not die from suffocation, neckbeard!" The sound of laughter and embarrassed sputtering sounded behind the Hunter, she had more important things. The fat bastard nearly spilled her popcorn for one thing. And the heavens would bleed if anything got in between Ivan Searle and his root beer.
She managed to find herself back in the stands, her teammates saving her a spot.
"What took you so long?" Nils asked as Xia plopped down in her seat and handed Ivan his root beer. The Warlock nodded in thanks and watched as the match began.
"Some asshole was in my way." Xia answered. "Who's fighting?"
"Uh...Emerald Sus-something and Mercury Black versus the chick with the shades and the tall dude with the huge sword." The Titan said, realizing that he should have paid more attention.
"Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black of Shade versus Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi of Beacon." Ivan corrected Nils. "These contests...are not very interesting unfortunately."
"Aww come on," Nils said. "Don't be such a spoil sport."
"I'm not. I'm being realistic. Most of these children are unskilled." Ivan retorted.
"Unskilled, but a lot of potential." Xia commented. "Now shut up and enjoy the matches will you?"
Nils shrugged while Ivan grumbled beneath his breath and leaned back in his chair.
"Sir Ivan, if I may...?" Amelia, his Ghost piped up. "You should look at the opposite side of the stadium. I'll highlight the section."
Ivan narrowed his eyes.
"What is it?" Xia asked, watching as Coco Adel tore up the forest with her purse-Gatling gun whatever the hell it was. Huh. Clever. She wished she could pack up a heavy machine gun into a neat purse.
"Amelia saw something...Ah, that's rather interesting." Ivan said. "I believe we have found your old student Xia."
Xia looked over to where Ivan was pointing. "I can confirm that Amelia has the right person." Sasha told her. "It's him, Xia."
The Hunter smiled. "Well, looks like we're about to finish our first objective gentlemen." She said. "Let's scoot."
Fireteam Emeici left the stands, even as the battle took a turn for the worst for Team CFVY.
/
"Well, fuck." Kevin said as Coco and Yatsuhashi were out of the game. He didn't know them too well but he had talked briefly with Velvet Scarlatina during the recovery period after Vale was breached in the last semester. She had spoken highly of her team, looking at her now she seemed disappointed. He had just left to go take a leak but ended up being delayed due to some old lady who was in need of some assistance since her useless son was doing nothing to help her.
He went over to Ruby. "The hell happened?"
"I...well, Coco and Yatsuhashi started acting weird all of a sudden." She looked confused too.
Kevin looked over at John who gave him a hand signal. He never did that unless he had something that needed a discreet approach. The Warlock nodded slowly to both Hestia and John. The Sunsinger then returned to his usual cheery self. "So..." He said. "What took ya Kevin?"
"Old lady needed help getting back to her family." Kevin answered. "It wasn't much but Madame Cerise was apparently quite the painter back in the day."
"Ah..." John nodded.
The group left the coliseum. As John chattered with Ruby and Yang, Kevin was...apprehensive for some reason. John was usually cheerful. To see him look so serious was...disturbing. That meant he saw something horrible or he needed something dead. Knowing his luck, Kevin bet it was probably going to be both. Which would be fine...
"Well, well...The prodigal son. I didn't think that you were still alive. Last time I saw you we were up to our necks in the shit with those raiders."
The voice, rough but female, came from the left side.
Kevin, John and Hestia stopped as they saw a woman with black hair and brown eyes walk up to them. Wearing a faded grey jacket over a black blouse and a long dress skirt, she was quite a lovely sight...had her smile looked less predatory. Despite her childlike frame and features, she had a formidable aura of strength. Her eyes showed that she was older than she looked.
"What the fuck..." Kevin said, surprised. "Zhang? Is that you?"
"In the flesh." Zhang smiled. "It's been years, sonny. You never contacted me after you were reassigned."
"Let me guess, you tracked us down too?" Kevin asked.
"It was Zavala's idea to send the troops." Xia said. "A frigate plus thirty of our finest guns and blades. That was the amount of resources sent from the Tower."
Everyone else didn't seem to understand what was going on.
"Kevin, what's she talking about?" Yang asked.
Before Kevin could answer Zhang snarked. "None of your business Blondie, just two old friends talking."
Yang's eyes burned slightly red at the brush off. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, kid. Buzz off." Zhang's tone got colder.
"Xia Zhang," John said before there was an altercation. "I'll be damned. Is it that bad that they had to send Emeici after us?"
"Nah, old Commander Gein wanted the best so he had us go here to find ya, Ifrit." Xia Zhang grinned.
"Ifrit?" Ruby asked curiously.
"A nickname." John said dismissively. "Listen, guys. We need to talk to Miss Zhang here so we'll meet up back at Beacon alright?"
"But..." Ruby started.
"Hey, come on." John said smiling. "Like she said, Xia's an old friend. We just need to catch up."
/
"What's up with the kids, eh?" Xia asked Kevin who shrugged.
"They're...my classmates. Yeah I got shanghaied into getting enrolled."
Xia let out a wolfish laugh as she tilted her head back. "Only you, Holden, could get into such weird shit. I can only wonder what's next."
Kevin shook his head but he smiled. His old mentor was the same cantankerous harpy she was known to be. But those who had been taken under her wing knew her to be a reassuring presence, a veteran Guardian who took teaching the newbies very seriously.
"We've...already gotten into several incidents." Kevin answered calmly. "So...I heard that you're under the command of Edgar Gein?"
"Yep, the Half-Mad himself." Xia grinned. "He's the acting ground commander of Task Force Endeavor. Our first objective was to find you three and see if you guys are alive and kicking."
"Well, we are." Sparky said. "So what do we have to do now?"
"Well, Sparky! I'll be damned! Still sporting that nice little shell aren't you?" Xia said grinning cheekily.
"Ah... Well." The Ghost seemed speechless, he was currently sporting a Competitive Shell. Xia had once said that she was rather fond of the blue and green exterior. "Thank you, Xia."
"Aww..." Martellus snarked.
"Shut up, Marty!" Sparky replied.
Xia laughed as she watched the Ghosts argue. She then turned to her former student. "It's really good to see you out and about again, kid. I was worried that you'd be stony faced forever."
Kevin shrugged nonchalantly.
"He's always going to be like that...if it weren't for two certain girls he likes to chat with." Hestia spoke up suddenly.
Xia Zhang's face nearly split in two from the wide grin he was giving Kevin, who had reddened considerably. The Warlock glared at John who was wearing a similar grin and Hestia, who was mildly amused.
"What's this?" Xia asked. "My little stony faced student has a crush on two girls?"
"Look, just because I'm close to Blake and Yang-" Kevin started.
"And he knows them by first name too!?" Xia cackled. "Now this, this is comedy!"
"Leave the kid alone already, he looks like he's about to burst."
They turned to see Nils Tsardikos and Ivan Searle waiting for Xia. "Holden!" Nils spoke up, looking the same as he ever was...built like a tank. Ivan merely nodded in Kevin's direction. Kevin knew Ivan by name and reputation but this was his first time seeing the young Warlock in the flesh. He was pulling on the sleeve on his left arm, which was a prosthetic.
Kevin didn't pay it any mind. Some Guardians were unfortunately maimed in similar fashion and thus the City's finest doctors and healers worked constantly to create the finest prosthetic limbs for those who had need of them. Their greatest achievement was to be able to quickly create replacement organs, a concept known as 'flash cloning' to the general public.
The one responsible for perfecting the technique, Wilmarina Rush, was applauded for her contributions to the Vanguard. After her death, she was interred within the City's Hall of Heroes.
"So what was this I hear about Holden having a crush?" Nils grinned at Xia before looking at Kevin. "You need any advice kid?"
The Stormcaller rolled his eyes. Nils was the backbone of Emeici. Kevin thought of him as another older brother.
"He might need it since he never listens to mine." John shook his head with a fake expression of disappointment.
"You guys are awful." Hestia chuckled.
In that moment, they showed just what it meant to be a Guardian. They weren't just warriors who wielded the Traveler's Light, they were brothers and sisters in arms. No amount of distance could diminish the bond they shared. For the Guardians, you made your own family.
/
Beacon Academy
"I can't watch!" Ruby whimpered as she closed her eyes.
"Really!? He did that to his own brother!?" Weiss exclaimed. "What a monster!"
"Oh come on!" John rolled his eyes. "How could the both of you not see this coming from a mile away!?"
Kevin held his controller. "Great. Final boss fight. Here we go." He said. "Yang, you better be right about that rock being important."
"I am! Suzerain's Damage buffs should be negated if you have the rock in your inventory." Yang told him. "See? If that hit you without the rock, that attack would have totally killed you."
Kevin dropped the controller as Suzerain the Mighty just cut his head off with a back swing. "Still did Yang!" He glowered at Yang, who was laughing her head off.
"This game is scary." Ruby said.
"This game is hard." Kevin tried again. "Welp, whatever. I've still got about six hours until I curl up into a ball and cry."
Hestia cleared her throat and tried hard not to laugh. Blake hid her smile behind her book.
"What's your HP at anyway?" Yang asked wiping a tear from her eye.
"I don't know! Like, forty? You told me forty was optimal!" Kevin grit his teeth. "Goddamn backswing nearly killed me again!"
"Forty." Yang said. "I really should have said fifty." She stuck her tongue out. "Sorry!"
"Well, that's...helpful." Kevin muttered, mashing buttons. He watched as he was dead again. "Oh come on! What was I getting stuck on!?"
"You clipped into the wall and died." John said looking bored. "Can we play something else now?"
Kevin let out a low expletive. "Yeah, sure. Let's do that before I lose my mind."
They ended up playing another game, a more casual racing game. Except for the fact that they had to navigate obstacles. John proved himself to be a savant with the damn game, so much so that Kevin stopped playing. He couldn't understand how John did it.
"Well!" Yang said cheerfully as she and Kevin went to empty out the trashcans before they headed back up to clean the room. "That was fun!"
"Yeah." Kevin nodded as he tossed the full garbage bag into the dumpster. "Hmm, so you and Weiss are fighting tomorrow. Good luck."
"We are so ready! It's all thanks to your help." Yang's smiled was very wide. "Thanks by the way."
"It's...no trouble. You asked for help." Kevin said.
"You're way too modest for your own good." Yang shook her head. "Well...Weiss isn't here to thank you so." She did something brazen and walked up to Kevin suddenly kissing his cheek. "Thanks again!" She cheerfully waved at him casually and walked back to the room.
Kevin held his cheek, blinking in some confusion. His face was slightly red.
"Oh, I am totally not letting you live this down." Sparky said appearing at the side of Kevin's head.
"One word Sparky, and I swear you won't like what happens next." Kevin muttered. He decided to head back to the dorm and sleep. Strangely enough, he felt very nervous about tomorrow. "Martellus, Jingles. You guys say anything and I swear to the Traveler I'll send you into orbit!"
Both Ghosts, knowing they were caught, went back to John's room chastised.
Yep. Tomorrow was going to suck and he knew it.
/
Amity Coliseum.
"This is Emeici One to Guiding Light, I'm reporting in." Xia muttered at her Scroll as Ivan watched the match, some girl with ginger hair was making gestures in the air. She was apparently manipulating swords attached to strings. The two boys she was fighting against weren't going to last the entire match. Nils was busy buying food for them. Sitting in a private section of the stadium there was no chance to be overheard.
"Roger, Emeici One, I'm patching you to Commander Gein." The Ops center personnel were quick on the point. Soon enough Xia was looking into the Blind Jackal Mask that Edgar preferred to wear.
"Xia. Good to see you." Edgar spoke on screen. "You had a report?"
"First objective is complete sir. We've made contact with Jackknife."
"Excellent. Well, have you given them the time and place to contact us?" Edgar asked.
"I'm going to send someone to do that sir, although it seems that Kevin Holden has been shanghaied into becoming a student at Beacon." Xia said grinning. "Strange I know."
"His luck is legendary." Edgar deadpanned. "Still, excellent job nonetheless. We've been hitting the White Fang with some probing strikes. Nothing more, nothing less. In the meantime, I would like you to give Kevin Holden my regards. I am sending him some packages from the Tower that require his attention, they were sitting in circulation for quite some time."
"His ship was smashed, sir. But I'll make sure to tell him that." Xia said. "You should come up to enjoy the festivities, the food's nice. And the cultures here are interesting. Did you know Mistral is home to a lot of shady folks?"
"Ah...perhaps I should. Some other time perhaps. I have much to oversee." Edgar said. "I will be signing off now, continue your observations and if things...turn excitable, you have my full blessings to do what you must."
Xia smiled. "As you command sir."
"Good luck Emeici."
"So," Ivan said. "What are our orders?"
"Observe. Anything happens we shoot the shit out of everything that's hostile." Xia answered, she looked around. "What the fuck is taking Nils so long?"
/
"That's ten Lien buddy."
Nils forked over the money before taking the tray of food. "Thanks buddy, if you were any slower I'd have died of old age." Nils smiled. "I'll be sure to complain to the management."
The man behind the counter scowled.
Asshole. Nils thought as he walked up to find his Fireteam.
"What took you so long?" Xia asked.
"Dumbass got our orders wrong. He got sassy with me so I threatened to cave his skull in." Nils said. "Here, your root beer." He tossed it at Ivan.
The Warlock muttered something in Russian.
"Hey, screw you too buddy." Nils snarked back.
"No thank you, suka. I'd rather not." Ivan twisted the bottle cap off.
"Enough, children." Xia admonished them sarcastically. "Let's just watch the next match."
As it stood, it was Blondie and the prissy looking white haired girl from Beacon and two others. One of them was a cat girl wearing brightly themed colors. It was enough to nearly give Xia a seizure. If Keina had been here she would have been squeeing.
The other was a well dressed male with dark skin. He was holding a trumpet, which was a strange choice for a weapon. Xia frowned. Really? A trumpet. She hoped that Blondie would beat his head in for choosing a wrong weapon. At least the girl with the seizure inducing colors had nun chucks...used in conjunction with rollerblades.
"I assume that we should not judge a book by its cover." Ivan said looking unsure.
"Hey, you know what? An ass kicking is an ass kicking. I don't care about which side is on the receiving end." Xia grumbled as she ate her popcorn.
"If someone finds out how to turn a trumpet into a weapon," Nils said. "I will be mightily impressed."
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the stadium.
"I thought Atlas was supposed to be all disciplined." John wondered as he furrowed his brow looking confused. "One of them looks like he's from a jazz club. The girl looks like a rave party on steroids and wheels."
"I give up." Kevin answered and just shrugged his shoulders. "I've seen strange shit, this just takes the cake."
Hestia didn't say anything. "I do like that girl's highlights though." She spoke up suddenly. "I want to ask her how she does it."
"What, thinking about changing your hair color?" John asked raising an eyebrow even as Ruby and Blake looked at the Titan curiously.
"Mm...Maybe I should try red for a few." Hestia smiled. "You always did say that I looked good in red."
"Ah." John nodded sagely. Then he grinned. "Yes, you do."
"Yeah, okay. Get a room you two." Kevin looked uncomfortable.
Ruby giggled as Blake watched with some amusement before turning to watch Yang and Weiss get ready for the fight. "Good luck you two." She whispered.
/
Isolated White Fang staging area, Vale Wilderness, Dust Quarry 33
Keina Duvall smiled underneath her helmet as she kept the crosshairs of her sniper rifle on the sentry's head. The Stillpiercer was a custom made, marksman's weapon made by the Gunsmith Banshee-44. Steady, with a full electronic suite for reconnaissance it was one of Keina's favorite weapons. She had reaped a terrible toll on the forces of darkness with this weapon. On the new frontier of Remnant, she hoped it would reap even more.
The Hunter's grin grew wider as she saw the White Fang sentry yawn and lean back on his chair. Situated on a low rise overlooking the quarry, Keina was the lead scout for the operation they were about to begin. Edgar and Loki were nearby. Wallachia, Bloodhound and Furor were waiting for the order to move in.
"Knight-One, I'm just sitting pretty over here~" Keina complained over the COMs. "Can we get started already?"
"Two, I would like to ask you to be patient. Wallachia has the tank ready and we're just about to begin."
When Task Force Endeavor was sent out into the stars, they had been given some vehicles ranging from Sparrows to Heavy Pikes. A scavenged Cabal Goliath Tank was something nobody expected. They were particularly large tanks and many Guardians could respect its firepower and armor. To be able to drive one was an exciting prospect.
They were now using a Goliath Tank as a show of force.
"Commander, this is Wallachia." Wallachia's Fireteam leader sounded excited. "Goliath is operational and ready to deploy on your command."
"Solid copy, Wallachia. Hit the gate. Bloodhound, Furor since you're all on the Pikes I want you protecting the tank. Anything that has a rocket launcher aimed at that Goliath I want it dead."
"Bloodhound Copies, spooling up engines now."
"Furor copies, Commander. We are locked, stocked and ready to go."
Keina grinned. She loved this part.
"Keina, Loki and Zeus are on their way." Her Ghost, Blue, spoke up. "Edgar's with them too."
"Are they coming to watch the fireworks?" Keina asked.
"Yes."
"Excellent."
/
Sharpe Crimson wasn't exactly enthused about sentry duty. Other than Grimm nobody was out and about in the Vale wilderness. All they had to worry about were Huntsmen from Vale. If they were out here. If they knew what the White Fang was planning.
He heard some kind of noise and the rat Faunus stood up and got on his radio. He was the one keeping watch over the gate. "Hey, this is Crimson in the gate house. I might have something..." He said, holding up his scoped rifle. Shit. It was either Grimm or something else.
"What's going on Crimson?" An annoyed voice sounded. "Are you sleeping on the job again?"
"No!" Sharpe exclaimed annoyed. "There's-"
The Plasma Blast from the Goliath's main cannon smashed into the gate house he was standing in. Sharpe Crimson didn't even get a chance to scream as he was immolated by a Goliath Tank. First blood went to Fireteam Wallachia.
Nobody expected it.
The White Fang group who were holding the Dust quarry did not expect a massive metal behemoth crunching through what was left the gate. They fired at the damned thing with whatever they had, the Faunus insurgents fighting valiantly. But those inside the tank did not care about the small arms fire pinging off their tank's formidable armor.
The Guardians controlling the tank returned fire with pintle mounted Solar heavy machine guns that shredded anyone in front of the tank. The White Fang commander tried to rally his troops even as the tank reaped its toll in his men and women, those who were lucky died instantly. Most were on the ground in helpless heaps screaming and trying to find lost body parts.
A squad of infantry tried to flank, only to end up vaporized as Fireteams Furor and Bloodhound rushed into the compound on Pikes and Heavy Pikes, the Fallen used these single seat hover craft to harass enemies and go on patrols. Their shock cannons were extremely deadly to unsupported infantry. With the House of Wolves broken up many of their Pikes ended up in the Vanguard's hands as eager Guardian teams "requisitioned" them for use.
On the ridge overlooking the compound Edgar Gein watched with satisfaction as a potent amount of his Guardians' strength was unleashed upon the White Fang insurgents. Sometimes you had to forgo trickery and take on your enemies head on.
Because fuck subtlety.
The chatter over the Fireteams' frequency was collected.
"Traverse left, gunner! Eighty degrees! I want that autocannon done with!"
"Wallachia One, this is Furor Two. RPG on your right flank has been taken out, moving to alternate position. Over."
"Roger Furor Two, thanks for the assist. Over."
"Wallachia this is Bloodhound Three, can I get an assist over? I'm getting peppered by small arms fire on the left side of the quarry. Yep, I think they're snipers up on the walls."
"Wallachia One copies. Gunner, put a blast in that section of the wall. Clear out those snipers!"
Edgar winced slightly as he heard a loud explosion. He turned down the volume a bit.
"Commander, this is Furor One. All outside forces have been eliminated. Three thinks that he saw some of them enter the mine."
Edgar nodded his head to Keina. "I understand. Secure the area Furor, Knight will hunt them down."
He signed off and switched to his Fireteam frequency. "Knight, let's go. Prepare for close quarters combat."
"Affirmative." Loki-99 pumped his shotgun once. The EXO Titan's visage was hidden behind his Duskrender Helmet. Known for being a calm, collected warrior whose service as a Guardian culminated in personally slaying Skolas, the Kell of Kells Loki was a Striker. Close Quarters combat was his specialty, as his devastating Arc Abilities were capable of defeating many foes.
Keina bobbed her head in agreement, "Let's get this done!" She exclaimed excitably. She was a woman of contrasts. Extremely girly, Keina was cheerful and talkative, a very social person who enjoyed interacting with others. On the other side she was ruthless, bearing the alias 'The Butcher' in Cabal lexicon. As a Nightstalker she was a supportive teammate who could pin down enemies with a single shot from her Void bow. That did not mean that she was less bloodthirsty.
Edgar was a Voidwalker, a Warlock whose powers balanced between godhood and madness. He focused on the complete destruction of his enemies, destroying them with massive amounts of Void explosions. Known for his unsubtle, pragmatic tactics many Guardians called him the Half Mad Sorcerer. Edgar was a veteran Guardian, he had seen it all. Some say that the innumerable threats to Humanity and the constant fighting have changed him for the worse.
He would like to say that they were wrong.
/
This was rather insulting.
The White Fang swordsman tried to ambush Edgar as he turned the corner, waving a short sword about. Edgar grabbed the man's wrist, shoving his Conviction II sidearm into his gut and firing three times. He let the dying man slump to the floor, gasping for air and mercy he would not receive.
Edgar holstered his sidearm and switched to the Bad Juju without a second glance.
The mines were dark, Fireteam Knight let their Ghosts shine their lights. It seemed that the White Fang thrived in the darkness but to those who had faced such terrors in the long night this battle seemed...Trivial. Pointless.
Edgar hated to say it but he was bored. He had seen Dregs put up a better fight than these insurgents. But charge they did. At least they had spirit unlike the Dregs which often retreated when things got hairy.
"This is so silly." Keina said as she loaded the last shell into her Strongbow shotgun. "I wish they'd just surrender their skulls."
"They are fanatical in their beliefs." Loki stated over the comms, a steady crack-crack-crack from his rifle caused some static. "I would be very cautious if they decide to blow the tunnels to trap us in here."
"Clever but..." Edgar stopped talking for a moment to put a burst of rifle fire into someone who had just peaked out his head. Two more insurgents succumbed to Bad Juju. The weapon's green flames seemed to flicker, hungrily as though it wanted more blood. Edgar stopped in the final chamber and saw the White Fang leader holding his sword aloft. "Futile."
Keina raised her shotgun but was stopped when Edgar pushed the barrel down. The Warlock made the approach.
"I'm not gonna die here." The White Fang leader muttered. His hands were trembling.
"You probably are." Edgar said shrugging his shoulders. "But you could live provided you surrender your weapon to me."
"Hah. I've heard that before." The leader spat. "You think I'm gonna surrender to you, human? After what you've done to my people?"
"As far as I know, you fired the first shots." Edgar answered mag-locking Bad Juju to his back. "And what about those who have had nothing to do with your war? What reason do you have to put these innocents to the blade?"
"My father lost everything he had and killed himself because he was a Faunus." The leader snarled. "My mother worked herself to the bone to keep a roof over my family's heads. If the humans don't want to listen to us, then we will make them listen."
"Ah..." Edgar nodded, smiling underneath his helmet. "An uncivilized revolution. Funny. In order to defeat tyrants you would become tyrants. An admirable, if ironic, sentiment."
The White Fang leader flinched as Edgar let out a chilling laugh. "Fine." He said. "I'll oblige you. Let's set our roles. You be the hero. And let me be...the monster you wish to slay."
Edgar opened his arms invitingly. "Come on. Let's do this. Show me your conviction."
The White Fang leader gulped and raised his sword as Edgar's fists clenched. The Warlock tilted his jackal shaped mask as the Faunus charged him.
Edgar stepped aside from a sword thrust meant to punch through his chest. He grabbed the Faunus's wrist and punched him in the head. Staggering backwards his opponent reeled from the blow. The Faunus looked Edgar in the eye as the Warlock kept moving forward, now holding a sword in one hand.
Edgar blurred into motion, slamming the Dark Drinker into the Faunus's guard.
"Guh!" The White Fang grunted as he tried to push the sword away. It was a massive, curved blade made for chopping. The weapon seemed to burn with an ethereal purple flame.
Edgar raised the blade again and smashed aside the White Fang's sword. He brought his sword up and promptly beheaded his opponent. Edgar watched the head roll into the darkness just as the body flopped over. The Warlock sighed as he leaned Dark Drinker on his shoulder.
"Keina, alert Furor One that the operation is a success. I will prepare another report for Captain Nelson within the hour." He looked over at her. "Let me pay him his dues and send him on his way."
"I got it." Keina gave a little salute and hurried to find Loki to ask if he found anything interesting.
The entire operation lasted an hour. But its effects would soon ripple across the White Fang organization as survivors escaped to more friendly secret bases.
/
White Fang HQ, undisclosed location
"What do you mean Carmine and his group got wiped out?" Adam Taurus swore angrily as the report came in. "They were the ones who were supposed to be transporting more of the weaponry we needed into position!"
The Bloody Beast closed down his scroll before the subordinate could even think about making an explanation as he sat in his chair. This base was far more heavily defended but the news that had just reached his ears made it seem pointless. Great. Now he had to deal with a very powerful armed force that had no qualms with wiping out the organization's cells in open combat, and with a gigantic hover tank no less. Usually Vale's Huntsmen would not go too far with doling out justice to the White Fang as it would tarnish their reputation with the public. The Great War had shown the world just how easy it is to go down a very dark path. The millions who slept beneath ancient battlefields were the result of such a path.
Now here was a similar group with no qualms about killing off the White Fang and forgoing any notion of peaceful intentions. Leone Grey, one of his foremost agents in the field, had been shaken up badly. Adam did not tolerate failure but he had managed to get some info out of the young woman. The man leading them, she had said, was nothing short of a madman who thought that the White Fang needed to be 'erased from existence'. He was an intimidating figure in dark robes, wearing a Jackal Mask and wielding a weapon that burned with green flame.
That was not how things in Remnant went, Adam had noticed. That kind of sentiment hearkened back to the wars that had plagued Remnant in the past. Someone with such a mindset was very dangerous, unlike the soft hearted Huntsmen he had dealt with before. It reminded Adam of himself, strangely enough.
He looked at his Scroll. Now he was going to have to explain to Cinder Fall what had just happened to a large number of his-her troops. She was going to be upset but damn, at least it would put her down a peg.
It would make this day a little less worse at the least...
/
Amity Coliseum
Yang kept her fists up, knowing she was at a numerical disadvantage. Weiss was out of the game. She exhaled. Normally she'd be on the offensive but Kevin had been teaching her that not every battle could be won by meeting it head on. Sometimes, a little guile was needed. She learned the hard way during her spars because John had the bright idea of sending Ruby and Blake at the same time right at her.
Sometimes it'd be either John and Kevin, or John and Hestia. She could still feel the bruises.
"Don't worry about her Flynt." Neon Katt chuckled. "She's easy if a bit annoying."
That did it.
/
"Well." Kevin said as he watched Yang send Flynt flying into the barrier with one angry punch. "I did say that she could just let loose and go berserk on them."
"So all that strategizing was for nothing then?" Blake asked.
"I didn't say that my tips were the only option." Kevin sheepishly answered blithely. "But hey, whatever is effective and makes you win a fight."
"How would you have won that fight then?" Ruby asked.
"I'd shoot them first." Kevin answered.
"Quickdraw McGraw." John smirked. "Am I right?"
"Fire first, fire last." Kevin nodded.
The match ended with Yang utterly dominating the field. She didn't bask in the attention though, instead quickly rushing over to where Weiss was. The heiress had been knocked out of the fighting pretty early but she was fine. Even with the concussion.
RWBY and Jackknife went to check up on her in the clinic.
"My ears are still ringing." Weiss said hoarsely as wincing as Yang laughed.
"You still got some good hits in." She told the heiress.
"Comrade, your sacrifice to the Motherland is appreciated." John said in a stereotypical Commissar tone. He laughed when everyone looked at him strangely. "Ha, that was bad." He grinned at the heiress. "But you did try to take Flynt down with you."
"I actually was trying to do exactly that." Weiss said, coughing before Ruby passed her a glass of water. "I guess I won't be singing too much then."
"Damn. No karaoke this weekend." Hestia complained. They all laughed at that.
Kevin heard his Scroll go off.
"Yeah, I'll be out guys." Kevin said. "Something...just came up."
John gave him a grin and continued chatting with the heiress. Unknown to all of them, Blake had slipped after Kevin who was looking at his Scroll with a confused expression. Kevin stopped at one of the many restrooms that littered the academy. Blake leaned against the wall and tried to look casual, hopefully out of sight.
Standing there was Ivan Searle.
/
"Ivan?" Kevin asked as he walked out of the clinic to go use the restroom. The other Warlock looked...uncomfortable even though there weren't much people out and about near the clinic. Maybe it was the prosthetic giving him uncomfortable memories. "What do you need?"
"The Commander wants Jackknife to contact him at exactly 2000 hours tonight." Ivan told him. His cold amber eyes were staring directly into the Stormcaller's own. "He also says that you have several packages from the Vanguard and Postmaster that you have yet to pick up."
Ah, shit. Kevin scratched his head embarrassed. He couldn't check his inventory yet because of his smashed ship but that still didn't excuse him for being lax. "Yeah, okay. Thanks I'll pass the message to John." Strangely he felt giddy. If the Guardian task force had a way to communicate with the Tower maybe he was getting some new goodies.
Ivan looked to the side uncomfortable. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
From the shadows, Blake stepped out of the side. She had followed Kevin who looked rather cautious now.
"Sorry, I was heading out too." Blake didn't sound too convinced of her answer. Ivan turned to look at Kevin expectantly, the message was clear. Awkward questions were incoming. The other Warlock simply brushed past Blake who scowled at his sudden rudeness.
"What is it Blake?" Kevin asked patiently. He wasn't going to bother apologizing for Ivan. No point in doing so since he was on Xia's team. That and he was rather...reclusive.
"What was he talking about?" Blake asked looking very concerned about something. "Who's this commander?"
"It's nothing." Kevin answered blithely.
"Nothing?" Blake didn't look too happy. "You both have been very secretive about your old friend. Who are you, really Kevin? What are all three of you hiding from us?"
Kevin sighed. This was going to be complicated. Extremely so. First it was General Ironwood being nosy, now Blake was asking questions. Questions that had very dangerous answers, enough to damn someone. Was he overreacting? Maybe. But this conversation was supposed to come later rather than sooner. He made a decision and he'd have to tell John what he was going to say to Blake.
"I'm just...Kevin." He answered, wincing now as Blake's eyes narrowed. "Your classmate. That's all there is." The Warlock shook his head. "Look-"
"If you're waiting for an opportune moment to do something or hurt anyone..." Blake threatened to raise her voice.
"I'm not going to hurt anyone." Kevin said calmly. "So don't insinuate that I am." The Warlock exhaled through his nose patiently.
"I will tell you this however, I'm on your side. John and Hestia are too so I must ask you a favor, since you are the most trustworthy person I've ever met."
Blake felt her cheeks redden slightly before she shook her head. Now was not the time.
"I suppose this was a long time coming. I will call for you when the time is right." Kevin said quietly. "Come alone." He then turned around and left suddenly. He didn't react when Blake called for him. She suddenly felt very nervous. She might have gone a bit too far this time. What was she going to find out about Jackknife?
And why did Kevin think she could keep a secret?
/
Later that night...
"Guiding Light Command, this is Jackknife One. I am repeating authorization code Hotel, Juliette, Kilo." John spoke into the Scroll's built in microphone. The command frequency had been spliced into the machine by the Ghosts and soon enough the screen flashed and the masked face of Commander Edgar Gein appeared.
"Greetings, Jackknife." Edgar spoke, his voice muffled by his Blind Jackal Mask. "It is good to see that you are all unharmed."
"A bit sore but yeah, we're operational." John looked at Hestia and winked. The Titan elbowed him in the side while Kevin looked at them both as though they had sprouted two heads.
Edgar chuckled. "Yes, of course." The commander then changed gears. "Make your report, Fireteam leader."
"Our objective was to find and secure Kevin Holden." John spoke seriously this time. "In case he had been captured or fallen in battle. He has instead been...coerced, or asked, to join Beacon Academy as a Huntsman in training. Remnant uses these schools to train their armed forces in combat against the Grimm."
"This has been confirmed by Fireteam Emeici's reports." Edgar said. "And your encounters with the White Fang?"
"Minimal." John said. "But we have been winning. They tried to breach Vale by using the Grimm."
Edgar nodded. "I see. We've also been probing their strength with some preliminary strikes. We raided a location with a Goliath Tank, it seemed quite heavily defended."
The fact that Edgar Gein had a Goliath Tank under his command was not lost on Jackknife. The fact that he would use it openly was also not a surprise. Still, if they did hit a White Fang operation out where they were then things might be getting hairy for Vale soon.
"So, what's the plan?" Kevin asked. "All we know on this side is that the White Fang are planning something for Vale. And that they are under someone else's pay roll."
"We prepare." Edgar told him. "And if things do erupt into chaos I have a full company of Dead Orbit Marines on call, and the rest of the Fireteams at my disposal. Emeici is already on station with you yes?"
"Yes sir." John answered.
"Then load your guns and sharpen your blades. Prepare for an imminent assault on Vale." Edgar said. "When that has been repulsed, and it will be, leave Beacon Academy and report to Firebase Guiding Light. Whatever the White Fang is planning it must be stopped."
The commander looked each of them in the eye. "And if by some unfortunate chance, the Darkness comes to this planet we may all be the only ones capable of stopping it."
Jackknife glanced at each other but they knew the stakes. The only thing they had to do was keep their guns close.
The Long Dark was coming soon. John knew that. He just hoped that he had the strength to hold his teammates together. The Sunsinger swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and smiled. Yes, he did have that strength. This was what he was born to do.
For Hestia, this was what she was trained for. As a Titan she had an obligation to protect all that fell beneath her shadow. She would do whatever it takes to keep the two brothers in her team safe. They were her family.
Kevin's thoughts turned melancholy but as he returned to his dormitory he asked Sparky to recheck his inventory now that a small connection to the Tower existed. As his hacked Scroll lit up with the list of his weapons he made damn sure that each one was locked, stocked and ready to go.
He then quietly sat down on the floor to meditate. A killer had no need for distractions, even when Ruby and the others called him on his Scroll, he was far too busy cleaning his weapons.
The Stormcaller was done by the time the sun rose.