RWBY is property of Roosterteeth! I only own my characters.

CHAPTER 13

"Admiral, you see anything from up there?" Sven asked, staring at the half-dozen EDC ships floating in the sky above the city, the Maw being the most prominent.

"Negative." Dietrich responded. "Looks like our Order friends turned tail and decided to hide."

"Thanks. Keep an eye out in case they decide to show up again."

"Copy that. I've got the sensors running overtime." Sven switched his radio off and turned towards his two fellow Guardians. Rei sat along a set of rubble-covered stairs, while Sam worked along a group of EDC engineers on putting the finishing touches on his gateway.

"How's it coming?" the Reaper asked the construction team as he walked over, broken glass crunching underneath his feet. Sam looked up from a tactical pad plugged into the device.

"We should be ready to open it up for the first time." the Guardian engineer reported. "If we had more time, I'd run more tests... but..."

"We don't exactly have the time for that." Rei finished, joining in the conversation. "So how are we going to do this?"

"We're only going to open the gateway on a small scale first, should minimize damage if anything goes wrong. Once we've got a stable portal, we can send a small group through with this." Sam held up a small circular device. "Whoever we send through will have this beacon, which will act as a way for the gateway to home in when we open it next time on a larger scale." Rei nodded his understanding.

"So, whoever goes through has to track down our missing members, and then... what? Wait for us to open the portal again?" Sven asked worriedly.

"Yeah, unfortunately. The gateway takes some time to charge up enough power to open a portal. The larger the hole it needs to stabilize, the more energy we'll need. That's why we're starting small." Sam explained, though a mirror of his friends' concerns played across his face. "I'm good, but this is uncharted territory in terms of machinery."

"Alright. Guess we'll have to get ready. Let us know when-"

"Guardians! Multiple Hyperspace contacts incoming!" Dietrich reported. "No EDC IFF tags. Looks like our friends are back with company." The trio of Guardians and the local EDC troopers had only moments to process, as over three dozen Order ships suddenly warped into the airspace above the gateway. Their lead vessels' weapons had been pre-charged, and they released a volley of plasma projectiles at the cluster of EDC ships.

The Maw turned so it took a majority of the initial attack, letting its broadside shields absorb the incoming fire and protecting the other five ships in its company.

"Dammit!" Dietrich swore as the rest of the Order battlegroup moved into position. He punched a button on the side of his command console. "I need those frigates up at the front, now! All other ships fall into a defensive line!"

"Assault Frigate Grindstone confirms."

"This is Support Frigate Spotlight, we confirm." Both of the smaller ships acknowledged, breaking off from the main group to fire at priority targets amongst the Order fleet before them.

"Ensign Rasch!" Dietrich shouted over the frantic chatter of the Comms officers in the background. "Provide cover fire for Grindstone and Spotlight!"

"Aye, Admiral! Cycling Shieldbreaker missiles and plasma cannons!" the Weapons officer called over his shoulder, rapidly taping away at his console.

"Admiral, Order ships just launched fighter and landing craft!"

"Get me the Hive." Dietrich commanded. The woman manning the Comms terminal nodded, quickly contacting the lone Carrier among their ranks. An image of the other ship's Captain appeared. "Captain King, scramble every assault craft you have. We need to thin their numbers."

"Already on it, Admiral." King replied quickly. "Consider it done." The Maw rocked as another volley exploded against its shields.

"Guardians, what's your status?"

"Well." Sven replied. "Our friends are back."

In front of the trio of Guardians was a solid wall of Shades, Acolytes, and Knights, led by the two Lords from before, Ion and Enmity. The EDC soldiers behind the Guardians tensed slightly, but did not break ranks, a testament to their bravery.

"So, Rage." Enmity made an expression halfway between a taunting smile and a snarl. "You think you'll take it easy on us this time too?" Rei remained silent, instead giving Sven a questioning look.

"We're outnumbered pretty badly here." the Reaper said, "I think we're going to have to take the gloves off for this one."

"I count exactly thirty-four Acolytes, eight Knights, and the two Lords." Sam reported, his eyes rapidly scanning the enemy line slowly approaching them. "I can run priority hits, give you guys some cover fire."

"I'm more concerned about the troopers. Make sure they don't get swarmed." Sven said.

"Gotcha." Sam nodded, hefting an anti-material rifle and a bag of ammunition. In a flash, he blurred out of sight, and Sven caught a glimpse of scope glare in the building his fellow Guardian had set up in above them.

Rei still had not moved from his spot, watching the Order forces carefully as both sides waited for the other to make the first move. All the while, the ships overhead exchanged volley after volley of fire, with an occasional wreck spiraling down into the city or nearby ocean. He narrowed his eyes at the two Lords, both of whom had already flared their abilities. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind and letting baser instincts take over. Shadowy mist suddenly drifted around the Guardian, sticking to him and pulling in ever closer.

"Anything you need to say before you go in?" Sven quipped, dropping into a kneeling stance and donning his helmet.

"... Don't get in the way." The mist compressed around Rei, solidifying into a set of sharp dark-gray plate mail covered in glowing emerald symbols and silver trim. The mist hovered around his neck for a moment, before suddenly encasing the Guardian's face in a set of bear-trap-like jaws. Rei's kanabo, which had been on his back, now waved behind him on a chain like a spiked tail. The less experienced among the Order troops collectively flinched as the terrifying visage snapped down to stare at them with a pair of inhumanely large green reptilian eyes. The jaws of the helmet opened, revealing only an internal glow of the same emerald hue. Rage made itself known by unleashing an earth-shattering roar.

Sven smiled underneath his helmet as he flared his own ability. His cloak shifted from its tattered and worn brown to pitch black, small wisps of darkness seeming to peel off in the wind. Azure symbols appeared along the surface of the garment and the Guardian's armor. He stood from his kneeling position, summoning his scythe in a mixture of light and shadow. He held the weapon ready at his side.

The two Bloodlines rushed forward to meet the Order forces in battle, while the Shades surged forward to swarm both the Guardians and the EDC. Rage let out another ear-splitting roar as he crashed into Enmity. The Bloodline of Wrath smashed a clawed gauntlet into the female Lord, accompanied by the sound of shattering bone. The Rage Inheritor stomped his foot into the ground, crushing nearby Shades in a gravity well.

"Well, Reaper." Ion commented, as the Bloodline of Death approached him. "Nice to see that you're taking this seriously." A pair of Behemoths charged the Reaper, only to be cut to ribbons in a trio of arcing swings. Ion unleashed a bolt of lightning, which seared through the air and slammed into the Reaper's chest, knocking the Bloodline back. Not letting the same attack work twice, Sven blocked the Lord's next strike with his scythe's blade. Ion let a smile spread across his face underneath his helmet. "This fight will give me some wonderful data!"

"We just lost Spotlight!" one of the bridge operators reported, causing Dietrich to grit his teeth uneasily.

"Back Grindstone off." the Admiral ordered. "How many contacts are left?"

"Sensors still are picking up twenty-two active signatures, Sir."

"Damn it." Dietrich readjusted his cap uneasily. "How are the Guardians doing?"

"Guardians Drazen and Izumi are currently engaged with a pair of Lords. Guardian Miller is providing sniper support to the forces defending the gateway device. Their line is holding for now, but they are severely outnumbered."

"Sir!" another operator cut in. "New unidentified contact!"

"What is it?" Dietrich asked, walking over to the Ensign.

"I think... it's a woman."

"Dammit!" Enmity shrieked as she and Rage clashed once more, another round of broken bones being shared between them. "Just go down already!" The metal-encased Guardian simply snarled in response.

Down the road, Ion back stepped a swing from Sven's scythe, replying with an attack of his own. The electrically charged Lord was suddenly sent flying as a blast of white energy hit him in the side. Sven's head snapped to where the projectile had come from. Walking towards him was a woman with long red hair, waving softly behind her in the wind. Ion pushed himself up off the ground, finding it difficult to muster the energy to stand. He caught sight of the redheaded woman.

"Oh. Hello, Despair." He coughed. "That was unfair of you to sucker punch me."

"... Says the one attacking a force less than a tenth the size of his..."

"Well, you've got me there." Ion shrugged. "Enmity!" The other Lord quickly disengaged from Rage, running over to her partner while shaking the pain out of her fractured fingers. "Look who came to visit."

"Oh!" Enmity smirked. "If it isn't Lord Agony's failed pet project!" Sven noticed Despair flinch and tighten her fists. The EDC Carrier, Platinum Hive, exploded in a gigantic ball of fire above them. More Shades came careening down the road behind the pair of Lords.

"Sven!" Sam called over the radio. "A stray shot clipped the gateway, we're losing the charge! If we want to send someone through, we need to do it now!" The Reaper thought as quickly as he could. It would take at least two of them to hold off the Order. He quickly made a decision.

"Eve." He turned to Despair. "I need you to do a big favor for me." The incoming ocean of Shades drew ever closer. "A bunch of out people went missing a while ago. I really don't have time to explain everything, but I need you to-"

"Find them for you. I can do it." Eve cut him off. "It's the least I can do for you."

"Thank you." Sven breathed.

"... Thank me when I find them..."

Eve ran as fast as she could towards the gateway device Sven had pointed her in the direction of. Some small part of her, the part that had been raised to be a Lord, wondered why she was doing this for the Reaper. Was it because he had spared her life when he had had a chance to end it? Because he and their shared... "sister"... had offered her a home even knowing what she was and what she had done? Eve was not completely sure.

The sounds of fighting and gunfire echoed behind her as she ran, triggering memories of the peak of the war. Eve did her best to ignore them, catching sight of Sam desperately trying to get the gateway to hold its charge. The Guardian engineer noticed her sprinting towards him.

"Despair? What are you doing here? Where's the Reaper?"

"He- He asked me to go in his place."

"Goddammit. What is he-" One of the battleship-class vessels in the Maw's group came crashing down into the nearby water, drowning out the rest of Sam's frustrated cry. "Nevermind. We don't have time." Eve found a small device shoved into her hand. "That's the beacon we'll use to find you. I'm guessing no one explained what's happening in great detail?"

"No, but I've already agreed to go." Eve answered adamantly.

"Alright... then let's start this thing up." Sam pressed a button, causing the gateway to spark. In mere moments, a circular rift appeared before them. "We've got thirty seconds." Sam handed Eve a relatively hefty bag of supplies. She took off, jumping through the portal in front of her. Sam lifted his own bag, readying himself to follow her, when a whistling sound filled his ears.

The Guardian dove out of the way as an Order sniper attempted to take his head off. The bullet buried itself in the gateway, which sputtered for a moment. The rift wavered before suddenly vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Eve found herself landed face-first in wet sand. She pushed herself to her feet, making sure that she still had the bag of supplies with her. She quickly looked around to find herself alone on a beach she did not recognize. Tall cliffs prominently dotted the adjacent landscape.

"Where is this?" she asked aloud, hoping for a response of any kind. Only silence answered her. "Am I the only one who made it through?" Eve shook her head, tossing the granules of sand stuck in her hair in all directions. She checked her pocket, finding the small round beacon Sam had given her. She pressed it, causing it begin to strobe gently. The ex-Lord stowed the device back in her pocket. Whether she was alone or not... she had a job to do.

A/N: Pacing felt a bit off to me for this one. Also, just letting you guys know that there likely will not be any chapters posted on the 24th or 25th.

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