RWBY is property of Roosterteeth! I only own my characters.
CHAPTER 43
Alex was the first to disembark the Tether as the ship's ramp thudded onto the grass-covered ground below them. Ryland had expertly set the Corvette down in the cover of a thick copse of emerald trees, which would hide the craft from the Order's ships hovering menacingly in the distance. The blond soldier was keenly aware of Dimitri's heavy steps behind him and to his right, accompanied by the sounds of Marcia, Firo, and Luna's lighter footfalls.
"Clear," Alex stated after scanning the trees for Grimm. The others began to disembark the Tether quickly, filing out in a loose spread around the ship's exit. "Ruby, can I ask you to scout ahead?"
"Sure thing, Alex," Ruby nodded firmly. "What do you want me to do about any Grimm I run into?"
"Up to you, just don't tire yourself out too much," Alex answered.
"In that case, you've got one monster-cleared pathway coming right up," the cloaked student pulled up her hood and vanished into the forest. Alex watched the patch of trees where the girl had departed worriedly for a moment before shaking his head. He had to trust her to do her part, not micromanage his friend's every move.
"Alright, I've got all the equipment I need," Cinder reported, hefting a large bag over her shoulder. The black-haired woman squinted her eyes at the rising sun in the distance. "We'd better get moving while there's still some darkness left to hide us."
"Right," Alex nodded. "D, you and I are on point. Jerloh, you and Alyia cover our backs, make sure nothing too nasty sneaks up on us."
"Gotcha," the Terror Inheritor affirmed.
"We'll handle it, Alex," Alyia added. The blond soldier continued to dole out orders and positions to the various members of their group, and the party began to pick their way through the trees. Ruby came bursting through the trees, rejoining the others. Leaves and small twigs clung to her hair.
"There are a bunch of Grimm patrolling the edge of the wall around the city," she reported. "We could hear gunfire coming from the other side."
"I guess the resistance started without us," Marcia commented. "Still, as long as those creatures aren't blocking our entrance, they shouldn't be a problem."
"We have no time to waste, regardless of the Grimm," Peleus stated with fire in his eyes. The Senator and Pyrrha quickened their pace. Over the next three hours, the companions did their best to maintain a brisk march towards Mistral, occasionally stumbling over a twisted root or wayward stone. Slowly, but surely, the wall around the city drew closer and closer, eventually towering over them. Grimm of all sorts clambered and scratched at the giant stone perimeter desperately, hungry for the flesh of the warring forces inside. It seemed that the flying Grimm had ascertained their situation far better than their grounded brethren. Nevermores and Griffons both circled ominously around the outskirts of the wall, clearing eying the floating ships which now cast long shadows across the land below.
Alex lifted his arm with a closed fist, signaling the others to stop just short of exiting the edge of the forest. The blond soldier crouched down in the thick underbrush as Luna pulled up beside him with a pair of binoculars to search for their entrance. The other members of their party kept their eyes and weapons trained on the ravenous horde that frothed and roared less than two-hundred meters from them.
"I can't see it," Luna reported frustratedly. "Are the Grimm sitting on top of it?"
"Here," Peleus held out his hand, "let me take a look." The azure-haired woman willingly handed over the binoculars and took a quiet step back into the trees as the Senator moved into her place. For several moments, Peleus scanned the side of the wall, looking for the large grate he and Eve had entered through once before. Once they were through, resistance forces would be waiting for them on the other side, they just needed to- "I found it. It's that particularly thick patch of vines growing along the wall."
"Well," Cinder breathed, "that's a problem. There's nothing standing between here and the wall. If those Grimm see us and we have to fight, we can say goodbye to our element of surprise."
"We're going to have to move fast then," Alex grit his teeth. "If the Grimm rush us, hold off on firearms until you don't have a choice." The others nodded their understanding. With a rustle, Alex rose back into a standing position and motioned the rest of the group forward. The blond soldier made sure that he was between Luna and Ruby and the Grimm. Dimitri was noticeably doing the same with Blake and Firo as they all crossed over the bare grass growing in the shadow of the wall. Ryan moved to assist Peleus in freeing the grate from its binds of foliage. Pyrrha was at their side, using her weapon's sword form to hack away at the plant life. Suddenly, with an ear-piecing screech, the grate was pulled free. The group flinched as the heads of all the nearby Grimm snapped towards them.
"Shit," Ryland muttered.
"Get through the hole!" Alex ordered quickly as a large Ursa Major roared and lumbered towards them. Peleus and Pyrrha jumped through the open grate without question, taking Lex by the hand with them. The five Bloodlines among their group readied their weapons as the horde rumbled forward.
"Wait, wait!" Cinder said loudly. "I still have a way out of this." She dropped the bag on her shoulder to the ground and began frantically rifling through it.
"Cinder..." Alex warned as the stampeding Grimm drew closer. The blond soldier leveled his rifle at the oncoming creatures, bracing himself to open fire if needed. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were covering Yang and Ryland as the couple dropped down through the hole.
"Hold on," Cinder replied urgently, "I know it's here somewhere..."
"Cinder!" Alex shouted.
"Got it!" the black-haired woman pulled a large white Dust crystal from her pack. The shining object easily filled her fist with its size. In one fluid motion, Cinder hurled the crystal against the side of the wall, unleashing a bright flash of light. Alex felt a wave of cold pass over them. The lead Ursa Major suddenly came of a resounding halt as its head smashed into the side of a newly-created sphere of thick ice. The other Grimm clambered over the rounded surface, angrily looking for a way to get at the people inside the frozen orb.
"Good work, Cinder..." Alex breathed, lowering his rifle from his shoulder. Dimitri helped Blake and Firo into the hole behind him.
"Well, it's much quieter than shooting at them," Cinder shrugged. "This should buy us some time to get through to the other side of the wall." Ryan followed Eve and Elise through the open grate. Dimitri and Jerloh were ushering Luna and Ruby through right behind them.
"You made a good call," Alex patted Cinder on the shoulder, staring warily at the dark creatures swarming and scrambling over the sphere of ice.
"Don't thank me yet," the dark-haired woman replied. "It might be holding for now, but with all these Grimm, it'll eventually-" A loud breaking noise interrupted her as a spiderweb of damage appeared in the sphere, courtesy of the same irritated Ursa Major. "It'll eventually do that..." The cracks slowly began to spread.
"Time to go," Alex stated firmly, grabbing Cinder by the forearm. Jerloh was the last one waiting, levitating the grate in the air with his Secondary Ability. Once Cinder and Alex dropped through the hole, the Terror Inheritor followed, smashing the grate back into its home behind him. The sound of shattering ice echoed through the tunnel as the Grimm crushed the icy barrier under their sheer weight. The Ursa's face appeared in the grate, its teeth closing around the bars. It roared angrily as its food picked up their belongings and disappeared deeper into the darkness.
"He's here!" a woman's voice shouted as Peleus rose out of the end of the tunnel. Alex looked around at the crowd of people around them as he offered Luna a hand out of the hole in the ground. Soldiers and civilians, men and women of all ages and histories were gathered.
"Senator Nikos," a man wearing what Alex assumed to be an officer's uniform greeted. "It is good to see you. The enemy suddenly began making incursions back out into the city this morning."
"I can both see and hear that..." Peleus nodded solemnly, gazing at rising wisps of smoke deeper into the city. Alex noticed Pyrrha tighten her grip on her weapon as she looked around at the destruction of her home. Surprisingly, Eve rested a hand on the redheaded student's shoulder for a moment. The small gesture seemed to cause Pyrrha to relax slightly. "If the fighting has already started, then we have no time to waste. Alex-"
"I'll get everyone on their way," the blond soldier finished the Senator's thought. "You just concentrate on holding things together behind the front."
"And keep an eye on Lex for me," Jerloh added with a grin. On cue, the small girl grabbed Pyrrha's hand, spreading an infectious smile to the student.
"You all make sure not to die," Cinder ordered.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Ryland flashed a thumbs up and a toothy grin as the group split into their smaller teams. "Good luck, Bossman. Sarge. Try to hold out until we kick Europa's ass, alright?"
"Of course," Dimitri nodded. "Yang, I hope you'll be keeping our resident fool in one piece. As much as we probably hate to admit it, thing's wouldn't be the same without him."
"I'll make sure he doesn't lose anything too important," Ruby's sister smirked.
"I knew you all cared," the orange-haired engineer laughed.
"We'll attempt to meet up with all of you as quickly as possible," Elise stated cheerily.
The teams quickly dispersed, jogging off towards their different intended targets. The resistance forces were currently engaged along three different fronts, each led by a Lord. Their plan remained largely unchanged. While three of the teams fought against their respective enemy commanders, Alex's squad would push right towards the Senate building, drawing reinforcements away from the Lords. Behind the blond soldier's group was a large contingent of the people of Mistral, both soldiers and not.
"Senator Nikos," the Mistral officer said, "allow me to guide you and you companions to the radio tower. We already have everything set up for you."
"Thank you," Peleus nodded gratefully. The distant sounds of gunfire and explosions drifted through the air as Peleus, Pyrrha, Cinder, and Lex approached the tall metal spire that had once served as the Kingdom's sole means of city-wide communication. It was a horribly outdated structure, with dozens of thick wires running into the ground.. At the time of its creation, Peleus recalled, the radio tower had been a marvel of engineering, but it had been eclipsed into obsolescence by the dawn of the scroll and the Cross-Continental Communications Towers, and then left to rot. Today, though, the radio tower would live once more.
Peleus stepped through a door the officer held open for him, entering into a dusty room filled with electronics most people under the age of twenty would consider ancient. The Senator smiled to himself as Pyrrha, Cinder, and Lex looked around the old room in confusion. Aside from serving as a conduit to relay their commands, the rusty old tower had one last trick up its sleeve. Peleus doubted that the Order had payed much mind to the wireless speakers that were spread across rooftops around the city. The Senator knew that other pockets of Mistral citizens were either trapped behind enemy lines or too frightened to fight. The tower would allow him to reach out to them, potentially bolstering their numbers.
"Is it transmitting?" Peleus asked, seating himself at a dusty table with a small microphone standing on top of it. He could see the city through the windows of the tower, his home taking on a dull, brownish-gray through the filthy glass. In the blurry reflection, he noticed another officer helping Cinder keep in contact with their forces in the field using a different terminal in the room. Pyrrha was watching the door diligently, Lex plastered to her side.
"Yes, Sir."
"Then I believe it is time..." Peleus cleared his throat. With a deep breath, he pressed down on the button to activate the small stand microphone.
Alex turned to look at the roof of a building as a loud crackling noise erupted out of a large black cube. It took him a moment to realize what it was.
"People of Mistral, this is Senator Peleus Nikos."
Alex's attention was drawn away from Peleus' voice by Dimitri, who pointed out a charging line of Shades coming towards them. It seemed the Order had noticed their advance alongside the residents of the Kingdom. All those present quickly moved to cover, spreading out and firing at the Order's dark puppets.
"Today, I speak to you not as a politician, but as a fellow resident of our Kingdom. Our Home."
A particularly large Fenrir Shade hopped over Alex's cover, where it was quickly dispatched by a swing of Ruby's scythe. Blake supported Dimitri and Firo, picking off any Shades that passed through her companions' cone of fire in one piece.
"At this time, Mistral is in its most desperate hour. We fight an enemy far beyond any challenge we have faced before."
The staccato of gunfire ceased, small wisps of dust and smoke rising from the dissipating bodies of the Shades. Alex motioned his team forward as the people of Mistral unleashed a collective might roar, rushing forward deeper into the city. More Shades, this time accompanied by Acolytes, began to pour out from further down the road.
"Well," Marcia commented with an eager smirk, "I guess it really will be like old times." She flipped the visor on her helmet down so it covered her face. "It'll be a hell of a day."
"Like all of you, I have lost family and friends to this incursion."
"Man, Pyrrha's dad has a serious speaking voice," Ryland quipped. "It's like a high-school debate class, only with more shooting."
"A what?" Yang asked.
"I'll explain later," the engineer scratched the back of his head. "I forgot Remnant doesn't really have the time to teach everybody about politics with the Grimm milling around everywhere..."
"So, today, I ask you to help me. To help your neighbors. Your brothers and sisters. Rise up with the brave souls who have already begun to fight back! Repel these invaders that would seek to take everything from us! Rise up and stand together! For Mistral! For our home!"
"God, can't you do something to shut that off?" a familiar woman's voice yelled in irritation. Ryan signaled for Ryland and Yang to stop. The trio moved around a corner to gauge their next move.
"S-sorry, Lord Europa, there are just too many speakers for us to-" the response stopped short as a roar echoed across the city. Thousands of voices screaming "for Mistral" as loud as they could. There was a pause from the out-of-sight Knight. "Lord Agony has just issued the command for us to dedicate more forces to the-"
"Then you'd better get going," Europa growled icily. There was the sound of heavy boots scampering away. The Lord whirled around as two burning presences flared to life at her back. An expression of irritation and anger flashed across the Lord's face as Ryan, Yang, and Ryland stepped into the road. Yang's eyes glowed like hot coals as the student knocked her fists together. Ryan had his ability flared, causing the air temperature to rise into sweltering levels. Ryland loaded the railgun in his arm and leveled it at the Lord.
"What's up, bitch?" Ryland smirked, "remember us?"
"Peleus made a good speech," Elise observed. She and Eve were both perched high atop the roof of a building, staring down at the city as the residents let out their collective cry of war.
"Yes, he certainly did," Eve nodded slightly. "But, we have more important things to do."
"Right," Elise agreed. "We need to find Enig-"
"I am... here..." the small Lord's presence appeared suddenly behind the sister Bloodlines of Light and Sorrow.
"Well, problem solved," Elise stated cheerily.
"Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it?" Eve inquired. The two oldest of the "sisters" dropped into readied combat stances. To their surprise, Enigma only cocked her head at them instead of charging. "Something's wrong... Why isn't she attacking?"
"I..." Enigma answered by shakily taking off her helmet. "I... have... a lot... of questions..."
Weiss scanned the rooftops warily for Golem, in case the Lord jumped out at them. To the Schnee's dismay, Jerloh and Alyia did not even bother to watch their surroundings, instead leisurely strolling down one of Mistral's main roads, occasionally stopping to pick off wayward Shades.
"The Order's up to something," Alyia said suddenly, jarring Weiss from her mix of nervous and sour thoughts.
"What?" the white-haired student asked. "What do you mean?"
"I think Aly's talking about how, despite how much we were worrying about you girls having to possibly kill Order troops, we've barely seen any Acolytes or Knights," Jerloh answered. "According to what Cinder's been relaying, there are a few popping up here and there, but the vast majority of them seem to have gone up in smoke."
"Where could they all be, then?" Weiss inquired. "What would cause the Order to not use their full force against us?"
"Maybe we should ask him," Alyia spat. Weiss collided with Alyia's back, making the girl come to a complete stop. The white-haired student peered around the Bloodline of Courage's arm, feeling a grimace of hatred creep onto her face. Ahead of them, Golem sat cross-legged on top of a fallen pillar of snowy marble.
"I was wondering when my turn would come..." the Bloodline of Earth sighed. "You've played directly into his hands... How foolish..."
"We haven't fallen into anyone's trap," Weiss stated, drawing her Dust rapier from its sheath at her waist. "Golem. For killing the man who was both friend and a true father to me, this is where you will die." The Lord appeared uninterested in the Schnee girl's burning expression.
"You'll be doing Agony a favor, honestly," Golem shrugged and rose to his feet, summoning his stone spear from the ground. "This is how he attempts to test or remove... undesirable... elements from his Order. Myself, Enigma, Europa... we are all being tested. If we win or survive until Agony's escape plan is ready, we will remain, but if not... he loses nothing he values."
"Why would you follow such a madman!?" Weiss demanded, feeling Jerloh and Alyia begin to circle the Lord.
"Did you not listen the first time we met?" Golem responded. "I care not for Agony's ideals. By accompanying him, I am able to test my strength against the most powerful opponents I could wish for. There is no greater honor or pleasure than that." The Lord smiled calmly, his black hair rustling as an Order dropship screamed over their heads. Weiss' head snapped to the craft for a moment as it bypassed the fighting completely.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing Myrtenaster threateningly.
"As I said..." Golem leveled his weapon at his opponents. Weiss readjusted her stance as the ground trembled beneath her feet. Half a dozen earthen giants sprouted from underneath Mistral's streets, bearing the telltale signs of being some monstrous form of Shade. "You've all played right into Agony's hands..."
"Senator!" the Mistral officer yelled. "We have reports of a hostile contact heading directly towards us!"
"What?" Cinder looked up in shock from her terminal. "Why would they ignore the fighting in the city?"
"It doesn't matter right now, we-" the officer blanched. Peleus' head whipped towards the window, where he caught sight of the Order dropship speeding towards the radio tower.
"Out! Everybody out, now!" the Senator commanded, grabbing Pyrrha by the arm and doing his best to life Lex with one hand. Cinder quickly abandoned her terminal, and they all dashed out of the tower. A blast rocked the old structure, sending Peleus and the others tumbling over the railing and falling towards the ground far below. The Senator placed himself between Lex and Pyrrha and the ground, letting his aura absorb the force of the impact. Immediately, he felt his energy drain and soreness spread across his entire body. He coughed up a glob of blood, and felt the ribs in his back grind together uncomfortably. Cinder was a short distance away, nursing what looked like a broken arm. The Mistral officer seemed unharmed for the moment, testament to his training.
The sound of groaning metal caught Peleus' immediate attention. A shadow passed over the group as the burning radio tower began to tilt menacingly. With an ear-shattering shriek, the tower's supports broke. Peleus rolled over so he was shielding his daughter and Lex. Cinder was quickly protected by the officer, who tackled her to the ground. The old radio station was reduced to a mass of twisted debris in an instant, screeching and moaning as its massive weight settled.
"Is everyone alright?" the Mistral officer called, letting Cinder wobble to her feet. The black-haired woman stumbled over to check on Peleus and the girls.
"Nothing fatal, I think," Peleus answered wearily.
"Good," Cinder coughed, a trail of crimson liquid dripping from her left nostril, "I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Jerloh we got his daughter killed."
"Oh, I think you have more important matters to worry about than whatever you're talking about," a grumbling voice said. Peleus' blood ran cold at the sound of inhumanly heavy foot steps that shook the ground around them. He turned towards the source of the noise in time to see a massive metal hand crush the unsuspecting Mistral officer in an instant, leaving nothing behind but a bloody pulp of organs and bone fragments. Pyrrha froze beneath her father's protective hold as she saw the giant metallic horror lumber out from the smoke and fire of the collapsed tower. A wide grin split Carnage's skull-like face. "I must say, Senator... It is lovely to see you again."
A/N:Whew. Wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out. Thankfully, I think the results are actually halfway decent.
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