Ch2.2
Beacon Academy Landing Pad:
Large gusts of wind blasted from the airship's engines as it landed near the four guys. Arin's long black and gold coat whipped in the winds, the silver chainmail at the ends shone in the evening light. Talon laughed as he grabbed Arin's shoulder. "That coat is a little flashy, don't you think?" He teased as he adjusted the hilts of his blades. Arin smirked.
"Don't know, you tell me Corvo." He said over the dieing engines.
"Hey," Talon said as he turned around and walked backwards towards the now open airship doors, arms out in a mock bow. "I take that as a complement, my good sir." Talon laughed as he entered the ship. Riku sighed in annoyance.
"Can't go on one mission without sounding immature, can you?" He said as he followed into the ship,Marcus and Arin close behind.
"Come on Riku, get a sense of humor." Talon sarcastically pleaded.
"One like yours? I think I'll pass" Riku said as he sat down on one of the benches. Marcus shook his head as he took a seat.
"The day Riku gets a funny bone is the day Talon stops checking out girls." He said as he laid back and fell asleep. Arin sat down next to Talon, who was checking over his weapons.
"Hey, where's Sasha? She get stuck in the bathroom line or something?" Arin asked as he heard the ship's engines begin to come to life. Suddenly Sasha jumped into the ship, the doors closing behind her. She looked around, all three guys who were awake had questioning expressions, wondering what exactly the mission was. "OK boys,looks like we got another Petalfall." She began, slapping Marcus awake, her commanding voice fought over the roar of the engines.
"Oh shit" Talon said under his breath, Marcus looked around lazily as he fought to stay awake but Riku and Sasha were both concerned.
" What's Petalfall?" Arin whispered to Talon.
"It was a town that we went to investigate when we first got to Beacon." He whispered as he sat back. "Place was crawling with Grimm and crazy ass robots." Arin looked at him but decided to not push the subject and returned his attention to Sasha.
"We lost contact with the town of Eisen about two days ago" She said as she sat down on a bench and looked at each member. "Ironwood would have sent troops but the nearest outpost would be Petalfall, so that wouldn't work out."
"After what happened I can see why." Riku said under his breath.
"What they need is for a small strike team to go in, investigate and exterminate any threat." Sasha said, her eyes as sharp as knives as she grew silent in thought. "Hell yeah, I can do with spilling some Grimm blood." Talon smirked, as the ship began its flight toward the lost Eisen.
4 km from the Mining town of Eisen, 3hours before sunset:
What the hell happened to the place? Arin thought as they exited the airship. He could clearly see black columns of smoke rising from the town. Arin looked around, the mountains that housed the mining town reminded him of home, as the evening sun began its descent. "Before we head out." Sasha began, eyeing Arin's pack. "Arin, show us what gear you have." She said firmly. He wasn't surprised that she wanted to know. "Sorry love, can't do that here, maybe I could give you a private show later." He winked at her, which infuriated Sasha to almost drawing her sword and leaving Arin without a head. "Before she takes your head off, mind telling us why?" Talon said, holding back a laugh that someone actually had the balls to sarcastically wink at Sasha of all people.
"Oh it's because my babies are shy about being seen by enemy eyes before they're needed." He said as he looked around, scanning the surroundings. "So now we're enemies?" Riku said as he got out of the ship. Arin looked at him, an eyebrow raised at such a question.
"No, but there is a burning town that way." He said pointing in the direction of the town. "Oh, and we didn't land that far from said town so there is more than likely an enemy near by." He said as he pulled out his rifle, The Eye's Wrath, from it's hidden compartment and extended it.
"You're a sniper?" Marcus said as Arin noticed everyone looking at his rifles armoured frame.
"Hell yeah, this baby can blast a Grimm from three miles." Arin grinned in pride not mentioning the fact that his best shot was around 2.3 miles. "Fine, in that case, you can stay here and give us cover fire if we need it." Sasha huffed as she turned on her heel and started walking to the burning town. "As you command, your Highness." Arin said as his pack gently lifted him into the air, sending him towards a high mountain cliff he had spotted before. He put on an earbud and set it to his scroll. The team's voices instantly filled his ear, he cringed from the sudden sound as he lowered the volume. "I don't trust that one."he heard Sasha say sternly. Arin was a little surprised that she seemed to have forgotten that he could hear them.
"Hold up, then why the fuck have him as our sniper?" Talon questioned over the open line.
"Yeah, isn't that the exact opposite place you want someone you don't trust?" Marcus yawned, filling the com's. "Because, if he tries anything, Talon,you are the fastest here so I want you to put an arrow in his head, Marcus I want you to blast that cliff to hell if he doesn't." Arin wasn't that shocked at her order, but before he could respond, Sasha's voice filled the channel. "Don't, disappoint me Arin." She almost hissed the words as they filled his ears. He readied his rifle, Sasha's head filling his vision as he calibrated his scope. Her eyes were looking directly at him, staring straight into his scope and daring him to make a move against her team. He smirked as he put the scroll to his mouth, "Wouldn't dream about it, your worship." He said as he readied himself for a potential fight.
2km from Eisen
"You know, you could always, oh, trust someone instead of acting like a bitch" Talon grunted as he drew his bow and notched an arrow.
"Tell me Talon," Sasha hissed as she walked ahead of the three. "Don't you find it strange that we were attacked at Petalfall by killer robots only to have some random person no one knows thrust on us?"
"You know damn well that it could be just a coincidence." Talon snapped.
"He has extremely high tech gear,gear we don't even know if we've seen all of, and there is no way he just so happened to be around for some informant to tell him about Beacon." She retorted at him.
"That doesn't have to mean that he's the enemy, it couldn't be that easy for some enemy to slip past Ozpin and the other professors." Marcus commented. They were beginning to see scorch marks on stones with fires still burning on bushes and trees.
"He could very well be an assassin, it would be suicide to trust him right now." Riku grunted.
"You guys do realize that you left the scroll on, right?" Arin's voice came from Sasha's scroll. "What the hell, I turned that off!" Sasha cursed as she looked at her scroll.
" Apparently not lass, you put me on speaker by the looks of things." Sasha could hear the smug grin in Arin's voice as she turned off her scroll and flipped Arin off with a middle finger held high. Talon laughed as they continued on. The rest of the conversation was cut short by a sudden roar. Sasha, Riku and Marcus drew their blades in a flash. There was a whistle of air as Talon released his arrow in the direction of the roar. The four rushed over and found the source of the sound. The remains of a large ursa were quickly dissipating, an arrow that was lodged in it's head fell to the stone ground as the beast fully disappeared. Behind where the beast once was, stood a large iron arch, covered in soot and ash. Beyond that were buildings of a modernish style, black from fires or turned to ruins from fighting. Smoke turning the sky black and light from the fires in burning homes leaving the town in an eerie twilight. All four stared at the carnege, none talking as they scaned the area with trained eyes. Arin's voice broke the silence. "Welcome to Eisen, population: screwed"
"Really man, best time to be a dick?" Talon said as he walked over a small,smoking, black pile.
"Hey, just trying to ease some nerves."
"You planning on pissing out on us?" Talon grinned, eyes hunting for any sign of survivors, friendly or otherwise.
Talon saw Sasha flick a finger towards a two story building, he didn't hesitate as he suddenly vanished in blue arcs, reappearing on the balcony. "What, and leave you with all the fun? Na I wouldn't - stop." The way that Arin's voice went from sarcastic and chipper to deadly serious sent a shiver down Talon's spine, and unknown to him, worried Sasha. "Guys, you got grimm around the next corner, heading your way, average size, medium pack, one big ugly at the center."
"Arin, can you take ugly out?" Sasha questioned as she lowered into a fighting stance, sword raised level with her eye and parallel with the ground. "Consider him dead." Was the reply that came over the coms. "Got it, Talon you know what to do, Marcus, Riku; cover the sides." She ordered, the others did exactly as told, already prepared to fight.
Arin's cliff:
Click,click. "Something doesn't feel right." 10 seconds. Arin turned on his goggles, his vision filed with infer red, splotches of heat siuloweted his team and the threat coming towards them. To the right a smich.9. From his vantage point Arin could easily see the whole town. Nothing blocking, 8, easy shot, 7. He was aimed up where he knew the beast's path would lead,6. He took a single glimpse of the town and in that glimpse he knew something was really off.5. The first Ursa came running into the street, and were shot down by both Talon and Marcus.4. Arin looked around, concern turned to worry as his eye fought the urge to look away from the scope.3. More Grimm came, causing Riku to join the fray. Arin's experience kicked in, his breathing and heart slowed. 2. The beast ran into the street, a large gorilla like Grimm Arin hadn't seen before. It roared as it charged straight towards Sasha. 1. The beast lifted it's huge arms to bring them down on her, she didn't move an inch. Now! Pale blue light streaked through the air. It pearced the rolling smoke, the fire, suddenly meeting grey bone and grey matter. The thunderous boom of the actual shot rolled over the battle. The force of the round instantly cleared the smoke and fire that it had passed through just a fraction of a second before. It was from that clearing that showed Arin a sight that threw fear into his heart. There, at the very center of the town was absolutely nothing. No smoke, no damage, no fires, no carnage at all. It was a perfect circle of complete calm surround by hell, and ash. Oh fuck no. Arin thought as he went to grab his scroll. Pain smashed through his hand as a heavy boot crushed both his hand and scroll. Instinct took over, and Arin felt raw power scream down his arm. His attacker didn't have enough time nor warning to leap away. Pure lightning snapped from Arin's hand and struck his attacker square in the chest. The bolt sent him flying back into the rock, and Arin's pack instantly roared to life. He was sent clear over the cliff, rifle in hand as he shot through the air and into the sky. He looked at his hand and could tell that the bones where only dislocated and not broken. He roared in pain, as he could feel his aura working on his hand as it snapped the bones back into place one by one. He looked back at the cliff and through his scope saw a man with reptilian skin and tail. White and grey armor masked most of his features but what shown through the black burn mark on his chest from the lightning was a black hand print. He was already up and looking into the shy, trying to find the one who got away. What shocked Arin was the fact that the faunes simply turned and left, before Arin could unleash another bolt from his rifle. Not that it was likely to hit with him temporarly only able to use one hand. He didn't go after him, but shot towards his team, who where now unknowingly walking into the worst part of the town turned Hell.