Chapter 68 It's a Clue!
Character Wolfgang (Wolf)
The hunt for Felix was on. Bigby was... enraged did not even come close to what the Fable was feeling at this time. Wolf had taken Snow's body back the the Business office but once they got it there her form shifted to that of another Spartan, an agent of their enemy and no one knew how long she had been undercover or where the real Snow White was. It was clear that Felix had killed the agent to prevent any information from being leaked.
"Bigby," Wolf asked as he saw the man hauling all his cigarettes to the trash can.
"Getting rid of these things, if I hadn't been numbing my nose with them then I would have noticed Snow's replacement before now," Bigby growled. He had managed to revert to the human form he usually wore but even in this his claws were still showing as were his fangs and his eyes were the yellow-gold of a wolf's.
"We will find her Bigby," Reak said, "We know about the door at least that is more than we started with."
"Right but how do we find a door that doesn't stay in one place," Bigby snarled.
"Might I suggest the Magic Mirror," N remarked, "It can see other things right?"
"Of course," Bigby exclaimed, "If Snow is still alive then the mirror can show her to us."
"Unless she is being concealed by a spell or cloaking field of some kind," Doug mentioned.
"It is better than not looking at all," G remarked.
"Sure but if it can't show us anything then that doesn't mean she is dead," Mercury added as the group made their way out of the Wishing Well Chamber and up to the Business Office main floor. Wolf was already at the mirror thanks to his Arch form.
"How do you get it to work," Wolf asked.
"You... uh you have to ask it in a rhyme what you are looking for," Bigby said. "Stupidest, infuriating rule..."
"Allow me then," Reak said, "Mirror Mirror polished bright, show us the image of Snow White." A disembodied, green face appeared in the mirror and curtly nodded before the image flowed and changed to reveal Snow. The room she was in was dark and she was sitting on the edge of a bed and was looking quite angry, but also slightly defeated.
"Snow," Bigby whispered, "I'm coming for you, just hang in there."
"I may be able to help with this," Wolf said, "On my world there are mirrors, E'luvien, that let the user walk across the planes of creation. I believe my unique situation would allow me to do the same with this mirror, if he will permit me that is."
"You have my permission," the mirror said in his stormy voice, "However I can not guarantee your safety in your progression."
"I'll be fine," Wolf said with his Arch form as his human form stepped through the mirror and he arrive in Snow's room, much to her surprise.
"Who are you," Snow asked.
"Well you've been here at least two days then," Wolf said to her and to those with his Arch form. Then he spoke to Snow. "I am Wolfgang, or Wolf. I am going to be leading Bigby and Doug and our friends to us once we can determine where we are." Wolf was also speaking to the rest of his team at the Business office saying. "Okay once I spring Snow and we find out where we are you all get on me and we will meet her to pick her up."
"I assume that wherever she is being held has information on Felix and the Magog," David remarked.
"That is the idea," Wolf said.
"How did you get here," Snow asked as Wolf busted the door to the cell open with a strong kick.
"Magic mirror," Wolf answered as he inspected the door frame, "This door has set off several silent alarms. We have to hurry, can you remember the way out of here?"
"No, I was knocked out before being brought here," Snow said. "A guy with silver-gray hair and this room was the only thing I remember once I recovered."
"Magog," Wolf stated, "That is the silver haired man, we have a friend with us who looks just like that creature. Can you recall a gray and orange person, in a very high tech suit of armor?"
Snow seemed to think about it for a moment as she and Wolf moved through the interior of the base and were dodging patrols that were heading to her room. "Yes I do, he didn't seem to be with the Magog, was that what you called the other one?"
"Yes," Wolf replied as he led Snow into a closet so they could hide from another patrol. He then slipped out and silently pulled the last man in the patrol into the closet where he killed the demon possessed man. "What do you mean he didn't seem to be with these guys," Wolf asked as he searched the dead body for a map or anything to help them navigate this place.
"Just that I recall seeing him on a bounty board in the room that the Magog took me to," Snow said.
The door then opened and a patrol of the demon possessed Spartans yelled "Freeze!" Wolf was about to spring into action when a large knife sprouted from the top of the lead Spartan's head. Felix then dropped down from the ceiling and proceeded to kill the other four members of the patrol with their own weapons and his hands. When the brief fight was over Felix pulled his knife out of the patrol leader's head and cleaned it before putting it back into it's sheath.
"Didn't I say it would take you a little bit of convincing to trust me," Felix stated cockily. "Now you can thank me later, for now the exit is this way." Felix spun towards one of three hallways that were intersecting at that point in the complex.
"Felix is here," Wolf said to Bigby, "He just stopped a patrol of guards from possibly hurting Snow during our escape and now he is taking us to the exit. Once we are outside I will describe my surroundings to you and you can fly me to us."
"Felix is helping you," Bigby yelled, "He shot Snow!"
"He shot a fake Snow," Reak said, "He may have also been warning us about which Magog we are facing by indicating Mercury."
"If he planned that much out then he is quite capable," Nikki said.
"Felix we have a locked door," Wolf said, "It looks like we need a key card of some sort."
"You mean the one I swiped off the dead Captain," Felix remarked as he swiped it across the reader and opened the door, "I know. Wolf tell your friends that we are on Block Island under the nature reserve at the northern tip. Magog betrayed me, go figure, so now I'm going to kill him and you all are the best way to do that. Also expect tanks, this guy is not fooling around."
"Actually Felix knows where we are," Wolf said to the others at the Business office, "let's get out of here and I can take us to me."
"David, Nikki, Mercury with me," Bigby said, "Doug can you and the rest make sure we have a safe place to bring Snow back to?"
"We will," Doug said.
"Who are all you people," Snow demanded, "What is going on?"
"Quick version," Felix said, "There is a creature of living sin that wants to take over the world and divert it's power to another world. It paid really well so it was able to afford me for this mission. It then tried to kill me so that agreement is broken and I'm going to put it down for trying to double cross me. Wolf there is with a group called Dragon Company, they were my targets originally when I was hired."
"You were hired to hunt us," Wolf asked.
"Yup, you guys just didn't show up until way late in our plans so Magog thought it didn't need me anymore. I guess he is regretting that decision," Felix answered, "I tell you, all those sessions with Locust and Meta where we went over you guys before taking these contracts, so dull but now that I'm working with you that information might just come in handy."
"You talk a lot for a merc," Snow said.
"When you're as good as I am sweetheart you can afford to talk a lot," Felix replied as he led Wolf and Snow through the base. Wolf took off from the Business Office roof with Bigby, David, Nikki and Mercury on his back to meet up with himself, Snow and Felix. "Vehicle bay is through this door," Felix continued, "We will be stealing their Warthog and their Scorpion then driving them out to the airport that is south of us. They have a Longsword there that we can take to get us off the island."
"You know my Arch form is coming to pick us up," Wolf said.
"Sure you are," Felix replied, "But you are bringing people with you aren't you?"
"Hold on what's an Arch form," Snow asked.
"My demon tainted dragon body," Wolf said, "I'm bringing Bigby, Mercury, who looks like the Magog, David and Nikki, two former assassins with the rest of me to meet us and take us back to Doug."
"Exactly," Felix said, "We will need more seats, thus the Longsword."
Wolf looked over his shoulder to see how much room was on his back before saying to Felix, "Fair point, let's go. I should probably point out I can't drive."
"Snow can drive the Warthog," Felix said, "I'll take the tank."
"How do you know that," Snow asked.
"You can drive a stick shift can't you," Felix responded before slipping through the door into the garage. "Now we can do this the quiet way... or we can do this the fun way."
"Which way are you," Wolf started but Felix's knife embedding itself in a guard that was near the scorpion tank settled the matter for him.
Felix engaged the other seven guards in the room while Snow ran to the Warthog and got in it. "Wolf I need the keys," Snow said. Wolf had joined the fight with Felix and the two quickly took out the other guards.
"I recommend searching the bodies," Felix said, "I'm going to hot wire that door so we can get out of here." Felix pointed to a large metal slatted door that looked like it raised out of the way so the vehicles could pass through it. "If you find the tank keys that would be helpful too."
Wolf went to searching the bodies and quickly identified the officer in the group. A quick search of the corpse produced the keys to the tank, the jeep and the two motorcycles that were in the garage. The tank keys were melted since Wolf had used a dark fire blast on this guy. "The tank is a no go, keys got melted, we have a pair of motorcycle keys that still look functional and the Warthog keys are fine.
"That will have to do then," Felix said as he picked up the motorcycle keys from Wolf. "If you want to come in over the airport it is south of us."
Wolf adjusted his course and nodded before getting on the gun of the Warthog. "Snow are you good to drive this thing?"
"I can handle it," Snow said as she started the jeep up. Wolf spun the turret around and used it to kill the demon-mercs that were entering the garage as he, Snow and Felix drove out. Wolf was approaching the airfield from both air and ground. In the air he could see the landing strip but he was circling above it in the clouds to try not to alarm the airfield. On the ground he Snow and Felix were being chased by mercs with jet-packs.
"They can fly," Snow exclaimed, "How can they fly?"
"You drive," Wolf said, "I'll focus on them." There was a squad of eight mercs in heavy Spartan gear with jet-packs and shotguns coming after the three. Wolf started flying towards the north end of Block Island so he could attack with both his forms. Wolf used the chain-gun on the Warthog to keep the mercs back but they were more agile in the air than the gun was on the car. Fortunately there were trees since the group was driving through a forested area and so the jet-pack guys had to fly up to avoid the gunfire and the trees. Wolf was above the trees as well though so the unfortunate mercs were bathed in a fiery wave as the Arch from passed the human form of Wolf.
"There's the rest of you," Felix remarked as they got on the road and headed to the airport, "Good, now we get that ship and get out of here." Wolf was flying slow enough now that conversation could start up on his back over the wind.
"Alright so what's the deal with this guy then," Mercury asked.
"From what I gathered he was working with the Magog, the Magog betrayed him and now he wants to kill it," Wolf replied, "He came after us to get us to help him kill it."
"How does he know about us," David asked.
"His job was to stop DC should we try and interfere," Wolf explained. "we arrived to late for him to be of any use though thus the betrayal."
"So the Magog thinks we can't undo what it has done," Bigby asked.
"Apparently," Wolf replied as he got out of the Warthog and landed in the airfield. "Stay on me we are getting a ship." Wolf, Snow and Felix ran across the black top of the runway to the Longsword. Bigby snarled and jumped off of Wolf to get in the ship. Wolf waved Bigby into the Longsword as his Arch form returned to the sky to cover them.
"Snow," Bigby exclaimed as he went over to her.
"Bigby," Snow said, "I knew you would find me. How did you know that duplicate wasn't me?"
"He didn't," Felix said as he fired up the Longsword and they started to take off. "Those smokes he runs through must keep his sense of smell down so he never noticed you were not you... until I killed you that is."
"Well, well now isn't this predictable," the cocky voice of Mercury said. Everyone turned to see Magog-Mercury standing in the hallway from the cockpit to the rest of the ship. Their exit was blocked and the cockpit didn't necessarily have a lot of room to fight in. Wolf flew in closer to the ship and told Mercury, Nikki and David what the situation was. The three nodded and jumped from Wolf to the Longsword. Magog looked up as the three thuds echoed through the ship and Wolf took this chance to charge.
"You two help him," Felix said as Wolf tackled Magog, "I have to fly this thing." Wolf and Magog were tumbling across the floor until they hit a wall. Wolf was on the bottom but that didn't deter him. As Magog reared back for a punch Wolf thrust up with his hips knocking Magog forward so it had to catch itself. Wolf hooked one of Magog's arms throwing it off balance and allowing Wolf to roll over and pin Magog under him. Magog had other ideas though as it managed to get a foot up against Wolf and fired the gun boot. Wolf was thrown back and felt a stab of pain where the bullet had gone through him. Bigby had gone full werewolf at this point and had picked Magog up off the ground and was smashing it into the wall with such force that the metal wall was being dented. Wolf noticed that Snow was helping Felix drive the Longsword as he felt the energy of his birthright flow through him and heal the wound from Magog's bullet.
Bigby then went flying past Wolf to smash into the other side of the cockpit. Wolf turned to see that Magog was starting to reveal it's true self. It's eyes had dissipated leaving just the holes in its head and it's lips were gone revealing rows of needle sharp fangs. Wolf knew that this fight needed to be moved somewhere other than the cockpit so he ducked under a kick from Magog and picked it up before running into the back of the ship. The two slammed into the door that opens up to the bomb bay and engineering rooms. They were in the main hall now, to Wolf's left was the ramp down to the exit in front of him and Behind Magog was the door to the rooms that he could see from his Arch from were the other three's entry point into the ship.
"You're strong," Magog said as it wiped a dribble of blood from it's mouth. "Annoyingly so." Magog then lashed out with a blast of ice that froze Wolf in place. Wolf broke the ice prison with a fire explosion but that gave Magog enough time to fire six more rounds into Wolf, knocking him to the floor. Bigby lept over Wolf who was now recovering from the bullet wounds. Bigby slammed Magog through the door to the hall that led to the bomb bay and engineering. From outside Wolf saw that David, Nikki and Mercury had gotten into engineering through the hatch on the top of the Longsword. A few moments later he heard their guns come to life from inside the ship. Wolf was picking himself up to rejoin the fray when a deafening, explosive, roar knocked him back to the floor.
"Magog must have ditched the human form," Wolf muttered as he picked himself up.
"Heh, well, that will just make this all the more fun," Felix said in his smooth, confident voice as the Spartan walked past him, "Hurry up or you'll miss it."
"Snow is driving then," Wolf asked as he and Felix quickly made their way into engineering.
"She's a fast learner," Felix replied as he drew his knife. Walking into the engineering room Wolf saw David and Nikki taking cover behind some metal boxes, popping up to fire now and then as Mercury or Bigby drew Magog's attention. Bigby was trading blow for blow against Magog, being burned in the process but not seeming to actually be getting hurt. Magog was in it's full form now, a gaping maw of fangs and tongues that sat on a crab-like body with four flaming pincers that it was using to try and tear at Bigby. Mercury was between Wolf, Felix and Magog, using his boot guns in a similar fashion to how Nikki was using her shotgun, firing when the opportunity presented itself.
"Still want to use the knife," Wolf asked as he drew his longsword and handed it to Felix.
"Oh I've been wanting to gut this fish for a while," Felix said as he pushed the sword back to Wolf, "And a knife is better at cleaning a fish than a sword." Wolf nodded and went in to help Bigby. He cut off one of the claws that was locked onto Bigby's left shoulder. Bigby used the freed arm to smash some of the Magog's teeth out drawing a roar out of the creature. David took the opportunity to unload two clips of his .45 pistols into the Magog causing it to flinch and slide backwards a bit on the floor. Nikki pushed it back to the wall with a blast from her shotgun and that is when Felix came in.
Felix ran between Bigby and Wolf so he could slide under the Magog. He used his knife to cut right through the chitinous armor of the body, leaving a dripping cut all the way down the relatively flat body. Mercury was then above the Magog and landed on it with a resounding crack as he fired off both his boots and snapped the creature in half as he did a flip and landed beside Felix. "I like the way you fight," Mercury remarked to Felix as the Magog corpse dissolved, "It has flare."
"Is it dead," Bigby asked.
"Unlikely," Felix said, "probably just been recalled to wherever these things come from." Wolf just nodded and headed back to the cabin as he let the bullet wounds heal. Snow had been looking at his Arch form for a while when Wolf walked in.
"Staring is rude you know," Wolf said.
"What oh sorry," Snow said, "but, it's just... that is really part of you?"
"Of course I'm part of me," Wolf said with both his forms. "It's like your foot and your eye. They are both very different but they are a part of you." Snow just shook her head with a confused look as Felix walked back in and resumed control of flying the Longsword.
"I thought you said she learned quick," Wolf remarked.
"She does," Felix replied, "I haven't taught her how to land yet though. Get your friend Mercury in here."
"I'm here," Mercury said as the rest of the group squeezed their way into the cabin, "You want to talk about the Magog I guess."
"Ha hole in one kid," Felix said, "Yeah I do. It was setting up some kind of world energy-life drainer system to send all the power in this world to another one. Now I was hired to guard from you all but since that contract fell through I'm not going to get paid. I figure those towers probably have some expensive parts in them, so you help me dismantle the towers, I get my money, you get to stop the Magog's plan and we can all go home happy."
"Where is this system set up," Nikki asked.
"In the Crooked Man's dimension," Felix replied.
Character Blake Belladonna
Blake was rubbing her chest where the assassin droid had stabbed her. The wedding party was over and Weiss and Yang had just told them the the droid was still active. It brought the levity of the party to a crashing halt as now team RWBY and their husbands were waiting for Ironwood and Abrams to give them a report on the clip that Yang had found.
"And it was going to," Ruby started.
"Yes," Weiss cut her off.
"If Winter stopped it then it will be going after her now too," Blake pointed out.
"I know," Weiss said as she slumped forward in her chair, "We were never close but I don't want Winter to die, especially not for me."
"She won't die," Blake said as she put her hand on her teammate's shoulder, "We will find this droid and we will destroy it."
"If we are going to take this thing out we need some bigger guns," Scooter said, "Maybe K can help, I doubt that thing can come back from being disintegrated."
"That's a good idea," Sun said, "Where is K though we haven't seen him in a while." The eight looked between each other and shrugged. Ironwood and Abrams walked over to the group with the magazine and hopefully and explanation.
"Did you find anything General," Ruby asked.
"Nothing much," Ironwood said, "The magazine is modified but, it's base design is one of our older styles."
"It makes sense," Abrams added, "This droid is an older style itself so it will gravitate to the older weapons."
"We can be pretty sure that the weapon is a A-29S rifle," Ironwood continued.
"That's the suppressed version of the .43 sniper rifle isn't it," Ruby said.
"You know your Atlasean Military Code," Ironwood said approvingly.
"I know my sniper rifles," Ruby amended as she patted Crescent Rose.
"You also do know the Atlasean Military Code," Blake pointed out, "So what can this rifle do exactly?"
"It was intended to hunt the larger Grimm while offering stealth to the Hunters that were using it," Ironwood said, "It was quickly adopted by assassins as a favorite tool. We then tried to collect and destroy the series but it was never fully accounted for."
"This droid most likely has a stash or two hidden in it's operational area," Abrams said, "It was programmed to think like a person after all. Now if we are very lucky it was also one of the models that had built in override commands. While they were intended to be used against the White Fang we co-developed many models with the Atlas Military. These models were stronger and smarter but also had a secondary set of programming that could be activated to let the units be commanded by officers of the Atlasean Military."
"I would not count on me being one of those models," the droid said as it dropped in from the balcony above them. "The head that Yang had melted had been replaced with the head of an Atlasean knight droid. The rounded, white and black head was admittedly less scary than the black and red angular head the droid had before. Those two arm blades were still just as scary to Blake as they were when they stabbed her though.
"It's here," Blake thought as she backed up with everyone else to get some distance between them and the droid. "We had more of us last time and it still managed to stab Ruby... We've got to stop this thing."
"My ammo please General," the droid said as it reached out it's hand, "I need it to finish my mission."
"Your mission is terminated," Ironwood said.
"I'm afraid I can not accept that command as you are now a part of my mission," The droid replied.
"I'm going in," Blake whispered to Sun before she left a clone of herself where she was and very carefully moved out of the line of sight of the droid as it asked for it's ammo again. "Okay need to move slowly so it's motion sensors don't detect me," Blake thought as she slipped from one shadowed piece of cover to another. "Please just keep it talking until I can get behind it. The programming for it must be in the main body so I should be able to hack it if I can get close enough to get on it." Abrams was talking to the bot now.
"You still have to listen to me," Abrams said, "I commissioned your line to be built, I am in your exempt data array, as should be my Daughters and my Wife."
"Those arrays are lost along with my original head," The bot replied as it extended it's blades to an attack position.
"No I'm so close," Blake thought. She quickly got Yang's attention and mouthed 'hit it to me.' Yang didn't seem to respond but Blake knew her partner got the message. A few moments later and she was proved right as Yang suddenly fired three rounds from Ember Celica at the droid. The droid brought up it's blades and blocked the shots but that provided Yang a perfect platform to punched the droid backwards with. Blake grappled onto the droid and started trying to open the back panel. Yang had moved in and was holding the droid's arms so that it couldn't attack Blake while she worked. Weiss had frozen the droid's feet to the ground and Sun had now moved in to help Yang with the arms.
A massive electric shock pulsed out from the droid throwing Blake, Sun and Yang off of it and freeing it's feet. Blake quickly brought up Gambol Shroud to deflect the strikes that the droid was now making against her. Blake was strong but the droid was stronger, it's first series of strikes knocked Blake off balance but a quick copy of herself saved her from another experience with the droid's blades. Everyone there was now attacking the droid, which gave Blake the moment she needed to get her balance back and rejoin the fight. Ironwood landed a heavy uppercut on the droid which knocked it back from the group as Blake tripped it with the kusarigama form of Gambol Shroud. Junior then whacked it with his bat, sending it sliding across the floor to the door at the other side of the large room. The droid got up and faced it's ten combatants. Blake, Sun, Ruby, Scooter, Yang, Junior, Weiss, Jayne, Abrams and Ironwood all were waiting for it to make the next move. The droid however did nothing, it seemingly locked up in the doorway while it was facing them.
"I guess you managed to do something to it," Yang remarked to Blake.
"It wasn't me I never even got into it's systems," Blake said.
"Oh you silly droid," A voice that was similar to Weiss' but with a slightly higher pitch said, "You can't stop the cold hand of winter." Blake then noticed the frost that was building up on the droid as Winter walked out from behind it with an empty dust vial in her hand. She then spun around in a whirlwind of white hair and dress and kicked the droid in the chest causing it to shatter. "Weiss, considering how we both were raised I should be surprised that you can get into this much trouble. I'm not though because I grew up with you. Hello Father, General Ironwood, a pleasure as always."
"And I thought Weiss was cold," Sun whispered to Blake.
"Winter I am glad to see you are okay," Abrams said.
"So am I," Ironwood said, "Your assistance here is greatly appreciated. If you are still intent on joining the Air Fleet your actions tonight will certainly speed up that process."
"You are aware that I aim to replace you," Winter said as she shook the General's hand.
"I wish you the best of luck then," Ironwood said, "After all I can not be the General forever, time takes it's toll on us all."
"No it doesn't," Winter said as she looked at Weiss and then the rest of the DC members in the room, "Some of us here don't get old. Weiss, sister, you have my sympathy for the life you've chosen."
"Your sympathy," Weiss asked confused.
"Yes," Winter said, "Without death there can be no peace. I should return to Atlas, Father if I could ride back with you and Mother I would like to talk about my plans for the future."
"Of course," Abrams said, "Our flight leaves in an hour so we should probably get underway. Ivy is already at our airfield getting everything together for us."
"One last thing then," Winter said as she walked over to Weiss and Jayne, "I understand congratulations are in order. I will not wish you long life because you already have that so instead I will wish you contentment, being immortal you may find that you will need it." With that Winter shook Weiss and Jayne's hands before leaving the building. Abrams hugged his Daughter and son-in-law before also exiting the building.
"I too should return to my command," Ironwood said, "I will have a team come to clean up the remains of this droid. I wish you all safety in your missions." The General also left the building leaving just the eight couples in the auditorium.
"Well that was eventful," Yang stated.
"Not now Yang," Weiss said as she sat down in a chair.
"Weiss what's wrong," Ruby asked.
"Winter is right," Blake said for Weiss after the Heiress just sighed, "Think about it since joining with DC we've been in nothing but constant battles. If we continued to live this life we will have no peace."
Everyone was quite for a few moments after that until Jayne said, "It pays well though right?" Weiss stifled a laugh while Junior and Scooter both nodded in agreement. Blake smiled as see saw Weiss face light up at the antics of the men, well except Sun who was just shaking his head.
"We may not have peace but we will bring peace to a lot of places if we keep at it," Ruby said with a smile, "Besides our next battle is right over there." She pointed to the large mound of presents that the guests had left.
"I thought you said for people not to bring presents," Sun said.
"I did," Weiss said, "They didn't listen."
"Where we gona put all them," Scooter asked.
"Yeah my room is to small," Ruby said, "Yang could we..."
"We do have a spare room that is empty," Yang remarked.
"I thought we were saving that to store the music equipment in," Junior said.
"Ah here you all are," K said as he sprinted up to the eight in his human form, "We have a problem. I know it is on the tail end of your celebration but Shade has gone to retake her Remnant and... what is with the metal shards?"
"That assassin droid showed up again and Winter shattered it," Blake explained, "General Ironwood is going to have a team clean it up."
"Ah I see," K said, "I apologize then for the intrusion but Shade and those with her are going to be in more danger than they expected. Doug has three teams out hunting the other Magogs under Magog-Cinder's control. When they are beaten their power will return to her."
"Thus making Shade's fight harder," Junior remarked, "Okay I see the problem. Who all is with her?"
"Her team of course," K said, "Bad Co. Adam, Imhotep, Moroni, the Invention and it's Spartans and Beast."
"How long have they been gone," Ruby asked.
"At least a day and a half," K said, "And Doug's teams have been gone for about a day."
"Okay so I guess we can worry about getting the presents moved some other time," Weiss said, "I'll call some movers to carry them down to the Club."
"I'll tell Melanie and Miltia to expect them," Junior added as he pulled out his scroll.
"How are we going to follow them," Yang asked.
"I was thinking the Tardis," K said, "It is small and powerful, just what you need to get over to Shade quickly and unnoticed."
"Okay so where is the Doctor then," Scooter asked. The grating sound of the Tardis landing answered his question for him. The door opened up and River waved them all inside.
"K are you coming with us," Blake asked. K looked torn for a moment, probably deciding between staying with C or going to help them, before he sighed and ran into the Tardis.
"I didn't think he would actually come with us," Sun remarked as he and Blake joined the rest in the Tardis.
"Okay everyone's in," the Doctor announced with a smile as he flipped a few switches, pressed a button and threw a lever, "Come on old girl take us to Shade and let's save a planet." Blake and Sun grabbed onto the nearest railing as the Tardis took off but the trip was smooth this time.
"Really you managed to get us here smoothly," River remarked as she opened the door, "I guess sometimes you do get lucky."
"Everyone out," K said, "We need to see what is going on out there."
The group exited the Tardis to come face to face with... "Is that me," Blake thought as she looked into the pink eyes of a girl who looked almost identical to her, save the eye color and the little fangs.
"Hi RWBYs," the girl said, "I'm Daisy Noire Belladonna, but you can call me Noire. Oh one more thing Ruby do you know me?"
"Uh... no," Ruby replied.
"Oh good, having two of you who know me around might be a little more confusing than I'd like," Noire said.
"She has the same last name as me," Blake though as she continued to stare at what looked to be an alternate dimension's version of her.
"Noire is it," K said as he looked her over then smirked, "So what is the situation here, we are in a base camp of some sort I assume from all the equipment. Where is Shade and the others?"
"She is a little disconcerting," Sun remarked.
"K seems to be okay with her," Weiss said as Noire and K walked away from the Tardis and towards what looked to be a command post.
"You don't find it odd that she looks almost identical to Blake," Yang asked. "Apart from her hair, eye color and those fangs her features are identical."
"She even has the same last name," Blake muttered. "I have to find out who this girl is." Blake started following K and Noire and Sun followed her as the rest of the team spread out to get a look at the camp. Bad Co. walked by and saluted to Blake and Sun as a greeting before heading to the rest of the team and helping them get acquainted with the camp.
"At least there are some friendly faces," Sun remarked as he looked around at all the Sith troops that were going about the task of managing and expanding the camp.
"K I came here with the few that I did so that the RWBYs from your Remnant didn't have to fight this creature," Shade's voice carried to Blake's sensitive ears.
"Well it's to late for regrets," Blake said as she and Sun entered the square's command structure. "We're here, we will kill this Magog and we won't hold it against you that this Remnant was lost to it. Now on to the important question, who is she?" Blake pointed at Noire as she said this.
"I thought that might come up," Noire remarked, "Listen Pussy, I'm... I don't really know what I am, I used to be the erotic thoughts that were in another Blake's head but then I might have taken over her body for a while, then I got forced out of that body and was given this body. We went through Beacon together, graduated and have been successful as Huntresses for six years since. Then I got the opportunity to come here. Which then caused some changes in my own past and I don't know, I just want to bed Tucker and kill demons at this point because this is all really new to me and I'm nervous as blarg about the whole thing so I don't need you hating me right now." Shade, K, Sun, Blake, Tucker and Yishi who were all in the command center just stared at Noire. "I thought that most of that was being said just in my head," Noire stated after a moment, "What I meant to say was I'm a friend."
Blake had several reactions pop into her head, "What did she call me? She used to be a part of another me? We got through Beacon! Poor thing is scared and almost alone, wait what was that about Tucker? Why would I hate her? Is she a sister to me or something? She could be... is she younger than me? She looks younger. Maybe she could be like an adopted younger sister, I'm the only on on the team who never had a sibling, it would be nice to have one and she could be my younger sister. What was that about Tucker again. What did she call me?"
Blake expressed all these thoughts as one action. An action Yang had shared with her when Blake's worry about the White fang would peak, a gentle hug.
Noire caught her breath as Blake hugged her before saying, "You are... you're taking this much better than my Blake did."
"Because I'm not your Blake, I'm me," Blake said as she let go, "But please don't call me pussy I've spent enough years trying to get people to not think of me as an animal that I do not need you undoing that. It also makes me really angry for some reason when you call me that."
"Well that's one similarity then," Noire remarked, "I... okay Blake I won't. Besides like you said you are you not my Blake and that nickname is for her."
"So you two are cool then," Sun asked with two thumbs up and his goofy smile.
"Yes dear we are," Blake replied.
"Wait a minute," Noire said, "you two are... oh, that was faster than on my world."
"Well good then," Shade said, "Since you are already here I won't send you back so you will be stuck with us until we get this finished."
"Right about that what is the status of your operation," K asked.
"We have an alliance with the Prometheans of Requiem," Yishi said, "Thanks to Noire there. We hope to use the Composing technology of the planet to trap the demons in and make them work for us."
"That sounds like a solid plan," K admitted, "What is the hold up then, it is not like you to wait."
"The demons have hidden underground," Adam said as he walked in. Well he floated in and he was in his Sith robes with the Revan mask on. "We need to do something to draw them out, offer them a target that is to good to pass up."
"Any ideas on this target," Blake asked.
"I was going to use me and Shade but now that K and the Tardis are here," Adam said.
"We get to be the honey on the bait," K remarked, "Oh the Doctor will just love that idea."
"Meow-chicka-meow-meow," Noire said.
"Oh come on that one is a stretch," K said.
"So you do know who I am," Noire stated to which K just smiled.
"Wouldn't we be prime targets for these demons," Blake asked ignoring the side conversation between K and Noire for the moment.
"Yes you would be," Shade agreed, "But that is not an option I will allow you. If me and my team die freeing this world then fine. We were part of the reason it was destroyed after all. I won't let you all suffer harm because of our foolishness."
"I don't really see how you have any way to stop us," Ruby said as she and the rest of the team came into the structure. "If we can lure these demons out then we will do so."
"What about the Composer," K asked, "Will it know the difference between us and the demons or will we have to avoid it?"
"It has been reprogrammed to only compose the demons," Yishi said, "we will all be passed over by it."
"Well then," Blake said, "Only one thing left then, where do we go to lure the demons out?"
Character Moroni
Moroni and Neo quickly discovered that they worked quite well together. Neo's illusion semblance combined with his great ax and ability to throw various, summoned, weapons of pure light made for a terrifying combination on the battlefield. Not to mention that Neo, when fighting, was an almost unstoppable dervish of dodges, parries and counterattacks. In fact Moroni couldn't recall a demon that he had seen her kill which she attacked first. Neo for all her fighting prowess however was still vulnerable in one key factor, her strength. She was only four foot nine so she simply didn't have the build to block some of the larger demons' attacks. Moroni did however, being capable of blocking even the most powerful demons strikes with his ax. He found himself drawn to protect the small woman who had seemingly been thrown into this situation without any warning by the mysterious Raven. So the two had become partners ever since they dropped out of the Raven to land on the fallen Remnant.
"Are you all ready," Beast rumbled as they along with Adam, K, and the two RWBY teams along with associated peoples, moved from their camp to the center of what used to be the city-kingdom of Atlas.
"Why wouldn't we be," Imhotep asked.
"I don't know maybe you got bored or something," Beast replied, "I know I did, I was sleep walking there for a bit.
"You were what," Neo asked, "You could have stepped on one of us, or all of us."
"Don't you go into that silent killer mood or something when we are fighting things," Beast retorted in his defense.
"She does," Adam said, "We are not fighting anything right now though."
"Quite," Moroni said as Shade brought them to a stop. Moroni practically felt Neo shift into her fighting mindset. He had to admit that he liked Neo in both her states of mind, in her normal mood she was thoughtful, could sometimes be funny but usually contemplative. In her fighting mood she was focused, somewhat flamboyant but brutally effective. An odd trait that Moroni noticed was despite her illusion ability Neo was generally straight forward and honest. Like with the smile she was giving him as the group waited for Shade to give the orders. While Neo had yet to actually say anything to him in her fighting mood Moroni could make her giggle at times by reading her facial expression and playing off of them. Like the smile she was giving him at this moment, it was the smile of a killer but it was also laced with a bit of lust and, at least when she was smiling at him, a heavy dose of friendship.
"Neo do you plan on killing me or sleeping with me cause that smile has got a mix of emotions in it," Moroni stated calmly. This elicited the giggle from Neo that Moroni found so adorable and somewhat amusing considering how deadly the woman was. The two's teasing of each other was cut off as Moroni felt two Magogs enter the world. "K did you?"
"I did," K said, "Two of our away teams have been successful it seems, but now we will have to deal with these creatures."
"You're condemnation aren't you," Noire said, "Call up your friends and have them trap this evil."
"I am," K replied tersely. "Baal is on his way, we should back up to give him room."
"How big is he usually," Yang asked.
"About as tall as Beast there but much longer if I recall correctly," Moroni and K answered. The two looked at each other and nodded their approval of the others timely response. A portal opened up above them and out from it lept a massive, red and gold, six legged, boney plated, lizard like creature that stood about two hundred feet tall and was three times that long.
"K, Moroni," Baal greeted in his ringing, echoing voice, "and friends. So these Magogs are on their way are they? Hmm... yes I can feel them getting closer. I only feel two main ones though Where is the heart of these creatures?"
"We don't know," K said, "But we have these two here and they are coming to us with their armies."
"I detect several lesser Magogs as well," Baal said, "I assume it is them who were holding the planet hostage until you showed up."
"Correct," Shade said, "We defeated several of them which caused the demons to pull back and start a war of attrition against us, thus the composer in the sky and us acting as bait. Zelen is the Promethean that is helping us run that system."
"The metal planet I take it," Baal said as he looked up, "an interesting way of binding creatures. We will see if my way doesn't work better though."
"The armies have arrived," Beast said, "Let's get to killing." The armies were masses of Grimm, the very large kind. This presented a problem as Grimm have no soul they can not be Composed, thus the demon within them would also be immune.
"We have to get the demons out of those Grimm," Moroni said, "Neo get on." Neo jumped up to his shoulders and settled in between Moroni's wings as the Cherubim took off to attack the nearest Grimm. Beast, Baal and K were already engaging some of the Grimm and as they destroyed the bodies, beams would either shoot out of Baal to ensnare the demons or blasts from Requiem would Compose the demons. Neo jumped off Moroni to land on the head of a giant Ursa, Ruby shot past Moroni as she engaged a King Taijitu, the rest of the battle got lost to Moroni as he brought his ax down on the skull of a Goliath. K followed up Moroni's attack with a wave of disintegration that brought the thousand foot Goliath down. The two old friends continued to combo off of each other. Those enemies that K would engage Moroni would finish off with spears of light or his ax and those that he engaged K would finish off with one of his spells or his Soul-Blades. Neo would flow through the tide of battle around the two former devils as the openings presented themselves. The DC team was pushing the demons back to their fortress in the heart of Atlas when a voice yelled out.
"Enough," Mercury's voice rang out across the snow and blood covered fields. Moroni looked up to see that they were only about a hundred yards from the walls of the once great city of Atlas. On the walls were two Magogs, one was in the form of Mercury and the other looked like Emerald. The Magog-Emerald snapped her fingers and all the demons that DC had either ensnared or Composed were replaced with another hoard.
"We can keep doing this all day," Magog-Emerald said as this new wave of demonic Grimm charged the group.
"That's not a good sign," Baal remarked.
"We know," K and Moroni both said. K then added, "We have to take them out if we want to wipe the demons off of this planet."
"Where is the main one though," Moroni asked, "Where is Cinder?"
"They will know," Shade said as she and Neo came up beside him, "If we compose them we can search their minds for the information."
"Two problems," K said, "The army between us and that mechanical wolf that is creeping up on the Magogs."
"The what," Moroni asked as he looked back at the two Magogs. K was right, there was a wolf like mech with a grappling tail, razor sharp claws, a chainsaw on it's back and what looked to be knives that could fire out from it that was climbing through the ruins of the city towards the Magogs.
"We need to distract those two long enough that it has a chance to attack," Finis said as the reclusive man walked past Moroni to stand beside Shade.
"Or it could be helping them," Moroni said, "Neo with me, let's find a spot to get to those two from without them seeing us."
Neo's nod and smirk told Moroni she had already cast her illusion for her and him so they could move wherever they wanted to without the Magogs knowing. Moroni used his masterful art of deception to move him and Neo through the demon ranks unnoticed while the rest of their friends were keeping the battle going to hold the Magog's attention. Moroni and Neo were at the base of the wall that the Magogs were standing on. Moroni looked at K for a signal of when to fly up and either assist the mech-wolf in fighting the Magogs or fighting all three of them. K chose a direct way of signaling, thinking directly to Moroni.
"The wolf is about to attack," K's voice echoed in Moroni's head, "Fly up now so you distract the Magogs."
"Hold on," Moroni said to Neo as he pumped his wings and flew up in front of the Magogs. Behind them Neo's illusion shattered as she jumped off of his shoulders and blocked a fire ball with her parasol before landing beside Moroni on the wall in front of the Magogs. M got ready to defend himself as the Magogs charged only to see them both get stabbed through by the long, black tail of the mech-wolf. Though the Magogs reverted to their original forms they could not shake free of the cord that was now locking the two together.
"This is for my family which you murdered," the mech-wolf said in a inflected robot voice. Moroni watched as the tip of the 'tail' of the mech opened into a three pronged gripping appendage and pulled the chainsaw from it's holder on the mech's back. "I never wanted to use this thing again but you have made me understand some things that no one else had. You made me understand hate and love and loss. You killed those I loved now you will die." With that the mech swung the chainsaw at the two Magogs. Magog-Emerald raised her massive hammer hand to block the strike but to Moroni's astonishment, and the Magogs' shock, the chainsaw went right through the hand and the heads of the Magogs. The bodies stood up and spasmed for a bit but then they dissolved into black dust. The mech put the chainsaw back into it's holster before turning it's angular head towards Moroni and Neo.
"Hello," Moroni said.
"Hello," the mech-wolf replied as the black face plate on it's head snapped back to reveal the red eyes of the mech. Retracted like this the face plate looked like long ears. "Your timely distraction is appreciated."
"You're welcome," Moroni said, "I'm Moroni and this is Neo, that is Dragon Company behind us."
"I see," the mech replied, "I am Blade Wolf. You are fighting to free this world from these creatures?"
"We are," Moroni said, "What about you, you do not look like something from this world."
"I was here to avenge my family," Blade Wolf said. Even with the robotic voice it sounded sad. "There are still more of these creatures to kill I suggest we continue fighting. I will make my way to your army and assist in the battle but then I will need to return to my planet and seek out an old friend... if he is still alive."
"You wouldn't have to go alone," Moroni quickly said as Blade Wolf went to jump off the wall. "Anyone who fights the demons is a friend to us and we are more than willing to help once things here are tied up."
"It would be foolish to go on alone," Blade Wolf replied, "But I can not delay my search for Raiden any longer. I also do not have the means of transporting anyone other than myself and two others across space."
"Then go find which two you like the best and take them with you, give us your coordinates and we will follow when we can," Moroni said. Blade Wolf nodded and jumped off the wall to engage in the battle below. Neo tapped M on the shoulder and he looked at her. She jerked her head to the side to indicate a large demon commander that was approaching them. It was twenty five feet tall, twelve feet across at the shoulders, armored from head to toe with two massive blades protruding from it's fists. It roared and jumped high into the air. Moroni got in front of Neo and Raised his ax as the demon plummeted towards them and swung one of it's blades. Moroni blocked the blade with his ax and sent out an explosive pulse of light that knocked the demon back. Neo had already moved around and was waiting for the demon when it landed on it's back. Her sword was driven into it's skull before she swirled it around, extracted it, flicked the brain and blood off of it and sheathed it in one fluid motion. "And the trend of you scaring the blarg out of me continues," Moroni remarked. "Beautiful and deadly."
Neo actually stumbled when he said that she turned and looked at him before blinking turning her brown and pink eyes to their white color. "You think I'm beautiful," Neo asked.
Moroni was not sure which was more shocking, that Neo was talking to him while they were in a battle or that his compliment had been what effected this change. "Does she really think that much of me already that a compliment from me knocks her off her game," Moroni thought. His reply was more thoughtful than that though, "Yes I do." The two were interrupted as a wave of demons came at them. Neo instantly reverted to her silent killer mode and Moroni exerted his power with a wave of light spears that were summoned around his hand and then were sent flying towards the demons that were snapping and clawing at Neo. Neo dodged, parried and countered before deploying her illusion and back flipping to land beside Moroni. Moroni charged her illusion with light causing it to explode killing the raptor like demons that had rushed them. A second explosion rang out but this one was father off and sounded more like a cannon blast.
"What was that," Moroni asked. Blade Wolf landed beside him and Neo.
"Alert heavily modified Metal Gear incoming," Blade Wolf said.
"What's a Metal Gea..." Moroni started but then a massive robot landed in front of them. They were standing on a thousand foot tall wall and the mech was on par with their height. It was constructed like a massive T-Rex, with lasers, rocket launchers and two massive swords at it's disposal. "I'm just going to assume that thing."
"Correct," Blade Wolf said. "I would also like to request that Tucker and Noire accompany me back to my world once we finish this."
"You don't need to request," Tucker said as he and Noire joined the three on the wall, "You just saved our lives down there, we are going to have your back on this."
"That thing is big," Noire remarked, "Heh almost as big as you."
"Bow-chicka-bow-wow," Tucker said as he charged his energy sword. Noire's Cat's Tail lit up with fire dust, Blade Wolf drew his chainsaw, Neo expanded her parasol and Moroni summoned a wreath of the light spears around him.
"Hey Blade Wolf, you got any songs in your systems that you like," Noire asked, "I can play them if you send me the files."
"Sending," Blade Wolf replied as the Metal Gear seemingly took notice of the group for the first time. "Thank you for the offer."
"Hmm," Noire remarked, "This is Jamie Christopher's' work, 'I am my own Master Now.' How did you get this?"
"Do you really need to ask," Blade Wolf replied, "I simply like the sentiment in it, I am my own master now."
"Is that a nuke," Moroni asked as a huge rocket rose up from the back of the Metal Gear.
"Yes," Blade Wolf said, "With a payload designed to destroy this planet. Noire please begin playback."
"I got the files playing now," Noire said.
Born
Into a pack
There's no choice
But take orders to attack
Moroni and Neo were in the air as the Metal Gear brought it's swords down towards the group. Moroni used his ax to block one of the swords and deflected the other one with the light spears. Neo jumped from his back to one of the swords and started running up it.
Locked up in chains
I get fed
But the hunger still remains
Moroni was still flying towards the mech's head and was now deflecting 30mm shells that were being fired at him from two turrets mounted on either side of the turtle-like head. Noire rushed past M in a flurry of lightening and shadow as she ran up the other sword towards the mech's head.
Not content to live this way
Being led by the blind
Got to plan my dispersal
Time to leave them all behind
Moroni noticed that Neo was blocking the lasers from the mech's eyes with her parasol as she advanced, Noire was using Cat's Tail with exceptional skill as she sliced rockets right out of the air that were being aimed at her. The only two not accounted for at this moment was Blade Wolf and Tucker
Breaking out of my pain
Nothing ventured – nothing gained
I'm my own master now
Blade Wolf and Tucker appeared in the sky as the AI used a set of four rockets on it's legs to fly above the Metal Gear. Moroni saw that the two were planning to dive so he got ready to uppercut as they came crashing down on the mech.
Bear the mark of my scars
Shedding blood underneath the stars
But I will survive somehow
Neo and Noire had reached the shoulders and were cutting off the arms of the mech. Tucker and Blade Wolf had just disappeared behind the ridge line of the Metal Gear's head. Moroni had reached the two turrets and chopped the offending weapons off the head before lining up his strike.
Oooooooo
Oooooooo
Hear me howl
Moroni charged his ax with light and swung it up into the mech's head as he flew up dragging his weapon through the Metal Gear's head. Tucker and Blade Wolf had done the same thing with the back half of the head so the three met in the middle where Moroni wrapped Tucker and Blade Wolf in his wings before sending out a massive pulse of light that blew the mech's head into a billion pieces.
Time to leave them all behind
I'm my own master now
Moroni fist checked on Neo, she was safe behind the wall of her parasol as the shrapnel bounced off of it. Noire was also fine, her shadow shift Semblance allowing her to let the pieces fly through her. "Are you two okay," Moroni asked as he let go of the still flying Blade Wolf and Tucker.
"We are good," Tucker said, "I have to ask though are we riding through space on you with those rockets?"
"No I have a temporal distortion unit made for me by my murdered sister," Blade Wolf said, "She is the same one who installed these rockets and rebuilt my chainsaw."
"So she was human then," Moroni asked.
"Yes her and my brother both were," Blade Wolf replied.
"How can that be," Tucker asked as they landed back on the wall with Neo and Noire. Behind them the Metal Gear collapsed backwards into the ruins of the city.
"Family is not decided by blood it is decided by spirit," Blade Wolf replied, "I chose them to be my sister and brother... I failed to protect them." Blade Wolf lowered his head as he said the last phrase.
"But you will avenge them," Noire said, "and we will help."
"Thank you," Blade Wolf said as he looked up at Noire, "Get on we are leaving."
"Before you go," Moroni said, "Allow me to give you a boon. Your chainsaw and those knife claws, I can imbue them with light making them even more lethal to demons that you may encounter."
"Will it be more painful to the demons," Blade Wolf asked.
"No it will make their deaths quicker actually," Moroni said.
"Good, do it," Blade Wolf stated. Moroni nodded and conjured an orb of light in his hand. He then threw the orb at Blade Wolf and it washed over him. The edges of his weapons all flashed with a golden light before they faded back to their normal appearance.
"Go find your friend," Moroni said, "We will follow when we can." Blade Wolf nodded as Tucker and Noire got on his back. Moroni backed up as a blue sphere formed around the three and then they were gone, there was no flash no noise Tucker, Noire and Blade Wolf had simply left.
"We should head back," Neo said as she put her weapon away, "it looks like the others have finished the battle."
"Right, I'll tell K what happened," Moroni said before starting a mental communication with K.
Character Issac Clark
Issac, Carver, Ellie, Ellen and Scoops had joined up with Shepard's team. The SSV Normandy SR-2 and the USM Executioner now were both en rout to Avalar with Spyro and his family on board the USM Executioner. The Doctor had told Ellie of Necromorphs heading to Avalar after their failed attempt to convert Remnant. Issac knew that Ellie was almost fanatical in her war against the Necromorphs and Ellen was equally driven, especially if the Necromorphs and Xenomorphs could combine. Based on this he was not surprised to find himself on the Normandy with Carver, Ellen and Scoops as they prepared to head down to the surface of the planet. Spyro and his family were heading down as well thanks to their suits. The team didn't know if Necromorphs had arrived on Avalar yet or not but they wanted to be ready just in case.
"Some of those cities are so large I can see them from here," Carver remarked as they flew low over the ground with the hatch open so they could get an idea of the lay out of the planet.
"It wasn't always like this," Ellie said through the radio, "Spyro says that Malafor was changed in the past thanks to the efforts of Bad Co, Sparta, Alexandria, Hadriel and Orthino. Basically one dimensional version of this world was overwritten by another."
"That is a little disturbing," Issac said. "What if something can over write worlds with the demon filled version of them?"
"Then we fix it," Carver stated.
"Fixing problems does seem to be our strong suit doesn't it," Shepard said as he came to stand beside the four near the edge of the hatch. "We will be touching down shortly to meet up with Spyro and then checking in with Malcolm inside Warfang."
"Have you been here before," Ellen asked.
"No," Shepard replied, "We've been with DC for a while now but this will be our first time on the planet where it all started."
"This is where it all started huh," Issac said, "I guess things were a little different then."
"Probably," Ellen said, "I guess we are about to find out." The Normandy landed outside of the sprawling city of Warfang. Spyro was already on the ground and was talking with a bipedal cat like creature.
"Ah here they are," Spyro said, "Everyone meet Malcolm, the overseer of the city."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Malcolm said, "While I am glad to see some of my friends and some of DC's new faces I have to ask what prompted you all coming here. Dragon Company usually doesn't bother concerning itself with planets that are at peace."
"No we don't," Spyro agreed.
"Oh I see," Malcolm remarked with a sigh, "Well you will probably want to give me the details before the other high profile persons in the city come out to talk with you, that armored suit you have is quite noticeable."
"Oh right politics," Spyro said, "Malcolm do you know of anything new on Avalar since the cities were built? Any crystal spires, new land formations, organic growths even just rumors of things crawling around in the dark corners of the world?"
"I can't say that I have," Malcolm answered, "However I don't get out of the city much anymore with having to keep the peace and such. Some of the people you and your family will be talking to though have been. In fact many of them got to where they are because of discoveries they made since our world was rebuilt. They may know more about what you are hunting from their exploits."
"While you all are dealing with politics we can go scout around," Carver said, "After all we already know what to look for."
"I vote for that," Ellen said.
"Then we will head out and see what we can find," Issac said, "Shepard if we can borrow the Kodiak and Cortez we can be searching one section of the world while you and the Normandy search another."
"Hey and can James come with us," Carver asked.
"Sounds like he's found some new friends," Shepard said with a laugh, "Sure, besides he will make sure you all get back in one piece."
"If you wish to avoid the politics then you should leave now," Malcolm said as the gates to the city swung open, "Here come the politicians."
"You all go on we will catch up," Shepard said, "Besides I'm speaking on behalf of my Earth here."
"Right," Issac said as he, Carver, Ellen and Scoops went back into the Normandy and meet up with James and Cortez. The six piled into the Kodiak and took off. Issac connected with Ellie on the Executioner. "Ellie, where are the likely spots on this world for Necromorph activity?"
"There are a lot of places that they could be," Ellie replied after a few moments. "Just pick a direction and I'll tell you when you are close to a likely spot."
"Great," Issac responded, "Cortez just head east. Ellie will let us know when we are close to a hot spot." Cortez nodded and the group was off. They speed low across the plains outside of Warfang until they had to gain some altitude to avoid another city. The spires of some of the buildings rose fifteen-hundred feet into the air. Many buildings were capped with gold and there was even evidence of digital wave technology on some of the buildings.
"So Scoops is cool," James asked.
"Yes," Ellen said, "He's here to protect me."
"He just doesn't look like a flying type," James clarified.
"Ha he could probably fly this ship if he needed to," Ellen remarked, "He learns so quickly, just seeing something one time is enough for him to remember how it works."
"That is impressive," Carver remarked.
"Well he can watch me drive if he wants to," Cortez said, "I'll even point out to him what dictates which responses."
"Hold that thought," Issac said, "Ellie?"
"You've got a volcanic mountain range coming up," Ellie said, "It would make a good spot for a a spire. Go in and take a look around."
"Copy that," Issac replied, "Everyone did you hear that?"
"Heading in now," Cortez replied as he started their descent towards the awaiting mountains. Issac noticed that Scoops was indeed watching Cortez pilot the ship. "I wonder how Scoops sees," Issac thought, "I don't see any eyes on him, maybe thermal sensors or echo location? Either one wouldn't help him see the instruments and displays so I doubt that he could fly this vehicle."
They landed on a cliff that was about halfway up the side of one of the volcanoes. Cortez opted to stay with the Kodiak so he could fire it up and move it quickly if he needed to. James voted to stay with Cortez, citing that someone needed to be on the mounted gun if they needed to come save Issac and friends.
"I'll give you that one," Carver conceded, "Mounted machine guns are always welcome in a rescue or a get away."
"What all this time and you still have so little faith in me," Issac joked.
"Or he has complete faith in you," Ellen added turning the joke back on Issac causing them all to laugh before Issac, Carver, Ellen and Scoops headed into the dark passages of the mountain.
"This isn't ominous at all," Carver remarked as the four made their way over some boulders that lined the path.
"What's the chance that we go crawling all over these mountains and don't find a thing," Ellen asked.
"Hard to say," Issac said, "We still have to check them out though." Issac came to regret that statement several hours later as they returned to the Kodiak without seeing any sign of Necromorphs. "Cortez has Shepard finished talking with the locals?"
"Yeah he's got a list of several spots that he wants us to check," Cortez replied.
"You four up to some more of this," James asked, "You look tired, well except Scoops."
"We were climbing mountains for the past two hours," Ellen countered, "You want to try it next time?"
"I'd love to but someone's got to man the gun," James said.
"Well lets get to the next place then," Issac said.
"Hold up a moment," Ellie interrupted via the comms. "Cortez if you send me the data that Spyro and Shepard got on where people reported any oddities I can overlay them with my map of the terrain that Necromorphs are most likely to inhabit. We might be able to narrow down the list considerably."
"Sending the data now," Cortez said.
"Ellie," Issac asked, "What have you got?"
"I... I don't believe this,"Ellie said, "There is only one place that the sightings and the terrain match up. It's a Marker it has to be..."
"Ellie," Issac said, "focus where is it?"
"About fifteen-hundred feet underneath you," Ellie replied.
"Cortez take the Kodiak and get some reinforcements," James said, "If this thing is underground then I'm going in too."
"Be careful then," Cortez said as the five got back out of the vehicle. The Kodiak then took off heading for Warfang.
"Well today just keeps getting better," Carver remarked.
"How are we going to find this thing underground," James asked as the big man rolled his shoulders.
"Scoops," Ellen asked. The Xenomorph dashed off with a hiss. "He'll come get us when he finds an entrance that he thinks is suitable."
"That is a handy skill," Issac said, "How long will it take him to..." He was interrupted by Scoops returning and leaping over him.
"Not long," Ellen stated as she patted Scoops on his head. "Okay boy show me." The group moved out to follow Scoops who was moving at a slower pace so they could keep up. The cave entrance that Scoops had found was around the side of the mountain and about four-hundred feet below them.
"Well that looks promising," James remarked.
"If you want to find creatures that want to eat you sure," Carver stated.
"So they are like Reapers but squishier," James countered.
"And there can be a lot more of them in a much smaller space," Issac said.
"And if they have Xenomorph additions," Ellen added.
"Alright we get it," James said. Everyone turned on their lights as they entered the cave behind Scoops. They made their way through the cave for several hundred feet before Issac started noticing signs of the Necromorphs.
"Necromorphs are here," Issac said as he pointed to a fleshy growth that was near a small pool of water.
"Are you sure that is not just," James started but Ellen's flamethrower interrupted him as a wave of fire washed over the fleshy growth causing it to fail around as it was burnt up. "Never mind."
"That will bring them all down on us you know," Carver sighed.
"I know," Ellen said.
"The more of them we clear out before getting to the center of this place the better," Issac said as he looked around. "We can be fairly sure that there will not be many Necromorphs behind us, if any, and I only see two entrances to this area."
"So what is your plan then," Ellen asked.
"We lock down this area until Cortez gets here with our backup and then we push in," Issac said. The squishing sound of a body getting impaled drew everyone's attention to Scoops. Scoops had a Necromorph slasher form held in the air with his tail. The slasher was using it's two arm spikes to beat at Scoops but the Xenomorph's armored exoskeleton just deflected the strikes as Scoops studied the Necromorph. Scoops apparently picked up on the Necromorph's weakness as he quickly ripped the arms off of the slasher, killing the Necromorph nodes that controlled the body. Scoops then flung the corpse into the tunnel that was in front of him and knocked several more Necromorphs over in the process.
"No choice now it seems," Carver said as he and Issac both drew their plasma cutters. James' incendiary grenade got to the tunnel first though and the Necromorphs were set on fire. Scoops jumped back behind the four to get away from the fire.
"Scoops guard our exit and let me know when our friends get here," Ellen said as she powered up her flame thrower again. Issac and Carver both started firing at Necromorphs with their plasma cutters. James had brought a drum-mag shotgun and a massive Gatling, plasma turret, both weapons were effective against the Necromorphs.
Issac and Carver, while they had the same weapons, had differing methods of attack. Issac preferred to keep his cuter in horizontal mode to better cut off the legs of the Necromorphs. Carver used vertical mode most of the time to take out the arms. Either method would kill the Necromorphs but Issac's was more efficient at keeping the Necromorphs bottle necked in the tunnel that they were coming through. The racket of gun fire and the roar of the flame thrower were complimented with the screams of the Necromorphs as the team held their position at the tunnel entrance.
"There sure are a lot of these guys," Ellen yelled over the noise.
"Well there is probably another thousand feet of caves to the objective and no telling how many side passages that branch off from it." Carver replied.
"Ellen where is Scoops," Issac asked as he spotted a passage that was hidden near the top of the expanded passageway that they were in.
"Still behind us," Ellen replied.
"I need him to take me through that passage," Issac said as he pointed to the narrow gap in the wall.
"We hold these guys off and keep them distracted while you take out the heart," Carver said, "That's gutsy."
"Either that or we may run out of ammo before our friends get here," James said as he switched to his Gatling gun. Ellen didn't seem to say anything but Scoops came up beside Issac and looked at the passage.
"Thank you," Issac said to both Ellen and Scoop as he and the Xenomorph headed into the passage.
"Don't thank me, you probably won't be able to communicate with Scoops," Ellen said. Issac just made a mental note of that point and headed into the gap with Scoops behind him. As the sounds of gunfire receded Issac became painfully aware of just how loud Scoops' foot falls were. Their ominous thud droning through the passage was the only noise that he heard as the two got closer to the objective. The passage came to an end but Issac's tracker told him that there was only a few feet of rock between them and the objective.
"Hey Scoops," Issac said, "Um If you can understand me could you punch through that wall there? It's not very thick one good solid hit should make it crumble." Scoops just crouched down and curled his tail around himself as he looked back over his shoulder towards where Ellen and the others were. "I guess you can't unde..." Issac was interrupted as Scoops leaped over him and smashed through the wall. "That happens to me a lot," Issac though as he got up from where he ducked to the ground. He followed Scoops through the wall to see a half built Marker that was being guarded by three Hunter Necromorphs. "Carver we've got Hunters," Issac radioed as he blew off the legs of the three Hunters. The Necromorphs just regrew their legs and stated advancing on Issac and Scoops. Scoops clacked his jaws before whipping his tail around and biting into it in several places.
"The acid blood," Issac thought, "He really is hyper intelligent." Issac blew the legs off of the Hunters again and Scoops smeared his blood across them while they were trying to regrow the limbs. The Necromorphs flailed around on the ground for a while before the acid dissolved them.
"Issac we're on our way just keep the Hunters busy for us," Carver said over the radio.
"No need Scoops took care of them," Issac replied, "Acid blood you know. We have a Marker here, it's only half built though."
"Doesn't matter," Ellie interrupted the two, "If there is a Marker there then a Moon has been by. I'd most likely expect a Hive-mind to be around somewhere as well."
"We will keep an eye out for it," Issac said. The floor under the Marker shattered and the Hive-mind exploded into the cavern. "Never mind I think I found it. Scoops take out the yellow orbs and watch out for the tentacles." The Xenomorph just scurried up a wall leaving Issac to face the Hive-mind alone for the moment. "Well that's great," Issac though, "Okay, done this before..." Issac picked his targets and started firing. Several bulbous Necromorph clusters exploded with Issac's attack. Then the five clusters on the Hive-mind's head exploded as Scoops erupted from it's face. Issac watched in amazement as Scoops used his tail to grapple back onto the Hive mind and burrow into it again. Issac refocused his attacks to the tentacles that were trying to follow Scoops. Issac would blow them apart at their joints and Scoops continued to drill holes through the Hive-mind. While Issac was protecting Scoops, Ellen and Carver came into the cavern. Scoops bust out of the Hive-mind one last time causing the Necromorph to let out a final shriek and collapse into a melting pool of flesh.
"Hah well done," Carver exclaimed as he and Ellen came up to Issac and Scoops.
"Scoops did most of the work, or his acid blood did I expect," Issac said.
"I can see that," Ellen stated as she started tending to Scoop's bitten tail.
"Ellie," Issac said, "The Hive-mind is dead, do you think that the Moon is still around or do you think it has moved on already?"
"I'd be willing to bet that it is still around," Ellie replied, "Ready yourselves. We are going to have to go hunting."