The Shadow of Fire
Chapter 45: Adam
The Maelstrom
Above Fort Scatter
6:11 AM
Orion rubbed his chin as his golden eyes watched down through the glass floor under him at the fort below, watching as missile after missile flew down at the base, exploding into fireballs of metal and fire.
"Hmm..." Orion said as he felt a presence deep within the base: a light warrior turned dark. "So, he arrived. This should be interesting."
Orion was deep in thought as he glanced out of the window of the ship, seeing a faint orange glow coming from the direction of Vale. Orion frowned for a moment when he considered that the Vytal Festival was probably being prepared, and the glow was most-likely some firework that was launched as a party was taking place.
"Of course. There's no way its Dagonus. We still have time before he makes any sort of move..." The God of Fate said with a thoughtful frown. "Unless... No, it can't be. I'm just thinking negative."
Orion turned to the consoles behind him, pressing several keys as more missiles flew downward towards the base, exploding and tearing the base to pieces.
Fort Scatter
Level 11
6:24 AM
Jacob, Lucas, Morris, and Felix all slowly proceeded down deeper into the base after Jacob had busted down the metal door blocking off the lower depths of the base, dealing with several squads of White Fang on the way down, until they reached yet another large door, this one all white with the blood red White Fang logo imprinted on it.
"Oh hell..." Felix said as he tapped several keys into the console next to the door, the glowing blue holographic keys reflecting in his eyes. "This is a very thick security system... Almost anything would trip the alarm."
"How many White Fang agents if the alarm is tripped?" Lucas asked, holding his crosses in hand.
"It's more like how many squads. Easily twenty, possibly a hundred White Fang. They really don't want anyone in this room. It must lead to the command center." The ex-White Fang agent said with a tap of a few keys.
"Felix. You spoke earlier of being an ex-White Fang agent? Do you have experience with this specific system?" Morris asked as he kept watch behind the group.
"I was. But I left before this system was installed... It seems to be in its prototype stage... That's odd..." Felix muttered.
"What's odd?" Jacob asked as he sized up the door.
"Something's wrong with the coding... It's nearly bypassed already by some other source." Felix said as he tapped a few keys in the console, a soft beep exiting the device as the door hissed in response, folding into the wall.
"That was too easy..." Felix muttered as he got up, the group of four walking into the room, the door sealing behind them.
A lone man in a black outfit stood before them, a large white and red rose emblem imprinted on the back of his shirt-jacket with a red shirt underneath, holding a black and dark brownish sheath in his left hand to his side. His hair was dark red, wearing a white mask that covered his eyes like a visor, an emotionless look imprinted deep on his face.
"I knew it wasn't normal..." Felix hissed, Lucas turning to him.
"What do you mean?"
"This was a set up. The door was meant to be unlocked." Felix said, drawing his twin pistols, Morris aiming his rifle at the man across the room.
Jacobs had his mechanical arm shift, the metal hand at the end collapsing and shifting into a pentagonal shaped opening; his arm turning into a large cannon, pointing it at the man.
"Weapons down. I will not ask again." The man said with a low voice, glancing at Felix in his modified White Fang outfit. "Hello, Felix."
"Adam." Felix said as he held his pistols at level.
"Our little group hasn't been the same since you and Blake left the fold. Touko was so worried." Adam retorted at the wolf faunus.
"Was she now?"
"Not at all." Adam said with a crack of his neck. "Now, will you all accept and surrender? I promise to let you all live."
Jacob cocked back his cannon on the side, pressing a few buttons on the side of it, the opening of the cannon glowing a dark blue light.
"I take that as a no. Regardless, I planned on killing you all anyways. This will just make it much more fun, hm?" Adam said with a twisted smile.
Felix growled as he and Morris began firing their guns, Adam quickly yanking out his blood red sword and slicing the bullets in the air, splitting them in half as Jacob fired off a shot from his cannon.
The orb of navy blue light flew at Adam, who jumped up over it as it hit the wall behind him, the broken stone falling to the ground below and breaking the floor, the faunus landing down and throwing his sword like a throwing knife at Jacob, drawing a black pistol.
The red sword impaled itself into Jacobs cannon arm, the freelancer growling as he fired off two more shots at Adam, missing him before changing it to his fist again, running at the man.
Adam fired off five shots at Lucas and Felix, Felix jumping up to the wall and pushing off with his feet to dodge the bullets, landing before running at Adam with a large bowie knife in hand, firing off a few shots with one pistol that he hadn't pocketed.
Lucas spun and changed his crosses to his giant twin swords, spinning the duo before him and deflecting the shots with ease as he too ran forward to battle.
Morris stood back, watching as he lowered his rifle, thinking.
Jacob punched forward with a battle cry, Adam jumping over the attack and kicking Jacob in the face, yanking out his sword and knocking Jacob back as Lucas leaped over Jacobs falling body, flipping in the air and doing a spin, clashing blades with Adam, who caught them with his red sword. Adam spun his sheath in his free hand, firing off a shotgun shell into Lucas's chest, the boy flying back as his Aura took the brunt of the force.
Felix ran forward and fired a few shots, Adam deflecting them as he ran to meet Felix, the duo clashing blades as Adam spun and went to fire a shotgun shell at Felix.
Adam grunted as a single bullet flew through his chest, kicking Felix back and throwing his sword at him, Felix flipping just in time to dodge it as it landed on the floor. Adam looked over at Morris, who was aiming his rifle at Adam, firing off yet another shot, taking his time.
Adam, clutching his chest, leaned to his left to dodge the bullet, spinning near the rubble of the wall from Jacobs cannon shot, kicking the broken stone across the room at Morris.
Morris ducked and jumped as he dodged two of the stones, the third catching him in the chest as he grunted in response, hitting his head on the wall behind him, dizzy as he tried to lift the rock off his chest.
Jacob growled as he stood up, grabbing the red sword with his normal hand and running at Adam, firing off a cannon shot before slicing with the blade at him.
Adam leaped up and kicked the cannon shot with his right foot, sending it back at Jacob, who dodged it while swinging the sword at Adam. Adam promptly kicked his metal arm to distract the boy and cause him to drop the blade from his other hand, Adam snatching it and plunging it into his arm again.
Jacob tumbled back as Adam spun and cracked him in the neck with his sheath, knocking the boy out.
The cannon blast that Jacob dodged flew back behind the freelancer. Lucas slowly stood up to greet the blast with his chest, the impact sending him flying into the white door they had entered, flying through it and to the ground in the hall, out like a rock.
Felix ran at Adam with his knife at the ready, thrusting forward to Adams chest. Adam dodged and smashed his elbow into Felixs arm, the faunus dropping the knife due to pain before Adam did a 360 spin in the air, kicking Felix in the chest and into the wall next to the duo, knocking the boy out as he fell to the floor.
"Sleep well, Felix." Adam said as the ex-White Fang agent blacked out.
Fort Scatter
Level 11
6:28 AM
Weiss and Saturn walked with Cheshire down yet another hallway, this one made entirely of glass, walls and all, over a carved out tunnel that seemed to run for miles. Weiss looked under her feet and could see hundreds of Grimm, all nesting and asleep, waiting for something to awaken them.
"I always have been curious about the Grimm." Saturn spoke aloud, Weiss looking up at him. "I like to think they have some form of a mind and free will. Given the fact they can adapt to our weapons and defenses. They must live for something besides darkness, and they must attack man for a reason."
Cheshire was quiet, having eaten the arm entirely, bone and all, and was using the sharpened bone of one of the fingers to clean her teeth.
"Maybe." Weiss said as she refilled the Dust in her rapiers chamber. "It is possible they have a real reason."
"Hm..." Saturn hummed before chuckling. "Maybe their God orders it, hm? Tells them to kill for it." The former crime lord amused.
Cheshire seemed to tense for a moment before laughing too. "Yeah... That would be something. But there's no God for the Grimm. That would be impossible."
Weiss agreed, glancing out the glass wall to see the tunnel, spotting a massive creature by the wall of the dug-out tunnel, maybe 70 meters in height. Weiss couldn't make out its features, unsure if it was a DeathStalker or a King Tiajitu. Where she felt its head would be, she saw a pair of slits, glowing blood red, appearing to be its eyes: and they were staring right at her.
The power of the tunnel flickered, the lights going out for a moment before returning as the backup generators kicked in. As Weiss looked out to spot the creature again, it was gone, as if it wasn't there to begin with.
"Where...?" Weiss muttered when Saturn and Cheshire called out for her to hurry up, Weiss running down the glass hall to the exit.