Hello and Welcome Back I am so glad to see you again. I am looking forward to what we will be seeing in the future. Tell me what you think.

"Nevermore flock at three O'clock."

"Another at nine coming in low."

"What the hell intel did not suggest there would be this many."

"Form up and make a defensive formation circle the wagons."

"I am hit VTOL Engine one is stuck at thirty-two degrees."

"Turn for home Delta Four; Delta three cover your wingman."

"Delta One that is a negative, this is Delta Four going down I repeat mayday, mayday we are going down."

"Delta Four pull up; pull up Delta Four. Kat Get your bird out of that dive. KAT!"

Inside the outpost things have been fairly quiet the Grimm seemed to be holding back. They had found a store of old battle rifles. "Pass them out we have more ammunition for these rifles than our own weapons." Alec says grabbing one for himself. "The Grimm are holding back out of weapons range it is not good for us."

Tina looks at Alec, "there is an old Valean eight-eight on the top of this outpost if I can get it operational, we would be able to hit them as long as ammunition holds. I need Beethoven." Alec nods and the girl dashes away grabbing the war hammer toting artificial human.

"How many people have come in?"

"Most of them," Danny Responds as she slaps the rifles magazine in. "These are old Atlas ABR-7's The Huntsman Model. Why are they here?"

"Not gonna Question it, we have guns and ammunition." Alec Replies tossing rifles to both Mimi and Raven. "How many wounded."

"More than would be nice but nothing lethal," Raven replies, "We need to figure out where everyone else is, about three quarters of the class have made it here. A few shield teams have formed and are preparing to make a defensive line. And two Spear teams have formed, as well as full Scout unit."

"Everyone is forming into teams and unit of their own accord but…" Mimi is cut off by Rita, "Aye Alec git in here. We have Radio Communication with someone."

Alec Slides into the Room that has become the main communication room, "Is it Beacon?"

"Listen."

"Kat please responds. Delta Four please."

"Get me a microphone," Alec says with haste a modified scroll is shoved in his hand, "This is Alec Tross First Year Huntsman we are holed up in the outpost and need contact with Beacon."

"This is Delta One flight lead of Beacon Air Cadets Delta Squadron, would love to help you but we have lost all contact with command, Squadron Able, Bravo and Delta have all had to send back about half our Squadrons left I am the last Flight Leader. Name is Hayley." A Silence is heard for a long moment, "Look I have a crashed ship down there, and two people trapped. Can you save them?"

Alec runs his hand through his hair, "I am right now surrounded by a fairly large horde of Grimm and preparing to repel the attack. I also am trying to gather the last of my Class. I have wounded I can't really run out to gather two more people. They are probably safer there anyway the Grimm are focusing on us."

"I am begging you please I will give you whatever is in my power but save my people."

"Alright, but I need you to find all of my missing Class and send us the coordinates and provide ground support."

"Copy that ground command, can do, coordinates for downed aircraft are being sent we will begin looking for MIA Huntsmen. We have four hours until Bingo Fuel do you copy."

"We copy Delta One. Point of Contact with Ground Command is Rita."

"Thank you."

Alec turns away from the radio. And taps his headset. "I need to know this from all of you, will you follow me." He walks out of the command room.

"Why should we?"

"Because we have a quarter of our class and two pilots that need rescuing," He starts loading rifle magazines into his coat. "And we need some kind of single command plan, I have made contact with the Cadet Pilots in the air above us and they have confirmed a complete loss of contact with Beacon, we may be facing a horde outside, and we can only survive this if we stick together. There are at least fifty people out there alone and afraid. And they need to be saved we are the only ones that can do that." He sighs, "I am asking you all to trust me, we are on our own and I have a plan to make it through this."

The silence is deafening even though people all around him are making noise, some stare some keep working. "You have Command then, what is our plan." He grabs a pile of extra rifles for future use.

"I need my team to meet up with me and I need the Scout unit and Spear teams ready. To go and rescue our people. My team will go out and get the pilots and anyone else near us." He sighs, "From here on out Rita is Ground command, she has direct contact with the Squadrons above. They are going to provide ground support and recon." He looks back to see Raven, Mimi and Beethoven looking at him. "I want you all to remember that we are surrounded by creatures that are attracted to negative emotions, so try to think happy thoughts."

Raven holds up four spring loaded needles, "Paul gave us these Four Aura Enhancers. It was all he and the other medics could spare."

Mimi sighs, "We don't have much in the way of supplies."

"We all know we have enough supplies for a day and a night." Beethoven explains calmly.

"Let's go," Alec starts walking out the front door. He looks at the Shield teams all holding their protective walls. "Not a single Grimm gets through that door alright. No matter what."

"If the Grimm get in it will be over our dead bodies."

"That is all I can ask." Alec turns to keep walking with his team toward the forest. "Mimi you are in charge of navigation, Raven right Flank, Bet Left."

The four Huntsmen move into the forest avoiding Grimm the extra rifles patting against their backs.

Mimi stops, "One sec. There is something nearby," She sniffs the air as her ears twitch, "Follow me," She slips her rifle to her shoulder and leads the way, "Blood." She looks around. Shell holes and the smell of burnt dust and dirt.

Alec looks around, "Alright give me a report."

"There were two of them, A human and A Rabbit Faunas. Human is the one bleeding." Mimi reads the area in front of them.

Raven stares around, "only one left female if the footprints and heels suggest anything."

"Found the human." Beethoven calls from a tree.

Alec leans over the black-haired man a massive gun lays at his side. "Wake up," He holds a finger to his pulse. "Come on can't carry you, get up."

The man's eyes open with a jolt, "Shit. Hannah."

"Hold up," Alec holds the man down, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three if you count the thumb, we don't have time. Hannah is an idiot." The young man gets up. "She said I couldn't keep up, and that she would draw away the Grimm."

"Mimi Track her."

"This way."

Alec hands the man a Rifle, "My name Alec, that is Mimi, Raven and Beethoven. What happened."

"David, Hannah, and I heard your call to meet up at the Outpost we were moving that way when the Grimm got too thick, and we were taking beating and I got badly hurt and she told me that she would draw them away and then loop back. I disagreed, and she pushed me against the tree and let me pass out. Must have decided to make her plan go. Except we both know it was a one-way trip." He moves as quickly as Mimi does. "Not going to let that damned bunny die for me."

It takes ten minutes to find a pair of Beowolves trying to tear something apart in between them. Their tug of war is ended in a hail of bullets. As Raven checks the Girls pulse. "She is alive what the hell."

David grabs the girl and shakes her, "Wake up, you damned bunny, I told you we stick together. I am not carrying you back to the outpost you fat assed, tiny titted idiot. "

"Your bed side manner is shit Dave." The Rabbit girls ear flops around, "and my breast are normal sized. You piece of shit." She stands up taking the rifle she is offered while gathering her weapon. "Glad you like my ass though." She looks at Alec, "I have a feeling that we are not going straight back to the outpost." A shake of a head answers her. "How bad is it."

Mimi starts leading the way for the mission as Alec begins to explain, "We are in a bad spot, no contact with Beacon, about a dozen and half Cadet fighters are our support we are gathering at the outpost and the Grimm numbers are building. Our mission is to gather the rest of our class and the pilot and copilot of a crashed fighter then dig into the Outpost and hold until evacuation. We have a days' worth of food less than that of meds and have no idea what is happening outside of our operational area."

"You forgot the part where you are technically in operational command." Raven adds with a sarcastic tone, "Which make you being out here very stupid."

"That too."

"Who put you in charge." David asks as he stands up.

Mimi sighs. "Everyone."

Alec stands up and starts walking away, "Mimi, get us back on track we need to find those pilots and get back to the outpost. Raven, you take the rear flank, Bet floating middle coverage. David and Hannah with Bet. Are you two holding together?"

Mimi takes the lead and starts walking with the other five following her. "Both our aura is almost shot no major holes though." David replies with roll of his shoulder. "We are both at around ten percent, those boosters you have won't help. Just try to keep us from being hit."

Hannah nods with him

The hike takes another twenty minutes before the wreckage and destruction. The debris and the fires still burn. "Find the pilots, then we get out." The group spreads out as they dig through the forest and its endless red. It doesn't take long to find the fuselage of the fighter the pair they were looking for laying back-to-back with their pistols in hand.

"Found them!" Beethoven yells followed quickly by the running of the others.

The first one a woman with short hair looks up, "Who are you?"

"Rescue, now are you hurt?" Beethoven leans over the woman as Raven rushes to the other a thin man with blood on his face.

"Probably hit the ground hard and had to shoot our way out. Grimm have been trying to get at us."

Alec steps up looking at the man, "He alive?"

Raven nods with worry, "He is out cold and looks bad off."

The woman gets up with help from Hannah, "He lost consciousness about ten minutes ago. Please tell me you have a recue bullhead waiting."

Alec shakes his head, "I am afraid not, we are from the fresh huntsmen class. We are holed up in the Outpost and have no contact with Beacon, your commander asked us to get you." He looks to the others, "Bet you are going to have to carry him, everyone else grab anything of value med kits, guns, ammo, explosive we bug out in five." He looks at the woman, "I assume that you are Delta Four."

"Name is Kat," She takes the rifle that is handed to her, "How bad is it?"

"Mine is Alec. You are infantry now; do you have your aura unlocked?"

"That bad huh," She checks the rifle slipping her pistol into her flight suits holster, "No neither of us have had the unlock."

"May I?" The woman nods, "I want you to double think this I am not trained to unlock, and this could cause you problems in the future."

"Look from what I can tell this is an emergency situation. Do it."

"Alright," Alec looks at Beethoven, "Unlock his Aura." With a nod Alec turn back to the woman in front of him. Placing his hand on her cheek he focuses, "In passing we may achieve immortality. Today is not the day to follow. Let protection extend to survive. Power of all power of none I pass to thee." Catching himself he looks at the woman. "Don't push yourself you aint got much."

Five minutes pass and the group prepare to leave with a pair of survival kits and some explosives. The copilot, named Max, is slung over Beethoven's shoulder unlocking his aura doing nothing immediately. Mimi takes the lead as the sounds of Grimm begin to grow louder. Alec draws his weapons and activates his semblance the moment the red eyes of the Grimm are seen he fires, one, two, three down but the pack pushes past their fallen and Alec runs.

The running battle draws more and more Grimm, "Ground command this is Alec I need support, we have the pilots, but Grimm are going to run us down."

"Copy that support is incoming, just keep running." Rita Replies over the shortrange communication.

"Easy for them to say," David says turning to fire his personal weapon, lobbing two high explosive shells at the Grimm behind them. "They don't have to run."

"Alec this is Delta One, we are on our way to provide cover."

"Thank you." Alec winces as he pushes himself to keep running his legs scream and his aura couldn't keep up.

"Duck." The shortrange cried out as the eight fall to the ground as two of the VTOL Fighters drop hovering a meter above the ground as they open up with their weapons. The Grimm fall fast as the weapons cease fires, "Keep running. The rest of your people have made it back. This is Delta One moving off target."

The Huntsmen and Pilot get up and start running again. The Outpost in in sight as they break through the forest to the clearing another set of fighters drop down peppering the forest edge keeping Grimm back as they slide into the outpost, "Get the pilots to the medic."

Rita leans out of the room that has become command and control. "Delta One for you."

Alec takes the microphone, "Delta One this is ground command Status."

"Good to see you made it. Are my people alright."

"More or less, Max is out cold, and Kat is awake; we had to unlock their Auras to keep them going."

"That is good to hear, we are going to have to Bug out almost out of ammunition. Is there anything we can do before we have to pull out?"

"Yeah a few things, One; drop reserve fuel pods at the forest edge, then toss out your survival kits when you come to get your people."

"Can do."

"Tell me you are coming back."

The silence stands for a bit, "Nothing will stop us. I will be coming back with three full squadrons no matter what."

"Alright we will do the pass off on the roof."

Alec steps out, "Grab Max we are going to load the pilots onto the fighters as they head out."

The looks from the others are worried as they go about their orders. No one questioned the direction. If any had a word to say, an argument, or a worry they kept it to themselves. The main doors were barricaded since there was no one left to gather. The exhausted young adults tried to rest if they could as the sounds of fighters flew over.

Kat looks at him handing her rifle and her pistol over, "We will come back when we rearm, and we will bring you evacuation Bullheads."

Beethoven lifts Max, "We have faith in you, now we need to load you up on those fighters."

Alec is standing on the roof guiding the fighter though. The engines roar as the fighters circle around the highest roof top the small packages holding the survival and medical kits stack up as they are tossed out. Alec looks at the woman who is hovering her fighter across the room from him. Max is loaded up being put into the lap of her copilot. Alec salutes as she closes her canopy and pushes her fighter off.

Kat stands waiting for the next fighter, "We will come back."

"I know, now get into that fighter." Alec salutes this fighter as it also pulls away. The seventeen fighters pull into the sky towards the city of Vale. Alec looks at Tina, after the fighters are clear, "Light the Fire Ring."

"Yes Sir." She fires the old Eighty-Eight and they watch as the shell ignites the surrounding circle of bullhead fuel.

The Ring of fire extends all around outpost, On the other side the creatures of Darkness gather staring through the flames at their target. Two hundred of the future protectors of Civilization trapped in a fortress and waiting for the enemy to come to them. Oh, and come they would their orders were clear, burn, destroy, kill.

Beacon's main cannons open fire tearing into the horde, soldiers fire from their bunkers the fighters fight in the sky with Nevermores and Lancers. Crimson Immerta watches the chaos as her Assistant Headmaster stands next to her. "They will fall, according to reports we will have this whole thing under control by tomorrow morning. All the Grimm are young, and unintelligent. Deploying Huntsmen is almost a waste of resources."

"Yes, are our communications still Jammed."

"Yeah, we have figured out it is one of those damned scramblers, those Grimm disrupt everything to do with long range signals."

"What is making all of these Grimm work in such an organized fashion."

"We have no idea; do you want me to prepare the Cadet reserves for battle."

"No, we have the situation under control without sending more children to battle."

A soldier runs in sliding on the cold tile floors. "Ma'am the rest of the Cadet fighter squadrons are back."

Outside seventeen fighters begins to land. The cadets outside gather as their equally young ground crews begins to secure their landings. In a small years old air frigate, a group of cadets watch the preparation. A young man stares forward. "Prepare the Beacon for launch, don't let the headmistress know."

"Yes Captain."

The Grimm outside push on against what they recognize is an undefeatable force, their forces are weaker than when their queen led them to war, but the voice in their heads pushes them forward, it sings them to battle, "in the end… Killing is all that matters."