Chapter 18: The Way Things Are
"Citizens of Mantle, The Atlas Military has started a mass evacuation of all affected sectors. Please head to Dynamo Park as quickly as you can. Please, try not to cause a panic, that attracts the Grimm. I repeat, do not cause a panic. If you are in sectors 13-15, head to Dynamo Park as soon as you can."
Levi set his bullhorn down, just in time for Metera to release her arrow, striking a Harpy square in the head. The flying Grimm fell to the ground, exploding in a mass of bones and shadowy whisps, causing several nearby civilians to scream in fear.
"Levi, we can't keep going around the city like this, more and more Grimm keep coming," she said, ears folded down. "We need to do something."
"What else can we do? There are people running in all directions, I wanna pool them up and have them head to the park," he said. The brunette erune was about to say something only to scream.
"Look out!"
He looked ahead, slamming the braked hard, coming face to face with a trio of Chimeras. All three of them howled loudly, firing glowing balls of fire at them. Levi grabbed Metera's arm and pulled her along, using a glyph to blast them forward just as the bike was struck, causing it to explode. He drew Overture, cylinder spinning fast. It stopped on the rock gem, his blade glowing brown.
"Alright then, you want a piece of me, I guess I'll give it to ya."
He darted forward, using the recoil of his gun to send himself forward. He threw a rock-infused slash at the first Chimera, leaving a gash across its face. He jumped back in order to avoid a fireball, twisting himself through the air. He formed a violet glyph beneath the massive beast, sending it hurling into the air. Metera drew her bow back, sending a glowing pink arrow forward.
"Haah!" she cried, the aura-infused arrow made contact, detonating the second it struck the Chimera. She spun her bow around, separating the weapon into dual swords, jumping toward them.
She crossed her blades, catching the Chimera's tail and slicing it off with ease. The creature threw a clawed slash at her chest, but she moved out of the way with a well-timed backflip. She landed in a crouch, crossing her arms before jumping forward, delivering a powerful cross slash at the Grimm, sending it flying back into a nearby building.
Levi took his chance, spinning Overture around, shouldering the stock. He let out two swift shots, solid rock spikes growing out of the bullet holes. He shifted his aim, blasting the final Chimera with his remaining Gravity bullet, sending chunky blood and bones in all directions. He sighed, loading more ammo into the tube, his radio crackling.
"Levi, where are you?"
"Sector 14, I've been sending people to Dynamo Park, but this whole place is infested with Grimm, I can't do anything but fight them off," he replied, cringing a bit as a nearby car exploded. The ringing sound caused him to cry in pain, ears folded against his head.
"Me and Sona are nearby, let's meet up near the movie theater, the one we went to! But be careful, Blake spotted an Alpha Megoliath earlier and it's leading a herd through Uptown!" Weiss said, making him sigh.
"10-4, will meet you soon," he said, turning to Metera. "My friends are nearby, let's go."
"But this sector isn't clear yet!" she exclaimed, turning to face him. As if on cue, three Teryx's flew overhead, aiming right for them. A pair of Ursa darted toward them as well, making the young man grab her arm.
"We can't stick around, come on!" he shouted, pulling her along. She hissed, but nodded, sprinting after him. They looked over their shoulders, seeing the Grimm were now following them. Levi spun Overture around, firing an energy bullet at a nearby car, causing it to explode, but that didn't seem to slow the Grimm down.
He looked up, spotting the sign that read "Main Street" in bold green letters. He pulled Metera along, sliding across the asphalt as he headed up the street. One of the Teryx's kept flying, slamming into a light post while the Ursae and other Teryx went on, screeching loudly at them.
"Levi, we can't keep running like this! They're gonna catch up!"
"I know that, but I'm just waiting for-"
"DUCK!" a voice shouted, causing him to jump forward, diving across the ground. Metera did the same, eyes tightly shut. Hundreds of rock and ice spikes sprouted from the road, causing the Grimm to slam into them. Valentine swung down from the nearby building, with the aid of his Web Shooters, his pink eyes glowing brilliantly.
"You disgusting bastards are giving my girl a hard time, and that is not cool," he said, cracking his shoulders as he grasped his weapon's handle. "Now it's my turn."
He drew his weapon, simultaneously pulling the trigger, sending a wave of water outward, followed by several ice bullets, freezing it in mid-air. He darted forward, swinging his sheathe with all his strength, striking an Ursa with an electrified strike. He aimed his revolver at its face, blasting a hole clean through its head.
He angled his sheathe in time to block a strike from the other Ursa. He fired two more rounds into its chest, causing it to roar in pain. The Ursa's head snapped to the side, a glowing ice-blue arrow sticking out of the side of its head. Valentine glanced to his right, seeing Metera standing several yards away, bow in hand. He gave her a wink before jumping out of the way of an attack.
The black-haired man sheathed his pistol, pressing a button on his sheathe before he drew the weapon, a glimmering orange katana blade replacing the barrel of the gun. He swung the blade to and fro, sending flames and bone fragments in all directions. He spun around, delivering a powerful double slash on the Ursa before spinning his sword around, using his aura to drive the blade straight through its chest plate.
"Goodbye," he said, the Grimm exploded seconds later, pieces of bone and blood raining around him. He spun his sheathe around, sliding his sword into it, turning to Metera and Levi, a look of relief on his face. "Are you guys okay?"
"Relatively speaking, yes, but I'm getting low on dust," Metera said, brushing some hair out of her face. Levi checked Overture over, loading more shells into it.
"I'm getting low on ammo too, how are things in this sector?"
"As well as they can be, all civilians have been evacuated to Dynamo Park. Sector 12 was the heaviest hit, all evacuees were sent to Mantle's Astrodome Arena, it was the only LZ we could think of. Not only that, but the arena has hard-light shields that aren't on Mantle's network." he said, making the pair sigh.
"That's good at the very least. Look, I need you two to keep directing people out of here, I need to make my way over to my friends. General Ironwood has approved a mass-scale evacuation of all the affected sectors. Once these people are shipped out of here, we need to clear Mantle of Grimm." Levi said, swiveling on his foot.
"Only the affected sectors? What about the rest of Mantle?" Valentine asked, causing Levi to look over his shoulder.
"We're getting there, the plan is to evacuate the whole city, nowhere is safe. We need to prepare for what is coming, and leaving the people here is not a good idea. Let's meet up at the Academy once all of this is over, alright?"
With that, Levi took off, leaving the pair to their own devices. They shared a look, Metera giving Valentine a look of fear. "I don't like this, Val… What the heck is happening that could provoke all of this?"
"I don't know, but we need to get ready. There's a dust shop nearby, let's grab some dust and ammo and keep doing our jobs." Valentine said, giving her a pat on the head. "We'll be fine, love. Just focus on helping the people."
She gave the man a kiss on the lips, it was quick but filled with emotion. She took his hand, pulling him along. "Let's go then."
"You need to stop kissing me and making me float."
"You need to stop letting yourself get kissed by me," she replied with a wink. Valentine rolled his eyes, letting himself be pulled along.
xxx
"Weiss there's been a change of plans, Dynamo Park is overfilled, we can't keep sending people there. Send them to North 5th Street and Thomson Boulevard!" Ruby cried, causing the woman to growl. She leaped over a Beowulf, throwing several slashes at its back. She caught herself with a glyph jumping forward, piercing her blade through its back. She landed on her feet, hand on her ear.
"I'll send them there as quickly as I can! Yang, Blake, have you seen that herd of Ursa yet?"
"No! We lost track of them, there are Harpies and Teryx's all over the place. South Main Street is being overrun by Chimeras! We also lost track of that herd of Megoliaths!" Yang replied. Several shotgun blasts filled the airwaves, followed by a relieved sigh. "Well, there's one less Ursa on the streets."
"Keep me posted on those herds then, we're almost done in this sector. Keep up the good work, girls." the former heiress said, sighing as she ended the wall. She turned around, letting out a scream as an Alpha Beowulf threw a slash at her.
A gunshot echoed through the plaza, the beowulf's body crumpling from the bullet. It slammed into the nearby building, bursting into dark wisps. Weiss panted a bit, shifting her gaze to the source of the shot, spotting Levi at the corner of the street, lowering his smoking gun.
"Hey Babe, maybe next time you want to take a call, make sure your surroundings are clear?"
Weiss growled at him. "Oh and how do you suggest I do that? The street was clear when I took the call."
He rolled his eyes, shortening the distance between them. "It doesn't matter, I'm just happy that you're okay. Where's Sona?"
"She took off that way, let's meet up with her and the others," she said, earning a nod from the miqo'te faunus. They broke into a sprint, weapons tightly grasped as they ducked and weaved through fallen debris.
As they arrived, they witnessed a firing squad bringing down a massive Ursa, the creature falling over. They lowered their guns, turning back to Sona who gave them a smile. "Excellent job, boys! Glad to see that firearms training stuck!"
"Thank you, ma'am!" the group cried in unison.
"Sonata!" Levi cried, grabbing her attention. Her face lit up, darting to meet the young man.
"Levi!" she cried, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad to know you're okay."
"As if I'd let myself get killed by Grimm. Come on, Sona," he said, ruffling her hair.
"How are things here? Have all the citizens been evacuated?" Weiss asked, cringing a bit from a distant explosion. Sonata opened her scroll, looking at the map that was on screen.
"Sector 14 has been completely cleared of civilians, but we still have shelters nearby. We're not sure how many supplies there are for these people, and without the heating grid, they'll freeze down there. We need to clear a way to Dynamo Park for them."
"We can't send them to the park, there's too many people there. The nearest LZ is on North 5th Street and Thompson Boulevard." Levi said, glancing over his shoulder, ears wiggling a bit. He lowered his weapon, estoc extending outward. "Get ready, there's a Megoliath coming!"
The soldiers visibly shook, their grip on their weapons increasing. Before they could react, the ground started to shake. The loud trumpeting of the giant hulking beast filled their ears. Several cars were sent flying across the road as the beast finally presented itself before them. It stomped its massive foot on the ground, as it stared down the people before it.
Levi rolled his shoulders, taking a step forward. "Hey, Sona?"
"What's up, Levi?"
"Remember back when we met, that really cool maneuver we pulled off?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl. "How about we take a page from our past and show this beast what for?"
"I couldn't agree more," she said, flipping her piccolo, Carolloo, across her fingers. "Let's do it,"
They strode forward, almost in sync as they began running. He flicked his wrist, creating a platform beneath Sonata's feet, launching her into the air. She flipped around with ease, pressing her weapon to her lips, the dust cylinder within spinning as it began glowing blue. She blew into the instrument, sending a freezing wave of sound at the hulking beast, causing it to screech as ice began growing around its body.
Levi formed a platform beneath her feet, launching her downward, she flicked her wrist, Carolloo transforming into its dagger form. She let out a cry, slamming her blade into its bone plating, pulling it apart. He raised his rifle, pulling the trigger twice, striking the new spot Sonata had opened up. She landed on its tusks, back flipping off of it before Levi launched himself into a death spin, delivering several hard-light strikes.
"Weiss!" he cried, blasting himself away as the Megoliath rose on its hind legs. The white-haired woman grit her teeth, spinning on her heel. She brought Mrytenaster down on the ground, white, almost angelic wings erupted from beneath her feet. A massive Nevermore shot out of the circle, flying straight at the Megoliath.
It screeched loudly, firing hundreds of glowing white feathers at the beast, causing it to stumble. Levi raced forward, leaping toward a nearby fire escape, quickly climbing onto the roof of the building, and with a vermillion glyph, he shot himself into the air, flipping over the Megoliath, aiming Overture downward, he pulled the trigger four times, unloading everything he had left in his rifle. Weiss snapped her wrist to the right, forming several platforms for him, all of them shattering under his feet before he launched himself forward, slicing the Megoliath's trunk clean off.
It stomped its legs on the ground, causing the whole street to shake. Weiss stumbled a bit, waving her rapier in the opposite direction. She redirected her Nevermore, the flying beast screeching loudly as it dove toward the Megoliath. "I'm losing it, Levi, Sona, do something!"
"I'm out of Dust bullets, I can't pierce the skull plates without them!" Levi shouted. Sonata growled, darting forward.
"Cover me, I'm going in!" she cried. Several soldiers called her name out, but Levi held his arm out to them. The small woman kicked off of the grimm's tusks, driving her glowing dagger clean into its eye. She grabbed onto its boneplate, sheathing her weapon as she climbed up onto its back.
Sonata drew her dagger, spinning it around before slamming it downward, aided by a blast of energy dust. The blade embedded itself in the base of the Megoliath's head, causing it to scream. The soldiers opened fire as it started moving, waving its useless severed trunk around as it tried to dislodge Sonata off of itself. Levi leveled his rifle, about to throw an aura-infused slash at it, only for him to be sent flying back by its tusk.
He felt glass shattering beneath him as he flew through a storefront, crashing through several shelves. He groaned in pain, his aura flashing for a moment before it settled. He looked around for a moment, eyes widening when he realized he was in a Dust Shop. He felt himself grinning, as he moved behind the counter.
"My mom always said petty thievery was bad, but I guess when all else fails…" he muttered, opening several boxes of .45 Caliber Long Colt. He stuffed his pockets with them, setting several dust vials on the table, he hastily filled his cylinder, pausing for a moment when he saw the vibrant green dust on the counter. It was a darker green color than the Wind dust he was used to using.
He shrugged, filling his Wind crystal to the brim with it, stuffing what remained in his pockets. He loaded Overture with the rifle rounds, forming a vermillion glyph beneath his feet, he shot himself out of the store, and back onto the street.
He took a deep breath, silver eyes flashing briefly as he aimed Overture behind his back, blasting himself forward. He landed three long gashes on the Megoliath's side, aiming his rifle downward, sending himself through the air. He caught himself with a combustion glyph blasting himself downward, slamming his blade directly into the base of the Megoliath's skull. Sonata, who had someone hung that long, looked at him in shock.
"Levi!"
"Here, express delivery," he said, handing her some dust vials. "Go top off, I'll handle it from here!"
She nodded, leaping off the massive grimm, landing on top of an overturned car, hiding behind it. Levi blasted himself off of the grimm's back, landing on the road next to Weiss, cylinder clicking loudly.
"Please tell me you've got a plan."
"Shoot it until it dies?" he asked, earning a deadpan expression from the woman. "Yeah, I know it's a Ruby strat, but what else can we do? This thing takes how many huntsmen to bring it down?"
"Whatever, just don't die," she said, blade glowing yellow. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, followed by a wink. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, taking a deep breath. Weiss moved back, running her fingers on Myrtenaster's blade before stabbing it into the ground. The audible tick of a clock filled Levi's ears, a smirk on his face.
With a burst of speed, he shot forward, leaping from glyph to glyph before firing Overture, the recoil sending him into a wild spin. He let out a shout as he struck the Megoliath's massive tusk, slicing it clean in half. He kicked off of it as it fell, catching himself with a combustion glyph which he detonated, blade glowing a bright blue as he struck the beast with a blade of water. He followed it with an ice bullet, freezing the creature in place, moving out of the way.
A glowing Boarbatusk rolled forward, slamming into the beast, shattering the ice. Several white glyphs flashed around the Megoliath, firing thick ice shards downward, with the speed of hundreds of machine gun rounds. Levi leveled his gun, taking aim at the creature.
"Sona!" he shouted. The girl in question leaped over the car she was hiding behind, her body glowing bright blue as she snapped her fingers. Overture took the same color as he body, giving him a nod.
"Go for it!"
He pulled the trigger, a massive explosion of sound filled the entire block. The soundwave was so strong that every window shattered into pieces. The disorienting sound was enough to cause the Megoliath physical pain. It started slamming its head into nearby buildings, letting weakened trumpets out of its destroyed trunk.
Levi flicked his wrist, extending Overture's blade as he ran forward. It glowed a vibrant green as he sent an aura-infused slash forward. He expected a blade of wind to come out but was instead met with several glowing leaves instead. Each one struck the megoliath, tearing into its underside. He ran forward, his estoc leaving sparks on the road as he swung his blade upward, a massive hulking tree sprouting out of the ground, piercing straight through the Megoliath's underside. The tree detonated, finishing off the massive beast.
The silver-eyed miqo'te let out a surprised squeak, glancing at his weapon for a moment. "The hell kinda dust did I pick up?"
"Nice work, Levi! Great thinking using Plant Dust to take that thing out. You really have improved your fighting, haven't you?" Sona said, clearly impressed by his skill. He rubbed his neck, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Yes, I have. I had a pair of good friends training me, hehe," he said, glancing at Weiss, who had a look of curiosity on her face. He coughed into his fist, looking at the dissolving Grimm. "We need to meet up with Ruby and Nora."
"We're not far from North 5th Street and Thompson Boulevard. Soldiers it's time to march, and be snappy about it!" Sonata cried, earning salutes from the group. She took the lead, with Levi and Weiss following after her.
xxx
"What's the ETA on those ships?" Ruby asked, hand on her communicator.
"Five more minutes, Miss Rose. We're doing all we can but our fighters have been scrambled. A lot of our ships have been forcefully locked down." a man replied, making the girl sigh.
"Understood."
"Haah!" Nora cried, bringing Manghild down on a Sabyr's head, crushing it and the road beneath it. The hammer crackled with electricity as she spun it around, resting it on her shoulder, looking back out. "That's the last of them for now, what's the ETA?"
"Five minutes, we're not sure what the status of Dynamo Park is, but the arena just got evac'd. Downtown has been secured with improvised Hard-Light Walls, but we're not sure how long they'll hold,"
"Don't worry, they'll hold. They're made by Atlas after all," Marrow said, holding his rifle tightly in his grasp. His tail drooped a bit as he looked outward, hearing the distant gunshots. "All of this… this fighting, these deaths… all on that bastard's hands."
"There was nothing we could have done, Marrow. None of us expected him to have made a deal with that man," Ruby said, flicking her cloak as she walked, Crescent Rose resting against her shoulder. "Had we known, we would have-"
"Done what? Your friends spent how many days hunting down the killer and arrived at nothing? So many people died, and no one was able to stop it from happening." the dog faunus snapped, anger in his voice. "It was all a massive waste of time!"
"Hey, Weiss and Levi did what they could with the evidence they had been given. Until recently, we all believed Ivy Brown was behind it. How were we supposed to know Tyrian Callows was using her to mask his own crimes?" Nora barked, glaring at the man. "Instead of complaining and blaming people, it's time to man up and do your job!"
"Oh that's easy for you to say, rookie!"
"Guys come on, if we keep arguing like this, more Grimm will shop up," Ruby said, her tone flat and emotionless. "We tried being as prepared as we could, but when dealing with someone like Salem, no amount of preparedness is enough. We can be ready all we want, but we'll never truly be ready, case in point."
Marrow's shoulders drooped, looking at the ground. "I know… it's just… those people, those three mom's. I had to stand there and do nothing, nothing but watch. There were so many people, and even with my faunus senses and my night vision, I couldn't get a shot out. I felt so helpless… but it was even worse for Penny."
"It isn't your fault, Marrow. How could we have known? It was all well thought out, and even his clash with Levi and Neo did nothing to slow him down. That's how outclassed we are by him. But we can get better, and the next time he tries something, we'll all be ready," Nora said, giving him a grin.
Suddenly, the lights started flickering before turning a solid red, the Grimm alarms once again blaring through them. Ruby spun her scythe around, holding it loosely as she looked around. She heard a scream beside her, causing her to look to her left, where a young lady was clutching her head, fear written on her face.
"I can't take it anymore! Take us to Atlas already! We aren't going to survive down here!"
"Why isn't Ironwood doing anything?"
"He's probably sitting on his ass high and dry while the rest of us fucking die!"
Several people started shouting, causing Nora to shout angrily, slamming her hammer onto the ground, with so much force that it shook. "We're doing our best here! The airships are still a couple minutes out and they aren't going to land with Grimm all around us. So please, stay calm so the Grimm don't come toward us!"
"Likely story! How can we believe a Huntress that works for the Atlas Military, huh?" a deer faunus asked.
"Please, just listen to us, everything will be resolved soon. The ships are on their way, just give us a bit more time!" Ruby said in a pleading tone. The crowd continued berating them, only to be silenced by a loud ping, which echoed all across Mantle.
The street was bathed in a light blue glow, as the nearby holographic screens sparked to life. "Atlas Special Announcement" flashed on them for a second, before the image changed. Sitting behind a desk, holding hands was Robyn Hill, and beside her was none other than General James Ironwood himself. Nora and Ruby stood side by side, staring at the screen attentively.
"Citizens of Mantle… Citizens of Atlas. I know you are scared. I'm here with General Ironwood, and we have a message for all of you." she began, giving the man a nod. He steeled his nerves, a neutral look on his face as he stared directly at the camera.
"What we are going to share with you may sound unbelievable, but it was 100% true. An ancient and terrible evil lies outside of our Kingdom. It was responsible for the destruction of Beacon, the attack on Haven, and the recent attacks on Mantle. This powerful force goes by the name of Salem. Salem only seeks to divide us.
To turn us against each other. If she can incite hatred in us, then we will lure Grimm and destroy ourselves." the man said, giving Robyn a nod.
Yang cocked her hands back, unloading several sticky bombs at an Ursa, detonating them shortly after. She blasted herself to the right as a Sabyr attacked her, only for Blake to catch its attack with her weapon. She slashed it with her sword, using her Semblance to leave a flaming shadow behind, which exploded into flames. She brushed her raven locks over her shoulder, looking toward the nearby screen, a smile on her face.
"Salem herself doesn't work alone, her Minions have invaded our very city."
Cinder narrowed her eyes as she stared at her scroll. Neo was standing behind her, watching the same broadcast, keeping a firm look on Cinder and gauging her reactions. She had her hand wrapped around Hush, just in case she tried anything.
"Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows," Ironwood continued, clenching his free hand tightly. "These men are the ones responsible for the murders in Mantle and for sabotaging the heating grid. They used Ivy Brown as a shield while killing her supporters and framing it all on me. To make me look bad toward you. But we cannot let ourselves give into fear and panic. That's what she wants. Instead, we must unite and fight back, together. Every single one of us."
Levi, Weiss and Sonata took cover behind a military truck, just as a herd of Sabyrs raced past them. The miqo'te faunus shifted his gaze back to the screen, smiling a bit as he watched the live broadcast.
"This, my friends, my trusted allies, is why I was forced to divert resources from Mantle. For the Amity Communications Tower. Amity Tower is now completed, and ready to launch. It will establish all global communications."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, frazzled as he tapped on his scroll, seeing the specs for Amity Colosseum. He growled angrily as he looked at Tyrian. "The Colosseum remodeling was a communications tower? How did James get this past me?"
"Because the safety of every citizen is imperative, the Council and I have decided to evacuate everyone in Mantle to Atlas. I am withdrawing all defenses from Amity in order to assist with repelling the Grimm in Mantle." Ironwood continued, earning a nod from Robyn.
"We must put aside our differences and band together to defeat this threat. I fully support General Ironwood's plan," she said, giving the camera a smile.
Back in Mantle, the crowd started cheering loudly, calling Robyn's name. One woman picked up the rifle held by a broken AK-200, holding it high into the air. "I stand with Robyn and the General! It's time to fight back!"
"Yeah!"
Nora let out a sigh, relieved that everything was calming down. She turned to Ruby, who gave her a wink and a thumbs up.
xxx
"GODDAMN IT!" Tyrian shouted, cracking the brick behind him with his fist. "The Grmm should have destroyed our enemies, not made them friends!"
"Wait," Arthur said, narrowing his eyes for a moment. He turned his scroll off, hands in his pockets as he looked at his colleague. "Our tin soldier's heart has cost him his mind. We need to keep their attention on Mantle for as long as possible."
"You want more chaos than a Grimm invasion?" the man asked, earning a nod from the doctor.
"If anyone on Remnant could deliver that, it would be you, wouldn't it?" he questioned, earning a cackle from the man. "Odette, come in, this is Arthur, there's been a change of plans. I need you to retreat, for now, Tyrian is going for a walk."
"Oh boo, and I was having so much fun too… but alright, I'll do as you ask," she said, ending the transmission. Arthur turned to the nearby screen, his lips curving up into a smile.
"If you've made it to your local shelter, stay put. Help is on the way. And for those of you in Sector 17, I'll be seeing you personally." Robyn said, grinning to the camera. Arthur heard Tyrian laugh behind him.
"Hm… I have one tiny idea that I could try. Hehehehehe~"
xxx
Having arrived at the nearest landing zone, Levi stopped in the middle of the road, holding his hand up in the air. "Go, you guys are clear, move it quick!"
"Levi, you're okay!" Ruby cried, darting in front of him in a swirl of petals. He let out a laugh, giving her a fist bump.
"You know it. I got some good friends of mine assisting with the evacuation. We got word that Dynamo Park was completely evacuated. They're heading to some shelters near the edge of Midtown to guard them while more ships go in."
"We lost track of a few herds of Grimm, but they aren't anywhere near us, so we should be alright," Sonata added, glancing at the group of civilians. She nodded, turning to the soldiers with her. "Alright men, tighten up security, nothing gets past us and hurts these civilians, am I clear?"
"Yes, Special Operative Piccolo!" the men shouted, lining up in front of the group, guns at the ready.
The screech of a Teryx filled their ears, causing the crowd to grow fearful. Ruby spun around, aiming Crescent Rose at it, but before she was able to pull the trigger, a glowing pink ball of energy raced forward, sliding across the road. "This one's mine!"
"Harriet!" she said, earning a nod from the woman. She darted forward, jumping off of a police card, slamming her fist into the Teryx, sending it flying down to the ground. She flipped around, throwing a haymaker at its head, crushing it with ease. She stood up, letting out a happy cry.
"Hoo boy that one was rough," she said, turning to the others. "The ships are on their way, ETA one minute. How are things here?"
"We're holding up just fine, but we've lost track of several herds," Weiss said, looking down the street. "We should be alright, though."
"Have you heard from Elm or Vine yet? Or Clover?" Marrow asked. Harriet shook her head, a firm look on her face.
"They'll be fine, they're Ace-Ops just like us, they aren't going to fold due to some pesky Grimm," she replied.
The audible sound of an engine filled the air, causing them to turn back. Three Atlas Mantas touched down on the empty street, their ramps opening up. One soldier stepped out, gesturing to the people behind them. "Get in! Hurry, we don't have enough time!"
"I'll go with this ship, you guys take the others!" Nora said, moving toward it, guiding the people inside. "Come on, hurry but don't push! We don't need any more accidents."
"Everyone, Sector 16 has been completely evacuated! Send the ships up, me and Blake are heading to the next LZ." Yang cried.
"Sector 14 has been cleared, picked up a few stragglers trying to get to Dynamo Park!" Jaune added.
"Sector 15 is in the process of being evacuated, we got three ships here. Will be heading up once they're topped off," Levi returned, jolting a bit as he heard a massive explosion. He looked up, seeing a streak of green shooting into the air. This sound was accompanied by the familiar sounds of running, the buildings around them shaking. "Oh no."
A feminine cry echoed through the plaza, followed by the sounds of metal colliding with asphalt. The Huntsman ducked back, just as the Protector of Mantle slid to a stop before them. Ruby was instantly at her side, shaking her shoulders. "Penny, are you alright?"
Her bow glowed a bright green, eyes fluttering open. "Ow, I shouldn't have taken that thing on my own."
Ruby looks toward the street, her jaw dropping when she saw the Alpha Megoliath at the end of it. It was pawing the ground as if getting ready to charge. She rapidly stood up, face white as a sheet as she turned to the ships. "GO! TAKE OFF RIGHT NOW!"
"But there are still people-!"
"I SAID GO!" she screamed. By now, the people realized why she had been screaming and started to panic, shoving each other aside in a vain attempt to get away. Levi and Weiss darted forward, standing back to back as they aimed their weapons at the beast.
"Can our night get any worse?" Weiss asked, causing the boy to chuckle.
"Of course, it can. The faster we accept the way things are, the smoother things will be," he said, cylinder clicking. "Ready, dear?"
"Mhmm, ready, darling."
The street in front of them was lined with glyphs, glowing brightly as the Alpha Megoliath started its charge. Ruby darted forward with her semblance, sliding forward on the pair's glyphs, shooting gravity bullets behind her to speed herself up. She jumped at the last second, angling her scythe before sending herself spinning, striking the thick bone plating, shearing a second off. She veered off, landing behind the beast before blasting herself forward, throwing several slashes at it.
Harriet joined her seconds later, her weapon glowing as she fired hundreds of bullets into its face. The mammoth creature swung its trunk, sending her flying into a nearby car, the doors bending and breaking from the impact.
Weiss snapped her fingers, summoning several glyphs around the Megoliath, all of them glowing brightly. Levi channeled his aura forward, Overture crackled with lightning dust as he cast a Time Dilation glyph, flicking the glowing orb toward Ruby. The red-clad girl was bathed in the yellow glow, screaming as she zoomed forward, jumping from glyph to glyph as she slashed at the giant creature, shredding bone plates and leaving deep gashes in her wake. Weiss caught her in a black glyph before Levi formed a vermillion one beneath her feet, keeping his gaze trained forward.
With a flick, he shot Ruby down, the girl slammed her boots into the creature, legs buckling as its tusks struck the ground. She spun her scythe around, firing every bullet Crescent Rose had left, before Levi shot her back, the girl backflipping through the air, landing on her feet in front of them. She exchanged magazines, cocking her weapon as she peered at the beast.
They panted, throats dry as they watched the Megoliath get up, letting out a trumpeting roar that shook the nearby buildings. Harriet slammed her fist against the car, hand crackling in anger. "Oh come on!"
"We're gonna have to attack its underside, that's the weakest part. But it's going to protect itself any chance it gets." Sona said, glancing at Penny. "Have you recovered enough for an Array Blast?"
"I'll need to charge it up, it would take far longer than if we teamed up and fought it," Penny replied.
"There has to be something we can do."
"The only thing we can do is aim for its heart, but our weapons aren't sharp enough to penetrate its skin," Weiss added, loading most dust into her weapon. "All we can do is leave gashes behind and weaken it, maybe take it out its legs."
Levi narrowed his eyes, taking note of the massive tusks it was swinging around. He glanced at Ruby, who seemed to follow his gaze, her eyes widening. "I got an idea, but we need to work together for it to work!"
"Better make it snappy, this thing isn't going to stay still for long," Harriet cried, as she raced forward the beast, throwing several speedy punches at its legs.
"Penny, we need to tie it up with your Array, lift it up off the ground. Weiss, Levi, use your glyphs to keep it in place. Sona, I'll need you to use your sound waves to increase my speed!" Ruby said, earning several odd looks from the others.
"And what'll you do?"
Ruby gave her partner a smirk. "I'll do what I do best, cut things in half! Let's move!"
They shared a look but did as they were asked. Penny blasted herself into the air, directing her array in a protective formation, firing them downward into the ground. She flew forward, slashing at the Megoliath, sparks raining around her from the contact with its bone plates. Harriet let out a roar as she uppercutted the beast, giving Penny the opening she needed. She launched her remaining sword upward, stabbing it right into its skull, before pulling the massive beast off the ground. She launched her remaining swords down, the street pole she was using buckling from the weight as she anchored herself down.
"I've got it, but not for long, hurry!"
Levi mimicked Weiss's movements, cylinder stopping on the violet crystal as he formed a massive violet glyph beneath the Grimm's feet. Weiss did the same, her face becoming strained as she struggled to maintain the glyphs fidelity.
Sonata spun Carolloo around, bringing the piccolo to her lips, just as Ruby shot herself forward, using her Soundwave Semblance to shoot the girl forward. Ruby activated her Semblance, shouting as she spun Crescent Rose around, slicing one of the tusks clean off. She caught herself on the edge of a building, the bricks cracking from her momentum as she shot herself back, firing at the tusk. She landed on the ground, expertly spinning her scythe before firing a final round, sending the tusk flying upward, directly into the mammoth's heart.
The creature stopped moving, slumping over, crushing several cars as it began fading away into nothingness. Weiss and Levi fell to their knees, completely spent, while Penny retracted Floating Array, folding them into their storage compartment in her back. Harriet looked around, a look of pride on her face.
"I'll say, you've certainly improved since your first mission! I'm impressed with all of you!" she said cheerfully. Ruby flicked her cloak, holding Crescent Rose tightly.
"Thanks for your kind words, Harriet, but we aren't done yet, we need to get the remaining civilians to the next Landing Zone. How far away are we from it?" she asked, causing Harriet to pull out her scroll. She opened her maps, looking around for a moment.
"There's a nearby plaza, we used it for our construction supply deliveries," she said. Levi peered over her shoulder, chuckling when he saw the location.
"Well look at that, Weiss. Our old stomping ground, where we faced off against that Masked Woman," he said, making her sigh.
"Don't remind me of that, will you?"
"There's a shelter nearby, let's stop by it, pick up those civvies, and head to that LZ. I'll radio in another transport." Harriet said, walking forward. Penny was already speaking to the civilians, explaining to them what they were gonna do, while some of them continued to chant her name and thanking her for saving them.
As Levi started forward, he briefly glanced at a nearby street, something catching his eye. A loud crack filled his ears, followed by a sound that reminded him of shattering glass. He saw something in the distance, retracting to form a glittering sword. His jaw dropped, opening and closing for a moment before he stepped forward.
"Brilliant Diamond?" he said. Sonata heard him, gazing down the street he had been looking at. She stepped up to him, giving him a look.
"Did you see something, Levi?"
"It must have been my imagination but I could have sworn…" he paused, shaking his head. "I heard someone scream that way, I'm gonna go check it out. Sona, you stay here with Weiss and Ruby, just in case something happens."
"What? Levi, what do you think you are doing? You can't just take off." Weiss scolded, giving him a crossed look. "We have to head to the next Landing Zone!"
"And I will, I know where it is, but I wanna see if I can find more people. Go without me," he said, racing down the street. Sonata followed along, pausing for a moment to give her men one last order.
"I'm leaving Weiss and Harriet in charge, follow their orders as if I gave them!"
"Yes Ma'am!" they cried, giving her a salute.
Levi continued running down the street, coming to a stop at an empty corner. He looked around for a moment, hearing that same crack nearby. He started following it, drawing his weapon as he ran, holding it tightly. He turned up another street, slowing to a stop when he saw it. The familiar glint of differently colored dust crystals, all forming a solid blade, glowing in the light of the moon.
The weapon was in the grasp of a hooded figure, their body being covered almost entirely by their cloak. He stepped forward, his footsteps causing them to look over their shoulder. The figure fully turned around, causing Levi to stop in the middle of the street. A cold breeze kicked up, hundreds of snowflakes falling around him. His cloak billowed in the wind, his grip on Overture slackening a bit.
"Hello, Levi."
"C-Cadence?" he muttered, a look of disbelief on his face. He heard footsteps behind him, glancing back to see Sonata standing by his side, a similar look on her face.
"Oh… and Sonata's here, the gang's all here," the pinkette mused, tilting her head a bit. "Ah… my mistake, one of you is dead and buried."
"We thought you were dead… how are you here?" Sona asked, earning a giggle from the girl.
"That's quite simple, I was rescued. You know, after Aria draped herself over your barely breathing form, I started fighting off those Nevermores. But you know what I learned that night? I learned that giant birds looooooove, shiny objects." she said, lowering her sword, which glinted in the light. "I made the mistake of making my weapon with shiny metal parts and well… you know how that ended."
"Cadence I… I'm not sure what to say but… when we last spoke, there was so much left unsaid between us. All this time, I've been-"
"Shut up." she hissed, tightening her grip on her sword. "I don't give a shit about your petty sentiments, Levi. The fact of the matter is, you abandoned us. You decided it was a good idea to have an argument with Aria during one of the most important moments of our lives, all because of a fucking concert. And look at what that led to, we were separated and ended up losing it all."
"Cadence you know that isn't true, the three of us spoke in that bathroom and agreed to meet up with Levi. We fought hard for Beacon Academy and saved a lot of lives. What else could we have done? The school grounds were covered in White Fang members and Grimm!" Sonata exclaimed, looking away from her. "I don't remember much about that night, other than Aria shielding me. When I woke up, I wanted to go back, I wanted to look for you but… look at how I was left."
"Battered and broken, just like I was, and when you were brought to Atlas, you were fixed. Meanwhile, I had to suffer in pain. If it wasn't for the good doctor, I wouldn't be here right now." she said, grinning. "No, it wasn't just his will that saved me, it was the will of My Mistress."
"M-Mistress?" Sonata asked, confused by her words. Levi straightened up, clenching his grip on Overture.
"Salem."
"Ding ding ding! We've got a winner, dear Levi." the woman said, lowering her hood. She spread her long pink hair over her shoulders, letting it cascade down her back. The street light glinted off of her black face, the entire right half having been replaced with Grimm. She looked almost nothing like the beautiful ballerina they had met all those years ago. "Shocked? That's the same look I had when I first looked at my reflection."
"C-Cadence I… look, we had our ups and downs but… letting yourself fall to this-"
"Ups and downs? I don't remember such ups and downs. All I ever did was train my ass off so I could prove myself to Atlas. And what did that leave me? Absolutely nothing! I wanted to become a Huntress to make a name for myself, to finally give my family the respect we deserved, but we never got it. All because we came from a poor family, a poor family that were nothing but slaves!"
She growled as she walked forward, her sword scraping across the asphalt. "I was truly happy when we met, but that quickly soured when I met Aria. I swallowed my thoughts and kept pushing onward, but that jaded bitch caused more trouble than it was worth. And you, Levi… I put my faith and trust in you as my partner! I loved you and look at what you did to me!"
"I didn't do anything to you, Cadence. It is a shame that this is what happened to you but you aren't alone. All of us are broken and battered, but we're alive."
"No thanks to you, asshole. We're alive but Aria isn't! Why should I be sympathetic toward whatever happened to you? Or Sona, when our friend is gone. The fact of the matter is that we failed in our mission to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. All of us were lied to by Ozpin and by the Huntsman Academies. We were being set up for failure, trained to be soldiers in a war we can't win! That's why I stopped fighting… hehehehe…"
She spread her arms, looking straight up at the underside of Atlas. "My Mistress gave me everything I desired and more. I realized I didn't need family recognition. I didn't need Atlas to accept me. I just needed Atlas to bend to our will. And when we get our hands on the Staff of Creation, I will enjoy watching Atlas fall to the ground."
"I'm not going to let you do that, Cadence," Levi said, flicking his wrist. Overture's blade extended, glowing a bright blue.
"Oh I know you won't," she said, flexing her black fingers. "It's time we settle the score."
"Cadence, let's not do this." Sonata pleaded, only to get ignored. She glanced at Levi, noticing the look on his face. "Levi come on, we don't have to do this."
"She works for Salem, Sona. The faster you accept the way things are, the faster we'll be able to do our job." he said, shifting his gaze forward. "I'm sorry,"
He launched himself forward, letting out a growl as he swung his blade. Cadence swung Brilliant Diamond, clashing with him. He pushed her back, throwing another slash at her which she easily deflected. She threw a diagonal slash at him, causing him to back away. She flicked her wrist, her sword transforming into a whip. She pulled it back, the whip crackling with electricity.
"Haah!" she shouted, as she threw a slash at him. He flipped out of the way, catching himself with a glyph, he fired Overture behind himself, launching him forward. He flipped over her, swiping at her back, but she reacted quickly, deflecting each one of his strikes.
"Come on, Levi, you aren't even trying!" Cadence cried, giggling as she pranced forward, moving on her tiptoes. She shifted her foot, breaking into a sprint, catching him off guard. She threw a side kick at his face, which he easily deflected.
He spun Overture around, firing behind himself, launching himself forward. He threw several speedy kicks at her side, which she easily deflected. She flicked her whip at him, grabbing a hold of his leg, pulling him off the ground, but he easily caught himself with a glyph, using it to shoot himself at the woman. He rolled across the ground, firing twice, both shots being deflected by Cadence.
The pinkette swung her whip around, sending a bolt of lightning at the faunus, who easily deflected it with a shield. She retracted it, spinning her sword between her hands before running at him, swinging her sword to and fro. He ducked and weaved, hand behind his back as he deflected each strike. He threw several speedy jabs at her chest, landing every single strike.
"Gaah!" she cried, gritting her teeth in pain. "You've been training, I see. You hardly fight like you used to."
"People change, Cadence. I realized I was weak, Shiva was holding me back, and I didn't use my Semblance. I am not that person anymore," he said, flicking his wrist. His blade glowed a bright green as he walked forward. "I'm not holding back anymore."
The pair raced at each other, growling as they ran, both swinging their blades. Sparks rained around them as they swung at each other. They clashed again, pushing each other back before throwing another heavy strike. Cadence spun around him, but he tilted his blade back, parrying the attack. He pulled the trigger, the recoil deflecting the blade, making Cadence almost lose her balance. She activated her semblance, standing on a single leg before darting at him again.
Their angered cries were drowned out by the sound of steel meeting steel. Levi shot himself out of the way, rolling across the ground before firing at Cadence, who dodged it with a Pirouette, throwing several speedy slashes at him, all of which were deflected with ease. They raced at each other again, swinging their swords with all their strength, both bouncing back. They swung again and again, each clang echoing through the empty street. Levi pulled his sword back, using the recoil of his gun to deflect Cadence's strike, taking her by surprise.
He smirked, tilting his head slightly as he leveled his rifle, opening fire on the woman, using the recoil of the energy bullet to launch himself back. He panted a bit, ears twitching slightly as he listened in.
Levi turned just in time to avoid a flaming whip aimed at his face. Cadence pulled her weapon back, flicking it forward repeatedly, each time making him back away. "Sit still you fucking alley cat!"
The silver-haired faunus held his arm out, catching her whip in his grasp. She grinned, only for Brilliant Diamond to be pulled from her hands, his sleeve burned off completely, revealing his prosthetic arm. Her eyes widened but she said nothing, darting forward with dainty steps. She threw several kicks at him, jumping forward, but he was able to avoid them all, flipping through the air. He brought his aura-infused leg down, cracking the asphalt beneath his feet.
Cadence darted forward, aiming a punch at the back of his head, only for him to throw his elbow back, striking her in the chest. He quickly grabbed her arm, swinging her forward with all of his strength, throwing her at a nearby building. Using her semblance, she caught herself, using her aura to launch herself back at him. He ducked out of the way, the pinkette missing him entirely. She rolled across the ground, grabbing a hold of Brilliant Diamond as she did, spinning around and whipping Levi across the back.
"Aahhh!" he cried, body crackling with electricity.
"Heh~ How do you like that?" she hissed, walking forward. He turned around, spinning on his heel before jabbing his blade into the ground. Ticking filled the air, causing Cadence to stop, seeing the clock face that had flashed beneath his feet, eyes widening. "What?!"
He darted forward, Overture's blade crackling as he threw several speedy swipes at her body. He summoned a glyph beneath her feet, launching her into the air before he leaped up after her, he let out a cry as he fired Overture, the recoil of the bullet drove his blade into her body, sending her down hard against the street, the ground cracking beneath her. She gasped as the air exploded from her lungs, her aura flashing briefly before settling. He landed on the ground before her, flicking his wrist outward.
"You are outmatched, Cadence. Clearly, you haven't been training," he said, a look of disappointment on his face. "You know, I used to see you. Your ghost kept following me like a turd following a goldfish. Always berating me, always reminding me of how weak I am. But after seeing the real you, I realized one thing… that apparition of you, was at least human."
"Levi, come in! We've made it to the Landing Zone and you aren't here! Where are you?" Weiss cried. His aim shook a bit as he glanced over his shoulder, hearing the airships in the distance.
"Levi… we need to go."
"But we can't just leave, she's dangerous!" he returned, glaring at his friend. Sonata took a hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly.
"We can't take risks. This is what Salem wants, she wants to divide us. I understand that this was our friend, but she isn't any longer. It took me a while to realize that it did. But we need to face reality. This is just the way things are." she said, making him nod. He holstered his weapon, turning to his former partner.
"I'm sorry this happened to you,"
"Fuck you."
He shook his head, darting across the street, with Sonata at his heels. Neither of them dared to look back. Cadence let out a giggle, which evolved into a laugh. She moved her arms and legs, laughing like a kid in a candy store. Her sister landed several feet in front of her, holding her Shotgun tightly in her grasp.
"And why are you so giddy?"
"I just had the most orgasmic battle against my former friend! That's why… and he almost got me. But next time, he won't be so lucky." she said, holding her hand out. Octavia helped her to her feet, handing her Brilliant Diamond. "Let's go, I still have to find Cinder."
The woman nodded, shivering a bit as the wind kicked up, blowing snowflakes in all directions. She missed the orange glow of the heating grid, now Mantle was as cold and devoid as the tundra surrounding them.
Location: Amity Colosseum
The blistering cold of Solitas died down the moment he stepped into the docking port. Arthur smirked as he walked through the corridors. The arena was completely empty, filled with lots of construction equipment. His eyes fell on a poster, which had a dog faunus drawn on it, wearing a hard hat. The message Volatile Dust Crystals On-Site was written beneath it in a fancy script. He merely shook his head as he walked.
"So he really did pull back everyone," he muttered to himself, as he made his way to the arena. He looked around, eyes narrowed as he took everything around him. "Hmm… this will certainly do the trick. Although, I wouldn't exactly call it finished."
"Arthur Watts…"
The man smirked, glancing toward the announcer's box. The lights turned on one by one, shedding light not just on the box but on the battle arena itself. Arthur flexed his fingers, his rings glowing brightly.
"Welcome," Ironwood said, his voice calm and free of emotion. A look of realization dawned on Arthur, his jaw dropping slightly.
"It… it wasn't finished… it was bait!"
"And you fell for it," Ironwood said, dropping the microphone. He jumped straight through the glass, twisting his body around, landing hard on the arena. Arthur straightened up, facing the man, anger written on his face.
"You know, James, this place has always been a technological marvel," he said, tossing his bag outside of the arena. He started walking forward, fingers on his ring as he walked. Ironwood looked around, noticing the platforms around them glowing brightly as they activated one by one. "Truly, even before you went and uh, did all this."
His gaze didn't drop from the man as they began circling each other. "The different types of Dust, the biome system, and of course, everything goes into controlling them."
The held his right hand up, rings glowing brilliantly as the randomizer selection screen roared to life. It started beeping loudly, flipping through all of the biomes, the man straightening up as he flexed his fingers. He moved his hand just as Ironwood fired his gun at him, deflecting the bullet with a hard light shield.
"You always were a pain in the ass," he mused, Due Process smoking from his shot. The selector finally stopped, all of the platforms began to move, causing Ironwood to look around. As the fourth one began rising, he noticed Arthur, holding his own revolver in his grasp, barrel pointed at him.
"At the risk of sounding cliche, James…" the platform stopped moving, the man leaning forward, bending his knees slightly. "I won't be going down without a fight."
Ironwood kept his gaze locked with Arthur, drawing one of his guns from his holster, aiming it behind himself. He squeezed the trigger, just as Arthur took his shot, the recoil redirected him as he faced forward.
"Nineteen."
Ironwood leaped onto the Gravity Biome, dodging another shot from Arthur, returning fire as he ran. He shortened the distance, taking another shot, which was deflected by a hard-light shield. He swung the handle of his gun at the man, who easily deflected it, jumping onto the next biome. Gravity returned to normal as Ironwood shot himself across the way, rolling across the ground before getting up, dodging another bullet.
"Eighteen."
He dashed forward, leaping toward the next biome, aiming his fist at Arthur, who ducked out of the way, changing the gravity field again. He aimed his gun, but the man was quicker, kicking the barrel upward, redirecting the bullet. He activated another biome, causing Ironwood to roll out of the way, only to take a shot to the shoulder, electricity coursing through his body.
"Grk!"
"Hphm," Arthur muttered, dashing away. He jumped off of the platform, racing across small hard-light platforms. He reached the next platform, noticing Ironwood had followed him. With a flick of his wrist, he activated a geyser, which slammed into the General, sending him flying through the air.
He redirected himself with a Gravity shot, landing hard on the ground, swinging Due Process at him. Arthur took four more shots at him, missing each one as the man ducked and weaved, throwing several more swings at him. Arthur ducked back at the last second, activating another Gravity biome, letting himself float downward.
"Fourteen, thirteen,"
He got cocky as he swiveled on his foot, aiming at Ironwood, closing the distance, and sweeping the revolver away. He slammed his fist into Arthur's gut, making him howl in pain. He grabbed him by the neck, throwing him back against the wall as he pulled his fist back, the man moving just in time to avoid his ribs being broken. He smirked, placing the barrel of his revolver to Ironwood's chin, the man swept his arm away, an electricity bullet whizzing by his air. He activated another biome, causing the both to start floating. Arthur dashed away, panting a bit as he licked his lips.
"Twelve."
The General raced after him, redirecting himself with his weapons, racing after the man. He aimed at his back, only for Arthur to fire twice, encasing his black revolver in a block of ice. Ironwood forced himself to keep running, reaching for the ledge just as the Gravity field changed again.
"Ten."
Arthur darted forward, firing three more shots at Ironwood, who redirected himself with Due Process. The man leaped off a platform, changing it mid-air, the gravity cushioning his landing. He looked over his shoulder, smirking when he realized Ironwood wasn't coming after him.
"Seven."
He let out a cry, aura flashing green as he took a shot to the shoulder. He growled, firing a round at Ironwood, freezing his leg. He jumped to the platform directly above them, holding his shoulder as he ran. Ironwood fired at his foot, freezing before darting forward, both men fired at each other, dodging and deflecting each shot as they jumped, spinning around in mid-air.
The General landed a blow to Arthur's chin, swiping at his ring, causing them both to fall to the ground. Arthur tried to get away, but Ironwood was quicker, grabbing him by his ankle, and slamming him onto the ground with all of his strength. The doctor howled in pain, his aura breaking from the attack. The man groveled for a moment, forcing himself back to his feet, only to see Ironwood running right at him.
He tackled him off the platform, both men wrestling in mid-air, aiming to land a blow on each other as they rolled across the ground. Arthur slid across the ground, rings glowing as he took control of the center platform. Ironwood stood up, checking the cylinder of his gun, closing it.
"You never appreciated my genius, James!" Arthur snarled, glaring at the man, clenching his fist tightly. "You just stood atop it all and called yourself a giant!"
He darted forward, spinning on his heel as he swung his revolver at the man. Ironwood managed to block it, swinging Due Process at him, striking him in the sternum. They locked arms for a moment before pushing each other back. Arthur slammed his fist into Ironwood's ribs, making him howl in pain. He glared at the man, clutching his side.
"I gave you everything you could have ever wanted."
"You chose that fat imbecile over me!" the man spat angrily.
They became locked in combat once more, swinging their guns at each other, blocking and redirecting each strike. Ironwood grabbed a hold of Arthur's wrist, slamming the butt of his gun into his chin. He kneed his gut, following it with a right cross, which sent him flying into a metal span. Ironwood grabbed a hold of his shoulder, pressing him against the span, only for Arthur to wrestle his hand free, aiming his revolver at his temple.
"Heh… I suppose in this instance my brains and your brawns are evenly matched," he quipped, causing Ironwood to smirk.
"Maybe… but you aren't the only one who can count." he returned, making the doctor growl. He grabbed a hold of Ironwood's wrist, chuckling.
"Oh, I know."
He swept Ironwood around, slamming him into the metal span, clicking his rings. The General looked at his arm, seeing he had been trapped within a hard-light shield. He tugged on it, howling in pain as he saw the light shredding his flesh. Arthur tugged on his cuffs, stepping toward the center of the arena.
"That was a little too close for my liking, James." he mused as he flexed his fingers. "Rebuilding those rings is going to be such a headache."
He looked up, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the construction. "Now… if you'll excuse me."
The doctor looked over his shoulder, having heard Ironwood's pained cries. "I wouldn't do that if I were you… I mean unless you are hoping to add more metal to that body of yours."
Arthur hummed as he looked around, selecting each part manually. "Alright now… where did they put them?"
He jumped a bit when he heard the General scream in pain. He turned around, eyes widening when he saw his entire arm had been flayed. "What?"
Ironwood growled as he ran forward, grabbing the man by the neck. He slammed him hard into the arena floor, picking him up like a ragdoll as he held him over the edge. Right over the bubbling lava pits. He looked directly into the man's eyes, panting like a rabid dog as he glared at him.
"I will sacrifice whatever it takes to stop her…"
Arthur let out a chuckle as he grabbed Ironwood's wrist.
"Oh, I hope you do, James…" he spat, hocking a glob of blood on the ground. "I hope you do."
He knocked the man unconscious, throwing him onto the arena floor behind him. He raised his hand to his communicator, taking a deep breath. "This is General Ironwood, requesting prisoner transport to Amity Colosseum."
"Transport approved, General. ETA 10 minutes." a voice replied. He finally lowered his guard, staring at the unconscious doctor before him. He noticed the brown bag he had thrown off to the side before their bout began. He shook his head.
"I'll handle that after. For now, I must focus on what is to come." he thought, as he looked around the arena. "Beginning with who told Robyn Hill about this tower…"
Several thoughts flew to his mind, chief among them, how he was going to get things back on track. He was in need of a plan, and hopefully, it wasn't too late.
A/N: Ah, one of my favorite fights in the series was Arthur vs Ironwood, the former using the battleground to his advantage while the latter had to figure out ways to close the distance. Arthur taunting Ironwood yet keeping count of his bullets, and Ironwood at the end saying "You aren't the only one who can count" was great. He fooled Arthur into thinking he was out of ammo when he had one round left. It was a fantastic display of two men with adequate levels of facial hair duking it out against each other. Oh, and Caleb Hyles singing in the background was fantastic too. Top-tier fight, probably my number 1 in the series.
The encounter with Cadence was something I had been planning a while. Her survival was an interesting case. Originally, I didn't want her to have survived, but then I wondered what it would be like if she had. Levi and Sona have survivor's guilt, they don't show it often but they do. They think their friends are dead, Aria was confirmed, but Cadence was always a mystery, and now they get to see the aftermath of that. Cadence was left alone, scared, and on the brink of death when she was found. She was brainwashed by Salem, nothing of the Cadence they knew exists, but she still does have a heart. Though appealing to it isn't an easy task. Levi facing off against her was a fight that needed to happen, as a reminder of what Salem can do to people. The hearts of men can easily be swayed, and this is an instance where that adage holds water. It serves to show just how cunning she is. I probably did a horrible job of keeping her identity a secret but hey, the characters didn't know it was her so I guess it's okay?
But now as we near the events of Volume 7's end, that's when things start veering off course. Shit's going down bae, and we can't hide. As it stands though, it'll be an interesting set of circumstances. Hopefully.
Um let's see... I did finish everything to the end of Volume 8, but I have hit a bit of a rut. Volume 9 offers a new set of challenges that I wasn't prepared for, given that Neo is no longer an enemy, she can't get Ruby to drink the tea, so yes, coming up with an original theme for this volume will be a bit of a challenge. I do like the core lesson of it, acceptance, Ruby goes through the stages of grief, and finally snaps when she yells at Yang and Blake, and I think that's a moment that needs to happen even if Bumblebee won't be happening in this story (because absolutely despise the ship, not because it's Yang and Blake but because it's done in such a shit manner that it invalidates everything it stands for). I got my work cut out for me. But for now, I shall return to Lostbelt 6. Next update will be on a day you won't expect, which is both near and far, wherever you are. So uh... see ya when I see ya. K thanks Bye~
