RWBY: Shadow Company

Chapter 42

The chaos of battle raged around them, a storm of sounds and sights that threatened to overwhelm Weiss and Frost. But in that chaotic moment, they found each other.

"Weiss, listen to me. We need to move. It's not safe out here," Frost urged his grip on her firm yet gentle.

Weiss's heart raced, torn between the overwhelming emotions of this unexpected reunion and the urgency of their surroundings. She reluctantly loosened her hold on Frost. Her eyes still locked onto his helmet visor.

"What took you so long?" she murmured, her voice trembling. Her eyes welled with tears, threatening to spill over.

Frost offered her a small, reassuring smile underneath his helmet. "I'm sorry, Weiss. Leon and I got caught up with an old friend of ours, but we don't have much time right now. We need to get you to safety."

He gently took her hand, guiding her amidst the chaos. Together, they moved away from the immediate fight, seeking refuge in a more unoccupied area.

"Where's Leon?" Weiss asked. Her steps synchronized with Frost's as they pressed onward.

"He's on his way now. He went back to retrieve something. I don't know what he meant by it, but he'll be alright." Frost responded.

His gaze shifted to a crimson streak on the hem of her skirt. Abruptly halting, he reached out, his gloved fingers inspecting the stain. "Is that Blood? Are you injured?" he asked.

Weiss shakes her head. "No, I... I had to," she admits, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Frost noticed her bloodstained Myrtenaster.

Understanding her unspoken words, Frost nods gravely before swiftly resuming their urgent pace.

Returning to the familiar inn, Frost reaches for the door, but a simple twist reveals it is locked. He pounds on the door, his voice cutting through the lingering echoes of battle. "Hey, is there anyone left?"

From a window, the cook's head cautiously emerges, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight of Weiss. "Well, I'll be damned. You, the one who leaped out of my window. Didn't think you'd come back in one piece."

Weiss winces at the reminder.

"Sir, could you open the door for us?" Frost calls out. Rolling his eyes, the cook grumbles, "Fine, fine. Patience isn't exactly in short supply."

The cook swings open the door, granting Frost and Weiss entry. "Thank you kindly," Frost acknowledges with a nod.

"No problem. It's a bloody mess out there. Grimm is swarming every inch, and those damned bandits are raising hell in the town square. Things were much less crazy before you guys showed up, no offense." the cook grumbles.

"Can you defend yourself?" Frost asks. In response, the cook wordlessly retrieves a shotgun, his expression grimly determined.

Frost nods and guides Weiss back toward the kitchen area. "Hey, where are you two off to?" the cook asks.

"Weiss, I need you to stay here. I'm heading up to our room to fetch more firepower."

"Are you sure? I can help," Weiss offers, her determination evident.

Frost's gaze softens as he responds, "Not now. Remember that nullifier? You'll be safer here. I need to get back out there and help the others."

Weiss's grip tightens on Frost's arm, "Wait, there are other shadows here," she said.

Frost looks at her, "What?"

"Another group of shadows rescued me. Four of them and one of them is named Bishop."

"Bishop? It's been a while since I've heard that name. I'll make sure to express my gratitude when I cross paths with him," Frost responds, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected connection.

Having entrusted Weiss to the cook's care, Frost swiftly makes his way to their room. In a matter of moments, his footsteps resound on the stairwell as he descends, adorning his suit with additional armor plates and a rifle from Leon's pack.

As Frost draws nearer, Weiss's fingertips graze the fabric of his cloak. Immediately, she moves toward him, returning his cloak. He secures it in place and activates his cloaking device, rendering himself invisible to the others.

He pulls his hood over his helmet, completing the camouflage. Not even his shadow can be seen.

The door swings open, and he addresses Weiss, "I won't be long, Weiss." With that, he steps out and closes the door behind him, leaving her in the cook's company.

/-/

The Grimm relentlessly scale the wall, their efforts in vain as the defenders shoot them off, preventing them from reaching over the wall.

"I've got one!" a guard cries as he reloads his weapon.

But the onslaught shows no sign of stopping. "There's still more coming!" another guard shouts, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Keep shooting!" a third guard commands, firing rounds into the approaching horde.

Suddenly, an enormous beast looms above, drawing collective gasps from the defenders. "Nevermore incoming! Watch out!" a lookout yells, his warning ringing like a siren.

The massive Grimm descends with menacing speed, its talons poised to strike. The defenders scramble to adjust their aim, unloading a barrage of shots in a desperate attempt to repel the imminent threat. They managed to dodge its talons narrowly, their lives hanging by a thread as they cheated death in a heart-pounding display of agility.

"Nevermore inside the walls!"

"There's another one!" a guard shouts, a second Nevermore hurtling down towards them with menacing intent. The defenders brace themselves for another intense skirmish, and determination is etched on their faces as they prepare to face the new threat head-on.

"When that thing is in range, we shoot it!" a veteran guard commands. The defenders tighten their grip on their weapons, ready to unleash a wave of bullets when the Grimm comes within killing distance.

Suddenly, a stray homing rocket streaks up from the trees, zeroing in on its target with deadly precision. The explosive impact hits the Nevermore right in the face, causing it to halt mid-flight and crash into the trees.

Gasps and surprised murmurs ripple through the defenders as they witness the unexpected turn of events. "What the hell was that?" a guard exclaims, his voice tinged with shock and curiosity, as they all try to comprehend the sudden intervention that saved them from the airborne threat.

Leon lowers the rocket launcher and admires his work, "Woah." His eyes fixed on the smoldering wreckage of the downed Nevermore.

He loads up another rocket into the tub. The warhead clicks into place, ready to go again. Leon resumes his journey back to town.

Emerging from the cover of the trees, Leon reaches the protective walls of the village. However, frustration fills him as he finds the main gate firmly closed. A groan escapes his lips. He looked up at the wall and noticed a few guards standing above him.

A sizable horde of Grimm was converging on his position.

With a swift action, Leon slings his rocket launcher over his back and fires his grappling hook from his vambrace, propelling a line upwards to the edge of the wall. He waves goodbye to the Grimm as he activates his grappling device and soars into the air, just as the Grimm collide with each other in a chaotic frenzy.

Touching down on the wall's edge, Leon's sudden arrival took some of the guards off guard. "I'm sorry for the delay, folks," he quipped.

He leaps down and quickly makes his way deeper into the town.

/-/

Bishop and Pawn positioned themselves at the heart of the town. Utilizing the distraction from the bell tower, they cleverly caught the bandits off guard, ensuring the safety of the fleeing civilians by eliminating any threats within their line of sight.

"Shadows! Take them down!" A bandit's voice rang out as he fired his weapon.

"We've certainly got their attention now. Keep an eye out for the townsfolk," Bishop commented, his voice focused and determined.

"What about Raven and the rest of her crew? We should mop these guys up and go after her before the Grimm breach the walls," Pawn suggested, his urgency evident in his tone.

A sizable cluster of bandits remains in the town square, relentlessly shooting at Bishop and Pawn's positions.

Dodging another bullet, Bishop quickly reloads his rifle. "I know. But it seems these guys aren't about to back down anytime soon," he remarks.

Frost makes a dramatic entrance into the action. His arrival was followed by a storm of rapid-fire bullets from his rifle. As his semblance activates, time seems to slow down again, giving him the precious opportunity to eliminate the bandits shooting at Bishop and Pawn precisely.

The moment Frost touches the ground, the bandits that were once standing now fall in perfect synchronization, with a bullet in each head, saving them in the nick of time.

Frost rises to his feet and rendezvous with the two shadows.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Gunslinger of the North," Bishop jokes, a hint of humor in his tone. "Frost, it's so good to see you again after all these years. How've you been?"

Frost de-cloaks his camouflage and speaks, "Too long, old friend. What's the situation?"

"The Grimm are nearly breaching the walls. Raven and her goons are still in pursuit of your granddaughter. Rook and Knight are on their way to contain them for the moment," Bishop explained. "Did you locate Weiss?"

Frost nodded, "Yes, I found her, and she's safe, at least for now. And thank you for protecting her."

"It's always a pleasure to serve the generous man from Atlas," Bishop said respectfully.

Frost tapped his radio, "Leon, have you made it to the town?"

"Yeah, I've secured some extra firepower from the camp. It should aid us in the defense. I'm coming to you," Leon replied.

"Understood. We'll regroup and join the defense," Frost affirmed. He glanced at Bishop, determination in his eyes. "Let's sync our radios. We're in this together."

"Alright, we'll mop up any remaining bandits and ensure the safety of the civilians," Bishop said.

"Good, and don't worry about that Alpha Deathstalker. Leon and I will deal with it ourselves." Frost said as he reactivated his cloaking device and moved off.

"Alright, we'll mop up any remaining bandits and get the civilians to a safer location," Bishop affirmed.

"Oh, don't concern yourself with the Alpha Deathstalker when it arrives. Leon and I will handle it." With that, Frost reactivated his cloaking device and moved off to execute his part of the plan.

He's still cool," Pawn added with a grin.

/-/

"Keep firing! Don't let them reach the top!" The guard commanded. The onslaught of bullets and explosions continues as they defend the walls. Yet, in an unexpected twist, the Grimm's advance suddenly stops. They began to retreat and pull back into the dense cover of the trees.

The chaos of battle gradually subsided, leaving a tense feeling in the air. The defenders took a moment to catch their breath, their weapons still raised in case of sudden attacks.

Confusion had rippled through the defenders' minds, "What's going on? Why did they stop attacking?"

"They're regrouping," the seasoned guard explained, his voice carrying a tone of caution.

A low, distant rumble broke the quietness, growing steadily louder as the ground trembled slightly. Whatever it is sounds big, and a sense of impending danger was approaching from the defenders.

"Something big is coming right for us. They're preparing for another attack. Be ready! Brace yourselves!" the seasoned guard warned.

The defenders tightened their grips on their weapons, eyes fixed on the tree line, but an ominous threat emerged further ahead. A massive, hulking figure lumbered forward, its dark form emerging from the shadows of the trees and three large pointy telsons sticking out from the tall trees.

"What on Remnant is that?"

The colossal creature unveiled itself with a resounding roar, its attention squarely fixed on their position. It was accompanied by an imposing horde of Grimm that gathered behind it.

This was no ordinary Deathstalker; it stood at least three times larger than the norm and boasted an extraordinary trio of stingers instead of the usual one. Its sheer size alone could spell doom for any huntsman within mere minutes. This was the Alpha Deathstalker, a formidable force to be reckoned with.

"Open fire!"


A/N: The big boy is here. But at least the team is together now. Raven doesn't know that Frost and Leon are near. Not that she could do anything to stop them. I want to wrap up this battle soon, but I can't rush this. I do want to get rid of that nullifier off her back. But now, there is no option for me to take it off her soon.

But after I finish this battle, I'll give Weiss a break from the spotlight and return to Blake and Jaune. I can combine both of their perspectives to save time and chapters. I am giving too much back to back chapters with Weiss.

Okay, I'm done here.

And thank you for reading.