for all intensive purposes Salem will now be played by the role of YGO Abridged Dartz
"Ma'am, how did you make all of the village disappear-"
"Grimm."
"…okay, but where'd they come from-"
"Grimm pools."
"I was gonna ask why your hair isn't changing color but something tells me that's also Grimm."
"Naawww man I just washed the dye out, I'm a natural blonde"
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
With the orb gone, there were only stragglers of Grimm left in the fishing village. And with Weiss' signal making it out, the Outcasts could relax a bit when the first of the Mantas came into sight on the horizon. When the squadron of airships landed, soldiers and medics poured out. The medics immediately went to the villagers themselves while Harriet and Vine took command of the soldiers.
"Harriet, take your squads and sweep the west half of the village," Vine ordered, "We'll take the east side."
"Roger. You heard him, eyes up! We got Grimm to kill," Harriet said, activating her Fast Knuckles and leading a group of soldiers into the ravaged settlement.
Ceres patched up Blake's wounds with some bandages she had on hand. "There you go. I date a medical professional, so...you can trust me when I say this is the best we can do. Aura should heal up the wound, right?"
"It should, yeah," Blake nodded, "Once it comes back, anyway."
"Thank god we're done here...with that orb gone, we can let Ironwood know about the two traitors in his ranks," Rex said.
Ben nodded. "Yeah, and hopefully he'll send some reinforcements soon. We can't keep doing this alone..." He stared at Blake's wound, the injury just seeming to emphasize his point.
"Agreed," Weiss chimed in, "And we also need to figure out what our next move is. Locus and Felix aren't going to just disappear from the story."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Yang said, helping Blake to her feet, "Right now, let's just focus on getting out of here and getting some rest."
The group made their way to one of the airships, where they were greeted by a tired but relieved Winter. "Thank goodness you're all safe," she said, embracing Weiss.
"Woah, Winter. Didn't expect you to show up." Ruby said.
"Apologies for being late. I had to...uh, check on something," Winter said. Weiss immediately took note of that. When was the last time she heard Winter stammer in a sentence?
"It was...nothing too serious," the elder Schnee immediately recovered, "Are you all ok?"
"Blake's healing up after our encounter with the Apathy and an Alpha Beowolf. Outside of that and feeling a bit drained...we're good."
"Apa-did you just say Apathy?"
"Yeah?"
"That...that's an urban legend. Like the Chill from the Grimm Child," Winter countered.
"Oh believe us, they are very real. I burnt some to a crisp in Crossed and then some of them showed up here, all drawn by the orbs," Kylie said.
"...things are worse than I thought. And you said Locus and Felix-?"
"They're in on it," Weiss confirmed.
"Damn it..." the elder Schnee sister hissed.
Winter took a deep breath, her expression serious. "Alright. I need you all to come back with me to Atlas. We need to inform General Ironwood of what's happening and figure out our next steps. And we need to do it quickly."
"Agreed," Blake added, still a bit weak from her injuries.
"Then let's not waste any more time. We have work to do," Winter said, leading the group towards the airship that had just landed.
"Still need some help or can you walk on your own?" Yang asked.
"I'm good, Yang. Just...if I stumble," Blake said.
"First one to try and catch ya."
"I hope you do more than 'try'," the feline Faunus teased a bit.
"Ok, bees, come on," Ruby said, motioning for the two to follow.
After a quick ride back to Atlas, courtesy of Winter's Manta, the Outcasts arrived at Ironwood's office. The first thing to grab their attention was that one of the windows behind the headmaster's chair was cracked. Not shattered entirely, but it was like someone threw a brick at the windshield of a truck.
"Isaac Gates and Samuel Ortez," Ironwood said without even noticing Ben and the others' arrival, his face obscured behind two holographic screens that displayed the files of the two elites. "Or, as they're more well known, Felix and Locus. Two of our best men. If they'd wanted, the both of them could've become Huntsmen, but instead they settled for common military work. Gates' recklessness and Ortez's mission-first mindset seemed to balance each other out. The psych evals showed some warning signs...but nothing that would ever suggest they'd turn against us."
"Sir, none of us could have anticipated this," Harper said, serving as the general's advisor here.
"Even if it wasn't them, we should've had a plan in place for this."
"Uh...general?" Kylie interjected, getting the headmaster's attention.
"Hm? Oh, you're back. Apologies, I was just..." Ironwood began.
"Wondering how this could happen?" Weiss finished.
"Yes. The two of them have served Atlas loyally for years. While Gates isn't as surprising to me...Ortez's betrayal...maybe his refusal for promotion into the Ace-Ops should have been a sign."
"What are we going to do about them, sir?" Blake asked, her eyes focused on the cracked window.
Ironwood sighed. "For now, we have to assume the worst. They have information on our defenses, our strategies, and our technology, and they'll no doubt use that against us. We'll be putting Atlas on high alert and increasing patrols. I'm also dispatching a team to find and apprehend them. I want them brought in alive if possible, but use lethal force if necessary." The Outcasts nodded, understanding the severity of the situation.
"Actually...sir...I believe we won't need a search team," Harper said.
"And why's that?"
"We've had a breakthrough."
"Oh shit, really?" Ben asked.
"Indeed. While you were away, I asked our resident tech experts, Camie and Lev, about seeing if they could find a heat signature big enough to possibly be a point of origin for the orbs," Harper explained, "A factory or something similar. And they found one."
Harper took her Scroll and connected it to the holo-table in the middle of the general's office. All of the displays then shifted to show a map of Atlesian territory, a red blip occasionally going off in the western tundra.
"That blip is where I believe Locus and Felix have fled to. And if they're not...then it's the location of whoever convinced them to betray their oaths."
"Alright, load up a Manta and we'll take the fight to 'em, easy!" Rex said.
"Actually...that may not be feasible. This may end up being a much larger offensive, especially considering we don't know what exactly is out there. Instead, you, along with a battalion of troops and heavy units, will be using an armored train departing from Gehen Station," Harper corrected.
"An armored train?" Ben raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. We've been working on it for a while now, and it's finally ready for deployment. It has heavy armor plating, turrets, and can carry troops and vehicles. It's the perfect vehicle for this mission," Harper explained.
"Impressive," Weiss said, admiring the holographic display. "But how do we know they won't see us coming?"
"We'll be entering the tundra from the north, where the naturally hilly and rocky terrain should provide enough cover for the train to move undetected," Harper replied.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's give those traitors a good old-fashioned Atlesian beatdown!"
"Miss Schnee," Harper said, "With the general's approval...I'd like to give you command of the mission."
Weiss blinked. "M-me?"
"Yes, Miss Schnee," Harper confirmed, "You have proven yourself to be an excellent leader and strategist. And with your knowledge of the situation and your abilities, I believe you're the best candidate for the job."
Weiss looked around the room, seeing the support and confidence from her friends. Kylie was especially enthusiastic. "Come on, hun! It'd be awesome to see you take charge."
"I...I accept," she said with determination, "I won't let Atlas down."
"Excellent. The armored train will depart in two hours. You'll have a team of Atlas soldiers under your command, and the Outcasts will be providing support."
Weiss turned to the Outcasts. "I trust you're all ready."
"We were born ready," Rex replied with a grin.
"Then…let's go, Outcasts!" Weiss cheered, rallying the troops as it were.
"Yeah!" Kylie cheered.
Immediately the Outcasts regretted not getting some warmer clothes. Even with Aura, they were freezing out here. The western tundras of Atlas were some of the coldest in the kingdom...and that was saying something. Even Weiss was shivering from the sudden change in temperature.
"S-so remind me...w-why did...no one mention...a FUCKING BLIZZARD?!" Yang yelled. Blake was sticking closer to her girlfriend since she was practically radiating heat. Her Semblance must have activated somehow.
"S-sudden blizzards are s-sadly common!" Weiss said, "T-there's...there's supposed to be a c-contact we need to meet! S-some...s-secretary I believe!"
Weiss shivered as she looked around the train platform. The blizzard was making it hard to see much, but eventually, they spotted a figure huddled up in a coat, waving to them. As they approached, they saw that it was a woman, likely in her mid-twenties, with long brown hair. She looked relieved to see them.
"Are you the Outcasts?" She asked, her voice barely audible over the wind.
"Y-yes! That's us! Are you...are you Claret Berbere?!" Weiss called out.
"Yes! Quickly, inside! I have some spare coats for you inside!"
The Outcasts quickly made their way inside the train station and were relieved to feel the warmth of the building. Claret greeted them with a smile and quickly handed them some warm coats.
"I'm sorry about the cold. It's been an unusually harsh winter this year," Claret said as she led them to a private room.
"It's not your fault," Weiss replied gratefully as she pulled the coat around her.
"So, what's the situation?" Ben asked as he looked out the window.
"Well, I've been informed by Specialist Harper about the mission. Now, the blizzard shouldn't actually interfere with the mission, since the train and the rails both use Gravity Dust. It shouldn't be a terribly long ride, though I would advise caution. The western tundra's a bet...infamous," Claret explained.
"Infamous how?" Kylie asked.
"Notice how the only major settlement out this way is a train station. The western tundra, despite all the space and possible untapped Dust veins...is practically claimed by the Grimm. Urban legends aplenty all come from out here. Expeditions that set out to make a new settlement, only for them to disappear down to the man, each story with different monsters. Sometimes it's the Apathy, other times the Nuckelavee, one story even mentions something called the Yuki-Onna."
"That sounds more like a Mistralian name," Blake pointed out.
"It is. No Atlesian expedition has ever encountered it...or at least, no one else has survived to talk about it. I don't think the general would appreciate me scaring you with lamplight stories, though."
"We met the Apathy," Yang said.
"You...you did?" Claret asked in pure horror.
"Twice," Ben added, "They were lured out by the orbs."
"So if one of those urban legends is real…" Ruby asked.
"Then it would stand to reason that all of them could be. That is…a terrifying thought. The story of the Apathy always scared me as a child so," Claret said, before trying to compose herself, "But enough about ghost stories. To business then?"
"Exactly. We need to find out where two rogue soldiers, Locus and Felix, have hidden away. We have reason to believe it's in the vicinity of a large heat signature we detected," Weiss said, taking charge of the situation.
"Ah, I see. Well, that would most likely be the industrial complex a few miles from here. It's been abandoned for years, but we've seen some activity recently," Claret informed them, "Didn't think it was criminal though…"
"Alright, we'll make that our first stop then," Weiss said, turning to her team.
"Stay sharp, everyone. We don't know what we're walking into," Blake cautioned.
The Outcasts nodded in agreement as they headed towards the train. As they boarded, Weiss couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She knew this mission could get dangerous, and she hoped they were prepared for whatever they might face.
Kylie nudged her in the back. "So, team leader...how you feeling so far?"
"I mean, all we've done is just talk with a lady." Weiss frowned. "I feel fine, though."
"That's good," Kylie said with a smile. "Just remember, we're all here for you. If anything happens, we've got your back. And I will shoot someone for you."
"Well, duh. We're dating. That's just a given." Weiss scoffed. She was still nervous, but having the support helped.
The train whistle blew, signaling that it was time to board.
The Outcasts saw just how many soldiers were with them for this. Most of the manpower that they'd have for this came from the mechanical support, the AK-200s that were loaded onto the train beforehand. What shocked the group even more though was the fact that two Paladins were being loaded up as well. Outside of the two dedicated pilots, the actual human troop count ticked off at about fifty, each armed with standard issue Atlesian rifles, collapsible swords, and gravity Dust bolas restraints.
"Is it just me or is that a bit overkill?" Rex asked, jabbing a thumb towards the Paladins as they thundered into the larger train cars.
"Considering how mad the general seemed when he heard about the betrayal, he might have a bit of a grudge," Ben said.
"When was the last time the general ever actually acted out like that?" Ruby wondered aloud.
"I'm not sure, but it must have been serious if he's willing to deploy two Paladins," Weiss added. "We should stay on high alert."
The Outcasts made their way onto the train, finding their assigned bunks and stowing their gear. The train ride was bumpy, but surprisingly warm and comfortable thanks to the heating systems installed on the train. As they rode, the Outcasts discussed their plan of attack.
"Ok, so outside of Felix being a knife guy and Locus being a sharpshooter, how do we deal with them?" Rex asked.
"I say push Felix's ego button. Why go by his codename this whole name and not his real one? Maybe he hates it? Could taunt him into making a mistake," Ruby suggested.
"It's possible. But I'm more worried about their shields..." Weiss said, "During our fight with them in the tundra, both of them proved to have Hardlight Dust shields built into their armor. That's not exactly standard issue, even for the elites that do have their Auras unlocked."
"Does Hardlight have a limit?" Kylie asked.
"Its durability depends on the amount of Dust used, really."
"I'm still pretty limited on aliens," Ben said. "But I think I could really overpower them with a big heavy hitter. Like Jetray. They kinda struggled against him. Or Cannonbolt could bust in and bowl them over."
"Creative, but...no. They're the top of the top. They're not gonna fall for basic tricks, or the same thing twice." Weiss pointed out.
"I gotta admit...I'm concerned about Locus. He's basically an Ace-Op in all but name," Rex said, "All cause they didn't fit his 'ideal soldier' criteria."
"Not even Harriet?" Yang asked.
"Nope. I mean he even said Clover wasn't the ideal, more of a crutch for his teammates or so he said."
"He's probably one of the best hand to hand fighters we've ever seen. That includes people like Mercury, Emerald and Hazel." Ben said.
"Those guys are below him, and that's scary." Rex frowned.
"Hey Weiss? His helmet...does it have thermal?" Ruby asked.
"All Atlesian helmets do. When blizzards like this roll in, it helps pick out any Grimm," Weiss confirmed.
"Then how about we blind the bitch? You, me, Yang, and Ben make him look our way, then bam! We set off a miniature sun!"
"So stealth's out the window then?" Blake asked.
"It could work." Weiss hummed, rubbing her chin. "Plus, it's on brand for us."
"I still got Heatblast, so it's VERY doable." Ben grinned.
"Blind him, throw a sucker punch to bring him down and tie him up with one of those bolas? Short, sweet, humiliating on his part. I like it," Yang smirked.
"And what about Felix? Still going with the taunting plan or?" Blake asked.
"I think we just gotta overwhelm him or something." Ruby said. "He always has Locus back him up, right? Ben and Yang deal with Locus, and then the rest of us jump Felix."
"That should work," Blake said. The door to their car hissed open and two Atlesian soldiers walked in.
"Specialist Schnee?" one of the soldiers asked.
"That's...going to take some getting used to," Weiss rubbed the back of her head nervously, "Anyway, what is it soldier?"
"We think we might need to change the route Lieutenant Harper gave us due to the snow. Shouldn't be too bad, but we just wanted your confirmation."
"What's the route looking like?" Weiss asked.
"We were planning on taking the northwestern route through the mountains, but with the blizzard, the snow drifts will make it near impossible to traverse. We were thinking of taking the western route instead, which will add a few hours to the journey, but it's much safer." The soldier explained.
"A few hours?" Weiss replied. "Well, it might take longer, but it's better than getting stuck in the mountains."
"We have a map set up...do you wish to see it?" The soldier asked.
"Please," Weiss nodded, "Lemme know if you come up with anything else."
"Mind if I come with?" Kylie asked.
"Not at all."
"If you wish," the second soldier nodded before they turned and lead the duo out of their car and further up the train. As they went, Weiss took note of one of the soldiers working on a still charging Atlesian Knight. She didn't think much of it though, probably just routine maintenance. What the Schnee heiress didn't see before she left the train car was that the soldier was adjusting the android's targeting parameters.
As they walked up the train, Kylie noticed that Weiss seemed a bit preoccupied. "You okay?"
Weiss shook her head, "Just...thinking about everything. I'm worried about this mission, and I'm not entirely sure why. I mean, we've been on missions before, we've fought Grimm, but something just feels...off about this one."
"You've never been a leader before, so of course it feels-"
"No, I mean...look around. You notice how...weird everyone's acting?" Weiss asked.
"They're...acting like normal soldiers? I mean as far as I can tell," Kylie shrugged.
"Yeah." Weiss said. "...too much like normal soldiers."
"I...don't think I follow," Kylie looked at some of the other soldiers they passed on the way up to the car with the holo-map. There wasn't anything too off about them from what she could tell.
"They're too serious. Usually, when we're around, these guys are talking and joking. They're 'business casual'." Weiss said. "Now...it's like they're about to fight someone."
"Well technically they are. I doubt Felix and Locus are alone," Kylie said.
They quickly reached the train car with the holo-table, the route map already up for Weiss to look over. The door to the car closed shut, complete with an almost inaudible click. The two soldiers looked to each other and nodded.
Both of the soldiers readied their weapons and leveled them right at the back of Weiss' and Kylie's heads. Their fingers were on the triggers, but just as they were about to fire, Weiss spun around and drew Myrtenaster. A black shielding glyph appeared and then slammed into the two soldiers, knocking them back into the train car wall.
"What the hell?!" Kylie shouted.
"I knew something was off!" Weiss said, spinning the cylinder on her rapier and locking in some ice Dust.
The two soldiers got back up, one shaking the impact off while the other was a bit slower to recover.
"No wonder they put you in charge," one of the soldiers said. He tapped something on his shoulder armor and deactivated the small hologram that covered his armor. When it faded, the usual red streaks that denoted rank and allegiance to Atlas were replaced with a familiar shade of green.
"You're working for them," Kylie realized. The second soldier did the same, showing his blue streaks had been replaced with orange.
"They made a good pitch," the second traitor shrugged, as if that softened the betrayal.
"You're still outnumbered! The rest of the men will-"
"Do exactly what they've been ordered to, right?" Weiss cut off.
"Smart girl," the green one said.
On some unseen cue, some of the androids activated and left their charging alcoves. Marching in unison, at least six of the mechanical soldiers made their way to the car with the Outcasts. What's more, the other soldiers all deactivated the camouflage. Each and every soldier, instead of the generic blue or red officer streaks, sported the green and orange streaks on their armor, along with other graffiti that set apart these men from Ironwood's loyalists.
The door to the Outcast's train car slid open and the androids poured in, getting the group's attention. It only took a second for the group to realize what was happening, a hunch that was only confirmed when the six androids formed a firing line. Three mechanical soldiers knelt in front while the remainder stood in the back, rifles drawn. Ben quickly dialed up and transformed into Diamondhead, rushing in front of the group and forming an impenetrable wall of crystal to shield the group. The bullets bounced and sparked off the wall while the other Outcasts each scrambled for their weapons.
"What the fuck?!" Yang yelled, before loading a fresh belt of shells into her gauntlet.
"A malfunction maybe?" Rex asked.
"Why do I doubt it?" Blake countered.
"Either way! Ben! On my mark!" Ruby called out.
"Right!" Ben nodded.
"On 3! 1…2…NOW!"
With a quick flick of the wrist, Ben lowered the leftmost portion of the barrier. Ruby sped through the opening and swung her scythe in the androids' direction.
Back with Weiss and Kylie, the latter had gotten True Rebel ready while the former still had her defensive Glyph up. The orange soldier stowed their rifle and drew his collapsable sword, while the green-clad traitor opened fire on the duo. The shield Glyph held strong, stopping every bullet that came their way.
The sword-wielding traitor rushed in from the side, hoping to try and flank Weiss, but Kylie was there to meet him. Not willing to back down, the traitorous soldier kept charging, his blade clashing with True Rebel. Weiss made a sweeping motion with her rapier, five smaller Glyphs appearing in front of her shield. The green-clad gunner stopped firing only to reload, which was the worst mistake he could've made.
The smaller Glyphs that Weiss had conjured began firing off a volley of icicles at the soldier. While none of them managed to pierce his armor, one lucky shot did manage to knock the rifle out of his hands. The heiress dropped her shield and the other glyphs, rushing forward with Myrtenaster. Before the soldier could even think of drawing his own blade, Weiss struck. A collection of icy spikes rose out of the train car floor and pinned the traitor in a frozen prison.
As for Kylie, she pushed back against the orange-clad soldier, forcing him to stumble back. He took a few more swings, each one blocked by Kylie's weapon. On the last, the Osmosian smirked and simply let it pass right through her. Having turned to mist, she quickly moved behind the soldier and re-solidified before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him into the side of the car. His helmet clanged into the metal, the sound echoing in the car, before he collapsed on his back.
Weiss and Kylie stood back to back, catching their breath after the intense fight. Kylie reached out and placed a hand on Weiss's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Weiss nodded, adjusting her rapier. "I'm fine. Keep moving!"
As Weiss and Kylie continued down the train car, they suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching them. They turned to see an Atlesian Knight, its visor glowing menacingly as it raised its arm-mounted gun.
Without hesitation, Weiss conjured a Glyph in front of her and Kylie, while the Osmosian drew her weapon once again. The Knight fired a barrage of bullets at them, which the Glyph deflected. Kylie darted forward, misting around the Knight and slashing at its back, but it didn't leave a scratch on it.
"Seriously!?" Kylie hissed.
"The joints! Shoulders, neck, anything like that! Armor's weaker there!" Weiss called out. Kylie swung again, aiming for one of the arm joints on the robot, but instead of connecting, the machine spun on a dime and blocked her strike with one of its own extendable arm-blades.
"Seriously? You guys go down easily when it's Grimm, but the minute you end up fighting us-!" Kylie began, before she leapt back, dodging the second blade of the Atlesian Knight. Two more Knights joined the first to fight Kylie, while a second trio appeared behind Weiss, blades at the ready.
Weiss turned around just in time to block the oncoming strikes of the first Knight from her group. The android began to apply pressure to the thinner blade, hoping to cut right through it, but the heiress wasn't about to let that happen. With ease, she stepped to the side, causing all that force the machine was exerting to work against it.
It stumbled forward, just in time for Weiss to unleash a flurry of rapid thrusts that dented the armor. The second and third Knights charged in from behind, but Weiss simply summoned a Glyph beneath her feet. She leapt over the two charging Knights as they struck, leaving them at the mercy of her little trick.
She spun the chamber of her rapier and locked in another vial, before she ran two fingers down the length of Myrtenaster's blade. The usually white pattern beneath the androids suddenly turned yellow, the "spokes" in the snowflake-like design turning to stylized bolts. With one last quick flourish, the glyph detonated and engulfed the trio of androids in a pillar of concentrated lightning. The once pristine white-plated androids were shocked down to their frames, jittering and shaking as the electricity overloaded their systems and shattered their visors, leaving them as nothing more than charred wrecks.
On the other hand, Kylie was still fighting hard with the three Atlesian Knights who were trying to hurt her. She moved easily around them, weaving and dodging their attacks. Her movements were almost fluid as she moved around them. The Osmosian's dexterity stood in sharp contrast to the sluggish motions of the androids. She landed a few quick blows on their joints, which made the machines stumble for a moment before they kept attacking.
Kylie could see that she wasn't making much progress with her current strategy. These machines were designed to be tough, and she couldn't just take them down with a few well-placed blows. She needed to come up with a new plan.
Wait.
They were still machines. It'd be one helluva risk, but her weapon wasn't doing anything. She might need to. She focused on some of those negative emotions, that anger. It may not have been much, but she tried to focus and boil those feelings down into her powers.
Her arm turned into a darker colored mist and she managed to tag all three of the androids. Each one now sported a handprint-shaped spot of rust on their armor. And that rust was spreading. The pristine alabaster plating that protected the robots began to corrode and degrade, turning a sickly red. Armor fell away in chips, joints gave way, and soon the machines were nothing more than piles of rust-red junk resting on the train floor.
Weiss stayed away from the smoke, as Kylie walked out. "So, something just occurred to me."
"What's up?" Weiss asked.
"...how do you think the others are holding up?"
"We should...probably head back," Weiss realized. The two soldiers and the androids were just the start.
The last of the Atlesian Knights fell to the floor of the Outcasts' car, cleaved cleanly in two. Ruby smirked as she stabbed the smaller blade at the end of Crescent Rose's shaft into one of the wrecks, just to make sure it was offline.
"All clear!" Ruby said. The crystalline barrier fell to show Yang with her arms crossed.
"Really? Didn't even save one for me?" Yang smirked.
"Too in the moment!" Ruby joked.
Weiss and Kylie walked in, admiring the mechanical carnage. Kylie huffed. "Looks like we had nothing to worry about after all."
"You guys get jumped too?" Rex asked.
Weiss frowned. "This whole train is probably against us..."
"How? Did they just hate the idea of working under someone younger than them?" Yang asked.
"No. It's them. The whole train's working for Locus and Felix," Kylie answered.
"Figured those bastards probably had allies. That's how they were probably able to get away with some of the bullshit they pulled in the military." Ben guessed.
"The power of influence is scary." Ruby frowned.
"But a whole platoon?" Blake asked, "They didn't come off as the rich types."
"Maybe there's still someone helping them," Rex suggested, "Outside of the mastermind. Or maybe the guy behind it all is rich."
"Or Felix's smooth talking. The guy talks a lot." Ceres said. "It's how you really win someone over."
"Have you tried calling through to Ironwood? Let him know?" Rex asked.
"I doubt it would work. Those two probably set this up in advance, blocked our Scroll signals," Weiss said.
And then Ruby had a horrible realization.
"Oh my god. Locus and Felix weren't the only traitors in the military. Who set this up? Who told us they knew where to go, right when we needed to hear it?" Ruby asked.
Everyone fell silent as they contemplated Ruby's words. The idea that someone close to them could have betrayed them was a bitter pill to swallow.
"We can't afford to trust anyone outside of our team right now," Blake said, breaking the silence. "We need to keep our guard up and be ready for anything."
"Agreed," Weiss said. "We also need to find a way to disable this train and stop it from reaching its destination."
"Right," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's get to work then..."
"Easiest way for that? Hit the brakes," Ben said.
"Yeah, we just gotta fight through a whole train's worth of soldiers. How bad can it be?" Rex smirked, bringing out the Smack Hands.
"Pretty damn easy, I'd imagine." Ben said, dialing up Shocksquatch.
Kylie nodded in agreement. "Ok! So, stop the train and figure out who's behind this."
Weiss pulled out her rapier, and her eyes narrowed. "Agreed. Let's show them a little bit of what we can do."
As the traitor soldiers and reprogrammed androids began preparing for the defense, knowing that the Outcasts would be coming for them, the leader of the platoon radioed in to his real bosses via Scroll. The icon that acted as caller ID was blank for this specific call, as the signal was supposed to be untraceable.
"Is this a secure channel, Lieutenant?" Locus asked.
"Yes sir. Using the one you told us to," the lieutenant responded.
"Good. Progress on the operation."
"As it stands, our initial attempts to kill them quickly have...failed. By now, they've probably formulated a plan to try and take the engine," the lieutenant reported.
"Good," Locus said.
"G-good? Sir, I...I don't understand."
"Lieutenant, you are to delay them for as long as possible. Before you reach this part in the route, your and whatever men have survived are to abandon the train," the steely traitor explained, sending a set of coordinates to the lieutenant's Scroll. He looked over and his eyes widened a bit.
"Sir...if we don't jump in time-"
"Then I suggest you get your timing down!" Felix called in, "Our friend upstairs said this is basically our last chance to get these kids off our backs and, if you ask me, I'm fuckin' sick of 'em! So, LT, better get to delaying!"
"And...if they...?" the lieutenant dared to ask, a second caller ID icon appearing on his Scroll.
"If they survive," Bianca's voice said, "We'll be there to finish them off."
"...understood. Over and out," the soldier cut the call and stowed his Scroll. He sent orders to the soldiers in the train and the Paladin pilots in the rear. To the soldiers, they were activate the electrified security doors that cut the train in half, forcing the Outcasts up to the roof or trapping them in the back half of the train. To the Paladin pilots, they were to ready their engines.
They had a fight to get to.