Someone was knocking on the door. Qrow rolled over and tried to block his ears. It didn't matter what time it was. It was too early.
Last night he'd led another hunt for the Swarm. They'd found some. But still not enough.
Every time they seemed to get close to something the trail would go dead. It could be a week or more before they found another lead. During which more homesteads were attacked or villages cleared out.
The knocking repeated.
'Qrow. You need to get out here. Something's happened,' Fortune shouted.
He sighed and rolled out of bed. If Jimmy's "best special operative" thought it was important it probably was. Probably.
'I'm up. Give me a minute,' Qrow called back.
'I'll be in the briefing room,' Fortune shouted back.
'Yeah yeah.'
Qrow rummaged through the pile of clothes at the end of the bed. Pulling on what smelt the freshest. One of the issues of open ended missions like this. Laundry became a nightmare.
One new part of his wardrobe was the armour. A soft body vest he could wear under or over his other clothes. Along with elbow and knee pads, which he'd learned to love when diving for cover.
If someone had told him a year ago he'd be wearing a protective vest he'd have laughed them out of the Inn. But this wasn't a year ago. Now that stuff was part of going out into the field.
Dressed, he grabbed his weapons. The Boltok he'd taken during their first attack on a small hive went on his hip. The pistol had proven its use over the last month or so.
It kicked like a horse and it had taken a few goes to smooth out all the metal. But it gave him a solid second option to use when bullets started flying. Which they often had.
Lifting Harbinger he checked the weapon was clean. One problem they'd run into with fighting Swarm. They were alive and unlike Grimm they didn't fade to smoke when you killed them.
More than once during a battle they'd found blood, bone and other tissue starting to jam up their weapons. So keeping them clean had become doubly important. No one wanted to get caught out with a jammed transformation.
Now much more awake, dressed and equipped he headed out to the Briefing room. On the way he passed a few AK-103s that were unloading crates from one of the airships. This fort was their fourth so far. Each time the Swarm moved on they followed.
The androids weren't just there for moving boxes. A few times they'd used the things to draw the Swarm out. Not that Jimmy would like them using Atlases old androids as bait.
Reaching the briefing room he found Fortune and Rodiquze were talking over a map of the local area. The jury was still out on the two of them.
Fortune, not his real name, kept following his orders nearly to the letter. Though at points he showed he did have a heart in there, somewhere.
Rodriquez on the other hand was just bad news. She was here only as long as she wanted to be, something she'd made clear. Her methods whilst effective were enough to make even Qrow feel dirty.
'Have a nice rest?' Rodriquez asked mockingly.
Qrow dropped into a chair, 'Oh yeah. I'm all ready and set for another big day. What did you two need me for?'
'Issue with our latest supply run,' Fortune said pointing to the map.
His finger jabbed at a CCT relay icon, 'There were some signal issues in the area so we diverted the airship to check it on the way in. Problem is it just went dark.'
'So your androids can't land good to know,' Qrow grumbled.
'Problem is the order was flyby. Not inspection. If it's not responding something is preventing it from communicating.'
Qrow sighed and rubbed his head, 'That would change things. So who's going?'
'You, along with Rodriquez's team. You can take the car. You'll draw less attention to the ground.'
'Great send me off with the Serans. What could go wrong?'
'You could bounce out of the back and get some bruises. So make sure to use your seat belt,' Rodriquez said walking out of the room.
'Yeah I will. Don't worry,' Qrow said after her.
'I wish you two would get along better,' Fortune said once she was out of earshot.
Qrow stood up and stretched 'And I wish you'd tell me your real name. Hard to trust someone who hides even that detail.'
'I'm sorry but orders ar-'
'Orders. So you keep saying. Any change with Jimmy?'
'General Ironwood is recovering. He's going to get some rest and be back within a month or so,' Fortune replied.
'Great. Perhaps once he's recovered he can come out here and help with this mess,' Qrow said walking out to find Rodriquez.
She and her team had loaded up their car. Well it had been a car to start with. The armour plates and guns made it hard to pick out the original shape. Noah was on the turret checking the ammo while Mel was in the driver's seat.
'You ready? I don't want anyone to say they need to stop and take a leak,' Rodriquez said from the back seat.
'No need. I haven't managed to get breakfast yet. Nothing to leak out,' Qrow replied, taking the seat on the other side.
'No way you're fighting on an empty stomach. Here fill up,' She replied, throwing a packet to him.
Qrow held it up and read the label, 'Tryan style breakfast with coffee. You actually eat these things?'
'We do. But just be happy you get the new ones. The old stuff was like flavoured wet cardboard,' Rodriquez replied.
'And this is better?' Qrow asked, turning the packet over.
'It's edible.'
Before Qrow could reply A started the engine and pulled away so suddenly he was thrown back against his seat. The improvised armoured car tore around the small courtyard and shot out of the gate. Qrow was just thankful he hadn't opened his "breakfast" or else he'd have been wearing it.
Around half an hour later they caught sight of the first sign of trouble. A black column of smoke rising out of the valley near the tower. Trying to call Fortune to report back they found their signal fading in and out. Mainly out.
Something was preventing CCT connections in the area. Considering there was a relay within spitting distance they slowed down and kept a keen watch. This whole thing stank of a trap.
'Hunters?' Mel offered.
'No. Even with the Torque Bows they use there's no way to shoot an airship down with one. Not unless they learned how to fly,' Rodriquez said, shaking her head.
Qrow piped up, 'What about those Flocks of Leeches? Those could bring down an airship.'
'They could. But we've never seen them on Remnant before.'
'Always time for a first.'
Soon enough they reached the nearest point to the crash site. Dismounting the car they headed off the road and into the forest. It didn't take them long to find the wreckage.
The cockpit had come to a stop near to where they entered the valley. Well half of it had. The other section must have broken up upon impact judging by the scraps of craft scattered around.
'What kind of transport was this?' Qrow asked, whispering as he stepped over a chunk of plating.
'Humphead hauler. Should have been packed to the roof with equipment coming down from Atlas,' Rodriquez whispered back.
'It's not packed now,' Qrow muttered to himself.
Looking out over the crash site showed just how right they both were. Crates, containers and crushed boxes were strewn about. There were a few patches of flames lighting the scene.
Not all the fire was from the airship's fuel. In places there were pits burning into the ground. A sure sign that fire dust had leaked out and ignited.
There were other marks of loose dust going rampant. Areas where yellow lighting flickered around a crate. Parts of the ground were soaked so badly the forest floor was turning into swamp. Even a mound of earth with a container on its side almost comically facing it with its lid open.
'Rod, check the window. That look like blast damage to you?' Noah muttered.
Rodriquez crept over, 'Yeah it does. Something must have hit the cockpit. Is that outer part melted? Hey Qrow. Do you know any Grimm that can melt metal and cause explosions?'
Qrow wracked his memory, 'Manticore might be able to do the blast damage. '
'What about the melting?' Rodriquez asked, waving to the frame.
Leaning over Qrow could see it had melted. Not by heat but like something had splattered against it the droplets eating into the hull. There were a few Grimm that could do that. But nothing that would fly.
'Don't know. But we're always finding new Grimm. Could be something new,' Qrow said with a shrug.
'Could be. But what are the odds it just so happens to hit our supply run?' Rodriquez asked
'Just my luck I'd say. W-'
Qrow stopped his head snapping around. He'd caught the hint of a sound. Just on the edge of hearing over the crackle of the fires and lightning. Something was closing in. Fast.
'Cover,' Rodriquez hissed, slipping into the shadow of a container.
The other two Commandos were gone just as quick. Qrow opted for a torn up tree trunk. They didn't have to wait long. The sound rose till they could make out a leathery wing beat under cut by a low hiss.
Whatever it was he'd never seen something like it. It was about the size of a large dog. The shape was like a bat had met a wasp.
Its body was covered in dirty red and brown plates. A set of fleshy wings beat quickly to keep it aloft. In place of legs it had tentacles tipped with hooked spines that seemed to swim behind it pushing the creature through the air. Somewhere within its body a pulsing dirty red light shone through gaps in its armoured hide.
This was definitely new and also definitely Swarm. The thing, whatever it was, did another lap before drifting over to something on the ground. It lowered the tendrils and began to scuttle around.
Qrow risked it by leaning out and trying to see what it was doing. What he saw was the creature leaning over an AK-130. It seemed to examine the android for a moment before moving back slightly.
Its abdomen twitched as a stinger at the end filling with that reddish light. Then it stabbed downwards. The stinger pierced the android's body and emptied its payload inside.
Seemingly done, the monster took to the air again flying off to inspect another patch of ground. The android however twitched, its lights flickering. Something inside its chest seemed to be growing. Even from a distance the reddish light was going from its chest outwards to the limbs.
As it reached each one they contorted, straightened and flailed for a moment before going still. The lights came on flicking red and the android sat upright and pushed itself off the ground.
It was just wrong to look at as it started to wander about. Something about the sight gait it had compared to the parade perfect stride of the ones back at the fort. Its arms cycled between hands, blades and guns seemingly at random.
'Oh that's not good,' Rodriquez whispered.
'No shit. They made a Reject out of a Knight. I didn't know they could do that,' Qrow whispered back.
'Not sure it's a Reject. Those were made by Leeches. And I'm sure that,' She glanced at the thing above them, 'Is not a Leech.'
'So what? They can make new things?' Qrow hissed.
'They must have. Seems our backup just became a liability. But that thing is a bigger problem,' Rodriquez said checking her Lancer MK1.
'How you figure?'
'It would take a lot more to bring down an airship. A whole lot more.'
The building sound of wingbeats warned them she was right. More of those things were arriving. They flew down picking over the wreck like scavengers. Any time an Android was found they clustered around.
Often they seemed to be fighting one another for the prime position of infecting the machines. Hissing and clicking aggressively as they raised themselves up on their tendrils. It was like a feeding frenzy.
'How many AKs were on the transport?' Qrow asked as more of the machines were turned.
'A platoon,' Rodriquez said calmly.
'We should leave.'
'Sure. But they'll see us.'
'Point.'
'So how do we get out of here?' Mel asked.
'However we do it, we'd better make it quick. Nearly all those bots are back up. And they don't look friendly.' Noah added.
'When all options are bad. First to shoot wins,' Rodriquez said, lining up a shot.
They all took one moment to pick out a target. Somehow it felt like all the other sounds became dull as Qrow braced his Boltok. Whatever that thing was. He doubted it would take more than two shots.
'Fire,' Rodriquez whispered.
The report of three Lancers and a Boltok almost melded into one sound. At least six of the flying Swarm died instantly. Two by Qrow's bullet piercing through one and striking another. Another pair by burst from Mel catching both with a longer burst.
The creatures reacted instantly taking to the air and forming a dense swirling mass. Rather than dive down and attack they fled back the way they'd come. Those androids they'd turned snapped to look at the small group of humans.
Some of the AK-103s switched their arms to blade mode and charged, being slowed by the soaked ground. Others took a firing posture and started blazing away with both in gun mode. More confusing were the ones stuck half and half. One arm firing bursts from the gun whilst the other slashed at the air as they ran.
Qrow ducked down and fired off the remaining five shots blindly. The idea of not aiming still made him feel wrong. But the splinters and fragments of wood as his cover broke down was quite a motivator to keep down.
Once it was empty he holstered his Boltok and drew Harbinger. Pausing to let the corrupted machines get close. He rose and slashed diagonally at the chest of the closest one.
The blade cleaved the android's chest open. Spilling out a mix of sparking metal and dripping biomass. Blinking his eyes clear he blocked a swing and back stepped to avoid getting trapped.
It also let him get a view of the battle. The other three were fighting off their own attackers, using knives and hands alone. For a second he could have imagined them as actual Huntsmen.
Then a round clipped Noah's arm causing him to flinch. The AK-103 he'd been fighting pressed its advantage. An arm blade stabbed down into his leg.
To his credit he didn't scream or cry just letting out a strained grunt. But there was no way he was going to be able to walk. Noah went down in a spray of blood.
'Noah status!' Rodriquez barked. Not even looking over as she fought off another attacker.
'I'm tango-three,' Noah hissed. Using his good leg to trip the android that had stabbed him. As it fell he slammed his knife into its chest killing whatever was animating it.
'Bullshit. That's aterial. Mel got ready to help me move him. Qrow get us some space!'
'You got it. Hit the deck!' Qrow shouted.
Mel and Rodriquez both pushed their opponents back and crouched down below waist height. Qrow switched Harbinger to war-scythe then started making broad sweeping attacks to clear the corrupted androids.
That had the positive of letting them grab Noah and start first aid. It also meant Qrow was now the most visible target to the AK-103s still at range. Which immediately started firing.
Rolling into cover he started reloading his Boltok. The others had a tourniquet on Noah and were dragging him back to the car. If Qrow didn't know better he'd think they were ditching him.
He waited counting the seconds. Any moment now. A series of hisses beyond his cover caused him to stand, aim and fire.
A few metres away the infected AK-130s had their arms raised. Heat was venting from their guns. That always had been an issue with this model. They were fine in small skirmishes. But if they blazed away for too long well… there was only so much heat they could deal with.
He aimed for the scattered dust containers. Methodically along from right to left. Androids were crushed inside ice and earth. Most however were blown apart by fire dust. It was going to be a clean win as he came to the last two.
Both seemed to spasm for a moment. Trying to shift their arms configuration. But the heat build up caused the mechanism to keep jamming.
Qrow finished off the second to last. As he aimed at the last one it did something unexpected. It lowered its arms and fired.
The rounds stuck his chest smacking into his aura. It still leaked through a bit but the vest took the rest. He was much better off than the Android though.
No doubt whatever was driving it had overridden the built in safety system. There was a reason for that system though. The bullets that the AK-130s guns used were cheap, dirt cheap. After all, why spend a premium on ammo for a walking trash can.
Some SDC security solutions sub-contactor made the stuff. Their quality control was legendary bad though. Which led to "issues" when the rounds were exposed to external heat sources. Heat sources like say, an overheating receiver assembly.
From Qrow's point of view it was like the AK-130 detonated from its weapons. The runaway ammo cook-off staring at the guns before moving up its arms. Following the internal ammo feed back to its internal magazines.
It must have taken less than a second for flames to burst out of its case. Followed closely by the machine's torso exploding. The only sign it had ever been there was a set of scorched legs.
'Hmm. Rare things work out that well for me,' Qrow muttered looking around.
The scene was still chaotic. But now there were more fires, jagged prisons of rock and ice and scattered android remains scattered around. All around they'd had one casualty and managed to destroy or trap the corrupted knights.
'Hmm. Makes you wonder why I rushed back,' Rodriquez said emerging from the treeline.
'If you'd asked before running I'd have saved some for you,' Qrow quipped back, 'How's Noah?'
'I'm touched by your concern. He's fine, pissed, but fine. Mel and him will stay in the car. Did you get those flying things?'
Qrow shook his head, 'No. They didn't come back.'
'Well then the job's not done. Let's finish this up and head back,' Rodriquez said, setting off.
'How do you know where they'll be?' Qrow asked
'We have two points of interest nearby. A relay tower that's stopped working and the crash site. I'd say we have good odds they're there. If not we can find out what is causing the issues with the tower.'
He sighed and set off after her. She'd made a solid argument. Plus he'd worked around enough people like her to know she was set on going with or without him.
Reaching the relay they slowed and crept through the undergrowth. Qrow had visited sites like this dozens of times. He could already pick out the regular design of the site as the clearing came into view
A latticework-like tower rising out of the ground with a set of communication arrays set high like a crown. At the base was a low set building made of concrete that would house the computers and batteries with a solar array on the roof. A metal fence wrapped around the whole thing with a current to deter Grimm.
But that wasn't all quite right. The building had roots or vines of some kind going through the windows and coiling around the structure. Its outer fence seemed intact if overgrown somehow by the same biomass. What really worried him was the tower.
More precisely the thing sitting inside it about halfway up. Whatever these things were they'd built some kind of nest inside the framework of the tower. It bulged out like a tumour hiding the midsection from sight.
Its residents seemed agitated as they flew in, out of holes set about their home. But only in ones or twos, not in large numbers. Most must still be inside their lair. That should make things easier.
'Any ideas?' Qrow asked in a whisper.
'Not any good ones,' Rodriquez said. Hefting a set of fire dust grenades.
'You sure setting these things on fire is a good idea?'
'Nope.'
They kept moving closer till they were at a tree that they could use to jump the fence. Rodriquez went first with Qrow following after her. She dashed down the branch and leapt into the air.
Her landing was loud as she rolled to a stop. Above the flying Swarm took to the wing and grouped up. Rodriquez crouched under some crates whilst Qrow pressed himself against the tree trunk.
For a few seconds he was sure they were going to be spotted. But much to his surprise the creatures seemed to calm down and landed having not found any intruders. He waited until the sound of wings and hissing had died back down then jumped after Rodriquez.
He knew he should have second guessed himself. Sure Noah getting hurt was bad. Then the AK-130 had blown itself to bits before it could do lasting damage. He was due more bad luck.
Qrow saw the tendril too late. It was clearly important in some way. Unlike the others it was pulsing with the same red light as the creatures.
His foot landed right on top of it. The moment it did, all the creatures inside the nest screamed. The sound set his teeth on edge.
'Do it!' Qrow shouted, taking up a stance.
Behind him Rodriquez pulled out the first grenade and started swinging it up to speed. The things had already taken to the air. Hissing and screeching up a storm.
The mass grouped up and dove towards them like a battering ram. There was no way to block all of them. But as they levelled out a burning bottle flew just past his head.
He'd seen what this stuff could do before. But never to so many small things flying through the burning mixture of dust, oils and soap of all things. In a heartbeat they went from howling death to fireflies.
Wings burned, dropping the creatures to the ground. Whatever their plating was made of it clearly wasn't fire resistant. As the fire reached their cores they popped like ripe fruit.
Until then though they cried out in agony. Qrow had to fight to keep his concentration. Grimm might make some noise but they tended to be quiet once a death blow was struck.
Rodriquez's next throw went soaring upwards and landed right above one of the holes. Its payload trickled into the entrance. To say the result was impressive was deeply understating it.
The whole thing erupted into flames. Whatever these things were, their nest was even more flammable than they were. Long gouts of fire licked up the tower peeling the paint where it didn't just burn off.
A few survivors of the first firebomb regrouped and swooped at the two humans who had burned their home. Qrow and Rodriquez picked them off. Knocking each out from the sky.
He lined up on one that was heading for him. Pulled the trigger on his Boltok and watched the hammer fall with a click. Misfire.
Before he could draw Harbinger the thing slammed into him. The two of them tumbled to the ground. It hissed right into his face with a mouth of thrashing tendrils.
He felt the stinger stab his leg each blow chipping at his aura. Rodriquez was fighting off her own problems and shouted for him to hold on. He kept trying to push the thing off but the more aura he pushed into his muscles the less he had to protect himself. Something had to give.
Qrow had gone quite some time without his aura breaking. One learned how to balance its use with experience. But that feeling of some part shattering was all he needed to know he'd lost.
A faint red shimmer pulsed over his body before sparking to nothing as the stinger stabbed down. It went through the fabric of his pants and into the flesh. What followed was the most pain he'd ever physically felt.
He screamed and screamed until he found he couldn't any more. His whole body was limp as the liquid fire coursed through his body. Paralysing him even as it burned inside his veins. Qrow had often wondered how he'd die. But he'd never thought it would be like this.
As the burning feeling crept up his neck the world swam. In his mind he was still screaming as he saw things he knew couldn't be there. It was a mercy when it all went black as something stabbed into his neck.