Qrow and Glynda piled onto the elevator with them. They headed down in cramped awkwardness. Ruby and Yang didn't seem to notice the tension, excitedly speaking with their uncle.
Glynda stood, arms crossed, in front of him. He was practically on top of his combat instructor. He tried not to accidentally brush intimately against her back. The ride was already awkward enough.
In the metallic sheen of the elevator doors, Glynda's frowning face met his. He looked away from her gaze, a small blush creeping up his cheeks at the proximity.
The elevator came to a stop, dinging loudly. It was finally over.
The doors hissed open and everyone piled out. He took a wide berth from Glynda and she did the same, gliding over to the other side of the hall to Qrow.
Nora stared between him and their combat instructor, moving her brow suggestively. He sighed, cheeks turning darker. He coughed, stomping down his blush.
Qrow pointed at them, "Now I want all of you to get ready for the mission. Prep whatever supplies you need and make sure your weapons are in working order. When you're done, meet me at the airship docks. Don't go anywhere else!"
He emphasized the last part in a deep timbre.
He turned to Glynda, "In the meantime, Glynda here is going to show me videos of your combat performance. Remember to follow my instructions. Once we are on the bullhead we are not turning back until we complete our mission."
Putting a shoulder around Glynda, he led their combat instructor away from them. The two teachers broke out into whispered conversation which became inaudible when they reached the corner at the end of the hall.
Ruby pouted, her gaze on the retreating form of her uncle, "Jeez, does he think we're kids or something? I think we know how to follow instructions. We're huntsmen in training for the brothers' sake."
Jaune shrugged, "Let's just prep and meet up at the airship dock. It would look pretty bad if we came ill-prepared or late for our first serious mission."
Both teams nodded in unison.
He led the eight-man group back to the dorms, his team on one side while team RWBY walked behind them.
They ran through the halls, unheeding the shouts of teachers and barely dodging groups of other students. His excitement bubbled under his skin and he had a wide grin on his face. They now had a chance to truly prove their strength and change the future for could. He couldn't wait.
The two teams separated at their dorms, entering their respective rooms.
Nora sprang on top of her bed and shouted, "Alright team this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We cannot mess this up!"
She jumped off the bed and bounced around the room like a live spring, collecting their supplies.
He and his other two teammates chuckled at her antics. He deftly dodged the Nora missile and went to his bed.
He packed the essentials such as a weapon repair kit, some small emergency rations, and a personalized canteen. They would get the bulk of their actual supplies from the Beacon supply depot.
The sounds of shuffling material filled the room broken up by one of Nora's strange gasps. He finished packing and turned to his teammates.
They stood by their beds, small packs on their back or at their side. All of their packs were color-coded. Nothing that would stand and hinder their performance, but colors that would differentiate each bag.
He said, "Let's get our actual supplies."
He led them out of the dorm and back into the main building. They walked past other students hurrying to and fro, crying similar packs.
They entered the main building and walked to the supply depot. The area was located near the mission assignment room for easy convenience. Large open doorways led into the depot. A holo sign hovered above the door, flashing brightly.
Students filtered in and out of the doorways. Some carried large backpacks that reached taller than their heads and looked thick with bricks. Others wore smaller, more commercial backpacks. Thick sleeping rolls were attached to the bottom of every single backpack. Bags jingled as students tried not to accidentally one another.
He and his team filed past the stream of students and into a wide room. In the center of the wide area, a very large closed-off rectangular booth, hollow on the inside, acted as the sole destination for students.
Robots of all types, from those that floated to those that used mechanical legs, moved inside the booth. They plucked large backpacks from conveyor belts that rose out of the ground from deep holes.
Small motes of purple gravity dust shone on the moving conveyor belts, bringing floating packs to the robots.
The robots placed these packs on top of the booth. Students went to the droids and showed them their scrolls. The robots sent out beams of light, sweeping over the scrolls. They stopped scanning and would use rapid-fire mechanical arms or gravity dust pincers to hand students their packs.
The sounds of talking students and the robotic beeps of helper drones outside of the rectangle drowned the room in noise. There didn't seem to be any real order. Different teams huddled around one another, waiting for their turn to have their scrolls scanned.
He ushered his team to a less congested area. The wait didn't take long and in a few minutes, they stood in front of the booth.
Staring at him with its metallic lens, the robot across the booth looked at him expectantly. He fished out his scroll and held it out to the robot, mission info glowing on its screen. A beam of light shot out of the robot's lenses. The light moved over his screen rapidly and flicked off.
The robot turned around and, using a pair of gravity dust tongs, picked up four medium-sized backpacks. It placed the items in front of him and beeped. He muttered a thank you, picking up and strapping a pack.
His team put them on the other packs and they left the room. The pack pulled lightly on his shoulders. It contained camping essentials for a few days.
They entered a bustling airship dock filled to the brim with students and huntsmen. Bullheads landed and flew away one after another. The roar of engines and the steady flow of conversation made it hard to hear his thoughts.
Pyrrha tugged on his sleeve, gaining his attention. She pointed at a section of empty landing pads, quieter than their current spot.
He nodded. He led his team to the empty section. A few green benches filled the middle of the area. He sat down on one bench and his team sat around him.
Leaning back, he took solace in the area's peace. The sounds from the busiest part of the docks became muffled.
Turning his gaze back to the busiest part of the airship docks, he searched for Qrow. No one wore the familiar faded red cape or held the giant engraved blade on their back.
He turned to his teammates and asked, "Have you guys seen Qrow?"
Nora shook her head, "Nope I haven't seen him."
The pink bombardier got onto her knees on top of the bench. She gazed out over the busier section of the docks like a captain at sea. She turned around and shook her head solemnly.
He nodded and continued his search, unworried. Qrow would show up.
Team RWBY popped up in the corner of his vision, walking into the busier area of the docks. Right before the massive crowd swallowed them, he cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted at them. Team RWBY stopped and turned in his direction.
He waved his hands frantically. The all-girl team walked over to them. Both teams exchanged greetings.
He motioned to the bench across from his team, "Guys, take a seat. We're waiting on Qrow."
Ruby plopped directly across from him, cradling crescent rose on her lap. The rest of her team sat on her sides.
The red reaper asked, "Qrow hasn't arrived yet?"
He nodded, "Yep, we haven't seen him yet."
Yang interjected, "I bet he completely forgot about us and is raiding the faculty alcohol stash as we speak. It would totally be something he would do."
Ruby whined, "Yangggg! I don't think he would be that irresponsible for something as big as this. I'll admit he's goofy most of the time but he's deadly serious when it comes to huntsman work."
Yang shrugged.
He smiled and tried to reassure Ruby, "Look, I know for certain he's going to show up. We just have to be patient."
Ruby slowly nodded, her cheeks less pale than they were a moment ago. She shimmied into the bench, squishing herself between Blake and Weiss, and began to tinker with her weapon.
He took out his scroll and eyed Nora. She nodded, taking out her scroll. They began to play some games together.
Five minutes passed, then ten minutes then twenty minutes. Both teams became more and more anxious. Ruby tinkered with her weapon frantically, to the point where she disassembled it and reassembled it in a blink of an eye.
Yang's arms were crossed over her chest and her feet tapped the ground hurriedly. Weiss wrung her hands over her ponytail. Pyrrha fidgeted with her wrists. Ren and Blake looked the least bit affected, although their eyes darted over the airship docks.
Jaune anxiously tapped his feet. He tried to immerse himself in the game as much as Nora, who hadn't looked up since they had started, but his head kept looking for Qrow.
Ruby reassembled her weapon and hopped onto the ground.
She slammed her hands against her side and shouted angrily, "That's it let's go find Qrow!"
She began to stomp off towards the busier part of the docks. Her teammates looked between one another and shrugged. They followed after their team leader.
A prickling sensation, as if someone was watching him, filled the back of his head. He paused the game, causing Nora to whimper. Turning around, he took a good look behind him.
Patches of trees stood in a highly organized pattern behind the bench. A light layer of snow covered the naked trees. Several black birds, ravens or crows, hopped on the snowy branches, squawking at one another or looking off into the distance. None of the birds looked his way.
Something didn't feel right. He stood and walked to the retreating forms of team RWBY.
He moved in front of them, stopping them in their tracks, "Wait guys, don't go!"
Ruby's brow rose, "Jaune we have to find Qrow. We can't just let him jeopardize this mission!"
"I know that but just hear me out. I think we have to be patient. Come with me back to the benches. I promise you that if he doesn't show up in the next five minutes we'll go looking for him."
"Where's this coming from?"
He shrugged, "It's just this very strong feeling I have. You're going to make a mistake walking away looking for him."
Ruby and her team eyed one another, trading looks. The silence dragged on.
Slowly, Ruby nodded. He sighed in relief and led them back to the benches. The heavy feeling from before lessened.
Clapping filled the quiet area. He turned to the source of the noise. Qrow stood to the side of the benches, smiling and clapping.
He gasped and so did the rest of his eight-man team. Qrow seemed to have come out of thin air.
He turned to his teammates. Their mouths hung open in shock. Nora pointed at the man and mock fainted, falling onto Ren's already outstretched arms.
Qrow gruffly drawled, his voice steaming in the cold air, "Congrats kids. All of you just passed the first test!"
Ruby incredulously asked, "First test?"
The older man nodded, "Yep, I told all of you to wait at the airship docks no matter what and you did. Good Job. Although-he focused his gaze on team RWBY-a few of you almost failed."
His sister team mumbled apologies.
Qrow waved a hand, chuckling, "Hey you didn't fail. At least now I know that all of you can follow instructions and that you have some patience. Those two things will be one of the most important things in your huntsman career."
Weiss piped up, " I get that making us wait was a part of your test, but it was so long. Wasn't it a waste of time? "
Qrow shook his head, "Nope, we were going to have to wait anyways for the special ride that I called us up so I thought why not turn it into a learning experience? Also, kiddo, Qrow will do fine. I am, after all, well acquainted with your sister."
Weiss frowned, "My sister, Winter?"
Qrow nodded "Yep, the very same. We're international co-workers although we don't get along much. Ask her about her experience with a blue hammock and she might just tell you why we don't get along. But you might want to be behind a bulletproof wall when you ask her."
Weiss nodded, frowning, "I'll be sure to ask her - I mean Qrow."
Qrow clasped his hands together, "Now that we have that out of the way, be ready for more tests kids. Our ride should be right here.
A heavy buzz filled the sky. Jaune looked into the horizon. In the air, a tiny dot shot towards the empty docks.
The dot grew more defined until it became visible. The dot turned out to be a bullhead, much sleeker and longer than its generic counterparts ripped through the air. Large puffy contrails followed the ship as it screamed through the air.
Nearing the docks, the bullhead slowed down to a stop in the blink of an eye. It hovered in the air, the sunlight glaring off its metal hull. Slowly, the ship lowered onto the empty dock platform in front of them.
Its landing gear gently hit the pad, causing the ship to come to a stop. The deafening engines cut out, leaving only a faint electric buzz.
Pitch black paint covered the ship and red-tinted window panes made up the cockpit. Its hull stretched longer than the regular bullhead model and it was also much sleeker. Some of the ship's metal tapered off so sharply they looked like they could cut through aura. A glossy hexagonal pattern shimmered over the ship a bit lighter than the black paint.
Qrow put his arms out, showing off the ship, "This is our ride!"
He walked to the bullhead doors. Jaune and his friends followed him.
The doors hissed open. A figure hopped out of the doorway and landed on the ground. They turned to Qrow and clasped his arms tightly. They pulled him close and locked him into a bone-crushing hug.
Qrow barked out a laugh, patting the person's back. They untangled from one another and the pilot faced them.
The pilot, a woman, had long raven hair that fell down her back, curling on its ends. Bright green and red highlight streaks broke over her flowing black hair in a mesmerizing pattern. Well-worn goggles with thick large lenses dangled from her neck.
She wore a dark brown leather top and leather leg guards, all lightly bleached at the edges from use. A black skin-tight bodysuit rested beneath the leather armor. A bright silver revolver shined brightly, affixed to her hip.
She smiled, showing a row of bright white teeth, and spoke in a south Vale drawl, "So Qrow, are these the folks my baby will be carrying?"
Nora asked, sounding genuinely confused, "Baby?"
The pilot nodded and gently rubbed the side of the bullhead, "Yep, this here's my baby. The Midnight Rider! He and I just came all the way from Vacuo."
His eyes bulged out and he asked, "Vacuo? You came all the way from Vacuo?"
She shook her head, "Well not from its end but from the middle. I had a mission I had to do. Sorry I couldn't come for you kids sooner."
His mouth flew open and he shook his head, "Still, it's a major accomplishment to get here so quickly all the way from Vacuo, even if it was from the middle of the continent."
She smiled and chuckled, "Well thank you very much for the compliment-she turned to Qrow-I like that one already, reminds me of Tai."
He blushed and turned his gaze to the ship. How much power did that ship pack for it to have come all the way to Vale so quickly? Its engines must have been top of the line. Big stylish font on the front side of the ship displayed the words Midnight Rider set in a glossy night sky filled with stars.
Qrow wrapped an arm around the pilot's neck, "I would like all of you to meet Cassie. The greatest pilot in all of remnant and someone whose gotten my ass out of the deep end more times than I could count."
Cassie blushed and wrapped her arm around Qrow, "Oh he's just saying that. It's nice to meet you all and I hope you like the way I fly. We're heading to mountain Glenn right?"
Qrow nodded, answering, "Yep, they're going to get a taste of what it's really like being a huntsman."
Cassie moved out of Qrow's arms and addressed him and his team, "I haven't been an active duty huntsman in quite a while, I just love flying too much, but here's some advice. The biggest thing I learned from my time as a huntsman is that nothing goes according to plan. The Grimm are inhuman chaotic beings and the only way you can win against their raw ferocity is with pure trickery and cunning. Nothing is off the table when you're fighting them or anyone for that matter."
She turned and stepped into the Bullhead, ushering the rest of them in. He took in her words and immediately put them to heart.
Qrow stepped into the bullhead. He and his team followed the older huntsman.
Gray walls made up the interior of the hull. A myriad of brightly colored ornaments hung from the ceilings or hugged the walls, breaking up the gray dichotomy.
Photos took up a large portion of one wall, showcasing Cassie standing in front of landscapes all over the world either alone or with other people such as Qrow.
Two sets of seats hugged the hull on either side. He sat down with his team on one side while team RWBY sat down on the opposite side. He admired the uniqueness of the ship. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
Cassie went through a thick beaded divider, which had all of the colors of the rainbow, into the ship's cockpit. The divider reached down to the floor, completely obscuring the cockpit interior
Qrow walked to the divider and turned around, "All of you get strapped in and be ready to drop at a moment's notice."
He turned around and entered the cockpit.
Jaune strapped into his seat and so did the rest of his friends. Muted laughter and the clinking of metal sounded from the cockpit a moment later.
Cassie's voice sang into the hull, slightly static-filled, "Welcome aboard the Midnight Rider. Please be strapped in and be ready for lift-off. We'll be heading to Mount Glenn, the perfect place to find hordes of Grimm and abandoned buildings if you're into those sort of things."
She laughed and her voice cut off.
The doors slid shut. The engines roared back to life, the sound muffled by the walls. The ship rose into the air and gravity pushed against his stomach. A cool wave filled the cabin. The ship shuddered, vibrating his bones, and shot into and through the air.
Beacon became a speck in mere seconds.
The ship ripped through the air like a scissor through smooth silk. Out of the window, the landscape beneath became an incomprehensible green and white blur. The engines caught a small flock of birds, who had somehow been flying at their altitude, and turned them into motes of smoldering dust in an instant.
The ship flew on, unhindered.
Somehow the speed of the ship didn't push him into his seat or through it. The straps pulled tight against his chest but otherwise, he didn't feel choked. His eight-man group stared out of the windows or conversed among themselves.
He grasped the hilt of his sword and closed his eyes. Gently breathing, he practiced some advanced aura controlling techniques. Aura flowed through his body like a cool breeze.
Cassie's voice cut into his concentration, "Folks we're nearing the city. You might want to get a good look."
He opened his eyes, surprised at how quick the flight had been. He took out his scroll and checked the time. Only a few minutes had passed since they had left the docks. His eyes bulged out. This ship truly lived up.
Heeding the pilot's words, he looked out the window. Mount Glenn cut through the sky like a gray spear, the tip piercing a cluster of clouds. The ship flew towards the middle of the mountain, the site of the abandoned city.
The sun hung midway through its arc, shining down onto the mountain. Gray clouds wafted over the sky, like great big ships, blotting out the sun in intervals.
The mountain grew closer in a matter of seconds and soon it completely filled his vision.
The few abandoned skyscrapers of the city came into view and soon after them the rest of the hollow city. The city stood on top of a flat plateau-like area attached to the side of the mountain. A large forest surrounded the plateau and trailed down the mountain in a series of smaller plateau steps.
Crossing the rest of the distance to the city, the ship reached the plateau. It flew around the city outskirts, threading around in a circle and allowing a perfect view.
Glenn looked much worse closer than afar. The concrete and brick buildings were chipped and dirty, covered in mold and rust. Shattered windows gave views into dirty torn interiors.
Broken street lamps littered the roads like felled metal trees. Empty rusting cars sat idle among the lamps, frames only.
The elements hadn't been especially kind to the taller buildings, ripping off their metal walls and shattering their windows, and had left only crude skeletons and scaffolding.
The wind roared through the city, causing a hollowing sound of groaning metal to echo throughout the streets. Flocks of birds scattered at the dead chorus but quickly regrouped.
Foliage grew between broken asphalt and vines coursed up the sides of most buildings. A few small trees fought for sunlight between crumbled ruins of apartments or offices. Flowers bloomed brightly among the empty rooftops. Animals scurried between the buildings. Squirrels, Deer, and wolves stalked the greenery, keeping wary eyes on the black and white beasts.
Grimm of all kinds walked the streets. Their red eyes peeked out of buildings and their white snouts brushed the insides of abandoned cars. They filled the roads in the hundreds, moving languidly in some sort of sick imitation of the city's previous residents.
They mostly stuck to their type packs but a few Grimm milled in cross-type groups, unheeding of their differences. Grimm chased the normal animals. A group of Beowolves feasted on the corpse of a deer.
None of them had the telltale sign of crystals growing on their body, indicating a mutation.
All of the Grimm froze in place at the approach of the ship. The Beowolves who had been eating the deer stopped and turned their gaze to the sky, blood dripping from their marble snouts. Quiet washed over the city.
His skin chilled and goosebumps broke over his arms.
The Grimm broke out into a bloodlust frenzy. Howling and roaring, they pushed back the previous quiet. They ran towards the Bullhead, creating a stampede. Their screams of hatred filled the air, reverberating throughout the city.
The beasts trampled through the city, crushing cars or breaking through flimsy walls. The normal animals ran away from the black and white tsunami, quickly forgotten. Hordes of Grimm flowed out of side streets, alleyways, and buildings, like flowing water into an empty tub.
Their red eyes broke up the blackness of the stampede like a swarm of bugs, heading toward them. The larger Grimm crushed smaller ones and those who couldn't keep up were quickly pulled under the stampede, churned to dust.
Grimm nipped at the air, trying to bite at them even at their severe height. Thank the brothers that no flying Grimm sought to oppose them.
He gulped at the horde of Grimm, a tinge of fear creeping up his spine.
Qrow's voice cut through the ship, "Looks like we poked the hornet's nest. We'll find a suitable place to land and we'll tear through those Grimm. Their chumps and I know you've faced hordes before, but maybe not something that big. Don't worry, this one will just be an endurance test compared to those smaller hordes."
His words instilled in him a bit of bravery.
He turned to his friends. They looked at one another and stared into the hull, away from the windows.
Clearing his voice, he tried to instill some confidence in them, "Guys this looks though but if we keep calm we'll do fine. We've faced large groups of Grimm before and I'll admit we haven't faced that large of a group before, but these guys are basic Grimm. We can mow through them in our sleep."
He held his breath, hoping his words moved them. Slowly, their faces turned from ghastly to more confident.
Yang nodded and smiled, "That sounds about right. I'm ready to kick some Grimm butt!"
The rest of the eight-man group made excited sounds of agreement.
Nora whooped, "That's our leader for you, always giving us a motivational speech right when we need it."
He smiled, ready to take on the world.
He looked out the window and tried to find a tactical drop-off point.
Waves of black ash drifted off the horde of Grimm, now fewer in number but only filled with large older looking Grimm. Bloody evolution had run its course through the tide. Now they had to learn if they could stand up to it.
Cassie's voice broke through his thoughts, "Folks we're approaching the landing site Qrow specified. Get ready to drop!"
He secured his sword to his side. His pack rested between his legs, bouncing from the slight thrum of the engines.
Qrow's voice followed Cassie's, "We'll be landing on that supermarket down there. Make sure you have everything. Once we're out of this ship we won't be able to get back on."
He looked down at the supermarket. It stood on a street slightly elevated compared to the rest of the city. The building itself was a thick rectangle of concrete with all of its individuality faded long ago. It didn't bear as many cracks or chips compared to the neighboring buildings. One of its windows was even still intact.
The bullhead spun around and stopped above the supermarket. The doors of the ship hissed open, letting in a tangy smell and the roars of the Grimm.
Qrow came out of the bead divider. He gazed over them and nodded.
He walked over to the open doors and signaled them to unstrap. Jaune quickly stood along with the rest of his eight-man group. He and his friends edged over to Qrow and stood behind him.
The Grimm horde crested the streets and flowed into the area surrounding the supermarket like a thick black sludge. He steeled himself, hand drifting to his sword.
Cassie's voice filled the ship once more, "Good luck kids!"
Qrow nodded to them and jumped off, landing on the supermarket roof. He and his friends followed the older huntsman a second later.
They sailed through the air and landed in the middle of the roof. A few daring Grimm spilled over the roof's edge, broken plaster clinging to their claws.
Qrow put a thumbs up to Midnight Rider. The doors of the bullhead closed and it flew away in a boom, leaving a shockwave.
The older huntsman shouted over the Grimm, "Leave your packs here! It'll make you lighter."
Without another word he drew his blade and ran into the Grimm.
It was a massacre.
Qrow ran through the Grimm, a tornado of steel and red aura. He cut through the Grimm in mere seconds, slaying hundreds. Grimm ash and bone began to litter the roof. Nothing stood in his path.
At the moment the last Grimm on the roof died, he jumped down into the mass of Grimm around the building.
Jaune stood dumbfounded at the display of power. He and his team still had a long way to go in regards to being huntsmen.
Shaking himself out of the shock, he ran to the edge of the room. His team followed.
Down on the ground, Qrow amazed them once more. He cut through the Grimm like a hot knife through butter. He let out a guttural battle cry, never letting the horde get a foothold on him.
His aura deflected claw swipes and bites. The business end of his scythe met any Grimm that tried to jump onto him. He spun his weapon like a third arm, smoothly flowing through the Grimm.
The beasts never swallowed him on account of the clear ring of death around him. He cut through so many so quickly that a steady cloud of Grimm ash slowly obscured him.
He soon went on to kill thousands in a few minutes, thinning down the giant Grimm tidal wave. But Grimm still flowed into the area, filling in the casualties done by Qrow. Even a huntsman of his caliber wouldn't be able to endure forever.
Without another thought, Jaune roared a battle cry and leaped down into the fray of Grimm.
His aura-protected feet crunched into the head of a Beowolf and he used an aura-enhanced arm to bash his shield into the back of another Grimm, sending it flying into its comrades. His friends landed around him, killing the Grimm poised to attack him.
Shouting a command, he rushed into the Grimm. The rest of his eight-man team scattered from their landing spot like a blooming flower to their own section of Grimm. He ran, shield raised and aura pulsing along his front. He smashed into the Grimm like a battering ram.
He crushed two Beowolves into nothing and hacked off the limbs of a third. The density of the Grimm went against them. They couldn't swipe at him accurately with the bodies of their brethren in the way. He used their disadvantage to his advantage, cutting through them in swathes.
Pushing through them, he stood as a tower of gold and white among a sea of black. Rancid heavy breath washed over his face and the coarse Grimm fur brushed against his armor. White bony claws raked on his aura, slightly chipping his massive aura pools.
An Ursa swiped at him but hit another Ursa poised to attack, cleanly cutting into the other's shoulder. The other Ursa's shoulder hung loosely at its side, held on by a few thin strands of muscle. It continued to attack him, unheeding the loss of its limb.
Adrenaline pumped through him, plunging him into a state of clarity. The sounds of the Grimm became muted, as if his head was underwater, replaced by the strong beating of his heart. Beads of sweat traveled down his forehead, past his eye.
His mind shut down all thoughts other than swinging at Grimm, blocking with his shield, or sidestepping an attack. He forgot all else except for the sword and shield in his hands and the pull and push of his muscles.
Qrow had been right. These Grimm were nothing. He mowed through hundreds of them, taking a few more seconds than Qrow. His eyes were wide and red, focused only on the hunt. A positive feedback loop of killing Grimm pushed him to kill even more Grimm.
He swung through the head of an Ursa and swung to the side. His sword cut through nothing but air. Whipping his head around, he searched for more Grimm. None stood near him.
Stopping, he blinked rapidly, battle-high dissipating. He stood on a pile of disintegrating Grimm. Sinking into thick hide, he stuck his tongue out and dabbed his upper lip. The sulfuric taste of Grimm ash burned his taste buds. He coughed and began to brush his face.
His gloves cleaned away fistfuls of Grimm ash. The black grainy substance covered him from head to toe, painting him into a knight from a horrific legend. He waded out of the pile and shook his entire body like a dog. Ash fell around him in clumps, building a moat around his feet.
Wiping away the Grimm ash on his eyelids, he regained his vision. Bodies of the Grimm and large piles of ash covered the streets, hiding every bit of asphalt that had once been made up the roads. He pressed down. His feet wobbled on hard Grimm flesh. It looked as if a dark volcano had erupted in the middle of the city, blanketing the area in its ominous ash.
His friends stood as beacons of colors among the black landscape. They looked around, befuddled at the carnage done by their hands. Qrow kicked an Ursa into the air, the last living Grimm in the area, and chucked it into a nearby wall. The Ursa crashed into the wall, creating a large spider crack. The older huntsman laughed and turned to them, dusting off his hands.
In harmony, the Grimm fully turned into ash. The particles wafted into the air, turning the sky black. He covered his mouth and nose, wary of the spectacle.
The ash flew into a purple and golden streaked sky. The sun burned brightly at the horizon's edge, ready to usher in the night. Golden streaks of sunlight danced across the streets.
All of the ash flew into the air and disappeared, leaving the sky and streets clean.
He uncovered his mouth and took a deep breath of fresh air. He looked at his reflection in a nearby turned-over car. Sweat matted his hair to his forehead and his eyes pulsed red. His armor sported a few now scratch and dent marks but, otherwise, he looked fine.
The streets, now empty of ash, looked as if they weren't the place of a massive hunt a few moments ago. Turned over cars, cracked asphalt, and shredded street lamps acted as the only signs of battle.
Gently pushing his aura throughout his sore body, he didn't feel any aches or pains. He fished out his scroll and checked his aura. It hovered in the healthy green.
Qrow shouted to converge on his position. He jogged over to the older huntsman, meeting up with the rest of his team.
He gave his friends a once over. None of them looked hurt, although some of the lighter fighters, like Weiss and Ruby, took heaving breaths. Everyone else looked as if they had gone through a light workout.
Qrow, nodding, looked them over and said, "All of you did really well out there. I'm proud to see that none of you needed my help. Now onto your second test. What should we do now?"
Ruby, who hugged the pole of her scythe, shakily responded, "I think we should start scouting and head deeper into the city. Maybe even find a place to set up camp for the night?"
Qrow grinned, "That's right Ruby. Everyone, I'm going to give you a few minutes to rest, and then we'll head deeper into the city. Hopefully, we'll cover a lot of ground before we have to make camp."
He and his friends broke off from Qrow.
He huddled with his team and asked, "Are all of you okay?"
Ren hummed, "Yes, but I will admit that it was quite scary at first to be in the thick of it all. I'm surprised at how strong we've become."
Nora shook her head, "Oh come on Renny, don't doubt yourself! First of all, these guys were nothing, and second of all our dear leader here has put us through so much brutal training, we've become the best of the best."
Ren shrugged and smiled.
Pyrrha walked up next to Jaune and turned away from the other duo on their team. Nora pointed over to a broken storefront and dragged Ren to it.
Pyrrha whispered, "I can't believe we're so close to the Fang."
He nodded, "I know, I'm itching to fight them. But we have to wait, we'll have the opportunity to head straight to them when we make camp."
Pyrrha nodded and walked over to Ren and Nora. He turned his gaze to the members of Team RWBY. Yang and Ruby were talking with Qrow while Weiss sat on a bench, cleaning Myrtenaster. Blake stood under a rotted tree, hidden in the shade.
He walked over to her and leaned on the tree, standing shoulder to shoulder.
She met his gaze and said one word, "Soon."
He hummed, looking over the empty streets, "Soon."
That was all they needed to say.
One or two Grimm began to creep into the area, their snouts sniffing the air. They didn't seem to notice that the streets had been the grave of thousands of their friends a few minutes ago.
Qrow's voice echoed through the reprieve, "Everyone to me! We're heading deeper into the city."
He got off of the tree and turned to Blake, "Lead the way."
The cat faunus smiled and ran to Qrow. He ran after her.
They stalked deeper into the city, passing derelict buildings that groaned as if the previous residents of Glenn still stalked their halls.
They kept to the main road, careful not to go into side alleys or tight spaces where Grimm could ambush and overpower them in an instant. Going into buildings was off-limits because some of them looked ready to fall at a sneeze.
No large Grimm hordes hundred them nor did they encounter any mutant Grimm.
Slowly, the sky grew dark and more Grimm crept out of buildings.
They cut through a few Ursa hacking away at a car. Qrow stopped in the middle of the street and held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks. He motioned to the roof of an apartment building to their side.
He ran over to it and jumped onto the roof, sailing past several stories in an instant.
Jaune ran and leaped up after him, using aura in his feet. He landed with a small thud. His friends followed.
The building gave a clear view of the surrounding rooftops and their path deeper into the city.
Qrow stood on the edge, one foot on top of the short roof barrier, gazing across the city. He and his team shuffled behind the older huntsman. The sun had set, taking with it the last rays of light.
Thick gray clouds covered the sky and blocked out any possibility of seeing the stars.
Qrow turned around and said, "I think that's enough scouting for today. Let's make camp. By that I mean you kids will find and camp and I'll judge when you finish."
He sat and leaned against the barrier, stretching his legs languidly. He put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.
They stood there, dumbfounded at the older man.
One of Qrow's eyes opened and he gruffly said, "What are you kids waiting for? Get to work and call me when you're done."
He promptly closed his eye and began to snore. Ruby, flabbergasted, began to sputter.
Jaune looked over the edge of the roof. In the distance, he found a small squat one-story store. A giant hole in its roof showed a debris-filled interior. It looked like it wouldn't fall on top of them while they slept.
Pointing to it, he said to his team, "Guy's that looks like a good place to camp."
His friends gathered around him and looked at the small building. They made sounds of agreement.
The eight-man team jumped over to the store, using the roofs of other buildings to fly over the street. They landed in front of the building and quickly dispatched nearby Grimm.
He gathered his friends in front of the building. A rusted sign hung on top of the lone door into the store, unreadable. Grime and dust covered the window, masking the interior.
He pulled the door. The hinges squeaked and the door fell from its frame in a cloud of dust. Covering his mouth, he gently pushed the broken door to the side and entered the store.
Cracked wine bottles littered the ground. One wall made up of small cubbies, held dusty wine bottles. The wall stood behind an abandoned cash register. He fished out his scroll and attached it to his belt, turning on its light. A beam of white energy pierced through the room's darkness.
Moonlight from the hole illuminated the rest of the room. The wind howled in through the hole, shifting bits of broken glass and other debris. A fine layer of dust coated all of the surfaces, making most of the wine glass labels unreadable. Dark stains marred the area around the collapsed roof.
He whispered to his team, "Let's split up and sweep the area."
His team branched out from one another, heading to a different corner of the store. Raising his sword, he slowly crept to the back of the building. His boots crunched glass, sending cracking noises echoing against the walls. He didn't flinch at the noise and kept on moving.
At the end of the store, a massive pile of broken glass covered a section of the floor much darker and more defined than the rest. Using his boots, he brushed the glass off to reveal a black two-door grate.
He crouched and grabbed the grate's latches. Grunting, he slowly pulled it open. Its metal screeched, cutting into his head. He stopped opening it. The screech bounced off the walls until it disappeared. Gripping his sword, he began to open the grate once more.
A force flung the trap door open. His eyes widened as the forced open doors flung his arm to the side. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. A black mass leaped out of the grate, flying at him. His hunter instincts kicked in and he rolled to the side. The claws of a small Beowolf struck against his previous spot.
He shot to his feet and plunged his sword into the beast's skull. The Beowolf croaked and fell to the floor. He wrenched his sword out of the black flesh. The body fell to the floor, turning into ash.
His friends ran to him, the lights from their scrolls bathing him in blue.
Pyrrha asked, frantically, "What was that?"
He smiled, heart thumping against his chest like a caged lion, "I just got surprised."
Blake shuffled next to him and shone her light down into the open grate, revealing a set of moldy wooden steps.
She said, "It looks too small for all of us to go in there."
He nodded, "Blake come with me. The rest of you can set up camp."
Everyone nodded and walked back to their original positions. Pyrrha's mouth opened, looking to object, but she shook her head and retreated with the rest of his friends. He turned to Blake and nodded towards the stairs.
He went in front of her, shield raised, and slowly began to walk down the steps. The steps creaked and shuddered. They reached the bottom and he moved forward. His scroll lit up rows upon rows of wine shelves all packed together, leaving very little space between them to just barely walk.
A musty coolness chilled his skin, seeping through his armor. Displaced dust hovered in the air.
In the corner of the room, a large swath of wine shelves had been toppled over one another, creating a massive pile of broken glass and cracked wood. He pointed out the broken stack of wine shelves to Blake.
The duo slowly crept to the corner. He snapped his eyes over the room, looking for any signs of another Grimm. They reached the pile of broken shelves. He prodded it with his sword. Nothing jumped out at them.
Putting his sword to the side. He got low and began to shuffle through the pile of broken glass and wood. Blake sheathed her weapon and dropped down next to him. Together, they moved away debris, digging quicker and deeper.
At the bottom of the pile, brown cracked human bones greeted his fingers. He yanked his arm away and gagged. Blake coughed and looked away, her hands flying to her side. He took a few deep breaths and slowly faced the bones. Gathering his feelings, he prodded through the bones. He found a human skull at the bottom, the lower jaw missing.
Reining in his quaking stomach, he slowly began to pile the bones together. Blake watched from the side, unmoving. He placed the broken skull on top of the bone. He picked up a nearby unbroken wine bottle and popped it open. A faint sweet smell drifted out of the bottle. Turning it over, he let wine wash over the skull and into the bones.
The last of the wine dripped out of the bottle. He placed the bottle down and stood, dusting off his hands.
Blake moved her amber orbs to him and asked, "Why did you do that?"
He shrugged, "It would feel disrespectful to leave them here. If someone found my bones I would want them to be commemorated, not letting me become forgotten. At least now, even if they're dead, they can gain some dignity in not being the chew toy of a Grimm."
Blake hummed and walked back to the staircase. He followed her, sparing the pile of bones one last glance.
They climbed the stairs back into the first floor.
The broken glass and other small debris had been shuffled over to a pile in the far corner of the room. The broken bits of the roof were stacked next to the door in some crude contraption that would fall onto any trespasser.
A small fireplace flickered in the middle of the room, under the hole. The bedrolls had laid around it. Qrow stood in the middle of the room, nodding in approval.
Ruby skipped over to them and asked, "What did you guys find down there?"
He shared a glance with Blake and looked back at Ruby .
He smiled, "It was just a wine cellar, nothing useful."
Qrow nodded and came over to them, "Now while I would love to sample some of this vintage stuff we have to set up a watch. I'll take the first shift, the rest of you draw straws."
He walked away and jumped through the hole, landing on the roof of the building.
Jaune and his friends drew straws. He drew the watch right after Qrow's.
Tired to the bone, he shuffled into his sleeping roll. The warmth of the fire soothed him. In a few seconds, he fell asleep.
A nudge on his shoulder woke him up. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. Qrow stood over him and grunted, pointing over to the hole in the roof. He nodded and slid out of his bedroll.
He went to the hole and stood in the moonlight streaming in. The shattered moon hung right above the hole, large and luminous. He admired the view.
Craning his head, he made sure that his friends and Qrow were asleep. His friends lay still inside of their bedrolls. Qrow had gotten into his and had begun to snore lightly.
He quietly jumped through the hole and landed on the roof.
Luckily most of the buildings around the core weren't tall enough to obscure his view. A few Grimm prowled the streets in the distance. An owl hooted somewhere, making the hairs on his skin stick up.
He looked down the hole. Qrow and his friends were still fast asleep.
Standing statue sill, he waited. None of them stirred from their rolls. He put a silent timer on his scroll for the length of his shift and walked over to the edge of the roof. Closing his eyes, he ran through the future videos, recalling every single detail about the episode where team RWBY went to Mount Glenn with .
He had watched the videos so many times that he could recall them perfectly, almost as if he was watching them in real time.
Opening his eyes, he scanned the area. He couldn't pinpoint any landmarks from the video. Team RWBY must have camped deeper in the ruins.
He sighed in frustration and looked towards the core of the city. Biting his lips, he moved one of his feet over the edge of the roof. He paused, running through a thousand scenarios.
He thought better of it and pulled his foot away. He crept back to the hole and silently jumped down. Slowly tip-toeing, he threaded over to Blake's bedroll.
Gently grabbing her shoulder, he shook her. Her amber eyes popped open and met his. She nodded and silently slid out of her roll like an oily snake. He crept over to Pyrrha and woke her up. She groggily shook out of her bedroll, grabbing her weapon.
He put a finger to his lips and pointed to the hole. Both of his partners nodded.
The trio silently jumped onto the roof and convened on its edge.
He whispered, trying not to let the wind catch his voice, "We don't have that much time, but if we run and ignore the Grimm we should be able to reach the center of the city and hopefully find the Fang."
Blake muttered, "Wel have to be quick about it."
Pyrrha said, "Then let's go right now. No time to talk."
Without another word, she jumped to another rooftop and began to head deeper into the city. Blake jumped after her and he followed the cat faunus.
They stuck to the rooftops, their quiet impacts being hidden by the groan of the buildings. They passed by Grimm so quickly that the beasts could only glance at them.
In a few minutes they covered miles and reached the core of the city. Abandoned skyscrapers and tall buildings took up most of the space, cutting their roof jumping path.
He led the two women onto the ground. They hung in the crevices of alleyways and stuck to the shadows. His destination was a tall apartment overlooking the city's core. It bared a fire escape that hadn't rotted off.
They reached the fire escape. Blake led the climb, quiet as the night. The rusted ladder and steps creaked and groaned, but the noise mixed in with the other similar sounds of the city. They climbed onto the roof and walked to its edge.
He fished out his scroll and looked at the time. They had a few more minutes until his shift ended. He put his scroll away and looked over the city core, trying to find signs of the Fang.
The night made almost any sight impossible. If only he had the night vision capabilities of the stealth goggles.
At least they had the ability to zoom in. He used his scroll to fan over the area in a zoomed in view.
Blake and Pyrrha did the same. A few moments passed and he found nothing. Frustration mounting, he moved his scroll down, ready to turn back.
Blake hummed.
He bolted over to her and so did Pyrrha. Of course, Blake would be able to find something. She was the faunus with night vision.
He asked, anxious yet excited, "Have you found them?"
She nodded and pointed to a section of the city core, "Take a look."
He used his scroll and zoomed in on the location she pointed to.
On his scroll screen, two Fang grunts walked out of the entrance of a large subway station, a gaping hole in the wall. They slowly walked over to an abandoned skyscraper. One of the grunts stood outside while another went in.
Seconds ticked by. A red glow bloomed inside of the skyscraper, bleeding out of its broken windows. The Fang grunt came out followed by a giant mutant beowolf. One side of the beast was rusty metal while red glowing dust crystals covered its other half.
The beowolf followed the Fang grunt like an obedient dog.
The two fang grunts rejoined and led the Grimm to the subway entrance. The two grunts became entrenched deep in conversation. One of them even laughed at another's joke, uncaring of the death machine behind them. The rough throaty sound reverberated through the streets.
They stopped at the subway entrance. The two grunts stepped to the side and pointed their guns down into the entrance. The beowolf stopped at the entrance and sniffed at the two grunts.
It snarled, revealing rows of chipped brown teeth, and reached its hand back. The crystals embedded deep into its arm hindered the motion. One of the Fang grunts fished out a scroll and tapped on it. Blue sparks of electricity swam up the beowolf's metal, stopping it in place.
The beast fell over. It lay on the ground, its giant body heaving. Slowly, it stood up and sulked into the station entrance. The Fang grunts laughed as it passed.
Dust glows bloomed to life in the buildings near the subway entrance, lighting up the darkness like mini-multi colored suns. A steady stream of mutant Grimm marched out of the buildings and into the station entrance, numbering in the hundreds.
They moved like zombies, the most controlled he had ever seen in his life. Their glowing crystals created dozens of glowing trails. The Fang grunts used their scrolls to control any Grimm that got out of line.
He put his scroll down, mouth gaping. He turned to his teammates. They wore similar shocked depression.
Things just got complicated.
AN:
I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review if you can!